Deliberate Possession [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Okay?

Jiang Yumian got up from her office chair, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to look down, saw nothing, then moved to a few other spots, but still couldn’t see downstairs.

She opened her phone, found Jing Xiaoyan in the blacklist again, typed a bunch of messages like “I don’t want to see you” or “Stay away from me” to drive Jing Xiaoyan away, but ultimately deleted them herself.

The blacklist feature was something she opened several times a day, and it was truly only for Jing Xiaoyan.

Finally, she pressed the desk phone and called Zou Xian. “Hello, Xiao Zou, can you come in for a moment?”

Zou Xian entered from outside, and before she could sit down, she heard Jiang Yumian ask her.

“Didn’t you tell Jing Xiaoyan that there’s a lounge on the first floor?”

Zou Xian was startled. “I did, yes. What’s wrong? Did she come over?”

Jiang Yumian gritted her teeth, tightened her grip on her phone, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. “Go downstairs and bring her up. She’s right outside the door now.”

Zou Xian quickly nodded. “Oh, oh, okay.”

Just as she was about to leave, Jiang Yumian called out to stop her. “Oh, right, did they find an endorser for that game app we talked about yesterday?”

Zou Xian’s forehead was covered in black lines. You know yourself that we only talked about it yesterday…

“No…”

Jiang Yumian nodded, speaking seriously. “Fine, then let’s use our company’s own App. We’ll have an online meeting there. It’s a good time to test if this App is easy to use, and I can also hear their opinions. I shouldn’t be the only one looking.”

Although it was a bit sudden, Zou Xian agreed. “Okay, I’ll notify them in the group.”

Jiang Yumian waved her hand. “Hurry up. Oh, and help me call Secretary Yang.”

Secretary Yang soon entered the office. Jiang Yumian was looking at the computer, waiting for everyone to join the meeting. She looked up when the secretary entered.

“Do we have ginger tea in the company pantry right now?”

Secretary Yang nodded. “Yes. Would you like me to make you a cup?”

Jiang Yumian nodded. “A hot cup, with two sugar cubes.”

After thinking for a moment, she added, “Make it two cups. Mine without sugar.”

Just as Secretary Yang brought the two cups of ginger tea in, Jing Xiaoyan was also led in by Zou Xian.

Zou Xian glanced at the office desk, waited a long time but didn’t see Jiang Yumian look up, so she decided to speak up. “Little President Jiang, Miss Jing is here. I’ll be leaving now.”

Jiang Yumian twitched the corner of her mouth. She didn’t need reminding. She heard the large commotion. Jing Xiaoyan’s eyes were practically drilling a hole through her. How could she not notice?

She cleared her throat, said a soft “Mhm,” but still didn’t look up.

Secretary Yang quickly caught on. “It’s cold outside, Miss Jing. Have a cup of ginger tea to warm up. Little President Jiang just asked me to make it. This one has two sugar cubes.”

Jiang Yumian felt a heart blockage. She sighed softly at the computer. She really could have said nothing.

Jing Xiaoyan’s long eyelashes trembled. She quickly took the cup, looked up towards Jiang Yumian, saw her still staring at the computer, unwilling to look at her, and lowered her eyes. She looked at the tea in the cup, gently said thank you, and sat down on the sofa.

Secretary Yang placed the other cup next to Jiang Yumian, and even winked at her, complimenting her!

She was following their show too. She shipped them intensely. She noticed something was off the last few times they were together at the company.

Jiang Yumian’s heart tightened. She shouldn’t have been so nice to them. She had no authority left. She closed her eyes and waved her hand at the secretary. “Go back. Thank you.”

Thinking of something, she reminded her, “Oh, right, I’m about to start a meeting. If it’s not important, don’t let anyone disturb me.”

Secretary Yang nodded. “Understood.”

Jing Xiaoyan held the cup. She paused when she heard that, lowered her head, and remained silent. It wasn’t until Secretary Yang left that she softly called out to Jiang Yumian.

“Mianmian.”

Jing Xiaoyan’s slightly trembling voice reached her ears. Jiang Yumian bit the tip of her tongue, her heart trembling too. She took a light breath, quickly ignoring the strange feeling in her heart.

She deliberately spoke coldly. “I have a meeting to start. Don’t interrupt my work for now.”

Jing Xiaoyan looked haggard. She softly mumbled “Mhm.”

Looking so pitiful, Jiang Yumian didn’t know if she was pretending or if it was real. Even if she was pretending, Jiang Yumian didn’t dare to look. She knew her own weakness.

The office was too warm. The air conditioning seemed to be set very high. Jing Xiaoyan’s face quickly became much rosier. Jiang Yumian focused on the meeting, deliberately avoiding looking at Jing Xiaoyan.

After a day of filming, Jing Xiaoyan was extremely tired. Entering the comfortable environment and listening to Jiang Yumian’s voice, she felt very reassured.

She leaned back on the sofa to rest. She saw Jiang Yumian take a sip of the ginger tea, and she took a sip too. Her cup was almost empty now.

After about half an hour, Jing Xiaoyan squinted her eyes, feeling overwhelmingly sleepy. Her body was warm, a little hot. She took off her padded jacket and gently placed it on her lap.

She wanted to close her eyes for a bit, but she was afraid Jiang Yumian would be angry if she saw her sleeping. She kept fighting it, wishing Jiang Yumian would finish the meeting quickly so she could talk to her, but it seemed like the meeting would go on for a long time.

Jiang Yumian, whose peripheral vision occasionally landed on Jing Xiaoyan, finally noticed her actions. She quietly reached out and lowered the air conditioning by two degrees.

The employees were still rambling and analyzing in her headphones. She was getting a little impatient. Her gaze finally shifted, landing on Jing Xiaoyan. Seeing how tired she was, Jiang Yumian lowered her head, rubbed her slightly red eyes, and sighed softly.

She typed in the input box: “Everyone, please take a short break. I don’t want to hear you praising your idols. Think clearly before you speak. We’ll resume in five minutes.”

After sending the message, she muted her microphone, picked up her nearly empty cup, and quietly walked to the sofa, picking up Jing Xiaoyan’s cup as well.

Noticing the movement, Jing Xiaoyan quickly opened her eyes, reaching out to grab Jiang Yumian, and softly said, “Mianmian.”

Jiang Yumian stepped aside, avoiding her hand. “My meeting will take a long time. I don’t have time to talk to you. You can take a nap.”

Then she raised the cups in her hand, indicating with a cold face, “I’m going to get some water.”

Jing Xiaoyan opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Jiang Yumian had already left with the cups.

Jing Xiaoyan sat up properly only after Jiang Yumian returned, leaning back again.

Looking at the water cup placed back in front of her, Jing Xiaoyan couldn’t help but say, “Mianmian, you care about me.”

Jiang Yumian was startled, then quickly sneered. “I can’t let my cousin freeze here. I won’t be able to explain to my mom and aunt.”

Jing Xiaoyan was helpless. “Mianmian…”

Jiang Yumian walked towards the office desk, speaking casually. “The sofa is big, and there are pillows. You sleep. I need to continue my meeting.”

Jing Xiaoyan pursed her lips, not daring to argue with Jiang Yumian. She reached out, pulled her coat over her, lay down, and placed a pillow under her head.

Now that she understood Jiang Yumian’s attitude and knew she still cared about her, Jing Xiaoyan was already content.

Thinking that Jiang Yumian wouldn’t leave her alone here, she fell asleep peacefully. When Jiang Yumian looked up again, Jing Xiaoyan was already asleep.

But Jing Xiaoyan’s sleep was light. She occasionally opened her eyes slightly when she heard Jiang Yumian’s voice. She slept for less than twenty minutes, then sat up again because it was almost Jiang Yumian’s closing time.

Jiang Yumian glanced at her, sighing inwardly.

She suddenly heard Jing Xiaoyan’s name in her earphone. She was startled. “Sorry, the sound was a bit choppy just now. Could you please repeat that?”

“Oh, oh, I was talking about Jing Xiaoyan. I heard her manager contacted us yesterday, offering to endorse the game. She’s a big star, so we don’t know if it’s true or not, but it should be real. They said the price is up to us.”

“Jing Xiaoyan? The one who was on the show with Little President Jiang? Then it should be true.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? If she endorses it, do we need to waste an hour here discussing it!”

“Quiet down, Little President Jiang hasn’t spoken yet.”

It was the first time they were held in a meeting for an hour over an endorsement.

Jiang Yumian glanced at Jing Xiaoyan, who was running her hand through her hair, and snorted coldly. “A big star is rushing to endorse a new game, and the price is whatever we want? Is Jing Xiaoyan’s team that foolish?”

She saw Jing Xiaoyan look over in her peripheral vision. She paused and continued. “Even if it’s true, have you investigated the reason further? Who would make a deal that is likely to lose money without reason?”

The employees below fell silent. Some even muted their microphones directly. They hadn’t suspected anything because they thought her relationship with Jing Xiaoyan was good…

But then they quickly heard Jiang Yumian add, “I think she has malicious intentions.”

Alright, so it wasn’t as good as they imagined. The entertainment industry is truly messy…

Jing Xiaoyan’s gaze towards Jiang Yumian was somewhat complex. She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but was afraid of being shut down by her.

Jiang Yumian looked at the time. When there was exactly one minute left before closing time, she spoke directly. “Alright, stop thinking about it. Give this matter to An Zhiying. She’s my former manager. Let her select an artist from the company. If there’s no suitable person in the company, have her recommend a reliable one.”

Although they were released by Little President Jiang and could leave on time, everyone still felt it was ridiculous. Why didn’t she just say that earlier…

Jiang Yumian hung up the meeting directly, took off her headphones, and rubbed her ears.

She quickly tidied up her desk and was about to leave when she turned off the air conditioning, completely treating Jing Xiaoyan like air.

But the moment she left her desk, she couldn’t ignore her anymore.

Jing Xiaoyan stood up and blocked Jiang Yumian’s path, her voice soft. “Mianmian, you’re off work now. I won’t interrupt your work. Can we talk?”

The pleading in her eyes was particularly intense. Jiang Yumian turned her head, not daring to look her in the eye.

She pursed her lips, her tone stiff. “Yes, I’m off work. I need to go home.”

She tried to leave, but Jing Xiaoyan tightly grasped her wrist, preventing her from leaving.

Jing Xiaoyan held her tightly, not daring to let her walk away like that. “Mianmian, I haven’t even spoken yet. I didn’t dare to interrupt your work. I waited until you got off work. Mianmian, can you talk to me, please?”

Jiang Yumian gritted her teeth. Her eyes were red, showing her weakness. She sometimes hated her tendency to cry easily, especially at times like this.

She blinked hard, not wanting Jing Xiaoyan to see her distress. After calming down, she lowered her head, turned around, and pushed Jing Xiaoyan’s hand away from her wrist. It took some force for her to pull her hand free.

She rubbed her wrist, which had been tightly held, and spoke coldly with her back to Jing Xiaoyan. “I have nothing to say to you. I only brought you up because having a public figure standing outside my company was bad for the image if someone took a picture.”

Jing Xiaoyan shook her head, reaching out to grab her clothes again. “Mianmian, don’t hide from me.”

She had been in the meeting for an hour, completely wasting time just so she wouldn’t interrupt her, and then she was just going to leave immediately after work.

Jing Xiaoyan knew very well that Jiang Yumian couldn’t bear to leave her waiting downstairs but didn’t want to face her, which is why she did this.

Jiang Yumian pulled at her clothes impatiently. “Let go of me. I’m off work. I’m going home.”

Jing Xiaoyan held on tightly, speaking quickly. “I’m sorry, Mianmian. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have hidden it from you, and I shouldn’t have ignored the feelings of the elders. I’m sorry.”

Seeing she couldn’t break free, Jiang Yumian also let go of her clothes. Hearing Jing Xiaoyan apologize, she took a deep breath and asked a question she had been thinking about for the past few days. “Jing Xiaoyan, let me ask you, is my aunt good to you?”

She finally turned to look at Jing Xiaoyan, speaking earnestly. “Tell me honestly, whether she is good or not, I will believe you.”

She had overlooked a problem. The internet often said that many stepmothers were not good to their stepchildren. So, if Jing Xiaoyan was in that situation, she wouldn’t consider those issues. She would understand.

Jing Xiaoyan didn’t know why Jiang Yumian asked this, but she quickly nodded. “Your aunt is very good to me. She is the best elder to me.”

Hearing this answer, Jiang Yumian felt very conflicted. She was somewhat relieved that her aunt wasn’t that kind of person, but also a little disappointed.

Seeing Jiang Yumian lower her head, Jing Xiaoyan became anxious. “Mianmian, I don’t know what’s wrong. Can you tell me? Talk to me. What if there’s a misunderstanding?”

Jiang Yumian shook her head. “Forget it. I’ve already told Mom and Aunt. I won’t be with you.”

Jing Xiaoyan’s breathing paused for a moment. Her chest felt constricted, making it hard to breathe. Her eyes were bloodshot from holding back tears because of that sentence.

Jing Xiaoyan closed her eyes, her eyelids trembling uncontrollably. When she opened them again, tears welled up. “Jiang Yumian, are you only considering the feelings of the elders?”

Startled by her heavy sobbing and accusatory words, Jiang Yumian looked up in a panic, her mind a mess. Jing Xiaoyan was crying. She was very upset.

The deliberately stern look on her face completely broke. Jiang Yumian stammered, “I, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry. I’m sorry.”

She frantically reached out to wipe Jing Xiaoyan’s tears.

Jing Xiaoyan grabbed her hand and choked out, “Sorry for what? Is it because you truly didn’t consider my feelings?”

Jiang Yumian’s back stiffened. She turned her head, not daring to look into Jing Xiaoyan’s eyes. She pulled her hand back, grabbed two tissues from the coffee table, trying to avoid her questioning.

Just as she was about to hand her the tissues, she heard her speak again.

“Then we’re even. I didn’t consider your feelings back then either. We’re even, okay?”

Jiang Yumian’s hand holding the tissues froze. She pursed her lips and didn’t make a sound.

Jing Xiaoyan didn’t take the tissues she offered. Jiang Yumian ignored her, and her tears continued to fall. She changed the question. “Then will you take me off your blacklist first, okay?”

A tear hit the back of Jiang Yumian’s hand, scalding her, causing her fingers to clench. She pursed her lips, raised her hand, and gently wiped the tears from Jing Xiaoyan’s face with the tissue, whispering, “Mhm, I’ll take you off the blacklist. After all, you are my cousin.”

Hearing the last part of the sentence, Jing Xiaoyan lowered her head in frustration. “Can you really not tell me why?”

She couldn’t help but hug Jiang Yumian. Jiang Yumian’s initial movement to push her away stopped because of her uncontrollable sobbing shoulders.

Jing Xiaoyan was crying very sadly. Jiang Yumian closed her eyes, her eyes burning hot. Tears streamed down her face. She regretted saying that to her.

“Mianmian, to me, how they feel doesn’t matter. It has nothing to do with me.” Jing Xiaoyan calmed down. Her first sentence after calming down displeased Jiang Yumian, but she quickly added, “But your aunt, she is very good to me. If she and your mother disagree with us being together, I will try hard to win their approval, and I will respect them.”

Jiang Yumian’s heart slowly calmed down. She opened her mouth and asked, “Your dad and my aunt are getting a divorce. Don’t you care?”

Jing Xiaoyan was stunned for a moment. Jiang Yumian knew about that too. Then they must have told her everything.

She shook her head. “I don’t care.”

Jiang Yumian frowned slightly. She was silent for two seconds. She was no longer as impulsive as before. She raised her hand to wipe her tears and stepped out of Jing Xiaoyan’s embrace.

She whispered, “You go back first. Give me some time to think for myself.”

She really should listen to what her aunt wanted to tell her.

Jing Xiaoyan looked at her. Only after confirming that she was emotionally stable did she speak. “But we could clearly talk about it and think together.”

Jiang Yumian reached out and wiped Jing Xiaoyan’s eyes. The tears on her fingertip glistened. “You want me to be in this state, then after a short talk, let my heart soften and agree to everything you ask?”

Jing Xiaoyan softly sniffed, lowering her head. Remembering that sentence, she still felt very sad. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. You haven’t done anything wrong except lying to me.” Jiang Yumian turned around and grabbed two more tissues. She handed one to Jing Xiaoyan. “I’m going home.”

Jing Xiaoyan looked down, reached out to take it, and hesitated for a long time before finally saying, “Mianmian, can you please not date someone else just to spite me?”

Jiang Yumian’s forehead was covered in black lines. She knew it.

“I’m not that childish.”

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