I Betrayed the Aloof Movie Queen and Went Bankrupt - Chapter 4

Two years ago—

It was midsummer, and the sun beat down mercilessly upon the high-rise buildings.

Along the roadside, tree branches hung listlessly, swaying in a slow rhythm to the chorus of cicadas. Though it wasn’t yet July or August, the temperature had spiked abruptly, leaving the ground scorched like an open flame.

Xu Youzhi was working a part-time shift at a dog cafe. It was quiet inside, with very few customers.

Hearing the door open, Xu Youzhi called out, “Welcome!”

The rhythmic clack-clack of high heels followed, and a tall woman stepped into view.

Jiang Ruoxun wore a refined, delicate makeup look. Her magnificent, ink-black wavy hair gave her an ethereal yet vibrant presence. She was dressed simply but elegantly in a jet-black maxi dress that made her skin appear as translucent as white jade.

She carried a cold, intellectual aura—like the female lead of a novel, pure as snow yet hardened by the frost.

Xu Youzhi stared for a moment, dazed. “Senior, are you here to play with the dogs too?”

Jiang Ruoxun gave a faint smile. “You mentioned before that you worked here, so I wanted to come by and see you. What’s the matter? Do your parents not give you an allowance?”

Xu Youzhi replied, “I actually came here to accompany two of my friends.”

Jiang Ruoxun held up a cup of tempting milk tea and placed it before her eyes.

“It’s hot out. This is for you.”

“Senior… I couldn’t possibly—” Xu Youzhi started to decline, but Jiang Ruoxun had already turned to leave.

Watching that graceful, tall silhouette depart, Xu Youzhi’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson.

As for how the two met, it had only started a few days prior.

Xu Youzhi’s father had built his fortune in real estate. Her family was wealthy and wanted for nothing. Because Youzhi didn’t want to live in the university dorms, her parents moved the entire household into “Magnolia Garden,” a high-end residential complex only two subway stops away from Zhedong University.

A few celebrities lived in the area as well, though they were rarely seen.

The first encounter between Xu Youzhi and Jiang Ruoxun happened by pure chance in the elevator.

That day, a major scandal had broken out regarding Jiang Ruoxun. She had been forcibly embraced by a male actor, but the paparazzi caught the moment and twisted the narrative, accusing her of “seducing” him.

The “homewrecker” rumors exploded on the trending searches. Fans abandoned her, and netizens hurled insults; her reputation plummeted overnight.

But she had a clear conscience. She issued the necessary clarifications, but the truth was no match for the excitement of a scandal. Even now, people still gossiped about her “dark past” with great relish.

She planned to take a short leave of absence, which was when she ran into Xu Youzhi in the elevator.

“Sister, have you been crying?” Xu Youzhi asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” Jiang Ruoxun said, removing her sunglasses. Just as she reached for a tissue, one was held out to her.

Xu Youzhi looked at her face clearly. “Here, wipe your eyes.”

Jiang Ruoxun didn’t speak. She just looked at Xu Youzhi. The girl didn’t look like a typical university student; her posture was the epitome of “well-behaved and foolish.”

“Do you know who I am?” Jiang Ruoxun asked.

“I know! You’re Senior Jiang Ruoxun. I’m a student at Zhedong University just like you, so technically, I’m your junior!” Xu Youzhi grinned widely.

Glimpsing the girl’s pale pink lips—full and moist even without a touch of rouge—Jiang Ruoxun noted her effortless perfection.

Anyone else seeing a celebrity would be clamoring for autographs or photos. Or, given her current reputation, they would avoid her like the plague.

Yet, this girl was smiling like a total idiot.

Feeling that she was a bit strange, Jiang Ruoxun asked, “Junior, what is your name?”

“My name is Xu Youzhi.”

“Xu Youzhi (Infantile)?” Jiang Ruoxun misheard, wondering why anyone would name their daughter “Infantile.”

“It’s Zhi as in ‘branch on a tree,'” Xu Youzhi corrected her patiently. Sometimes if she didn’t speak very precisely, people easily heard it as “infantile.”

Jiang Ruoxun took the tissue and forced a small smile. “Thank you.”

When they stepped out of the elevator, they realized they were neighbors.

Opening her door, Jiang Ruoxun gave Xu Youzhi a hollow smile. “What a coincidence.”

Xu Youzhi smiled back stiffly and entered her own home.

Once inside, Jiang Ruoxun’s smile vanished. She thought to herself: A student from Zhedong? She looks like she’d be very easy to trick.

Perhaps because of that one moment of unintentional kindness, Jiang Ruoxun remembered her. Over the next few days, she ran into Xu Youzhi several times. The girl’s face was always filled with sunshine, and she would sweetly call out, “Senior!”

Inadvertently, Jiang Ruoxun found herself taking a liking to her. It was truly hard to dislike such a well-behaved and cute junior.

She decided to do something kind in return for the girl’s earlier concern.

Back in the car, her manager, Xu Ling, asked curiously, “What were you doing in there?”

Jiang Ruoxun replied, “A junior of mine works here part-time. I brought her something.”

Xu Ling thought for a moment. “Oh, is it that neighbor girl who smiled at you when I went to your place last time?”

Jiang Ruoxun nodded.

“That’s good. Talking to a younger girl is a good way to relax your mind.”

“There’s an eight-year age gap between us. The difference is too big,” Jiang Ruoxun remarked. The Movie Queen’s lips were a vibrant red as she stared at her phone screen, meticulously checking her makeup. “Also, tell Ye Qinghuan to get back here. She’s the one with the best ideas for handling this trashy scandal.”

Xu Ling sighed. Ye Qinghuan was the boss of the company, after all. She laughed, “Fine, fine. Shall we go eat first?”

Kaixin Entertainment had grown into a giant because of Jiang Ruoxun. As a founding veteran of the company, her status was lofty, and Xu Ling dared not neglect her.

Jiang Ruoxun hummed in agreement, her eyes fixed on the trending topics that refused to die down.

I’m telling you; these female stars need better taste. Imagine falling for a married man!

Lang Qingyan might be handsome for his age, but his career isn’t that great. Jiang Ruoxun must be blind.

Stop talking about whether she’s blind or not. The fact that she’s a homewrecker is what’s infuriating!

The scandal with Lang Qingyan had started at a gathering.

Lang Qingyan was a lead actor in his late twenties who had married young. He had been married for ten years and was known as a “model husband” in the industry. The public adored him.

But one day, he suddenly invited Jiang Ruoxun to dinner under the guise of a cast gathering.

Jiang Ruoxun didn’t agree. If it were a cast dinner, her manager would have notified her first.

A few days later, Lang Qingyan approached her directly. Jiang Ruoxun had just finished filming a commercial and was heading to her hotel when he blocked her path.

“Ruoxun, why won’t you come?” he asked, sounding aggrieved.

Before she could speak, he grabbed her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

He shouted as if he had lost his mind, “I really like you! Ever since we finished filming… I haven’t been able to forget you. I think about you every single night.”

Without a word, Jiang Ruoxun kicked him squarely in the groin.

However, that embrace was captured by paparazzi. They had demanded ten million yuan in hush money. Jiang Ruoxun, having a clear conscience, refused to pay.

Lang Qingyan, instead of stopping the rumors, added fuel to the fire. After the incident went viral, he posted a statement saying he had “rejected her many times” and that Jiang Ruoxun “insisted on meeting privately,” claiming he was “at a loss” as to what to do.

When a “good married man” speaks like that, all public outcry is directed at the woman.

By the time Jiang Ruoxun finished dinner, it was late.

The car was parked by the roadside near a KTV lounge. There were few people around. A pale, slender hand reached out of the car window, holding a cigarette.

Jiang Ruoxun was smoking while Xu Ling held the steering wheel, talking to Ye Qinghuan on the phone.

There happened to be a trash can with an ashtray nearby. Jiang Ruoxun tapped the ash and eventually extinguished the cigarette with graceful, gentle movements.

“Let’s go,” she said tiredly.

“In a bad mood?” Ye Qinghuan asked over the phone.

“How could I be in a good mood with this scandal hanging over me?” Jiang Ruoxun smirked, though a hint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes. She certainly wasn’t going to let Lang Qingyan off the hook.

“I’ll give you a tip then,” Ye Qinghuan said through the speakers. “Find a few ‘little puppies’ (younger men) to please you. You aren’t short on money. Just act a little gentle, and I guarantee they’ll take the bait. Your life will be much better when they’re all obediently following you.”

Jiang Ruoxun laughed in spite of herself. “How young are we talking? I don’t want them if the age gap is too large.”

Xu Ling interrupted, “Alright, close that foul mouth of yours.”

As she hung up the phone and prepared to hit the clutch, she suddenly saw a group of girls walking out of the KTV. Li Qingshuang was supporting a half-dead, drunken Xu Youzhi. She hauled her toward the car and pleaded, “Auntie, please take Zhizhi back home.”

Li Qingshuang was also a bit tipsy; she only knew the license plate was similar to her aunt’s and didn’t notice Jiang Ruoxun in the back seat. She slammed the door shut and ran back to her friends at the bar, leaving everything behind.

The two women in the car looked at each other in bewilderment.

Xu Ling said, “These kids took me for her aunt! I should call them back!”

Jiang Ruoxun replied, “Wait. I know this kid. Let’s just take her home.”

Xu Ling glanced back. “Huh, it’s that girl? She looks so well-behaved, yet she drinks like this?”

Jiang Ruoxun gave a cold laugh. “Do you really think a university student can be that pure?”

It was rare for Jiang Ruoxun to be kind enough to drive someone home, but this “guest” started getting handsy.

It was Xu Youzhi’s first time drinking, and she was a mess. She rolled over and found a comfortable spot to lean on.

That spot happened to be Jiang Ruoxun’s thigh.

Jiang Ruoxun: “…”

She tried to sit Xu Youzhi upright, but the girl naturally leaned her head onto Jiang Ruoxun’s shoulder.

She even mumbled in a babyish voice, “Auntie~”

“What auntie?” Jiang Ruoxun didn’t even like being called “Sister,” let alone “Auntie.” The word made a spark of irritation rise in her heart.

“Thank you… Auntie Li, for taking me back.” Even though she was drunk, Xu Youzhi was still very polite. She instinctively hugged Jiang Ruoxun, mistaking her for Li Qingshuang’s aunt, Li Wuyi.

“Auntie… last time I looked for you, you said you were busy. Are you free this time?” Xu Youzhi murmured with her eyes closed.

Before Jiang Ruoxun could speak, Xu Youzhi added, “Auntie… you smell so good. It’s different from the perfume you wore before…”

The girl sounded like she was talking in her sleep—adorable and oblivious.

Xu Ling burst out laughing upon hearing this.

Looking at the girl’s slightly flushed, damp lips and the way her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, Jiang Ruoxun’s anger suddenly vanished.

Xu Youzhi woke up groggily, finding herself in her own bed.

Her head still ached, and she had been woken up by her phone. Li Qingshuang was calling to ask why her aunt hadn’t picked her up and if she had run into any trouble.

Xu Youzhi asked in confusion, “But I’m already home?”

Li Qingshuang was full of questions. “But my aunt said she never found you!”

Huh? Xu Youzhi was stunned. Then how did she get home?

There was a knock at the door. Checking the peephole, she saw Li Wuyi.

Li Wuyi was sixteen years older than Xu Youzhi. She was dressed in a pale-yellow dress, looking mature and sophisticated.

Xu Youzhi quickly tidied her hair before opening the door.

At that moment, Jiang Ruoxun, suffering from insomnia, went to the living room for a glass of water. Hearing voices at the door, she frowned and walked over to look through her own peephole.

She saw Li Wuyi stroking the girl’s hair. “Zhizhi, you really gave me a scare. I waited at the KTV and couldn’t find you. I even went to the bar to look for Qingshuang, fearing you were in danger.”

Xu Youzhi shook her head frantically. “Auntie, I’m fine. I honestly don’t know how I got back.” She thought back carefully; she was certain the person she had hugged was Li Wuyi.

Li Wuyi smiled gently. “It’s good that you’re okay.” She handed over a small cake she had bought. “This is for you.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Xu Youzhi grinned, then said shyly, “Um… Auntie, are you free the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes, why?”

“Can I invite you to go to Datong Cave? Just to relax and have some fun.”

“Sure. See you then.”

“Auntie, goodbye!”

Watching Xu Youzhi’s silly, innocent smile—the exact same one she had used to greet Jiang Ruoxun—Jiang Ruoxun’s gaze darkened.

It turned out the girl didn’t smile at her because she liked her. She smiled at everyone like that. In fact, she was even more enthusiastic toward that woman.

Jiang Ruoxun bit her lip, her grip tightening on her water glass.

To her, Xu Youzhi was like a pure, beautiful cherry blossom tree. When the wind blew, the blossoms would scatter in a breathtaking display.

And Jiang Ruoxun… she only wanted to break the branch.