My Wealthy Ex-Girlfriend Knelt and Begged Me to Come Back [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 18

“No, I can’t tomorrow,” Ji Jiayu lowered her lashes and gently shook her head.

“President Qiu, I’m leaving tomorrow. I need to report back to the company, and in a week I’ll be going to the crew for styling photos.”

“Let’s not play around today. Please take me back now, so I can review some clips and study, okay?” Ji Jiayu asked softly.

Qiu Miaoran held her close, lowered her head, and breathed in the scent at the top of her hair.

It was fragrant—

the scent unique to a young girl.

Qiu Miaoran was dazed by her fragrance, almost entranced, and before she realized it, she blurted out, “What drama are you filming? Are you short of money?”

“No…” Ji Jiayu shook her head.

From behind her came Qiu Miaoran’s voice, her breath brushing Ji Jiayu’s ear and making it itch, “You don’t have to go. Just be my companion.”

“You don’t need to earn money.”

Ji Jiayu fell silent—

To be with her, to be her “companion,” felt no different than being a toy.

When she thought of her, she would summon her over for the night to satisfy a physical need;
When she didn’t, she would toss her aside, ignoring her, never once asking for her opinion.

Perhaps, to Qiu Miaoran, she was no different than how Zhou Qianqian was to Song Zheng.

A cat, a goldfish—both are pets.
No one cares what pets think.

Her chest tightened. A faint suffocating feeling spread.

No.

She must at least keep a shred of dignity.

Ji Jiayu lowered her head, looking at the arm encircling her waist. “Miaoran,” she said,

“You work in financing. That means helping the group spend money, allocating capital wisely. Just like how you love that book Venture Deals, right? President Qiu has her own passion for her career, doesn’t she?”

“Mm…” Qiu Miaoran glanced at her, slightly surprised, her brows lifting faintly. “Venture Deals.”

Compared to other foundational books like Value, Investment Banking, or Corporate Finance,

For a venture capitalist, Venture Deals was far more practical and frequently used—
so much so that she placed it horizontally on the shelf.

She hadn’t expected Ji Jiayu, who had only been in her study once, to notice such details.

It made her instinctively want to agree with her.

“Then I need to have my own career too… Besides, the contract says neither party can interfere in the other’s work, right?”

“I want to be an actress.”

“According to the contract terms, outside of work, I’m yours. Isn’t that right?” Ji Jiayu’s small hand slid up, brushing from her elbow downward. Her soft fingertips traced circles, barely there, but enough to make her feel the faint protruding veins beneath her skin.

The body holding her instantly tensed.

Ji Jiayu closed her eyes. The wind at the riding grounds blew warmly past her ears.

The build was so similar, but the scent was not—

Ji Chen didn’t have this faint sandalwood fragrance.

She opened her eyes slowly and reached up to straighten Qiu Miaoran’s collar.

Her fingers pinched the fabric lightly, pulling it taut. The cloth rubbed faintly, making a subtle sound. The movements were unhurried.

Through the thin shirt, her fingertips pressed softly, as if brushing across her throat—it tickled.

Qiu Miaoran’s throat tightened suddenly. The fingers on Ji Jiayu’s waist trembled, a tingling numbness spreading from her fingertips.

Ji Jiayu whispered, “Okay, Miaoran…”

“You can let go of me now.”

Only then did Qiu Miaoran realize her hand was still at Ji Jiayu’s waist.

She turned her head slightly, released her hold, and rubbed her fingertips together—

As if the touch still lingered, the feel of her skin’s softness beneath the thin knit fabric.

For some reason, her throat felt dry, and a bit of sweat gathered at her nose.

She had never been so distracted before.

And she realized—she had been holding Ji Jiayu for quite a while.

This woman was soft in her arms, carrying a sweet fragrance—

An enticing scent.

The next day.

“Jiayu, let me introduce you. This is your new assistant who’ll handle your daily matters, Xiaoyao.”

The young assistant walked over and extended her hand. “Xiaoyu.”

Ji Jiayu gently clasped her fingers, noticing the stiffness in her arm—clearly nervous. “Xiaoyao, right? You’re so cute…”

“N-no… Ah, thank you, Xiaoyu,” Xiaoyao’s little round face beneath black-rimmed glasses flushed pink.

“Haha, Xiaoyao used to work in the Group’s Technical Department 2. She requested to transfer here. She might be a little nervous now, but don’t be fooled—she used to be a fansite master. She’s very professional with this stuff…”

“Mm.” Ji Jiayu’s eyes curved with a smile. “I’ll be in your care from now on.”

Xiaoyao leaned in, “I’ll help certify your Weibo account. I’ll also handle the fanclub operations. From now on, if you need anything, come to me.”

Ji Jiayu submitted the verification request. Soon, a little “V” would hang beneath her profile picture.

Her followers were still few—she had just broken past five digits. Ji Jiayu had never seriously managed her account, so her popularity was less than even some small-time influencers. Many of her new fans had only followed after the Talent official account tagged her in a commercial post.

“Are we going on location today?” Ji Jiayu asked.

“The last Talent ad you shot did really well online. The Lady L magazine people reached out to feature emerging artists. The chief editor personally requested you,” Sister Rong walked over and handed her a photocopy across the desk.

“Xiaoyao will take you there later.”

Lady L was a top-tier domestic magazine. The cover always featured A-listers and current traffic stars…

For newcomers, they could only get an inner-page spread.

But even that was something most rookies could never obtain. In Ji Jiayu’s old company, Manager Sun had only ever given her cheap, small-scale shoots—never a magazine spread.

Lady L Magazine Office, 1st-floor reception room.

Chen Yiying gripped her notice so tightly the paper crumpled.

“A double shoot? You want me to share an inner page with someone else? Why? Am I not standing high enough already? Change it. I’m not taking this job!”

Chen Yiying herself was spoiled and willful, but in the industry she played the sweet princess image. Fans called her “Princess Yiying,” the wealthy daughter occasionally gracing the mortal world.

For years, her father had poured resources into her, sparing no effort. Yet, oddly, she never managed to become popular.

Now she was stuck awkwardly between second- and third-tier status, obsessing over her rank. To be paired with a newcomer in an “emerging artist” feature? Of course she pouted furiously.

“This time it’s an exclusive on new rising stars. The inner page can’t just be about one person,” the chief editor of Lady L smiled awkwardly, hiding behind professionalism.

“Please, Miss Chen, could you be understanding?”

“Oh, my dear Miss Chen…” her assistant quickly pulled her aside, whispering,

“Lower your pride. Don’t forget why we came to Qiushui Entertainment…”

Chen Yiying clenched her back molars.

It’s to be closer to Sister Miaoran, to protect Sister Qiao Xuan and Sister Miaoran’s love…
To keep fox spirits—whether male or female—from stealing her away…

She silently recited this in her heart.

“Fine. I’ll do it.” Chen Yiying returned to the table, picked up a pen, and signed her name.

Lifting her chin with a sweet smile, she said,

“Editor Liu, I wasn’t thinking straight just now. I’ll take it. No need to scramble for another person.”

The shoot location was on the rooftop of Lady L’s office building—at their brand-new rooftop swimming pool.

The pool was built after the founder’s partner casually said:

“I wish I could swim after work and watch the sunset together from the rooftop.”

The founder immediately spent over 3 million to construct the rooftop pool. Employees could relax there after work, and during annual events, they hosted pool parties.

This spread would also conveniently promote Lady L’s “corporate culture.”

Chen Yiying lifted her white gauze skirt as her assistant pushed open the rooftop door.

It was afternoon, the sunlight spilling down. The pool glimmered a dazzling blue, the view stretching over the business district. The light was perfect—bright but not harsh—ideal for photos.

By the pool, on a recliner, sat a girl in sunglasses, taking a quick selfie.

Then she lowered her head, letting her ink-dark hair fall like seaweed, the breeze lifting the tips. Under the sheer red chiffon of her dress, her long legs stretched, pale and straight, glowing almost luminously in the sun—

She was so fair she seemed to reflect light.

The moment Chen Yiying saw Ji Jiayu, her eyes widened in shock, fingers slackening around her skirt hem. “Why is it you?”

Ji Jiayu turned, her pale fingers removing her sunglasses slowly, revealing light-brown eyes. The corners tilted up slightly, eyeliner in soft brown, lips glossed in a luminous rose tint.

Her makeup was natural—just a sheer foundation to highlight her contours, paired with bold red lips.

Her innocent features were shaded with a sultry charm.

Ji Jiayu rose gracefully from the recliner. The red chiffon skirt cascaded down, hiding her legs save for her bare, porcelain feet, toes dainty and pink against the tiles.

She walked over, lips curving in a faint smile.

“Hello, my surname is Ji. I hope our first collaboration goes smoothly.”

The fitted red gown cinched her waist tightly. As she walked, her hips swayed just slightly, the chiffon rippling as if stirred by the wind.

Backlit by the sun, her hair glowed gold, her smile careless and effortless—

but captivating enough to seize every gaze.

Chen Yiying stared, dumbfounded for a beat, before clenching her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.

Such foxlike allure—

No wonder she had bewitched Sister Miaoran so thoroughly, making her forget she was even once engaged!

I’ll definitely expose her.

Under the director and photographer’s instructions, Ji Jiayu and Chen Yiying cooperated, posing together—

“Chen Yiying, get closer to Ji Jiayu.”

“Yes, closer… make it look natural.”

Chen Yiying swallowed her disgust, slowly adjusting her expression to lean in. At one point, her nose brushed against Ji Jiayu’s loose strands of hair.

Her nose caught a faint sweetness.

It wasn’t perfume or essential oil—it was the natural, soft fragrance of a girl.

Chen Yiying’s brows twitched. Her hands clenched then loosened again. For a moment, she was dazed—She smells… too good.

They spent almost the entire afternoon before the director and editor were satisfied with several shots.

By the pool, Ji Jiayu sat with her legs drawn slightly together beneath the red chiffon, her posture alluring.

Beside her, Chen Yiying stood, hair brushed back to reveal a sharp jawline and delicate neck.

Around them, pink and white plastic balls lay scattered across the ground.

Behind them, the water shimmered in the sunlight.

Chen Yiying wore a pure-white gown, representing innocence and sweetness.

Ji Jiayu wore a crimson mermaid gown, representing passion and seduction.

Red and white—two extremes of beauty in contrast.

“Cut!”

“That’s a wrap!”

At the poolside, Chen Yiying walked ahead of Ji Jiayu.

Ji Jiayu lowered her head, scanning the floor, then finally dared to check her phone.

Before the shoot, she had posted a sunglasses selfie on her feed—a casual sunlit snap from the recliner.

Now there were countless likes beneath it. The last comment was from Qiu Miaoran:

【Qiu Miaoran】: Beautiful.

Her finger slid to the notification bar. Ji Jiayu’s lashes quivered when she saw a once-familiar avatar, silent for two years—the very person she had run into at the banquet, Song Tingyu.

【Song Tingyu】: I’ve been wanting to talk to you lately. Can we?

Support My Wealthy Ex-Girlfriend Knelt and Begged Me to Come Back [Entertainment Industry]