My Wealthy Ex-Girlfriend Knelt and Begged Me to Come Back [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 39

Ji Jiayu placed her hand on Qiu Miaoran’s shoulder and tilted her head slightly, looking at her with a mischievous glint in her eyes, adding a touch of charm to her gaze. “I’ll come over after work… for the last time.”

She pressed her hand against Qiu Miaoran’s shoulder, her pale fingers suddenly applying force.

Caught off guard, Qiu Miaoran swayed slightly and was pushed back.

Ji Jiayu quickly opened the door, then slammed it shut with a bang, moving with the lightness of a little bird, flapping her wings and flying away.

At six in the afternoon, a black Lincoln was parked next to the Qiu Shui Entertainment company office building.

Ji Jiayu got into the car and fastened her seatbelt, glancing at the driver. “Assistant Li, thank you for coming to pick me up.”

She remembered that Qiu had said they were “broken up.”

But if they had broken up, why did Qiu still ask him to pick Ji Jiayu up today?

Assistant Li tightened his grip on the steering wheel, hesitated for a moment, then cautiously asked,

“Miss Ji, did you have a quarrel with President Qiu? He’s been a bit down lately…”

It wasn’t extreme despair, but Qiu Miaoran’s mood clearly seemed low, occasionally distracted, with a subtle darkness in her eyes.

Ji Jiayu shook her head lightly. “No quarrel.”

“Oh… that’s good,” Assistant Li replied.

“We just broke up.”

⊙_⊙?! Assistant Li’s eyes widened. They really broke up?!

He kept one hand on the wheel and scratched his head with the other.

“Miss Ji… I’m really sorry…”

“It’s just a peaceful breakup, nothing to apologize for,” Ji Jiayu paused, a faint smile tugging at her lips, then asked lightly,

“President Qiu has had many girlfriends before. Breaking up is probably common, isn’t it?”

Assistant Li nodded naturally at first, then quickly shook his head when he realized, adding a hurried clarification: “I… I don’t really know much about President Qiu’s personal affairs…”

Of course, Assistant Li didn’t. President Qiu’s girlfriends sometimes changed three times in less than two months; he couldn’t remember what they all looked like. None of them had lived at Qiu Shui Mansion or shared meals with Qiu,

…none had stayed with him for nearly three years like Miss Ji. Ji Jiayu was extremely unique. President Qiu even canceled his engagement with the Qiu family’s heiress for her—that was the heiress of the wealthiest family in South City!

So Assistant Li initially thought Qiu canceled the engagement to be with Ji Jiayu officially, but it turned out not to be the case.

It seemed Qiu Miaoran still hadn’t settled her heart, still hadn’t reached the point of truly loving Ji Jiayu…

But then why was she so dejected???

Assistant Li glanced subtly at Ji Jiayu but saw no hint of attachment on her delicate face.

Confused, he asked, “Since you’ve broken up, why are you going to President Qiu’s house this time?”

He realized immediately after speaking that it wasn’t his business. “Sorry… you don’t have to say if you don’t want to…”

Ji Jiayu’s voice was calm, lips curling slightly. “I’m going to pick up something I forgot.”

—No hint of regret, no hysterical clinging like previous girlfriends.

Ji Jiayu even seemed happy, her eyes curved at the corners, the whole aura cheerful.

Human sorrow isn’t universal—this heartbreak belonged only to Qiu Miaoran.

At that moment, Assistant Li seemed to understand:

—Their President Qiu… got dumped.

Twenty minutes later, the black Lincoln arrived at the Lakeside Villa district and stopped beside a villa in a central location.

“Thank you, Assistant Li.”

Ji Jiayu got out and approached the villa entrance, testing the fingerprint scanner.

Click—the door automatically opened.

Qiu Miaoran hadn’t deleted her fingerprint.

Inside, the living room lights were on, the cabinet where the door key usually was had been opened, and a pair of cat-head slippers were placed on the mat by the door.

Even Ji Jiayu’s slippers hadn’t been thrown away…

She changed her shoes at the entrance and walked in.

“Come over…” a woman’s voice called from the living room.

Today, Qiu Miaoran wore a white shirt paired with a black A-line high-waisted skirt—minimalist, yet giving her an elegant, tall, and slim appearance.

She sat on the sofa, leaning lightly against a cushion, crossing her long pale legs, and beckoned Ji Jiayu with her finger.

Ji Jiayu looked around cautiously. “Where’s Aunt Chen?”

“She’s off today, visiting her grandson in the hospital,” Qiu Miaoran said, clearing her throat. Seeming aware of Ji Jiayu’s resistance, she immediately got to the point, pointing at the marble coffee table. “Your things are all on the table.”

Ji Jiayu picked up a small wooden box containing bookmarks. The box was delicate, with a drawer-style opening. Her pale fingers lifted the lid to reveal the ebony bookmark inside, with its jade bead shiny and round, and tassel perfectly intact.

She breathed a sigh of relief…

She had expected Qiu Miaoran to complicate things, to argue, to resist…

But today, President Qiu was surprisingly straightforward.

“There’s also this. Take it… as a breakup gift,” Qiu Miaoran handed another small paper box into Ji Jiayu’s palm.

It was a bottle of perfume, a French brand, niche and not expensive, with a sandalwood scent.

Qiu Miaoran lowered her head. “Sorry. In all our time together, I never prepared any gifts for you… I was afraid you wouldn’t sleep well after leaving, so I wanted to give you this.”

She added, almost anxiously: “And it’s not expensive.”

Previously, Ji Jiayu hadn’t taken any of the luxurious items Qiu Miaoran gave her, returning even the credit cards untouched.

But this perfume was different—it wasn’t costly, but it carried thoughtfulness.

—Fragrance is important. Smelling someone’s scent can slowly make one attached to them.

Qiu Miaoran withdrew her hand, fingertips lightly rubbing together, carefully observing Ji Jiayu’s reaction.

Ji Jiayu hesitated, then looked down at the perfume in her hand. She didn’t refuse. “Alright, thank you, President Qiu.”

Qiu Miaoran’s eyelashes trembled. She pressed her lips together and swallowed nervously, then asked tentatively:

“Do you remember when we first started dating, you said you wanted to see me cook beef stew with red wine…”

“I want to make beef stew with red wine today, and also some crème brûlée. Is that okay?”

Ridiculous. During their relationship, she had never cooked a single meal for Ji Jiayu. Most meetings were just Qiu Miaoran taking time off from work, mostly for sex.

Now, right after breaking up, she remembered to cook?

Ji Jiayu said nothing, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Qiu Miaoran’s brows lifted slightly; her eye corners squinted in a momentary flicker of joy—brief, yet visible on her usually impassive face.

She put on an apron and stepped out from the open kitchen. “Xiaoyu, can you help me tie this?”

The light blue apron with lace trim looked slightly comical on her.

Ji Jiayu pursed her lips, stood up, and helped tie a bow at the back. “Done.”

“Thank you…” Qiu Miaoran’s voice was soft, a bit rough.

“Could be a while. Sit in the living room or go upstairs to your room. I didn’t touch your things…”

“I’ll stay here. It’s fine,” Ji Jiayu said, sitting on a small round stool beside the sofa, picking up the remote and turning on the TV.

She sat calmly, as if they’d never broken up.

The TV flickered to life, playing the unfinished drama featuring Ji Jiayu—her voice emerging from the screen:

“Ji Mingyue, who do you think you are? You can’t just trample on someone’s heart!”

“I, Mu Qingyu, have never loved you, never from the start…”

Ji Jiayu was playing the role of the second female lead, Mu Qingyu.

The TV had been playing her new drama, How the Moon Illuminates the Ditch. Seeing this, Qiu Miaoran couldn’t continue watching and switched channels.

But the drama resumed at the exact moment where Mu Qingyu condemned the heartless protagonist.

Qiu Miaoran hurriedly pressed the remote to exit the show, trembling as she switched channels, then handed the remote back to Ji Jiayu.

“Here… watch whatever you want.”

Even her speech stammered.

“Fine, I’ll watch whatever I want,” Ji Jiayu replied, switching back to her own show, glancing at Qiu Miaoran.

On the screen, Ji Jiayu’s character wore red and drew her sword:

“I, Mu Qingyu, am neither a replacement nor anyone’s shadow!”

Qiu Miaoran suddenly felt heat rush to her ears, turning her face slightly, staring at Ji Jiayu’s sparkling eyes. She whispered, “Okay.”

A weight lifted off her chest. No matter how Ji Jiayu mocked her, she had stayed to eat a farewell meal—it was already good enough, even if it was the last night.

Qiu Miaoran returned to the kitchen, chopping vegetables, blanching the beef, searing it, then adding diced vegetables, red wine, and pre-mixed seasonings.

Having lived in France for a while, she often made beef stew with red wine. Once the meat was in the pot, she could prepare other dishes.

Crème brûlée required careful attention to the recipe and oven temperature.

After finishing a bowl of caramel custard, she quickly carried it to the living room.

Ji Jiayu’s perfume and the ebony bookmark were already gone.

The room was empty except for Qiu Miaoran, and the TV continued to broadcast Ji Jiayu’s voice.

Qiu Miaoran sighed deeply, her left finger slightly burnt while taking the custard. Her eyes felt swollen, nose tingling, perhaps from chopping onions earlier.

She crouched beside the coffee table, tasting the custard. It was silky and sweet, a taste she normally didn’t like—but at this moment, even high sugar didn’t seem difficult to swallow.

She felt her effort to please Ji Jiayu, the meal she had painstakingly prepared, was wasted—worthless in front of Ji Jiayu.

The feeling was like when Ji Jiayu cooked before and she never tasted it, leaving as if it never existed.

Regretful.

Too late for regret now.

The one who loved sweet things had already left her.

Ji Jiayu took her items and, taking advantage of the TV’s noise, quietly left Qiu Shui Mansion, taking a taxi back to her own residence in the upscale Xiqu district of Beijing.

A month ago, Ji Jiayu had told Lin Wan about her situation and her mother.

—As an actress, Ji Jiayu couldn’t settle in South City; she might have to return to Beijing or travel to various filming locations.

Lin Wan laughed and said, “Beijing… we also have houses there.”

“Xiaoyu, see which one you like. I’ll have it transferred to your name immediately.”

Unlike other middle-aged wealthy women, Lin Wan didn’t care much about luxury. She sometimes went shopping for groceries, wearing flip-flops and T-shirts, bargaining with market vendors.

She enjoyed the sense of achievement it brought, comparable to corporate battles.

She loved buying real estate—choosing prime locations in big cities, buying five apartments at a time.

—Just a small indulgence of a rich woman.

Ji Jiayu looked at the stack of property certificates, each over 200 square meters, and murmured, “Mom…”

“Not enough? We also have commercial spaces…”

“They’re too big. I’ll live alone; it would be too empty. I’ll just rent a small apartment through a real estate agent…”

“Then we’ll buy a new one. Wang, get Secretary Liu here. Let’s arrange it immediately, pick a good location, and complete all the procedures. No renting for my daughter!”

Lin Wan bought a brand-new, fully furnished, over-one-year-old, non-toxic apartment near Ji Jiayu’s agency.

Ji Jiayu originally didn’t want it—it was expensive, and she would rarely stay in one place as an actress.

Lin Wan insisted: “No, I want to buy it! It’s for you!”

The night before Ji Jiayu left for Beijing, Lin Wan handed over the property certificates and keys, jokingly: “A gift from Mom—you better not refuse.”

Ji Jiayu now stood before her own apartment, scanning her fingerprint to enter.

After closing the door, she bent down to change her slippers.

Her phone rang; she answered. It was Rong Jie:

“Jiayu, are you sure you want to take this? It’s controversial—mixing celebrities with regular guests. A small mistake and we could get criticized…”

“I’m sure,” Ji Jiayu said.

“This time we’re flying to Kun City. Filming will start in the next two days. I’ll have Xiao Yao organize your schedule and send it to your email.”

“Okay.”

She hung up, ate an apple and a small bun for dinner, and packed her suitcase.

After washing up, she slipped into her nightdress, kicked off her slippers, and lay on the bed.

Turning slightly, her nightdress rode up, revealing slender legs and slightly rosy knees. Thin straps slipped off her shoulders, showing smooth, fair skin, glowing under the bedside lamp.

She picked up the perfume Qiu Miaoran had given her, murmuring, “What’s this scent… if I don’t like it, I’ll use it in the bathroom…”

She opened the box, took out the bottle, and shook it slightly. Tiny bubbles rose in the clear liquid.

Fssshh—a fine mist sprayed, and she inhaled the scent: sandalwood, delicate and lingering, reminiscent of incense burning.

The familiar white sandalwood scent gave the illusion…

—As if she were lying in Qiu Miaoran’s room, in her bed.

Ji Jiayu furrowed her brows and shook her head slightly. She must be sleepy—what was she thinking…

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