My Wealthy Ex-Girlfriend Knelt and Begged Me to Come Back [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 66

Inside the hospital room.

Ji Jiayu lay quietly on the bed, a steel plate fixed to her left calf with pins.

Under the combined effects of anesthetics and exhaustion, she was still asleep, eyes tightly shut, long lashes trembling slightly.

On the bedside table, her phone lit up and dimmed again, with new messages pouring in—

[Ji Chen]: Are you hurt? Can you reply to me, just once?

[Song Tingyu]: Are you okay? Please answer me, just a word will do.

[Chen Yiying]: Sister Jiayu, if you’re safe, you must reply to me…

[Beautiful Rich Women Group Chat] (her college roommates):

[Chuchu]: Wuwuwu, Little Fish must be safe.

[Chen Mo]: She’ll be fine, nothing will happen to her…

[Old Yin]: Jiayu, if you see this reply us, okay… We’re still waiting for you to come to the reunion.

In extreme situations, some emotions are hard to explain—she would only see the worst possibility, sink into depression, memory slipping away…

Just like on other timelines, where Ji Jiayu had chosen to end her life.

But she had forgotten that in this world, she was not alone.

There were many people quietly loving her.

…

Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling across the white pillow, painting her loose strands of hair in a halo of pale gold.

Her lashes were so thick that, caught by the light, they seemed to glow; her small, pale face looked almost translucent.

Her sleeping expression was so serene, so beautiful.

Her fingers, curled slightly atop the blanket, twitched. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurry.

Through the light, someone leaned closer, their silhouette framed in gold.

This scene felt familiar…

It reminded her of years ago, when she awoke after half a year on nutrient drips—someone had leaned over her bedside then too, like an angel descending, as if to kiss her forehead.

Was it Qiu Miaoran? she wondered instinctively.

She tried to lift her arm to rub her eyes—

“Don’t move.”

A familiar female voice sounded by her ear.

Her arm trembled, then stilled. The needle in her hand pulled uncomfortably if she moved.

The blur sharpened.

Sitting by her bed was Lin Wan.

Ji Jiayu blinked, her curled lashes trembling. Her light brown eyes shifted left and right, as though searching the room for something.

“Mom…” Her voice was hoarse when she finally spoke. “Who brought me to the hospital?”

Lin Wan: “It was Qiu—”

“It was the show’s staff who sent you.”

Hurried footsteps drew closer. With a sharp click, Lin Jiaoxuan pushed open the door, red lips curling into a grin that revealed her sharp little canine tooth. She raised her voice playfully, finishing Lin Wan’s sentence.

Propped up by Lin Wan, Ji Jiayu sat up slowly, lips pressed together, pale and weary.

“Ah… I see.”

“My injury… is it very serious? I have a new drama to film next month.”

“Your ligament tore. The doctor said recovery will take at least a month. But—on the condition that you behave. For example, drink this soup.”

Lin Wan took a thermos from Jiaoxuan, poured out a bowl of thick broth.

“You’ve been lying down for so long. You need to eat more.”

It was medicinal soup stewed with bird’s nest, rock sugar, red dates, and black glutinous rice, thick as porridge.

Ji Jiayu peered at it, murmuring, “Eh, isn’t this too thick?”

“This is bird’s nest soup Mom made for you. It’s sweet…” Jiaoxuan pouted, “Sis, hurry and drink. I want some too but Mom won’t let me~”

Taking the bowl and spoon, Ji Jiayu sipped it slowly.

It was sweet, but the sweetness carried the faint bitterness of herbs. Bird’s nest had boiled down to a gel.

Her lips, once pale, grew rosy as they glistened with soup.

Jiaoxuan handed her a tissue. “Here.”

Ji Jiayu took it, wiping her lips gently.

Her chest ached with an emotion hard to describe—

Maybe moved by family, maybe guilt toward herself.

For twenty years, she had faced every illness alone: working to pay medical bills, registering, waiting in lines, enduring it all by herself.

This time, she had her mother. She had a sister.

She had a family.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she handed back the empty bowl. “Thanks, Mom. It was delicious.”

“Now take these pills.”

“So many…” Ji Jiayu eyed the large capsules with dismay. She hated capsules the most—they stuck in her throat. QAQ

In a small voice she muttered, “Can I skip the capsule one…”

“Then can you skip filming too?” Lin Wan smiled. “Come home, let Mom take care of you.”

“I can’t…” Ji Jiayu shook her head. “I signed a contract. There’s a penalty.”

“I’ll pay it for you. Our family doesn’t lack money.”

Her lips pouted faintly. “Still no.”

“Then leave Qiushui Entertainment.”

“I can’t right now… I already signed for the new drama. I can’t switch agencies suddenly.”

Lin Wan’s teeth clenched. “That Qiu Miaoran, you can tell she’s no good…”

Ji Jiayu’s brows arched slightly. “President Qiu came here? Mom… did you meet her?”

Lin Wan clicked her tongue. “No.”

“Even if she did, so what? It’s her company that sent you to that survival show!”

“Sis, you’re hurt like this all because of Qiu Miaoran—”

Jiaoxuan set her hand on her hip, swinging the thermos.

“Why don’t they toss her on a deserted island, drop her into a cave, let her shiver in cold water and try surviving! Then we’ll see how long she lasts!!”

“Pfft.” Ji Jiayu burst out laughing, covering her lips with her hand.

“That I’d love to see.”

…

The next morning, after breakfast, a message popped up—

[Rong-jie]: How’s your recovery?
[Ji Jiayu]: Not bad.
[Rong-jie]: The program wants you to go live, reassure the audience. Would that be okay?
[Ji Jiayu]: Sure, let’s set a time.

That afternoon, she set her phone on a stand beside the bed, leaned forward, and tapped the video button.

Her slightly sickly face appeared on screen.

No makeup, hair down, delicate chin, soft brows, round apricot eyes, pale lips with just a trace of pink.

Instantly, the live chat exploded—

【Wuwu… Even in hospital clothes she’s gorgeous. She looks so fragile, so delicate… Some people look stunning even in a potato sack.】

【Jiayu are you okay? I was so scared that night, thank god you’re safe…】

The director picked random questions for her to answer—

【Did you get badly hurt?】

“Not really. Just a torn ligament. Rest a month and I’ll be fine. I still have filming to do, so don’t worry about me.”

【You look so pale… are you hiding something?】

“Eh? No…” She leaned close to the camera, startled. “Oh—I forgot lipstick today. I look ugly like this.”

【Ugly where?? Even barefaced you beat every idol nine streets over!】

【That moment when she leaned in like a mirror check… I died. This is what they call unintentional beauty.】

…

【Have you eaten yet?】

“Not yet. Should I show you all my meal?”

She smiled, dimples faint on her pale cheeks. Strength shone through her fragility.

The director interrupted, coughing: “Wait, don’t eat yet. Your teammates are joining.”

The video split, another face appearing.

“Hello, Teacher Yu.” Ji Jiayu waved sweetly.

Yu Hu: “How’s your leg?”

“Not bad, just a few screws and a cast. Healing fast. If it didn’t hurt I’d be climbing mountains with you catching fish.”

The camera shifted, showing Chen Yiying with red eyes. “Sister Jiayu, I’m sorry… If I hadn’t left that night, you wouldn’t have fallen…”

“It’s not your fault, Yiying.” Ji Jiayu tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, gentle. “Did you all have fun?”

“No fun at all… Teacher Yu fed us wild berries and the whole team had diarrhea all morning.”

The chat filled with 【66666】【XSWL】 laughter.

Ji Jiayu giggled, “Then Teacher Yu owes you a meal. If I’m healed, I’ll come too.”

…

After the stream, a hashtag shot to the top—

#JiJiayu Hospital Look

Clips of the live spread fast. She wore blue-white striped patient clothes, loose on her tiny frame. With hair falling over her ear, she smiled softly at the camera.

Beauty bloggers quickly copied the look, calling it “hospital chic.”

But fans defended: She was barefaced, no makeup at all!

The more it spread, the more hype the variety show gained—turning into a full-blown hit.

Ji Jiayu, just by “forgetting lipstick,” drew in a new wave of fans.

Some jealous rivals gnashed their teeth.

Feng Yalan, currently frozen out, tried to smear her again online.

But this time, no one bought it. Fans dug up old orphanage photos proving Ji Jiayu’s natural beauty.

Soon they uncovered Yalan’s secret accounts, revealing years of sabotage, resource-stealing, and being a mistress to married men.

The internet backlash was brutal.

Crowds even pelted her with rotten eggs in public, shouting insults.

Curled on her couch, Feng Yalan raged, convinced all her ruin was Ji Jiayu’s fault.

“I’ll ruin you, bitch,” she hissed, hurling her phone.

…

Meanwhile, Ji Jiayu paid it no mind.

Feng Yalan? Who cared.

What mattered was food—so many delicious things to eat, and she never gained weight. That was its own kind of struggle.

For a month, her VIP ward never lacked visitors. Friends, colleagues, even her adoptive family showered her with care.

The only one absent—Qiu Miaoran.

“Hmph, trash,” she thought.

Yet the others seemed to compete for her time, making up for years of lost affection.

Until the final night before discharge, Ji Jiayu told them not to bring dinner—she planned to skip a meal for weight control.

Slipping on slippers, she shuffled toward the water dispenser.

At that moment, a black figure slipped into her room, shutting the door with a click.

The figure wore a high-waist skirt and buttoned blouse, but with a cap and mask hiding her face.

Only her sharp phoenix eyes showed, black and bright, unsettling.

Her skin was pale, shadows under her eyes.

She crossed the room in an instant, covering Ji Jiayu’s mouth, one arm clamped around her waist, holding her tightly—

Ji Jiayu gasped softly, lips brushing the stranger’s warm fingers.

“A-ah…”

As if trying to call for help—

Support