My Wealthy Ex-Girlfriend Knelt and Begged Me to Come Back [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 69

The kitchen light streamed from behind Qiu Miaoran’s head, casting her profile in a cold glow. Her hand hung at her side, clenched so tightly that her fingertips dug into her palm, leaving a faint ache.

She pressed her lips together, the soft bead of her lip flattened into a straight line. Slowly, she turned and walked out of the kitchen.

What was this supposed to mean?

So Ji Jiayu had been brushing her off all along. She hadn’t even cooked one proper meal for her.

Qiu Miaoran’s fingertips tingled as she walked, the sound of her slippers striking the floor coming down heavier than usual.

She had thought that, in those two years together, Ji Jiayu had truly put effort into preparing every dinner. She had even felt regret for missing out on some of those meals before.

In the living room, the three others sat separately—one on her phone, another working on her laptop drafting documents or proposals.

Luckily, none of them had heard that conversation.

Without Ji Jiayu, the four of them would never have been gathered in this same living room, sitting together so harmoniously around the same coffee table.

Half an hour later—

From the kitchen came Ji Jiayu’s voice:
“All done… come eat.”

She placed the fried rice into separate plates and handed them out.

Qiu Miaoran took her plate, paused, her lashes lifting. Her gaze swept from Ji Jiayu’s reddened fingertips across her delicate cheek.

She looked straight at Ji Jiayu and asked, “And yours?”

“She’s not eating this time,” Lin Qiaoxuan curled her lips, almost with a mocking sneer. “President Qiu, you’re such a busy person, no wonder you forget things so easily… understandable.”

Ji Jiayu retracted the plate she was still holding, cast Qiu Miaoran a glance, then lowered her eyes again. Her voice was faint:
“It’s not that you forgot—it’s that you don’t care. President Qiu has never cared about these small details. After all, you’re a person destined for bigger things.”

Qiu Miaoran scooped up a spoonful of fried rice, chewed and swallowed, then took a sip of water. After being jabbed twice, her expression grew colder, her words sharp:

“Seems Miss Ji’s memory isn’t that great either.”

Her sudden remark left Ji Jiayu a little stunned, not quite understanding what she meant.

Expressionless, Ji Jiayu brushed it off:
“Oh, if you say so, then it’s true.”

—She was done. Let it be.

Lin Qiaoxuan picked up her chopsticks, tasted a bite, and after careful chewing, swallowed with a smile.
“Don’t mind her nonsense, Jie… This fried rice is really delicious. Even better than the one we made on that variety show.”

“Probably because I added a bit of soy sauce,” Ji Jiayu answered honestly.

The four of them ate.

Ji Jiayu sat on a chair by the table, pulled out her phone, and casually scrolled through WeChat. A new message popped up—

[Rong-jie]: I sent the digital version of the schedule to your email. Also, I booked the plane tickets for you and Xiaoyao the day after tomorrow.

[Ji Jiayu]: Mm, thank you, Rong-jie.

[Rong-jie]: Tomorrow’s your last day off. Got any plans?

Ji Jiayu typed out: Yes, I’ll be going out with friends.

Then paused. She deleted the line word by word and rewrote:

[Ji Jiayu]: Why? Does the company have plans?

[Rong-jie]: There’s a meeting. You don’t have to go, though. It’s not mandatory for artists.

[Ji Jiayu]: Then I won’t go. I’ll be with friends tomorrow.

[Rong-jie]: Oh~

A minute later another message came:

[Rong-jie]: Don’t tell me… you’re dating?

[Ji Jiayu]: ………

Absolutely not.

[Ji Jiayu]: Just friends. They’ve suddenly gotten very clingy, always saying they want to be my friend. Nothing else.

Recently, four people had been insisting on being her “friends.”

[Rong-jie]: Oh my god, then maybe they actually like you and want to pursue you. Girl, be careful. Don’t get trapped.

[Ji Jiayu]: What if… it’s more than one person?

[Rong-jie]: ?!!

[Rong-jie]: Heavens, what are their conditions? Looks, personality, family background… how many houses in Beijing?

[Ji Jiayu]: All about the same.

Her typing paused, and for no reason Qiu Miaoran’s face appeared in her mind.

[Ji Jiayu]: Looks—passable. Temper—strange. Family should be quite well-off and easygoing. I’m not sure how many houses, but people like that usually live in villas, right?

[Rong-jie]: Emmm…

[Rong-jie]: My advice? Take them all, make a group chat, and share resources.

[Ji Jiayu]: Rong-jie, your kid is already half my age…

[Rong-jie]: Hahaha. Just don’t mess around too much. Go safely to the set the day after tomorrow.

[Ji Jiayu]: I think you’re overthinking. They’re just friends. Really.

[Rong-jie]: [Shrug emoji]

…

After everyone finished eating—

“Give me the dishes, I’ll wash them,” Ji Jiayu reached out, wanting to collect the plates.

“No need, I’ll wash mine.”

“We can wash them ourselves, Jie. You cooked, no need to wash too.”

Qiu Miaoran’s hand froze midair, then she slowly took her plate back.

Why did it feel like… all of them were on a higher level than her?

The four of them lined up to wash dishes.

Ji Jiayu looked toward the kitchen, now unusually crowded. She reminded, “After washing up, go pack your things. We’re going out tomorrow.”

“Got it.”

“Yeah, I need to get my stuff ready.”

…

The next day, at the hot spring resort—

It wasn’t just hot springs.

The place was more like a scenic park: mountain views, streams. For families, there was even a waterpark and amusement area nearby.

They strolled around the resort. It was boring. Too harmonious. Like some corporate team-building trip.

In the afternoon, they returned to the hot spring hotel, a property owned by the Qi family.

Inside were leisure facilities: mahjong rooms, billiards… but with five people, games were awkward.

“Why don’t we play cards with Jiayu?” Song Tingyu suggested.

“I’m not good at it, you all play,” Ji Jiayu raised her hand, red-tipped fingers brushing her lips as she stifled a small yawn. Her long lashes trembled. “I’m a little sleepy…”

She stood and left.

She hadn’t agreed to come here to play cards. She’d promised Qiu Miaoran because of the hot spring.

Early autumn, with the chill in the air—a soak in herbal hot springs sounded perfect.

Wrapped in a towel, damp hair draping over her shoulders, Ji Jiayu leaned against the poolside, her whole body submerged in the steaming water.

Eyes half-closed, she looked like a lazy cat, about to fall asleep.

The courtyard was quiet, save for a female staff member near the entrance, standing upright in uniform. From afar, through the haze, she looked like a cardboard cutout.

The door creaked open.

“Jie…”

“You’re here?”

Lin Qiaoxuan entered in a bathrobe, her slippers making soft clicks on the ground.

As she neared, she saw Ji Jiayu reclining at the poolside, face resting on her hand, not wearing a swimsuit—just a large white towel wrapped around her chest.

Mist swirled in the air. Like stumbling into a vision of a bathing goddess.

Ji Jiayu’s eyes opened slowly, messy strands of damp hair clinging to her long neck, pale skin beaded with water, her whole body glowing faintly like a pearl.

That old poem sprang to mind—

Hot spring waters wash, skin as smooth as cream.

She tucked wet hair behind her ear with slender fingers, nails tinted a rosy hue.

Tilting her head, she cast a lazy glance:
“Mm… you came too?”

That single glance made Lin Qiaoxuan freeze mid-step, throat tightening as she swallowed.

Ji Jiayu’s soft voice, weakened by the heat:
“Want to join?”

Lin Qiaoxuan blinked, then answered slowly:
“Sure…”

She untied her robe. It slipped to the floor, revealing a backless one-piece swimsuit. She stepped into the water, sitting a little distance away.

Her eyes fell on Ji Jiayu’s slim figure under the towel: narrow waist, generous curves, pale shoulders glistening pink from the heat, fragile collarbones shimmering.

Lowering her gaze, Ji Jiayu’s long lashes were clear enough to count.

Too beautiful.

Almost unbearable to look at.

Lin Qiaoxuan coughed lightly, eyes darting away—only to catch a glimpse of Ji Jiayu’s bare shoulder. She flinched like shocked by electricity, quickly looking aside.

She lifted the glass of lemon water Ji Jiayu had poured, sipped gently. “Thanks.”

The cold sourness was refreshing.

Then she murmured, “Jiayu-jie… I really like you.”

“Mm,” Ji Jiayu answered softly, her voice warm and lazy as the water itself.
“I like you too, Qiaoxuan.”

“But I’ve been in here too long, getting hot…”

She rose, intending to leave.

But Lin Qiaoxuan stood abruptly, moving closer.

Ji Jiayu noticed for the first time that, despite calling her “jie” so often, Lin Qiaoxuan was taller than her—by quite a bit.

The movement brought them too close, hair brushing in the water. One hand braced against the pool wall behind Ji Jiayu, trapping her.

“Why…?” Ji Jiayu asked softly, brow faintly furrowed, clearly dizzy from the soak.

“Jie… when you say you like me, it’s like family, right?”

“Yes…” Ji Jiayu blinked her long lashes. “We are family.”

“But I don’t mean it that way. What I mean is—”

The door banged open.

“There you are…” Song Tingyu walked in.

Behind her came Ji Chen and Qiu Miaoran.

All of them. None had stayed to play cards.

Ji Jiayu raised her lashes, gaze fluttering like little fans, and asked lightly:
“Ah… everyone’s here? Didn’t you keep playing?”

None answered. They only stared at her—her bare shoulders, the pale curve of her chest.

Ji Jiayu moved toward the pool edge, towel clutched tightly, the water tugging it loose as she walked.

Like a mermaid, rising from the water.

No one spoke.

She coughed softly, “But I’m too hot… I’ll go first.”

She stood, reached for her robe, stepping from the pool.

Only to find Qiu Miaoran blocking her path.

Holding a towel in trembling hands, Qiu Miaoran bent down and—silently, reverently—took Ji Jiayu’s slender ankle in hand.

Her fingers wrapped around fragile bones that felt as though they could snap with the slightest pressure.

Kneeling, she carefully dried Ji Jiayu’s calves and feet, like a devotee at worship.

Ji Jiayu remained composed, yet when her ankle was grasped, her heart skipped a beat.

When Qiu Miaoran finally lowered the towel, Ji Jiayu slipped into her slippers.
“Thank you, President Qiu. I’ll go ahead.”

Qiu Miaoran looked up. “Mm.”

…

Later, the five gathered for dinner.

Ji Jiayu, in an oversized white shirt barely covering her shorts, looked slender and fragile.

Ji Chen poured tea, flipping a cup before her.

“Thanks,” Ji Jiayu smiled lightly, fingers brushing the rim. “I was thirsty.”

Ji Chen took the cup back. “Not for drinking—”

“It’s for rinsing the utensils.”

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