Pregnant with the Alpha Best Actress's Child - Chapter 27

Sang Zhijiu’s thoughts were actually very simple.

Regardless of who was behind the “Senior W” persona, the fact that the person had helped her was undeniable. Before the fallout, it wasn’t the first time the thought of treating them to a meal had crossed her mind.

Currently, she felt a surge of anger every time she saw Fan Wu. She figured that once the movie was finished, they could probably go their separate ways and never speak again—aside from some promotional work. Before that happened, it was very important to clear all debts of gratitude between them.

So, although she was still a bit reluctant, the first thought that popped into Sang Zhijiu’s mind when she saw the text was: “Go.”

The two exchanged a few more formal messages, finally setting the dinner for tomorrow night.

To demonstrate her sincerity in “thanking” the other party, Sang Zhijiu specifically chose a restaurant famous for being expensive and high-end, booking two seafood sets priced at over ten thousand each.

The next day, the filming work was light, and her scenes finished before noon. Sang Zhijiu specifically made an appointment with a familiar stylist, intending to create a specific look for the dinner.

“No, this eyeshadow is too gentle. Sharpen my eyeliner a bit, and then design the eyeshadow to be, mhm, right, dark. That kind of dark, edgy vibe! And don’t use some dusty rose for the lipstick; go straight for a true red—the most vintage one you have.”

The stylist’s hands paused. “Do you want that… ‘looks very fierce’ kind of makeup?”

Looking at Sang Zhijiu’s increasingly soft facial features since her secondary differentiation, the stylist felt a bit troubled. “If that’s the case, the final result might look very heavy and formal.”

Sang Zhijiu thought for a moment. “It’s not necessarily about looking fierce; it’s about having enough presence to completely suppress the other person. Do you understand?”

The stylist couldn’t help but laugh. She nodded. “So, it’s like the ‘attending an ex’s wedding’ kind of look, right?”

After the teasing, unable to resist the urge to gossip, she asked further: “Zhijiu, you aren’t actually going to an ex’s wedding, are you? I don’t recall you having any exes.”

Sang Zhijiu looked away and explained somewhat awkwardly: “It’s not an ex’s wedding. I’m simply treating a friend to a meal.”

The stylist keenly picked up on the keyword: “A friend?” She thought about it. “I need to understand the main purpose of this meal. Simply catching up? A formal business talk? Or, uh, settling a score? Knowing this makes it easier to design the look.”

Sang Zhijiu naturally understood this logic. She racked her brain for a long time before giving an answer: “The purpose of this meal is to show gratitude for the things she helped me with before.”

The stylist frowned slightly. Gratitude? Then why ask for such a powerful look?

But soon, Sang Zhijiu’s next sentence answered her doubts and gave her quite a shock.

“And… to draw a clear line! To break off the friendship!”

“Ah, I see.” The expression on the stylist’s face became complicated. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t imagine what kind of complex relationship would make someone both grateful for another’s help and prepared to cut ties completely.

But soon, the stylist’s eyes lit up as she made a decision. “Then let’s stick with the ‘ex’s wedding’ vibe.”

In any other situation, Sang Zhijiu might have just let it go. However, she was about to eat with that disaster, Fan Wu. The moment Fan Wu was associated with the word “ex,” her heart felt uncomfortable.

She wrinkled her nose and looked at the stylist standing behind her through the mirror, her face darkening. “Why is it the ‘ex’s wedding’ again?”

The stylist had worked with her for a long time and wasn’t afraid to joke around. Hearing this, she said: “Don’t you think it’s very similar? You’re very grateful to her, but you have to make a clean break. Isn’t that just like the two female leads in that hit drama who have to separate because of a misunderstanding? This feeling is very much like an ‘ex’.”

Sang Zhijiu’s shoulders slumped. She wanted to argue, but she couldn’t find the words. After a long while, she puffed out her cheeks and said: “I… have absolutely no feelings like that for her. I just don’t want to lose to her in terms of presence.”

The stylist was amused and tapped her cheek. “I know, I completely understand what you mean. Leave it to me.” She leaned down and said seriously: “Alright, close your eyes. Now I’m going to deepen your eyeliner.”

The stylist said she “understood,” but Sang Zhijiu felt the other party’s misunderstanding had actually deepened. However, since the stylist had re-entered her focused work mode, she couldn’t say much. She could only close her eyes and let the other party work on her face.

About an hour later, the stylist breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, mission accomplished!”

Sang Zhijiu opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. With upturned eye corners and sharp lip lines, the entire look was bright, atmospheric, and noble. It looked very high-end!

The stylist was already packing her tools. “How is it? Are you satisfied?”

Sang Zhijiu nodded. “Fantastic! I knew it had to be you!”

Receiving the praise, the corners of the stylist’s mouth curled up. Sang Zhijiu couldn’t help but get up from the chair and go to the full-length mirror on the other side to admire herself.

But when she stood up, the stylist’s brow suddenly furrowed. Watching Sang Zhijiu turn in front of the mirror, she couldn’t help but ask: “Zhijiu, you’ve been filming lately, haven’t you?”

Sang Zhijiu nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been with the crew for two or three months now.”

The stylist nodded. “No wonder.” She came to Sang Zhijiu’s side, patted her shoulder, and gave a kind reminder: “Once you finish filming, you need to pay attention to weight management.”

The other party didn’t explain in detail, but Sang Zhijiu immediately covered her stomach. She felt a bit embarrassed. “Is it… that obvious?”

The stylist nodded. “This dress isn’t even a super slim-fit style, but it’s still quite noticeable. I didn’t notice it when you were sitting, but I saw it the moment you stood up.” Soon, she looked puzzled again. “But… how is it that you only gained weight on your stomach? Your arms and calves don’t have a bit of extra fat.”

Sang Zhijiu was also very troubled. “I… I don’t know either.”

She had noticed a while ago that her stomach was getting a bit chubby. But since it was her own body and she was naturally the type who didn’t gain weight easily, she hadn’t taken it seriously. Now that it was being pointed out by a familiar friend, Sang Zhijiu realized that her weight gain had reached a level that could no longer be hidden or avoided.

But soon, the stylist shook her head. “Something’s not right.” She rubbed her chin. “I feel like you don’t look like you’re just gaining weight; it looks more like… cough, forget it.”

Saying the next part would be a bit offensive, so the stylist chose to rein herself in.

But Sang Zhijiu was curious. “What? Don’t stop halfway.”

The stylist thought for a moment and said euphemistically: “I have a best friend who’s pregnant lately, about six months along. She’s the very thin type too, and well…”

Sang Zhijiu understood her meaning instantly. Her face turned red. “Uh… I see. Then you should care for her more.”

The stylist breathed a sigh of relief. “I was thinking the same thing.” She prepared to make a quick exit. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out first. Call me if you need anything next time. Bye-bye!”

Sang Zhijiu nodded, and after seeing the stylist out, she returned to the room and slumped onto the sofa. “Counting it up, that accident with that beast Fan Wu… mhm, it’s been about four or five months.”

At this point, she froze, then shook her head violently. “Oh my god, what am I thinking? Sang Zhijiu, you’re just looking for excuses for getting fat. This is passive avoidance of the problem! Forget it. As soon as we wrap up, I’m scheduling all the fitness programs immediately.”

She looked down, staring at her belly. “Hmph, I don’t believe it! I can’t handle you?”

After making up her mind, she returned to the full-length mirror and began admiring herself again.

About half an hour later, the assistant A-Kang sent a message saying the car was ready. Sang Zhijiu checked the time, put on a pair of silver high heels, and prepared to head to the restaurant.

As the host, she had specifically arrived about fifteen minutes early. However, when she got to the restaurant, she found that Fan Wu was already there.

Seeing her come in, Fan Wu greeted her as if nothing were wrong. “Zhijiu,” she called.

Sang Zhijiu almost lost her serious expression. After recovering, she nodded and replied politely: “Senior.”

Since they had booked a high-end set, there was no need to order; the chef arranged everything according to the ingredients of the day. After the waiter asked if they could serve the food, they respectfully exited the private room to prepare in the kitchen.

The appetizer was served soon—well-prepared octopus in a tiny portion, just one bite. But Sang Zhijiu caught a whiff and could still detect a faint fishy smell. She felt nauseous and instinctively pushed the dish a little further away.

Fan Wu was a bit confused. “Is it not to your taste?”

Sang Zhijiu held her stomach. “No, it’s not that.”

During filming, because of the stifling heat, everything she ate was very light. Taking the opportunity of this treat, Sang Zhijiu had actually intended to have a good meal to make it up to herself. But she couldn’t tell if there was something wrong with the appetizer or if the restaurant’s flavors just didn’t suit her—she had absolutely no appetite.

Looking at the exquisite appetizer, Sang Zhijiu only hated that her stomach was failing her at such a critical moment!

Fan Wu saw her expression and thought she was being difficult on purpose. She put down her chopsticks and sighed. “Do you hate me that much? You can’t even eat while you’re with me?”

Sang Zhijiu was stunned. After reacting, she waved her hand. “No, that’s not what I meant.”

Fan Wu leaned toward her, narrowing her eyes. “So, is it a grievance to come out on a date with me?”

Sang Zhijiu was caught off guard by the ambiguous word. She stammered: “Wh-what date? We aren’t!”

Fan Wu followed up immediately: “So in your view, why did we come out to eat today?”

Sang Zhijiu was a bit angry. Didn’t that beast Fan Wu know in her heart why they were out today? She glared at the other party. “What do you think?”

Perhaps because the conversation with the stylist was still fresh in her mind, facing Fan Wu’s persistent questioning, she instinctively blurted out: “To have a breakup meal, of course!”

The moment she said it, both of them froze.

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