The Infatuated Cannon Fodder Has Completely Moved On - Chapter 15

“Jin Yuzhen’s affection for her was too cold.”

Jin Yuzhen was left speechless. When it came to twisted logic and underhanded tactics, these people truly had no rivals. It seemed their next target was the Jin family.

After a moment of silence, Jin Yuzhen said, “Keep an eye on them for me.”

Fu Jiao did not know exactly what she planned to do, but she trusted her implicitly. “Leave this side to me. However, they have more than one mission recently. The two people following Nie Feiyin that night had objectives beyond just creating a scandal.”

Jin Yuzhen frowned, her expression a mix of surprise and disgust.

That day, while recording a program for the finance channel, Jin Yuzhen ran into Yun Man, who was there on business. Yun Man was delighted; she had not expected such a chance encounter and sought out Jin Yuzhen for a chat as soon as the program finished.

“I have been looking for an opportunity to thank you. Since we have met today, you cannot refuse. How about having a meal at my place?” Whenever Yun Man thought of the turmoil caused by that fake painting, she felt increasingly grateful that she had asked Jin Yuzhen for an appraisal.

Jin Yuzhen originally did not intend to go, but she suddenly remembered that Yun Man knew Nie Feiyin, so she changed her mind. While Yun Man’s shop was not as grand as Yujin, it excelled in its warm, homey atmosphere and unique charm.

The two sat and chatted for a while. Yun Man said tentatively, “I bought that painting to give to Teacher Nie. She has been in a bad mood lately, and I thought a gift might cheer her up. It is a good thing Boss Jin helped me; otherwise, if I had sent a forgery, I am afraid I would never have been able to step through the Nie family’s door again. With A-Yin away with the film crew, no one can calm Teacher Nie down when she loses her temper.”

The subtext was clear. She was testing Jin Yuzhen’s attitude toward Nie Feiyin, as she thought highly of both of them. Jin Yuzhen, naturally, picked up on it. She suddenly felt curious: what kind of person was Miss Nie, exactly?

Yun Man was picky and Lu Wenqi was strict, yet both of them spoke of Nie Feiyin with nothing but praise.

Yun Man said with a smile, “Teacher Nie is most afraid of A-Yin managing her.”

Jin Yuzhen became even more curious. “I have met Miss Nie. She looks,” she struggled to find the right word to describe her.

Yun Man said, “She looks quite delicate and weak, does she not? You would not believe it, but last year when Teacher Nie tried to persuade her to leave the industry, not only did she refuse to listen, but she also convinced Teacher Nie to take the entrance exam for a master’s degree. Now, A-Yin is off filming with the crew, while Teacher Nie is staying up late at school writing her thesis.”

Jin Yuzhen’s eyes widened slowly, her expression softening. “So that is how it is.”

Yun Man laughed. “Quite a contrast, is it not? She was even more interesting as a child, incredibly mischievous.”

Jin Yuzhen tried to imagine it. She could not.

Yun Man observed her reaction and found no trace of any past friction, which made her feel quite happy. Nie Feiyin had said more than once that she wanted to settle down in Taozhou. Yun Man understood; Taozhou was a renewed city with endless potential, unlike the capital where social status was so strictly defined. However, she could not feel completely at ease with Nie Feiyin being alone in a different city. Fortunately, the Jin family was rooted in Taozhou, and Jin Yuzhen was a rare, steady, and good person among the younger generation. If they could form a deep connection, it would be for the best.

It was a pity that Nie Feiyin and Cen Shu had not gotten along during Nie Feiyin’s five years as an actress, and Jin Yuzhen cared so much about Cen Shu. Yun Man felt it was a waste. She wanted to speak more of Nie Feiyin’s virtues, but knowing Jin Yuzhen’s personality, she might not listen. It was better to let nature take its course.

As Jin Yuzhen tasted the tea, she recalled that night in the car when Nie Feiyin had sincerely mentioned the old story of throwing away the love letters. Which day was it? How did it happen? She had forgotten everything. She seemed to remember a mention of the National College Entrance Examination. That is to say, it was during her senior year of high school.

The senior year? Jin Yuzhen tried hard to remember. What was she doing then? She attended an international high school, the one everyone called the best aristocratic school in Taozhou. In senior year, the school had many miscellaneous classes. In her memory, the students were divided into two categories: those who were so knowledgeable they did not need to prepare for exams, and those who were like headless flies, knowing nothing at all.

Jin Yuzhen’s primary teacher had been Jin Yuelan. Combined with the countless miscellaneous books she had read during her wandering years in Yangon, she had accidentally awakened a bit of talent for studying, so her grades were respectable. That year, while other students were busy applying to prestigious universities abroad, she did not want to leave again and registered for the National College Entrance Examination.

She vaguely remembered the school offering many courses that year. Jin Yuelan had encouraged her to interact more with peers and helped her choose a ballet theory class. Jin Yuzhen went to one session, but when the teacher used French for professional terms, she found the accent beautiful and switched to studying French instead.

She had spent the year drifting through various interests. As for what specifically happened, she had forgotten. According to Lu Wenqi, she had been particularly cold and indifferent back then. Nie Feiyin would have been a freshman at the time and likely did not know her well before sending the letters. But judging by the way she brought up the past the other day, she did not seem to hold a grudge.

After a moment of thought, Jin Yuzhen asked, “I heard she came to Taozhou for high school?”

Yun Man nodded. “Something happened with Teacher Nie back then. People were watching her every day, and fearing it would affect A-Yin, she sent her to Taozhou to study for three years.”

Jin Yuzhen did not ask what had happened. She simply said, “So that is how it is.”

Yun Man wanted to use the opportunity to gain sympathy by recounting the situation from those years, but then decided against it. It was all in the past. “By the way, when will the program you recorded today be broadcast? I will have to set a reminder to watch it.”

Jin Yuzhen replied, “Saturday afternoon. It will be rebroadcast on Sunday.”

Yun Man looked at her with pity and regret. If she had not resigned, she would likely be a household name as a host by now.

The two reached a tacit understanding and stopped speaking, dining in silence. Yun Man had dealt with many people, but only with Jin Yuzhen could she experience a silence that was entirely without burden. The magical part was that when facing Jin Yuzhen, there was no need to say grandiose things for the sake of etiquette; it was very relaxing.

Yun Man had only recently become close with Jin Yuzhen, but their bond already surpassed that of ordinary friends. Sometimes she felt that being with Jin Yuzhen was a great way to relieve stress. Just like now, with the gentle sunlight streaming through the window frame like an out of focus camera shot, they dined leisurely, ignoring the passage of time.

From outside the window, it looked like a scene compressed by a telephoto lens, somewhat poetic.

Cen Shu pulled down the brim of her hat and sat at the outdoor coffee stall. Temperatures had been rising lately, and the daytime sun was very warm. She was wearing a cashmere sweater, with a large mohair scarf wrapped around her shoulders, making her look a bit more approachable than usual.

Having found out earlier that Jin Yuzhen would be recording a program, she had waited nearby specifically. She had not expected Yun Man to appear suddenly and bring Jin Yuzhen here. Not wanting to intrude abruptly, she followed behind.

Lu Wenqi’s new drama had started filming. Even though Nie Feiyin had only been shooting for a few days, news had already spread that she was performing well and had the potential to be a hit. Cen Shu did not even dare to check her private messages; whenever she opened them, they were full of comments urging her to join a new production, which made her feel quite helpless.

Given her status, joining a production was not a problem. However, the key issue was her current awkward position. Not only had she not received any good scripts, but her commercial endorsements were also flagging. If she appeared too eager, ill intentioned people would surely trick her into acting in poor productions just to exploit her traffic.

The more difficult the situation, the less one could compromise. Thus, she decided to go back to Jin Yuzhen. After all, it was Jin Yuzhen who had built her up. She was simply returning to the old path; it was not embarrassing.

For some reason, when she saw Jin Yuzhen today, she did not feel the usual irritation. Instead, she felt an indescribable sense of anticipation. It was probably because they had not seen each other for a long time. There were few people nearby and it was quiet. She leaned back in her chair and rested for a while, feeling much more refreshed.

Twenty minutes later, Jin Yuzhen finally emerged. Cen Shu should have immediately gone to greet her, but after standing up, she hesitated. She pulled her scarf to cover the lower half of her face and stood still, watching as Jin Yuzhen got into her car and drove away.

She had never understood why Jin Yuzhen did not change her car. Once, while attending an event, she had taken this car to the venue. After being seen, rumors spread that Jin Yuzhen did not truly care for her, and that in Jin Yuzhen’s heart, she only deserved to ride in such a vehicle. Because of this, she had even been angry with Jin Yuzhen.

For a long time, she also felt that Jin Yuzhen did not sincerely like her. Her manager, Qiu Tang, had seen everything that happened between them. Qiu Tang often said she did not appreciate kindness. She admitted to this.

However, she felt she was not entirely to blame. Setting aside interests, Jin Yuzhen was simply not suitable as a partner. She was a person without desire. During their five years together, or as others put it, Jin Yuzhen’s five years of pursuing her, aside from formal etiquette at important occasions, they had barely even held hands.

She was clearly a cold person. Jin Yuzhen’s affection for her was too cold. It was like a formula. It had no warmth.

But Jin Zhuhuai had said that night that before meeting her, Jin Yuzhen had lacked any human touch. Although she feared Jin Zhuhuai, she had to admit that hope was rekindled in her heart. Since she was so special to Jin Yuzhen, it meant there was still a chance for her to make a comeback. Even if Jin Zhuhuai wanted to cause her trouble, Jin Yuzhen would protect her. But if she could have moved Jin Zhuhuai that night, she would not have to face this awkwardness today.

She sighed deeply and messaged her driver. After getting into the car, she gestured for the driver to follow Jin Yuzhen’s car. She looked out the window and realized her heart was beating very fast.

Qiu Tang called, asking where she was. Cen Shu thought for a moment and said, “Getting ready for a meal.”

Qiu Tang said, “There is a new script. Shall I send it for you to see?”

Cen Shu asked listlessly, “What is the genre?”

Qiu Tang replied, “Suspense. Did you not say your next drama had to be suspense?”

Cen Shu forced herself to perk up. “Send it over first.” She knew there were no good scripts on the market right now.

Qiu Tang sent it to her. “I can fight for equal billing, but only on the condition that you are satisfied with this script. I will say upfront, I do not recommend you act in it.”

Hearing the last sentence, Cen Shu was already prepared. But after reading the synopsis, her blood pressure spiked. “No, no matter how hungry I am, I will not dig through trash.”

Nie Feiyin was playing a genius criminal, while she was supposed to play a tool like character with a love brain? She suspected she had misread it and read it again. She became even angrier.

The male lead is an expert at solving cases, and the female lead is the sole survivor of a family massacre. After the crime, the male lead finds the female lead, and they solve the case together. Just as the murderer is about to be caught, the female lead discovers that the killer is actually her childhood sweetheart. Her love brain kicks in, she sabotages the male lead, and lets the killer go, causing the case to reach a deadlock.

Cen Shu looked at the screenwriter’s name: Gou Shi.

Qiu Tang asked, “What do you think?”

Cen Shu held her breath, not knowing what to say. “Exactly who taught him how to read and write?” Could they all be packed off to jail together?

She took a deep breath, feeling a bit of lingering fear. “A script like this is intended to make me a support for the male actor, right? Have I fallen that low?”