The Stand-in is Exceptionally Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The CEO and Her Canary

◎Filming is Wrapped Up◎

Lou Bianxia listened to Jian Ke’s lewd words and… a faint smile played on her lips. She raised a finger and traced it across Jian Ke’s collar. A shiver ran down Jian Ke’s skin. Meeting Jian Ke’s eager eyes, she moved her hand up and gently pinched Jian Ke’s soft earlobe. “You sprained your foot and you’re still thinking about other things? Do you want your foot to get better or not?” With that, she got up, closed the door, and left.

Jian Ke’s mouth was half-open, and she wanted to shout, “I didn’t mean that at all!” The 520 System secretly rolled its eyes. Host, you’re not wronged in the slightest.

Jian Ke took a day off from the crew and stayed at home like a good little plant. But in the afternoon, she received a “sympathy” text from Shen Zhi. “Ms. Lou broke your leg for cheating?”

Jian Ke read the text and simply replied with six dots. Her opinion of Shen Zhi’s idiocy went up another notch.

Shen Zhi: “What do you mean? Your hands are broken too?”

Jian Ke looked up at the sky, exasperated. “What have you been imagining all day? I sprained my foot myself. It has nothing to do with Ms. Lou.”

Shen Zhi clearly didn’t believe her. “How would you sprain your foot for no reason? You must have been punished. You don’t have to cover for her. I’ve seen this kind of thing a lot.”

Jian Ke: “…While I have no idea what you’re thinking, please stop it immediately. Ms. Lou isn’t the kind of unreasonable person you imagine.”

Shen Zhi: “Really? Her aura is too strong, and she has a fearsome reputation. Many people in the industry are afraid of her.”

Jian Ke suddenly remembered Ji Chen’s pale, frightened face after Lou Bianxia whispered to her that night. “Are the Ji family and the Lou family acquainted?”

Shen Zhi: “I’m not exactly sure, but Ms. Ji and Ms. Lou often have business dealings. Their relationship should be pretty good. Ji Chen’s libertine lifestyle… is actually her way of dealing with Ms. Ji constantly trying to set her up on blind dates. She likes women, but she’s always been too scared to tell Ms. Ji.” After a moment’s consideration, Shen Zhi sent another text. “The Lou family’s situation is probably similar. Even though the entire corporation only listens to Ms. Lou, family-arranged marriages are unavoidable. I heard from Ji Chen that the Lou family is already looking for a suitable marriage partner for her.”

Lou Bianxia was already thirty years old. By all accounts, she was already of marriageable age, but she had been delaying it to focus on managing the company. Now that the corporation was thriving, it would be difficult for Lou Bianxia to find any more excuses. From this perspective, even if Shu Yu returned to the country, the two of them would still face many obstacles.

Jian Ke rubbed her chin, wanting to help Lou Bianxia, but this was a matter within the Lou family. She was an outsider and couldn’t interfere.

Shen Zhi: “Anyway, the internal matters of the Lou family are quite complex. You absolutely must not get involved.”

Jian Ke understood Shen Zhi’s good intentions. “Don’t worry, I don’t have that much power. Besides, not many people know about Ms. Lou and me. You… are just an accident.”

Shen Zhi was in tears. If she could do it all over again, she would have broken her own legs that night rather than knocking on Jian Ke’s door. And her condescending, impudent attitude towards Lou Bianxia… how many lives did she have to spend? But she truly didn’t know who Lou Bianxia was, and she was a “face-con” after all…

Shen Zhi’s tone was earnest. “Please make sure to tell Ms. Lou that I will stake my life on keeping your secret.”

Jian Ke conveyed Shen Zhi’s promise to Lou Bianxia. Lou Bianxia simply nodded to show she heard and had no other reaction. Jian Ke watched Lou Bianxia change the bandage on her foot, and the words “Are you going on blind dates recently?” were swallowed back down. She had no right to ask, so it was better not to meddle.

There wasn’t much left to film, and the production was gradually nearing its end. Li Zhi took Ning Xuan to see the sea one last time. The train tickets were already booked for the next morning. The shimmering waves washed over their feet, and the footprints they left were washed away, leaving no trace. Ning Xuan looked up at Li Zhi’s beautiful, luminous face in the sunlight. Li Zhi didn’t say goodbye, but Ning Xuan understood from her hesitant expression.

The sea breeze brushed past her brows, bringing moisture to the corners of her eyes. She felt like she should be fighting for their future right now, but she couldn’t say a single word of retention. For Li Zhi, this short time by the sea was just a vacation. After the trip, everything would end and become a memory. The absurd affair with Ning Xuan was hidden in the damp mist and the surging waves, known to no one until the sunlight poured in, fading into tears and distant gazes. It was sad, but not so tragic, because in just this short month together, Ning Xuan had seemingly seen an entire lifetime of the two of them supporting each other through thick and thin.

In the final embrace, the camera pulled back to a distant shot of the sea blending into the sky.

“Cut!”

“Filming is wrapped! We’re done!” A round of applause erupted in the studio, directed at the two people standing in the center.

Jian Ke let go, only to find Shen Zhi with her head down, wiping away tears. She sobbed, “Why can’t they be together? Why does Li Zhi have to leave? They should have loved each other.”

“They met the right person at the wrong time and place. From the very beginning, they were just passing through each other’s lives. To have experienced such a deeply unforgettable relationship, they have no regrets.” Jian Ke didn’t expect to say such things to comfort someone, as if she wasn’t the one who had been bothered by the ending before. “They both have their own futures and lives. The seaside town was just a temporary haven where time stood still. They can’t be forever immersed in it; they must go their separate ways.”

Jian Ke patted Shen Zhi’s shoulder. “There’s a wrap party later. Are you really going to go celebrate looking like this?”

Jian Ke went back to her dressing room to change. A cigarette fell out of her denim jacket. She gently picked it up, twisting it between her fingers. A faint scent entered her nose, mixing with the continuous gloomy rain and the endless dripping water. The unexpected encounter of two girls, the beautiful and fleeting affair they experienced for a month. She tucked the cigarette into her script, closing it along with the memory of the misty seaside town.

Her assistant knocked on the door. “Jian-laoshi! Jian-laoshi! Director Chen said he’s treating everyone to hotpot!”

Jian Ke packed her things and walked out. “Then Director Chen must be spending a lot. Everyone worked so hard this month.”

Because filming had wrapped up smoothly, Director Chen seemed to be in a particularly good mood. He pulled Jian Ke and Shen Zhi aside for a drink. “You two are both great. If I film another show in the future, and you’re the right fit, I’ll definitely look for you again.” He closed his eyes and looked at the table, pouring a drink for himself. “Jian Ke, you really live up to Director Wen’s recommendation. The Li Zhi you played is just like she walked out of the script.”

“Shen Zhi was a little slow to get into character, and I was a bit worried at first, but your performance was great in the end.”

Shen Zhi said sheepishly, “That’s because Jian-laoshi is such a good actress. I was unconsciously pulled into the role by her.”

Jian Ke shook her head, listening to them ramble on about this and that. She only felt her cheeks getting hot and rosy, a sure sign that she was getting drunk. She looked down at her phone screen and slowly typed a message to Lou Bianxia. “At the wrap party tonight. Had a little wine.”

After sending the message, she held herself up and stood to go to the bathroom to wash her face and sober up. But as she reached the door of the bathroom, she unexpectedly bumped into someone. Jian Ke, holding her spinning head, didn’t even look at the person. She just subconsciously apologized and continued to walk forward.

“Jian Ke?” The woman grabbed Jian Ke’s wrist. “Why are you here?”

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