Transmigrated as the CEO's Top-Tier Stand-in - Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Ji Yu’s eyes flashed with a hint of astonishment.

Feeling the slight warmth and softness on her wrist, and hearing such words from Meng Rendong, she was briefly unable to react.

In contrast to Ji Yu’s surprise, the other person involved was consumed by absolute fury.

The executive, Mr. Wang with the gold chain, already looked down on women. If he had the opportunity, he would actually prefer to try a type like Meng Rendong. Unfortunately… neither the real estate giant Meng family nor the current Huangting Entertainment was someone he could afford to provoke.

So, he had initially settled for the next best thing.

If he couldn’t play with Meng Rendong, could he not touch this selection show trainee who had no backing whatsoever?

Mr. Wang recalled that since becoming a mine boss and earning some money in the entertainment industry, he had slept with dozens, if not hundreds, of third-rate models. The young model who had followed him earlier had told him that this Ji Yu was just a newcomer who had recently appeared on the show, with no prominent family background and no powerful godfathers or godmothers in the industry.

Although he had attended today’s event by borrowing someone’s name to network with these famous directors, he was certainly not inferior to a small celebrity like Ji Yu. He had only hinted at his intentions. This Meng Rendong, also an industry insider, not only ruined his plan but also publicly insulted him?

His face cycled through red, white, and black. This series of expressions was so noticeable that even Kong Rufan on the other side sensed something was wrong.

So, Kong Rufan smiled, walked over with her wine glass, and politely and courteously said to Mr. Wang: “Thank you for your appreciation, Mr. Wang, but we’ve already decided to establish our own studio.”

Her words were flattering, but the refusal was crystal clear.

Mr. Wang was so enraged by their back-to-back humiliation that he nearly toppled over. Even though he managed to suppress it, he sulked for a good while after returning to his seat. The young model beside him seemed to notice his poor mood. Her beautiful eyes rolled, guessing what had upset him, and she gently leaned against him.

Mr. Wang was momentarily choked by the overly strong perfume. Already annoyed, he had no mind to deal with his young lover. Before he could act, he heard her whisper something in his ear as she looked up.

His expression shifted, and he looked down: “Are you sure?”

The young model playfully pushed his shoulder with her hand, yet nodded in affirmation, a relaxed look on her face.

The dark fire in Mr. Wang’s heart was ignited. Remembering the attitudes of Meng Rendong and Kong Rufan, he now said fiercely: “Fine, I’d like to see… what kind of third-rate celebrity I can’t touch…”

Among the directors invited by Gu Ning, there was one interested in the IP Meng Rendong currently held. He came over with his wine glass to chat with her. Ji Yu looked at the situation on that side and proactively moved a few seats over with Kong Rufan.

When Meng Rendong looked over during a break.

The person who had been beside her was already gone.

She was momentarily stunned. She looked up and found that several celebrities were gathered around Kong Rufan, and Ji Yu was chatting and smiling with them.

Thinking of how eager the other party was to distance herself from her, Meng Rendong tightened her grip on the stemware. Her fingers unconsciously dug into her palm, and the light in her eyes dimmed.

Someone called out: “President Meng?”

Meng Rendong immediately snapped back, putting on a polite smile. However, when she spoke again, her voice carried a trace of undetectable sadness, which others merely mistook for her usual demeanor.

As for Ji Yu, whom she had just looked at.

Realizing that her manager, Kong Rufan, was extremely capable, and the industry bigwigs who approached them were all doing so out of respect for Kong Rufan, she was quite sensible. She engaged in conversation when appropriate and politely stood aside when not needed, earning her respect. People found her different from those newly famous starlets who didn’t know how to behave in different settings, seeing her as someone who could remain composed.

But at some point, a pretty girl came over with a wine glass, her eyes sparkling, and told her: “I’m following your show! Sister Ji Yu! You’re about to start your second public performance, aren’t you?”

Ji Yu smiled and clinked glasses with her. Regardless of whether others were sincere or not, she always maintained politeness. As a few glasses of red wine went down, she shared some interesting, shareable stories with the girl.

Until.

“Yuyu, don’t drink this glass. She shook something into your drink when she poured it.”

The system suddenly warned her in her mind, then angrily started cursing. If Ji Yu hadn’t stopped it, the system would have immediately materialized to “salute” the girl’s entire family tree with dog language.

Facing the girl’s somewhat anxious, hopeful, and earnest gaze, Ji Yu no longer reached for the glass. She had noticed earlier that the girl was sitting next to Mr. Wang. Mr. Wang had been severely humiliated by Meng Rendong earlier, and it seemed he was now taking it out on her.

She sighed internally, wondering why she still attracted trouble despite being so laid-back.

The girl seemed puzzled as to why she wasn’t drinking. Ji Yu smiled lazily and casually said: “I’ve had too much water tonight, and my tolerance for alcohol isn’t great. I’m going to the restroom. Please excuse me.”

With that, she stood up, intending to leave, leaving the girl sitting there with some trepidation.

A few minutes later.

Ji Yu was washing her face in the restroom, asking the system in confusion: “I didn’t drink anything problematic just now, did I?”

The system shook its head earnestly: “No, I’m watching you closely.”

Ji Yu nodded slowly. When she looked up again, she saw her reflection in the mirror: even with makeup, her face was flushed. She confusingly raised her hand to rub her face, muttering:

“But I remember… my alcohol tolerance wasn’t this poor…”

Hearing this, the system suddenly remembered the modified world line!

That’s right! Highly malicious content could be modified, but harmless things like “poor alcohol tolerance” could evade its detection. It immediately said:

“Yuyu, contact Kong Rufan.”

“You should go back early. It’s not safe here. I shouldn’t have let you come tonight.”

It felt that a slightly tipsy Ji Yu was very vulnerable. Even though it had eliminated all accidental factors and terrible events, it couldn’t help but worry.

Despite being the administrator of the world, the system felt inexplicably disheartened at that moment, feeling like it had failed in its duty to protect the person it brought into this world.

Ji Yu hummed in response, instead offering comfort: “It’s fine. I haven’t drunk much. It’s not that serious, just a little dizzy. I’ll contact Sister Kong now, don’t worry.”

Saying this, she stood at the most conspicuous sink, lowered her head, and pulled out her phone to send a message.

In the banquet hall.

The young model returned to Mr. Wang, whispering something with flickering eyes. Mr. Wang, who was lighting a cigar, glared at her when he heard the news, making her too uncomfortable to sit still. He then crushed the cigar, stood up, and headed outside.

Meng Rendong had noticed Ji Yu leaving earlier. After waiting for a long time without seeing her return, and then spotting Mr. Wang walking out in his suit jacket, she frowned inexplicably and also stood up:

“Excuse me.”

She nodded to the directors. After they gestured for her to leave as she wished, she put down her glass and quickly headed outside as well.

When she saw Mr. Wang heading directly toward the restroom at the end of the banquet hall, Meng Rendong initially wondered if she was overly suspicious. Until she saw Ji Yu standing by the sink, looking down and fiddling with her phone.

Even from this distance, she could see the faint flush on Ji Yu’s neck.

It was a sign of alcohol taking effect.

Mr. Wang, walking rapidly ahead of her, focused on his target, completely failed to notice anyone behind him. Upon seeing Ji Yu, his eyes lit up. He didn’t even bother to check her state, took off his suit jacket, and looked intent on directly covering her and dragging her away—

Quickly!

A muffled “thud.”

He was unexpectedly kicked in the small of his back. He spun around and slammed into the wall by the sink. The old man, who had spent years socializing in luxurious settings, inevitably had a weakened back. After kneeling, he let out a yelp and couldn’t stand up for a while.

Ji Yu looked up blankly, momentarily unable to process what had happened.

She looked at Meng Rendong, whose eyes seemed to be burning with fury, and then down at Mr. Wang kneeling beside her, unable to get up. Ji Yu was confused for two seconds before attempting to say: “…Excuse me?”

Has commercial competition already escalated to the point of physical fighting?

Meng Rendong pressed her lips tightly. She suddenly remembered the first time she met Ji Yu, the girl had also looked a little dazed, wearing a thin summer dress in the dead of winter. With a slight gesture of her finger, Ji Yu had silently followed her to the hotel.

Thinking of this naive yet stubborn person about to be deceived by someone else, her anger soared.

Without thinking, she raised her hand to grab Ji Yu’s wrist, pulling her, wanting to leave, unwilling to let her be ogled by these malicious toads in such a place any longer.

Ji Yu hadn’t figured out how to tactfully tell Kong Rufan that she wanted to leave. Mid-message, she was unexpectedly pulled away by Meng Rendong. Her phone nearly dropped, and she stumbled awkwardly. Just as she walked out of the sink area, she failed to keep up with the pace and tripped over the corridor carpet.

Meng Rendong was initially angry, but felt she shouldn’t take it out on Ji Yu. She stopped after a few steps, intending to turn back and tell Ji Yu:

“I’ll drive…” you home.

At that moment, Ji Yu, who was stumbling, bumped her forehead against Meng Rendong’s chin, cutting off the rest of her sentence. Both of them groaned.

Ji Yu was already a little dizzy. The collision made her even less steady, forcing her to grab onto Meng Rendong’s clothes to stabilize herself. Meng Rendong tilted her head back, the pain in her chin nearly making her bite her tongue. Feeling the familiar softness enter her embrace, she instinctively reached out and wrapped an arm around Ji Yu.

Two heartbeats instantly collided.

The long-suppressed, semi-fermented longing instantly flared up like a wildfire.

Meng Rendong lowered her head again. A familiar scent, mixed with the intoxicating aroma of wine, came from Ji Yu’s hair, causing the palm of her hand, resting on Ji Yu’s waist, to instantly break out in a sweat, warming up by another three degrees.

It was unclear who was drunk at that moment.

Ji Yu covered her forehead with her hand, opening her eyes to look at her: “President Meng…”

Meng Rendong leaned in, gently resting her throbbing chin on the back of the hand covering Ji Yu’s forehead. She spoke with a hint of helplessness:

“Little Ji Yu—”

“Can you be a little more careful?”

Ji Yu was initially somewhat lucid, but upon hearing that appellation, her eyes widened uncontrollably. She looked stunned, as if unable to recover her wits.

Meng Rendong, however, was completely unaware. Her chin hurt too much, so her tone was less cold than usual. Furthermore, facing the person she loved, she naturally couldn’t bear to be harsh. Thus, the combination of factors, plus the sudden affectionate address, made Ji Yu feel dizzy.

Ji Yu confusedly thought to herself:

It’s over.

I think I’m really drunk.

Otherwise, why would I hear Si Tian calling me?

So gentle, so helpless, completely identical to the way she looked when she saw Ji Yu doing something foolish in the past, wanting to scold her but unable to bear it.

Thinking of Si Tian, the longing, the grievances, and the deep-seated guilt that were usually suppressed by rationality were infinitely magnified by the alcohol.

Meng Rendong finally endured the initial sharp pain and wanted to lead Ji Yu away from here. When she looked down, her words were caught in her throat—

The person in her arms had suddenly gone red-eyed.

Coupled with her already flushed face, her brow was now like spring scenery blossoming across the mountains, exceptionally captivating. Yet, she looked clearly wronged, like a long-lost child finally returning home, about to sob and pour out all the anxieties and fears of her journey to her parent.

Thinking of this, the desire that had initially surfaced in Meng Rendong was suppressed, and heartache took the upper hand.

She reached out and gently moved Ji Yu’s hand away from her forehead, lightly rubbing the reddened spot on her brow, and quietly asked: “Does it hurt?”

Ji Yu stared at her without blinking, as if having lost the ability to feel pain.

After a long while, she quietly called out: “…Tian Tian?”

As if afraid of waking up the dream.

System: “…!”

Meng Rendong: “…!”

Just as the system began loudly reminding Ji Yu in her mind that she had the wrong person, the smile on Meng Rendong’s lips froze. She seemed unsure that she could hear such tender words from Ji Yu’s mouth now, and asked with some hesitation: “What?”

Ji Yu scrutinized her face, seriously trying to determine who the person in front of her was. When she realized the other person did not have that air of ‘keeping people a thousand miles away’ coldness, she tried calling out again:

“Little Tian Tian.”

She couldn’t call her that as the other person wished back then. Now that she said it, she should be very happy, right?

Meng Rendong was completely stunned.

Overwhelming joy flashed in her eyes. Just as she was about to ask Ji Yu in surprise why she would call her that, the system’s wailing had already snapped Ji Yu’s lost reason back:

“A-a-a-a-ah! No, no, no, no, it’s not her! Yuyu, wake up! Wake up!”

Ji Yu was startled by the mental noise. Her eyes instantly cleared up a little, and she instinctively changed her address following the system’s voice: “Not… President Meng, President Meng.”

Saying this, she tried to retreat from Meng Rendong’s embrace.

Feeling the sudden rejection from the previously docile girl who had even called her “Little Tian Tian,” and seeing the disappearance of the wounded look in her eyes, replaced by a kind of alarm, even coupled with an apology.

Even the most oblivious Meng Rendong could now clearly understand that those two calls were definitely not meant for her.

If they weren’t for her…

Who else could they be for?

All the tenderness on her instantly vanished. The sourness that had previously permeated her heart while watching videos and interviews resurfaced. As high as her joy was moments before, her pain was just as intense now, as if a sour blade condensed from lemon juice had been plunged into her heart and twisted repeatedly, making it almost impossible for her to maintain her expression.

Meng Rendong’s dark eyes fiercely stared at the girl in front of her. She refused to let Ji Yu struggle out of her embrace, her palm around Ji Yu’s waist tightening repeatedly, squeezing Ji Yu until she felt a little pain and gasped softly.

Hearing the intake of breath, Meng Rendong reflexively loosened her grip a little, but still couldn’t bear to let her leave her close proximity.

Ji Yu knew she had messed up due to the alcohol, and she lowered her head to apologize: “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… President Meng, I truly apologize…”

Hearing her repeated apologies, Meng Rendong felt even more heartbroken.

She opened her lips, wanting to say something, but no words came out. She could only watch helplessly as Ji Yu retreated to a safe distance, continuously keeping her head down, refusing to look at her.

Staring at the top of Ji Yu’s head, Meng Rendong reverted to her expressionless demeanor. She focused on Ji Yu for a long time. She heard herself finally gather the strength to speak, her voice hoarse, her throat tight with pain, like a bird mistakenly trapped in a thorny bush, desperately crying out with a bleeding voice:

“You…”

“You like her that much?”

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