Chapter 22
When Ji Wenbin summoned Ji Xiangyu, he had not mentioned it to anyone at the table. That was why Ji Wenhua only remembered what he had said earlier after seeing her.
“I came up the stairs.”
Ji Wenhua’s expression immediately became fascinating.
His face had been flushed bright red from drinking, but after Ji Xiangyu’s words startled him, it abruptly turned pale, changing colors like a performer in a face-changing opera.
He had not forgotten the disgraceful things he had said.
If Ji Xiangyu had heard them…
But even if she had, she would not dare do anything to him. Ji Wenbin would protect him.
This thought reassured Ji Wenhua considerably.
With alcohol clouding his mind, he had forgotten many things—including the fact that Ji Xiangyu had not returned home in several years.
“Taking the stairs is good. You’re less likely to run into anyone there.”
Ji Wenhua chuckled and returned to chatting with the others.
Ji Xiangyu withdrew her gaze and walked coldly toward Ji Wenbin.
Ji Wenbin was speaking with a friend beside the window. When he saw her approach, he beckoned.
“You’re here?”
“Mm.”
His friend stood to one side and began praising Ji Xiangyu, saying the usual things about her exceptional appearance and impressive achievements at such a young age.
Ji Xiangyu nodded in acknowledgment.
“What’s so impressive about acting in a few films? Don’t praise her. The moment you do, it goes straight to her head,” Ji Wenbin said with false modesty.
“Don’t say that. Plenty of people envy you for having such an outstanding daughter.”
The other man seemed to sense the hidden confrontation in the air. After offering a few more compliments, he invented an excuse and slipped away, leaving the space beside the window to the father and daughter who were far from close.
Only after no one remained nearby did Ji Xiangyu speak.
“The photographs?”
Ji Wenbin had always conducted himself in a despicable and underhanded manner.
The people behind the secret photography incident had barely bothered to conceal themselves, so a simple investigation was enough to uncover the truth.
Ji Wenbin ignored her question. Cradling an empty wineglass, he leaned against the window and asked, “How many years has it been since you came home?”
The atmosphere inside the room grew increasingly chaotic.
Someone farther inside had become excited while talking and raised their voice until it sounded like a loudspeaker had been installed beside Ji Xiangyu’s ear, playing a poor-quality recording at an unbearable volume.
Ji Xiangyu’s eyes were black as ink.
She stared silently at Ji Wenbin, her cold, detached aura concealing every emotion beneath her gaze.
“You don’t have to look at me like that. I only want to know what you’ve been doing lately. You haven’t returned home in three years.”
Ji Wenbin sighed.
“Three years. What father wouldn’t miss his child?”
Ji Xiangyu could no longer suppress the cold sneer at the corners of her lips.
In front of outsiders, she never revealed the depths beneath still waters. Her heart always appeared perfectly calm, as though nothing in the world could stir her emotions.
Yet the man before her needed only two effortless sentences to push the rationality she had maintained for so long to the edge of a cliff.
“What do you want?”
Ji Xiangyu suppressed her fury, her voice so steady that no emotion could be heard.
“What could I possibly want? I merely want you to come home and visit us.”
Ji Wenbin looked at the cold-faced woman before him with a sorrowful expression.
“Delete the photographs. I’ll return when I have time.”
“Come home first, and then I’ll delete them.”
Ji Wenbin studied her expression, searching for a weakness.
“The young woman in the pictures is an Alpha, isn’t she? What happened? Did you undergo a second differentiation and become an Omega?”
Ji Xiangyu felt as though a fire were burning in her chest, scorching her until she wanted to unleash all her anger.
But she knew that revealing certain emotions would invite suspicion.
“She came to deliver a script. Family matters shouldn’t involve unrelated people.”
Whether it was emotional control or outstanding acting ability, Ji Xiangyu had practiced both for years.
At a moment like this, those skills finally proved crucial.
“Why are you so protective of her? I looked into her. She’s from the Shen family, isn’t she? I’ve heard her character isn’t particularly good, and she doesn’t have much money either. Her circumstances aren’t even as good as the Alpha from the neighboring family.”
Ji Wenbin’s tone was casual, as though he were merely chatting with his daughter about household matters.
“If you really like Alphas, you could consider someone else.”
“If you refuse to delete the photographs, I’ll leave now. I have work on set tomorrow, so I’m going back.”
Ji Xiangyu appeared composed and calm, but inside, layers of molten fury surged like an erupting volcano, threatening to consume every trace of her reason.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll release them?”
“Everyone says you’ve had no scandals since your debut. You must have spent a great deal of money manufacturing that image.”
Ji Wenbin smiled.
“Let me think. Once the photographs are released, what do you suppose people will say about you?”
After so many years in the industry, Ji Xiangyu naturally knew exactly what they would say.
But she had never been worried about herself.
She was worried about Shen Yishu, whose career had only just begun.
Ji Xiangyu would be fine.
Although she had never had a genuine scandal, plenty of people had tied themselves to her name for publicity over the years. When she first debuted, even Jiang Wu’s team had purchased similar promotional articles.
To ordinary spectators hungry for gossip, no female celebrity in the entertainment industry was truly innocent.
Romantic rumors would not seriously affect an already famous top star whose position and status were firmly established.
Shen Yishu, however, would be the one cursed most viciously.
Whether they accused her of exploiting Ji Xiangyu’s fame or obtaining opportunities through unspoken deals, marketing accounts would write whichever version was most sensational.
They would dig in whichever direction promised material, and the public would imagine the worst.
If a young actress endured it, perhaps she might become enormously popular one day.
If she failed, then another insignificant, obscure celebrity would simply disappear.
The entertainment industry had no shortage of people who remained unknown after years of work.
But Ji Xiangyu believed that with Shen Yishu’s talent, she should not be buried that way.
She did not want her own affairs to implicate anyone else—especially Shen Yishu.
“What exactly do you want?” Ji Xiangyu asked coldly, folding her arms.
“Move back home.”
Ji Wenbin stubbornly maintained the image of a loving father and refused to reveal his true intentions.
However, Ji Xiangyu could already guess what they were.
“I won’t move back.”
She rejected him.
Because of her anger, her hormone levels rose.
Ji Xiangyu failed to notice her body’s discomfort in time, assuming the growing heat came only from her emotions. She had completely forgotten that she was still in an unstable stage of her heat.
By the time she caught the faint rosemary scent in the air, it was already too late.
Fortunately, the banquet room was filled with smoke and alcohol. The heavy stench of liquor overwhelmed the barely perceptible pheromone fragrance.
Ji Xiangyu immediately turned to leave.
If she stayed any longer, she would no longer be able to explain herself.
Ji Wenbin reached out and grabbed her arm.
“You’re already here. Stay and talk with me a little longer. I won’t force you.”
His movement was rather forceful, and several people at the table had already turned to look.
“We can talk the next time we meet.”
Waves of weakness passed through Ji Xiangyu’s body, leaving her unable to exert much strength.
She did not dare struggle too forcefully, afraid Ji Wenbin might notice her physical condition.
“Best Actress Ji, it’s rare for everyone to meet. Stay and chat a little longer.”
Ji Wenhua, delighted by the commotion, walked over to persuade her.
Ji Xiangyu narrowed her eyes.
She planned to forcefully break free and leave as quickly as possible.
The Ji family absolutely could not discover her true secondary gender.
Bang!
The door was suddenly thrown open.
Everyone turned toward it.
“Teacher Ji, the director told you to return to the production early. You have morning scenes tomorrow!”
Shen Yishu wore a baseball cap and mask, leaving only her eyes visible as she called loudly.
At a glance, she saw Ji Xiangyu’s predicament.
Even within this noisy, filthy environment, Ji Xiangyu remained as pure and distant as the moon, untouched by the surrounding mud.
Her hair was black, her skin pale, and the curve of her long neck was graceful. Her expression was icy, revealing faint impatience.
Because of the temporary mark connecting them, they were far more sensitive to each other’s pheromones.
The instant Shen Yishu entered, she caught the faint rosemary scent drifting in the air.
It was almost imperceptible, yet its presence was steadily growing stronger.
“Are you her assistant?”
Ji Wenhua was extremely displeased by Shen Yishu’s sudden appearance.
“A colleague. I rode with Teacher Ji because I needed to handle something in the city.”
Shen Yishu saw another hand gripping Ji Xiangyu’s slender arm and immediately understood that she was being restrained.
Across the banquet table, she met Ji Xiangyu’s gaze.
“Teacher Ji, let’s go.”
Ji Xiangyu understood the message in her eyes, but inwardly, she knew the situation had worsened.
She turned and saw Ji Wenbin’s expression.
As expected, he had already frowned and fallen into thought.
Ji Wenbin had undoubtedly seen the photographs.
Shen Yishu’s appearance was too distinctive. Even when she covered herself completely, anyone who looked carefully could identify her without much difficulty.
“Come here,” Ji Wenbin said to Shen Yishu.
From the atmosphere alone, Shen Yishu could guess that the father and daughter had been arguing.
As she approached, the rosemary scent in the air had already become quite noticeable.
It was a warning sign that Ji Xiangyu’s heat was beginning.
This could not continue.
She needed to take Ji Xiangyu away immediately.
“You’re the young woman who entered Ji Xiangyu’s room that night, aren’t you?” Ji Wenbin asked.
A sudden flash of understanding passed through Shen Yishu’s mind.
She remembered the vulnerability Ji Xiangyu had revealed that night.
“I delivered a script to Teacher Ji. Is there a problem? If not, we’ll return to the hotel now.”
Shen Yishu’s tone was cold.
“Tell me, did you really go there merely to deliver a script?”
Ji Wenbin smiled.
“If you answer well, you could establish a connection with the Ji family.”
Ji Xiangyu’s face turned pale.
The Shen family and the Ji family were in completely different leagues.
Ji Wenbin was not a man who kept his promises, but the offer was still extraordinarily tempting.
Ji Xiangyu could not be certain that Shen Yishu would remain unmoved after hearing it.
“If you answer poorly, you may find yourself blacklisted.”
The threat was delivered lightly, like silent snowfall.
Yet snow could bury and suffocate a person without making a sound.
The way this villain treated people as though they were not human finally made Shen Yishu feel as if she truly were living inside a novel.
She smiled helplessly.
“Are you mentally ill?”
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