Chapter 56

It was strange; the anger that had been jumping around in her heart just a moment ago was suppressed in an instant. There was no lingering frustration or resentment from being forced to back down; instead, it was replaced by an indescribable sensation.

For instance, Jian Xiyan’s fingertips felt pleasant to the touch, and her remark—”It’s really okay”—made Lin Feiruo feel a sense of pity while simultaneously sending a strange, faint tingling sensation through her. In short, her attention was diverted immediately.

Lin Feiruo looked at her blankly, at a loss for words.

Seeing her dazed state, Jian Xiyan gave her hand a light pat before letting go. “Alright, I should head out now.”

Lin Feiruo snapped back to reality and took a deep breath, temporarily dropping the topic of Xie Dicheng. “There will definitely be a lot of people wanting to talk to you out there. Should we… keep a bit of distance?”

The “bacteria” comment earlier had been a spur-of-the-moment idea, but now Lin Feiruo felt a genuine need for protection. There were so many people tonight, and everyone was busy socializing; it really could affect Jian Xiyan.

Xu Liqing teased from the side, “With you there, what is there to worry about?”

Lin Feiruo knew she was referring to what had just happened and smiled without saying a word.

Just as she placed her hands back on the wheelchair, her phone vibrated again. She didn’t want to look, but several messages came in quick succession.

“Check it first. We can wait a moment before going out,” Jian Xiyan said, indicating she was fine with waiting.

Lin Feiruo pulled it out to look—it was Yan Shan again. She was truly [unauthorized copy]like a ghost that wouldn’t disperse!

Besides emphasizing again that she was waiting, she had sent another photo: slender legs with black stockings half-peeled off. It was even more provocative than the previous shoulder-strap photo.

Lin Feiruo’s breath hitched. She quickly exited to the lock screen and stuffed the phone back into her pocket. Her ears felt hot—this was utterly ridiculous!

The thought that the person in the photo was Yan Shan made another wave of unspeakable nausea rise in her. Yet, for a split second, she found herself dazedly thinking of a different kind of touch.

From her angle, Jian Xiyan couldn’t see every shift in her expression, but she captured Lin Feiruo’s hurried movements, her tense emotions, and the panicked look of someone afraid of being discovered.

It was visibly different from the calmness she showed when she claimed to receive a “scam text” before.

Could it be Yu Qingci? Jian Xiyan thought.

It wasn’t impossible. From this afternoon until now, Lin Feiruo had basically stayed by her side and rarely looked at her phone. Even if she and Yu Qingci were in the early stages of a relationship, it wouldn’t make sense to go this long without contact.

Jian Xiyan turned, intending to ask Lin Feiruo if she had something she needed to handle. If so, she could have Xu Liqing push her out first.

Lin Feiruo met Jian Xiyan’s eyes and froze for a moment.

The nausea churned up by that photo was instantly soothed by Jian Xiyan’s beautiful eyes, and her entire being felt relieved. It was like teleporting from a smog-filled traffic jam into a lush forest; her chest was suddenly filled with fresh oxygen.

Lin Feiruo curved her lips. “So annoying. It’s another scam text.”

Seeing her features relax and her mood seemingly okay, Jian Xiyan didn’t pry further.

Lin Feiruo pushed Jian Xiyan out of the lounge, with Jian Xiaomin, who had regained quite a bit of confidence, following along beside them. Before meeting Jiang Wanru, she had been very worried, but Jiang Wanru’s reaction had successfully dissolved much of her unease.

“Sister Feiruo, you should consider downloading an anti-fraud app. Even though there are a lot of scam messages out there, the frequency you get them is just too high.”

Lin Feiruo’s lip twitched. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

If she didn’t want to set Yan Shan up as a fraudster later, she would have blocked them all long ago.

Jian Xiyan returned to the banquet hall and once again became the center of attention. When she was on stage earlier, there had been a distance. Now that she was on the floor, she was naturally surrounded.

Lin Feiruo and Xu Liqing blocked people from either side, while Jian Xiaomin acted as the spokesperson. Being Jian Shenyao’s daughter and not having an official role at the company yet, it didn’t matter as much if she occasionally used a sharp tone and offended someone.

“Uncle Li, your wine is about to slosh out. Why don’t you finish it before we chat?”

Jian Xiaomin was truly fed up with these older men—did they feel they couldn’t speak without swirling a wine glass? So pretentious. They took a sip after every sentence; it smelled terrible.

There were many people like President Li, but Jian Xiaomin singled him out. Who told him to call out “Wanru” so affectionately earlier? This was a grudge she wasn’t going to let go of tonight.

President Li was thick-skinned; instead of feeling embarrassed, he said with a smile, “Drinking is the whole point of a cocktail party. Who isn’t drinking a little tonight?”

“It’s easy to lose out in business when you’re drunk. We need to keep a clear head at all times,” Jian Xiaomin retorted, deliberately using the stiff tone of an academic translation. “The professor said making decisions after drinking is a huge mistake.”

Although everyone’s goal tonight was Jian Xiyan, there was more or less competition among the individuals. When Jian Xiaomin spoke up, naturally someone took the chance to ridicule President Li.

“Old Li, it’s good to drink a bit less, unless you want to go home and sleep in the guest room again tonight.”

President Li’s wife was famously averse to his drinking; whenever he came home drunk from a social event, he was barred from the bedroom.

Just then, Jian Shenyao came over. After hearing what they were talking about, he quietly scolded his daughter, “Xiaomin, you shouldn’t speak to your elders like that.”

Usually, Jian Xiaomin didn’t have to care about such things at parties, but Yu Shuyi had a cold and couldn’t come, and she couldn’t let her sister handle this crowd alone.

“Dad, elders should also care for their juniors,” she complained half-seriously. “It’s really not good for Sis to be smelling so much alcohol right now. Shouldn’t people be more mindful?”

At these words, the expressions of those nearby with full wine glasses became a bit awkward.

Jian Shenyao didn’t say anything more and turned to business. “Xiyan, Director He has arrived.”

Jian Xiyan looked into the distance but didn’t see him.

“He said he wants to see you. He’s waiting in the lounge.”

He accepted the invitation but arrived late for some reason; he’s here, yet refuses to appear in public and only wants to meet in the lounge? The experienced Jian Xiyan instinctively felt something was wrong.

Director He was being unusual, yet from another perspective, it was very predictable. It meant his attitude had shifted once again.

Jian Xiyan pondered for a moment. “Alright, I’ll go now.” She looked up at Lin Feiruo. “Just let Second Uncle and Liqing accompany me. You take a rest.”

Lin Feiruo knew that whatever they were going to talk about with Director He probably wasn’t meant for too many ears, so she let go of the wheelchair voluntarily.

She chatted with Jian Xiaomin for a bit, and as expected, the conversation circled back to the Best Actress within a few sentences. Xiaomin looked around but couldn’t find her idol.

“That’s strange. Did Jiang Wanru leave?”

“Probably not. The endorsement deal hasn’t been discussed yet; she wouldn’t leave so early.” Lin Feiruo remembered Jian Xiyan had that on the schedule; it just hadn’t come up yet.

“Oh, I’ll go look for her then.”

Lin Feiruo went to the restroom and planned to head to the terrace for some air, but changed her mind when she saw people there. However, after walking a few steps away, she turned back and looked toward the terrace again.

This time, she clearly saw who was on the terrace and couldn’t help but step closer, standing almost right against the floor-to-ceiling glass window.

Jiang Wanru knows Xie Dicheng?

She saw the man with the fat face smiling broadly at Jiang Wanru, and her sense of disgust was instantly recalled.

Jiang Wanru, who had been waiting for Lian Qinghe on the terrace, was spotted alone by Xie Dicheng, who walked over with a smirk. “Long time no see, Wanru.”

Xie Dicheng had met Jiang Wanru several times, but the only real contact was a year ago at an awards ceremony. As a local sponsor representative, Xie Dicheng had been formally introduced to Jiang Wanru by the organizers. Out of respect for the hosts, Jiang Wanru had treated his deliberate approach with cold indifference. To her surprise, the man had pushed his luck; when his flirting failed, he made an excuse that his hand slipped and spilled wine.

Not much wine landed on her dress, but the position was awkward—right on the chest. Xie Dicheng then used the excuse of helping her wipe it off, his “salty pig hand” heading straight for the sensitive area. Jiang Wanru had pushed his hand away directly, giving him no face at all.

Her firm attitude had prevented him from gaining much of an advantage. When she returned after changing, he had the gall to come back and formally hand her his business card. He even made her a lavish offer: “Whatever the price, I’m willing to pay. I just love your personality—cold enough and spicy enough.”

If not for the hosts’ sake, Jiang Wanru would likely have thrown wine in his face right then and there. After that incident, the organizers apologized to her several times. Even so, when the invitation for this year’s awards arrived, she declined, citing filming as the reason.

She hadn’t expected this “dog-skin plaster” to stick to her again at the Jian Group’s celebration.

“Blowing in the wind here all by yourself is so boring. Why not change to a warmer place? I’ll help you pass the time; wouldn’t that be great?”

Whether it was because his business had grown or because he felt more confident today, his tone was even more insolent than a year ago. Jiang Wanru barely looked him in the eye and couldn’t be bothered to waste words. Since he was here, she would simply leave.

“I’m not bored at all.”

Jiang Wanru tried to leave, but Xie Dicheng’s hand blocked her path. “Leaving as soon as ​Read on BaiLianTales​we meet is so rude. Give me some face; let’s talk.”

Jiang Wanru’s face was cold. “If I recall correctly, President Xie, you’ve never seemed to possess such a thing.”

Xie Dicheng froze for a moment before realizing what she meant, his face flushing deep red. “Don’t refuse a favor when it’s offered! You’re just a female celebrity—what are you acting so virtuous for?” He turned vicious. “Do you know how many female celebrities have been played with by us Anxi bosses?”

It was no lie; the Anxi coal bosses used to be the biggest nightmare in the entertainment industry. Few actresses they set their sights on managed to escape unscathed.

But Jiang Wanru wasn’t afraid, and she certainly wasn’t going to bow down. “I know.”

Xie Dicheng smirked smugly; some women really did need a heavy hand.

“But I am not a ‘female celebrity.’ I am simply an actor.” Jiang Wanru left him with a cold, disdainful smile and tried to walk around him.

Her wrist was suddenly grabbed. The brute force was unexpected, and Jiang Wanru was yanked back violently. She was wearing thin high heels, and while her gown wasn’t overly revealing, it was certainly not designed for being forcibly manhandled. A few more struggles and she would likely suffer a wardrobe malfunction.

The person watching behind the glass window moved immediately, pushing open the glass door and walking straight onto the terrace.

Lin Feiruo had already seen that the conversation wasn’t going well, but it was a private matter she felt she shouldn’t interfere with. As much as she hated Xie Dicheng, tonight was a major event for the Jian Group and Jian Xiyan placed great importance on it; Lin Feiruo didn’t want to cause trouble.

But once Jiang Wanru was physically blocked, she realized the situation was worse than she had imagined. She didn’t leave; she chose to keep a close eye on the situation. When Xie Dicheng turned rough, Lin Feiruo didn’t hesitate—letting this continue would also disgrace the Jian family.

“Miss Jiang! So this is where you were!”

The sudden intruder and the abrupt voice interrupted the struggle. Xie Dicheng stopped, but his hand still tightly gripped Jiang Wanru.

Jiang Wanru was breathing a bit heavily, her gaze toward Lin Feiruo filled with a complex mix of emotions.

“Xiaomin has been looking everywhere for you. She says it’s something very important.”