Taking Advantage of Her Vulnerability [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 7

“Mami~”

Gu Rongqing turned her head and saw Wennuan and Wen Ling outside the window. She stood up, intending to go out, but Ji Chenxi suddenly grabbed her hand and asked what was wrong.

Wen Ling had originally intended to tell Wennuan that Mami was busy and not to disturb her, but before the words could leave her mouth, the child had already called out.

Ji Chenxi followed Gu Rongqing’s gaze to them and whispered something to her. As a result, Gu Rongqing sat back down.

Wen Ling took one look at them and walked away.

“Mommy, why didn’t we go find Mami?”

“Be a good girl, Nuan-Nuan. Mami is busy; we shouldn’t disturb her.” Wennuan pouted, wanting to say more, but she saw that Wen Ling’s expression was dark, so she eventually fell silent.

Wen Ling was, of course, displeased. She remembered asking Gu Rongqing yesterday if she and Ji Chenxi were together and getting a denial; seeing this scene today left her feeling utterly stifled.

In the cafe, the moment Gu Rongqing saw Wen Ling and Xiao Nuan—especially with Xiao Nuan waving her little hand—she had wanted to go out to them without a second thought. It was Ji Chenxi who said, “The storm over your divorce hasn’t settled yet. Going out to them now wouldn’t be good for them or for you.” These words cooled her down. Once she sat back, she realized she had been a bit impulsive.

“I really couldn’t tell that you’d become so impulsive, Rongqing.” Gu Rongqing didn’t answer, simply taking a sip of her coffee.

She felt that the Ji Chenxi sitting before her was different from the one she used to know.

Ji Chenxi was one year senior to her. They had met during enrollment; while others were accompanied by parents, Gu Rongqing was alone. Ji Chenxi had helped her register, find her dorm, and carry her things. Gu Rongqing wasn’t an extrovert—she was quite closed off—so she kept Ji Chenxi’s kindness in her heart. They grew close, became friends, and often performed together. Back then, Ji Chenxi was a dazzling all-rounder.

Gu Rongqing thought the person returning after several years would still be that old friend. She hadn’t expected…

Last night, Ji Chenxi had called her to discuss the script, and she had agreed without thinking. Before leaving today, Ji Chenxi sent her the address of a cafe in a shopping mall. After arriving, they barely discussed the script; they just chatted about other things until Wen Ling and Wennuan appeared. Suddenly, Gu Rongqing began to understand Ji Chenxi’s recent abnormal behavior.

“Rongqing, what is it?”

“Nothing…” Gu Rongqing looked up to see Ji Chenxi watching her tenderly. That look was familiar, yet she couldn’t recall where she had seen it before…

“Chenxi, I’m feeling a bit unwell. I’m going home.” Gu Rongqing stood to leave, but Ji Chenxi grabbed her hand.

“Then I’ll see you home.” Ji Chenxi stood up too, but her grip on Gu Rongqing’s hand didn’t loosen.

“No need, I can go back myself. Go ahead with your business.” Gu Rongqing’s refusal forced Ji Chenxi to let go awkwardly.

“Then be careful on your way back.” Gu Rongqing nodded and left.

After she was gone, Ji Chenxi sat back down, her expression turning dark and incredibly cold.

The next day was the official announcement for the The Lost Path cast. The character posters were released in the morning.

Gu Rongqing as Jin Nanfeng, Xu Mengmeng as Fang Cao, and the recently crowned Best Actor, Zhan Feng, as Jin Nanfeng’s fiancé, Li Ye.

Due to Gu Rongqing’s divorce, some of the comments were less than friendly:

“Rongqing as Nanfeng is actually perfect!!!”

“Hanging out with Ji Chenxi right after the divorce, and this movie is produced by Ji Chenxi too. Tsk tsk.”

“What does the person above know? It’s called keeping the benefits within the family.”

“Shut up! Rongqing is truly a perfect fit!”

“Am I the only one who thinks this whole thing is movie marketing?”

Seeing the mixed reviews, Wen Ling wasn’t worried. Most fans defended Gu Rongqing, and while there were keyboard warriors, who was Gu Rongqing? She was Movie Queen Gu, not some “liuliang” starlet whose career would end over one negative rumor. With her talent, plenty of people were dying to cast her.

So, Wen Ling stayed home, admiring Gu Rongqing’s beautiful photos while packing her bags to join the crew the next day. She had originally just wanted to sell the novel for money, but Director Li Xin had persuaded her to be the screenwriter. Having her first sold novel adapted with her own script gave her a sense of accomplishment. She just hadn’t expected Gu Rongqing to be the lead.

Since she couldn’t look after Wennuan for a while, Mother Gu’s proposal yesterday to take the child had solved her biggest headache.

As she finished her own packing and started on Wennuan’s, her phone rang. It was Lin Xu. They had exchanged numbers back in East City, but hadn’t been in touch since.

“Hello, Lin Xu?”

“Whoa, Wen Ling-jie!!” Lin Xu’s voice was so excited it startled Wen Ling.

“Why are you so hyped up?”

“Wen Ling-jie, I had no idea Wennuan’s Mami was actually Movie Queen Gu!” Wen Ling almost dropped her phone.

Because of Gu Rongqing’s status, Wen Ling had always been careful when going out with Wennuan. They were almost never seen. Even when cornered by reporters, she had been fully masked.

“Hello? Wen Ling-jie, are you still there?”

“I’m here. Since you know, I won’t hide it. It’s true.”

“Then, Wen Ling-jie, don’t be sad.” The sudden comfort left Wen Ling confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Jie, just look at the hot searches yourself.”

Wen Ling hung up and opened Weibo.

#Gu Rongqing and Ji Chenxi Date Encountered by Ex-Wife#

Crash!

Liang Mei slammed her phone onto the table in a rage, pointing at Gu Rongqing. “Tell me! Since your divorce, how many times has your business with Ji Chenxi trended? Even the divorce didn’t trend this much! Now you’re trending with both the ex-wife and the ‘rumored current’ together!”

Gu Rongqing looked at her without a word, which only infuriated Liang Mei further. The person involved acted as if nothing was wrong! Exhausted, the manager sat across from her.

After ten minutes of silence, Liang Mei admitted defeat. She didn’t want to nag, but things were getting out of hand. Gu Rongqing wasn’t naturally “trending-prone,” and while the divorce news was expected, the frequency of rumors with Ji Chenxi was suspicious. Moreover, during the promo shoot a few days ago, the way Ji Chenxi looked at Gu Rongqing was just… off.

“Watch yourself around Ji Chenxi once you’re on set. Don’t get too close.” Liang Mei suddenly paused as a thought hit her. She grabbed Gu Rongqing’s shoulders. “Wait, Wen Ling is there too?” Before Gu could respond, she groaned. “If I had known, I definitely wouldn’t have helped you take this movie!”

“Great. Movie Queen Gu, the ex-wife, and the rumored lover all in the same crew.” Liang Mei paced the room, muttering. “You must be careful.”

“Alright, I get it. I’m going home to pack.” Gu Rongqing couldn’t take the nagging anymore and got up to leave.

When Gu Rongqing arrived at her parents’ house, she coincidentally ran into Wen Ling dropping off Wennuan. Mother Gu was chatting with Wen Ling on the sofa, while Father Gu was in the kitchen. Wennuan saw Gu Rongqing, shouted “Mami!” and threw herself into her mother’s lap.

Gu Rongqing knelt down to hug her, pinching her cheeks. She felt Wennuan had become quite clingy lately. In the past, they rarely saw each other, so the child hadn’t been this attached. But holding the soft, sweet-smelling child, Gu Rongqing decided she liked the feeling.

“Rongqing is back! Dad made your favorite sweet and sour spare ribs,” Father Gu called out from the kitchen.

“Grandpa, Nuan-Nuan likes them too!” the child chimed in, making sure he knew she shared her Mami’s tastes.

At dinner, Gu Rongqing was busy trying to feed Wennuan, while her parents chatted with Wen Ling. However, whether it was Wennuan being difficult or the utensils being uncooperative, Gu Rongqing just couldn’t get the feeding right.

Wen Ling couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Wennuan remained in Gu Rongqing’s lap, but Wen Ling took over the feeding. Mother Gu watched the three of them with a beaming smile.

“Wen Ling, stay the night. You can head out with Rongqing tomorrow,” Mother Gu suggested, delighted by the “family of three” atmosphere.

Wen Ling’s hand paused. She turned to Mother Gu and said, “No, I haven’t finished packing my luggage yet. I need to go back tonight.”

“Huh? Mommy, didn’t you finish packing everything today?” Wennuan piped up, effectively dismantling her mother’s excuse.

The atmosphere turned awkward. Mother Gu shot Gu Rongqing a fierce glare, making her feel guilty. Wen Ling was equally uncomfortable—she hadn’t expected her daughter to accidentally shatter the peaceful facade they were all maintaining.