Chapter Sixteen: Opening the Door to a New World

Where was the promised iron-blooded tough guy, the cold and ruthless persona? Why did the man before her seem more and more like the boy next door, even showing signs of turning into a docile puppy? Song Wan Ning’s gaze faltered, tinged with disbelief.

She didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask him about this change—such a question would cross boundaries. She and Wen Jing Xing were not familiar enough for that. Still, she responded truthfully, “Why would I dislike you for no reason?”

Perhaps it was her imagination, but after she said this, she thought she caught Wen Jing Xing smiling. The lighting was dim, only a single amber lamp glowing in the entryway, and Wen Jing Xing stood in the shadows; she could see nothing clearly.

He didn’t press her further, merely bent to change his shoes. “It’s late. You should get some rest.”

“Oh, you too.”

Song Wan Ning replied, then muttered under her breath, “So strange.”

Unbeknownst to her, after she left, Wen Jing Xing sat there for a long time, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

On the fourth morning, Wen Jing Xing—as usual—sat in the small living room waiting for Song Wan Ning. When she came out, she found him sitting upright, and was momentarily stunned. Why was he waiting for her again? And how long had he been waiting?

Song Wan Ning liked to arrive just on time, squeezing every minute of sleep she could. She would never be early to wait at the venue. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she said, “If you wake up early, you can go first. No need to wait for me.”

Wen Jing Xing shook his head and rose, heading downstairs. “Arriving early at the venue is boring anyway. I’d rather walk with you.”

“Then… tomorrow I’ll get up earlier, so you won’t have to wait so long.”

He glanced back at her, his reply laced with meaning, “Alright, then I’ll still wait for you.”

When they arrived at the meeting point, they discovered two guests were missing: Jian An An and Jin Jian Yi.

Li Wei Wei, seeing that the pair hadn’t arrived, instructed one of the staff, “Go check why they’re not here yet.”

No sooner had she spoken than the two arrived, tardy as ever.

Jian An An walked with a limp, Jin Jian Yi supporting her. The livestream had already begun, and viewers, seeing Jian An An’s condition, began to worry.

[An An looks really hurt!]
[My An An is so professional—she’s injured and still working. Director, you’d better reward her!]
[Whoa, after just one night, An An’s injured? Director, come out and explain!]
[Don’t rush, tonight at eight, “Let’s Fall in Love” airs on Fruit Channel. We’ll know then.]
[Is this somehow related to Song Wan Ning again?]
[I’d bet ninety-nine percent it’s because of her.]

Li Wei Wei arched her brow. Last night, staff had told her Jian An An had tripped carelessly and scraped her hand. Now, after one night, her knee was hurt too. Having spent years climbing to her position as a renowned director, Li Wei Wei knew just how treacherous the entertainment industry could be.

She saw through Jian An An’s intentions at a glance.

The other two guests who’d left early the night before had no idea what had happened. Seeing Jian An An’s apparent severity, they immediately approached in concern.

Shen Yue said, “An An, what happened? No wonder you didn’t come find me last night—you were hurt.”

Nan Yan frowned, “You seem seriously injured. Maybe you should ask the director for a day off to rest?”

“It was my fault. Yesterday, trying to catch up with Ning Ning, I got anxious and tripped. It’s fine, though. It’s not that serious, and won’t affect filming.”

[See, I said it was because of Song Wan Ning!]
[Why is it always Song Wan Ning? She’s so awful.]
Jian An An feigned innocence, “Ning Ning, you left so quickly last night. I fell and you didn’t even check on me. Were you in a hurry for something?”

[What! How could Song Wan Ning be so heartless!]
[My An An fell chasing you, and you didn’t even care!]

Song Wan Ning sneered inwardly. So the little white lotus dared to pin the blame on her. She thought to herself: the path was flat, the heels were thick, and she could even run—how could she possibly trip? So it was deliberate.

You love playing innocent, do you? I’ll see who’s more skilled.

Song Wan Ning’s brows knitted, her dark, shining eyes quickly grown misty. She spoke carefully, “Last night, I saw Jin Jian Yi wanted to walk with you, but you insisted on following me. Do you dislike Jin Jian Yi?”

Song Wan Ning’s features were more vivid and expressive, especially her eyes, which seemed almost to speak. When it came to feigning vulnerability, she had a natural advantage over Jian An An, making her appear even more delicate and affecting.

By now, the mood in the live chat had begun to shift.

[I think some people are just naturally careless. Maybe Song Wan Ning’s just a bit absent-minded.]
[Yeah, listening to her, she seems to care about Jian An An.]

“I don’t dislike him…” Jian An An jumped at Song Wan Ning’s words. She wasn’t satisfied with Jin Jian Yi, but she knew he cared about her. If she failed to win Wen Jing Xing and alienated Jin Jian Yi, she’d be left with nothing. She wasn’t ready to give him up yet.

But Song Wan Ning gave her no chance, continuing, “After you fell, Jin Jian Yi wanted to carry you back. I thought you just scraped your skin—your knee wasn’t even hurt—so there was no need for everyone to crowd around. Otherwise, people might think you’d been seriously injured.”

Jian An An, who was pretending her knee was weak and leaning on Jin Jian Yi, froze.

Last night, she had acted helpless and dramatic, drawing several staff members around her. The resort had full medical facilities, and when she was taken to the infirmary, it was found she’d only scraped her palm.

Now she was left embarrassed.

To avoid making things worse, she had claimed her knee was still aching. This morning, to better implicate Song Wan Ning, she feigned greater severity, saying her knee hurt with every step.

Though Jin Jian Yi had insisted on taking her to the infirmary, her knee was untouched, so she refused. Thankfully, she managed to brush him off with the excuse of not wanting to delay work.

Now Jian An An’s heart raced with anxiety. What to do! Didn’t Song Wan Ning walk off without looking back last night? How did she know the details?

Could someone have told her about the infirmary? But that was impossible—she’d even fooled the doctor.