SCHS - Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Jiang Rui, a name that had no connection to Qin Zhen after their breakup.
The first time Qin Zhen heard this name from Liu Zhou, she thought it was just someone in the world with the same name. After so many years apart, what were the odds of meeting again? But fate still played this joke on her, pushing Jiang Rui right in front of her—in front of her and Wen Shixue.
A familiar face suddenly appeared in her sight, and Jiang Rui also froze for a moment, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief, even the hand reaching for the teapot stiffened.
Qin Zhen ignored her reaction, calmly took the teapot from her hand, and poured another cup of tea for Wen Shixue herself, as if Jiang Rui's sudden arrival wouldn't change anything, as if she was just a film set staff member they were meeting for the first time.
Wen Shixue, completely unaware, was missing the taste of cola while putting down her empty teacup. As soon as she put it down, Qin Zhen filled it again. She immediately looked up, pleading with her eyes, signaling that this was the last cup. Qin Zhen smiled faintly and nodded gently, and only then did she agree to drink the tea. The atmosphere between them was harmonious and warm, leaving no room for fault.
Jiang Rui hadn't expected to meet Qin Zhen here either, thinking that this Vice President Qin was just someone with the same name.
Recovering from her daze, Jiang Rui couldn't help but look at Qin Zhen a few more times. The Qin Zhen now was different from the one in her memory. She had shed the naivety of someone new to the world and transformed into someone more steady and calm, with every gesture carrying a captivating maturity. Her temperament was even more outstanding and striking, more attractive than before.
She's become more beautiful, Jiang Rui thought, even more beautiful than when they were together. But unlike back then, the person in her eyes had changed. Before, it was her; now, it was that little princess of the Wen family.
Qin Zhen's attitude towards Wen Shixue made her turn her head slightly to look at Wen Shixue. She saw that the part of her face not covered by the scarf was fair and flawless like jade, pure and radiant. Her delicate and innocent almond eyes curved slightly, her smile was innocent and lovely. Her exquisite features were like a porcelain doll meticulously carved by a craftsman, truly resembling a little princess who lived in a castle, naive and cherished by the world.
The world is especially lenient and fond of beauties. With someone so beautiful present, even the most stubborn person's attitude would soften by three points.
Jiang Rui silently speculated: Like Qin Zhen, for example.
Not long after pulling up her scarf, Wen Shixue felt a burning gaze. Her brow furrowed slightly, and she slowly looked up at the source of the gaze, raising an eyebrow and asking, "Is there something, Miss Jiang, that makes you look at me like that?"
Jiang Rui immediately showed a flawless sweet smile and praised, "Nothing, I just think President Wen is beautiful and couldn't help but look a few more times."
After hearing this, Qin Zhen's slender fingers tightened their grip on the teacup, preparing to turn around and tell Wen Shixue to be more cautious.
Wen Shixue said "Oh," and a light bulb went off. She turned to Qin Zhen and said, "I thought of a way to make money."
The strength in Qin Zhen's palm slowly released. "What?"
Wen Shixue said seriously, "Charge people for looking at me." She even planned it out properly. "Ten yuan for one glance, double for two. With my looks, charging money isn't bullying anyone. If I keep this up, it will definitely be a considerable income."
She said ambitiously, "This President has wanted to live off her looks for a long time."
Relying on talent means you can't sleep in, relying on talent is too hard.
Jiang Rui: "?"
Are you targeting me???
She was a bit stunned. Wen Shixue with her mouth open and Wen Shixue with her mouth closed were completely different people. With her mouth closed, she was a naive little princess unaware of the world; with her mouth open, she was an old capitalist, with nothing but making money on her mind.
Qin Zhen didn't know if her thought process had been led astray by Wen Shixue, but she actually seriously considered the feasibility for a moment, only to be defeated by her own selfish desires—she didn't want so many people looking at her little devil.
So she said, "President Wen is exceptionally talented. Please rely more on your talent and don't waste it." Then, without lifting her head, she politely said to Jiang Rui, "We don't need any assistance for now. Miss Jiang can go attend to her own matters."
Wen Shixue keenly sensed a hint of rejection. Having been with Qin Zhen for so long, she had never seen Qin Zhen actively dismiss a staff member she was meeting for the first time. This made her couldn't help but scrutinize Jiang Rui, only to see the other party looking at Qin Zhen with a half-smile, picking up the teapot and pouring a cup of tea for Qin Zhen, saying, "I don't have anything to be busy with. Vice President Qin, please don't be so polite with me."
Her gaze was a bit too direct, which made Wen Shixue very uncomfortable. This feeling of her girlfriend being stared at by another woman was not good at all.
No, she had to remind Qin Zhen to be wary of those seductive sluts and white lotuses outside. She absolutely couldn't be hooked away by them!
Wen Shixue calmly took the teapot from her hand and said with composure, "Vice President Qin and I have something to discuss. Miss Jiang, please go attend to your matters first."
Wen Shixue's identity made her words carry significant weight. No one dared to disobey. Looking around, the only person on the entire set who could stand up to Wen Shixue was the renowned Director Jin Yue. Everyone else was insignificant in Wen Shixue's eyes.
Since Wen Shixue had spoken, Jiang Rui had no reason to linger. She withdrew her gaze from Qin Zhen, politely left with a "Please feel free, call me if you need anything," and walked to the other side of the room to stand silently.
As soon as she left, Wen Shixue calmly moved the cup of tea in front of Qin Zhen, took a new cup, and while slowly pouring tea, said in a volume only they could hear, "That Jiang Rui just now was looking at you a bit strangely. You're taken, you know. You absolutely cannot be hooked away by those seductive sluts and white lotuses outside."
Qin Zhen's fingertips lightly touched the cup. After Wen Shixue finished speaking, she smiled faintly and said, "I won't be hooked away."
Wen Shixue nodded reassuringly, then heard Qin Zhen say, "But you shouldn't be hooked away by her either. Stay away from her."
Wen Shixue: "?"
Qin Zhen: "Because she likes people who are good-looking the most."
Seeing her speak with such certainty, Wen Shixue couldn't help but furrow her brows in confusion. "You two know each other?"
But the way she saw Qin Zhen treat Jiang Rui just now didn't seem like they knew each other. What kind of relationship could make Vice President Qin, who was always polite and courteous to others, become so cold?
"We know each other." Qin Zhen admitted openly, her tone flat, without any fluctuation. "Because she is my ex-girlfriend."
Wen Shixue: "..."
Case closed.
She even wanted to applaud Qin Zhen's coldness.
If Qin Zhen had been overly warm to her ex-girlfriend, their relationship could have ended right there. She didn't want someone whose heart held another person.
But then she thought it wasn't right and tugged at her scarf, saying, "If she likes good-looking people the most, shouldn't she have stayed with you forever?" She asked in a low voice, full of curiosity, "How did you two break up?"
How could someone who was a severe face-con reject a face as beautiful and mature as Qin Zhen's? If she were a face-con, she would have tied Qin Zhen to herself for three or four lifetimes; breaking up would be impossible!
She was very curious, extremely curious, her appetite completely whetted.
"I'll tell you when we get back to the hotel." Qin Zhen stood up and said, "Director Jin Yue is coming over."
Wen Shixue turned her head and realized that the set had temporarily taken a break at some point. Jin Yue, the woman with the most authority on the entire set, was walking towards them. She had no choice but to suppress her curiosity, gracefully stand up, and step forward to engage in a very harmonious business conversation with the other party.
Jin Yue was forty-three this year and a well-known figure in the industry. She was experienced and had seen many young investors like Wen Shixue. In her heart, she wasn't particularly happy about Wen Shixue's arrival, only feeling that she might be like the other young people she had seen, wanting to interfere with her directing methods and add their own messy ideas to ruin her drama.
She was a tough nut to crack, not a soft persimmon. She had her own pursuit of art and work. When encountering investors who disregarded the quality of the drama like this, the outcome was either that the other party would obediently shut up and let her decide everything about the drama, or they would terminate the cooperation, and whoever wanted to do it could do it. There was no third option.
But Wen Shixue said to her, "Director Jin is an expert, I'm an outsider, so I won't blindly join in the fun. Just one sentence: as long as it helps you make a good drama, no matter what the conditions are, Chenfeng will fully support it." After thinking for a moment, she added, "Except for illegal activities."
Jin Yue was a little surprised to hear this and couldn't help but look at Wen Shixue a few more times, then smiled slightly, "It's good that President Wen trusts me."
...
After having a harmonious lunch with Jin Yue, Qin Zhen conveyed Chenfeng's wish that no one in the crew should randomly take photos of Chenfeng's designers and circulate them, stating that this was also respecting the designers' personal wishes.
Jin Yue agreed readily, saying she would inform her staff and asked them to rest assured. Wen Shixue poked her head out from behind Qin Zhen, "I've remembered Director Jin's words, you can't go back on them."
Jin Yue looked at her like a child, and a hint of maternal affection suddenly welled up in her eyes. She smiled and said, "President Wen, don't worry, I always keep my word."
Wen Shixue absolutely believed in Jin Yue's character. Entrusting the matter to her would definitely be fine. After happily bidding her farewell, she and Qin Zhen returned to the hotel that had been prepared.
The hotel was arranged by Lin Jiayu. After hearing that she would be at the film set for a few days, she decisively booked a luxurious suite at her family's hotel for her and Qin Zhen. It had a master bedroom, a guest bedroom, and a large living room, the environment was quiet, and it wasn't far from the set. She also told them to have a good time and relax, clearly treating them as if they were on vacation.
Wen Shixue was very satisfied. She closed the door, turned around, and wrapped her arms around Qin Zhen's waist, excitedly saying, "So, how did you two break up?"
Qin Zhen slowly brushed aside her long hair, not beating around the bush, and said directly, "Because I didn't have money."
Wen Shixue was stunned for a moment.
Qin Zhen added, "Or rather, she never intended to stay with me from the beginning."
She was in a different department from Jiang Rui. When she met Jiang Rui in her senior year, she just thought she was a girl with a very sweet smile, without any ulterior motives, at least not towards her, because she had nothing, she was completely clean.
Jiang Rui was cute, had a sweet smile, and a good personality, so naturally, many people pursued her. Whether she had dated anyone before, Qin Zhen didn't know, because she was focused on studying, spending most of her time in the library, completely oblivious to campus gossip, a total gossip-free zone.
But she never expected that Jiang Rui would take a liking to her.
Jiang Rui was different from Wen Shixue; she always had countless ways to flirt with her, showing her tenderness and being meticulously good to her, unlike Wen Shixue who was straightforward and spoke her mind. Once a person lets down their guard against another, they are easily fooled. She was eventually conquered by this girl who was as sweet as candy.
They didn't tell anyone about their relationship. After class, they would stick together, eat together, read together, and occasionally go out on weekends. During exam season, they would study hard together. They got along very sweetly, and no one suspected anything, except for her roommates who would tease her, saying she found a little wife when she made a friend.
In her memory, Jiang Rui would always run down the stairs in different dresses, throw herself into her arms, and sweetly call her name. Those were her happiest moments.
At that time, she genuinely liked Jiang Rui, even envisioning their future together, thinking that after graduation, she would work hard to earn money and give Jiang Rui a stable home, a home she dreamed of.
But four months later, Jiang Rui broke up with her. She stood in front of her, smiling realistically and cruelly, saying, "Qin Zhen, I never thought of going on with you from the start, because I only like your face."
"Also because you don't have money."
That smile was still as beautiful and sweet as when they first met, but it made her feel malice for the first time, and it turned her sincere feelings into a joke.
"That's how it was," Qin Zhen said lightly, gently stroking Wen Shixue's long hair.
Fortunately, she didn't become cynical and stop believing in love because of this. Although she had a bit of a shadow, she slowly got over it after graduation and didn't treat everyone who approached her as evil people trying to humiliate her sincerity.
Until many years later, until today, she met the unique Wen Shixue.
Wen Shixue listened quietly, then slowly looked up and asked, "Did I bring my Convince by Virtue Bat?" Saying this, she rolled up her sleeves and was about to rummage through her suitcase.
Wen Shixue: Anyone who bullies my Lao Qin must die!!!
Qin Zhen was amused by her and reached out to pull her back into her arms, saying softly, "It's all in the past. You don't need to be angry about this. Aren't I doing well now?"
"Why not?!" Wen Shixue widened her eyes and said unhappily, "The Qin Zhen now is doing well, but what about the Qin Zhen back then? Who will compensate for the grievances you suffered then!"
Her Lao Qin was so well-behaved, so steady, such a good person, why should she suffer such grievances?!
Qin Zhen was stunned for a moment when she heard Wen Shixue defending her past self. Her heart suddenly softened. She couldn't help but hug this little devil who was baring her fangs and claws, and said contentedly, "Shixue, thank you. I'm very happy to have met you."
She didn't understand before, but now she did. Wen Shixue was fate's compensation to her.
She gently patted Wen Shixue's back, comforting her emotions in return, "It wasn't like I just suffered without retaliation. My roommates secretly went and messed with her back then. I don't know what method they used, but they cut her hair and scared her out of her wits. She didn't dare leave her dorm for half a month."
She was heartbroken and grieving at the time. By the time she regained a bit of her senses, her roommates had already returned, having "done good deeds without leaving a name," patting her shoulder and telling her not to worry, that she still had them.
Wen Shixue let out a soft "Mm," and her anger instantly dissipated quite a bit. She cupped Qin Zhen's face and kissed her fiercely, saying, "So you should like me."
Qin Zhen: "Huh?"
Wen Shixue raised her head and said confidently, "I'm not a gold-digger, because I am gold itself. Liking me is a great investment!"
Qin Zhen couldn't help but let out a soft laugh and lowered her head to kiss her lips. "Yes, everything our Shixue says is right."
Immediately after, Wen Shixue suddenly came back to her senses: "Wait, you're good-looking and rich now..."
"Hiss—she wouldn't be interested in you again, would she?"
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