After We Broke Up, She Started Pursuing Me [Entertainment Industry] 54

Chapter 54

“What are you chatting about? Your face is so red.”

If it weren’t for the person on the side giggling from time to time, Jiang Nuo really wouldn’t want to look.

That little face, flushed red, where was the usual trace of elegance and grace? She was a complete picture of a young girl in the throes of first love.

But Jiang Nuo’s heart wasn’t entirely happy. After all, this was a child she had raised. Even if not by blood, she was more than a daughter to her.

Looking at that face, which bore a certain resemblance to someone else, she remembered that this child used to rely on her the most.

But it was different now. The cabbage she had planted at home had been picked by someone else. Jiang Nuo’s heart felt a little strange. But when she thought that the person who had picked the cabbage was another child she had watched grow up, her emotions were a mix of flavors.

Being called out, Shi Qin immediately put down her phone and retorted in a small, guilty voice, “What am I chatting about? I’m not chatting about anything…”

Jiang Nuo didn’t reply. She was old. She didn’t want to get involved in the young people’s love games.

She glanced at the navigation. It was only about ten minutes to the airport. She looked straight ahead, but her mouth was instructing the person beside her, “Mo Li will be waiting for you at the entrance. After you get on the plane, send me a message.”

“Mhm.”

The air fell silent for a moment. Jiang Nuo knew that she had been traveling back and forth and was tired at this point.

Though she felt a little reluctant, she still reminded her, “Qinqin, don’t sleep yet. We’ll be there in a little while.”

Shi Qin yawned and replied listlessly.

Seeing this, Jiang Nuo took a few black coffee candies from her pocket. “Have some candy to wake you up.”

“Auntie, this candy isn’t very effective at waking you up.” Though she said so, Shi Qin still obediently ate all the candy.

The car turned the last corner. The night lights flickered and intertwined, and the airport terminal was already vaguely visible.

Jiang Nuo slowly pulled the car over to the side of the road near the entrance and silently watched as Shi Qin got her things together.

She hesitated for a long time, but still couldn’t help but ask, “Today, when he saw you… did he say anything else?”

“No.”

Shi Qin put on her mask and hat as she said, “But he probably felt a little familiar.”

She said it as if nonchalantly. She turned her head and saw Jiang Nuo looking at her with a complicated expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Nuo hesitated, but in the end, she didn’t say anything.

She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

But Shi Qin’s hand suddenly rested on hers, and her body leaned over. She said softly, “Auntie, you don’t have to worry about me.”

She knew that Jiang Nuo was worried that she might not be able to face this person, that her state of mind would be affected.

After all, this whole matter was the deepest, most locked-away knot in Shi Qin’s heart.

“Since I’ve already come this far, and I’ve thought about this day many times, there are some things I have to face. So, you really don’t have to worry about me.”

“Okay, I know. You’ve grown up. I’m relieved.” Jiang Nuo patted the back of Shi Qin’s hand, her eyes full of gratification.

“Then I’ll be going now.” Shi Qin got out of the car. Mo Li was already standing outside to meet her.

“Mhm.”

The car door closed. Jiang Nuo watched Shi Qin’s departing figure through the car window, her heart in deep thought.

Actually, about what happened back then, she hadn’t told the whole truth.

She took care of Shi Qin not just because she knew her biological mother, but because…

Jiang Nuo was lost in thought, her mind drifting to the past. She silently retracted her gaze from the pedestrians outside the window and sighed softly.

.

For the drama’s wrap party, the director, Zhang Mei, was treating and had booked several private rooms.

The main cast, the director, producer, and other important figures were naturally in one room.

Inside the private room, everyone was gathered around a table. Zhang Mei stood up with her wine glass, looked around, and said, “Come, I’d like to toast everyone here. Thank you all for your hard work and effort these past few months. I also hope our drama will achieve good results.”

The moment she finished, everyone also stood up, lightly clinking their glasses with Zhang Mei’s, and then drank it all down.

“It’s the behind-the-scenes staff who have worked the hardest. I hope there will be another chance to work with Director Zhang in the future.”

Ji Chen poured another half glass of wine, raised her glass, and smiled at Zhang Mei in acknowledgement.

When it came to making polite conversation, Ji Chen was the best.

Seeing this, Shi Qin on the side also picked up her wine glass in a similar fashion. “I’d also like to toast the director team. Everyone has worked hard.”

A smile spread across Zhang Mei’s face. She waved her hand. “Hey, okay, okay. Let’s not be so polite. Just treat it as a private dinner. The dishes are all served. Everyone, eat and drink as you please.”

Zhang Mei was a native of the Northeast, with a natural affinity. Hearing her words, everyone also started to eat.

It was a peaceful atmosphere, but it was suddenly broken by a lighthearted comment from Qin Zhen.

“Shi Qin, I’ve heard before that you’re a good drinker.”

Qin Zhen’s fingers were wrapped around the slender stem of her tall glass, slowly swirling the champagne inside. She shot a look at the person beside her, a half-smile on her face.

Shi Qin didn’t know what she was trying to say, but in front of everyone, she couldn’t give her a cold shoulder, so she also smiled in response:

“Where did you hear that? My tolerance is just average.”

“Is that so?”

A teasing question, with a hint of arrogance and indulgence.

The atmosphere in the private room instantly became awkward. Everyone’s gaze turned toward them.

“I was thinking of having a game with you. But if your tolerance is average, then let’s forget it. When you’ve improved, we’ll play again.”

Qin Zhen brought the wine glass to her rosy lips and took a light sip, her expression full of amusement.

Zhang Mei’s brow had already furrowed, but she could only lower her head and eat like everyone else. Who could do anything when the young miss was rich and willful? A portion of the crew’s funding came from the Qin family’s investment.

Only Ji Chen put down her bowl and chopsticks, looking at Shi Qin with a grave expression, her eyes full of worry.

Shi Qin also wanted to see what kind of tricks Qin Zhen was playing. In broad daylight, did she think she could drug her wine?

“How do we play? A drinking contest between us?”

“Hey,” Qin Zhen drew out the sound.

“That’s so boring. And my tolerance isn’t good.”

Shi Qin looked at her coldly, waiting to see what she would say.

“How about this? I have something else to substitute.”

With that, she turned to look at Zhang Mei. “Director Zhang.”

“Huh?” Suddenly being called out, Zhang Mei was a little taken aback.

“The crew will need some funding for later promotions, right?”

Although she didn’t know what she meant, anyone with eyes could see that Qin Zhen was clearly trying to make things difficult.

Zhang Mei was at a loss for words. She looked at the silent Shi Qin beside Qin Zhen, not knowing what to say for a moment.

However, Qin Zhen was used to being domineering. She didn’t wait for Zhang Mei to reply and said:

“If you can drink ten glasses, I can cover all the promotional expenses in your name. How about it?”

The air fell silent again.

Although the alcohol content of champagne was not high, drinking ten glasses in a row, even for someone with excellent tolerance, would at least hurt the stomach, if not get them drunk. If something happened, it would be difficult to handle.

If Zhang Mei’s face was cold before, it was now completely black.

A perfectly good wrap party, what had it become? Qin Zhen was clearly looking down on everyone.

What was even more infuriating was that this person’s background was too strong. She had no way to deal with her.

While everyone was still hesitating about how to dissuade them, Ji Chen on the side spoke up first.

A faint smile hung on her lips. She raised her own wine glass and looked at Qin Zhen. “My tolerance is a bit better than Qinqin’s. I’ll drink for her. How about it?”

“Hey, if Sister Ji wants to play, we can do it next time.” Qin Zhen squinted, smiling faintly.

The implication was that these ten glasses had to be drunk by Shi Qin.

Qin Zhen lowered her head and leaned close to Shi Qin, saying in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Ten glasses of wine for a sum of money. Simple, right?”

“Okay,” Shi Qin looked up at her, her tone firm with a refusal to admit defeat.

Then, Shi Qin picked up the wine bottle, filled her glass, tilted her head back, and drank it all down.

One glass, two glasses, three glasses…

Zhang Mei and a few of the male directors looked on, unable to bear it. But Qin Zhen just had a slight curve on her lips, as if she were watching something interesting.

“Drink slowly…” Ji Chen, for a rare moment, lost her composure in front of others, her brow furrowed as she watched the person beside her down one glass after another.

Before long, the ten glasses of wine were finished, and this farce finally came to an end.

Shi Qin was also drunk.

Her head was terribly dizzy. She could no longer hear what the people around her were saying. All she wanted was to stand up and go to the restroom to wash her face.

Just as Ji Chen was about to help her, she saw that Qin Zhen had already wrapped an arm around Shi Qin.

“I went too far. I’ll accompany her.”

There was no emotion in her tone, making it impossible to tell if her apology was sincere or not.

Shi Qin didn’t care who was leading her. She felt like the whole world was spinning, and she could fall down at any second.

The restroom was near the private room. Qin Zhen supported her as they staggered over.

Shi Qin cupped cold water in her hands and splashed it on her face, letting the water droplets slide down to her collar. She braced her hands on the sink, closed her eyes, and gave herself a moment to calm down.

“Feeling better?” Qin Zhen asked softly from the side.

“You can still show concern for people?” Shi Qin sneered.

“Of course.”

Qin Zhen looked at the water-streaked face in the mirror, looking a little disheveled. She used her fingertips to brush away the wet strands of hair from Shi Qin’s ear.

“I care about you very much.”

“Then I really have to thank you.” Shi Qin didn’t want to bother with this person’s passive-aggressiveness and wiped her face dry with a paper towel.

“Shi Qin, do you think just because you’ve latched onto the Zhou family, I can’t do anything to you?”

Hearing her mention the Zhou family, Shi Qin was taken aback, then frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

“Heh, don’t pretend with me.” Qin Zhen shot her a look, leaned against the sink with her arms crossed, and spread her hands to look at her manicure.

“Zhou Jinsi is very likely the future successor of Tianyu. What other reason could you have for getting close to her?”

Shi Qin looked at her coldly. “Are you drunk too? What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, you know best.” Qin Zhen’s lips curved, teasing and casual.

“What exactly is your relationship?”

With that, she swiped on her phone a few times, then turned it around and held it in front of Shi Qin’s eyes.

In the photo on the phone was the scene of her and Zhou Jinsi getting out of the car in front of the apartment that day.

One could clearly see their hands intertwined, and Shi Qin was even leaning her body against Zhou Jinsi.

The two of them were facing each other from the side, extremely close, an intimate scene where it looked as if Shi Qin were about to ask for a kiss.