Chapter 36:
Meng Jiang called and said that she would take Jiang Ru to a cocktail party in the afternoon and would pick up Qi Sijia on the way back.
Qi Sijia didn’t mind being picked up and agreed.
Taking advantage of her free time, she packed her luggage.
Then she opened her computer, logged into her YouTube account, and checked her latest messages.
She also greeted her mentor on chat.
The teacher immediately made a video call. He happened to be discussing a script with his senior brothers, so after this video call, the news that Qi Sijia was going to Chicago quickly spread.
“Jia, when are you arriving?” her senior brother, Sam, sent her an email and said he would pick her up.
Qi Sijia politely declined. She was coming to see a doctor and wasn’t sure if she would have time to see anyone else. Besides, her current mental state was not suitable for being in a public place.
The last email was from Mike. It was an informed consent form for hypnosis intervention.
After downloading and printing the file, Qi Sijia needed to sign it and then scan and fax it back.
Mike was very curious why Qi Sijia had suddenly agreed to hypnosis. Due to her experience with electroshock therapy in a dark room at the reform school five years ago, Qi Sijia had been very resistant to any intervention from a psychologist for the past five years.
Qi Sijia saw Mike’s humorous inquiry and casually replied, “See you.”
We’ll talk when we meet.
The dinner was at Jingfang Zhai, a private restaurant with good privacy in Ningcheng.
Meng Jiang had already asked her driver to book a good table on the way. The owner of this place was very familiar with both Meng Jiang and Qi Sijia. They used to come here for dinner together when they were in college.
“Oh my god, I’m so glad I stayed in the shop today.”
“It’s been five years since I’ve seen you guys, right?” The owner brought over a bottle of white wine. “It’s on me. I’m so happy today.”
Meng Jiang smiled. “You’re so generous.”
“Of course. For the famous actress Meng to come to my place for dinner, it’s an honor. This shop can survive because I used to brag that it was a place the famous actress often came to.”
Qi Sijia watched the two of them exchange pleasantries. The owner handed the menu to Qi Sijia. “Jiajia, you order. Meng Jiang is a pain in the neck. She’ll definitely be picky. You’re more reliable.”
Qi Sijia agreed. A waiter knocked on the door and called the owner away.
There was a pot of Biluochun tea on the table. Meng Jiang smiled and said, “This place is still the same as before.”
“The boss has gotten fat,” Qi Sijia replied. She looked up and saw the two of them smile at each other.
Without any sting, they tacitly left a certain distance between them. This distance made both of them feel comfortable and relaxed.
Qi Sijia actually quite enjoyed this kind of conversation. “What do you want to eat?”
“The boss told you to order, and you’re still asking me? No way. I’ll be the one who gets complained about.” In front of Qi Sijia, Meng Jiang didn’t put on any airs and even spoke with a Beicheng accent.
Qi Sijia was about to reply when the door to the private room creaked open. Ge Yaru, for some reason, had found her way here and barged in.
Meng Jiang’s expression changed. The smile was still on her lips, but there was no hint of a smile in her eyes.
“Are you in the wrong room, or are you illegally stalking?”
Ge Yaru saw Meng Jiang sitting inside, and her eyes suddenly narrowed.
“So that’s how it is,” she said with a look of sudden realization.
After squatting downstairs at Qi Sijia’s place for several days, Ge Yaru had finally followed her here. A paparazzi’s investigation skills were not bad. She was good at tracking and could sneak in without being noticed.
She quickly explained her purpose for coming.
Ge Yaru apologized to Meng Jiang. “I didn’t know it was you. If it were you, I would never have let my subordinate spread that photo.”
I don’t know if it was because she was too shocked or she had lost her sense of propriety due to her illness, but after she said this, Ge Yaru regretted it.
As expected, she saw Meng Jiang say with a half-smile, “You’re saying that if it weren’t me, you would have dared?”
The matter of the photo involved the rich second-generation Ye Qianqian of Ningcheng. Ge Yaru was not a brainless person. She had been in the industry for so many years and had made a name for herself. She knew very well who to offend and who not to offend.
That photo was actually leaked by Ge Yaru’s subordinate, Ah Jin.
“No, no, no,” Ge Yaru explained in a panic. She turned her gaze to Qi Sijia. “I was looking for you at the hospital last time to say that the photo of you was not released by me. Knowing that the photo was of you, my first reaction was to have my subordinate destroy it.”
Qi Sijia didn’t say anything. She took a sip of tea from her cup and, sensing Meng Jiang’s gaze on her, she looked sideways. In that glance, they had a tacit understanding. She had underestimated Ge Yaru’s ability to be flexible.
But this time, Ge Yaru’s attitude of admitting her mistake was good.
She had to support dozens of employees. The paparazzi team was already a hated existence in the entertainment industry. Ge Yaru had offended many people in the circle over the years, and everyone would kick her when she was down.
At most, she would go bankrupt and jump off a building, but what about the people who followed her?
After Ge Yaru explained the whole story, she said, “I told Ah Jin to destroy the photo, but two groups of people interfered, covered for Ah Jin, and told him to leak it immediately.”
“Why are there two groups?”
Qi Sijia interrupted her.
Ye Qianqian had found out that the illegitimate son of the Ye family had made a move, but in Ge Yaru’s mouth, there was another group?
Qi Sijia put down her teacup. “Continue.”
“One group is the younger brother of Miss Ye Er, and the other is from Miss Qi Er’s side. They made a deal with Ah Jin separately.”
The two major rich second-generations of Ningcheng had joined forces to make this news big. They had given a lot of money, and Ah Jin had even handed over the film without consulting Ge Yaru.
But she didn’t expect things to get so out of hand.
“Can you please let me go?” This was directed at Meng Jiang.
Ge Yaru picked up a bottle of brandy from the table and, without even hesitating, drank it all in one go. Perhaps she was really at her wit’s end. She put on a very humble posture.
Qi Sijia thought that Meng Jiang would definitely not agree.
And in fact, that was the case. Meng Jiang crossed her arms. “I’m not familiar with you. You’ve been in the circle for so many years. You should have heard what kind of person I am. If I say I’m going to ban someone, I don’t have a rule of taking it back.”
“Can you make an exception if an acquaintance asks?”
Meng Jiang looked up. “It depends on who it is.”
Since she didn’t directly deny it, it meant there was hope.
Ge Yaru’s mind was active, and she quickly found the key point. In her eyes, since Meng Jiang had banned her for Qi Sijia, they must have a very good girlfriend relationship.
Her observation skills had always been good. She quickly turned her pleading gaze to Qi Sijia. “Last time, it was my fault for being angry and saying those things to you. Actually, you’re very nice. If it weren’t for you helping me back then, I wouldn’t even have been able to continue college. Because you’re so nice, I always feel that you can be infinitely good to people. I’m sorry.”
Ge Yaru’s voice was a little choked. “I know I was wrong. It was very presumptuous of me to barge in today, but I have no other choice. I’m at my wit’s end. Qi Sijia, can you please say a word for me, for the sake of my sincere repentance?”
No one knew what Qi Sijia was thinking. She was sending a text message to Ye Qianqian.
After finishing the text message, she put away her phone and then turned her gaze to Ge Yaru.
“The Miss Qi you mentioned just now,” Qi Sijia asked, “is Zheng Xin.”
Ge Yaru said, “I’m not sure what her name is. I only know that the second miss of the Qi family made a move. Ah Jin’s vision is short-sighted. He thought that with the backing of the two major wealthy families, the Ye family and the Qi family, he didn’t even check. The other side also paid to buy hot searches, and all the marketing accounts came out at once. That’s why the scandal fermented so quickly in one night.”
There was not much emotion on Qi Sijia’s face, but she was indeed annoyed by this wave of operations. Seeing Ge Yaru nod, she looked up. “Do you have any evidence?”
Ge Yaru shook her head in difficulty. “They gave Ah Jin a lot of money. The private transaction should have a record, but I don’t know where Ah Jin has fled to.”
“You can find him,” Qi Sijia’s tone paused. “I’ll try to help you.”
It was self-evident what she would try. Ge Yaru’s eyes lit up in an instant. “Yes. Yes.”
Qi Sijia poured Meng Jiang a cup of tea. Only then did she ask, “Teacher Meng, will it be useful if I plead for mercy?”
Meng Jiang was amused by this title. She curled her lips and said in a joking tone, “Or you can try.”
“Then…” Qi Sijia’s tone paused. She always felt that it was not appropriate to say such pleading words to Meng Jiang, but seeing Meng Jiang’s arms crossed and her relaxed posture, Qi Sijia also smiled. Since she couldn’t avoid Meng Jiang, and after getting along these past few days, it was impossible to say they were not familiar.
A natural way of getting along. It would be pretentious of her to avoid this now.
Her lips curled into a very faint arc. Her long, narrow eyes met Meng Jiang’s. Qi Sijia said in a low voice that only Meng Jiang could hear, “Please.”
Meng Jiang was stunned for a full three seconds and looked deeply at Qi Sijia.
Her gaze was fixed on the floating tea leaves by her hand. Her words were directed at Ge Yaru. “I’ll have Chen Cheng contact you later.”
“Miss Ge can leave now.”
Ge Yaru finished the two bottles of brandy she had brought as an apology and then left with unsteady steps.
It was quiet all around. A waiter knocked on the door and asked if they had ordered.
Qi Sijia took the menu.
Meng Jiang asked Qi Sijia, “Do you know Miss Qi Er?”
It was a casual question.
“We have the same surname.”
“Are you and her cousins, fighting over the family property?”
Qi Sijia saw a hint of pity in Meng Jiang’s eyes and felt that she might have automatically imagined a grand family drama.
Although they hadn’t confirmed their relationship yet, it was a bit too much to ask these questions. But today’s dinner was for a casual chat.
Qi Sijia had no intention of being evasive. She shook her head. “No. But you can understand it as Zheng Xin having a one-sided hostility towards me.”
“What did you do to offend the Qi family?” Meng Jiang thought about it with confusion. She didn’t associate Qi Sijia with Qi Jun’s eldest daughter at all. After all, when Qi Sijia was in college, she was very poor.
“Why isn’t it the Qi family who offended me?” Qi Sijia asked back.
“Then do you need my help?” After a moment of thought, Meng Jiang asked.
Qi Sijia put down her teacup. “You’ve already helped a lot today. If we continue to talk about this, this dinner might last until tomorrow.”
After looking at the menu back and forth, Qi Sijia said, “Is there anything you don’t eat?”
Meng Jiang had many things she didn’t eat. Heavy seasonings were not okay, gutter oil was not okay, and greasy food was not okay.
Qi Sijia ordered a few signature dishes with a light taste according to Meng Jiang’s preferences and then handed the menu to Meng Jiang.
She gestured for her to add more. Meng Jiang was in a good mood and said to the waiter with a smile, “As she ordered. Add a plate of butter-baked snails and cheese Boston lobster.”
Qi Sijia was a little surprised. “Didn’t you say you don’t like to eat snails?”
“It’s been five years. You still remember this?”
Qi Sijia smiled, noncommittal. She said, “Just like you remember Nanxian. If we lay everything out, there’s not much to it. It’s unrealistic for me to say I’ve completely forgotten.”
