Chapter 63: World Two [33] Part 2

“Shao Qing, I won’t beat around the bush. Zongheng needs you to stay. You’ve spent quite a few years here. Our company’s reputation in the industry has always been good. Most importantly, Zongheng Entertainment’s development is stable, and our personnel structure is very complete. Ordinary small storms won’t significantly impact Zongheng.”

“And regarding connections, resources, and production teams—do I even need to elaborate? If needed, we can customize a script for you.” President Liu laid his final cards on the table.

“Since President Liu isn’t beating around the bush with me, I’ll be direct too.” Shao Qing put down her teacup. “Jing Ke is a very good friend of mine. She’s helped me immensely during this period. Getting out of my previous predicament was entirely thanks to her help.”

“So, I’m sorry, but if I absolutely must choose between President Liu and Jing Ke, my choice will be the latter.” Shao Qing paused briefly. “However, I think a forced choice is the worst outcome. Even if my contract with Zongheng Entertainment expires, it won’t affect our future collaboration.”

Shao Qing continued, “President Liu, these past few years at Zongheng Entertainment, I’ve actually been quite satisfied. Even if I leave Zongheng Entertainment, I won’t forget the seven years I spent here.”

President Liu had laid his cards on the table, and Shao Qing had clearly expressed her stance.

As the Vice President, President Liu couldn’t make the final decision unilaterally. So after hearing Shao Qing’s words, he just smiled, quickly shifted the topic elsewhere, and remained noncommittal.

—

The Annual Meeting was scheduled to start at five. The red carpet segment took two hours in total, and by the time Shao Qing and Sister Ke came out of the Meeting Room together, it was already nine o’clock.

When Shao Qing returned to the main banquet hall, what she saw was Jing Ke being crowded around.

Dressed in her silver-grey suit, Jing Ke stood out remarkably even among a crowd of stars and artists. With just one glance, Shao Qing was able to pinpoint her location.

Just as Shao Qing looked towards her, Jing Ke seemed to sense it and turned around. Their gazes met across the room, and Jing Ke, who had been expressionless a moment before, immediately lifted the corners of her mouth, giving Shao Qing a very obvious smile.

Upon seeing Shao Qing, Jing Ke lost all interest in chatting with others. She quickly ended her current conversation, manually parted the crowd, and walked directly towards Shao Qing.

“Done talking? What was their attitude like?” Jing Ke asked with a concerned look.

“Zongheng wants me to stay, but they’re wary of your presence. Their attitude was rather ambiguous,” Shao Qing summarized in one sentence. “If no surprises happen, they should probably talk to me again in a few days, arrange some resource exchange.”

Jing Ke nodded. “Next time, shall I go with you?”

“Sure.” Shao Qing didn’t refuse.

Standing behind them, Sister Ke didn’t offer an opinion, but her gaze involuntarily fell on their hands, which were clasped together at some unknown point.

They were holding hands already. Was something going on or not? Just friends?

—

The Zongheng Entertainment Annual Meeting wasn’t held for nothing. That very night, the red carpet photos of the artists involved surged onto the Trending Topics list, and some marketing accounts even created beauty polls.

Shao Qing indisputably topped the list at number one. Since Jing Ke wasn’t an artist, no solo photos of her surfaced, only some long-range shots taken by the media.

[Who’s that walking the red carpet with Shao Qing? Is she a newly debuted artist? She looks both beautiful and handsome, standing beside Shao Qing without being outshone at all.]

[I know this one! That’s Shao Qing’s friend. There were photos of the two of them on her feed before. But Shao Qing said her friend probably won’t debut. She probably just came along with her friend. Not even a retouched solo photo was released.]

[One in a dress, one in a suit… Am I the only one who thinks they look great together?]

[Rumor has it that Jing Ke might be the boss of New Life Entertainment. You guys can check the relevant websites; she holds ninety percent of the shares. A genuine big boss.]

[Huh? Who’s Jing Ke?]

[Dummy, the one standing with my wife. But isn’t it a bit strange for the boss of another entertainment company to attend Zongheng Entertainment’s Annual Meeting?]

[Your wife? That’s my Qingqing wife! Don’t fight me for her!]

[What? You’re all fighting over Shao Qing? Then can I secretly sneak away with Jing Ke? I think she looks exactly like my sexual orientation. I just like cool, handsome older sisters like her!]

As the popularity of the red carpet photos grew, Jing Ke also entered more people’s sight. Her Weibo followers skyrocketed to over two hundred thousand in a single night.

Prompted by Shao Qing, Jing Ke also saw the new followers on her Weibo platform.

“Your feed only has a few posts right now. Want me to take another photo for you to post?” After smoothly arriving back at the villa from the car, Shao Qing immediately turned on the central heating and asked, breathing warm air into her hands.

“Okay, but how about we take a photo together?” Jing Ke said, then quickly added, “It could also be considered laying the groundwork for our future collaboration. That way, the fans’ acceptance level will be much higher.”

“Sure, I haven’t changed clothes yet anyway, and my makeup’s still on.” Shao Qing naturally wouldn’t refuse such a reasonable justification.

However, Shao Qing had clearly forgotten one thing: taking a photo together at this time was practically announcing they were living together.

Adhering to the principle that the innocent are innocent, Shao Qing, who later realized this implication, didn’t say much. She simply added a filter to the photo and sent it to Jing Ke.

[Beauty attack! I’m gonna nibble nibble nibble!]

[Our country implements a monogamous system. It’s not too much for me to have one wife and one husband, right? [Dog Head Holding Rose meme]]

[Ah, isn’t that background Qingqing’s house? Their outfits are the same as in the red carpet photos. It’s already eleven o’clock, and they’re still together?]

[What what? Are they sleeping together tonight?]

The newly born ‘Jingqing’ CP fans sniffed their way over immediately, expertly saving the picture while starting to ‘create rumors’ about the meager amount of sugar available.

Jing Ke didn’t pay much attention to the subsequent fans and comments, because after posting the update, she went back to her room to shower.

Just as Jing Ke finished her shower and came out with wet hair, she saw Shao Qing standing at her door with a troubled expression.

“What’s wrong?” Jing Ke asked, toweling her hair as she walked over to Shao Qing.

“It seems because I didn’t close my window properly when I went out, some bugs came in from outside and got onto my bed,” Shao Qing said, her brow furrowed. “The downstairs guest room is reserved for the Little Assistant, so…”

Shao Qing didn’t finish her sentence, but that didn’t prevent Jing Ke from understanding.

“Then let’s sleep together tonight. Do you want to shower here?” Jing Ke asked.

Shao Qing nodded. “The bathroom door wasn’t closed either. I’m worried bugs might have gotten in there too.”

Shao Qing added, “Tomorrow, I’ll hire an auntie to do a thorough cleaning, and then I’ll move back in.”

“Okay, then I’ll go dry my hair outside. The bathroom is all yours,” Jing Ke cooperatively took the hairdryer outside, allowing Shao Qing free rein.

When the date on her phone flipped from the twenty-third to the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, Shao Qing had just finished drying her hair. Wearing fluffy pajamas, she stood beside the bed.

It was obvious from the placement of personal items that Jing Ke preferred sleeping on the right side, so Shao Qing naturally lifted the covers on the left and slipped into the warm bed.

“Haah~ So sleepy. Lights out and sleep?” Shao Qing couldn’t help but yawn.

“Okay.” Jing Ke reached out and turned off all the lights in the room, then climbed into bed as well.

Jing Ke didn’t have the habit of leaving a small nightlight on, so after the main lights were off, the room fell into darkness.

“Goodnight,” Shao Qing said proactively.

“Goodnight.” Jing Ke lay flat on the bed, past memories involuntarily surfacing in her mind.

A very familiar goodnight. But the person lying beside her now wasn’t the one she could ask for a goodnight kiss.

Jing Ke sighed inwardly, trying to dismiss her stray thoughts and fall asleep quickly.

“Jing Ke, could you recite that French Poem passage for me?” Shao Qing suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

“Sure, but I’ve only memorized the part I recited before. Do you mind if I recite that part again for you?” Jing Ke didn’t refuse.

“Okay.” Having gotten her answer, Shao Qing slowly closed her eyes, trying, like Jing Ke, to banish the distracting thoughts.

The temperature outside was well below zero. In such weather, how many bugs could maintain tenacious vitality and fly up to the villa’s 2nd Floor?

Listening to the familiar voice lingering by her ear, Shao Qing couldn’t help but feel ashamed of her own actions.

What was she doing? With a perfectly good master bedroom, why had she come to Jing Ke’s room to squeeze into one bed with her?

Was it because she saw Jing Ke being so popular tonight? Or was it because tonight, Jing Ke hadn’t refused her suggestion and had started expanding her social circle?

Shao Qing felt like she was being a hypocrite to the extreme right now.

Clearly, she was the one who told Jing Ke to make friends. Yet, after Jing Ke actually took that step, she was the one driven by possessiveness.

Honestly, if she couldn’t be so magnanimous, then she shouldn’t have said such noble words!

Shao Qing mentally reproached herself, her body involuntarily shifting towards the center, closer to the source of warmth.

Jing Ke, focused on reciting the French Poem, noticed Shao Qing’s small movement. She didn’t think much of it and habitually pulled the blanket up a bit, wanting to reach out and pull the person into her arms.

Fortunately, Jing Ke reacted quickly enough, catching herself before she touched Shao Qing’s body.

The person lying beside her now wasn’t Shang Siyu; it was Shao Qing, who was currently just her friend.

Sharing an origin didn’t mean they were the same person. She and Shao Qing were just friends.

Jing Ke warned herself silently, quietly withdrawing her hand.