CH 25

Seeing Chen Yijun’s look of panic frightened the Chang Shi Gui’s assistant. He looked down and tried to help him up and together with He Dong, he stood up.

Not expecting to see this woman here, Chen Yijun’s heart became a mess. He took out a cigarette from his case and his hands shook looking at the scene before him.

When he met Ning Xi during the spring festival, he heard Chang Shi Gui calling her by her surname ‘Ning’. He still wasn’t sure if she was the same Ning Xi from high school. When her television drama became very popular later, the news about Ning Xi appeared in overwhelming numbers online. When he saw the photo of Ning Xi along with her name, he knew it was the same Ning Xi who he had harmed, the same Ning Xi whose family he had destroyed.

Whenever he thought of that prank of when he was young, he felt ashamed and scared. For a long time, Ning Xi became a thorn in his heart. He only needed to think about her to feel pain and guilt.

When he saw his friend in such a state, He Dong was amazed and surprised. How could the woman they met last time be here? Was she really Ning Xi?

But this Ning Xi looked so different from the Ning Xi of high school. Could Chen Yijun be mistaken?

Not to mention that if it was really Ning Xi, how could she be so calm when she saw them?

“Cough, cough!” Chen Yijun coughed because of the smoke and hurriedly went to the side and coughed.

“Mr Chang,” He Dong began, afraid the atmosphere would become more embarrassing, “This time we have come to you to bother you about a cooperation project with Chen…”

Chang Shi Gui looked at Chen Yijun who was coughing non-stop from the corner of his eyes and said, “I have seen your company’s project. You have very good ideas but I am not interested in this project for the time being. I’m afraid you have made this trip for nothing.”

Ning Xi covered the lunchbox with the lid, then a big hand came from behind to take the box away. She looked back and saw Chang Shi Gui’s assistant. The assistant saw her looking and smiled politely.

“Mr Chang, please give us ten minutes. I believe this project will certainly impress you.” He Dong was unwilling to give up and lowered his attitude to seek time from Chang Shi Gui.

Ning Xi looked at the low-profile, humble gesture that He Dong was making and laughed, “Since Mr Chang said he is not interested in the project, it means that no matter how exciting your project is, it won’t be able to move him.”

Chang Shi Gui turned to Ning Xi and nodded, smiling.

When the assistant threw the garbage and came back, he saw the scene of the ‘muddle-headed king and the wicked concubine’. He became deeply worried. When did the relationship between the big boss and the small actress become so good?

Ning Xi smiled, giving Chang Shi Gui a complex look. She swept a glance at the pair and sneered at them, despising Chen Yijun and He Dong.

Under such circumstances, He Dong, who had always had a reputation of ‘The Ambassador of Flowers’ could not keep a normal expression. He saw Ning Xi wearing an ancient costume. She should be an actor in the cast. But he also saw her close relationship with Chang Shi Gui. Swallowing his anger, he said, “Mr Chang, just give us a few minutes.”

Chen Yijun who had finished coughing walked towards Ning Xi and looked her in the eyes. “Are you Ning Xi?”

Ning Xi showed him a perfect smile. “Hasn’t Young Master Chen come to talk to Mr Chang? Why are you suddenly asking about me? This is a very old-fashioned trick.”

Looking at her indifferent face, all the guilt and indignation in his heart that had been buried for many years erupted at once. “Where did you go all these years? Why did you become like this?”

In his memory, Ning Xi was a fair-skinned, chubby, quiet girl. The beautiful woman in front of his eyes didn’t have the slightest resemblance to Ning Xi. At that time, although she wasn’t beautiful, she was gentle. It was impossible for her to say such things.

Seeing Chen Yijun’s flustered appearance, Ning Xi laughed loudly. She put down her bottle of water and turned to Chang Shi Gui. “Mr Chang, I have to say goodbye now. I should go rehearse.”

Chang Shi Gui nodded slightly.

Ning Xi smiled at him, stood up and walked. She had walked two steps when her right wrist was caught by Chen Yijun.

“Ning Xi, wait…!”

“Slap!” A clear sound resounded.

Shaking her hand, Ning Xi pulled away from his grasp. “Young Master Chen is from a wealthy family, didn’t your elders not teach you to easily grab a woman’s hand? If you want to play the rogue, go find the right place. Don’t casually meddle in others affairs. The reason humans are called human is that that’s where they are different from animals. If you can’t do that, isn’t it better to directly be an animal?”

Ning Xi’s slap was extremely ruthless. Chen Yijun’s cheek was swelling visibly.

He Dong saw that a little actress even dared to lay her hands on Chen Yijun. When she fell back, he said, “I’m afraid Miss Ning acted thoughtlessly. You are a public figure. It’s best to think twice before acting.”

“Why? You men are allowed to move your hands casually on girls, then girls aren’t supposed to fight back?” Ning Xi drew out two tissues and wiped her left hand slowly. She wiped it very carefully, not letting a single finger go. However, for He Dong, this action appeared to be the greatest ridicule.

The assistant standing to the side swallowed. This sister drawing the paper… not only the mouth was poisonous but the actions were also poisonous. If she had met someone with low tolerance, the person would have already died of anger.

“You’re just a little actor–” He dong’s words weren’t finished yet when Chang Shi Gui stood up and pushed her behind him.

“Mr He, I don’t work with people with no style and politeness.” Looking at Chen Yijun’s face, Chang Shi Gui’s voice became colder. “You should return and not disturb the crew’s shooting.”

Hearing this, He Dong understood. It was no wonder this woman spoke all she liked. She was relying on this big tree. He dared to tear face with Ning Xi but dared not offend Chang Shi Gui. He had no choice but to calmly say, “Looking at Mr Chang’s face, we won’t care about this woman, but…”

“Mr Chang’s eyes should be a little bit better,” He said maliciously. “Some women look beautiful and pleasant, but who knows if that face is true or not?”

If she is really Ning Xi, then this face was definitely done with cosmetic surgery.

When Ning Xi was in high school, he had forgotten a lot of things. But the only thing he remembered that although her grades were food, she was round as a ball and in the entire class, who didn’t take her as a joke?

“This, I don’t need Mr He to worry about,” Chang Shi Gui’s face sank. “The two needn’t worry about such a small thing. It is better to think about how to gain a firm foothold in Chen. Young Master Chen is not the only Young Master of Chen, now.”

He Dong’s face changed a few times before running out of words. But in the face Chang Shi Gui’s imposing manner, he couldn’t refute him at all.

Ning Xi looked at Chang Shi Gui covering her in front and her eyes dropped down. She crumpled the paper in her hand and clung to it tightly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. I just wanted to know…” Chen Yijun looked at Chang Shi Gui and tried to look at Ning Xi, but he could only see the headgear she was wearing. “Are you really not her?”

The woman behind Chang Shi Gui didn’t answer him.

His eyes dimmed and he turned to He Dong. “Let’s go back.”

He Dong’s mouth dropped and he wasn’t happy to go down the hill with Chen Yijun.

The several members waiting outside the crew saw that their faces weren’t looking good. Chen Yijun also had red marks on his cheek. They couldn’t help suspect, had a fight broken out?

They also dared not ask. After they got onto the bus, Chen Yijun sat in the back seat, feeling extremely tired.

“A Jun, don’t think too much about it. At that time, we were all young and ignorant. It was just a prank on her. Who knew such a large accident would happen?” Seeing him upset, He Dong persuaded him, “Big deal, we meet her and apologise. If she is still upset, then that’s her business.”

In fact, even if she didn’t forgive, then how did it matter? Everyone had their own life’s trajectory. Ning Xi’s past was a harmless prank to many people. No one would change their lives because of her.

“If she didn’t have a crush on you in that year and provoke people’s ridicule, it wouldn’t cause so many things.” He Dong said sneering, “Thinking of her appearance that year, who would put her in their eyes?”

Chen Yijun opened his mouth, but couldn’t say a single word.

Because only he was clear in his own heart. Ning Xi hadn’t had a crush on him, nor did she write him a love letter. Even he didn’t know why he had misled his classmates into thinking that she secretly loved him.

Recalling the harsh words the students had used to ridicule Ning Xi, he felt as if he was burning in the hot sun. It was all extremely shameful.

But even if he wanted to speak, he had no face to say it.

The shoot in the afternoon was very smooth. Ning Xi didn’t seem to be affected by the incident earlier. Even, Director Qian said, her performance in the afternoon was better than in the morning.

When she came out of the sets, Ning Xi found that Chang Shi Gui hadn’t returned yet.

His tall figure sitting on a plastic stool behind a monitor looked a little pitiful.

“Mr Chang,” She said, raising her hands towards the monitor, laughing. “I’m going to go remove my makeup.”

“En,” Chang Shi Gui stood up from the stool and said, “Then I…” He raised his wrist to look at his watch. He wanted to say that he had to also leave, but seeing the smile on her face, he couldn’t bear to say that sentence.