Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
When Lin Shiyi heard this, she laughed like it was a really funny joke. She snorted disdainfully and let out a snicker. “If you’re really capable of that, Qiao Anhao, then may we ask you to please call him? Call him to come over and let everyone get to know him.”
Zhao Meng really hadn’t thought before she spoke. Anger alone had turned her eyes red.
At Lin Shiyi’s suggestion, Zhao Meng suddenly snapped back to her senses, and she turned her head and looked over at Qiao Anhao.
Actually, she didn’t lie. Qiao Anhao was officially Lu Jinnian’s wife, and Lu Jinnian really was capable of the things she said, but… to make her ramble like that just now, if she wasn’t able to call Lu Jinnian, then it would really sound like she was just bragging.
What’s more, the whole crew was here taking a break at the time, so they saw everything unfold.
Maybe she might had made it easier for Lin Shiyi to make fun of Qiao Anhao…
In actual fact, Zhao Meng knew full well that she was too impulsive just now, but since she had pushed it to this point, it was impossible for her to stop here. All she could do was nudge Qiao Anhao and say in such a low voice only the two of them could hear, “Qiao Qiao, you’d better call Mr. Lu or else it’s going to be hella embarrassing for us.”
Qiao Anhao silently swept her eyes across the people around them, then whispered to Zhao Meng in the same low voice, “I don’t know Lu Jinnian’s number.”
She didn’t, in fact, know Lu Jinnian’s number.
His previous number was canceled. There hadn’t been a way to contact him ever since he came back to the country.
“It can’t be?” Zhao Meng, who was extremely confident at first, instantly deflated like a withered ball. “Then, this time, we’re really finished…”
Qiao Anhao’s background was good, but even so, Lin Shiyi still didn’t believe that she could produce the man from Zhao Meng’s description; someone who could invest over a billion and stop filming at any given moment.
Seeing Qiao Anhao and Zhao Meng now whispering among themselves, she was even more certain that Zhao Meng had just been bluffing. In that instant, she became sufficiently confident, smiled, and spoke with obvious pretentiousness. “What’s wrong? Your bluff didn’t play right? Did you dig your own grave with that bluff?”
Zhao Meng instinctively shut her eyes. She just had had to say what was on her mind. Later, who knows how Lin Shiyi would insult them.
“His car isn’t bad at all. He drives Qiao Anhao to and from the set everyday. But, nowadays, there are so many people who can afford to buy a good car. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s someone amazing.” At that thought, Lin Shiyi suddenly curved her red lips into a smile. “Miss Qiao, the man inside your car is not someone who’s old enough to be your father is he? Are you too ashamed to let him meet everyone?”
With that, the many people, who were trying to impress Lin Shiyi, started to laugh quietly with her.
“Lin Shiyi, stop trying to push your nasty misconducts on other people…” When Zhao Meng heard this, she instantly erupted, but then, when she had only finished saying half of what she had in mind, her arm was suddenly pulled back. It was Qiao Anhao, who had reached out to stop her.
“Qiao Qiao?” Zhao Meng turned her head towards her friend.
Qiao Anhao smiled at Zhao Meng, and pointed at her bag, as she softly and gently said, “Give me my phone.”
“Qiao Qiao, you do know Mr. Lu’s number, right?” whispered Zhao Meng into her ear, as she handed her friend’s phone to her.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao didn’t say anything, she just dialed “Home” from her Contacts.
It was Mian Xiu Garden’s home phone number.
Though Zhao Meng had gotten them both into this mess, nevertheless, it was for her.
Furthermore, that script… She really couldn’t do it.
Lin Shiyi had clearly paid to change the script to mess with her. If she agreed to shoot the face slapping scene, who knows what else Lin Shiyi would do to embarrass her!
Qiao Anhao made a call to simply try her luck. She wasn’t sure that Lu Jinnian would definitely be home.
However, as it turned out, her luck wasn’t too bad. After three rings, she heard Lu Jinnian’s clear voice through the phone. “Qiao Qiao?”
“En,” she responded.
“What’s up?” said Lu Jinnian asked.
Qiao Anhao could hear the faint sounds of the chair skidding across the floor, and she suddenly became a little nervous. If she told Lu Jinnian that she was using him to show off in front of other people, then wouldn’t he think of her as a vain woman and look down on her?
Lu Jinnian waited for a while but hearing nothing spoke up himself. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I…” Qiao Anhao’s words caught in her throat, only a single word escaping.
Lu Jinnian was actually more patient that she imagined. To make sure that she knew he was listening, he gently said, “En?”.
Qiao Anhao bit her bottom lip, shut her eyes, and took a deep breath. To hell with it! Let’s lay the cards out on the table! Lu Jinnian was her husband and she was being picked on by someone. If she didn’t look for him, who would she look for? What’s more, having him look down on her was better than having the whole crew look down on her. Even if it was embarrassing, she could leave it behind closed doors.
At that thought, Qiao Anhao opened her mouth to speak with some confidence. “Do you have some free time right now?”
“Uh huh, yeah.” Lu Jinnian didn’t pause when he answered.
“Then could… you come to the set?”
Qiao Anhao was afraid that Lu Jinnian wouldn’t come. She paused for a while, and thought about what she ha just said.
In the end, who would have known that Lu Jinnian would answer instantly over the phone, “Alright, wait for me. Twenty minutes.”
Qiao Anhao heard the ruffling of clothes through the phone. She felt a little uneasy, but at the same time, her insides warmed. He didn’t even ask her why she wanted him to come over to the set?
Qiao Anhao, who had let her imagination run wild, heard Lu Jinnian’s voice again through the phone. “I’m hanging up, have to leave now.”
“En,” responded Qiao Anhao. With that, Lu Jinnian hung up.
–
Lu Jinnian grabbed the keys and said in fluent English into the video conference on the computer, “Apologies, my wife is in a little trouble, I have to go check it out. As for our launch proposal, let’s look into it when I come back tonight. If it’s possible, I’ll make some time for us to talk more about it in detail.”
One of the middle-aged foreign men wore a shocked expression. “Mr. Lu, you’re married?”
“Yes.” Lu Jinnian didn’t even notice admitting it. With his brows gently furrowed, he said, “Next time you guys come to China, my wife and I will look after you both.”
Then Lu Jinnian cut the video conference short, quickly closed the laptop, and turned out to walk out of the study room.
–
Around ten minutes after he hung up, the director came over to rush Qiao Anhao and Lin Shiyi to get their make up retouched to start shooting.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao calmly sat in her seat, waving for her make up artist to be still.
The make up artist didn’t quite understand what Qiao Anhao meant, but stood by the column beside her.
Nearby, Lin Shiyi wore a cold smile, as she watched what had just happened. She calmly raised her chin to let her make up artist retouch her make up.
After checking the set, the director walked back into the make up room to check if the two of them had finished preparing yet. He couldn’t help but furrow his brows when he saw that Qiao Anhao sat relaxed and hadn’t even started yet. “Xiao Qiao, why haven’t you started getting your make up retouched?”
Qiao Anhao looked towards the two scripts in front of her. Without leaving any space for negotiations, she pointed at the earlier script and said, “If we’re shooting this script, then I’ll get my make up retouched. If we’re shooting this script, then I’m not shooting.”
“Not shooting? Then my make up was all for nothing?” asked Lin Shiyi angrily, suddenly turning her head towards the director.
On set, the investor was always the person who called the shots. Even the director had to listen to Lin Shiyi, as she brought the investment to their drama, so when he heard her words, he immediately glared at Qiao Anhao. “Xiao Qiao, don’t forget that you signed the contract. Do you think if you say you’re not shooting, then you really aren’t going to shoot?”
He then shot the make up artist that stood to a side a fierce look and said, “Hurry up and retouch her make up. What are you doing just standing there?”
With that, he also mumbled to himself, “Acting so big… out here being so picky with the script? If you’ve got the balls then why don’t you invest in the drama yourself and be the boss?”
On hearing the director’s complaint, Lin Shiyi burst out laughing, and used Zhao Meng’s words to mock her enigmatically, “Director, you must be careful! Qiao Anhao has someone big backing her. He has so much power, he can not only give us all paid leave, he could also cut my role at any time. Oh! If that wasn’t enough, he could stop production at any time…”
Before Lin Shiyi could finish, the make up room doors opened and a surprised voice cried, “Mr. Lu!”
Just then, everyone in the make up room looked over at the entrance to find Lu Jinnian dressed in a long black coat. His tall handsome figure stood there radiating a bright, majestic, and benevolent aura.
Lu Jinnian’s appearance silenced the entire make up room in an instant.
Everyone wore an astonished expression on their faces, feeling a little lost. This man was the best screen actor for six consecutive years, the CEO of Huan Ying Entertainment, and the man who recently acquired Xu enterprises. Why would such a legendary man like him appear here?
Lu Jinnian’s face still wore a cold expression as though he were thousands of meters away from others. However, it was cold in its own unique way.
He stood at the door, staring to his left and right in a callous pose, as though he was looking for something. Eventually, his eyes fell on Qiao Anhao. Then, in front of everyone in the make up room, he didn’t hold back as he called her with her nickname, “Qiao Qiao.”
The entire make up room instantly fell silent. The make up artist who was retouching her make up stopped moving.
All eyes were on Lu Jinnian, then they shifted onto Qiao Anhao.
She sluggishly got up from her seat. Under everyone’s stares, she walked around the dressing table and towards Lu Jinnian.
Even if Qiao Anhao had remained calm while being mocked by Lin Shiyi and the director, their words still had an affect of her mood.
When she walked closer, Lu Jinnian saw that between her brows, the hint of annoyance. His own brows instinctively started to crease up. “What happened?”
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
When Qiao Anhao walked closer, Lu Jinnian saw that between her brows, the hint of annoyance. His own brows instinctively started to crease up. “What happened?”
On a normal day, it would take at least half an hour from Mian Xiu Garden to the set, even without traffic.
On the phone, he told her to wait for twenty minutes, which she thought was him speaking casually. She never thought that he’d come in fourteen minutes flat!
Perhaps because he had ran out of the house in a hurry, the inside of his shirt’s collar was a little creased up.
All of a sudden, Qiao Anhao felt like she was being a little unreasonable. Wasn’t someone just looking down on her? Was it worth her making it such a big deal, to even calling him over?
Seeing as Qiao Anhao just stared at him, hesitant to talk, Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows even harder. He then lifted his head and scanned the room full of people with an intense look. When he saw that some people looked uncomfortable, he vaguely understood something. He lowered his head again and asked again in a quiet and good-natured tone of voice, “Just what happened? Did someone pick on you?”
Well she wasn’t completely being picked on per say… Lin Shiyi was trying to trouble her, but Zhao Meng’s sharp tongue had forced her to retaliate, so she didn’t really lose out.
What’s more, when she called, he didn’t even ask her for a reason and rushed over here in a hurry.
Even if she was severely wronged, in that very moment, she felt that it wasn’t even worth bringing up. She gently shook her head at Lu Jinnian.
No matter how smart Lu Jinnian was, he could only guess that someone had upset Qiao Anhao. As for what made her so upset, he didn’t have a clue. For a moment, he was worried that she was in a physical fight, where she lost out, so he looked her up and down. When he was sure that she was fine, he reached his arm out and brushed the hair that draped over her face behind her ears, and said in soft voice, “Tell me, who picked on you?”
In that moment, the director snapped back to reality, and immediately wore a smile on his face to suck up to him. He hurriedly walked over to Lu Jinnian, speaking in a friendly tone, “Mr. Lu, well actually, nobody bullied Miss Qiao, it’s all just a misunderstanding…”
Before the director could finish, Lu Jinnian, who was staring at Qiao Anhao with gentle eyes, suddenly lifted his head and swiftly swept his sharp eyes towards the director. The expression on his face was frighteningly arctic. When he spoke, his voice was distant and quiet, with the power to stop someone in their tracks. “Did I ask you?”
The director froze when he saw Lu Jinnian’s expression when saying those four words. He stopped walking, too afraid to draw any closer, and his smiling face had become a little awkward.
Even though Qiao Anhao was prepared to embarrass herself in front of Lu Jinnian, when it came time to ask him, she still lowered her head, feeling a little ashamed.
Lu Jinnian quickly turned his eyes back to Qiao Anhao, and waited patiently for her to speak.
Because his attitude towards the director just now had been overly terrifying, nobody dared to speak recklessly. They could only quietly wait as well.
In that instant, the make up room fell completely silent.
Qiao Anhao’s silence made Lu Jinnian feel that the situation was more serious than he had imagined. A hint of hostility emerged from the usual cold expression he wore on his face, and he suddenly lifted his head and told Zhao Meng, “You, tell me what happened.”
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Zhao Meng was someone who never lost out to anyone. Even though Lu Jinnian wasn’t backing her but Qiao Anhao’s, she stared at Lin Shiyi, who sat restlessly in her chair, and then let out a chuckle. Without concealing anything, she went straight to the point, “It’s Lin Shiyi. She’s bullying Qiao Qiao.”
Lin Shiyi… When Lu Jinnian heard that name, a flash of bewilderment crossed his eyes, as though he didn’t know who she was. His eyes then scanned the make up room, before finally falling on Lin Shiyi’s face. Suddenly he remembered.
Wasn’t this the woman he banned, and the woman who had targeted Qiao Anhao all the time during last year’s shooting of “Alluring Times”? Who would of thought that after so much time had passed, they would actually bump into each other again! It’s truly inevitable for you to bump into your enemies.
Lu Jinnian’s eyes suddenly turned cold, and his brows creased, as though something had clicked in his mind. He abruptly lowered his head and said to the little lady next to him without much thought, a little helplessness and fondness in his voice, “How are you so stupid to get picked on by the same person every time?”
He was clearly calling her stupid, but Qiao Anhao felt an obvious sense of warmth in her heart. She pouted at him and finally spoke the first words since he arrived. Her voice was quiet, with a slight spoiled tone, “Well it couldn’t really count as bullying.”
“Does it or does it not count as bullying? What on earth happened? Tell me.”
Women were always argumentative but sweet creatures, and this nature would amplify to no end especially when they encountered someone they relied on.
Perhaps it was because Qiao Anhao had kept her silence after debating to herself on whether or not to tell Lu Jinnian about everything and have him look down on her, or if it was his absolutely patience, or perhaps it was how he called her stupid, or further yet, his question “Does it or does it not count as bullying?”… Those words were overly permissive.
Anyways, Qiao Anhao’s heart softened up. She decided it couldn’t be called telling on Lin Shiyi, but more like complaining, so then, as though no one else were around, she told Lu Jinnian, “The company prepared this drama for me last year. At the time, the director was chosen and Lin Shiyi didn’t have a part, but when time came for the shoot, she found a rich boyfriend who invested a lot of money, so he cast her into the movie and gave her the role of the supporting female character.”
“En,” responded Lu Jinnian to signify that he was listening.
His reaction made Qiao Anhao feel a little more comfortable. After stuttering earlier, she now spoke more fluidly, regaining her usual voice and attitude. “I already didn’t like her, but she would even show off her boyfriend every day. If that wasn’t annoying enough, she then changed my script so that…”
After so long, she finally got to the main point. She was unhappy because the script was changed…
Lu Jinnian didn’t interrupt Qiao Anhao, just staring at her with a serious face as he waited for her to continue.
“The script clearly said that I was meant to slap her in the scene, but in end, it was all changed and she had to slap me. Not only once, but…”
When Qiao Anhao said that, a tinge of annoyance emerged in Lu Jinnian’s eyes. “And then?”
Qiao Anhao bit her bottom lip and thought about what Lin Shiyi and Zhao Meng had said in their argument.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao bit her bottom lip and thought about what Lin Shiyi and Zhao Meng had said in their argument.
She wasn’t sure if Lu Jinnian would be fine with Zhao Meng using him to compare and argue with other people.
If he really was unhappy, then what if Zhao Meng got dragged into this?
Even though Qiao Anhao didn’t do it, she racked her brain over it and ended up blaming it on herself. “So I was so miserable, I started arguing with her…”
She may have been complaining, but besides putting Zhao Meng words onto herself, she explained everything else truthfully. “I cursed her out first…”
In reality, it was Zhao Meng who had first called Lin Shiyi ‘shameless’.
As she said that, Qiao Anhao, who wasn’t very confident, sneakily raised her eyes to look at Lu Jinnian. Seeing that he wasn’t mad at her for shouting at someone else first, she continued to recount what happened. “She then told me that whoever has money calls the shots…”
Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows.
“She also said that if I was so big, then I should invest several thousand millions and change the script back to how it was before…”
Lu Jinnian furrowed his brows even tighter.
“In the end, she even said I had no power, which irritated me…” After talking for so long, Qiao Anhao finally got to the point once again. She didn’t dare look at Lu Jinnian, keeping her head down when she said in a little voice, “I couldn’t take it, so I told her to stop showing off her man everyday. My man is better than hers by far. Don’t even mention treating everyone to afternoon tea, he could give everyone paid leave. Don’t even mention changing the script, he could cut her role at any time…”
The entire make up room fell extremely silent. Qiao Anhao was there just rambling at Lu Jinnian, and in his eyes, he was facing the woman talking to him as though nothing existed around him.
The more Qiao Anhao spoke, the less confident she got. Suddenly, she got a “My dad is Li Gang” sense of déjà vu. In her mind, she resisted, but then her little face reddened. ‘I’m done for!’ Lu Jinnian was going to definitely see her as a vain and boastful woman, thought Qiao Anhao, saying as quietly as a fly, “I also said that you could stop production at any time.”
Oh god. How could Zhao Meng put such a big lie out there?
It wasn’t enough for her to put such a big lie on the open, she actually made it happen by really calling Lu Jinnian over…
Don’t even mention Lu Jinnian looking down on her, she now even looked down on herself a little. He must be so disappointed in her, right?
Qiao Anhao was about to stick to his chest, like a kid who had done something naughty. She nervously grabbed his sleeve, and continued to honestly say, “Lin Shiyi didn’t believe me and said I was just bluffing, so I called you…”
When Qiao Anhao said that, it was all finally crystal clear now.
She didn’t dare imagine how Lu Jinnian looked at that moment, even more so lift her head to check.
The make up room was deadly silent, which made Qiao Anhao feel even more uneasy. She still felt that Lu Jinnian would probably be unhappy, so she tried to make him feel better by adding, “Actually, I don’t even want to compare my man with hers. I was just so mad that she said my man was so old he could be my father and I was ashamed to show his face, I… I…”
No matter how she explained it, it sounded weak…
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Eventually, Qiao Anhao simply fell silent. She lowered her head and stood there for a while, ready to honestly admit that she was immature and wrong to Lu Jinnian, when suddenly, he opened his mouth. “So, the real reason why you called me over was to actually tell other people that your man was as powerful as you said he was?”
When Qiao Anhao, who was already apprehensive, heard Lu Jinnian’s words, she instantly felt like she could die right then. Crap crap crap! Did that mean Lu Jinnian was getting angry? In front of so many people, if he flipped out…
This time, Qiao Anhao didn’t even dare speak. She just gave an especially quick nod and instinctively prepared herself to say in a pitiful voice, “I was wrong”. But then, his hand suddenly rubbed her head.
Qiao Anhao was so shocked in that instant, the words immediately got stuck in her throat. She hurriedly shut her eyes, wu wu wu… Lu Jinnian must of gotten extremely mad this time. Did this mean that he was just going to hit her straight away?
Ey?
Before the thought could settle in her mind, Qiao Anhao suddenly blanked out. Lu Jinnian was stroking her head. Not only that, but he was so gentle…
She silently raised her head with a little disbelief, sneakily looking over at Lu Jinnian. To her astonishment, there wasn’t even a hint of gloomy coldness on his face. Instead, she saw a neutral smirk, which brought warmth to his usual frosty and handsome complexion.
Qiao Anhao thought that she was seeing things. After two hard blinks, she realized that Lu Jinnian still had that warm and affectionate expression. In that instant, she stared at him with her big, dark eyes in a daze, a little shocked by his affection.
Lu Jinnian looked as though… Not only was he not angry, he seemed so delighted…
Qiao Anhao’s cute, silly, blank look amused Lu Jinnian so much, his eyes became soft. Then, he took her hand and held it.
Honestly speaking, Lu Jinnian didn’t really understand what was going through Qiao Anhao’s mind. In truth, she couldn’t have called him over because she was angry about the script being amended, right? How could they argue half a day just to compare their men?
All right, he admitted it. For Qiao Anhao to compare guys, it was like a little student competing if she had the most sweets. It was immature and absurd of everyone involved, but he couldn’t help but admit just how much he enjoyed every time the words ‘my man’ came from her mouth. In that instant, he decided that he didn’t mind being immature and absurd with her at all.
Since she was the one who started comparing, she couldn’t give up half way.
What’s more, he only had one wife. If he didn’t protect her, then who would?
Lu Jinnian first pushed Qiao Anhao back into her make up chair, and then looked over at several multicolored bottles placed to one side. He was very familiar with those bottles, because every time he opened the fridge in Mian Xiu Garden, he’d find those same bottles lined up row by row.
She must of personally grabbed a few of them to drink on set, and so Lu Jinnian casually grabbed for a pink bottle. He removed the lid and placed it in front of Qiao Anhao to signal for her to first take a sip of fruit juice. He then reached over to the table and grabbed a script, “Is this the amended script?”
“No, it’s this one.” Zhao Meng hastily brought over the other script, and swapped it with the one in Lu Jinnian’s hands.
