BDB Chapter 42

Jiang Rao did not know that her refusal to act had once again drawn the attention of the male lead, nor did she know that her every move these days had been under surveillance. Her refusal of the script for “Yanyan” was not because the project was connected to the male lead, but because she knew that there were only three ways to make it big in the entertainment industry.

First; You have power.

Second; Your backer has power.

Third; You have looks, talent, good judgment in selecting projects, and extraordinary luck.

Jiang Rao had no power, no intention of finding a backer, and no extraordinary luck. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have ended up transmigrated into this tragic romance novel.

So, entering the entertainment industry would have been like seeking death for her.

After all, once you’re in this circle, there are many social interactions you can’t refuse.

Having a flashy face with no support was like a lamb wandering into a wolf pack—no matter how loudly you shouted “no”, the wolves only heard “baa baa baa.”

Weak, pitiful, and helpless.

This only made them more likely to prey on her.

Perhaps due to her good understanding or because the next day’s shooting was in a studio, away from prying eyes of the passers-by, things went remarkably smoothly.

By around 8 PM, Jiang Rao finished her work, collected the over 4,000 yuan she earned for the day, and changed into her own clothes as she left the studio.

Accompanying her were the photographer, assistant photographer, makeup assistant, and the male model who had partnered with her for the couple shoot that day.

As the group chatted and laughed on their way out, Jiang Rao spotted a flashy blue Maserati parked by the roadside.

That year, Hangcheng was not as developed as it would become in later years.

The GDP per capita of that year was not as high as it would be due to the several listed entrepreneurs who would later boost it.

In simple terms, there were fewer wealthy people in Hangcheng at that time, and seeing luxury cars parked by the roadside while strolling was not a common sight.

Jiang Rao had little interest in luxury cars, viewing them merely as transportation. The subway she rode daily was worth as much as ten or twenty luxury cars, yet didn’t she also wasn’t particularly proud of it?

However, her lack of interest did not mean the others shared her indifference.

At this point, the makeup assistant, Qiao Yan, who was a car enthusiast despite being a girl, exclaimed, “Wow, look at that Maserati! I wonder if there’s anyone inside. If not, handsome big brother Qin, could you use your camera to take a picture for me?”

The photographer, Qin Han, who had graduated college only five years ago and was roughly their age, readily agreed.

Seeing Qin Han’s easy agreement, the others joined in, saying, “Count me in.”

Only Jiang Rao, after they excitedly discussed who would check if there was anyone in the car, sullenly said, “It’s getting late. I need to leave. The subway station is still far from here. If I delay, I might miss the last train.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yan quickly said, “Jiangjiang, wait for me. We’re on the same subway line, and our stops are not far apart. It’s late at night, so it’s safer if we stick together. I’ll take this picture and be done in no more than five minutes.”

Qiao Yan’s insistence made it difficult for Jiang Rao to refuse. After all, they would be working together in the future.

Since they weren’t insisting that she join them for the photo, Jiang Rao stood by a nearby utility pole with a smile, watching as the three of them pretended to casually walk around the Maserati.

After completing this round, the three of them gathered together and chatted for a while. Perhaps it was generally accepted that there were no people inside the car concealed by the dark glass windows, so they finally stopped being shy and began their photography venture.

What was supposed to take five minutes ended up being completed in less time. Qiao Yan waved at Jiang Rao, “Jiangjiang, it’s done. We can go now.”

Jiang Rao nodded and jogged over to Qiao Yan.

She exchanged a quick greeting with the three men, who were still enthusiastically snapping photos of the “luxury car and me”, before they walked hand in hand towards the subway station.

Streetlights cast long shadows on them as they walked.

In the car, Li Jueyan watched as the figure he had been thinking about day and night gradually disappeared. He then rolled down the window and said, “Move aside, I’m turning around.”

The three men outside immediately froze.

After exchanging glances, they hurriedly shuffled off in one direction.

Embarrassing! Too embarrassing! Damn, this luxury car guy is so awkward! Why is he just sitting there silently?

Li Jueyan didn’t care about their embarrassment. Once the car started, he sped towards the exit where Jiang Rao was likely to arrive.

Regardless of where the subway entrance was, her exit point was fixed.

He only needed to wait there, and he would definitely see her.

He wanted to have a proper talk with her.

However, the rush hour from 6 to 8 PM was something he had never encountered.

He was rarely out and about at this time. His work hours were usually around 9 or 10 AM to 4 or 5 PM, so he had never experienced such severe traffic congestion.

By the time he reached her regular exit, over 40 minutes had passed since he set out.

Forty minutes meant she had likely already left.

Li Jueyan knew her usual exit point and, therefore, her residence.

But when he restarted the car and headed towards her place, traffic congestion hit him again.

He muttered a curse and got out of the car, striding forward.

Along the way, he couldn’t resist calling the number he had memorized by heart. As expected, the call was quickly ended. When he tried again, he heard the familiar voice of a service representative, “Sorry, the number you dialed is out of service. Please…”

Li Jueyan took a deep breath. “Little one with no conscience, not only did you ignore my calls, but you also learned to throw a tantrum and turn off your phone?”

In reality, it wasn’t Jiang Rao who had turned off her phone out of spite. Just as she was about to answer the call, the elderly woman who had asked her for directions snatched her phone and threw it on the ground.

“My dear daughter-in-law, I know my son has wronged you, but how could you be so heartless as to run away with all the family’s money? Don’t you care about your child at all? Don’t you care about how we old folks will live? Come back with me; after all, a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of affection!”

As she spoke, she grabbed Jiang Rao’s arm and tried to drag her into the darkness.

Jiang Rao was on a side street not far from her rented apartment.

Residential areas often had the disadvantage of being crowded during rush hours but emptying out afterward, leaving only a few scattered people.

Jiang Rao was facing this very situation.

There were few people on the road, with only one or two appearing every few dozen meters.

The so-called “mother-in-law” had considerable strength and occupied the moral high ground, fabricating a story of a runaway wife who took all the family’s hard-earned money, ignoring her own child and the welfare of the family.

Jiang Rao realized she had encountered a trafficker.

She never expected trouble would come from someone on the street.

Knowing that female leads are often targets, she had always avoided showing sympathy. She was also aware that her appearance attracted attention, so she always wore a mask and dark glasses when out alone.

She hadn’t expected that even with these precautions, she would still face danger.

At that moment, Jiang Rao had no intention of showing respect for the elderly. She forcefully pushed the woman’s hand away and said, “I don’t know you.”

“You don’t know me, but I know you!” The elderly woman shouted loudly, “Liangliang, Liangliang, I found your wife! Come quickly, she’s still throwing a tantrum. Come and calm her down.”

Although Jiang Rao had seen this kind of trick countless times on Weibo in her past life, she never expected it would happen to her.

Her heart raced with panic, but her nature quickly brought her back to calm.

The hand that had initially tried to push away was still grasped firmly by the elderly woman.

Hearing the sound of a car door opening from the shadows, Jiang Rao realized that the woman’s accomplices might be arriving soon.

Clenching her teeth, she first kicked the elderly woman in the middle of her leg, then swung her free fist forcefully at the woman’s chest.

Despite her small strength, and the elderly woman’s rough hands that seemed hardened by labor, the blow was enough to make her stagger.

Taking advantage of the woman’s groans and clutching her knee, Jiang Rao sprinted back down the path she had come from.

If she continued forward, it would still be a long distance to the neighborhood gate.

But if she went backward, there was a street with small food stalls not far away. If she could make a scene there, the traffickers would have no way to handle her.

Behind her, the elderly woman’s voice called out, “Daughter-in-law, why are you running again?” “Liangliang, Liangliang, come chase her!”

A man’s voice followed, “The child’s mother, what will running solve? Come back with me.”

Jiang Rao was terrified but didn’t slow down. The sound of the man’s increasingly close shouting reached her ears.

She didn’t know if the traffickers had been taught psychological tactics, but as her speed increased, her heartbeat quickened and her limbs began to weaken.

She had to keep running until she reached a populated area or someone who could rescue her.

Unfortunately, after running about 500 meters, she only saw a few young women and an elderly lady with a child, who looked to be in her sixties or seventies.

Her vision began to blur.

Wiping the sweat from her face, she bit her tongue to overcome the pain, which helped her regain some strength.

At that moment, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Simultaneously, a voice came from ahead, “What are you doing?”

The lights were just right there.

Jiang Rao’s vision was still blurry.

She could vaguely make out the figure of the person who looked alarmingly similar to someone she was trying to avoid.

Was it him?

——