Jealousy

Jiang Xiao suddenly felt all eyes were on her and Zhou Qishen. Afraid he might say something else if she didn’t act, she took a step towards the seat beside him while the others hadn’t all arrived yet.

After this brief interruption, everyone withdrew their attention and began to order food and chat, instantly warming up the atmosphere.

Someone handed the menu to Jiang Xiao and asked what she would like to eat.

She smiled and said, “I’m fine with anything, you guys go ahead.”

Historical dramas demand actors’ grace and physique. To achieve the best on-screen effect, they must diet for their roles, especially during filming, where there’s no room for relaxation.

She couldn’t eat most of the items on the menu, maybe just a bite, so anything was fine for her.

During the wait, Jiang Xiao had nothing to do but sit obediently with her hands on her knees, staring blankly at the tablecloth.

Suddenly, a shadow fell on her left side. She turned slightly and noticed Zhou Qishen’s shoulder tilting towards her.

Then, in a low voice, he said, “I forgot to tell you, Director Zheng is my uncle. I’ll formally introduce you to him another day.”

This meant he hadn’t told Director Zheng about their relationship yet. Jiang Xiao’s nervousness eased a bit, and she nodded subtly in acknowledgment, quietly replying, “You arrange it.”

Zhou Qishen continued, “Did you come with Ji Changzheng?”

“No.” Jiang Xiao explained, realizing he might have misunderstood because they arrived at the private room before and after Ji Changzheng’s group. “My assistant brought me over, I did not come here with him.”

“When we were on set, you seemed to get along well, so I thought…” Zhou Qishen paused, his beautiful eyes fixed on Jiang Xiao’s face as if pondering something.

After a while, his expression became meaningful. Holding back his heart, he weakly asked, “Are you sure you’re just in a normal relationship?”

Jiang Xiao sensed a hint of interrogation in his tone. She firmly grasped the silky fabric of her trousers. Since the scandal with Ji Changzheng, she had explained their relationship to him more than once. Really, he didn’t believe her?

Feeling uncomfortable, Jiang Xiao hmphed softly, countering, “Then what about you and Qin Yuanyuan? You seemed pretty close.”

“Who?” Zhou Qishen asked.

Jiang Xiao paused. Did he pretend not to know? She clicked her tongue lightly, “Qin Yuanyuan, the one who showed you around the set during the day, and she’s also the artist that Fenghua Entertainment is supporting.”

At her prompt, Zhou Qishen thought seriously for a moment but still couldn’t match the name and face in his mind, looking puzzled. “Uh, so who exactly are you talking about?”

“You’re still pretending!” Jiang Xiao took a deep breath, glaring at him angrily.

“I’m not pretending.” Zhou Qishen’s already furrowed brow tightened a bit more. Patiently, he added, “Fenghua Entertainment is indeed a partnership I have with friends, but I’m hardly involved in the company’s affairs. The person you mentioned, I really have no impression.”

Under his earnest explanation, Jiang Xiao doubted her judgment. Carefully pondering his expression, he didn’t seem to be lying or forgetting but rather seemed to not have bothered remembering the person. So, he really didn’t remember.

Realizing this, Jiang Xiao pursed her lips. It was ironic that Qin Yuanyuan had lowered herself to please Zhou Qishen, yet he hadn’t even remembered her name after spending the better part of the day with her.

While they whispered, the crowd gradually gathered, and Qin Yuanyuan arrived late.

Wearing heels over ten centimeters tall, big wavy curls, glamorous makeup, a tight short skirt, and sweet perfume that couldn’t be overlooked, she looked out of place compared to the other actresses who favored simplicity and comfort.

“Dressing up like this for dinner, I wonder what she’s thinking.”

A somewhat distant whisper floated into Jiang Xiao’s ears amid the noisy chatter.

“Sister Qin, you don’t know? We’re all here for a free meal, but she’s different.” Someone gestured towards the head seat. “She’s here to hook a big fish.”

After the actress referred to as Sister Qin was informed, she immediately understood, snorting heavily in disdain and sarcasm, “Not content with climbing into the bed of the CEO’s son, now she’s trying to get into the boss’s bed.”

Talking behind someone’s back is bad enough, but to get caught red-handed by the person themselves, normally people would feel embarrassed and shut up. 

But whether Sister Qin didn’t realize it or intentionally said it for Qin Yuanyuan to hear, her voice didn’t diminish but rather increased: “She’s full of flirtatious energy and nowhere to use it.”

Just as Sister Qin finished speaking, a pair of beautifully manicured slender hands swept across her shoulder, as if to choke her, startling her.

But it didn’t end there. Qin Yuanyuan’s voice came from behind with a smirk: “Aunt Qin, since we’re here to eat, use your mouth for eating, not for talking nonsense all the time.”

Aunt Qin?

Female celebrities are relatively sensitive to age-related topics. Just two short words almost made Sister Qin lose her temper, not to mention the impolite retort that followed. Sister Qin, furious, raised her voice: “A slut who climbs up using her body dares to speak to me like this!'”

Qin Yuanyuan had originally planned to leave, but provoked by Sister Qin’s words, she halted her steps and retorted lightly, “What’s wrong? It’s better than you, Aunt Qin, being so old and wanting someone to sleep with you, yet no one does. At your age, playing small supporting roles must be tough.”

Upon hearing this, Sister Qin was so infuriated that she started coughing intensely for a while before managing to utter dryly, “You!”

Having been in the industry for a long time with her credentials, even though she had been out of the limelight for many years, people still respected her face. It was the first time she had been publicly humiliated like this.

Not only that, but the surrounding gazes felt like numerous knives stabbing at her heart. Afraid of attracting more attention if they continued arguing, she reluctantly swallowed her pride under her companions’ persuasion and sheepishly bowed her head.

This verbal battle ended with Sister Qin’s defeat, leaving Jiang Xiao to sip her water with interest.

Speaking of which,Sister Qin had once relied on a patron to rise in her younger days and engaged in activities no less scandalous than Qin Yuanyuan’s. It’s just that the internet wasn’t as developed back then, so few people knew.

Therefore, Jiang Xiao couldn’t understand why Sister Qin mocked Qin Yuanyuan like this. Wasn’t this just pot calling kettle black, inviting ridicule from bystanders?

She glanced towards the “big fish” Qin Yuanyuan was aiming for.

The man lazily leaned back in his wooden chair, his deep black eyes rich and intense. One of his hands, with distinct knuckles, rested on a bluish-gray teacup, fair and slender. Even under the light, his neatly trimmed nails gleamed.

One had to admit, he excelled in wealth, power, appearance, and talent. It was understandable for Qin Yuanyuan to have set her sights on him.

Sensing Jiang Xiao’s gaze, Zhou Qishen, who had been observing her all along, raised an eyebrow slightly and pointed out coldly what she had long overlooked, “Is the play really that interesting?”

Picking up on his implication, Jiang Xiao jokes, “Hmm, more interesting than you.”

Zhou Qishen paused for a moment, a helpless smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Jiang Xiao, hiding behind her cup, smiled in response.

Just as the atmosphere was pleasant, someone poked her from behind. Jiang Xiao instinctively turned her head and saw Qin Yuanyuan standing behind her, having appeared without her noticing.

Qin Yuanyuan wore a rare gentle smile on her lips and softly suggested to her, “Jiang Xiao, let’s switch seats.”

While her words were directed at her, her eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Zhou Qishen.

Qin Yuanyuan’s target was clearly Zhou Qishen, but Jiang Xiao couldn’t allow her to have her way, nor would she give her an opportunity to get closer. After all, Zhou Qishen was legally her husband at the moment, and she had no inclination to cuckold herself.

Jiang Xiao straightforwardly refused, “No.”

But she also knew Qin Yuanyuan wasn’t one to easily give up. Sure enough, the next moment, Qin Yuanyuan reached out and grabbed the sleeve of her loose short-sleeved shirt, shamelessly pleading in a soft voice, “Sister Xiaoxiao, please, just help me this once.”

Jiang Xiao wore a loose short-sleeved shirt, and Qin Yuanyuan’s grip was neither light nor heavy. In the struggle, her shoulder was deformed in a few shakes, the neckline gaping open, subtly at risk of revealing too much.

Realizing this, Jiang Xiao quickly pulled her collar back into place while struggling to evade Qin Yuanyuan’s hand, her tone turning cold, “Even if you call me mom, I won’t switch seat with you.”

Seeing Jiang Xiao’s firm attitude, Qin Yuanyuan’s patience gradually wore thin. Feeling she didn’t know how to appreciate kindness, Qin Yuanyuan raised her voice, acting petulant, “This seat isn’t specifically reserved for you…”

However, her unreasonable behavior was quickly interrupted.

“Do you want to sit next to Director Zheng? Should I switch with you?”

Jiang Xiao instinctively turned to look at the speaker. Zhou Qishen stood up, vacating a seat. His natural height advantage naturally exuded a sense of oppression from above, his eyes disdainful, intimidating.

With just a simple sentence, he removed himself from the center of attention, silently but forcefully dissuading Qin Yuanyuan’s unreasonable behavior.

As soon as Zhou Qishen spoke, Director Zheng’s attention was instantly drawn. After a moment of sharp glances exchanged among the few, combined with Zhou Qishen’s words, he immediately understood the situation and signaled to the producer beside him.

The latter understood immediately and waved to Qin Yuanyuan, “Yuanyuan, come over here, there’s still a seat next to Ji Changzeng.”

Reluctantly biting her lip, Qin Yuanyuan could only comply temporarily since the producer had spoken.

“Got it.” Qin Yuanyuan replied softly and sneakily moved to sit beside Ji Changzheng.

The successive commotions weren’t small, but few dared to openly watch the excitement. Most just glanced sidelong at one another, watching as a show but trying not to get involved.

Seeing that Qin Yuanyuan hadn’t succeeded, many breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Qishen was currently the biggest investor in their crew.If Qin Yuanyuan messes up everything and causes the other party to withdraw his investment in anger, then many people’s years of hard work may be wasted.

The assistant director responsible for recruitment observed Qin Yuanyuan’s antics throughout, noticing the slightly displeased expressions of Zhou Qishen and Director Zheng. He couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

If things continued like this, even his own job might be at risk.

In the entertainment industry, one couldn’t solely focus on an actor’s talent; the capital behind them was also a crucial factor. When he had retrieved Qin Yuanyuan’s resume initially, it was partly due to the face of Fenghua Entertainment’s CEO’s son.

Swapping an insignificant supporting role for a ten-million-dollar investment was a secure business. But who knew she would cause such a ruckus, daring to flirt and show off in front of the heir to the Zhou family, only to end up not interesting him at all.

If this led to offending Zhou Qishen, it would truly be a loss outweighing the gain.

Thinking this, the assistant director swallowed hard, putting on a flattering smile as he raised his glass, attempting to change the subject, “Director Zheng, here’s to you.”

Director Zheng is well aware of what those people below are doing behind the scenes, but he understands even more clearly that in the chaotic entertainment industry, one cannot expect everyone to be upright. Therefore, most of the time, he turns a blind eye to it.

At this moment, he didn’t refute the assistant director’s face, but instead raised his glass and took a sip as a response.

Once everyone had arrived, the dishes were served punctually in the restaurant. In such social gatherings, it was inevitable that alcohol would be consumed to liven things up.

Jiang Xiao wasn’t worried about this issue. After all, she had long established a persona of being bad at drinking publicly. Not many dared to challenge her to drink, and those who did would only ask her to take a sip in jest. Therefore, throughout the evening, she drank less than three cups in total.

In contrast, Zhou Qishen beside her, drinking with Director Zheng one cup after another, remained composed and unaffected, appearing to have a good tolerance for alcohol.

But after drinking a lot, one inevitably needed to visit the restroom.

“I’ll go to the restroom.” After exchanging greetings with Director Zheng, Zhou Qishen didn’t immediately get up. Instead, he turned his head to look at her and said softly, “I’ll be right back.”

He could go if he wanted to. There was no need to report to her.

Thinking this, Jiang Xiao nodded calmly.

After Zhou Qishen left, Jiang Xiao couldn’t avoid being gossiped about by the actress next to her, who subtly probed into their relationship.

Jiang Xiao laughed it off, saying they had only met a few times before and weren’t very familiar. She didn’t directly respond, and the actress, sensing she wouldn’t get the answers she sought, tactfully changed the topic.

With peace restored to her ears, Jiang Xiao suddenly thought of something and glanced abruptly across the table.

As she had suspected, Qin Yuanyuan was no longer in her seat.