Chapter 49

Tang Ruan: “…”

She stared at Ji Jing in exasperation and muttered, “If you want to take advantage of me, just say so.”

The moment she finished speaking, Ji Jing leaned in and bit lightly at the corner of her lips. His tone was full of implication as he said, “Not yet.”

Tang Ruan was stunned by his audacity. After silently staring at him for a few seconds, she pushed him away. “The light’s green.”

Ji Jing raised an eyebrow and smiled, driving off.

The cars behind them slowly began to move again.

By 5 p.m., the traffic was already heavy. Tang Ruan chewed on her straw as she looked out the window.

With winter setting in, the trees lining the road were bare and lifeless, exuding a faint sense of desolation. The cold wind blew through, adding to the chill. On the sidewalks, people hurried along, occasionally stopping to chat, their breath forming puffs of white in the air.

Tang Ruan wiped the fog from the car window and turned to Ji Jing. “Not busy today?”

“Not too bad,” he replied.

In truth, he was busy but had made time for her.

Tang Ruan nodded and continued sipping her warm milk tea. “Are we going straight home afterward?”

“Mm, I already told Butler Li.”

The two of them chatted idly. It felt pleasant—something Tang Ruan couldn’t have imagined before. In the past, she never thought she and Ji Jing would have such friendly interactions, exchanging casual conversation in the car, even throwing in a bit of playful banter now and then.

As she thought about it, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Where are we going? We still haven’t arrived,” she asked.

The sky had already darkened, and the shops around them were lighting up.

Ji Jing glanced out the window. “We’re here.”

Tang Ruan: “…”

–

After getting out of the car, Tang Ruan was momentarily stunned by what she saw.

“You brought me to a car dealership? Are we buying a car?”

“The family cars aren’t convenient for work. Let’s get a new one.”

Tang Ruan: “…”

Rich people. She had casually mentioned earlier that the cars at home were too flashy for commuting. And now, Ji Jing was directly bringing her to buy one.

After a moment of silence, she asked, “Do we really have to buy a car?”

Ji Jing pondered briefly before explaining, “Sometimes, I might not have time to pick you up. You find having a driver inconvenient, and it’s too cold in winter. If you drive yourself occasionally, I’d feel more at ease.”

That was true.

The family cars were all luxury vehicles. Tang Ruan had checked before—the cheapest one was over a million yuan, which was supposedly for the staff to use. She didn’t like the colors, and the more expensive ones, costing tens of millions, were completely out of the question.

Driving a car worth tens of millions to work? She wasn’t crazy.

“Let’s buy one,” she said, tugging on Ji Jing’s sleeve. “But let’s get the cheapest one.”

Ji Jing: “…”

He led Tang Ruan inside, and they were immediately greeted by a salesperson. The person glanced at Ji Jing and greeted him warmly, “Mr. Ji, welcome!”

Ji Jing nodded and gestured slightly with his chin. “Do you have any cars suitable for my wife?”

The salesperson glanced at Tang Ruan and smiled. “Of course. This way, please.”

Tang Ruan muttered quietly, “The cheapest one.”

“…”

Ji Jing chuckled and turned to the salesperson. “As she requested, something affordable and low-key.”

The salesperson smiled and introduced himself. “You can call me Xiao Liu.”

“Hello,” Tang Ruan replied, looking at the young man.

The three of them walked further into the dealership. At this hour, there weren’t many customers, so Tang Ruan had plenty of options. After asking about her preferences, Xiao Liu recommended three models: a BMW, an Audi, and a Mercedes-Benz.

Among them, Tang Ruan favored the Mercedes-Benz C200. It wasn’t expensive by luxury car standards and wasn’t flashy. Most importantly, she genuinely liked its design. It was a car she had long dreamed of owning back when she couldn’t afford it.

But… nearly 400,000 yuan still felt expensive.

She turned to Ji Jing and hesitated. “It seems a bit pricey.”

Ji Jing: “…”

He glanced at the car. The design was indeed appealing, especially for women. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “What kind of car does your boss drive?”

“Huh?” Tang Ruan was momentarily taken aback before recalling, “I think it’s a BMW.”

“Then let’s get this one,” Ji Jing decided. “It’s not considered a luxury car. You’re a makeup artist—buying a car worth a few hundred thousand is perfectly normal.”

Tang Ruan: “…Are you sure that’s normal?”

“Normal.” Ji Jing turned to Xiao Liu and asked calmly, “How’s the safety rating?”

He had noticed how Tang Ruan’s eyes lit up when she saw this car compared to the others. After asking a series of questions, Ji Jing even had Tang Ruan test drive it.

When she finished the test drive, Tang Ruan made up her mind without hesitation.

She genuinely loved it. Even though she didn’t lack anything now, she still wanted to fulfill the small dreams she once had, one by one.

A series of formalities was completed in no time. Truly, having money makes everything easier.

–

When they returned home, Tang Ruan still found it hard to believe they had bought a car so quickly.

She glanced at the man walking beside her, hugged Ji Jing’s arm, and playfully said, “Thank you.”

Ji Jing paused in his steps, lowering his gaze slightly to look at her. “That’s it?”

Tang Ruan chuckled and patted his shoulder. “What else do you want?”

Despite her teasing tone, her actions were far more genuine—she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, expressing her gratitude directly. Ji Jing, naturally, wasn’t one to decline.

He held her and kissed her passionately in the courtyard for quite some time. When he finally pulled away, his voice was husky. “Let’s go inside.”

“Alright.”

…

Butler Li had timed dinner perfectly for their return and left the dining area as soon as they arrived. In the past, he would have stayed nearby to serve them, but now… he felt it unnecessary.

He also wasn’t interested in being subjected to their public displays of affection.

After dinner, Tang Ruan and Ji Jing went upstairs—one to the attic and the other to the study—to work separately.

–

Tang Ruan organized some documents from earlier in the day and refreshed her makeup. Feeling satisfied with her appearance, she went downstairs. She also edited a video she had filmed earlier. These days, she no longer uploaded a video daily but released one makeup tutorial per week. She had discovered that this approach kept her followers more engaged, as they seemed to appreciate her content more when it was less frequent.

After editing, she logged onto Weibo, uploaded the video to her drafts, and checked the feedback on her last post.

Tang Ruan rarely posted personal updates on Weibo—almost all her posts were makeup tutorials, often without a single caption, just concise videos. Despite this, she still received plenty of comments, including some tinged with envy or skepticism:

——”I just want to know why the blogger is slacking. It used to be one a day, and now it’s only one a week—totally not enough!”

——”OMG, the blogger is so gorgeous! I’m obsessed! Have you ever considered joining the entertainment industry?”

——”Knew it. She couldn’t keep it up. She’s probably just a spoiled rich girl playing around. Look at the brands she uses—nothing but high-end stuff.”

——”Not true! She also uses affordable products. Don’t talk nonsense if you didn’t pay attention.”

——”Ugh, I’m so envious of rich people. Even these videos feel like a casual hobby.”

——”Miss, your makeup video has a few areas that could use improvement.”

After scrolling through comments for a couple of minutes, Tang Ruan checked her private messages. Among them was the same person who had previously asked if she was interested in signing a contract to become an artist. They had sent her several more messages, even leaving their contact information again.

Tang Ruan was a little exasperated and replied simply: “Thank you, but I’m not interested.”

She didn’t expect her brief reply to cause such a stir.

---

Tang Ruan had just stepped out of the shower when she received a call from Cheng Mushi.

“Hello?”

Cheng Mushi’s excited voice rang in her ears. “Tang Ruan, you’re amazing!”

Tang Ruan, utterly confused, replied, “What did I do?”

“Did you turn down someone who wanted to sign you?”

“Yes,” Tang Ruan said, after thinking for a moment. “I’ve actually turned down more than one person.”

A bit speechless, Cheng Mushi said, “Don’t you even check who these people are before rejecting them?”

Tang Ruan answered confidently, “No matter who it is, I’ll still refuse. Why would I sign with anyone? Acting or whatever else wouldn’t suit me.”

Her only goals were to be a makeup artist and a wealthy individual.

Cheng Mushi sighed. “That’s not the point. Do you know the person you turned down tonight is a top talent agent? Check Weibo—I’ll send you the link.”

“Okay.”

–

The person Tang Ruan rejected was indeed a renowned talent agent in the entertainment industry. According to Cheng Mushi’s explanation, this agent was known for discovering stars who went on to achieve massive fame. He had launched four or five big-name celebrities who were now A-listers.

Whether models or actors, anyone this agent scouted was highly talented.

This time, he had stumbled across Tang Ruan’s videos online. Her appearance, he thought, would suit any role perfectly, so he decided to reach out. Using his verified account to contact her, he had expected at least a reply. Instead, Tang Ruan rejected him outright.

The first rejection might have been overlooked as a misunderstanding. But tonight, after her second dismissive “not interested,” the agent found her increasingly intriguing.

He couldn’t resist posting about it on Weibo, saying it was the first time in his career as a talent scout that he’d been so thoroughly stonewalled.

Although Tang Ruan wasn’t widely known, she had a modest fanbase on Weibo. A few followers recognized her and tagged her in the post, which quickly gained traction and made it to the trending topics.

Tang Ruan logged into Weibo and saw the agent’s account—he had over 5 million followers. This wasn’t just any agent; this was one of the best in the industry. Rumor had it his skills were unmatched, and everyone he selected became a sensation.

Now, countless users were tagging Tang Ruan, amazed at her audacity in turning him down multiple times. The buzz even drew new viewers to her videos.

That night, Tang Ruan’s online presence skyrocketed—

She had gone viral.

…

Cheng Mushi: “Any thoughts? Do you want to post something on Weibo to respond?”

Tang Ruan: “Respond to what? I don’t think there’s much to say.”

Cheng Mushi: “I’m mainly worried about the netizens’ reactions. There are so many people online with a bad temper who’ll start insulting others over the smallest disagreement.”

Tang Ruan: “Hmm… I don’t think I was rude or anything.”

Other than being a bit aloof and detached, she felt her attitude had been fine. Of course, that was her personal perception.

Cheng Mushi: “Of course, you didn’t do anything wrong. If you don’t want to respond, then don’t. It’s not a big deal.”

Tang Ruan: “Got it, got it. I’m going to find Ji Jing now, not checking Weibo anymore.”

Cheng Mushi: “…Must you always flaunt your relationship?”

Tang Ruan: “Let’s meet up this weekend for dinner.”

After sending the message, Tang Ruan headed to the study to look for Ji Jing. The moment she pushed the door open, she was met with his deep, penetrating gaze. She blinked, puzzled. “Wh…what’s wrong?”

Ji Jing stared at her, put his phone down, and said faintly, “My rivals just increased.”