Her Rose – Chapter 73

The moment Bai Ruo said the words “disciples of the same master,” she clearly saw Cheng Ying’s brows knit together, her eyes filled with a look that screamed, “You think you’re worthy?” and “Are you insane?”

She was still a little worried that Cheng Ying would blurt something out recklessly. After all, there were many people and prying eyes around. Cheng Ying might be shameless, but Bai Ruo still cared about her own reputation.

Besides, she would be here for a week. When Cheng Ying used to be her agent, she wasn’t always present. How could she worry about not finding an opportunity to speak with Jiang Hanguang alone?

With this in mind, she gave a slight nod to the omega, whose expression was polite yet distant. “Miss Jiang, you look even more beautiful in person than on television. No wonder Boss Cheng is so captivated. I only came to see you all today, with no ill intentions. Since Boss Cheng doesn’t welcome me, I’ll take my leave. Goodbye.”

Jiang Hanguang returned the courtesy politely. “As you wish.” After watching the other woman depart with her entourage, her gaze shifted back to Cheng Ying, who had been looking grim.

The alpha’s beautiful face was filled with displeasure. With a cold snort, she spat out two words, “What a jinx.”

Jiang Hanguang was speechless.

Just how deep was this grudge?

Jiang Hanguang was long past the age of getting needlessly jealous. She knew Cheng Ying had managed two artists and had been very dedicated to them, but she had never pried into what had happened between them. Whatever it was, it was in the past. If Cheng Ying didn’t bring it up, she wouldn’t deliberately ask.

Now, with Bai Ruo’s sudden appearance, Cheng Ying’s reaction had piqued her curiosity.

But curiosity was one thing; seeing the look on Cheng Ying’s face, Jiang Hanguang decided it was probably best not to ask.

On the drive back, Cheng Ying’s mind was preoccupied with the Feng’s matter, while also fuming over Bai Ruo’s appearance.

Before she met Jiang Hanguang, if someone had deliberately tried to disgust her, she would have just treated them like a puff of foul air and ignored them.

But now, she found her temper was growing shorter. She even began to regret how blind she had been in the past.

How could she have let someone like that be “from the same master” as Jiang Hanguang?

But after fuming by herself for a good while, she turned to see Jiang Hanguang in the passenger seat, resting peacefully with her eyes closed.

This was understandable; the non-stop filming schedule these past few days had been exhausting.

But Cheng Ying suddenly felt a little displeased.

So, Bai Ruo had been so arrogant, and she herself had been fuming for ages, yet the other party involved wasn’t the least bit upset?

Didn’t she know she was supposed to comfort her?

In that instant, a mischievous impulse seized Cheng Ying, and she reached out to pinch the woman’s delicate earlobe.

“Hmm?” Jiang Hanguang, who had been dozing off, was startled by the sudden, malicious disturbance. Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up straight, looking at the alpha beside her in confusion.

She saw the other woman staring at her resentfully. Although the expression was far from friendly, for some reason it reminded Jiang Hanguang of the way her old cat used to glare at her when it was angry.

A smile touched the corners of her lips. She reached out and ruffled Cheng Ying’s hair, her voice a little hoarse and filled with doting affection. “What’s wrong?”

Whenever she used that tone, Cheng Ying was completely defenseless. On one hand, she felt ashamed of her own pettiness; on the other, Jiang Hanguang’s voice tugged at her heartstrings. In the end, she could only sullenly squeeze out, “Aren’t you going to ask me what happened between me and Bai Ruo?”

Jiang Hanguang frowned slightly, seeming to understand why Cheng Ying was upset. She leaned closer to the alpha, looking gently into her eyes. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to talk about it.”

Because they were so close, Jiang Hanguang’s mirror-clear eyes reflected only the image of Cheng Ying.

It was utterly captivating, so Cheng Ying spoke almost without thinking, “There’s nothing about me that I can’t tell you.”

Once she realized what she’d said, she felt she had spoken too absolutely and could only add the next part in her mind.

Except for that secret I’ve been planning for ten years.

Jiang Hanguang’s face flushed slightly at her words, but she still adopted an attitude of respectful attention. “Then go ahead, I’m listening.”

Her earnest expression actually made Cheng Ying feel that Bai Ruo’s trivial affairs weren’t worth mentioning. But since the topic was already on the table, she could only explain concisely.

“Back when she wasn’t very well-known, she was almost forced into a ‘casting couch’ situation. I couldn’t stand the guy, so I stepped in and saved her…”

Jiang Hanguang nodded and smiled. “You did the right thing.”

Cheng Ying wore an expression as if recalling an unbearable past. “And then she begged to be with me.”

Jiang Hanguang was speechless.

If her understanding was correct, the meaning of “be with” was definitely not innocent. To think that the later-famous Best Actress Bai had gone through something like that.

Jiang Hanguang felt a pang of sympathy, but then she thought about the Bai Ruo of today and felt she was worrying for nothing. She raised an eyebrow, indulging in a rare bit of gossip. “So, you agreed?”

Cheng Ying jumped in her seat as if she’d been deeply insulted, raising her voice at Jiang Hanguang for a change. “Agreed, my ass! Am I that kind of person?”

Jiang Hanguang was speechless.

Cheng Ying said dejectedly, “…Alright, fine. Even if the reports paint me as that kind of person, don’t you know what I’m really like?”

The scope of that question was so broad that Jiang Hanguang instantly recalled the time she’d gotten drunk and made a move on Cheng Ying.

Her face grew redder, and her voice softened. “Yes, I know. You… have impeccable self-control. So, what happened next?”

Cheng Ying had never imagined a day in her life when she’d be associated with the phrase “impeccable self-control.” In a way, it was almost more insulting than being called a beast.

But doing anything about it now wasn’t realistic. She could only suppress her frustration and continue, “I didn’t agree. I just signed her and helped her become famous. Then one day, I went to her place to deliver a script and found her in bed with a well-known playboy heir from our circle. I terminated her contract on the spot. But by then, she had already latched onto a new cash cow, so naturally, she didn’t care. We just went our separate ways.”

After she finished, as if worried the reason for terminating the contract might be misunderstood, she added an unnecessary clarification, “I didn’t terminate her contract because of who she was sleeping with—that’s her freedom. It was because she lied to me. When there’s no basic trust between an artist and an agent, there’s no point in continuing to work together.”

There was one more thing she didn’t say. The reason she had been so eager to terminate the contract on the spot was that the scene on the bed had been so indecent it had inflicted irreparable damage on her supposedly tough nerves.

On one hand, she couldn’t comprehend how a human body could contort into such a position. On the other, it was simply too disgusting.

Jiang Hanguang imagined the scene and immediately felt that Cheng Ying had really had it rough. She leaned over and hugged the alpha, comforting her. “It’s okay. It’s all in the past.”

Pulled from her unpleasant memories by the woman’s warm embrace, Cheng Ying hugged her back, still feeling a little resentful. “She compared you to her today. That made me angry.”

Jiang Hanguang understood Cheng Ying’s feelings, but she just smiled. “Why does that matter? Don’t you know what I’m like?”

The very words Cheng Ying had used to defend herself moments ago now became the weapon the woman used to dispel the gloom in her heart.

She responded with a deep, “Mm.”

Yes, she knew better than anyone what kind of person Jiang Hanguang was. It wasn’t for outsiders to gossip about.

Jiang Hanguang was different from everyone else. She was her rose. She was the best.

---

The next two days were peaceful, likely because Cheng Ying guarded Jiang Hanguang like a dutiful watchdog, and Bai Ruo was genuinely worried about that merciless mouth of hers. So, Bai Ruo didn’t show up again.

This continued until Cheng Ying received a notification from Cheng Mantou on set, informing her that the matter she’d asked to be arranged was ready. However, the complex operations couldn’t be completed on her phone, so she had to go home.

Before leaving, Cheng Ying repeatedly warned Jiang Hanguang, “I’ll be back before filming ends. If Bai Ruo shows up, ignore her. That woman is just trying to get under your skin.”

Jiang Hanguang was amused by her earnest admonitions. “Alright, I’m not a child. With so many people here, what could she possibly do to me?”

Cheng Ying left, deeply worried. Sure enough, three hours later, during a break in filming, the entouraged Best Actress Bai graced the set with her presence once again.

Jiang Hanguang had a reasonable suspicion that she’d had someone watching them.

The other woman still had that same condescending air. “Miss Jiang, long time no see.” Then, as if feeling that was too polite, she added, “Boss Cheng is certainly attentive to you. When I was with her, she was running off every other day.”

Jiang Hanguang offered a polite smile and didn’t take the bait.

Cheng Ying had already told her to ignore Bai Ruo. Their principles were too different to find common ground, and Jiang Hanguang agreed there was no point in engaging.

Somehow, her attitude must have struck a nerve with Bai Ruo, who suddenly leaned in close, her voice low and tinged with mockery.

“We’re the same kind of person, you and I. Why must you act so high and mighty, Miss Jiang? Or do you not know Cheng Ying’s secret?”

Jiang Hanguang was speechless.

Who’s the arrogant one between the two of us? Wait, Cheng Ying’s secret?

Jiang Hanguang’s expression finally changed. And Bai Ruo, like a fighting cock after its first victory, said to the ever-present bodyguards, “I’d like to speak with Miss Jiang alone.”

Then, she looked at Jiang Hanguang with that same haughty expression. “Is Miss Jiang willing?”

The threat in her tone was heavy. Jiang Hanguang had no doubt that if she refused, the other woman would immediately broadcast Cheng Ying’s secret through a megaphone.

Jiang Hanguang didn’t know Cheng Ying’s secret, but she would never allow someone to hurt Cheng Ying in her presence.

Besides, she glanced at Xiao Xiao beside her, who looked righteously indignant and ready to arm-wrestle the towering bodyguards. She figured her own chances of winning a one-on-one fight against Bai Ruo were probably better.

Although she could have called the set’s security to escort the group out, that would create too much of a scene.

Jiang Hanguang thought for a moment. “Let’s go to the dressing room.”

Then she said to Xiao Xiao, “You wait outside. If I don’t message you in ten minutes, come in.”

Bai Ruo was quite dismissive of Jiang Hanguang’s on-guard posture. “Relax, Miss Jiang. I’m not going to lay a hand on you. Even though I’ve been retired from the industry for so long, my net worth is still higher than yours.”

Jiang Hanguang completely ignored her, which only further annoyed Bai Ruo, who was deliberately trying to get a rise out of her.

Thus, the moment the dressing room door closed, she couldn’t wait to drop Cheng Ying’s secret. “You should know… Boss Cheng can’t perform, can she?”

It took Jiang Hanguang three seconds to understand what “can’t perform” was referring to.

There was only one area that could really be considered a secret.

She stared with an uncomprehending expression at Bai Ruo, who looked as if she had just revealed a major secret and was waiting for her enemy’s psychological defenses to crumble.

Putting aside how there was nothing to be proud of in bringing up such a matter, and taking a huge step back, when it came to whether Cheng Ying could perform or not, no one knew better than she did.

Jiang Hanguang briefly recalled the precious memory of Cheng Ying crying and begging for her touch. Although she had no experience with other alphas, Cheng Ying’s size… there was no way it could be classified as “unable to perform.”

Jiang Hanguang’s expression, a mixture of disgust and shock, clearly led Bai Ruo to believe she had successfully breached her enemy’s defenses. She continued smugly, “Since you’re her girlfriend, you can’t possibly not know, right? An omega like you with an alpha who can’t perform—you must be after her money. The only difference between you and me is that the person you found isn’t as good as mine.”

Jiang Hanguang automatically filtered out Bai Ruo’s slander and zeroed in on the more pertinent question. “How do you know… she can’t perform?”

Bai Ruo snorted. “I was her artist for much longer than you have been. Don’t be fooled by her arrogant act. In reality, every time an omega came on to her, she’d find all sorts of excuses to flee. I gave her plenty of hints, both obvious and subtle, and she always played dumb. If that’s not being unable to perform, what is?”

Seduction failed, so love turned to hate?

Jiang Hanguang’s brain automatically summarized Bai Ruo’s meaning, then she immediately shook her head, flinging the terrible thought a million miles away. She then made a difficult attempt to correct the other woman’s warped thinking. “Have you never considered that she might just… not be interested in you… people?”

This well-intentioned comment was like a lit match to a firecracker. Bai Ruo could no longer maintain her cold and noble facade. Through gritted teeth, she said, “It seems Miss Jiang is quite confident in her own charms, then?”

Jiang Hanguang was almost instinctively modest. “No, I…”

She just genuinely knew that there was nothing wrong with Cheng Ying.

However, before she could finish, she was cut off by a rapid-fire barrage. “Aren’t all alphas the same? They get a whiff of pheromones and go into heat like dogs! Is Cheng Ying so much nobler than everyone else? I all but had ‘take me’ written on my face, and she was still completely indifferent. She’s not normal!”

Jiang Hanguang rubbed her temples. She was discovering that communicating with someone whose values were so fundamentally different was an exhausting task. She really should have listened to Cheng Ying and ignored this person.

If she had known the “secret” was something like this, she never would have come in here.

Bai Ruo was enraged by her “I can’t be bothered to talk to people like you” expression. She grabbed Jiang Hanguang by the collar, her smile uglier than a madwoman’s. “Don’t tell me you two are in some kind of noble Platonic love? Right, with an alpha who can’t perform, all you can do is… Hiss!”

Before she could finish, she was cut off by a sharp pain in her arm.

Jiang Hanguang’s hand was clamped tightly around her wrist, yanking her hand away from her collar. Jiang Hanguang’s face was colder than ever, but her words remained restrained.

“Have you said enough? Regardless of what Cheng Ying is or isn’t, it’s clear from your own words that she never did anything inappropriate to you. In fact, she helped you when you were in dire straits. Not only are you not grateful, but you’re slandering your former benefactor over your own petty, unsuccessful schemes, endlessly repeating these baseless fantasies. Do you have any sense of shame at all?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiang Hanguang flung Bai Ruo’s hand away and headed for the dressing room door.

Thrown aside, Bai Ruo stared in disbelief at the woman’s retreating back, which held not a hint of hesitation. The rage of having her hidden thoughts so abruptly exposed rushed to her head.

She lunged recklessly at Jiang Hanguang, like a crazed beast that had lost all reason, wanting only to tear the person before her to shreds.

This wild lunge was deftly dodged by Jiang Hanguang, who had been wary of an attack from behind. But Bai Ruo paid no heed and lunged again, trying to grab and pull at her.

To avoid having to trouble the makeup artist to cover up scratches on her face for the rest of the shoot, Jiang Hanguang had no choice but to grab Bai Ruo’s wrists and pin her against the wall. She was thoroughly angered by the other woman’s unreasonable attacks, but most importantly, Bai Ruo was still spewing filthy curses about Cheng Ying.

At that moment, Jiang Hanguang felt both indignant and angry on Cheng Ying’s behalf.

“Shut up!” she snapped with a frown. Feeling her words lacked impact, she was overcome with anger and blurted out, “I know better than you do—she’s more than capable!”

As the two were shoving each other, the dressing room door was thrown open. Cheng Ying burst in, shouting “Hanguang” as she entered.

And then she froze.

What was going on?