Ji Ling drove to the airport, but instead of going to the arrivals hall, he waited over at the parking lot.
He waited quietly, not in a rush, until a bit of noise started up in the distance and slowly came closer.
Ji Ling stepped forward.
Miss Zhong, surrounded by a crowd, walked out from the terminal. She had a coat draped over her shoulders, a plain shirt underneath, shorts, short boots, and a little handbag slung over her arm. The whole look was clean and comfy.
But the moment Ji Ling saw that bag, he knew it wasn’t cheap.
Her outfit looked simple, but it was camera-friendly. When it comes to celebrity airport appearances, there are only two kinds—either fully covered up and rushing to get out before anyone notices, or all dressed up with a photographer in tow, striking poses, meeting fans, and letting people snap pics to stir up some buzz online.
This time, Miss Zhong was clearly the second kind.
Her stage name was Zhong Mingwei. Ji Ling actually knew her real name too, but it was better not to bring that up. Ever since they chatted that day in City N, Ji Ling had kept in touch with her.
Not because he had any other intentions. It’s just that now that he worked in the entertainment business, it made sense to connect with more people in the industry.
Especially celebrities—they’re the face of the whole thing. The more you know, the easier things get.
When Zhong Mingwei spotted Ji Ling, her eyes lit up. She walked over to him and said, “Mr. Ji, you really came.”
Ji Ling smiled. “You asked me to play the host, so of course I came.”
Zhong Mingwei squinted with a smile. “I was just joking.”
Ji Ling came alone, which felt a bit sensitive. Zhong Mingwei glanced around. Most of the fans were stuck back in the terminal, but who knows if some reporters managed to sneak over. She suddenly asked, “Mr. Ji, you drove here, right?”
Ji Ling nodded toward the car behind him.
Zhong Mingwei turned to her assistant. “Put the luggage in the van, then come with me in Mr. Ji’s car. Everyone else can head out first—we’ll split up.”
The assistant hesitated. “Is that okay?”
Zhong Mingwei waved her hand. “It’s fine. Mr. Ji is very reliable.”
She and her assistant got into Ji Ling’s car and sat in the back. Ji Ling took the driver’s seat and glanced at Zhong Mingwei through the rearview mirror. She had already taken off her coat and put on sunglasses.
Ji Ling started the car, turned on the AC, and pulled out of the airport.
“Where to, Miss Zhong?” he asked once they were on the expressway.
Zhong Mingwei chuckled softly from behind her sunglasses. “Let’s just drive around a bit first. We can head to the hotel later. Didn’t you say you had something to talk to me about, Mr. Ji?”
Ji Ling thought, yep, still as sharp as ever.
But he wasn’t in a hurry. He just said, “No rush. Didn’t you say I should play the host? So, tell me—what do you feel like eating? Or is there somewhere you’d like to see?”
Zhong Mingwei, finally free from the cameras, dropped the polished act. She sounded a little tired as she said, “There’s no time for that. I’m here in S City for work, and my schedule’s already packed. So if you’ve got something to say, might as well say it now.”
Then, like she suddenly remembered something, she quickly added, “I’m not trying to sound impatient. I just don’t think we need to be so distant.”
Ji Ling smiled.
Off-camera, Zhong Mingwei wasn’t nearly as forceful as she seemed in public. She was polite, even gentle. When she said there was no need to be so formal, she really meant it—she saw Ji Ling as a friend.
Maybe it was because he reminded her so much of Zong Bolin from her memories. That alone made her trust him completely. Women really are mysterious creatures.
So Ji Ling decided to skip the niceties and got straight to the point. “It’s about that international movie you’re in.”
These past few years, a lot of big-name action films from overseas had started bringing in Asian faces for supporting roles, just to crack the market over here. Zhong Mingwei happened to be one of those faces this time.
“Ugh, it’s just a flower vase role,” Zhong Mingwei said with a sigh.
Ji Ling suddenly thought of that receptionist—being a flower vase isn’t as easy as it looks.
He said, “Plenty of people would kill to be a flower vase. It’s not like they give those chances to just anyone.” Foreign producers picking actors for the Chinese market always looked for someone young, good-looking, and popular. The fact that Zhong Mingwei fit the bill said a lot about her value.
“I’m really interested in the movie’s promo work here in China,” Ji Ling finally said what he came for.
Zhong Mingwei got it instantly. Sitting in the back, she thought for a second, then leaned forward a bit so she could talk more easily. “I did meet a lot of people on set. I can put in a few words for you, but I can’t promise anything.”
Ji Ling didn’t expect her to agree so quickly. He was a little surprised.
She seemed to pick up on that and said, “I told you, if I can help, I will. Plus…”—she grinned—“what if you make it big one day, Boss Ji? I’d never be able to get close to you again. Gotta lock in the friendship now while I still can.”
Ji Ling laughed. “No way, right now I’m the one trying to get close to you, Miss Zhong.”
Zhong Mingwei let out a sigh. “I mean it. You’re already someone the industry’s watching closely. People have their eyes on you, trying to cozy up.”
Ji Ling paused for a second.
Back when he was Zong Bolin, people were lining up to please him—he’d gotten used to it. But ever since he became Ji Ling, no one paid him much attention. He’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be flattered.
He kept his eyes on the road and joked, half to himself, “Come on… it’s not that serious.”
“A while ago, didn’t Yan Yixuan invest in you?” Zhong Mingwei said, smiling. “Everyone’s saying the Yan family is stepping into the entertainment world, and they threw you in first to test the waters—see how deep it goes.”
“……”
So, in the end, it still came back to Yan Yixuan.
They all saw him as the one leading the charge for Yan Yixuan, without realizing that Yan Yixuan never even planned on fighting the battle in the first place.
“You guys sure care a lot about this stuff,” Ji Ling replied.
Zhong Mingwei said, “The entertainment world watches the business world too—especially when someone like you shows up. You’re already working in media and entertainment. Everyone’s optimistic about you. They’re saying you’re the new rising star that the Yan family’s betting on.”
Ji Ling couldn’t help but laugh, though it was a little helpless. Since it was Zhong Mingwei, he explained patiently, “If Yan Yixuan really wanted to make money in entertainment, he’d start by buying out production companies. He wouldn’t waste time on a small-time promo company like mine.”
But Zhong Mingwei didn’t buy that. “Anyway, you’ve got the Yan family and Luo Tao backing you now. People in the industry have high hopes for you. So when you asked me to introduce you to the producers, I didn’t hesitate. With all the attention you’re getting lately, I think you’ve got a real shot.”
Ji Ling honestly didn’t know what to say.
In the end, it still came down to riding on Yan Yixuan’s coattails.
His thoughts twisted through a bunch of turns in just a few seconds. He couldn’t help but ask himself—why had he been so conflicted in the beginning?
And in the end, it all came back to the same place.
Zhong Mingwei was sharp. Even though she was sitting in the backseat, she picked up on something off in his silence. She quickly changed the subject and said, “I’m feeling kinda tired. Why don’t you just take me to the hotel?”
Ji Ling didn’t argue. He asked which hotel.
Zhong Mingwei told him the name.
“……”
Seriously?
What are the odds.
Ji Ling kept driving, trying to act normal as he pulled up to the hotel entrance. Zhong Mingwei even joked, “Mr. Ji, think you could get me a discount here?”
The hotel she was staying at? Yeah—it just so happened to be owned by the Yan family.
Yan Yixuan even had a suite on one of the upper floors. Ji Ling had been here more than a few times.
In fact, this was the place where he’d once come to ask Yan Yixuan for a loan. And somehow, that already felt like a lifetime ago.
It seemed like everyone liked staying at this hotel. Then again, Ji Ling had to admit—everything from the decor to the service really was flawless.
While Zhong Mingwei and her assistant were checking in, Ji Ling waited around in the lobby, bored out of his mind. He figured once they were all settled in, he’d thank her properly.
As he wandered around the lobby, he saw a group of men walk out from the elevator area. They were all suited up, clearly business types coming down from some meeting upstairs.
Right in the middle of that group, Ji Ling spotted Yan Yixuan.
He was smiling, shaking hands, saying goodbye to the others. After a bit, the group broke off, leaving just Yan Yixuan and a few managers standing behind.
Ji Ling watched as he glanced at his watch, then casually looked around—his gaze landed right on Ji Ling.
Their eyes met.
Ji Ling wondered: was he going to pretend not to see him, or would he actually come over and say hi?
Turns out, Yan Yixuan looked at him for a second, then turned to say a few words to the manager beside him, and started walking straight over.
“Mr. Ji,” Zhong Mingwei called just then. She’d finished checking in and was walking toward Ji Ling too.
Ji Ling looked at her first and said, “Thanks for all the trouble, Miss Zhong.” Then he turned to Yan Yixuan. “Young Master Yan, good to see you.”
It was only then that Zhong Mingwei and Yan Yixuan finally saw each other—and both of them looked a little surprised.
Zhong Mingwei was the first to react. “Hello, Mr. Yan.”
Yan Yixuan gave her a polite nod.
Ji Ling didn’t try to avoid Yan Yixuan’s presence at all. He just turned back to Zhong Mingwei and said, “I’ll count on you for that matter, Miss Zhong. If it works out, we might actually end up working together.”
Zhong Mingwei smiled. “You’re too polite, Mr. Ji. I’ll put in a word with the producers, but you’ll still have to reach out to them yourself. Whether it works out or not depends on your own effort.”
Ji Ling said, “Of course.”
While the two of them talked, Yan Yixuan just stood off to the side, completely silent.
Ji Ling didn’t include him in the conversation at all—like he wasn’t even there.
Even setting aside Yan Yixuan’s status and background—he owned the hotel they were standing in. Zhong Mingwei felt like it was a bit awkward to ignore him like that.
But she was way too sharp not to catch on. She picked up on the tension between Ji Ling and Yan Yixuan almost instantly, and thinking back to Ji Ling’s mood in the car, she quickly said, “I just got off the plane, I’m gonna head up and get some rest. Let’s talk later.”
Ji Ling nodded and said goodbye. As Zhong Mingwei turned to leave, she glanced back at the two men still standing there. There was something thoughtful in her eyes.
…Honestly, smart women could be scary sometimes.
Ji Ling watched her walk away, and a strange feeling crept in. It was weird—he actually felt kind of sorry. If things in their past life hadn’t gone the way they did, maybe he and Zhong Mingwei could’ve just been friends.
It felt like living life all over again—only this time, he saw things differently. About himself, about others. It gave him a chance to fix the things he’d gotten wrong with people.
“Did I interrupt something?” Yan Yixuan suddenly said, his tone light, almost lazy.
Ji Ling turned his head and saw that familiar half-smile on Yan Yixuan’s face.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
