Qiao Zixin hadn't drunk alcohol in a long time, and after only four or five glasses, she felt the effects of the alcohol and her head was spinning. She told Xu Zifan, who quickly instructed the assistant director and assistant to help entertain everyone and accompany Qiao Zixin outside to sober up. He had Qiao Zixin sit on a soft chair and said in a low voice, "You rest here first, I'll go ask the waiter for a bottle of water."
"Okay, sure." Qiao Zixin rested her chin on her hand on the coffee table, smiled and nodded at him.
Qiao Zixin watched Xu Zifan's departing figure and smiled again. Back in Xingchen Film Studio, the boss's wife had taken her in as a god-sister and often took her out to eat with many people. Although it was just to have her drink a few glasses of wine with the guests, she was exhausted from filming and still had to sit there drinking and smiling, sometimes even with a splitting headache, she couldn't show it. At the time, she thought her god-sister was her mentor, taking such good care of her, and she definitely couldn't let her god-sister down. Now, thinking about it, it's really funny. Her god-sister used to scold her for being arrogant, disrespectful, and offending people everywhere.
Now that Xu Zifan is here, things are different. She's become quite familiar with him without even realizing it. She feels very safe whenever he's around, and he always puts her needs first. It's wonderful that she met her true mentor and knight-like protector during the lowest point of her life. She's so lucky.
A waiter brought over a bottle of purified water and a glass, and said politely, "Ms. Qiao, Mr. Xu went to his car to get some hangover soup. He might need to heat it up in the kitchen. Please wait a moment. I'll be standing over there. If you need anything, just wave me."
"Okay, thank you." Qiao Zixin smiled, felt a little better after drinking half a glass of water, and took out her phone to play games while waiting for Xu Zifan.
"Xin Xin?"
Qiao Zixin felt the light was blocked, and when she looked up, she saw Liu Jie standing there with Lin Yan's arm in hers.
"Is it really you?" Lin Yan hadn't seen Qiao Zixin for months. Seeing that she looked completely different from how haggard she was after the breakup, looking so beautiful in a white t-shirt and jeans, he couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart. It seemed that she had become even more beautiful after their breakup. He did like Qiao Zixin, but he couldn't resist the temptation of his first love trying to win him back, and he made a mistake. After that, things spiraled out of control, and he could only continue down this path by chance, ending up like this with Qiao Zixin, and even marrying Liu Jie.
He felt guilty thinking about how Qiao Zixin's reputation had been ruined by Liu Jie, and said, "Xinxin, I saw today's trending topics. Is it true that you're going to film a movie directed by a new director? I heard it's a small investment, and besides you, it's all extras and students? Why would you take on a movie like this?"
Qiao Zixin glanced down at her watch and said casually, "No need for Mr. Lin to trouble himself, we're not acquainted."
Lin Yan frowned and said earnestly, "What's past is past. That's always been the way things are in the entertainment industry. There are no permanent friends or enemies. If you want to act, I can help you. Director Li recently asked me to play a supporting role in a film, and I can recommend you to audition for the third female lead. Director Li is a well-known director. As long as you act well, everyone will remember your good qualities and continue to ask you to act. That's much better than wasting your time acting in a film by an unknown director."
Lin Yan thought he was being sentimental and genuinely wanted to help his ex-girlfriend, but he didn't realize how condescending and arrogant she was when she spoke. He was once unknown, but after winning Qiao Zixin's heart, she frequently provided him with resources, introducing him to acting roles and commercials. Now, it was finally his turn to tell Qiao Zixin, "I can recommend you."
Qiao Zixin said impatiently, "Lin Yan, you've gotten more shameless in just a few months. I know all about how shamelessly you cheated on me and how insidiously your wife framed me. How dare you say these things in front of us? Don't you feel disgusted?"
Liu Jie gripped Lin Yan's arm tightly and said, "Qiao Zixin, don't make false accusations! Who framed you? Do you have any evidence?" She glanced around discreetly, only feeling relieved when she saw the waiters were too far away to hear their commotion. Then, seeing Qiao Zixin's pretty face, a flash of jealousy crossed her eyes, and she said angrily, "My husband was just trying to help you, and you not only don't appreciate it but also make sarcastic remarks. You're like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a kind heart. Honey, let's go. She's a big movie star; she doesn't need the help of us little people. Maybe she can even win the Best Actress award again with this low-budget film?"
Qiao Zixin leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "If you two like to play the good Samaritan, please do it somewhere else. Don't say it in front of me, it makes me want to vomit. If you see me in the future, please treat me like a stranger and don't greet me. Thank you."
Lin Yan was humiliated and his face was grim, but he was unwilling to leave in such a sorry state. Qiao Zixin was already down on her luck, so why was she still so disdainful of him? He stared at Qiao Zixin's stunningly beautiful face, and suddenly felt a surge of heat. He and Qiao Zixin had been dating for a year but hadn't even slept together. Now that Qiao Zixin was down on her luck, she still wanted to act. Did this mean he had a chance to keep her as his mistress? The thought of making Qiao Zixin his mistress made his anger impossible to suppress.
He turned to Liu Jie and said, "Go get the car first, I'll be right out."
Liu Jie was startled. "What are you staying for?"
"I have something to say to Xin Xin, at least apologize, go now!" Lin Yan frowned as he looked at Liu Jie, his expression already carrying an order.
Liu Jie pursed her lips, glared fiercely at Qiao Zixin, and stomped away in her high heels. Qiao Zixin frowned, opened her eyes, and looked at Lin Yan with disgust. "Aren't you going to get lost?"
Lin Yan straightened his suit, sat down in the chair opposite her, and smiled, "Xin Xin, you know I love you. Liu Jie is too scheming. She has something on me, and I have no choice but to listen to her. Otherwise, why would I marry a woman like her? Xin Xin, I still love you, and you love me too, right? Let's make up. I'll buy you a house as our home, and I'll take it with me every time I go on a business trip."
How are you?
Qiao Zixin picked up a glass of purified water, filled it to the brim, and then suddenly splashed the water into Lin Yan's face!
"Disgusting! You're not only shameless, you're utterly disgusting. Dating you was the most blind thing I ever did in my life!" Qiao Zixin turned and left, finding even a glance at him disgusting.
Lin Yan grabbed her wrist abruptly and said angrily, "Why are you acting like a shrew? Do you still think you're that high and mighty Actress Qiao? You're nothing but a stray dog! You've already lost everything, and if you want to climb back up, you still have to climb up in bed, right? What's the difference between sleeping in someone else's bed and sleeping in mine? Stop pretending to be so high and mighty!"
The commotion was so loud that a waiter in the distance sensed something was wrong and came over. At that moment, Xu Zifan also came over with a bowl of hangover soup. He saw Lin Yan, handed the soup to the waiter, and quickly stepped forward, grabbed Lin Yan's wrist, and pushed him forward.
Lin Yan felt a sharp pain in his wrist, and when he let go, he collapsed to the ground. Looking down, he saw that his wrist was already bruised. "Who are you? Waiter, call your manager. How can just anyone walk into the hotel?"
Xu Zifan's gaze swept over Qiao Zixin, and he asked in a low voice, "You didn't suffer any losses, did you?"
Qiao Zixin smiled and said, "No, if something had happened, I would have called someone already." Then she quietly told Xu Zifan what had just happened.
Xu Zifan then looked at Lin Yan and said coldly, "The hotel really shouldn't have let a mad dog like you in." He took out his wallet, took out a hundred yuan, and lightly threw it at Lin Yan's face, saying, "This is for your medical expenses to buy ointment. Remember to stay away from my artists in the future, or next time it won't just be a matter of your wrist."
"You! You're that agent/director, right?" Lin Yan stood up awkwardly, looking at Xu Zifan's tall and handsome figure, and suddenly realized, looking at Qiao Zixin with disdain, "No wonder you didn't agree to be with me, so you've got your eye on a gigolo. You're still so stupid that you only care about looks, without even thinking about what makes you likable. He's just playing with you, be careful not to get cheated out of your money and your body."
Xu Zifan glanced at him, and Lin Yan felt a chill run down his spine. He took two steps back in fear. "You, you can't hit me! The waiter is here. I can sue you."
Xu Zifan withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, "It seems you've been having too good a time, having time to bark here. You should find something to do." After he finished speaking, he left with Qiao Zixin and went straight back to the private room to give Qiao Zixin some hangover soup.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you there alone."
"It's okay, the security here is very good. Even if you hadn't come back, the waiter wouldn't have let him do anything to me. I didn't expect Lin Yan to be so shameless, but it felt so good to splash water in his face and yell at him just now." Qiao Zixin chuckled twice, clearly genuinely happy.
Xu Zifan smiled, went to the door to change his SIM card, and sent a message to a reporter group: "[Lijing Hot Pot Restaurant, Lin Yan soaked to the bone, arguing with Liu Jie in the car]"
Immediately, people nearby in the group said they wanted to join, so Xu Zifan put his phone away and continued drinking with everyone. He had searched for a long time and made connections to get into this group, joining anonymously and pretending to be a reporter as well. These reporters, although colleagues, only scouted big news. They would sometimes share smaller news with everyone, and occasionally, if they knew something but couldn't get it, they would privately message someone they knew to let them know, naturally receiving some benefits afterward. Xu Zifan joined the group as a precaution, but he didn't expect the first thing to happen to him would be this. It was actually quite good; he could teach Lin Yan a small lesson first, and then give him a big gift later.
Lin Yan was seething with anger. He asked the waiter for a towel to dry his hair, but it was still sticking wet to his forehead, and the front of his shirt was soaked. He hadn't been this embarrassed since Qiao Zixin made him famous, and most importantly, he felt insulted by an unknown director. He saw a message on his phone from Liu Jie saying that he had driven the car to the door, so he lowered his head and walked out quickly. As soon as he got into the car, Liu Jie exclaimed in surprise.
"What's wrong with you? Qiao Zixin splashed water on you? Why did she splash water on you? What did you say to her? Did you see her and still have feelings for her?" The more Liu Jie spoke, the more she felt something was wrong, and her voice became shrill, making Lin Yan even more irritable.
"Shut up! When did it become your business to ask questions about my affairs? Drive home!"
An inconspicuous junior reporter took pictures of all of this. The photos told a story. Seeing Lin Yan's angry and disheveled appearance and the tense atmosphere between Lin Yan and Liu Jie, the junior reporter laughed. The imaginative genius would definitely make up a very perfect story.