The interruption of their intimate moment left Ling Yuchen with a scowl.
Only after hearing the door close did Xia Wantang pull away from Ling Yuchen's embrace.
She covered her face, directly pushing away his arms that held her, and ran to the restroom without daring to look up.
She was too embarrassed to face him.
This man was truly ridiculous, not even knocking.
Seeing her reaction, Ling Yuchen chuckled helplessly.
Young girls were so shy; this was all that scoundrel Situ Jun's fault.
He glared towards the door and roared, "Get in here, and don't you dare leave."
Situ Jun had already fled; he wouldn't dare to linger.
Leaving Tengkong Group, he secretly felt a surge of relief.
Fortunately, he had escaped quickly, otherwise, Ling Yuchen would have definitely beaten him to death.
One was his sister, the other was Ling Yuchen.
These two were his nemeses.
Thank goodness they weren't together; otherwise, he'd be subjected to constant joint attacks.
Getting into his flashy red sports car, he muttered, "This guy is such a closeted pervert. What a 'continent president,' bullshit. He plays around more than I do, and he's even having an office romance. The kiss was so passionate..."
He had no more energy for play.
Situ Jun thought for a moment, then took out his phone and dialed Jiang Zexi.
As soon as the call connected, Jiang Zexi replied impatiently, "What do you want?"
This guy was too restless, so he couldn't muster a pleasant tone.
Situ Jun complained, "It's all Ling Yuchen's fault. That guy..."
Before he could finish complaining, he heard from the other end of the line:
"Zexi Gege, my agent just called. She said she'll arrange work for me as soon as possible."
"Zexi Gege?"
"Agent?"
Situ Jun couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy crap, am I..."
Before he could finish, the line went dead. The call had been hung up by the other party.
Situ Jun irritably tossed his phone onto the passenger seat.
These people, one after another, what kind of rotten luck had he encountered...
And "Zexi Gege"...
...
Jiang Zexi hung up the phone, his gaze turning tender as he looked at the newcomer.
Xia Wanfu was wearing a beige knee-length dress, her long hair cascading smoothly down her back, exuding an air of dignity and ladylike grace.
She apologized, "Were you on the phone? Did I interrupt you?"
"It's fine, an unimportant call."
Jiang Zexi looked her up and down, his eyes growing increasingly gentle.
"You look beautiful like this."
Just like her.
Xia Wanfu's cheeks flushed crimson. She lowered her gaze, pursed her lips, and gently tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear.
"It would be even better if your hair was a little longer." Xia Wantang's hair, in contrast, only reached a little below her shoulders.
Xia Wanfu's eyes sparkled as she asked him, "Do you like long hair?"
"Mm."
Jiang Zexi softly responded and slowly walked to Xia Wanfu's side.
He gently touched her hair, then hooked his finger, twirling it around his index finger.
"Hair that reaches the waist, untouched by dye or perm, is very beautiful."
Gazing at the black, smooth strands on his fingertip, Jiang Zexi's brow was filled with delight.
He lowered his head, bringing it close to his nose.
But he frowned slightly.
It was the scent of gardenias.
Xia Wanfu, anticipating and pleased by his closeness, felt a pang of awkwardness upon seeing his frown.
She had just washed her hair; was there something wrong with it?
Just as she was about to ask for details, she heard Jiang Zexi say, "It would be better if it smelled of jasmine."
"Do you like jasmine?"
Jiang Zexi didn't answer. He simply gently caressed her cheek, then turned and walked back to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring intently outside.
Xia Wanfu took two steps forward and followed his gaze outwards.
Outside the window stood a large tree, and beneath it, an old swing.
She noticed that Jiang Zexi seemed to enjoy being there a lot, often staring out the window in a daze.
At that moment, her phone chimed with a message notification.
It was from her agent, Sister Zou.
This Sister Zou, Zou Meixia, was thirty-seven years old.
She was a golden agent at Jiaxing Entertainment, having managed many big stars.
Even the award-winning actress Bai Bingbing had been her artist.
However, she hadn't managed newcomers for many years.
She had sent over her recent work schedule.
Due to her high status at Jiaxing, the resources she commanded were excellent.
But Xia Wanfu was a newcomer, so she could only take on minor supporting roles at first, characters with limited screen time.
However, she chose roles that were memorable, roles that truly tested acting skills.
Typically, these were characters that were either incredibly hateful or evoked deep sympathy. Although not the main roles, they easily made an impression on the audience.
An agent and an artist achieved mutual success.
The opportunity was given; it was up to Xia Wanfu to seize it.
Xia Wanfu opened the document.
She had been offered three roles.
The first was a cannon fodder role in a historical drama – the male lead's naive and detestable cousin, whose dialogue was full of passive aggression. She wouldn't appear for long but would be intensely disliked.
The second was in a modern drama, playing a mistress who shamelessly seduced the male lead. Her most classic line was that she didn't mind being a second wife as long as she could be with him, her actions completely disregarding moral principles.
The third was in a palace intrigue drama, as the loyal servant by the female lead's side. Her character was perfect and well-loved. She had limited scenes but resolutely chose to take the blame when the female lead was plotted against by the antagonist, ultimately dying tragically in prison.
These three dramas were scheduled to begin filming around the same time, and she could choose at most two.
Xia Wanfu chose the first and the last.
Playing too many villainous roles could limit her future acting range.
This was a good start. As a new actor, her salary wouldn't be high, but that didn't matter. The most important thing now was to take the first step.
This was the convenience of having a "backdoor."
If she had to forge her own path, not only was it uncertain if she could find a capable agent,
but just to get screen time, she would have to constantly attend auditions and casting calls everywhere. Not only would it be difficult to get through, but she might not even land the roles she desired.
If it were in the past, she could have pursued it without worry.
But not now; she couldn't afford to fail, absolutely not.
She sent her choices to Sister Zou, who quickly replied.
Xia Wanfu's choices were similar to what she had anticipated. Sister Zou then sent the scripts and lines, asking her to attend an audition in three days.
This was a small test. If Xia Wanfu completely lacked talent, she wouldn't be able to secure these roles.
As long as her acting skills were up to par, these roles would be hers.
Time flew by, and night fell.
Ling Yuchen brought Xia Wantang back to Linglu Mountain.
Xia Wantang had wanted to return to her apartment, but Ling Yuchen refused, stating it was no longer safe there.
On the way, Xia Wantang couldn't help but say, "Linglu Mountain is too far, it's inconvenient. I prefer living in the apartment."
"Living in the city makes you easy to track. If your residence is exposed, it's very dangerous."
Living in the suburbs, far from the hustle and bustle, would at least be safer, and generally, people couldn't access Linglu Mountain easily.
Xia Wantang dismissed it, "How can it be that exaggerated..."
"Madam, it's best to listen to the President."
Han Xiao said, staring intently ahead, "Miss Shen was once kidnapped and ended up losing her life to the thugs. She lived in a high-end residential complex, and there were security guards on patrol at night."