Jiang Mian hadn't expected the man's intuition to be so accurate.
More importantly, he had genuinely stayed to watch with her.
Clearing her throat to change the subject, she wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling him affectionately. Her voice was sleepy, "I'm a bit tired."
Ji Zhixiu looked down at her, turned off the TV, and carried her upstairs, "Go get some rest."
Jiang Mian slept soundly.
The quilt was incredibly warm, so comfortable she didn't want to get up.
She strained her ears, faintly hearing the sound of typing at the desk outside the black and white screen.
But the sound was very soft and light.
The light-colored, heavy curtains were drawn, creating an inexplicably serene atmosphere.
Vaguely, she felt a sense of the approaching evening.
She fumbled for her phone on the bedside table and saw it was already one in the afternoon.
Then she heard the man's deliberately lowered voice.
It was light and distant, likely him discussing business with someone in French, a language Jiang Mian didn't understand.
Meanwhile, from under the covers, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through Weibo.
Suddenly, the blanket above her head was lifted, and the man's concerned voice rang out, "You're awake? How are you feeling now?"
Jiang Mian felt a little guilty, quickly putting away her phone. Her voice was thick with sleepiness, "Much better, not feeling so uncomfortable."
However, there was still a dull ache in her lower abdomen, making her reluctant to get out of bed.
"Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?"
Jiang Mian shook her head. The bowl of noodles from the morning had been quite filling, and she wasn't hungry at all.
She sat up in bed, "Can you open the curtains?"
Ji Zhixiu pulled open the curtains.
The afternoon sun streamed in, casting a golden glow over the entire room.
Jiang Mian couldn't help but yawn.
Ji Zhixiu turned back to look at her, "Did I wake you?"
Jiang Mian tilted her head up, "No."
On the contrary, his voice gave her a sense of security.
Ji Zhixiu walked back and kissed the top of her head, "Good girl. Since you're awake, I'll go to the study for a meeting."
Jiang Mian watched him leave and, feeling bored, opened her phone.
As soon as she opened WeChat, she saw a message from Night Wing.
Night Wing: [Look at Weibo.]
Jiang Mian opened Weibo and took a look.
She saw Luo's Entertainment trending.
Southern Entertainment v: [Luo's upcoming new project for next year is here~ This time, it's said to be a brand new original script co-created by several screenwriters. According to President Luo, it's a very different Xianxia drama. The female lead is currently undecided, but the male lead has been confirmed, @Jingzhou. The production team claims to be very optimistic about Jingzhou and believes this drama can change the public's perception of him. Are you all looking forward to it?]
[Uh, won't the female lead still be Shen Tingyu?]
[Jingzhou has always been great! Looking forward to it!]
[Luo's productions are always top-notch.]
[Quite looking forward to it.]
Jianbing Entertainment v: [Jingzhou has accepted Luo's invitation; previous discussions about collaborating with Colorful Flower have fallen through.]
[Between the two, even a fool would choose Luo's.]
[Ah, this... I was actually looking forward to him collaborating with Jiang Mian.]
[Jingzhou's acting shouldn't drag down Jiang Mian and Liang Qiao.]
Jiang Mian scanned through the posts and understood.
It was simply that Jingzhou had been in talks with Colorful Flower while also making arrangements with Luo's.
In the end, he agreed to Luo's, stabbing Colorful Flower in the back.
Since his company had contacted him, he would have had some understanding of the drama "Nine Glazed Pearls."
He knew it was Colorful Flower's most important project for the following year.
Choosing Luo's was fine, but stringing Colorful Flower along was truly disgusting.
It had wasted valuable time.
And Luo's Xianxia drama seemed to be challenging Colorful Flower head-on.
Jiang Mian frowned and replied to Night Wing.
Jiang Mian: [Do you have any other male lead options for "Nine Glazed Pearls"? Is there still time?]
Night Wing: [We never intended to use Jingzhou.]
Jiang Mian: [?]
Night Wing: [I received this news a while ago. Luo Fei had already approached him privately. I've contacted others too.]
Jiang Mian: [Then I worried for nothing.]
Night Wing: [Why would you say that?]
Jiang Mian: [Who is the male lead?]
Night Wing: [An acquaintance.]
Jiang Mian had a flash of insight: [Ling He?]
Night Wing: [Yes, we're still negotiating. You don't need to worry about this.]
Jiang Mian was relieved. He was indeed an acquaintance.
On Friday afternoon, the two arrived at the old Ji family residence on time.
Mother Ji was playing mahjong in the living room with Mother Lu and Mother Chang.
Seeing Ji Zhixiu bringing Jiang Mian back, none of them showed any surprise. Mother Chang, however, rubbed her hands together and said, "This must be Mian Mian, right?"
Mother Lu smiled, "The character Concubine Le in 'Locked Heart Legend,' that was you, wasn't it?"
Jiang Mian nodded obediently, "Yes, Auntie."
"Oh my! Then tell us quickly! Who is her sister in the end?"
"Is Consort Ying good or bad?"
"Is the Emperor really the heroine's childhood sweetheart?"
The three women pushed their mahjong tiles aside and bombarded Jiang Mian with questions, staring at her expectantly.
It had to be said, the TV series was incredibly captivating.
They watched it every night.
But it only updated two episodes around seven in the evening, which was agonizing.
Mother Ji coughed, "I'm also a bit curious..."
Jiang Mian subtly directed a pleading gaze towards Ji Zhixiu.
Ji Zhixiu put his arm around Jiang Mian's shoulders, glanced down, and casually said, "Auntie Lu, with another eight tile, wouldn't you win?"
"Oh, it seems so!"
"No, he doesn't get a say!"
"Go on, go on, Zhixiu. A true gentleman doesn't comment on games; don't disturb us playing mahjong!"
While the women were talking, Ji Zhixiu led Jiang Mian upstairs.
Jiang Mian curved her lips, "It's a good thing I have you."
She hadn't expected those aunts to ask her such questions; they seemed quite friendly.
"Those women just now were Mother Lu's, Mother Chang's, and an old classmate of my mother's," Ji Zhixiu explained.
Jiang Mian understood, no wonder they weren't surprised to see her with Ji Zhixiu.
"I didn't realize you knew how to play mahjong," Jiang Mian said teasingly.
"I've watched my mother play a few times. Do you want to play?" Ji Zhixiu raised an eyebrow. "During New Year's, Mom plays mahjong almost every day, she might even play with you."
"But I don't know how," Jiang Mian whispered, she only knew how to play some card games.
Ji Zhixiu pinched her nose, his tone casual, "It's fine, I'll teach you. If you lose, it's on me. If you win, it's yours."
Jiang Mian's lips curved upwards, "Okay."
After chatting upstairs for a while, a servant called them down for dinner.
After not seeing him for a while, Ji Zhilan seemed much quieter.
He ate his meal silently and went upstairs after finishing.
Mother Ji instructed a servant to serve Jiang Mian a bowl of soup, "Try it."
Jiang Mian responded.
Then she heard Ji Zhilan's footsteps upstairs grow heavier.
After dinner, the elder Ji called Ji Zhixiu into his study.
Mother Ji and Jiang Mian watched TV in the living room.
Jiang Mian peeled a mandarin and gave half to Mother Ji. Mother Ji took it, staring at the television, "It's acted well."
She said it as if it were an offhand remark.
Jiang Mian almost thought she had misheard.
The corners of her lips turned up, "Thank you, Mom."
Mother Ji watched intently, saying nothing.
...
Luo's.
Luo Fei tapped his finger on the desk and asked his assistant, "Has the cooperation with Jingzhou been signed yet?"
"It's signed, President Luo. We've also briefed the marketing accounts, and all the press releases will be according to our requirements."
Luo Fei narrowed his eyes slightly, "Good. Keep a close eye on Colorful Flower and see what their next move is."
He wanted to see how Colorful Flower would compete with him.
For the new drama, he intended to completely crush Colorful Flower from start to finish.
"By the way, what about the matter I asked you to investigate?"
The assistant hesitated for a moment, "Jiang Mian's records are very clean, nothing out of the ordinary. The only unusual thing might be that she was raised by her grandmother since she was young."
"Parents?"
The assistant shook his head, "Unknown. No records found. Basically, no information."
Luo Fei frowned, "Put that aside for now. Investigate the president of Colorful Flower."
He had a feeling he had seen him somewhere before.
It just wouldn't come to him immediately.
"Yes, President Luo. Also, there's a banquet tonight. Night Wing of Colorful Flower is also on the guest list."
Luo Fei said regretfully, "Not today. Can you arrange a private meeting with him?"
Tonight was the Luo family's reunion dinner, and he had to attend.
The assistant nodded, "Then I'll schedule it for you tomorrow evening at seven."
Luo Fei stood up, "I'm heading back."
Luo Fei didn't return too late.
But he was the last one to arrive.
Madam Luo sat in the main seat, her smile not reaching her eyes. "It seems you're very busy, making the whole family wait for you at a reunion dinner."
She was over forty, but her attire and makeup were meticulously done, giving her an imposing presence.
However, a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes betrayed her age.
With that, Madam Luo turned and said, "Let the dishes be served."
Elder Luo did indeed harbor some dissatisfaction with this son and remained silent.
Luo Fei sat at the lower end of the table, lowering his head to hide the fleeting glint in his eyes. He looked up again to explain, "I've been busy with the new project. I've already submitted the quarterly financial reports to Dad."
Upon hearing about the company, Elder Luo's attitude softened. "Yes, I've seen it. There's improvement compared to last quarter. You don't need to overwork yourself; pay attention to your health."
Luo Fei inwardly sneered at the sudden shift in his father's demeanor.
He remained outwardly calm, laid his napkin, and said, "Dad, didn't you assign the overseas market expansion to Big Brother? How is Big Brother doing? Does he need any help? I don't know much, but I've had more exposure to company affairs than Big Brother, so I should be able to lend him a hand."
Luo Yang was playing a game on his phone, immersed in his own world with his headphones on.
Elder Luo looked over at the sound, his brow furrowing slightly.
Madam Luo, seeing the situation, tapped the table. "Yang Yang, it's time to eat!"
Just as he finished his game, Luo Yang impatiently took off his earphones and threw down his phone. "Why the rush? You didn't let me eat when I wanted to earlier, and now you're rushing me."
He glanced at the dishes on the table and said imperiously, "I want to eat that."
Madam Luo gave him a subtle look, and a servant behind him leaned in to serve him food.
Luo Yang seemed to notice Luo Fei opposite him for the first time and scoffed, "Were you talking to me just now?"
"I was asking if Big Brother needed any help." He said sincerely.
Luo Yang let out a cold laugh. "You think you're someone? What help could you possibly offer me? Do I need your help? You're just an illegitimate son. It's my mother's grace that you can even sit at this table, and you dare to try and lecture me?"
Luo Yang became increasingly agitated as he spoke. If it weren't for Luo Fei's presence...
His mother wouldn't have forced him to do things he disliked.
It was all so annoying!
And lately, Jiao Jiao had been indifferent to him!
Her words implied that he was not as capable as Luo Fei, his brother, who held power.
Luo Fei, this illegitimate son, deserved to be compared to him? What a joke.
Luo Yang raised his chin, his eyes full of contempt, not taking him seriously at all. "Did you hear me?"
Elder Ji ate his meal with a calm expression.
The servants by his side performed their duties, none daring to speak.
Madam Luo picked up her chopsticks and chewed slowly, a mocking smile on her lips.
Luo Fei maintained a poker face and smiled, "Big Brother has misunderstood my intentions. I just wanted to kindly help Big Brother. Since Big Brother doesn't like it, then consider it unsaid."
He changed the subject, "Since Dad assigned it to Big Brother, and some time has passed, I wonder if Big Brother has finished the plan? I'd also like to see it for learning purposes."
He inwardly sneered. Luo Yang, this good-for-nothing, only knew how to frequent bars, chase women, and play games. The words "plan" would be lucky to be written down.
And he dared to dream of leading the overseas market? Utterly ridiculous!
Hearing this, Luo Yang felt a bit uncomfortable. He had almost forgotten that his mother had asked him to prepare a plan.
Madam Luo saw her son's guilt immediately and tapped the table with her chopsticks as a warning, "Alright, silence while eating."