"It's fine, Mom shouldn't have to worry about these trivial matters," Jiang Mian said sincerely, her every "Mom" sweetening the elder's heart.
Mother Ji sighed inwardly, wishing Lan was as obedient as she was.
"Alright, you can go back now," she waved her hand, her face displaying a hint of disdain.
Jiang Mian exited the room, gently closing the door behind her.
...
Returning to Xiushui Villa, Little Fish Dried eagerly nuzzled against her. The thought of not seeing this little guy for days once she joined the crew made Jiang Mian wish she could carry him around in her pocket.
Ji Zhixiu's gaze was fixed on her, the reports on his computer completely ignored.
Suddenly, he stood up. "I'm going to the study."
Jiang Mian didn't even look up, one arm around Little Fish Dried and the other adjusting her phone. "You go ahead."
Seeing her unfazed, a deep emotion flickered in the man's eyes as he ascended the stairs.
Aunt Song emerged from the kitchen. "Young Madam, this is the tea Master just asked me to brew."
Jiang Mian released Little Fish Dried and smiled. "I'll take it."
She accepted the teacup and walked to the study door, knocking softly.
"Enter," the man said in a low voice.
"Mr. Ji, here is the tea you ordered. Is there anything else you need?" Jiang Mian placed the teacup down and flashed him a toothy smile.
Ji Zhixiu's gaze lingered on her, a hint of pleasure crossing his brow. "Come here."
Jiang Mian complied, walking over, only to be abruptly pulled into his embrace.
Jiang Mian's eyes darted as she playfully glared at him. "What are you doing?"
The young girl's voice was coquettish, like a kitten's claw scratching at his heart.
Ji Zhixiu's large hand encircled her waist. Their eyes met, and the temperature in the room rapidly escalated. Soon, the man's cold lips pressed against hers, prying open her teeth and entering with unrestrained passion.
Ji Zhixiu, like a sharp beast, attacked ferociously, wantonly drinking the sweetness from her mouth.
The man grew dissatisfied with their current position. He gripped Jiang Mian's soft waist with one hand and pressed her against the desk. Jiang Mian was forced to arch her snow-white neck, yielding to him.
The documents on the desk were casually swept to the floor, making no sound on the plush carpet.
The passionate embrace remained undisturbed.
It wasn't until an ashtray fell, landing with a muffled thud on the carpet, that the man released her. His long fingers traced Jiang Mian's delicate butterfly bones.
Jiang Mian's face flushed, her breathing uneven, her tongue feeling a bit numb.
If not for the man's strong grip on her waist, she would have likely collapsed to the floor from weakness.
"Something... fell..." Jiang Mian reminded him, her breath still unsteady.
The man, who had gained a measure of satisfaction, remained unmoved. The corners of his eyes, flushed with arousal, held a hint of desire, making him look even more captivating.
"Mm," he responded, unconcerned. "Don't worry about it."
"Shall we do it again?" he asked, his voice husky and incredibly sexy.
Jiang Mian's gaze followed the fallen object on the floor, and her heart suddenly felt a moment of suffocation.
Her recently heated heart felt as if it had been doused with a basin of cold water. The chill spread to her limbs.
She reluctantly shifted her gaze, pushing Ji Zhixiu away. The man frowned, confused. "What's wrong?"
Jiang Mian picked up a pink hair tie from the floor. "Why is this in your study? I've never used anything like this."
The last time she saw it, Jiang Mian could pretend not to notice.
This time, she wanted an explanation.
The sweet atmosphere dissipated, leaving Jiang Mian calm. However, a barely perceptible tremor ran through her fingertips.
Would this man offer an explanation?
Ji Zhixiu enveloped her hand with his palm, took the hair tie from her, placed it on the table, kissed Jiang Mian's forehead, and said in a voice devoid of any unusual inflection, "It belongs to a friend, a little friend."
Jiang Mian raised her hand to cover her eyes, not wanting him to see the tears welling up. What kind of explanation was this?
She choked out, "You keep a little girl's hair tie around? Are you a pervert?"
Ji Zhixiu paused, then smiled faintly, neither refuting nor denying. "A little friend gave it to me a long time ago. It was very cute, and I couldn't bear to refuse it."
"Really?" she asked.
"When have I ever lied to you?" Ji Zhixiu countered with a hint of helplessness.
He brushed her hand away. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were red, brimming with tears, enough to stir anyone's heart.
The man's eyes were full of indulgence. He said gently, "Why are you crying?"
"I'm unhappy," Jiang Mian mumbled, her voice carrying a hint of petulance and a clear nasal tone.
Ji Zhixiu held her close, drawing a tissue to wipe her cheeks, his movements as meticulous as if he were caring for a child.
The tenderness in his eyes was mesmerizing. His voice, deep and magnetic, said, "Baby, I only love you."
Jiang Mian's tear-drenched eyes were clear. She licked her lips, her request becoming more demanding, "Say it again!"
The man leaned close to her ear, his warm breath fanning her skin, his voice clear and soft, yet distinct enough for Jiang Mian to hear.
"From beginning to end, I have only ever loved Jiang Mian."
It would be a long, long time before Jiang Mian truly understood the meaning of his words.
For now, the man's tenderness soothed away all of Jiang Mian's apprehension and unease.
She leaned forward and kissed Ji Zhixiu's cool, thin lips, responding with passion.
...
The film "Class Three of Senior High" extended its release to late April.
By then, Jiang Mian had been filming in Nanshi for half a month.
She had already adapted to the new environment, having suffered from initial discomfort.
This was an old rural village with no hotels for the actors.
The nearest hotel was in a town far away. Fearing the hassle of gathering everyone, the director had rented out several villagers' houses instead.
The villagers quoted fair prices, and the director's payment was an extra income for them, so everyone cooperated willingly.
At that moment, Li Zhuyi sat on a low stool, reading out achievements to Jiang Mian. She concluded, "Sister, you've truly done a great job with this movie!"
Jiang Mian scrolled through her phone, unable to find a signal. She sighed.
Then, she looked up and said, "The next one will be even better!"
"Nine Heavens Immortal" had already started airing. Although she was a guest star with limited screen time, the drama was incredibly popular. Even in this remote village with underdeveloped networks, young girls were engrossed in watching it on their phones.
Jiang Mian felt that if the subsequent plot of this drama didn't falter, Ling He and Zhao Xinxin would surely reach new heights because of it.
Speaking of which, she wondered how that girl was doing.
Li Zhuyi stood up as she spoke, found a lighter on the wooden table, lit a mosquito repellent coil, and placed it by the bed.
When they first arrived, she had nearly been poisoned by the mosquitoes.
The bites were all large, red, and itchy. Fortunately, the villagers were hospitable and provided many herbal remedies for compresses.
Now, Li Zhuyi had learned her lesson. Whenever she went out, she made sure to close the door curtain. She avoided opening the window screens as much as possible, as opening them invariably allowed insects to fly in.
In her half a month with the crew, she had already killed four centipedes.
"Ah, it would be great if there was a signal here," she sighed.
Jiang Mian gave a wry smile. Since arriving, she had only managed to successfully call Ji Zhixiu twice.
Even sending messages was a struggle, relying entirely on luck.
It had been quite a feat for the director to find this location for filming.
There were few entertainment activities in the village, and to make matters worse, there was no internet.
Jiang Mian took out her script and looked at it. The light bulb on the ceiling flickered, irritating her eyes. She put the script away. "Tomorrow, let's tell the crew's logistics department that the light bulb in our room is broken and needs replacing."
"Got it," Li Zhuyi flipped over and reached for the bed lamp cord. She pulled it, plunging the room into darkness, and responded.
The two of them slept on separate beds. The house had a simple structure, made entirely of rammed earth. The uneven dirt floor caused the beds to sit at a somewhat awkward angle.
Jiang Mian had been sleeping here for a week and still wasn't quite used to it.
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep, as she had to wake up at five the next morning.
After about half an hour, Jiang Mian opened her eyes. "Are you asleep?"
"Not yet," a weak voice replied. "Sister, if you can't sleep, I'll keep you company and chat."
Jiang Mian was actually a little sleepy but just couldn't quite drift off. She responded, closing her eyes, "I keep feeling like I've forgotten something, but I can't quite pinpoint it."
She wasn't sure if it was the exhaustion from filming these past two days, but Jiang Mian felt a slight headache, though it wasn't severe.
"It's okay, Sister. It's like when I lose something; I can't find it when I try, but it pops up when I'm not looking. You don't need to force yourself to think about it; you might remember it someday."
"That makes sense," Jiang Mian nodded, her voice growing more weary.
"So, let's sleep, Sister." Li Zhuyi lowered her voice.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
The drama Jiang Mian was filming was a tribute project. The script was good, and the director was also good.
However, due to the harsh filming conditions, few A-list actors were willing to take on the roles.
They would either claim their schedules were full or express concerns about not being up to the task. Upon hearing this, Sister Ning actively lobbied for the role, and the production team was very pleased, leading to Jiang Mian joining the cast.
She woke up early, as the director required everyone to assemble at five o'clock.
When Jiang Mian got up, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
The roosters in the backyard next door were already crowing, and the sunrise over the mountains was a fiery, breathtaking spectacle. The entire village was filled with peace and tranquility.
Wisps of cooking smoke drifted towards the sky. Jiang Mian took a deep breath of the fresh air. Then, as usual, she opened her phone—
Good, still no signal.
Li Zhuyi, as always, brought her sweet potato porridge and a small dish of preserved vegetables. "Time to eat, Sister."
Jiang Mian had become numb to the sight of sweet potato porridge. "After this drama is finished, I never want to see sweet potato porridge again."
Li Zhuyi echoed her misery, her expression dazed. "Me neither."
Three meals a day, two of them porridge – who could handle that!
Jiang Mian finished her porridge and wiped her mouth. "I'll leave my phone with you. If you get a signal, let me know."
Li Zhuyi nodded. "Don't worry, Sister. I'll head up the mountain and wander around later."
Half an hour later, two large trucks and two smaller cars drove into the village entrance.
Bouncing along, a man stood on the back of the leading truck. He was dressed in a suit and glasses, looking somewhat haggard.
Such a commotion attracted the attention of many villagers.
"Who is that? Another outsider?"
"Why are people coming to our village so early in the morning?"
"Could it be one of our boys returning? Let's go take a look!"
Soon, a crowd gathered at the village entrance, surrounding the two trucks. The driver wiped the sweat from his brow, braked, and called out, "Assistant Fan, there are so many people! I can't drive!"