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Chapter 39: #Jiang Qi Quits The Entertainment Industry#

Jiang Qi was discharged from the hospital at noon the next day. After coming out through the secure back door, he was picked up by Qiu Mi’s car, and the whole journey was concealed so that not a single photo could be taken by the paparazzi lurking everywhere.

Afterward, he spent the whole afternoon in the manager’s office at Chen Ding Entertainment.

No one knew what the young man and this large company had discussed that afternoon. In any case, the next morning, Chen Ding Entertainment’s official Weibo dropped a “bombshell” that woke up all the office workers dozing off while scrolling through their phones on the subway: 

[@ChenDingEntertainmentV: Starting today, our artist @JiangQi and our company have terminated the contract, no longer have any business relationship. Additionally, Jiang Qi will release a final statement through our company stating ‘quitting the entertainment industry due to health reasons’. Any signed and unfinished notices will be the sole responsibility of artist @JiangQi. That’s all.]

As soon as this statement was released, almost all websites exploded with the words ‘Jiang Qi’. 

#Chen Ding Entertainment Announces Termination of Contract with Jiang Qi#

#Jiang Qi Quits the Entertainment Industry#

#What’s Wrong with Jiang Qi’s Health?#

#Will “Jiao Si” Still Be Filmed?#

#Hit and Run?#

#Extra Actor Settles with Jiang Qi Privately#

…

There were a total of fifty entries on the Weibo hot search list, with seventeen related to Jiang Qi.

However, the most shocking part of Chen Ding’s statement was the phrase “Jiang Qi quits the entertainment industry due to health reasons,” which caused a huge stir.

You see, Jiang Qi, who was young and outstanding, won the Purple Star Award for his debut work. Would he really quit the entertainment industry just like that? Would he give up the lavish lifestyle of fame and fortune?

Even if he did hit someone, it was said that Jiang Qi had a medical evaluation from the hospital and a whitewashing army. As time passed, who would still care?

If he really quit the entertainment industry, it would only confirm the dirty water of being “persuaded to leave” due to scandal, making it difficult for him to make a comeback in the future.

But now, with the statement released, unless someone had the audacity to keep jumping around, Jiang Qi’s exit from the entertainment industry seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

The enigmatic youth who emerged this year was truly fantastical, rising to the peak and then falling.

Unfortunately, who wouldn’t say ‘unfortunate’ after reading this?

After Jiang Qi’s announcement to retire, for some reason, online evaluations surprisingly improved. Everywhere was filled with comments lamenting ‘what a pity’.

Perhaps it was because he was no longer a threat, wouldn’t ‘compete for resources’ with a large number of peers of the same age, and wouldn’t obstruct others anymore…

But despite the heated discussions online and offline, Jiang Qi didn’t want to pay attention to any of it.

After leaving Chen Ding, he refused the company of Shen Lei and Qiu Mi, and drove alone—without any destination in mind, his eyes filled with confusion.

But, there must be a path to take, right?

Just now, he had lost most of the money he had earned in the past few months, and now there wasn’t much left. He couldn’t rely solely on his savings. Perhaps he should find a job? But what could he do? Qiu Mi had also mentioned that everyone knew him now. Jiang Qi felt an impulse to ‘hide’ for the first time, so that no one could find him, no one.

His mind was in chaos, and unconsciously he drove the car to the vicinity of Lan Lin Campus.

As if guided by something unseen, the young man couldn’t resist disturbing Zhi Qi.

And the girl probably had a telepathic connection with him. As soon as the car stopped, Jiang Qi’s phone, which he had put aside, rang—it was his new number, known only to Zhi Qi.

The young man hesitated for two seconds before answering.

“Jiang Qi.” Zhi Qi sounded like she had just run over, her voice somewhat breathless and anxious over the phone. “Are you really quitting the industry?”

Jiang Qi murmured a low “Yeah”.

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, then Zhi Qi asked again, “Where do you want to go?”

Jiang Qi was taken aback, and after a while, he couldn’t help but lower his brows and smile bitterly.

Sure enough, Zhi Qi couldn’t be deceived. Like a tapeworm in his stomach, the girl always managed to see through his unsatisfactory plans.

Indeed, he did want to leave.

“Jiang Qi.” Seeing him remain silent, Zhi Qi asked with a slight tremble in her voice, “Where are you now?”

Jiang Qi raised his gaze, looking at the grand school gate outside the window, obediently replying, “Outside your school.”

Zhi Qi only said two words, “Wait for me,” before hanging up the phone.

She didn’t need to ask which neighborhood or which entrance of Lan University Jiang Qi was waiting for her at because the boy had come several times, always in one place—the corner nearest to her dormitory.

While waiting for the girl to come over, Jiang Qi couldn’t help but smoke a cigarette. When he saw Zhi Qi running towards him from a distance through the car window, he extinguished the half-burnt cigarette.

She came quickly. Jiang Qi rubbed his face hard, trying to make himself look less desolate.

“Jiang Qi.” Zhi Qi opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat. Before the boy could react, her slender arms reached out and hugged him swiftly and decisively.

With the girl’s soft body suddenly filling his arms, Jiang Qi was momentarily at a loss. His arms hung on both sides, unconsciously raised, and hesitated to touch the girl’s back, seemingly comically frozen in mid-air.

“Can you not leave this time?”

Zhi Qi spoke, her voice faintly choked with tears, “You’ve left twice already, can you not abandon me again?”

The girl’s soft voice was like the sharpest blade, piercing Jiang Qi’s heart instantly.

His lips turned pale, tightly sealed, refusing to speak.

Jiang Qi knew that Zhi Qi wouldn’t forget.

From the girl’s perspective, he had indeed selfishly ‘abandoned’ her twice, and each time was after his ‘episode.’

The first time, in his youthful arrogance, he impulsively drove the girl away from the dilapidated and dirty Chen Kong Alley, disappearing for three years until they reunited in high school.

The second time, after that incident in the hospital stairwell, he broke the ‘promise’ he made with Zhi Qi and left again for four years due to an accident.

And this time…

“Don’t leave again this time.” Zhi Qi sniffed, lifting her head from his shoulder. In close proximity, her fair cheeks were as red as a rabbit’s eyes, her voice soft yet firm, “Jiang Qi, if you leave without saying goodbye again, I will never forgive you.”

The hand hanging by Jiang Qi’s side couldn’t help but tighten, taking a deep breath.

He also had something to fear, it turned out. He was afraid that Zhi Qi would truly never forgive him.

“Qiqi.” The boy turned his head away, his light-colored eyes becoming indifferent as he looked out the window, “Look at them.”

Zhi Qi, puzzled, followed his gaze, but all she saw outside the car window were unfamiliar people coming and going.

“Tall, short, fat, thin, they’re all normal people.” Jiang Qi’s voice was low, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightening, “Why do you insist on associating with a lunatic like me?”

He was truly afraid that he wouldn’t be able to cure himself and might harm Zhi Qi. After all, his illness had persisted for many, many years, becoming chronic.

“So what if there are so many people?” Without thinking, Zhi Qi answered matter-of-factly, “None of them are you.”

Under the heavens, what did it matter if there were so many ‘normal people’? They were not Jiang Qi. Even if Jiang Qi was abnormal, there was only one Jiang Qi.

The straightforward voice of the girl made Jiang Qi couldn’t help but chuckle, but there was a sour feeling in the depths of his eyes, and red bloodshot veins gradually spread to the white of his eyes.

Jiang Qi’s voice was hoarse, and he looked at her with a puzzled expression, “Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

He had done so many terrible things, in high school, now, why was Zhi Qi never afraid of him?

Moreover, he had even been to prison, the most terrifying and malicious place in the world.

“You are a good person, Jiang Qi, don’t forget that.” Zhi Qi held his hand and looked into his black eyes softly, “The first time we met, you saved me.”

“I’m not.” Jiang Qi said indifferently, “I have committed crimes.”

Zhi Qi’s heart thumped, and she couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.

Since she reunited with Jiang Qi, it was the first time he had willingly mentioned his ‘crime’, did that mean… he could face it now?

“I believe there must be reasons for that, you wouldn’t commit crimes intentionally.” Zhi Qi hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and asked, “Jiang Qi, can you tell me what happened four years ago?”

The year of senior high school was like a nightmare, she could never forget, curious day and night.

But she was afraid of stirring up Jiang Qi’s scars that he didn’t want to face, so Zhi Qi had been enduring without asking anything.

Now, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

…

After a moment of silence, Zhi Qi saw Jiang Qi’s Adam’s apple move slightly.

“I should tell you.” Jiang Qi didn’t know if he was talking to Zhi Qi or to himself, but with an attitude of ‘convincing’ himself, he nodded, “I shouldn’t keep anything from you.”

In his world, there was only Zhi Qi, the only person worth caring about.

Whatever Zhi Qi wanted or was curious about, he would satisfy her.

So Jiang Qi finished speaking, twisted the car key with his long fingers, turned the steering wheel, and started the car.

Zhi Qi was stunned, “Where are we going?”

Jiang Qi didn’t speak, just drove in silence. His face was calm, with a hint of shadow between his brows, so Zhi Qi stopped asking. Until half an hour later, the car arrived at the entrance of Chen Kong Alley, Zhi Qi’s originally calm face finally changed.

“Jiang Qi, what are you doing here?” Zhi Qi looked at him in astonishment, shaking her head to stop him, “Hurry, let’s go, I don’t want to be here.”

Not long ago, Jiang Qi came here and fell ill, how could he come again now?

Was he crazy?

However, Jiang Qi’s expression was very calm, he just turned his head to look at Zhi Qi and said faintly, “You wanted to know the truth four years ago, I’ll tell you.”

He got out of the car and walked over to the passenger side, pulling her out with him. Her delicate wrist was tightly gripped by his large hand, and she couldn’t break free no matter how hard she tried.

She bit her lip, unable to voice her grievances, but ultimately didn’t say anything—because she could clearly feel the turbulent undercurrent beneath Jiang Qi’s calm facade, as if his veins were pulsating, ready to burst.

Moreover, Chen Kong Alley was pitch black, with no streetlights in the low and uneven shantytown, full of potholes…

She could only rely on Jiang Qi.

Zhi Qi noticed that Jiang Qi was about to pull her inside, so she took a deep breath and clasped his slender and strong arm with her small hand.

“Okay.” She faintly felt that many things would come to light tonight, and Zhi Qi calmed down. “I’ll go with you.”

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