Chapter 36: Forget it

Hey there, my amazing novelworms! ? First off, a massive sorry for ghosting you all this winter—it’s been a real doozy. Between me playing a never-ending game of “flu roulette” (spoiler: I lost) and my poor kitties turning into little shivering furballs, it’s been chaos over here. But fear not! I’m dusting off my keyboard and slowly getting back into the groove. Updates are coming, promise! Thanks a ton for sticking around and being your wonderful selves, grab a cozy blanket and happy reading! ??✨

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“Do you dare shout that name again?” Xu Dian’s expression turned colder, pinching her chin and applying force.

“Zhang Heshen.”

“Let go of me.” She spoke clearly, word by word, even louder than in the hotel.

Xu Dian’s face grew as cold as if he had risen from hell.

The atmosphere around dropped to freezing point. No one in the crew dared approach, and even Qin Jun, who stood not far away, remained silent. Liu Qin seemed to be watching a good show.

Her eyes were full of mockery.

A few seconds later, Xu Dian suddenly picked Meng Ying up by the waist, carried her to the car, and shoved her inside. He followed in after her, then slammed the car door shut with force.

Meng Ying leaned against the car window, trying to distance herself from the emotions. Zhang Heshen, Xu Dian, Zhang Heshen, Xu Dian… this final scene required too much emotion.

It reached its peak. Outside the car window, the villa lights were on, and equipment was moving. Meng Ying finally felt a little clearer. She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips, propped up her chin, and looked back.

She found the car filled with smoke. The man had a cigarette between his fingers, resting by his side. He turned to look at her, and the peach blossom eyes in the lens reflected coldness.

They locked eyes.

Inside the car, the light was dim, with only a little bit of light casting in. Xu Dian’s face was half-hidden in the shadow, half illuminated by the slanted light, his features sharp and cold.

Like a wolf ready to pounce on her at any moment.

Meng Ying came back to her senses and smiled. “Mr. Xu?”

The woman leaning against the window had clear eyes, smiling without any love or tenderness. The gentleness from that night seemed to have been fleeting, like a flower that bloomed for only a moment.

She only saw him as a substitute for Zhang Heshen.

Thinking this, his fingertips pressed hard, snapping the thin cigarette in half. Xu Dian placed one hand on the seat, leaning closer to Meng Ying. She leaned against the window, smiling as she watched him approach.

She even reached out and touched his face.

Xu Dian paused, looking down at her delicate white fingers.

She touched him once, twice, three times, teasing but not with love, not with love—she was no longer the woman from a year ago, whose heart and eyes were full of affection.

She was acting.

She could kiss Qin Jun.

In the future, when she encountered a new man, she would open herself to him.

The hand on the seat turned into a fist. Xu Dian suddenly found it hard to breathe. He grabbed Meng Ying’s arm and pulled her into his arms.

He lowered his head and kissed her forcefully.

Meng Ying froze for a moment, then smiled and cupped his face, accepting his kiss.

But Xu Dian opened his mouth and bit her lip.

Just that moment.

Meng Ying hissed in pain and slapped his cheek.

She pushed him forcefully.

“Kissing is fine, but why bite me!”

Xu Dian tightened his grip again, twisting her, his tongue plunging into her mouth, kissing her wildly, drawing blood.

His hand, resting beside him, was rubbing the cigarette butt.

He was completely unaware of the pain.

There were still a few more shots to be filmed, and the equipment and props were all ready. However, at this moment, a group of people could only watch from a distance at the black Mercedes.

Under the light.

The sleek black Mercedes glided like a king.

But it also carried the loneliness of a king at the top.

Li Yuan’er took out her phone and took a few steps forward, trying to take some pictures, but only managed to capture her own reflection in the car window. She gave up and walked back to Director Lin, who was worried, taking a drag on his cigarette before looking over at Liu Qin. The production manager hadn’t come to the set today. After a moment, Director Lin spoke, “Forget it, the reshoots…”

He didn’t finish his sentence.

Just then, the black Mercedes car door slammed open, and Meng Ying stepped out, her hair slightly messy, walking in high heels. She slammed the door shut and walked toward them.

She took the tissue Liu Qin handed her and wiped the corner of her lips before saying to Director Lin, “Sorry, Director Lin, I took a little longer. Let’s continue with the reshoots.”

Director Lin hesitated, looking at the cut on her lip, and finally said, “Then… let’s proceed with the reshoots.”

“Thank you.”

After saying that, Meng Ying walked toward the rest area, and the makeup artist immediately grabbed the kit and hurried over, squatting beside her to touch up her makeup. The entire crew fell silent. They watched Meng Ying while also glancing at the black Mercedes. The makeup artist was much quicker this time, no longer as intimate as before. She kept her head down, not daring to meet Meng Ying’s eyes.

No one dared to make eye contact.

No one expected this.

Meng Ying wasn’t filming fake CP scenes with the film emperor Gu, nor was she having an affair with Qin Jun. All those boxes of snacks delivered to the set were for Meng Ying.

Mr. Xu was chasing after Meng Ying.

Suddenly, the atmosphere on the set shifted. Many people stole glances at Meng Ying in the rest area.

Director Lin had probably sensed something before, but now his suspicion was confirmed.

No wonder the production manager treated Meng Ying so well.

He turned around and glared at Li Yuan’er.

Li Yuan’er: “??”

When Meng Ying finished her makeup and got up to head towards the reshoot location, the black Mercedes car started up. A group of people saw Xu Dian, dressed in a black shirt with the collar unbuttoned, his face cold as he headed to the driver’s seat.

From a distance.

The man’s face looked like it was covered in ice.

With the added effect of his glasses.

It was so cold it made people shiver.

It was hard to believe this was the usually charming, smiling Xu Dian.

The Mercedes reversed, then accelerated, leaving without a trace.

It drove like a sports car.

After the car drove off, the crew let out a collective sigh of relief, gradually regaining some energy, each person getting back to their tasks. There were only two reshoots left, both involving Meng Ying alone. Although she had detached herself from the emotions, her acting was still on point, and she quickly finished the reshoots.

“Very good, very good.” Director Lin snapped his fingers, and the crew instantly relaxed.

Director Lin then said, “Meng Ying, don’t rush back to Licheng. Tomorrow, we’ll have a celebration banquet.”

Since Meng Ying’s wrap-up was in the evening, it was too late to hold the celebration now. Meng Ying took the water bottle, nodded, and said, “Okay.”

Liu Qin and Chen Jie went in to pack up. Meng Ying sat in the rest area, taking a short break. Watching them pack up, Qin Jun walked over to her, stopped in front of her, and clicked his tongue as he said, “I’ve never seen Mr. Xu lose control like this before…”

“You’re something else.”

He had figured it out. Meng Ying’s emotional connection was with Xu Dian, and these two definitely had something before.

But only Meng Ying could make Xu Dian look this miserable.

Qin Jun crouched down, his gaze meeting Meng Ying’s.

Meng Ying frowned and took a small step back, putting some distance between them. Qin Jun looked at her beautiful eyes and the wound on the corner of her lips. His heart skipped a beat, and he said, “How about we have some ambiguous fun together?”

Meng Ying leisurely closed the bottle cap.

With a smile, she said, “Senior Qin, your old house is about to catch fire, and you still don’t know how to put it out?”

It was a double entendre.

Qin Jun’s expression changed.

“Damn.”

He stood up, walked a few steps, then turned back and asked Meng Ying, “How did you know?”

Meng Ying replied, “I’m good friends with Xu Qing.”

At the mention of Xu Qing, Qin Jun’s expression changed again. He cursed and turned to leave.

Watching the tall, long-legged man’s back, Meng Ying clicked her tongue.

There was no good man.

Before long, Liu Qin and Chen Jie finished packing and came out with their things. The three of them, along with the crew, said their goodbyes to the staff and director, then got into the business car to return to the hotel.

In the car, Liu Qin glanced at Meng Ying several times.

Meng Ying had her long legs crossed, casually scrolling through Weibo.

Her mood seemed natural.

Liu Qin sighed in relief. Meng Ying had already detached from the emotions of the scene.

When she was immersed in the role, she would often space out, incredibly gentle, just like the woman she had been a year ago. But now, the woman who had come out of the scene carried a sense of freedom, with more confidence in her expression.

If it had been the Meng Ying from a year ago, she might have fallen into Xu Dian’s trap again.

But the current Meng Ying wouldn’t.

By the time they returned to the hotel, it was past eleven. As soon as they got out of the car, the wind started blowing, and thunder rumbled, signaling the possibility of rain. The three of them parted ways at the door. Meng Ying went to her suite, took a shower, and when she came out, her phone rang. She bent down to pick it up, seeing that it was a call from home. She sat down on the sofa and answered.

On the other end, her mother’s voice came through: “I tried calling you earlier but couldn’t get through. I figured you were working.”

Meng Ying had always been somewhat distant with her mother. She leaned back in her chair and replied, “Work’s been busy.”

“Busy or not, you still need to take care of yourself,” Chen Jiao’s voice was sharp and high-pitched as usual. “The New Year’s coming soon. Are you planning to come home?”

It had been over two years since Meng Ying last went back.

The main reason she didn’t want to go back was because her mother, Chen Jiao, loved to stir up trouble and was also biased. Even though Meng Ying had earned money and become the economic pillar of the family, she still couldn’t escape the bias of her gender.

It was simply because she wasn’t a man.

She couldn’t bear the responsibility of the family, and that was her original sin.

“I’m not planning to.”

“How can you not? It’s been over two years since you came home. Don’t you miss your dad? Don’t you miss your brother?”

She really didn’t miss them.

But Meng Ying didn’t respond. She thought of the phone call from her father before and suddenly let out a laugh. Her laugh made Chen Jiao on the other end freeze for a second, and her words got stuck in her throat.

Meng Ying asked, “Are you trying to set me up with a boyfriend?”

Chen Jiao paused for a moment, and a few seconds later, her voice became even sharper!

“Did Meng Yulin tell you?!”

After saying that, Chen Jiao hung up the phone with a bang.

Meng Ying paused for a few seconds.

Her expression turned sour as well.

Chen Jiao was stirring up trouble with her father again.

About half an hour later, Meng Yulin called. His voice was low as he said, “Meng Ying, can you come back for the New Year? You’re getting older, and even if your career is going well, you still need to find the right person…”

It was clear that he had been pressured by Chen Jiao to say this.

Meng Ying didn’t respond, only comforting Meng Yulin a few times before hanging up the phone.

She then leaned back on the sofa.

And spaced out.

The black Mercedes came to a stop at the entrance of the Songshan Ginza bar, its headlights still on. Inside the car, however, it was pitch black. Xu Dian took off his glasses and threw them onto the passenger seat.

He lit a cigarette, holding it between his lips.

His peach blossom eyes were closed, his chin firm, and his brows slightly furrowed.

In his mind.

All he could think about was Meng Ying’s gentle face from those two days.

Her delicate, soft hands.

Her smile.

Her exposed shoulder, the focus she had while making ginger soup.

Putting him first.

Letting him take whatever he wanted.

Every inch of tenderness could drive him crazy.

She was exactly the same as she had been a year ago, exactly the same. No matter how he tormented her, she would always give in.

Back then, her tenderness was for him.

This time, her tenderness was not.

A year later, she couldn’t even be bothered to show him any tenderness. Xu Dian rested one hand on the steering wheel, and just then, there was a knock on the car window. He pressed the button, and Zhou Yang leaned in with a cigarette in his mouth, smiling, “Aren’t you heading to the set?”

Xu Dian took the cigarette from his mouth.

He didn’t respond.

Five minutes later.

Xu Dian’s long legs were propped up on the desk, eyes closed as he smoked.

Zhou Yang waved his hand, signaling the women who were about to approach to leave. He then said, “Actually, after seeing you chase after Meng Ying, you’re not as carefree as before. You’re the young master of the Xu family, tsk tsk, look at you. Just a casual flick of your finger, and tons of beauties rush to you. Why bother putting your warm face against a cold one?”

“Forget it. Let’s break up.”

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