Ji Nian had just signed the contract and said goodbye to the two men. The five million yuan payment would not arrive for another couple of days, but she figured that as a big star in the novel, he probably wouldn't welsh on the deal.
After leaving the hotel entrance, Ji Nian still had over a kilometer to walk before reaching the subway station. Looking at the map on her phone, just as she was about to cross the street, WeChat suddenly popped up with a message.
Shen Shuyao: I feel so sad.
Ji Nian was startled. The female lead took the initiative to contact her. She stopped in her tracks under the green light, staring blankly at the screen.
Ji Nian: What's wrong? Did something happen?
After five minutes, there was still no reply from the woman. Ji Nian felt puzzled.
Shen Shuyao: Yeah.
Ji Nian was surprised. The female lead was in trouble, she had to go find her! This book's luck was all on her. There was a chance to gain some presence.
Ji Nian: Where are you?
Shen Shuyao: I'm at home.
Ji Nian: Send me your address.
The sun was quite harsh. Ji Nian went to the traffic police booth to take shelter from the sun, patiently waiting for the message to come through on WeChat.
After nearly ten minutes, she finally heard the notification tone. Ji Nian eagerly tapped to open it, seeing only an address. She copied it into Baidu Maps to check the route.
"Five thousand kilometers." Ji Nian murmured softly to herself: "Not bad, pretty close."
A car horn sounded, giving Ji Nian a fright. She looked up to see a black Bentley.
Peng He rolled down the window, smiling at the woman on the side of the road, "Miss Ji, where are you headed?"
Ji Nian was surprised. "Oh, it's you guys."
"That's right. Where are you going? Let me see if it's on the way." Peng He asked.
Ji Nian smiled. "Thanks, but no need to trouble you."
"We may collaborate long term in the future. Come on up first, we'll give you a ride." For some reason, Yu Luobai suddenly wanted to invite her into the car.
Ji Nian was taken aback, blinking her eyes. It was a bit hard to refuse, so she slowly got into the car and sat next to the man.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Tell Peng He where you want to go, he's driving." Yu Luobai smiled.
Ji Nian obediently nodded. "I'm going to Anju Garden. I checked the map, it's pretty close from here."
"What a coincidence?" Peng He looked surprised. "My home is also nearby. Are you going to a friend's place?"
Ji Nian smiled. "Yes, we got to know each other on a show, our relationship is decent."
"Alright then, I'll drop you off when we get there." Peng He replied as he drove.
Yu Luobai picked up a book in the car and started reading. He could almost smell the lingering fragrance of laundry detergent on the woman's clothes. It made him feel very comfortable.
He had encountered many women in the entertainment industry, but they always seemed to smell of perfume. To be honest, he didn't like those scents.
"Miss Ji, are you pursuing acting or singing?" Yu Luobai turned his head to look at her. The window was open just a crack, the wind blowing away the stray strands of hair on her forehead. Through a ray of sunlight, he found her particularly charming for some reason.
Ji Nian was already very shy. With the superstar initiating conversation, she felt even more awkward. "Um... actually I don't really know."
Yu Luobai laughed out loud. His gorgeous, flawless face, tall nose bridge, and lips of perfect thickness spread into a dazzling smile.
Ji Nian was mesmerized. Who could withstand this? She awkwardly turned her head away. This man was dangerous to look at for too long. She was afraid she might become enamored by his looks inadvertently.
"Miss Ji, what you said is really amusing. You don't even know what you want to do?" Peng He also laughed out loud.
Ji Nian truly didn't know. She was just an ordinary nobody in the past, teaching music at a school. Now that she crossed over, her main concern was still resolving the original owner's debt issues.
"Well, there's nothing I particularly want to do." Ji Nian sighed.
Yu Luobai raised his eyebrows, unable to fully comprehend what the woman was thinking.
"Have we arrived?" Ji Nian looked out the window.
"Just got here. I'll drop you off at the estate entrance." Peng He said, then stopped the car.
Seeing the estate looked quite upscale, Ji Nian got out of the car with a smile. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Peng He replied with a smile.
"Alright, I'm off. Drive safely." Ji Nian said.
Peng He nodded. He turned the steering wheel and the car slowly started moving.
Ji Nian turned and walked towards the estate. She registered her name and ID at the security booth before entering.
Checking Shen Shuyao's address on WeChat, the door number was provided. This was a rather large estate. She followed the signs as she walked.
Going up the building and out of the elevator, Ji Nian found the unit number. She opened WeChat and sent two words in the chat - open door.
After waiting a few minutes, she heard the door open just a crack. Ji Nian pushed it open and went inside, the person before her looking startled.
"Goodness, what happened to you?" Ji Nian asked in shock.
The woman's face was streaked with tear stains. She wore a nightgown, hair in disarray, eyes swollen and red, neck marked with fiery red bites.
Seeing the visitor, Shen Shuyao rushed over to hug her without knowing why, crying grievously.
Ji Nian was surprised, then patted her back gently. She softly closed the door, saying, "There there, what's wrong? We'll solve any issues together. Don't cry first."
Shen Shuyao just kept sobbing with bloodshot eyes, not saying a word. Ji Nian supported her to the sofa, calming her to sit down. "Can you tell me what happened? Is it okay to share with me?"
Shen Shuyao shook her head, biting hard on her lip as tears kept streaming.
Ji Nian took some tissues from the coffee table to help wipe her tears. She said gently, "It's fine if you don't want to say. It's almost 2pm, have you eaten?"
Shen Shuyao silently wept, shaking her head without speaking. She sat hugging her knees on the sofa.
"That won't do. No matter how upset, you have to eat." Ji Nian frowned. "You didn't go the whole day without food right?"
Shen Shuyao looked at her tearfully and nodded, voice hoarse as she replied. "I can't eat."
"That won't do." Ji Nian spoke very sternly. "Stay here, let me see what's in the kitchen to make for you."
Without waiting for a response, Ji Nian immediately headed to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, there were some salads, fresh milk, as well as eggs and noodles.
She swiftly took out the eggs and noodles, starting to cook. Boiling noodles was simple - add water and oil, wait for it to boil, crack an egg in, then add the noodles. Season with some salt and soy sauce.
In just over ten minutes, Ji Nian brought out a steaming hot bowl of noodles.
She placed it on the coffee table before the dazed woman. "Be good and eat something first."
Shen Shuyao stared blankly at the noodles on the table, tears welling up again. She slowly shuffled over, picking up the chopsticks on the table to eat mouthful by mouthful.
Seeing this, Ji Nian silently sat next to her without speaking, just accompanying her.
Watching the woman eat noodles between sobs, pear blossoms with rain - her innocent face so pitiful, Ji Nian felt great heartache just looking at her.
"There aren't many ingredients in the fridge. We'll go find something delicious once you feel a bit better."
