Chapter 97
After dinner, Ji Fengxue presented her gift, which Xia Yangxuan happily accepted. He then turned to Xia Linxia, "Where's my gift?"
Xia Linxia reached into her coat and fumbled for a moment before pulling out her index finger, "Here, Big Brother, take my love."
Xia Yangxuan dismissively batted her hand away, but his gaze was drawn to the dazzling diamond ring on her finger. He glanced at Ji Fengxue's hand and felt a slight sense of relief.
"What, Big Brother, don't you like it?" Xia Linxia waved her hand again and extended it to her parents, "Mom, Dad, do you see the standard of my heart?"
"We see it, we see it, it's just a ring," Mother Xia showed off the gold ring on her hand, "Your father's New Year's gift to me."
Xia Linxia was deflated and turned to Jiang Yuan, waving her hand at her, "Sister Yuan, look at my heart..."
"Do you want more work?" Jiang Yuan asked directly.
Xia Linxia immediately retracted her hand and pretended nothing had happened.
Honestly, these people were so unromantic!
Xia Linxia stayed at the Xia family's home until around ten o'clock before getting up to leave. She patted Xia Yangxuan's shoulder, "I really couldn't think of any other gift, isn't giving you a sister-in-law good enough?"
What else could Xia Yangxuan say? Of course, he forgave her.
Xia Linxia added, "Besides, look how well 'Xiao Gua' is selling now, all thanks to my free promotion!"
Xia Yangxuan narrowed his eyes, and the light flashed on his glasses, "Speaking of which, I just remembered, what's going on with 'Xiao Gua's' search history..."
"Goodbye!" Xia Linxia grabbed Ji Fengxue and ran out, quickly getting into the car and speeding away.
While waiting for the red light at an intersection, Xia Linxia secretly glanced at Ji Fengxue beside her and rubbed her fingers together, saying, "Your place is on the right."
"Mm."
"But I want to drive left."
Ji Fengxue's eyes flickered slightly, "I didn't bring any clothes with me."
"Wear mine," Xia Linxia blurted out.
Ji Fengxue: "I also didn't bring any daily necessities."
Xia Linxia: "Use mine."
Ji Fengxue: "I didn't bring a big bed."
Xia Linxia: "Sleep on my..."
"Okay," Ji Fengxue agreed immediately.
Xia Linxia: "???"
Regardless, Xia Linxia took her home. After eagerly showering, she insisted that Ji Fengxue call her "wife" in bed. Ji Fengxue played coy, not calling her that, which made Xia Linxia restless. In her eagerness, she ended up calling out first.
Then, somehow, the situation reversed. She was held in front, the other person curling their long legs to enclose her in their embrace. Hands fumbled from back to front, and a pair of cool lips whispered in her ear, calling her "wife" and "little treasure" alternately.
Xia Linxia's eyes were red and her voice hoarse, "One more time."
The next afternoon, Xia Linxia went to the company, while Ji Fengxue tidied up her house and organized the walk-in closet. She was busy until evening when she received a call from Chen Nian.
They were still discussing the script from before the new year; it hadn't been finalized, and she hadn't had time to consider it properly. The script was an original suspense story, but it was a web series and couldn't be broadcast on satellite TV.
The film and television industry had changed significantly in the past two years. Not only were traffic stars rushing to the big screen, but many movie stars were also lowering their status to appear in television dramas and web series. It was hard to say which was riskier.
She wasn't worried about the status issue, but rather whether the final product would meet expectations. The director was a newcomer who had only directed a youth campus web series before, so the leap was quite significant. Moreover, the production team was somewhat lacking, and the post-production would likely be five-cent special effects. Costume and makeup might seem like minor details, but a third-rate team would naturally produce shoddy work.
The risk index was too high.
She always prioritized the production team when choosing scripts. Good crews had fewer problems and were more cooperative and reliable.
"The director hopes you'll reconsider; he's still trying to secure investment," Chen Nian said.
"Secure investment?" If they could secure investment, most of her concerns would be resolved. She paused, "If he wants to secure investment, I can recommend someone. Whether it works out depends on him."
She mentioned this to Duan Yan, who was planning to expand into the film and television investment sector and agreed to meet.
Meanwhile, in Jiang Yuan's office, Xia Linxia solicitously poured a cup of water, "General Manager Jiang, Sister Yuan, Sister-in-law, do you think I could take fewer announcements from now on?"
Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Tired of being at the top?"
"Yes, tired."
Thanks to Xia Yangxuan's teachings, she had been competitive since childhood, always striving for first place and accustomed to being number one. When she took second place upon her debut, she had been determined to reach the top and prove those who looked down on her wrong.
Although her group seemed glamorous after their debut, they didn't actually have many good resources. "Debut is the peak" was a fitting description for them. The initial path wasn't easy; she took on frequent announcements and any job she could. While other group members were maintaining their image, she had already performed at many commercial events and even appeared at property launch celebrations during the most difficult times.
At that time, many fan club members mocked and cursed her for lacking team spirit, taking jobs privately, lowering her status, and being shameless. The more people cursed, the more attention she received, and the more and better collaborations she secured.
The first web series she took was a collaboration with Qiu Xingzhou. Both were newcomers and could only offer each other comfort. Unfortunately, it was a low-budget production with no notable features and failed to make any impact. At that time, Duan Yan and Xiao Yuran were already being sought after by many directors due to Ji Fengxue.
She was indignant and turned her focus back to the film and television industry. Since she wasn't from a professional acting background and lacked experience, the crews she joined were all focused on capitalizing on traffic, so she acted in many bad films that she couldn't even bear to rewatch.
Gradually, she paved her way to the top through a "black-and-red" path. Although she had many anti-fans, her fan base eventually surpassed them. Now, every move she made could trend, even changing her hair color or having a hot pot meal, as if she had made Weibo her home.
But now, she was a little tired. She had tasted the sweetness, and that sweetness was Ji Fengxue, and she was content with it.
Even dating wasn't smooth sailing. Not only did they rarely see each other, but they also had to be cautious about their every move. A slight display of anger would be reported by the media as a relationship crisis. When baseless rumors multiplied, they could put pressure on the individuals involved, and they might even have to add a performative element to their relationship to cater to netizens and fans, which could easily lead to the relationship deteriorating.
"Lao Ji's path is quite good," she said. "If there's a role, she gets into character and acts wholeheartedly. If there's no role, she lives her own life. Being low-key is so good."
"But didn't you used to mock her for being washed up and having no announcements?" Jiang Yuan teased.
"That was before," Xia Linxia said. "I've grown up now, and I want to follow the path of a veteran artist."
Jiang Yuan glanced at her, "You can forget it."
Xia Linxia grabbed her arm, "I don't care, reduce my workload! Otherwise, I'm not leaving!"
"Alright, alright, don't be difficult. Can you sit still?" Jiang Yuan adjusted her glasses, pondered for a moment, "I can agree to reduce unnecessary announcements, but you need to think about what path you want to take in the future, whether it's as a singer-dancer, a variety show personality, or in the film and television industry. If you want to be involved in all of them, your exposure can't be reduced."
"I want to be a good actress!" Xia Linxia said without hesitation.
Singing and dancing weren't long-term solutions, and variety shows always exposed her private life. Only actors like Ji Fengxue could act low-key and still gain respect.
"Then you'll have to work hard, especially since you're not from a professional acting background."
"No problem, I can do it. Besides, I have a private tutor."
"Look at you, so proud," Jiang Yuan smiled, then remembered something and took out a document from a locked cabinet, "This is the contract for the two of you. Since you're really dating, I'll return it to you."
Xia Linxia took it and flipped through a few pages. The contract contained many clauses that the two of them had to abide by during the contract period. She couldn't help but laugh, "I should have read the contents carefully. This is practically a dating guide."
She took the document and sat back in the car. Xiao Wang looked back and asked where she was going. She said home. As they passed a shopping mall, she suddenly called to stop. Fully disguised, she got out alone to buy a bag of shower gel. She had run out at home, so she bought a bottle of every scent, as people used them quickly.
She happily got into the car, only to realize she had casually thrown the contract on the seat. She quickly put it into the bag.
When she returned home, she found the house much cleaner and tidier, thinking the hourly help had come.
"I'm back!"
"Go wash your hands, dinner is almost ready," Ji Fengxue said, wearing an apron and standing in the kitchen without turning around.
"Yes, ma'am!" Xia Linxia felt particularly satisfied every time she saw Ji Fengxue in her domestic role!
During dinner, she took out the contract and smiled, "It's been almost a year."
Ji Fengxue took it and looked at it, a smile also appearing on her face, "Time flies."
Xia Linxia asked curiously, "How did you agree to take this contract back then?"
"Perhaps because I felt challenged?" Ji Fengxue recalled, "Not entirely, but mainly because I felt you weren't malicious and would be interesting. What about you? Didn't you dislike me back then?"
"Yes, I purely wanted to annoy you," Xia Linxia said truthfully.
Ji Fengxue fell silent.
Xia Linxia's smile faded slightly, and she panicked, "Don't be angry. That was just my thought back then. Now I don't find you annoying at all! Really!"
"I know," Ji Fengxue glanced at the legs that had been reaching under the table for a while and teased, "What kind of annoyance is this?"
Xia Linxia grinned mischievously and rubbed her leg again.
A month later, Xia Linxia was invited to Milan Fashion Week. She begged Ji Fengxue to accompany her, treating it as a date. Ji Fengxue had nothing else to do, so she went along. The two of them took off their diamond rings and put on their couple rings.
When they arrived at the airport, Xia Linxia looked at her accompanying team and felt like someone was missing.
"Xiao Wang's family had an emergency, so he's taking leave for a few days. I'll go with you," Xiang Huaimeng said.
"Alright."
After landing, they first went to the hotel to check in and rest for a while. Then, the makeup artists and stylists came in to help her change. Ji Fengxue also obtained tickets through other channels. The two of them sat in the show venue, and the photos taken were released by their studios, exciting their fans and CP fans for a long time.
After watching the show, Xia Linxia told her team and agent to return to China first. For the remaining two or three days, she wanted to have a good date with Ji Fengxue!
The two of them visited various famous attractions, occasionally going to less popular spots where they encountered very few tourists, allowing them to kiss passionately.
Occasionally, while walking on the street, they would be recognized by tourists from China. They would kindly sign autographs and take photos, and these pictures would then be uploaded online, making their fans' eyes turn red with envy.
Xia Linxia sometimes felt a sense of unreality. Moments of great happiness always brought a sense of unease, though she didn't know why, even though the two of them loved each other deeply.
After a passionate night, she voiced this thought.
Ji Fengxue kissed her forehead and told her that it was fear of the unknown, which was a good thing, indicating that she was nervously anticipating their future.
Xia Linxia then hugged her contentedly and fell asleep.
However, sometimes, bad things happened when you least expected them. Just as they were blissfully drifting off to sleep, something happened in China.
To be precise, the internet exploded.
There were many paparazzi in the entertainment industry, but a few paparazzi had gained a considerable following due to breaking major scoops that turned out to be true. Most people believed any news they released.
Just now, a prominent paparazzi account suddenly posted on Weibo saying they had a super explosive piece of news. While everyone was curious and speculating, they then posted an insinuating Weibo post.
Entertainment Circle V: Twin lotuses deeply in love, but in reality, a contract to deceive.
For a moment, everyone was speculating about news of contract couples. There had been rumors of contract couples in the entertainment industry before, but there had never been any concrete evidence or solid proof.
Most people were curious about which couple the "twin lotuses" referred to.
Some guessed it was a celebrity whose name contained "Lotus," while others guessed it was a pair rumored to be creating a sibling CP. Various speculations piqued netizens' curiosity, making them wish they could delve into the paparazzi's Weibo account for answers.
Finally, as everyone was focused on the matter, the prominent account posted two pictures.
The first picture was the cover of a document, with only two names written on it: Xia Linxia and Ji Fengxue.
The second picture was the last page of the document, showing only a few lines of text – within the one-year contract period, both parties must abide by and complete all the requirements listed above.
This was followed by their handwritten signatures.
It was as solid as it could get.
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