The Byoukidere Is Her Sweetie

Chapter 26: 026: Hidden Beauty

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

This night’s sleep quality was terrible to the extreme.

Winter had already passed, and it was getting colder. Jiang Zhi’s spirits were getting worse, and he was tired for long periods of the day, always lacking energy.

At Fusheng Inn’s Bamboo Garden, tea had been changed pot after pot, and the deputy general manager of Huayu was already impatient from waiting.

“Why hasn’t Director Jiang come yet?”

The secretary behind him stepped forward, “Director Jiang’s assistant called, saying Director Jiang caught a cold last night and was feeling unwell, so he’ll be late.”

Huayu, apart from Xue’s Baoguang and Luo Family’s Tianxing, was the largest entertainment company domestically. This deputy general manager was the current chairman Jin Lei’s brother, Jin Song.

At thirty-five years old, Jin Song had good looks, and his name was well-known in the circle for two reasons: his formidable methods and his notorious womanizing.

After waiting for half an hour, Jin Song was naturally very unhappy, “This Jiang Zhi, what a big shot.”

Beside him sat a woman, an extremely beautiful woman.

“President Jin,” she poured him a cup of tea and said softly, “Don’t rush, have a cup of tea first.”

The woman was called Su Chan, an artist of Huayu. She was from a minority ethnic group, with features giving her three or four parts of exotic beauty yet still possessing soft grace. She was rare even in the star-filled entertainment circle. She started as a martial arts stunt double and had only been in the industry for four years, but she was the youngest film queen of Huayu.

Jin Song slightly gathered himself as his phone rang. He got up and took the call outside.

“Have all the people I selected signed the contracts?”

The person on the other end replied, “Tang Yinyin and Fang Zhi were signed by Baoguang.”

These two were artists under Tianxing. After Tianxing’s scandal broke out, their stock prices plummeted, and many of their artists terminated their contracts.

Tianxing’s decline would continue for a while. Artists who had enough strength could establish their studios, but those without sufficient standing had to find new owners. Baoguang and Huayu were the best choices, so the competition for talents between them was fierce.

Here, we must mention Baoguang’s owner, Xue Baoyi, a truly overbearing person. Coming from a prestigious family in the Imperial City, he had connections and received many advantages.

Jin Song got angry just thinking about it, “That idiot Xue Baoyi, sooner or later I’ll crush—”

“Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough…”

Suddenly, a low cough interrupted him. Jin Song’s words stopped abruptly, and he glanced back before ending the call, “I’ll talk more when I get back.”

Hanging up, Jin Song changed his expression, smiling as he greeted, “Director Jiang is here, let’s talk inside.”

He made a welcoming gesture, his gaze fixed on Jiang Zhi’s face, never moving away.

Jiang Zhi entered the private room, took off his coat, and handed it to Ah Wan, who then stepped aside, keeping a wary eye on Jin Song. He felt that Jin Song’s gaze on his employer was somewhat inappropriate.

“Su Chan, pour Director Jiang a cup of tea,” Jin Song pulled out a chair and sat next to Jiang Zhi.

Su Chan stood up, her slender fingers holding the tea cup delicately while she walked gracefully, her movements seductive. However, before the tea was poured, with a soft click, Jiang Zhi placed the lid on his cup.

He coughed softly, his skin pale but lips red, and said, “My throat hurts from coughing, I won’t drink tea.”

Su Chan’s hand holding the teapot stiffened slightly before she smiled and sat back down as if nothing had happened.

Jin Song took out the contract.

“The contract is ready. I have no issues on my side,” he pushed the thick contract towards Jiang Zhi, “Director Jiang, see if there’s anything you need to add.”

This meeting was for signing a contract.

For Jiang Zhi’s new movie, Su Chan was chosen as the leading actress, primarily because of her fame and her skill. Both sides were not particularly concerned about the pay because this movie was a big production aimed at winning awards. They had reached an agreement in no time, only a contract remained. Initially, they thought today would be a mere formality, but—

Jiang Zhi didn’t even open the contract, pushing it back untouched.

Jin Song’s smile faded, “What do you mean by this?”

Jiang Zhi calmly lifted his eyelids, seemingly smiling yet not, his profound eyes filled with ambiguous meaning as he asked, “Don’t you know my relationship with Xue Baoyi?”

Heh, he had overheard the earlier conversation.

Jin Song leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning Jiang Zhi’s face with a smile hovering on his lips, a mix of challenge and a deeper implication, “What relationship?”

Dressed impeccably in suits, reeking of hypocrisy.

In the circle, many used these eight words to describe Huayu’s deputy general manager.

“What do you think?”

In a lazy tone, Jiang Zhi threw the question back.

What relationship?

Rumors in the circle had it that Xue Baoyi and Jiang Zhi had a romantic involvement.

Indeed, with Jiang Zhi’s looks… Jin Song took out a cigarette from his pack, offering one to Jiang Zhi, “Director Jiang, for your movie, I doubt you can find anyone more suitable than Su Chan. You should think carefully.”

Jiang Zhi remained seated, “I don’t smoke.” He then lifted his hand, and Ah Wan immediately handed over a business card and a pen. Jiang Zhi took them, wrote a string of numbers on the back of the card, “For compensation matters, please contact my lawyer.”

He pushed the card to Jin Song, put down the pen, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and turned to leave. Ah Wan put away the pen and followed.

Occasional coughing sounds arose, and Jin Song glanced at the door, seeing Jiang Zhi slightly hunched, exposing a small patch of skin paler than a woman’s.

A delicate beauty weakened by illness.

The youngest of the Jiang Family in the Imperial City, just as rumored, short of breath every few steps, frequent coughs, unrivaled beauty, surpassed even adorned flowers.

“President Jin,” Su Chan called softly.

Jin Song withdrew his gaze, “This Jiang Zhi,” tapping the lighter on the table gently, tick-tack, tick-tack… the sound unhurried and rhythmic, then he paused the motion and stopped speaking, “No wonder even those princely lads are enchanted by him.”

A man even more beautiful than women.

Jiang Zhi had just walked out of the Bamboo Garden when he ran into Xue Baoyi, that flashy butterfly. His buzz cut had just started to grow out and he had dyed it gray again, making him look like a little old man. It was only his ruggedly handsome face that could pull it off.

Xue Baoyi had come to have fun. When he saw Jiang Zhi, he was delighted: “Brother Zhi, Brother Zhi!”

Jiang Zhi glanced at him: “Idiot.”

Xue Baoyi, whose enthusiasm had been doused with cold water, clutched his heart: “…” His heart hurt. “What did I do to deserve this?”

Jiang Zhi couldn’t be bothered with him.

Ah Wan looked at Xue Baoyi and thought the employer wasn’t all that bad. Sure, he had a bad temper, was moody, sharp-tongued, picky, neurotic, and haughty… but he was very protective. See, he could call Xue Baoyi an idiot, but he wouldn’t let Jin Song do the same.

Hmm, that must be a good quality.

Ah Wan also reasoned that even though the employer cursed at him every day, if one day he got into a fight and couldn’t win, the employer would drag his sickly body over to help him.

The car was parked outside Fusheng Inn, but they hadn’t left yet when Qiao Nanchu called. Jiang Zhi answered: “Hmm?”

“Where are you?”

Jiang Zhi said: “Out discussing business.”

“Did you finish?”

“It fell through.”

Jiang Zhi popped a marshmallow into his mouth. That idiot, Xue Baoyi!

Qiao Nanchu asked him: “Interested in the professional errand runner business?”

Jiang Zhi stayed silent, fiddling with the marshmallow box, opening and closing it, making occasional clicking sounds. After a moment, he put down the glass box: “I’ll come over.” He hung up the phone and instructed Ah Wan, “Go get Xue Baoyi.”

Jiangfeng Mansion.

It was nine in the morning, and the sun was just beginning to peek out from the clouds. Despite the cold of late winter, the seasonal begonias in the mansion had already bloomed.

“Back again?” The security guard uncle was leaning out the window, greeting the girl outside.

The girl nodded. Her cheeks were reddened from the wind, making her look even more flushed.

The security guard uncle saw she had a large canvas bag on her back and asked with a smile, “Bringing food for Mr. Qiao again?”

She nodded again, smiling, and took the canvas bag off to hand it over.

The security guard uncle took it: “Mr. Qiao is at home today. Aren’t you going up?”

She shook her head and took out a pen and paper from her coat, writing, “No, please give it to him for me.” She then took a small lunchbox from the canvas bag, reached over the window, and placed it on the table. “This is for you, homemade braised chicken feet and shredded chicken. Try some.”

“I get some too?” The security guard uncle’s face wrinkled with a smile. “Thank you. I don’t know your name yet.”

She turned to a new piece of paper and wrote her name carefully.

“Wen Baiyang.”

She was called Wen Baiyang, like the white poplar tree.

Both Jiang Zhi and Xue Baoyi owned property at Jiangfeng Mansion, though they rarely stayed there. When they did come over, they usually stayed at Qiao Nanchu’s place.

The security guard recognized the two of them.

“Mr. Jiang and Mr. Xue are here,” he said, opening the gate for them. “Going to Mr. Qiao’s place?”

Xue Baoyi responded affirmatively.

Mr. Jiang seemed unapproachable, but Mr. Xue had a good temper. The security guard seized the opportunity and handed over the package left by the girl earlier. “This is for Mr. Qiao, brought by a girl just now. It’s food. Could you take it up for me?”

Xue Baoyi reached out from the passenger seat, “I’ll take it.”

The security guard handed it over.

Inside the car, Xue Baoyi sniffed. Damn! It smelled delicious!

Three minutes later, even before they arrived, Qiao Nanchu heard Xue Baoyi’s shout.

“Open the door!”

Qiao Nanchu opened the door.

Xue Baoyi burst in noisily: “Qiao Nanchu, you’re hiding a mistress behind my back!”

“As if!” Qiao Nanchu glanced at Xue Baoyi’s shoes on the carpet and kicked at him, “Damn it, change your shoes.”

Xue Baoyi juggled his shoes off and waved the package at Qiao Nanchu’s face, looking overly excited for no reason: “Look, there’s evidence. Don’t try to deny it.”

“What is it?” Qiao Nanchu barely glanced and walked off to fetch Jiang Zhi a pair of clean disposable slippers.

“A girl brought it, see?” Xue Baoyi waggled his eyebrows, grinning mischievously, “Don’t deny it. Spill the beans. When did you start keeping a mistress?”

The old man at home always used Qiao Nanchu as a model for teaching him to keep himself clean. Pfft, what a joke!

Qiao Nanchu looked at him as if he was an idiot: “You think I’m like you.”

“…”

Damn it, he got praised by elders all the time, and for what? Xue Baoyi took out the cartoonishly cute pink lunchbox from the canvas bag: “Then what is this?” Still denying it!

Qiao Nanchu took one look and snatched the lunchbox, ignoring Xue Baoyi’s protests, and put it straight in the fridge: “She’s my stepsister. I supported her for a few years. She’s still young, don’t make fun of her.” @@novelbin@@

Damn!

Xue Baoyi remembered: “You mean that girl you brought back from Da Mai Mountain five years ago?”