NOVEL NEXT Chapter 343-349
Chapter 343: Ji Yi, Will You Trust Me? (3)
“Well, with this personality, he’s really losing out. All he does is play it cool and pretend to be cold. In the end, after all he’s done, he didn’t take credit for anything, so everyone definitely misunderstood him.”
Before, when would she ever care if I was misunderstood? Does this mean she’s worried about me?
He Jichen’s fingers trembled slightly when he read that message; his eyes were transfixed on the phone screen.
After a dozen seconds, he realized that the group of people in his video conference were staring at him with odd expressions. He quickly composed himself and put on a serious attitude as he continued to reply to Ji Yi: “Looks like tonight’s dinner changed Manman’s impression of Jichen quite a bit.”
“To be precise, it changed a lot. Everything that I learned tonight completely overturned everything I knew about him. He’s the complete opposite of my impression of him. Deep down inside, I thought he was condescending, arrogant, and rude, but tonight, I realized he’s not like that. He’s cold on the outside but warm on the inside, kindhearted from the bottom of his heart, and he treats friends and family very well. What’s more, he’s very passionate about the girl he likes. He has good traits that few men have…” Ji Yi paused for a moment then added, “He looks good, has a good background, and he’s very talented. To think about it, he really is perfect.”
As Ji Yi said this, she thought about “Cola girl” and couldn’t help but complain to He Yuguang: “Now that I think about it, the girl he likes must be blind not to have chosen him.”
It hadn’t even been ten seconds after she sent that message when she heard the sound of soft chuckling.
She instinctively turned her head to look over at He Jichen who was sitting behind his laptop, laughing while staring at his phone.
Isn’t he in a meeting? How did he slip up like that? And to laugh out of control like that…
He Jichen raised his head and shot a glance at Ji Yi as though he sensed her gaze upon him. After he met her glance, he immediately withdrew the smile on his face. Then he glanced at the indescribable expressions on the faces of the executives. He cleared his throat, fixed his expression and replied, “Continue.”
“He Yuguang” must’ve been tied up with something as he didn’t reply to Ji Yi’s message.
Ji Yi figured she might as well browse Weibo and wait for sleep to overcome her. After a while, she opened WeChat and noticed that He Yuguang still hadn’t replied.
She was just about to exit WeChat and continue to browse on Weibo when she caught a glimpse of what she sent to He Yuguang from the corner of her eyes: “He’s cold on the outside but warm on the inside, kindhearted from the bottom of his heart, and he treats friends and family very well. What’s more, he’s very passionate about the girl he likes. He has good traits that few men have…”
Those compliments for He Jichen were actually typed out with my fingers?
Ji Yi furrowed her brows in slight disbelief for a moment then looked at the next line: “He looks good, has a good background, and he’s very talented. To think about it, he really is perfect.”
Ji Yi was completely stunned as though her pressure points had been pressed.
Unbeknownst to me, I actually… actually changed my perception of He Jichen this much?
Ji Yi instinctively looked over at He Jichen through his reflection in the tall windows nearby.
He was moving his lips, speaking quietly with his headphones on.
She couldn’t hear what was being said, but she was lost in her thoughts again as she stared at him just as she did on the car ride back from West Lake.
Chapter 344: Ji Yi, Will You Trust Me? (4)
Ji Yi didn’t snap back to her senses until she felt a vibration on her palm.
She looked down at her phone to find that He Yuguang sent her a message: “From what you said about Jichen’s girl, she does sound like she could be a little blind.”
Ji Yi nodded at his sympathetic response and replied, “Not just a little blind, she’s practically too blind!”
Ji Yi let out a yawn after she sent that message.
After some time, He Yuguang replied, “It’s getting late. You should go to bed.”
“Mhm. Mhm,” Ji Yi replied.
He Yuguang: “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” After she replied, Ji Yi sat still on the sofa for a while. She was feeling drowsy now, so she grabbed her phone and got up.
Her actions alarmed He Jichen, who was still in his meeting. He raised his head and looked over at her.
Ji Yi realized that if she spoke up, the people in the video conference would hear her. She gestured towards the bedroom as if to tell him that she was going to bed.
He Jichen must’ve understood the message as he gave her a gentle nod.
With that, Ji Yi made her way out of the living room and into the bedroom.
She shut the doors and went to take a shower. She changed into her pajamas and laid in bed for a while then fell asleep.
Perhaps it was because she drank too much over dinner that night with Fatty that Ji Yi needed to use the washroom, so she woke up from her dream.
The curtains were shut, so she couldn’t see the color of the sky beyond the windows. It wasn’t until she walked into the bathroom that she realized there was already a glimmer of light outside the tall windows next to the bathtub.
As she came out of the bathroom, Ji Yi felt a little thirsty, so she pulled open the bedroom door. Just as she was about to grab a bottle of water, she heard sounds of pitter-pattering from the keyboard from the living room.
She was stunned for a few seconds; her sleepiness dissipated completely.
He Jichen’s… still busy at work. He didn’t go to sleep?
She instinctively turned her head and saw He Jichen at the desk with his concentrated gaze on the laptop. His fingers were flying as they typed away on the keyboard.
He was probably wholeheartedly engrossed in his work. He hadn’t even noticed that she opened the bedroom door.
So, he actually looks even more charming and captivating when he’s hard at work.
It’s true what they say – a working man is the most charismatic.
Ji Yi wasn’t sure just how long she’d been lost in her thoughts while staring at He Jichen. He stopped typing away on the keyboard, raised his hand to rub his neck and sank into his chair as though he was exhausted.
After massaging his neck a few times, his eyes swept over to her. He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her.
Sensing his gaze upon her, Ji Yi immediately snapped back to her senses and pointed over at the counter nearby. “I was thirsty.”
After she said this, Ji Yi walked over to the counter and poured herself a glass of water.
She thought about it for a moment and poured He Jichen one too. She brought it over to his desk.
When she set the glass down, she saw the opened file on the laptop. With just one look, she recognized it to be the script for “Three Thousand Lunatics.”
It was full of struck-out lines… Some lines already seemed perfect, but He Jichen still reworked them.
Ji Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Did you make all these amendments?”
“Mhm,” responded He Jichen softly as he picked up his glass of water and drank half the glass.
She never imagined that he was someone who strived for perfection, and most importantly, that he treated work with such seriousness. Very few directors personally read the script in such detail.
At that thought, Ji Yi’s admiration for He Jichen grew even more.
Chapter 345: Ji Yi, Will You Trust Me? (5)
He Jichen remained at the desk. He raised his head and asked, “Not sleepy?”
“Mhm, I’m not that sleepy right now,” replied Ji Yi.
“Oh good, there’s something I want to tell you…” He Jichen put the glass down and searched around the desk for a while before he pulled out a few documents. Then he handed them to Ji Yi.
Was He Jichen looking for me to tell me something?
Ji Yi looked over at He Jichen suspiciously.
His eyes were dull and Ji Yi couldn’t make out a thing. Deep down inside, her heart secretly wondered for a moment before she reached her hand out and took the files from He Jichen’s hands.
The first was a contract for a script titled “The Imperial Palace.”
This story had dominated top online searches for close to ten years now. The copyright was bought for an exorbitant amount of money many years ago. Later, it was passed around to countless companies before it eventually disappeared. For the past few years, movie adaptations for novels had grown increasingly popular. Many people had speculated when “The Imperial Palace” would start production.
She never imagined that He Jichen would actually also possess the rights to the “Ten Years on Top.”
Ji Yi suppressed the astonishment in her heart, looked up at He Jichen, then flipped through the second file.
It was a collaborative agreement by YC Corp with Huan Ying Entertainment, the largest production company for movies and shows in China to date. Most A-list celebrities were under this company including the brightest stars. The CEO, Mr. Lu Jinnian, and his wife, Mrs. Qian Anhao, just received the annual award for the king and queen of the silver screen.
He Jichen’s company actually signed a winning collaboration with Huan Ying Entertainment?
Ji Yi still hadn’t recovered from the initial shock of seeing the contract for “The Imperial Palace.” After a minute, she then glanced at the final file.
She called it a “file” but to be precise, it was a contract.
It was YC Corp’s contract to sign her as their artist; it included a management team and packaging team on the contract too.
Having worked in the entertainment industry, Ji Yi knew all those teams were comprised of the very best in the country.
So, He Jichen… wants to sign me?
Ji Yi was completely stunned.
After he gave Ji Yi the three files, He Jichen noticed her shocked expression but didn’t make a sound.
The room was so quiet that He Jichen could hear the slight sounds of Ji Yi’s fingers flipping through the contract. His gaze never left her face as he waited patiently. He waited until she recovered from her shock a little then he softly got up and kicked the chair back from behind him. He walked around the desk and over towards her.
She sensed his movements so she looked up from the contracts and over towards him.
When he met her gaze, he didn’t shy away but looked right at her and softly said, “Finished reading?”
Ji Yi knew he was referring to the three files he gave her, but she still hadn’t completely recovered from the shock of it all. All she could do was give a slight nod.
He didn’t mind her silence and stared at her for about ten seconds then said, “Ji Yi, will you trust me?”
His earlier words and what he said just now didn’t match up at all.
Ji Yi was stunned but couldn’t quite get on the same page as him.
He Jichen spoke up again, “Do you trust that I can fight, side-by-side, with you?”
“Will you trust me to take each step with you from the lowest point of the entertainment industry towards infinite, brightest point?”
“Will you trust that I can help you get back what was taken from you, bit by bit?”
With just a second’s pause, He Jichen asked again, “So, will you trust me?”
Chapter 346: Ji Yi, Will You Trust Me? (6)
Will you trust me?
He Jichen’s voice sounded distant in both time and space; the words didn’t reach Ji Yi until a long while after.
She kept her gaze on his body until the second he finished speaking. With an obviously blank look, she fluttered her eyelashes then returned to her frozen state. Her mind was blank, and aside from staring right at him, she had no other reaction.
He didn’t say another word and neither did she. He stood unflinchingly on the spot, gazing at her.
The room was overwhelmingly silent and the overcast weather outside started to gradually brighten. The skies in the east glowed red.
It wasn’t clear how long the two of them stared quietly at each other like that; Ji Yi stood there until her legs were numb. When the rims of her eyes became a little sore, her pitch-black pupils pulsed gently. Her thoughts started to circle around what He Jichen said.
He asked if I’m willing to trust him to fight side-by-side with me?
He asked if I’m willing to trust him to take each step with me from the lowest point of the entertainment industry towards infinite, brightest heights?
He asked if I’m willing to trust him to help me get back what was taken from me, bit by bit?
He asked if I’m willing to trust him?
With each question asked, Ji Yi’s heart vigorously skipped a beat.
She thought this was an illusion, so she silently pinched her own palm. The piercing pain made her realize that everything wasn’t a dream, and in that instant, a raging storm violently coursed through her body.
She admitted that the moment He Jichen handed her those files, she did consider that he wanted to sign her for a new series.
But never in a million years would she have imagined that he’d hand her a contract, not a script.
Any actor who wanted to go anywhere with their career had to sign with a management agency, including her. However, since her return to the entertainment industry, she hadn’t been in a hurry to get herself a manager. She wanted to sign with a good management company, which she thought would require her to wait a little more until she gained some more popularity in the entertainment industry.
After all, a good team controlled eighty to ninety percent of your future.
With “Three Thousand Lunatics” coming to an end, she had recently been considering which company she should sign with. Yet before she could even meet with any companies, she made peace with He Jichen.
Although YC was a new company, He Jichen was already considered a well-known director in the industry. Now with a collaboration with Huan Ying Entertainment in addition to the rights to “The Imperial Palace” in his hands… legal rights, good actors, a good director… It was virtually the perfect combination. For her, this was undoubtedly a step to climbing the ranks.
Most importantly, he wanted to fight with her and get back everything that was taken from her, little by little…
Heaven knew that three years ago, that car crash was equivalent to pushing her from heaven towards hell. She thought she was going to have everything in the world but ended up losing absolutely everything. Now, at her lowest point, he stood by her side…
An unspeakable feeling coursed through the blood in her heart and quickly filled her entire body.
Her fixed gaze on He Jichen became sore for some reason. She moved her lips, wanting to reply to him, but her throat felt stifled and she couldn’t make a sound.
Meanwhile, he wasn’t sure what she wanted to say or what was going through her mind.
Chapter 347: Ji Yi, Will You Trust Me? (7)
He was afraid she’d reject him. His motive for offering her the contract was entirely selfish – he wanted her somewhere he could see her and in a world where he could protect her.
Even if there came a day when she lost all relation to He Yuguang or him, they still wouldn’t become how they were four years ago; they wouldn’t just simply part ways with no ties remaining at all.
Does she know? I can’t find the right words, but at this very moment, I’m going out of my way to find the right words to convince her.
At that thought, He Jichen pursed the corner of his lips slightly and spoke before Ji Yi could compose herself: “To date, YC hasn’t signed any artists. If you sign with us, the entire company will work hard to promote our sole artist.”
“You’ve seen it too – YC and Huan Ying have established a collaboration. As soon as production for the new series starts, we’ll definitely hire actors from Huan Ying. You should understand that any actor from Huan Ying is either an A-lister or close to being an A-lister.”
After a pause, He Jichen then added, “Here, I’ll give you one last promise…”
A dignified look engulfed He Jichen’s beautifully refined face like he was making some kind of deep promise. Then his voice sounded unusually serious and especially sentimental as he said earnestly:
“…I won’t swarm to you when you’re famous, and I won’t turn and leave you at your lowest point.”
I won’t swarm to you when you’re famous, and I won’t turn and leave you at your lowest point… In this world, Ji Yi was afraid that he was the only one who’d go against the current for her.
Ji Yi’s eyes started to sting. Having experienced so much apprehensiveness, she’d become a lot stronger, but at this very moment, she was really afraid that she would suddenly cry. She hurriedly turned her head and averted her gaze from He Jichen.
Meanwhile, He Jichen asked Ji Yi for the third time, “Will you trust me?”
He didn’t stop there. There was a rare tenderness to his gaze as he said, “If you’re willing… come, join YC.”
“Come to my side… I will stay with you and take on this complicated world with you. I’ll use all my power to give you the most basic joy.”
Ji Yi’s eyes became a little moist, so she instinctively lowered her head.
He Jichen was aware of his own impatience, but he didn’t want to rush her. He waited for a moment then said, “Of course, I don’t expect you to give me an answer straight away. I’ll give you…”
He Jichen paused for a moment.
He hadn’t figured out how much time to give her when the woman in front of him with her head lowered suddenly turned around, facing the desk.
Then she flipped everything on the desk, ransacking the place before she finally grabbed his pen. She flipped right to the final page of the contract and swiftly wrote down two words: Ji Yi.
The thoughts running through He Jichen’s mind came to a stop.
There were two contracts.
After she signed the first, she threw it aside and flipped through the second.
After he heard the sounds of rustling paper, he saw her raise the pen again and signed the graceful two words: Ji Yi.
She finally put down the pen without even glancing at He Jichen. She put her head down and left with the dull words, “I’m still a little sleepy, so I’m going to go back to sleep now.”
She didn’t wait for He Jichen to react. She turned around and headed right for the bedroom, slamming it shut.
She locked the door and leaned against the wooden door. That was when she finally blinked, releasing a single stream of tears.
Will you trust me to fight side-by-side with you?
Will you trust me to take each step with you from the lowest point of the entertainment industry towards infinite, brightest heights?
Will you trust me to help you get back what was taken from you, bit by bit?
Chapter 348: Ji Yi, Will You Trust Me? (8)
I only promise you one thing… I won’t swarm to you when you’re famous, and I won’t turn and leave you at your lowest point.
Will you trust me?
If you’re willing… come, join YC.
…
As those words repeatedly swept through Ji Yi’s mind, more tears fell. Eventually, she had to cover her mouth as she stifled her sobs. As she cried and cried, her lips curved upwards.
She smiled and cried like that for a long time before she composed herself. She swayed as she got up. Outside the window, the sun had already risen and bright red rays of light adorned the entire city with a shockingly beautiful glow.
–
Ji Yi said she didn’t sleep enough and was going back to the room to make up for the loss of sleep, but how could she sleep with such a messed up frame of mind?
She laid in bed, tossing and turning for a long time. It wasn’t until He Jichen knocked on the door that she remembered they had to head back to Hengdian. She finally started to climb out of bed.
When she went to the bathroom to wash her face, she splashed cold water on her eyes for a long time to reduce the swelling from all the crying.
After she came out of the room, He Jichen was already packed and waiting for her.
She sensed his gaze but didn’t dare look back. She walked in front of him and softly said, “Let’s go.”
He didn’t say anything but continued to stare at her for some time before heading out the door.
Ji Yi followed behind him.
When they got out of the elevator, Chen Bai, who left last night, was already waiting in the lobby. He immediately greeted them when he saw the two of them. He took the laptop from He Jichen and took the opportunity to hand him some take away breakfast.
Chen Bai already checked them out of the room and picked up the car keys from the valet. He opened the passenger car door.
After He Jichen and Ji Yi entered, Chen Bai got in and started the car.
After He Jichen and Ji Yi ate their breakfast in the car, He Jichen sank into his chair, shut his eyes and fell asleep. He must’ve been tired from not getting any rest all night.
Maybe He Jichen’s sleepiness was contagious to Ji Yi sitting next to him. Soon after, she tried to doze off herself.
The road towards Hengdian was under construction, so the car jolted as it drove, waking up Ji Yi, who was unable to fall asleep.
She first glanced over at the time – it had already been over an hour since they set off. They were going to arrive on set in about twenty minutes or so. They had to film later, so she didn’t dare try to sleep again in fear that she wouldn’t be able to wake up on set. She figured she might as well sit upright for the rest of the ride.
It was very quiet in the car. Through the window, Ji Yi examined their surroundings for some time, but on the second time her gaze incidentally glanced over He Jichen’s sleeping face, her eyes lingered there and her thoughts wandered uncontrollably.
Her thoughts were all a blur, but when the car pulled into the film studio, she suddenly realized how resourceful He Jichen was. He clearly has better actresses to choose from, so why did he choose me precisely?
Could he possibly have come to sign me from the very beginning?
So, no matter if it’s “The Imperial Palace” or Huan Ying Entertainment, he prepared it all for me?
The car came to a stop, and Chen Bai and He Jichen got out of the car, but Ji Yi, who was deep in thought, was late to react.
She didn’t come to her senses until Chen Bai roused her. She then hurriedly got out of the car.
The entire production team was waiting for He Jichen, so after Ji Yi got out of the car, he turned to leave with a few quiet words, “I’m heading out first to get to work.”
Chapter 349: Ji Yi, Will You Trust Me? (9)
Before He Jichen could take two steps, Ji Yi suddenly cried out to him, “He Jichen!”
She’s calling me with the same desperation from when we were younger…
Heaven knew just how many times he envisioned her crying his name like that over the past few years.
Every time he stopped to look for her, he turned his head in bewilderment only to see face after face of strangers.
He Jichen’s fingers trembled but he didn’t stop walking.
He was afraid that this time was a hallucination like every other time, even if she really was behind him.
Ji Yi stared at He Jichen walking further and further away. Then Ji Yi cried even louder, “He Jichen!”
Chen Bai, who was just two steps behind He Jichen, heard Ji Yi’s two consecutive cries. Seeing as He Jichen didn’t stop, Chen Bai figured that he hadn’t heard her and nudged him. “Mr. He, Miss Ji is calling you.”
At the sound of Chen Bai’s voice, it was like He Jichen had been electrocuted as his entire body violently jolted for a moment. Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
So it’s not an illusion. It’s real. She’s really calling me…
Time passed, some things remained the same but people changed over the years. He couldn’t believe he actually saw the day when he could hear her call him with that kind of tone. “He Jichen!”
Chen Bai saw He Jichen stop but didn’t turn around. He curiously peered his head forward and glanced at the expression on He Jichen’s face. Chen Bai realized he looked a little vacant as though he was in a daze.
Chen Bai was confused but continued to remind He Jichen with “Mr. He?”
He Jichen’s long, curly eyelashes fluttered gently and the expression on his face reverted to its usual calmness.
He didn’t look at Chen Bai but calmly looked over at Ji Yi.
He silently balled up his hands at an angle where people nearby couldn’t see his movements, indicating his slight nervousness.
The second Ji Yi’s eyes met his, her mind snapped awake.
In a moment of desperation, she called for him, but she hadn’t even thought of what she was going to say to him.
She hurriedly turned her head and thought about how to start. She had no idea why she was at such a loss for words either. For no reason at all, she thought back to the conversation between him and Fatty that she accidentally overheard last night at Lou Wailou.
“To this day, I remember how I did the most regrettable thing in my life at twenty-four minutes past ten that evening.”
“Had I known all the things that would happen after, had I known just how guilty and ashamed I would feel now… then I wouldn’t have done what I did that night.”
He said he regrets it… He said he’s always felt guilty…
Ji Yi’s train of thought was in disarray once again.
Seeing as Ji Yi hadn’t made a sound at all, He Jichen took the initiative and said, “Is there something you need?”
Ji Yi stared unflinchingly at He Jichen, but she didn’t hear what he said.
The words he said last night still echoed in her ears: “If you experienced just how beautiful those years at Sucheng Yizhong were… You don’t know just how much I miss them. Recently, I’ve practically been dreaming about her every night…”
How was the time spent in Sucheng Yizhong not also the most wonderful time of my life?
He misses the past me, yet when did I ever not miss the past “him”?
Even after so many upsetting things happened between us, this He Jichen is still the same He Jichen from Sucheng Yizhong.