To be more shrewd
Their gazes met, and she discovered herself mirrored in He Ying’s gradually emerging smile. However, the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
She walked slowly, weaving through the crowd to arrive at Jing Dan’s side, stopping at a distance of a foot from her, not advancing any further. The already faint smile on her face faded a bit more.
“I didn’t expect to encounter you here so soon.”
Her tone was light and indifferent, lacking the constant smile that had adorned her face the previous night.
Jing Dan keenly sensed that she was upset, but what was she angry about? They were hardly acquainted; what reason did she have to be angry?
“I didn’t expect it either,” Jing Dan replied in a muted voice, casting a glance at her attire and then toward the direction from which He Ying had come—where a man stood, looking over at them.
If she hadn’t seen incorrectly just now, it seemed He Ying had been arm in arm with that man, or at the very least, her hand was resting on his arm.
He Ying glanced at Xu Zhihuan, who was walking their way, and chose not to say much more, simply cautioning, “Be careful.”
Then, she turned and left.
Jing Dan: “???”
She came over just to say those few words?
She was puzzled, but in the blink of an eye, Xu Zhihuan had already arrived at her side with two glasses of wine, extending one to her while offering, “Care for a drink?”
Looking at that glass of wine, its body shimmered faintly under the light of the lamps, appearing to be quite delectable.
But this was alcohol.
My aunt always said, don’t drink recklessly when you’re out.
“Miss Jing?” Xu Zhihuan called out, noting her seemingly distracted air, unsure of what was on her mind, but sensing a hint of her internal struggle.
The smile in her eyes deepened, feeling she was one step closer to success.
Jing Dan snapped back to reality, taking the glass of wine in her hand but remarked calmly, “I don’t feel like drinking right now.”
She decided to heed her aunt’s advice, especially around Xu Zhihuan, a woman of schemes; she couldn’t afford to let herself become muddled.
Hearing her response, Xu Zhihuan didn’t press her further. She simply stood there, making conversation for a while until someone else called her away.
Jing Dan felt somewhat bored, not understanding why she had called her over when she was not acquainted with this group of people.
However…
Jing Dan’s gaze shifted to the group from the entertainment circle, wondering if it was possible to scout a few to bring back with her.
But this was just a fleeting thought. Given how her company was virtually unknown in the entertainment industry, even her lack of social savvy didn’t prevent her from realizing that these people wouldn’t give her the time of day.
But what was Xu Zhihuan’s real reason for calling her over? And why did He Ying warn her to be careful?
Just then, He Ying’s gaze landed on her, her attention to the conversation with people nearby somewhat scattered.
“Miss He, are you feeling unwell?” The man beside her asked gently.
He Ying shifted her gaze away from Jing Dan and smiled faintly, “No, I just saw a friend.”
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The man glanced over towards Jing Dan, the admiration in his eyes still not fading. He had been watching her for a while now and felt that the more he looked, the more attractive she seemed.
“Is it that lady?”
He was somewhat surprised when he had seen He Ying heading towards that person, not knowing when she had become acquainted with someone from Xu Zhihuan’s circle.
Thinking that it was someone Xu Zhihuan had taken an interest in, a hint of pity appeared in the man’s eyes. He said to He Ying in a low voice, “You know what kind of person President Xu is. If possible, you should remind your friend.”
This time, He Ying looked at him with a bit of surprise. This man was her employer, after all; he had paid for her company as his companion for the evening. She had originally thought that people in this circle were all similar to Xu Zhihuan, but she hadn’t expected him to say such a thing.
There was a contemplative look in her eyes, and with a glance at Jing Dan’s direction from the corner of her eye, she inwardly sighed.
Forget it, better to give her a heads-up to avoid her being truly deceived.
Thinking of her blushing face last night, she’s an innocent kid. Getting entangled with someone like Xu Zhihuan will only bring trouble.
Although she doesn’t really mingle in this circle, she has come to know quite a few things, big and small. Xu Zhihuan may look decent, but she’s the one with some of the most peculiar tastes.
After mingling with the man and others for a while longer, He Ying’s task was essentially complete, and the man was straightforward with the payment, immediately transferring the remaining amount to her using his phone.
Seeing the account balance on her phone, He Ying sighed to herself. It seems she still needs to strive to earn more money; otherwise, this amount won’t sustain the dance troupe for long.
After saying goodbye to the man, He Ying went to sit beside Jing Dan. She picked up the glass of wine from the coffee table and sniffed it; her eyebrows relaxed considerably.
The wine was fine.
Jing Dan quietly watched her movements, particularly when she sniffed her own glass; Jing Dan’s eyes widened a bit.
“Is there something wrong with the wine?” Jing Dan asked softly.
He Ying glanced at her. She’s become quite attentive now, hasn’t she? Why isn’t she sporting that sullen face of hers anymore?
“There’s nothing wrong,” Jing Dan replied in a muted tone.
“Oh.”
He Ying finished the wine in her glass in one gulp, and looking at Xu Zhihuan who was surrounded by people in the distance, she furrowed her brows and asked, “How did you come to know her?”
“We met at a cocktail party a couple of days ago.”
He Ying suddenly remembered something—hadn’t Hu Tu mentioned to her that Jing Dan owns an entertainment company? And Xu Zhihuan seems to be involved in that sphere as well.
She grew somewhat silent, realizing that if both were from the same field, their paths were bound to cross frequently in the future.
“Be extra cautious around her,” He Ying said with a frown, thinking of all she knew about Xu Zhihuan, which couldn’t help but agitate her.
The mere thought of her being taken advantage of by Xu Zhihuan was irksome.
Although this person always seemed to snub her, she didn’t want to see someone as decent as her get ruined by Xu Zhihuan.
Jing Dan blinked, looking perplexed. Did she seem that foolish? Everyone seemed to be warning her about being wary of Xu Zhihuan.
However, Jing Dan wasn’t the sort to misunderstand good intentions; she naturally took such advice seriously.
“Understood,” she nodded.
Seeing her obedient nod, He Ying felt somewhat relieved.
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At that moment, Xu Zhihuan also emerged from the crowd, approaching Jing Dan.
She first gave He Ying a cursory glance, perhaps perceiving some similarities to herself, and instinctively took a slight dislike to her with a subtle frown.
She didn’t bother with He Ying, instead speaking directly to Jing Dan, “Miss Jing, since we’ll both be mingling in the same circles, I think it’s necessary to introduce you to them.”
Her face bore a soft, gentle smile, her gaze on Jing Dan brimming and deep as if it contained only her.
It easily gave off an impression of profound affection.
He Ying, standing aside, rolled her eyes internally upon seeing her act; this person’s facade was indeed well-crafted.
With such a look directed at others, they might have blushed to their ears, their hearts pounding like a deer running wild, mistakenly thinking that this person had deep feelings for them.
But Jing Dan did not respond in kind.
With a cold expression, she showed no sign of receiving the message conveyed by Xu Zhihuan, her countenance unpredictable as she nodded and spoke, “Then I’ll thank President Xu.”
Xu Zhihuan: “…”
Can she really not understand what she’s suggesting?
With a light laugh, Xu Zhihuan extended a hand toward Jing Dan, seemingly intending to help her up, while saying, “Miss Jing can call me Zhihuan.”
Changing the formality of address is a natural way to close the distance.
Unfortunately, looking at Jing Dan’s expression, Xu Zhihuan felt that Jing Dan wouldn’t allow such early familiarity to address her by her given name.
He Ying: “…”
Jing Dan remained expressionless: “No need, ‘President Xu’ rolls off the tongue just fine.”
Saying this, she ignored Xu Zhihuan’s outstretched hand and stood up on her own.
Standing to the side, He Ying listened quietly to the dialogue between the two, but inwardly she began to find the situation amusing.
It seemed to her that Jing Dan was like a no-man’s land, blocking out any signals from the outside world.
Yet Xu Zhihuan was an old fox; she smiled smoothly without a hint of embarrassment and gracefully withdrew her hand.
“That’s fine, however you feel comfortable addressing me.”
She then led Jing Dan to where everyone else was gathered, introducing her with a smile, “This is our CEO Jing Dan from Qingzhu Entertainment. From now on, we are all part of the same circle, and I hope everyone will look out for her.”
With just a few words, she almost made Jing Dan one of their own.
The group below was full of shrewd people. They all smiled and agreed, with some even beginning to show goodwill proactively.
Jing Dan nodded at them, thinking to herself that those who are so eager to show goodwill now must not be relied on in the future.
Their actions were influenced by Xu Zhihuan’s presence; they were most likely Xu Zhihuan’s people. To use them would be to allow Xu Zhihuan to infiltrate her operations, wouldn’t it?
She smirked inwardly, she wasn’t foolish, was she?
However, seeing so many stars and entertainers below, she still felt somewhat shocked. Just for one banquet, Xu Zhihuan actually managed to call together most of the entertainment circle’s figures.
But she didn’t quite like the atmosphere; it all felt somewhat strange and off to her.
What was going on with several people pressuring an actor to drink? If it’s clear he doesn’t want to drink, why force him?
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Having keen hearing meant she could catch snippets of other people’s conversations.
“You better think carefully. Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. Once you leave these doors today, it’s not certain whether this role will still be yours or not.”
“We’ve also said, as long as you play your cards right, won’t this role be yours?”
“Don’t reject the face given to you; you’re already here, do you think you can still escape?”
The following dialogue got increasingly indecent, and Jing Dan’s frown deepened the more she listened.
He Ying was right beside her at this moment, naturally hearing the same conversation. Seeing Jing Dan’s furrowed brow, she whispered, “Where there are people, there’s dirtiness, especially in this circle; it’s practically rotten to the core.”
Actually, humans often describe spirits as fierce, brutal, and greedy, but is the human heart really any better than that of spirits? It might even be more greedy and cruel.
Jing Dan looked up at her, at the hint of sorrow on her face, and became somewhat lost in thought.
Is this circle really rotten to the core? Then why do you still stay in it?
The author has something to say:
Hehe: When I say this, do you understand? Hurry and scram back to drink your bottled milk!
