On the 10th of March, Ji Fanyin headed into the film set to check on their progress. Before heading out, she sent a message asking them if there was anything they would like to eat.
When she finally arrived at the World Studios, she encountered a wild Cen Xiangyang.
"Did you say something to her?" Cen Xiangyang got straight to the point and questioned her. "Why did she suddenly break off communication with me?"
Since she was waiting for the members of the film set to come over and carry the take out boxes anyway, Ji Fanyin decided to humor Cen Xiangyang. She leaned against her new Ferrari and replied, "Are you that worried about letting others know about what you did?"
"So you were the one behind it!" Cen Xiangyang narrowed his eyes sharply. "You must have played a part in her sudden engagement with Li Xiaoxing."
"You could always attend the engagement ceremony and ask Ji Xinxin in person." Ji Fanyin pulled up her sunglasses and rested it on her head. "Ah... I nearly forgot. Did you receive an invitation letter?"
When it came to engagement ceremonies, the groom and the bride would usually send out their invitation letters separately since both parties usually had their own social circles.
What was particularly fascinating about this was that the invitation letter Ji Fanyin received came not from Ji Xinxin but Li Xioxing.
I wonder who Ji Xinxin would send her invitation letters to.
Given Li Xioxing's temper, he would have probably sent an invitation letter to all of the love rivals he knew of. He didn't mind the extra postage fee, as long as he could infuriate his love rivals.
It's not as if he lacks money anyway.
"Of course I'll be there." Cen Xiangyang eyed Ji Fanyin intently. "I won't give up that easily. It's nothing but an engagement. Even if she really got married, she can always get a divorce afterward."
"You intend to play the third party?" asked Ji Fanyin curiously.
Cen Xiangyang did have the influence to pull that off, but that was only possible if Li Xiaoxing left Ji Xinxin on loose reins, which was extremely unlikely to occur... if the two of them even got to that step at all.
"Did you think that I would hand you another blackmail material to use against me?" Cen Xiangyang shook his head. "Ji Fanyin, you're much viller than I thought you were."
Ji Fanyin thought that there was something really wrong with his head. He was one of the few people in the world who didn't have the right to claim someone else was evil. There was actually a point in time when Ji Fanyin considered him a potential candidate to be Ji Xinxin's husband.
"Shall I forward you the proposal you sent me, to jog your memory?" asked Ji Fanyin.
Cen Xiangyang's complexion turned awful for a brief moment, but he soon burst into laughter and said, "Did you think that I'll keep falling for the same trick?"
"What's important is that it works." Looking at Cen Xiangyang, Ji Fanyin altered her voice to sound pure innocent, as if she was an angel unsullied by the material world. "Isn't it that so?"
Cen Xiangyang's smile vanished. He started at Ji Fanyin's face in a daze and reached for her, "Xinxin..."
Ji Fanyin only maintained her work persona for a brief instant before sidestepping to dodge Cen Xiangyang's hand. "Well... it could just be my imagination... but are you thinking of engaging my services if Ji Xinxin really gets married?"
Cen Xiangyang looked at her without the slightest trace of embarrassment. "Isn't that what you do for a living?"
"I needed money back then, but my pockets aren't as tight now," replied Ji Fanyin. "The market conditions have changed. My rates have risen from 100,000 dollars to 1,000,000 dollars per hour. Director Cen can you afford that?"
Cen Xiangyang burst into laughter. "Who do you take yourself for? An A-list actress? Do you know how much it costs for them to accompany a person for a night?"
"Do they have the same face as the person you fancy?" Ji Fanyin answered with a question.
It was at this point that the staff members of the film set finally arrived. "Hm? Director Cen is here too?"
"He was just passing by," said Ji Fanyin as she opened up the trunk for them. She casually waved Cen Xiangyang goodbye, indicating that the conversation was over.
She wasn't in need of money anymore, and she believed more in quality instead of quantity when it came to her clients. There was no need for her to drag Cen Xiangyang out of the rubbish bin just to add him into her client list.
His final destination had already been decided anyway-jail.
Advising him not to commit a crime? Not only is it a waste of time, I don't feel obliged or inclined to do that for him either.
As if that lunatic would even listen to me.
Ji Fanyin toured around the film set and ensured that everything was proceeding smoothly before taking her leave. While driving off, she shot a glance at Cen Xiangyang's film set through her rearview mirror.
She had a feeling that Cen Xiangyang was going to make a move soon.
Based on what she knew, while Cen Xiangyang had little qualms in kidnapping Ji Xinxin, he wouldn't go to the extent of killing her. Thus, she wasn't too concerned about him.
Ji Xinxin should have already anticipated such a possibility when she chose to approach Cen Xiangyang feigning innocent little lamb back then.
...
On March 11, Ji Fanyin and Bai Zhou met.
I spent another whole day in the studio.
Bai Zhou really likes painting, and he is also quite talented in this respect, but when he soaked in the studio this time, he felt as painful as a novelist suffering from a low creative desire.
After tearing up one after another unsatisfactory draft, Bai Tian finally got a painting he was barely satisfied with.
He looked at the easel with a smile, and the movements of coloring and adding details became more and more fluid, as if he finally grasped a fleeting inspiration after a day of mania.
When Ji Fanyin wanted to go over and see what he drew, Bai Tian took the painting into his arms like protecting a big baby: "Don't look at it!"
"Just take a look."
"Don't look at it at a glance!" Shi Zhou was beaten to death without letting go, his cheeks dyed red, "Go and look in the mirror yourself! You can see it!"
He has a nasty voice, but his attitude and use of words are much more kind than before.
More or less learned a little respect for others in getting along with Ji Fanyin.
"Well, don't watch it." Ji Fanyin looked down at the time, "Is it finished?"
"Ji Fanyin, you haven't got off work yet!" Bai Zhou was so psychologically overshadowed by her action that she immediately warned, "Don't want to go home early – you go back and sit down."
Ji Fanyin didn't care about him, and went back to the chair of the subject to grind the foreign workers for the last few minutes.
Seeing that she had indeed turned away and walked away, Bai Tian released the easel she was holding in her arms, and looked at the person in the painting again.
The background of this painting is not a studio at all.
The woman in the canvas neither sits on that small bench, nor does she have a sense of distance from the painter.
The perspective of the painting is like sitting next to the person in the painting and portraying her with eyes. Daylight shines from her front and softly dyes her whole body with gold.
Bai Zhou hasn't painted the facial features of this character yet.
He clearly remembered the conversation between Ji Fanyin and the Aegean Beach that day, as well as the corners of Ji Fanyin's slightly bent mouth when he made a wish for the rising sun.
She said that her wish to the sun would make the day of a child smile.
But if only the scene at that time was reproduced, it would be the same as the photo sticker put in his wallet, it was just a dream and a mirage.
The attention preference he wants is not from a non-existent customized girlfriend, but from Ji Fanyin.
But the day did not dare to say it.
After all the things he had done to Ji Fanyin, he couldn't easily assume that nothing happened.
After he has confessed to Ji Fanyin's "Ji Xinxin", he can't say that he "empathizes with him" in a shameless manner like Song Shiyu.
Bai Zhou wanted a face, and was even more afraid that Ji Fanyin would treat Song Shiyu as he did, and cut off all the connections with him neatly.
He would rather be more precise.
By the time he left the studio at nine o'clock, Bai Zhou still left the woman's face in the painting blank.
In order to prevent Ji Fanyin from seeing the contents of the paintings, Bai Zhou carefully stored the paintings in his studio, and requested that they be kept separately and not made public.
He inadvertently asked Ji Fanyin: "Tomorrow you also go to the engagement ceremony?"
"Go." Ji Fanyin said lazily.
Bai Zhou peeked at Ji Fanyin's reflection from the laser stained glass at the front desk of the studio.
Once she is out of business, even if she doesn't change her clothes, her aura is completely different from before.
Daylight feels particularly magical.
Bai Zhou secretly glanced at Ji Fanyin's reflection on the front reception's glass table. He found it intriguing how her disposition underwent a 180-degrees change the moment she was off work, even though she was still wearing the same set of clothes.
"Let's head there together after lunch. I'll drive you," Bai Zhou offered on a whim.
Ji Fanyin decisively rejected his offer, "On your motorcycle? Too cold."
"I bought a car!" exclaimed Bai Zhou as he puffed out his chest.
Ever since Ji Fanyin complained about riding on his motorcycle being too cold, he immediately went through the driver's license test and bought a car.
Ji Fanyin raised her eyebrows.
Bai Zhou couldn't figure out what Ji Fanyin was thinking, but he had a feeling that she saw him as a child throwing a tantrum.
"You want to attend Ji Xinxin's engagement ceremony with me?" Ji Fanyin repeated his proposal. "Bai Zhou, do you know what others will think if they see that?"
Bai Zhou was silent for two seconds before he responded with an answer that was aligned with his previous persona, "Why the fuck would I care about what they think?"
Ji Fanyin shot him a look.
Her gaze made Bai Zhou incredibly self-conscious, to the point that he subconsciously corrected his words, "What would I care about what they think?"
A split second after he made that correction, he realized that something was really weird here: When did I become so civilized?
"I'll hitch a ride from you tomorrow then," replied Ji Fanyin.
"I-It's a deal then!" The unexpectedly positive outcome left Bai Zhou so excited that he immediately cast aside the doubts he harbored in his mind.
...
12th March arrived as promised.
There was a drizzle early in the morning. Just as Ji Fanyin was about to head out, she received a call from Mother Ji. The latter anxiously asked, "Yinyin, where are you?"
"Hm?"
"It's the day of Xinxin's engagement! Shouldn't you come earlier to help you?" exclaimed Mother Ji in bewilderment. "No matter how estranged you are from our family, you shouldn't miss such an important day for your younger sister. We're waiting for you to host the guests here!"
Ji Fanyin used an even more shocked tone to respond, "I nearly forgot about it. If I recall correctly, I've only received an invitation from the groom's side. I don't think anyone from the bride's side even invited me."
Both Father Ji and Mother Ji had vanished from Ji Fanyin's life ever since their previous awkward meeting.
It was understandable why Ji Xinxin hadn't sent Ji Fanyin an invitation letter, but there was really no excuse for these two.
"You expected us to send you an invitation letter too?"
"I'm busy. I'll head there in the afternoon." Ji Fanyin looked at the gloomy weather outside and decided to take an umbrella with her.
"What are you busy with? What could be more important than your younger sister's engagement ceremony?" Mother Ji sounded infuriated. "I don't care! If you don't rush here right now, you shouldn't even dream of us offering you a helping hand when you need help!"
Ji Fanyin calmly answered, "My next schedule is worth 12 million dollars. If you're willing to compensate me for my loss, I'll head over right now."
Mother Ji became even more agitated. "What nonsense are you spouting? 12 million? Are you selling your organs?"
"I don't need your help. I also don't intend on attending the engagement ceremony as Ji Xinxin's older sister." The lift arrived on the first floor. Ji Fanyin walked out and opened her umbrella. "Oh right, relay my well wishes to Mr. Li. Thank him for the invitation letter on my behalf."
"Ji Fanyin!" Mother Ji furiously bellowed. "Are you going to defy us now that you're earning your own money?"
Ji Fanyin chuckled at those words. "That's right."
Mother Ji took a sharp gasp of air, but Ji Fanyin hung up the phone before she could say anything else.
Father Ji and Mother Ji weren't generous with their Emotional Points, but it was still something. More importantly, she carried disdain for the two of them.
The two of them were accustomed to taking advantage of little conveniences and making use of other people's kindness. They disliked dealing with trouble, and they would prefer to downplay things whenever possible.
Ji Xinxin knew how to cry and kick up a fuss, so the two of them doted on her.
'Ji Fanyin' chose to bottle everything within her and tolerate it, so the two of them took her sacrifices for granted and expected her to continue doing so till the end of time.
If only Father Ji and Mother Ji were a little more sensitive to their children's feelings, they would have found themselves with two intelligent twin daughters who had strengths in different fields. It wouldn't have ended in the current tragedy.
After Ji Fanyin got into a cab, she whipped out her phone and began scrolling through her WeChat. She was hoping to see the commotion at the engagement ceremony, but she unexpectedly stumbled upon a friend request.
It was from a person named Yuuki.
It took her a while before she recalled who this 'Yuuki' was.
It was Cheng Lin, the female classmate who seemed to harbor ill feelings for both Ji Xinxin and Ji Fanyin.