The breath he exhaled against her skin sent a shiver through Jiang Mian.
She sniffed, catching the crisp scent of red wine.
"How much did you drink...?" she murmured to herself.
Ji Zhixiu, displeased by her distraction, bit her rounded shoulder as a playful punishment, his voice thick with the mellow aroma of alcohol. "Not much, we just partnered with the city government on a new project. Planning to renovate the outskirts of the capital next year. They're all acquaintances, so I had a bit more."
His voice carried a trace of weariness from the social obligations.
Though tipsy, he wasn't drunk.
In the dim room, the orange light cast shadows on his face. Ji Zhixiu’s long, curled eyelashes were as thick and dense as a woman’s, his profile sharp and defined.
His usually sharp and indifferent eyes were now filled with deep desire.
Jiang Mian suddenly realized that the man who held up the vast Ji Corporation, sitting in his high position, wasn't any less burdened than anyone else.
"Sorry I'm so late."
With that apology, Ji Zhixiu cupped the back of her head and leaned down to kiss her. His rough fingertips felt like sparks as they traced her earlobe.
The girl’s earlobe was small and plump, soft to the touch.
He couldn't help but knead it, and Jiang Mian’s breathing immediately quickened, her skin flushing hot, scorching her heart.
Her mind became a muddled mess from his fervent kiss, and her thoughts of saying something were instantly forgotten.
After a long while, the passion subsided, and a sated Ji Zhixiu carried a dazed Jiang Mian into the bathroom.
She vaguely thought she had forgotten something...
The next day.
In front of the vanity mirror, Jiang Mian’s brows were tightly furrowed. Her delicate face was flushed with anger.
She pulled down the collar of her nightgown, revealing a prominent mark on her collarbone, and turned to glare at the culprit. "Ji Zhixiu!"
She had to walk the red carpet at the film festival tomorrow, and such a clear hickey would be impossible to hide under the cameras.
Jiang Mian felt a headache coming on. This man’s promises in bed were utterly unreliable.
Ji Zhixiu sat at his desk, refreshed and in a good mood. He looked up when he heard her. "What's wrong?"
Jiang Mian pouted. "This is all your doing!"
Ji Zhixiu's gaze faltered. The girl was still wearing the nightgown he’d changed for her last night.
The mark on her chest stood out starkly against her fair skin.
His eyes darkened slightly. He pushed the lustful thoughts from his mind, discreetly averted his gaze, steadied his breathing, and quickly admitted fault. "Sorry, it's my fault."
Before Jiang Mian could respond,
She heard his voice again, clear and light, with a hint of a smile. "But it's hard to resist."
Jiang Mian's face instantly flushed.
Her peach blossom eyes sparkled with watery light. She complained aggrievedly, "Then what should we do? I have work commitments tomorrow."
Most of the gowns were off-the-shoulder or showed off her legs. She didn't know what 'Night Wing' had prepared for her,
But this area would undoubtedly be exposed without any cover.
If the media caught wind of it, how would she ever face anyone? The thought alone made her want to disappear.
Ji Zhixiu pondered for a moment. "Wear a gown that can cover it up?"
Jiang Mian's face fell. "If it's completely covered, how will it showcase my beauty?"
As she spoke, she glared at him, half embarrassed, half annoyed.
To him, that single glance lacked any deterrent force and was more like an invitation.
Ji Zhixiu, feeling guilt-ridden, rubbed his nose. "Then what should we do?"
This was uncharted territory for him.
He genuinely didn't understand what the girl was thinking.
Jiang Mian let out a soft hum, haughtily. "I'm still angry."
She turned around and found the foundation on the table. She squeezed a pump onto her collarbone and rubbed it.
Then, sighing in exasperation, "This isn't working."
She could only hope for the makeup artist tomorrow.
...
The moment Jiang Mian saw the gown, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Aphrodite?" she murmured.
She had seen this dress online before.
Night Wing snapped his fingers. "Bingo. From what I know, your measurements are a perfect fit for this one, so I didn't have it altered. I wanted to save it as a surprise, so I only brought it for you to see today."
Jiang Mian looked at him earnestly. "How did you convince Viastr?"
'Aphrodite' was Viastr's most prized non-sale item. Jiang Mian naturally assumed Night Wing had borrowed it.
Night Wing blinked, a smile curving his lips. "Who do you think I am? I bought it. It's yours now. Do you like it?"
"I love it," she replied sincerely. "Thank you, Night Wing. I absolutely love it."
She was deeply touched. The beauty of this evening gown was irresistible to anyone who saw it.
It must have taken Night Wing considerable effort to acquire it.
"As long as you like it, you'll outshine everyone else in it," Night Wing beamed, his gloom of days vanishing.
As long as she was happy, he wouldn't mind giving ten vineyards, let alone one.
Jiang Mian stroked the dress, her eyes curving. "It's too beautiful!"
Outside the film festival.
The camera flashes popped incessantly.
"Who's here? Who's here?"
"It's Jiang Mian!"
"Quick, quick, quick!"
The van slowly came to a halt, and the door was pulled open.
A pair of perfectly straight, long legs stepped onto the ground, followed by Jiang Mian's breathtakingly beautiful face.
She remained unfazed as countless lenses focused on her.
Her delicate, palm-sized face was exquisitely made up, her lashes thick and distinct, and the sequined eyeshadow was perfectly placed above her lids, adding a touch of seductive allure.
Her long hair was braided and secured with a diamond tiara, while a few strands of air bangs framed her forehead, adding a touch of cuteness.
A pair of vintage, irregularly shaped diamond earrings dangled from her earlobes.
Around her slender neck was a French double-layered pearl drop clavicle chain.
The close-up beauty onslaught rendered everyone breathless.
Jiang Mian maintained a slight smile, pulling her thick suit jacket tighter. Li Zhuyi, following behind her, held up the hem of the skirt. "Make way, make way!"
"Jiang Mian! You're so beautiful!" a sudden shout erupted from the crowd.
Jiang Mian paused, looked in the direction of the voice, and smiled. "Thank you."
With that, she entered the passage, escorted by security guards.
In the backstage dressing room, Jiang Mian took off her jacket, revealing the gown. "Phew, there were so many people outside."
Li Zhuyi stared, mesmerized. "Sister, you are truly beautiful today... incredibly beautiful..."
'Aphrodite' was a high-waisted, floor-length chiffon dress with four layers of cascading skirt.
Each layer was exquisitely textured, and the sea-blue color was visually pleasing, making her skin appear even fairer.
The top half was an off-the-shoulder design, revealing her delicate collarbone.
Night Wing had been right; this gown seemed made for Jiang Mian. It fit perfectly without any alterations.
Jiang Mian looked in the mirror, suddenly recalling the makeup artist’s knowing expression when she had asked him to conceal something during her makeup.
She bit her lip, blaming Ji Zhixiu.
"Oh, right, Sister. You should go meet up with the film crew," Li Zhuyi reminded her.
The film festival had invited Jiang Mian because 'Class Three High School' was nominated for Best Picture, Director Wang for Best Director, Jiang Mian for Best Actress, and Song Xingjia for Best Actor.
Since Song Xingjia wasn't present, Jiang Mian would walk the red carpet with Director Wang.
She nodded, lifting the hem of her skirt herself. "I'll head over then."
Li Zhuyi nodded and opened her laptop, logging into Jiang Mian's Weibo. "You go ahead, Sister. I need to give the fans some good content."
The fans were all waiting for event photos today.
The film crew's room was at the other end of the backstage dressing room corridor.
Each door was labeled with a name. Jiang Mian glanced at them as she walked.
As she rounded a corner, a pair of large hands reached out from beside the door and grabbed her wrist.
Jiang Mian's breath hitched, a wave of panic washing over her. In an instant, before she could even see who it was, she was pulled with force into the small dressing room.
She leaned against the wall, instinctively raising her other hand to strike. Then, a familiar voice preceded her action. "It's me."
Jiang Mian was annoyed. Seeing who it was, she was both surprised and delighted. "You scared me!" she exclaimed coquettishly.
Ji Zhixiu raised an eyebrow, surprised at how easily the girl was startled.
"Why didn't you say you were coming?" she asked, frowning.
Her nerves relaxed, and she then noticed they were in a simple, temporary changing room, less than ten square meters.
There was only a round leather stool.
A simple curtain was drawn to block the view from outside.
Ji Zhixiu chuckled. "I wanted to surprise you. They invited me to be a judge."
Jiang Mian blinked, then took his hand and swayed it. She traced his palm with her fingertip and whispered, "Then... can you use your connection...?"
"What connection?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
Jiang Mian puffed out her cheeks. "I mean... who will win Best Actress? Can you be a good person and tell me?"
She hadn't expected to be nominated for Best Actress.
However, Jiang Mian felt that her experience was still too limited, and she was mostly there for show, though it was still an encouragement.
But she still held a sliver of hope.
As the saying goes, an actor who doesn't want to be Best Actress isn't a good film queen.
Though, so far, she didn't fit either description.
But everyone had to have dreams!
The man's gaze was calm, and he said nothing, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
Jiang Mian deflated. "Okay, I get it. I won't ask anymore."
He hadn't come to see the girl just to hear her say these things.
Seeing him, Jiang Mian's heart filled with joy. She felt a sense of security.
She naturally wanted him by her side on such an important occasion.
The changing room was small, and she unconsciously moved closer to him.
Her chest pressed against his, and though the girl was wearing high heels today, Ji Zhixiu was still more than half a head taller than her.
From this angle, the view of her chest was unobstructed.
Fair and tender, extremely alluring.
"Then when are you leaving?"
"Which row are you sitting in?"
"Can we leave together when it's over?"
As she spoke, her lips parted and closed, red and captivating.
Ji Zhixiu's breathing deepened. He placed his hand at the back of her head, could no longer resist, and kissed the chattering lips.
"Mmmph..."
"Don't..."
Outside, the sound of people passing by could be heard.
"Did you find that cufflink?"
"I've looked everywhere, it's not here."
"Oh, she needs it urgently. Let's see if we missed anywhere."
"We haven't checked this small changing room!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise.