Chapter 27

Chapter 27

I sat in the car all night, dressed in my evening gown and clutching a bottle of red wine.

At dawn the next morning, a girl with a stunning figure and a beautiful face walked out of the villa.

She was young, delicate, sexy, and alluring.

Lu Junrong’s male assistant drove up and took her away.

I hesitated, struggled, and seethed with rage, but eventually, I calmed down.

An hour later, I touched up my makeup and hair, stepped out of the car with elegance, and entered the villa carrying the wine and my trophy.

Lu Junrong was sitting at the dining table in his bathrobe, sipping coffee. His collar was slightly open, revealing fresh fingernail scratches on his chest.

“You’re back.”

Lu Junrong opened his arms and came forward to greet me. “Congratulations! My Best Supporting Actress.”

I smiled and hugged him.

Best Supporting Actress-how ironic that sounded.

“I should have celebrated with you right away.”

I fought back my tears, forcing myself not to smell the scent of another woman’s perfume on him as I looked up at him. “The crew was throwing a party, so I had no choice but to leave you behind for a bit.”

Lu Junrong scanned me from head to toe, his eyes full of admiration. “A perfect masterpiece! I watched the live stream last night. My Zhiyi is truly beautiful.”

We both knew exactly what had happened last night, but neither of us mentioned it.

Lu Junrong opened the red wine and poured a glass for each of us.

He flicked the bridge of my nose with his finger. “Now, the line of suitors behind my Zhiyi must be miles long.”

I raised my glass and arched an eyebrow. “Still not as many as our great Director Lu has.”

We drank our wine in silence, looking at each other.

Finally, Lu Junrong broke the silence. “Zhiyi, I like you. But I was born in England and grew up in America, only returning to Gangcheng as an adult. My way of thinking is quite Western; I believe in open relationships.”

“What do you mean by that?” My heart began to sink.

Lu Junrong took a sip of wine. “It means that while we are together, we can each have other boyfriends or girlfriends without interfering with one another. Can you accept that?”

***

I recounted his words to Sister Fang.

Sister Fang exploded on the spot. “I knew he was a player, but I didn’t think he’d be this shameless about it. ‘Open relationship’ my foot!”

I couldn’t stop crying. “Keep scolding him, say a few more things for me!”

Sister Fang pulled out a tissue and wiped my tears, chiding me, “I warned you long ago. It’s fine to date, but don’t give him your heart. Now look at you, all hurt.”

Afraid that my tears would ruin the gown, I stretched my neck out while I sobbed.

Sister Fang was amused by my pathetic appearance. “So, what do you plan to do? Are you going to accept his proposal?”

I made a bitter face. “What choice do I have?”

Sister Fang put her hands on her hips. “Then you find a man too! You’re a Golden Deer Award Best Supporting Actress now; you’re incredibly famous. There are plenty of handsome guys chasing you. You find one too, and piss that bastard Ah Ron off!”

“I can’t.” I shook my head.

Sister Fang glared at me, frustrated by my lack of backbone. “When you dealt with your ex-husband, you were so quick and decisive. Why are you being so hesitant now?”

I wiped away my tears and gave a bitter smile. “Ah Ron can have new girlfriends, but I can’t.”

“I want something from him. To me, my career and my future are more important than love and lust. If I want to gain something, I must give something up. This is the price, and I must swallow it with a smile. I have to wait for him to break up with me; I can’t afford to be reckless and betray him. I don’t dare to bet that Lu Junrong is a forgiving man, and I certainly don’t dare to bet that his so-called open relationship is sincere. I can’t afford the gamble.”

Sister Fang let out a long sigh. “Then what is this? A conscious descent into ruin?”

I hugged her. “Just have a drink with your sister.”

Sister Fang looked ready to follow me into battle. “Fine. We’ll drink until we drop!”