Chapter 31

Chapter 31: When Will This Exception for Her End? He Calls the Shots..

Su Wan had never seen Han Rao so smug before.

She wore only light makeup today, her eyebrows slightly arched and the corners of her eyes curved. Despite her seemingly innocent expression, it made Su Wan’s heart skip a beat.

Su Wan met her gaze for a moment, then, perhaps out of guilt, involuntarily lowered her eyes.

Beside them, Su Wan’s manager Li Mengyang noticed and gently nudged her hand under the table.

Su Wan immediately understood and looked up at Han Rao once more. She sat there quietly, gazing at her with a scrutinizing expression, the pendant around her neck shimmering silver under the light, dazzlingly bright.

“Professor Han, I invited you here today to sincerely apologize to you.” Su Wan bent down to pick up the freshly decanted red wine and poured it into a goblet.

Her nerves seemed somewhat tense, her left hand compromising with her right to suppress the trembling.

Han Rao watched her movements, the echo of that “you” still ringing in her ears. She frowned, feeling the honorific was somewhat life-shortening

By age, Su Wan was nearly two years older than her.

Su Wan poured three glasses of wine, stood up, and handed the first one to Zhao Jichuan.

The man remained silent, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, yet his eyes held an indescribable meaning.

He remained motionless, causing the room temperature to drop by two degrees.

Su Wan couldn’t quite grasp his temperament, only knowing he was someone she couldn’t afford to provoke. Otherwise, Li Mengyang would never have forced her to come apologize to Han Rao after throwing such a tantrum.

Su Wan held the wine glass with both hands, “President Zhao, this is for you.”

Zhao Jichuan remained unmoved, while Han Rao beside him flashed a smile.

That smile was quite piercing, as if it said, “The wheel of fortune turns.” Su Wan and Han Rao had spent three months together on the film set. Even though Li Mengyang had warned her that Han Rao was a deep schemer, Su Wan still thought Han Rao was a rather “simple” person.

Han Rao, though somewhat reclusive on set, preferred to keep to herself and rarely engaged in deep conversations beyond work matters. Yet, she had a gentle temperament, often saying “thank you” out of habit. Sometimes, after wrapping up the final scene, she would even help the props team clean up the set. She got along well with everyone, never showing any sharp edges.

That was exactly why Su Wan was certain she was someone easy to bully.

Su Wan looked at Han Rao with pleading eyes, hoping she would take some action to prevent the atmosphere from becoming so awkward.

Han Rao remained seated upright, simply smiling at her without saying a word.

As the temperature in the room seemed to freeze, Li Mengyang could no longer sit still.

She flashed a slick, worldly smile and said to Su Wan, “Look at you, so guilt-ridden you’ve lost your wits. Since you offended Teacher Han, naturally you should apologize to him.”

Li Mengyang glanced at Su Wan, feeling nothing but a headache.

Netizens jokingly called Su Wan a “dumb beauty,” a label she wholeheartedly agreed with. To put it bluntly, Su Wan was quite foolish—she wasn’t deeply involved in the industry’s complexities, and her smooth-sailing career since debut hadn’t broadened her horizons much. Initially, Li Mengyang thought managing someone like Su Wan would be far easier than handling someone like Han Rao precisely because she lacked independent thought, making her easier for the agency to control. After all, when it comes to money-making tools, the more firmly you can grasp them, the better.

Now it seems that people are too..

Stupidity isn’t a good thing either, because it means acting without thinking.

If Su Wan had even a shred of common sense, she wouldn’t have deliberately flubbed her lines in front of so many people on set.

Her acting was just so terrible.

Every industry has its own dirty little secrets. It’s common for newcomers in the entertainment world to be bullied or looked down upon. As one veteran once said in an interview, after achieving fame, “Suddenly everyone around you becomes nice.”

But someone like Su Wan, who openly bullies others, is truly a first.

Su Wan, upon hearing Li Mengyang’s words, felt as though she had grasped her last lifeline. She stepped past Zhao Jichuan and approached Han Rao. “Teacher Han, let me toast you as an apology. On set, I truly didn’t mean it—I just wanted to perform the scene well, so I overlooked your feelings…”

Su Wan’s voice trembled with tears by the end of her words.

Han Rao watched as she held up that glass of red wine, her hand still trembling slightly, the liquid swirling gently against the crystal, looking utterly enticing.

Han Rao glanced at Li Mengyang again and instantly understood—they had agreed on a unified stance before coming. An apology was fine, but they had to firmly insist that Su Wan didn’t hit Han Rao on purpose.

Han Rao took the glass openly, gently pinching the stem, and gave it a vigorous swirl—the red wine swayed instantly.

And she, with a look of pure contentment and enjoyment.

Su Wan thought she would drink this glass of wine—drinking it would signify accepting the apology.

But after a pause of two seconds, Han Rao finally spoke, “Sorry, I’m not used to socializing, and I don’t dare drink at gatherings. I’m always afraid of getting drunk and losing control—what if something happens and I can’t even move my legs?”

She raised her eyes to look at Li Mengyang, who guiltily lowered his head.

Han Rao set the wine glass down on the table with a dull thud, causing two drops to spill from the excessive motion.

The atmosphere once again fell into a stalemate.

Even if Su Wan was slow-witted, she understood now—today’s demand for an apology was just a pretext; the real goal was to humiliate her.

But she couldn’t resist, so she bit her lip hard, her face alternating between pale and flushed.

She hated Han Rao to death, and she hated herself even more.

Zhao Jichuan, seeing this, grabbed Han Rao’s hand and said with a forced smile, “It’s all my fault for spoiling her—I don’t let her drink.” He glanced at Su Wan and added, “Since that’s the case, we can’t very well refuse Teacher Su’s kindness. How about this: you drink, and I’ll make the decision for Han Rao. If you drink, we’ll consider the matter settled.”

Su Wan immediately raised the glass and drank it all in one gulp. She drank too hastily, coughed twice, then looked eagerly at Zhao Jichuan.

The man curled his lips, “Go on.”

He rubbed his temples, seemingly somewhat fatigued.

Su Wan felt as if she had plunged into an icy abyss, casting a disbelieving glance at Li Mengyang, who merely lifted his chin in response.

Su Wan raised her head and drank another cup.

“Go on.”

Han Rao listened to the man’s indifferent voice and glanced at Su Wan, whose eyes were red.

Su Wan clenched her wine glass and downed it in one gulp.

This time, Zhao Jichuan remained silent, his expression still grimly severe.

Su Wan knew this meant it would continue.

She took the wine glass, mixed with tears, poured another cup, drank it all, and then continued.

One glass after another went down, and soon the bottle was empty.

Zhao Jichuan seemed unwilling to let it go, while Li Mengyang couldn’t sit still any longer. “President Zhao, continuing like this will cost lives.”

“Is she allergic to alcohol? Or does she have stomach cancer?” Zhao Jichuan asked.

Han Rao nearly burst out laughing upon hearing this, never expecting Zhao Jichuan to have a bit of a talent for humor.

Li Mengyang was taken aback. “Fine, I’ll drink for her.”

“That day with Han Rao, why didn’t you drink for her? Did you think she wasn’t worth it, or was she too valuable?”

Li Mengyang was speechless, never expecting Zhao Jichuan to remember something from so long ago.

She had thought that someone like Zhao Jichuan would have long forgotten that fleeting encounter at the dinner party, but to her surprise, she remembered it so clearly, even remembering that she was Han Rao’s former agent.

Zhao Jichuan asked the waiter for another bottle of wine, tapping her knuckles lightly on the table. “Since you’re willing to drink, then drink. There’s plenty of wine.”

Li Mengyang’s face completely crumbled; only then did she understand why Zhao Jichuan had insisted on Su Wan’s agent also being present.

When Han Rao terminated her contract, Li Mengyang had always wondered where she got so much money for compensation.

Today, that mystery was finally solved.

It was certainly a worthwhile trip.

Li Mengyang, after all, was experienced and mature, not as indecisive as Su Wan. She understood that Zhao Jichuan was intentionally protecting Han Rao this time, settling both old and new scores.

Instead of indecisively defending herself, she might as well be straightforward; at least that way, she wouldn’t be annoying.

Li Mengyang’s bottle of wine was only half-drunk when Han Rao stopped her, saying, “That’s enough, don’t drink anymore, let’s stop here.”

Han Rao’s face showed annoyance. She had been quite pleased to see Su Wan being forced to drink, but when it came to Li Mengyang, her feelings were complicated. She was both grateful to Li Mengyang and utterly hated her.

It’s better to just call it quits now and treat each other as strangers if we ever meet again.

“That’s enough, I’m tired.” Han Rao looked at Zhao Jichuan, “I want to go home.”

Zhao Jichuan stood up, gave Su Wan and Li Mengyang a meaningful look, and led her away by the hand.

As soon as the two left, Su Wan, with tears streaming down her face, slumped into a chair and said aggrievedly, “Sister Mengyang.”

Li Mengyang scoffed, muttering “useless” under her breath.

“Where was all that arrogance when you were hitting her?” When Li Mengyang found out that the person Su Wan had hit was Han Rao, she gave her a thorough dressing down. She hated nothing more than people who used their seniority to bully others.

“What should I do now, Sister Mengyang?”

Li Mengyang didn’t speak. She knew that Zhao Jichuan wasn’t someone who would let things go easily, and Su Wan’s career was likely over.

　　-

Han Rao’s face was grim as she emerged with Zhao Jichuan. The sky was gradually darkening, pressing down with a heavy, hazy feel.

Han Rao looked up at the dark, oppressive clouds, feeling that this strange weather probably meant rain.

She followed Zhao Jichuan into the car, leaning back against the seat with a touch of weariness, and closed her eyes.

She couldn’t quite articulate what she was feeling. She had gotten her revenge, and it was exhilarating, incredibly satisfying.

But now, a strange tightness had settled in her heart.

She couldn’t help it; she opened her eyes again and asked Zhao Jichuan, “Do you often use tactics like this?”

Perhaps her tone was a bit stiff, as the man furrowed his brow slightly, “Hmm?”

Han Rao probably realized her tone was off, so she exhaled again, naturally linked her arm through his, and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Zhao Jichuan, I never thought you’d avenge me like this.”

She initially felt a thrill, but she couldn’t help but overthink, and the more she thought, the colder her heart grew. Su Wan was humiliated like this today because she had bullied her. But what if one day she, too, foolishly angered him? How would he treat her then?

Han Rao never used to find Zhao Jichuan terrifying; even on the first day they went to the hotel together, she wasn’t this flustered.

But today, she was habitually overthinking, probably because her mind was truly muddled.

Zhao Jichuan lifted her chin, instantly catching the fleeting fear in her eyes. “Afraid of me?”

His tone also sharpened by three points.

Han Rao shook her head again. She put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips, pausing for two seconds before saying, “I’m not afraid now.”

She thought, she was probably a pervert too, her rationality falling apart the moment she touched his warm lips.

She wasn’t afraid of him, not one bit.

Instead, she wanted to conquer him even more, so she kissed his Adam’s apple, chin, and earlobe.

Zhao Jichuan stopped her movements, cupped her chin, and stared intently into her eyes, scoffing lightly, “Han Rao, I disdain to make things difficult for women.”

He was telling the truth; he genuinely disdained bickering with women. Perhaps it was a stereotype, but he always felt that women and petty people were difficult to deal with, and it was better not to provoke them.

He also disliked making things difficult for women at drinking parties, like forcing them to drink or act as escorts. What couldn’t be discussed soberly that suddenly became clear after a couple of drinks? Zhao Jichuan felt that forcing women to drink at parties was 100% for the purpose of taking advantage of them.

But getting someone drunk and taking advantage of them isn’t gentlemanly, and it’s no fun if they’re unwilling.

He preferred his current mode of interaction with Han Rao. Having discussed it clearly and laid out the terms of their arrangement, going to bed afterward felt more straightforward, leaving no room for guilt.

Zhao Jichuan rubbed her earlobe, “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be like this.”

The implication of his words was: I

For you, I’ll make an exception.

Han Rao didn’t know if she had misunderstood. She was a little dazed. She clearly hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol tonight, so why was her blood boiling and she was so energetic?

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly. Zhao Jichuan raised his hand to cover her eyes, then lowered his head and bit her lips.

Han Rao whimpered and struggled, breaking free from his grasp. She pulled down the hand covering her eyes and stared straight into his, “Zhao Jichuan, I admit, I was just thinking, will you ever do this to me one day?”

She puffed out her chest and took another step closer, “Can you?”

The man ran his hand through her hair and countered, “Do you think I would?”

He seemed to be asking himself the same question.

Han Rao: “No.”

Resounding.

Zhao Jichuan seemed to get the answer at that moment, and hummed softly, “Indeed not.”

He said, “Han Rao, if one day we break up, I won’t make things difficult for you like this, not even a bit.”

Han Rao’s nose stung, and she closed her eyes.

Zhao Jichuan dealt her a heavy blow, telling her that they would separate one day.

It made the pink bubbles that had been growing in her heart these past two days feel like a fleeting dream, all fake.

“So when will we break up?” she asked, opening her eyes, deliberately teasing him with a hint of recklessness.

Zhao Jichuan’s eyes deepened, as if he was seriously considering the topic. He rubbed her earlobe with his rough thumb and asked her back, “What do you think?”

“I signed a three-year contract with Xingyun back then,” she said.

She thought, perhaps when the contract was being drafted, he had already put a time limit on their relationship.

Otherwise, with most companies, contracts are usually signed for five, eight, or ten years.

Why was hers three years?

Three years, by comparison, was too short.

Three years, is this the maximum or minimum term?

She had no way of knowing, and it seemed she had no right to know either.

Zhao Jichuan frowned and looked at her, but she showed no emotion, neither happiness nor disappointment.

He stared at her for a few seconds, still unable to understand her emotions, so he simply changed the subject. “Something came up, I’m flying to Shanghai tomorrow morning. You stay safe on set, and contact me if anything happens.”

Han Rao breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. She couldn’t tell if she was relieved that he didn’t answer, or regretful that he didn’t answer that sensitive question.

“Okay, then I’ll take you tomorrow. My face still needs two days before I can film, so I have nothing else to do.”

“Okay,” he agreed.

The car slowly drove on the road, and Han Rao dozed off, leaning against his embrace, feeling drowsy.

They had been working all morning, and she had just gotten involved with Su Wan again, which was quite draining. She would rather let her mind crash and stop thinking about anything. Because thinking would only bring pain.

When Han Rao opened her eyes again, she was already in the hotel’s underground parking lot.

Zhao Jichuan lightly kissed her lips, tucked the strand of hair that had fallen over her face behind her ear, and said very domineeringly, “Han Rao, aren’t I the one who calls the shots on this matter?

Han Rao had just woken up, her eyes still hazy, and her mind slow to react.

But she still understood that he was answering the question from just now.

When they would finally end things, he had the final say.