C11 Reversing the Tide

One day, Xie Yaotian didn't see Qu Zhenzhen at the office. He asked Xia Wanxin, who was usually inseparable from her, and she mentioned she hadn't seen Zhenzhen since they had drinks. Wanxin seemed preoccupied, hesitating to say more. Yaotian, worried about Zhenzhen's absence, didn't notice Wanxin's unusual behavior.

When he got home that evening, he saw the breakfast he had prepared was still untouched on the dining table. "Where on earth did she go?" he wondered. She wasn't answering calls from her agent and hadn't shown up at the office. "Did my joke go too far? Did she take it seriously?" he mused.

Just then, his phone rang in his pocket. Seeing "Qu Zhenzhen" on the screen made his eyebrows raise involuntarily, though he didn't realize it. He quickly answered, feigning anger and lowering his voice, "Zhenzhen, you were unreachable all day and didn't come to the office. Where have you been?"

There was a brief silence on the other end, as if she was gathering her resolve, then she spoke in a subdued tone, "Mr. Xie, if it's convenient, can we meet? I have something to tell you in person."

This was exactly what Yaotian wanted. Even though it had only been a day, he couldn't help but want to see her. "Just name the place, and I'll be there soon," he replied.

Zhenzhen exhaled deeply and without hesitation mentioned the name of a coffee shop they frequented, suggesting they meet in half an hour.

Yaotian quickly changed into a stylish casual outfit, the tailored fit perfectly highlighting his tall frame. Satisfied with his reflection in the mirror, he headed out to meet her.

After parking, he spotted Zhenzhen sitting at the far end, waiting for him. He unconsciously quickened his pace. "Have you been waiting long?" he asked as he sat across from her and ordered a black coffee from the server.

"I'm not late; I just got here," Zhenzhen said absentmindedly.

"What's so urgent that we have to talk now?"

Zhenzhen finally looked up at Yaotian across the table, gathering her courage to speak clearly, "I don't want to be an actress anymore. I want to leave the entertainment industry."

Yaotian was taken aback by her statement and instinctively asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"I said I want to leave the industry. I hope you can terminate my contract," Zhenzhen replied, slumping into the couch as if all her energy had been drained.

Yaotian looked at her, trying to piece things together. "Is this because of last night? I actually..."

"Don't bring up last night again! It was an accident. I didn't expect to drink so much," Zhenzhen interrupted, clearly frustrated. It was precisely because of that incident that she made this decision.

Yaotian finally understood and calmly said, "What if I told you nothing happened between us last night?"

"Nothing happened?! Are you serious?" Zhenzhen's eyes widened as she quickly sat up, leaning over the table.

Yaotian watched her with an amused, meaningful smile, his gaze making Zhenzhen uneasy.

"But I was wearing pajamas. How do you explain that?" she demanded.

Yaotian rolled his eyes and began recounting the events after they returned home. "You were sleeping so soundly in the car that I didn't want to wake you. I figured, since I have plenty of bedrooms at my place, you could just crash for the night."

He paused, taking a casual sip of his coffee, noticing her growing impatience before continuing, "When we got home, you threw up all over yourself. I didn't want you to stay in that mess, so I had the housekeeper help you change into pajamas and put you to bed in the guest room."

"Didn't you see the housekeeper when you left this morning?" he asked, feigning confusion.

"And when you changed clothes this morning, didn't you notice they weren't completely dry?"

Zhenzhen regretfully patted her head. She had been too shocked to accept things earlier to notice such details.

Seeing her silence, Yaotian continued, "Don't worry, I'm not interested in your flat figure."

"You..." Zhenzhen pretended to hit him, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, everything was fine.

Oh no! In a moment of impulse, she had already said she wanted to quit the entertainment industry and terminate her contract! How was she going to fix this mess? What a fool she was, speaking without knowing the full story!

Yaotian watched Zhenzhen's expressions shift from surprise to regret, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. This girl was just too fun to tease.

He leisurely picked up his coffee and casually asked, "What was that you said earlier? Something about a contract termination?"

Hearing his teasing, Zhenzhen's face turned even redder, unsure how to respond.

The more Yaotian looked at her, the more amused he became. Slowly, he pulled out a few sheets of paper from his bag and placed them on the table.

"If I had known you felt this way, I wouldn't have accepted this new role for you. I had to turn down several big names to get it. What a shame."

What? A new role?!

Zhenzhen quickly grabbed the contract, and upon closer inspection, it was indeed for a TV series adapted from a popular novel. Her eyes lit up as she clutched it tightly, afraid it might slip away.

"I was just talking in my sleep earlier, probably still tipsy. Mr. Xie, please don't take it seriously."

Seeing her happiness made Yaotian find her even more endearing. Her emotions were so genuine, with no attempt to hide them.

Today was a rollercoaster for Qu Zhenzhen. It started with an unprecedented blow that left her so despondent she considered quitting the entertainment industry altogether. But then, in an unexpected twist, her worries evaporated. Not only did she keep her job, but she also landed a new opportunity.

The next morning, she headed to the company, excitedly signing the contract for her new project. Over the following days, she either stayed home, deeply engrossed in studying her script, or went out with Xia Wanxin for some shopping and good food. Life felt pretty comfortable.

Soon enough, the day arrived for the new project to start filming. As usual, she showed up early, greeting everyone on set with a cheerful demeanor. Acting was her passion, and she was determined to give it her all, no matter what.

However, she was caught off guard when, just as she was happily preparing for the shoot, someone walked up to her, freezing her smile in place. It was Yuh Wan.

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