Chapter Eighty: Flowing Years

  Everyone has their own place, and they can only gain recognition from others after shining and heating up in that position.

  Lee Ji-hyun can avoid this gathering because she was invited by Chen Mu-qing, and she doesn't belong here anyway, so she doesn't have to worry about the consequences of avoiding it.

  There will be no consequences for her.

  And this party appeared because Cui Xiaozhen knew that Chu Jingyan needed this party now, in other words, Chu Jingyan needed the people attending this party.

  Every place is dirty, the difference is whether you know it or not, Chu Jingyan knows, so he dislikes.

  But dislike can't be exchanged for money, and for the sake of money, dislike can turn into love.

  Of course, there was a reason why he came out again. The atmosphere in the house might have become even more lively because of Chu Jingyan's absence. Chen Muqing, who had actively joined the circle, immediately received enthusiastic attention after being surrounded by countless halos. Chu Jingyan turned his head and looked back, but didn't say anything.

  It's not because of the unpleasantness of being excluded that I didn't speak up, but because there was someone standing behind me at some point.

  The woman was dressed very casually, without a good dress or a hairstyle that took a long time to create. Her long hair fell loosely on her shoulders. People who could come to this party wouldn't be unable to afford it or anything else. There were people in the house with similar attire, but no one stood behind Chu Jingyan. This woman just came and stood there like that.

  Standing there won't let people ignore it.

  Lee Ji-hyun also seemed to have noticed the woman, and his eyes sparkled with a normal color that people usually display when they see a big star, let alone this woman who has always been known for her pure image as a "jade girl" and "tear beauty".

  This woman who just won the Best Actress award at the Baeksang Arts Awards last year, who knows if she will be crowned again at the Blue Dragon Film Awards next year?

  Lee Ji-hyun's dream is to stand on the stage and sing, if it develops well, being recognized by a director and filming a movie would be the best, but this time has not started yet, it's just a dream.

  The woman in front of her had long realized her greatest dream and was enjoying the glory brought by the halo.

  Originally, I thought the woman would turn around and leave because there was someone on the balcony, so Chu Jingyan didn't plan to give up this feng shui treasure land, and self-servingly sipped his wine, thinking that if no one was around, it would be great to light a cigarette.

  Li Zhi Xian tugged at Chu Jing Yan's sleeve, and Chu Jing Yan looked at her in confusion before turning back around. The woman still hadn't left, smiling brightly as she gazed at him. Alright, although he didn't know who she was smiling at, Chu Jing Yan thought that this woman did indeed look beautiful when she smiled.

  Doesn't look stunning at all, but looks comfortable to death.

  Is this what they call a beauty who never gets old no matter how many times you look at her?

  Obviously the woman had also taken a liking to this balcony, so Chu Jingyan decided to grit his teeth and give it up. After all, beauties are always privileged wherever they go.

  So Chu Jingyan prepared to take Li Zhi Xian and leave.

  The woman smiled and opened her mouth: "Miss Li, can I be alone with Mr. Chu for a while?"

  Before Li Zhi Xian could say anything, the woman looked at her with an apologetic gaze again and said: "Sorry, it'll be quick."

  The woman apparently misunderstood the relationship between Chu Jingyan and Li Zhihuan, and her tone contained some pleading. Chu Jingyan furrowed his brow, Li Zhihuan looked at the woman and then at Chu Jingyan, slightly bowed, and walked into the house.

  Chu Jingyun finally turned around and began to carefully examine the woman.

  Still the same evaluation, simple, good-looking, and getting better with each look.

  The woman walked slowly forward, came to Chu Jingyan's side, looked at the distant night view, held up her wine glass and took a slight sip, exhaled a breath, and Chu Jingyan glanced at the woman.

  How many people yearn for a moment of solitude with this woman, how many men dream of this woman, so young and beautiful.

  Very pure and charming.

  Many years ago, when Chu Jingyan first started working at the Snake Palace, he was just a young waiter serving drinks and dishes. The Snake Palace was the most luxurious nightclub in the entire Jiangbei region, although it wasn't located in the prime area of Jiangnan, it still had a considerable reputation in various circles.

  So every night there is a lot of activity, people coming and going, men and women, sometimes even dogs.

  Chu Jingyan grew up in Chinatown, San Francisco and became an adult in Seoul's Yeouido.

  The cost of being an adult is not great, and for what Chu Jingyan has gained now, the cost of being an adult is indeed not great.

  Chu Jingyan was exposed to the real high society there, saw the truly luxurious and extravagant life, and at the same time saw more filth and shame. Leaving Zheng's house, he sat on that damn broken boat drifting across the ocean, his young heart had long been silenced, but no one came to help him.

  What guides him is the darkest part of this society and the dirtiest things hidden under the sunlight.

  At that time, Chu Jingyan was just a young man who thought he should be a good person from the bottom of his heart. He did the most tiring and humble work, but after all, he had a bed to sleep in and a box lunch for himself in the kitchen after work, so at that time, Chu Jingyan was very contented and also very discontented.

  It was still a very ordinary night, already late at night, most of the guests had left after having fun, but the You She Gong was very large, and there were still many private rooms with guests, and naturally, waiters were needed to serve them at all times.

  That day, a group of somewhat special guests came to the VIP suite on the second floor. The people around were all discussing it, and it turned out that those people were the unnamed celebrities mentioned by Chu Jingyan.

  It wasn't until later that I found out it was a crew celebrating the end of filming, and Chu Jingyan had seen similar scenes before. But what made that day so memorable was that there was a woman among those people.

  A woman who even Chu Jingyan, a picky person, thinks looks very good.

  The young man's nature made him take a few more glances, and coincidentally, the private room was taken care of by Chu Jingyan, so he took many glances at that woman.

  Time flies, and the group of people are playing wildly. The man next to the woman has his arm around her shoulder, and his other hand is unintentionally wandering in front of her chest. The woman has been given a lot of wine and finds it hard to do anything to protect herself.

  "That person was the director of that drama of mine. At that time, he was still a newcomer and I didn't dare to offend him. Of course, now I also don't dare to offend the director." The woman said with a smile as she looked at Chu Jingyan.

  Chu Jingyan nodded and said, "If it were delayed for a year or two, I might just watch them like this, and maybe even help them close the door." After finishing speaking, Chu Jingyan cast his gaze into the distance, as if he had returned to that private room many years ago, and the few times in his life when he had seen justice and bravery.

  At that time, Chu Jingyan was not like now. Even if he suffered a lot himself, he felt that he could help with the bad things he saw within his ability, and it would be best to help.

  The people in the private room gradually left, and finally only the man and woman were left.

  The woman gathered her last remaining freshness and prepared to leave, the man raised his wine glass and smiled, saying: "Yi Zhen, one last cup, and also take this opportunity to wish us future collaborations."

  Sun Yizhen took the wine glass and was about to drink it, when the door was pushed open and Chu Jingyan walked in. He held a fruit platter, lowered his head and walked forward, knocking over Sun Yizhen's wine glass.

  Then extremely terrified apology, intentionally or unintentionally separated Sun Yizhen and the man, getting farther and farther apart, Sun Yizhen also began to sober up.

  The man who spoiled the good thing scolded loudly, slapped Chu Jingyan in the face, and even called over the manager at the time. Afterwards, Chu Jingyan was naturally beaten up.

  Looking at Chu Jingyan, the woman who was most likely to win the Best Actress award this year asked: "What would happen if I drank that glass of wine?"

  Chu Jing said with a cherry in her mouth, "At least sleep for ten hours."

  Sun Yizhen pursed her lips: "This thank you, was late for a long time."

  "I had forgotten," said Chu Jingyan. "If you hadn't brought it up today, I wouldn't have recognized you or remembered that matter."

  "Why?" Sun Yizhen asked in confusion.

  Chu Jing smiled and said, "Those two people both hit me. That manager now has a broken leg, which hurts every time it rains, probably for the rest of his life. As for that director, I extorted 300 million from him."

  "How did you blackmail him?" Sun Yizhen asked.

  Chu Jing spoke and shrugged his shoulders: "This can't be told to you."

  Sun Yizhen stopped asking more questions, propping her forehead with her hand and said: "I've never forgotten that it's hard to think of a waiter risking his job to help me, and in that kind of place, many people would think this is normal. What surprises me the most is that you seem to have become very powerful and high-ranking."

  "People will always climb up habitually." Chu Jingyan glanced at Sun Yizhen and said, "In the past, that newcomer who was taken advantage of by the director is now almost a movie queen."

  Son Ye-jin's eyes dimmed and she said quietly: "Actually, nothing has changed."

  Chu Jingyun understood what Sun Yizhen said, put down his wine cup and exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, saying: "It seems that many things are still the same as before."

  This is the first real meeting between Chu Jingyan and Sun Yizhen, and if it weren't for Sun Yizhen taking the initiative to find Chu Jingyan tonight, Chu Jingyan would probably have forgotten about that encounter from years ago.

  Now the two of them were chatting like old friends who had known each other for many years, and neither of them could figure out what they were talking about.

  It may be because I recall my own ignorance in the past, or it may be because there are fewer and fewer people around me who can speak like this.

  "Are you now the director of C&O?" Sun Yizhen turned her head to look at the party in the house and said, "Listening to Director Choi's words, it seems that it's not just a director."

  "People say so." Chu Jing shook his head.

  "In short, it's better than staying in that nightclub all night."

  Chu Jingyan looked at Sun Yizhen and asked: "If I were still the waiter in Yaoshen Palace, if you saw me today, would you come over to talk to me like this?"

  "No." Sun Yizhen replied succinctly.

  Chu Jing smiled and said: "Indeed honest."

  "I just don't think it's necessary to lie to you."

  Sun Yizhen and Chu Jingyan clinked glasses, took a sip of the wine in their cups, and continued: "If you were still that little waiter, I might have given you some money to show my gratitude. Talking like this now, I don't know when it started, but I've become unaccustomed to speaking with some people."

  "It's still not too late to make amends." Chu Jing said with a smiling face.

  "How can I repay?" Sun Yizhen raised her head.

  "It seems that you actresses like to have a good relationship in private." Chu Jingyan thought for a moment and said, "I like Han Xiaoju, how about introducing us?"

  "Ha Hye-ju..." Son Ye-jin didn't take Chu Jingyan's words as a joke, thought for a moment and said, "I don't have much of a relationship with that newcomer, I'll ask her another day, but it's said that she has a strong sense of career ambition, ordinary men can't enter her eyes."

  Chu Jing said with a smile: "I just said it like that, why are you taking it so seriously?"

  "When it comes to pursuing women, although you men are always good at playing games, most people will still take action when it comes to chasing. Why? Because if you can say it out loud, it means you absolutely have a crush on that woman." - Sun Yizhen said.

  "What more needs to be said once a man has taken an interest in a woman?"

  Chu Jingyan looked at Sun Yizhen in shock, not knowing why his joke had made her so serious. After a long time, Chu Jingyan rubbed his chin and smiled: "You actors are really different from ordinary people."

  P.S. I've written similar scenes in the previous book, with Son Ye-jin as the target too. But suddenly I thought of how vastly different the starting points of the protagonists are between this book and the last one, so I wanted to write this to see just how much difference there is. Now that I look at it, the difference really is huge.