Chapter 2: So Close Yet So Far “Does what President Zhao just said still stand?…”

Han Rao couldn’t remember just how long those three minutes felt.

She stared blankly at the noble man standing beside her; just by standing there without saying a word, he exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.

No need to guess, Zhao Jichuan was the kind of man who excelled at controlling everything and would firmly keep the reins in his own hands. On the surface, he said he was giving her three minutes to think, but his occasional glances at his watch subtly imposed a sense of pressure on her.

Han Rao’s heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by something, rising and falling in turmoil, a breath of frustration she couldn’t release. At this moment, the alcohol began to numb her nerves again, even causing her to lose the ability to think independently for a while, as she dazedly watched the bustling streets and gazed upon the unique prosperity of Beicheng city.

Under the neon lights, the evening breeze lifted the woman’s jet-black hair and the hem of her dress. She raised her hand to tuck the wind-tousled hair behind her ear, inadvertently brushing against the delicate silver earring.

Zhao Jichuan saw her earrings reflecting the dim yellow light of the streetlamp.

Finally, after the man glanced down at his watch once again, the countdown came to an end.

“Miss Han, three minutes are up.” The man gently adjusted his sleeve, subtly scrutinizing her, his words completely breaking the silence of the moment.

Han Rao clenched the white clutch tightly in her hand, her entire body tense in a defensive posture. Her chin was slightly raised, and her rosy lips moved gently.

Zhao Jichuan thought her lip color resembled a graceful stroke of vermilion. In that moment, he seemed to understand the twisted intentions that President Du had written all over his face toward her. She was too beautiful, uniquely so—her complexion clean and pure, yet subtly revealing a hint of aggression.

Han Rao blinked her eyes rapidly. She had thought that after some inner struggle, she could give him an answer. After all, at this very moment, the man before her was her best choice—young, wealthy, and promising to make sacrifices for her, far better than that Mr. Du in countless ways.

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but they choked painfully in her throat. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t give him a definite answer.

She truly wanted to reappear in the public eye, desperately wanting to become famous, to reclaim what she had lost over the past four years. She had been away from this circle for too long; the once praised and spirited Han Rao had long been forgotten by the public. This industry moves too fast, with countless newcomers entering every year, all scrambling to trend on social media and make money. This pace made Han Rao’s heart tremble, filling her with an overwhelming sense of insecurity.

She remembered that when she was first blacklisted, there were still people editing her videos online. Whether the comments were praise or insults, at least someone recognized her and was willing to judge her.

Over time, she felt like a pebble that once clinked and clattered, now buried by a gust of wind and sand, completely forgotten by the internet.

Han Rao and Zhao Jichuan’s eyes met. She should have seized the opportunity he gave her; he might have been her only lifeline in a desperate situation. But she had no idea what kind of man he really was or what he wanted from her. She was afraid she couldn’t give him what he desired.

She was a person without capital. She could set aside so-called pride, not be aloof, and maintain a discreet relationship with him. But she had to weigh the pros and cons. She couldn’t rely on a man to lift her up, only to one day fall from that high tower, being devoured without a trace, not even knowing how she died in the end.

Perhaps the standoff had lasted too long, and Zhao Jichuan found his answer in her silence. The man lightly picked up his suit jacket and delivered his verdict without emotion: “I don’t want to force things. It seems Miss Han and I are not destined.”

With that, he left the words behind, kept a safe distance from her, raised his phone, and called his driver to come pick him up.

The distance between the two unknowingly grew wider and wider.

Han Rao wiped the tears from her face and still hesitated in place. She watched his figure lurking in the night, saw his driver pull the car over to the roadside, and get out from the driver’s seat to open the door for him.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, pulling her back to reality. Han Rao thought it was Li Mengyang saying something again, but when she looked down, she saw it was Xu Lianqiu.

Opening the WeChat chat, she realized she hadn’t contacted her mother for many days.

Xu Lianqiu: [Yingying, what are you having for dinner tonight?]

“Ying” means completeness.

“Yingying” was the nickname her mother gave her when she was four years old.

That year, her parents divorced, and her mother won custody, raising her alone. One night before bed, Xu Lianqiu held her little hand and asked if she liked the name “Yingying.”

Young Han Rao didn’t really have a concept of liking or disliking; she just thought saying she liked it would make her tear-streaked mother happy, so she obediently nodded in agreement.

As for the meaning behind the name—

She didn’t know whether Xu Lianqiu hoped for her life to be more complete or if it was to commemorate a marriage that was once full of hope but ended in shambles.

Han Rao stared at the screen, pondering for two seconds before habitually choosing to hide the truth. She couldn’t possibly tell Xu Lianqiu the truth, so she planned to lie and say she had noodles with gravy for dinner. But before she finished typing, Xu Lianqiu had already transferred five thousand yuan to her.

In an instant, Han Rao’s fingers froze, tears breaking through the dam, blurring her vision once again.

She remembered that today should be the day Xu Lianqiu got paid. Every time Xu Lianqiu sent her money, he would always start with a topic before transferring the funds, and remind her not to scrimp on food, not to always think about dieting and controlling her weight, and to remember to eat well.

Han Rao gritted her teeth. She had to admit, she was a freeloader—two years after graduation, she hadn’t landed a single role, couldn’t even get a bit part, and still had to rely on her mother’s support.

Xu Lianqiu’s concerned messages popped up one after another. Han Rao, trying to avoid them, turned off her phone screen. She looked up to see Zhao Jichuan’s driver, having just settled the distinguished man, return to the driver’s seat.

At that moment, Zhao Jichuan’s recent words echoed in her ears like the devil’s whispers, carrying the seductive allure of a siren’s song.

With a single thought, the ends of the earth become close at hand.

With a single thought, what is close at hand becomes as distant as the ends of the earth.

　　-

Driver Wang Jie had been following Zhao Jichuan for many years and knew there was still some time before they reached the hotel where Zhao usually stayed. Habitually, he started handling some documents in the car, handing the folder over to him, then fastened his seatbelt, ready to start the engine.

Just as the car started, a woman with her hair loose suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. If she had been wearing a white dress today, Wang Jie would have sworn he was seeing a ghost.

Han Rao appeared so suddenly that Wang Jie immediately slammed on the brakes, unable to hold back a curse. He had been driving for Zhao Jichuan for so many years without any accidents. Even knowing that if an accident happened and someone got hurt, the Zhao family had the means to handle it, who would want to ruin a good day and get involved in such trouble?

Zhao Jichuan’s body also leaned forward with the momentum. He raised his hand to support himself, lifted his eyes, and through the windshield, his gaze met Han Rao’s.

That woman was no longer as meek as when toasting in the private room; her face was filled with ambition, and there was a tragic sense of fighting to survive against all odds.

Tears still streaked her face, and the hem of her dress fluttered in the wind.

At this very moment, she was less than a meter away from the front bumper. Just now

If Wang Jie had been a step slower, she probably would have been bleeding today.

Truly reckless to the point of risking one’s life!

This was Zhao Jichuan’s assessment of her. They had been together for a long time, and he always felt that when she went mad, she truly didn’t care about her life.

The man raised his eyebrows, closed the folder in his hands, and rolled down the car window.

Han Rao immediately ran over upon seeing this, her chest heaving violently. No one knew whether it was from fear or from running too fast.

She leaned her body slightly forward, deliberately lowering herself to make it easier to communicate with the man in the car.

Being so close, Zhao Jichuan could clearly see the tears still clinging to her eyelashes. In the blink of an eye, the tears streamed down, her expression pitiful and vulnerable, completely losing the resoluteness she had just moments before. She simply looked at him quietly, showing weakness, playing the victim.

Zhao Jichuan saw that she remained silent and lazily leaned against the backrest, directly asking, “Miss Han, did you stop my car to catch a ride?”

“Or are you saying you just wanted to commit suicide and planned to extort some money from me on purpose?” The latter part of the sentence took on a teasing tone.

Han Rao knew he was aware of her intentions, but just now, when he gave her the chance, she didn’t seize it; she hesitated.

In the game played by adults, hesitation is defeat.

And now, she needed to be more proactive, more straightforward, and more eye-catching to capture his interest in her.

The two had never met before, and Han Rao never believed in that nonsense called love at first sight. She only believed in being attracted by appearance, and she was beautiful and well aware of it. Of course, beyond beauty, a woman’s fatal attraction to a man lay more in her mystery, her uniqueness.

Even if he knows you’re acting, he will narcissistically and sincerely believe that you’re acting just to get his attention.

He will involuntarily feel a greater curiosity and desire to explore you.

Han Rao thought she understood men fairly well, so she curled her lips into a charming smile, lightly resting her hand on the car window to support herself, and asked, “Does what President Zhao just said still stand?”

Zhao Jichuan lowered his eyes, looking at the faint hint of spring on her chest, and revealed an enigmatic smile. He truly thought she was a fickle woman, or perhaps she was indeed born to be an actress. She slipped into the role too quickly—just moments ago she was all aloofness, pretentiousness, and inner turmoil, and now she appeared resolute and righteous, as if she had come to a profound understanding.

He said, “Miss Han’s thoughts change too quickly. I still suggest you don’t make decisions in the heat of the moment. What I need is a relationship that can last long-term. Can you accept that?”

“Like this, I’ll give you three more points…”

Before Zhao Jichuan could finish speaking, Han Rao interrupted him, saying firmly, “I can accept it.”

The man slightly raised his eyebrow, signaling the driver to open the car door.

She always managed to surprise him unexpectedly, and he enjoyed dealing with smart people like her—straightforward and candid.

Han Rao heard the sound of the lock clicking open and didn’t make a fuss. Even though her head was pounding as if it was about to explode, she still chose to immediately open the car door and get in, continuing to play along with him.

No matter what ulterior motives he harbored, she could accept them calmly, as long as he kept his promise to give her a chance to make a comeback.

Han Rao held onto the back of the chair in front of her with one hand, not yet fully seated, when she suddenly felt a force grab her arm. Her body tilted slightly, and she fell straight onto Zhao Jichuan.

Han Rao swallowed the curse that was about to burst out and looked at him with affectionate eyes. Unfortunately, her emotions shifted a bit too slowly, and he still noticed the hint of it.

Zhao Jichuan raised his hand to touch her smooth cheek, his rough fingertips wiping away the tear stains on her face. Seeing her expression as if facing a formidable enemy, he softly asked, “Are you scared?”

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