Chapter 5: Utterly Terrible “I want to terminate the contract.”
That night, Han Rao felt everything was so dramatic. She lay on an unfamiliar bed, carefully examining a silver wrapper between her fingers.
It felt as if this entire night was just a fleeting dream.
Han Rao, in an attempt to ease the tense atmosphere between them, deliberately pulled out something highly suggestive from her bag, hoping to mend the rift caused by the fruit knife in their relationship.
Her eyes were as seductive as silk, her breath light and faint, as she lifted her gaze to meet his—almost like an invitation.
Zhao Jichuan lowered his gaze, silently watching her for two seconds before suddenly letting out a soft chuckle. He raised his hand and lightly traced the thin fabric at her chest twice, sending an electric-like shiver through Han Rao’s entire body.
The expected action did not follow. Zhao Jichuan didn’t even ask her further. He pulled her up, gently touched her cheek, and said in an extremely tender voice, “Alright, it’s getting late. Go rest now.”
Han Rao’s mind was a bit dazed. The man was rational and restrained, his eyes devoid of any trace of desire. His gaze was clear, scrutinizing her with a look that seemed to see right through everything.
Seeing her still half-crouched without getting up, Zhao Jichuan reached out and pulled her up, “Go rest first, I have things to do tonight.”
Just as he was speaking, a phone call came in for him.
The man walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and finished the call with his back turned to her.
Han Rao nodded obediently, suddenly feeling as if she had narrowly escaped disaster.
She tilted her head to look at his tall, cold and lonely figure, paused for a moment, then went back to packing her things on her own.
Zhao Jichuan finished his phone call and turned around to see her bending down to slip the fruit knife into her bag, then clutching the three condoms in her palm before leisurely standing up.
The suite had plenty of rooms. Han Rao glanced around and asked whether she could stay there for the night or if she should leave now.
She didn’t really want to stay at his place, but she felt she should ask for his opinion first.
After all, his only requirements for her were to “be sensible” and “be obedient.”
As expected, Zhao Jichuan very gentlemanly said she could of course rest here.
He rarely spoke so much, telling her that in the future when he looked for her, she could just come here directly, or she could call his driver to pick her up.
Han Rao curled her lips slightly. Judging by his words, his decision to take the trouble of bringing her up tonight seemed more like an effort to familiarize her with the environment in advance, avoiding any potential complications in the future.
In that case, should she be grateful that this benefactor is so considerate?
As for having the driver pick her up, she’d rather not. She always felt it gave off the illusion of a concubine being summoned to serve the emperor in ancient times.
She didn’t like this.
Han Rao nodded in agreement and asked him, “Then if I want to contact you, do I have to come here too?”
Zhao Jichuan rubbed his temples and casually handed her the contact information of his assistant, Sun Hao.
Han Rao noted it down, thanked him, picked up her belongings, bid him goodnight, and casually chose a room.
Zhao Jichuan watched her graceful figure and said with a shadowed gaze before she closed the door, “Han Rao, no rush. We have all the time in the world.”
Han Rao glanced back at him, her lips curling slightly, then with a soft yet firm “bang,” she shut the door.
As the door closed, Han Rao seemed to step into an extremely safe world.
She walked to the bedside and slowly slumped down onto the floor, hugging her tired body tightly.
After a moment, she opened her palm, staring at the few condoms in her hand, and bit her lip hard.
Both Zhao Jichuan and she knew very well that this thing wasn’t prepared for their night together.
Han Rao closed her eyes, and suddenly, President Du’s face flashed in her mind—she remembered his hand reaching under the table, rubbing her thigh through her skirt…
What exactly was she deceiving herself about?
Han Rao lay numb on the bed, clenching her fists as the packaging in her hand made faint noises in the silent night.
She told herself, Han Rao, you’ve come this far, stop pretending to be noble.
You are a stone crawling in the mud, rotten to the core from the moment you agreed to tonight’s drinking party.
Yet no matter how terrible it was, she would never regret it—not if it meant getting another chance to act.
　　-
Han Rao didn’t sleep well that night. Tossing and turning in bed, her random thoughts only made her head ache more. In the end, she still couldn’t figure out Zhao Jichuan.
She had fallen asleep around three or four in the morning, and by the time she woke up, Zhao Jichuan had already vanished without a trace.
Han Rao stood on the sofa where the two had entangled the night before, only to find an additional cigarette butt in the ashtray on the coffee table.
That was the mark he left behind.
Han Rao didn’t linger. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was intruding into someone else’s living space. After a quick wash, she grabbed the dress from last night, put it on, and hurriedly left.
When she went out to hail a cab, she suddenly remembered there were a bunch of unread messages on her phone from last night.
Perhaps it was telepathy—at this exact moment, Xu Lianqiu’s call happened to come through.
Han Rao froze for a moment before pressing the answer button.
The mother and daughter didn’t exchange many words—it was simply that Han Rao hadn’t replied to her WeChat messages for too long, making her mother a bit worried.
Han Rao casually lied, saying that last night’s shoot had gone very late, and she had fallen asleep as soon as she got into bed after wrapping up, not having time to check her phone.
She herself had forgotten when exactly she had started lying so naturally, effortlessly spinning tales without needing to prepare in advance.
Xu Lianqiu was content just to have reached her and didn’t press further. After briefly reminding her to remember to accept the money, she was about to hang up.
At the mention of the word “money,” Han Rao suddenly perked up.
As if possessed, she said to Xu Lianqiu, “Mom, I might be able to support myself from now on. You won’t need to send me money anymore.”
Han Rao didn’t even know why she was making such a “premature celebration” statement. After all, Zhao Jichuan had only verbally agreed—there was no substantial transaction between them yet.
But she simply trusted Zhao Jichuan. She felt he wasn’t the type to deliberately toy with her emotions, dangle empty promises, or take advantage of her.
If he had truly just wanted to play with her like those spoiled rich kids, he could have easily torn her dress and taken her last night.
She always felt that he genuinely wanted to maintain a long-term, stable relationship with her.
Even if it was just a transaction, it would be a long-term and stable one.
Xu Lianqiu’s nose tingled when she heard Han Rao’s words—her daughter was just as stubborn as she was.
“What’s wrong? Did you get a new role?”
Han Rao followed her words and said, “Yes, I went for an audition a few days ago and landed a role—a big IP.”
Xu Lianqiu didn’t bother discerning the truth in her words—or perhaps she understood Han Rao’s pride all too well.
She didn’t ask in detail what genre the play was or what role she played, but simply praised her a couple of times, saying, “No matter how much money you earn, you’ll always be my daughter. Transferring money to my daughter makes me happy too.”
Han Rao’s nose tingled with emotion as she obediently accepted the five thousand yuan.
Not wanting to reveal her feelings or let Xu Lianqiu know about her current miserable state, she casually responded with a few words before hanging up the phone.
As Xu Lianqiu’s voice faded from her ears, Han Rao took a deep breath and silently vowed that no matter how far things went between her and Zhao Jichuan, she could never let Xu Lianqiu find out about their relationship.
Instead of heading straight home by taxi, Han Rao immediately contacted her agent, Li Mengyang.
Last night, the agent left her alone at the drinking party—she would definitely settle this score.
Li Mengyang didn’t ask her to go to the company—in fact, artists rarely visited the company. The main point was that Han Rao had been signed by her personally and was also nurtured under her guidance. She knew Han Rao’s temperament all too well.
She was afraid Han Rao could turn the company upside down.
Li Mengyang directly summoned Han Rao to his home, timing it perfectly to grind her a cup of coffee.
Han Rao hadn’t visited Li Mengyang’s home in a long time—the last time was during her wedding.
That year, Han Rao was nineteen, and her debut film *The Sea of First Love* had just been released, performing well at the box office.
On the day Li Mengyang got married, Han Rao was filming in Hengdian, nearing the wrap-up of the project. The schedule was tight, and the entire crew was racing against time. Even under such circumstances, Han Rao still asked the director for a day off, flew back to Beicheng late at night, attended Li Mengyang’s wedding the next day, and then hurriedly returned to the set in the afternoon to continue filming.
Li Mengyang felt sorry for her and told her not to come, saying it was too exhausting.
But back then, Han Rao was young and naive, believing in genuine emotions within the industry. She said it didn’t matter if she was a little tired—she still wanted to witness Sister Mengyang’s happiest moment.
Han Rao always believed that Li Mengyang was her benefactor, her savior. Without her, she wouldn’t have landed the role in *First Love by the Sea*.
But she never expected that one day, the person she trusted most could also stab her in the heart.
At this moment, Han Rao sat on the sofa, the hand-ground coffee placed in front of her. Watching Li Mengyang living in a spacious 200-square-meter flat in Beicheng, she unconsciously curled her lips into a faint smile.
She said nothing, quietly observing Li Mengyang’s daughter. The little girl, just learning to walk, was at that mischievous and playful age—with one stumble, she knocked over the carefully assembled Lego castle.
Perhaps Han Rao’s gaze was too piercing and intense. Sensing the awkward atmosphere, the nanny, under Li Mengyang’s silent cue, carried the little girl back to her room.
There were only two people in the living room. Han Rao sighed and said, “When you just had the baby, I came to see her. I never thought she’d grow up so big already.”
Li Mengyang rubbed his temples and remained silent, clearly unwilling to discuss the topic with her.
Han Rao wasn’t one for beating around the bush either and went straight to the point: “Why did you leave me there alone last night?”
She crossed her legs lazily, fiddling with the gems on her manicured nails, then raised an eyebrow slightly—carrying herself more like the lady of the house than Li Mengyang himself.
Li Mengyang leaned against the white cabinet, locking eyes with her. “Han Rao, sometimes all it takes is someone to push you—to force you into a corner—and then it’s done. For your future, I’m willing to be that villain, no matter how much you hate me.”
“There’s a term in psychology called desensitization. You need to take this step.”
Han Rao stared at her in disbelief. She never thought these words could come from Mengyang’s mouth.
When they first met years ago, Li Mengyang was also someone who had struggled in the entertainment industry for years without backing. Han Rao was the first talented actress she signed.
Back then, when Han Rao became wildly popular, their fates were intertwined, and Li Mengyang’s value rose accordingly.
“So, you think I refuse to sleep with people because I’m traumatized by what happened four years ago?”
“And you think leaving halfway last night was helping me take that step?”
Li Mengyang sighed softly, not wanting to dwell on the events of four years ago with her. “Han Rao, I’ll say it again—in this industry, being too aloof is useless, and being too timid is just as useless. Very—”
Many people have walked this path, and it’s been tried and tested repeatedly—why can’t you give it a try?”
“No, you’ve already entertained this idea. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have sought me out, nor would you have agreed to this drinking session. Since you’ve already consented, it means you’re at least aware of the hidden risks involved and have weighed the pros and cons yourself.”
Li Mengyang was a seasoned schemer who directly exposed Han Rao’s inner thoughts, attempting to brainwash her.
She prided herself on her persuasive skills; among all the artists under her management, apart from Han Rao, that thorn in her side, who didn’t follow her every word?
The facts prove that celebrities who listen to her advice have long had packed schedules, non-stop engagements, and millions of fans.
Han Rao’s heart trembled, and she laughed mockingly in her heart, feeling the bitter taste of wormwood in her mouth.
She suddenly recalled Zhao Jichuan’s words from last night, when he asked why she was clinging to Director Du. In truth, he could also see what decision she had ultimately made.
She was not innocent, yet she deluded herself into demanding purity.
Han Rao instantly felt she had nothing to say.
Her thoughts were laid bare with piercing clarity.
Does this count as her being a whore who still wants to erect a monument to her chastity?
Last night, did Zhao Jichuan think she was particularly stupid? He looked at her as if she were a clown.
Han Rao felt her self-esteem had been completely crushed.
She lowered her gaze to her high heels—she couldn’t possibly admit that she had backed out at the last moment because she realized she couldn’t bring herself to accept Mr. Du.
“But you shouldn’t have left me alone,” she insisted stubbornly to Li Mengyang.
Li Mengyang stood up and, seeing that she had processed her emotions, stepped in front of her and embraced her. “Han Rao, I’ve watched you grow up. I know you’re someone with high aspirations. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch—we always have to give something in return, don’t you think?”
Han Rao nestled in her embrace, her eyes darkening as she silently agreed with those final words, giving a slight nod.
But last night, Li Mengyang deliberately left the gathering, which to her was nothing short of betrayal—a stab in the back. She refused to accept any twisted logic or his hollow attempts at brainwashing.
Li Mengyang saw her nod and gently touched her hair. “President Du called me last night and said he really liked you. I explained that you left because you weren’t feeling well, and he understood.”
“Han Rao, you still have a chance.”
Han Rao’s eyes flashed with a chilling glint, eerily terrifying. She emerged from her embrace and delivered a crushing blow to the overly confident woman.
“I want to terminate the contract.”
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