Chapter 23 Disgusted: “If You Don’t Wash, Then Get Lost”

Han Rao had a good New Year in Suzhou.

Probably because she met Zhao Jichuan last year, she started having work and roles to shoot, so she could calmly stay at home as if on vacation, and when bored, she could chat with Su Zhiyu about the characters from her previous drama.

Han Rao returned to Beicheng on the eighth day of the new year. She originally planned to stay for two more days, but Hu Shengnan called and asked her to meet the assistant, and to get things organized and prepared to join the crew early.

Because of the period setting of the new play, she still has quite a lot to learn.

After Han Rao arrived in Beicheng, she first met with her assistant.

The assistant’s name was Wu Wei, but she liked to be called Vivi. She was a genuine girl from Northeast China, raised in Harbin. She had just graduated from college last year and was only twenty this year, nearly four years younger than Han Rao.

When Hu Shengnan helped Han Rao find an assistant, he said it was to find an assistant for an actor, but he didn’t specify which actor. Because of this gimmick, quite a few people sent in their resumes—half genuinely looking for a job, and the other half hoping to meet a celebrity through the job and maybe get their own brother or sister’s autograph in the future.

Among nearly a hundred resumes, Hu Shengnan conducted a round of screening, eliminating many, and sent the remaining six girls’ resumes to Han Rao.

Hu Shengnan thought these six girls were all quite good in various aspects. But the final choice had to be left to Han Rao; after all, the assistant was Han Rao’s assistant, and ultimately, they would have to work closely together.

Han Rao was sitting in front of the computer at the time and immediately took a liking to Vivi.

There was no other reason, just that it was pleasing to the eye and felt like a connection.

Han Rao was sometimes quite idealistic, placing importance on the connection felt at first sight.

The first time she saw Zhao Jichuan, she dared to take the risk of getting into his car because she found him pleasing to the eye.

Then Han Rao carefully reviewed Vivi’s resume. This girl was quite motivated during her school days, participating in innovation projects and the English competition, winning quite a few awards.

The only drawback is the somewhat low educational background; an average person might doubt this person’s practical skills because of their education. After all, in today’s society, academic qualifications are the key to opening doors.

However, she was also fortunate to have met Han Rao, who was empathetic and willing to give others a chance.

Han Rao made a decision, and Vivi became her little assistant. For many years to come, she stood by her through thick and thin, experiencing countless trials together.

Vivi had the bold spirit typical of people from the Northeast—carefree and straightforward. The moment she saw Han Rao, she immediately acted familiar, showing no sign of nervousness.

Han Rao actually wasn’t the type to put on airs like Zhao Jichuan; she was quite down-to-earth and was amused by Vivi’s humor, which had a strong Northeastern twang.

She briefly introduced Vivi to the work on the set, some daily tasks she would need to do, and then reminded Vivi a couple of times to watch her mouth while on set.

After saying this, the two began to eat.

Vivi was very straightforward and asked Han Rao, “Sis, do I only need to do this little bit of work? Isn’t it too easy?”

Han Rao was momentarily taken aback and said a little embarrassedly, “I’ve never had an assistant before, so I don’t really know what all needs to be done. Let’s take some time to adjust to each other.”

She wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth and couldn’t act like some big-name stars on set who even need someone to help them put on their shoes.

Vivi chuckled, “Then wouldn’t you be letting me slack off on the clock?”

Han Rao also laughed, “It’s okay, your main task is to keep me company. I used to think I didn’t need an assistant, but later someone worried that if I got sick or had a fever, there would be no one to take care of me, so they suggested I get an assistant.”

Han Rao didn’t know why, but she suddenly thought of Zhao Jichuan. Although his tone was quite harsh back then, at least he had done something decent.

Vivi was young and very curious, especially when she had just approached a celebrity. She was extremely excited and eagerly asked, “Who is it?”

Han Rao paused for a moment, “A friend.”

Vivi smiled again, reaching out with her chopsticks to pick up some food, and spoke nonstop: “Sis, actually I know you—I guess you could say I’m your fan. When ‘First Love’s Sea’ came out, I watched it with my first love during the holidays. After watching it, we got together.”

Han Rao calculated with her fingers and teased her on purpose, “You’re already in a relationship.”

“What about now?”

Vivi shrugged and forced a helpless smile, “We broke up two years ago.”

“Why break up?”

“Fundamental differences in values.”

Vivi lowered her head and served a bowl of soup to Han Rao.

Han Rao smiled without speaking. The reason so many couples break up is often because their values don’t align. These four words seem almost magical, capable of covering a wide range of underlying causes

When she broke up with Xie Yaochen back then, she also said these four words.

Xie Yaochen went out to cheat with a rich woman, even justifying it by saying he got money to buy her a bag. He also claimed the rich woman had connections in the film industry and could introduce her to them in the future. Han Rao found it disgusting and couldn’t accept the cheating and betrayal, so she broke up with him, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason.

“But sis, why haven’t you acted in any films these past few years?”

Han Rao’s smile stiffened for a moment. Using the set of lines Hu Shengnan had prepared for her, she said, “A couple of years ago, I wanted to focus on my studies, and with some family issues, I wasn’t in a good state, so I didn’t act at all. After graduating, I thought about making a comeback, but the opportunities aren’t as many as before.”

Vivi felt a pang of regret and let out a soft sigh, “If you had insisted on acting back then, you would definitely be a top-tier star by now.”

“But sis, I believe in you. I think you’ll be famous all over China sooner or later. No, all over the world.”

Vivi spoke with great ambition, stirring Han Rao’s blood as well. She felt that youth was wonderful—never having been beaten down by society, always holding hope for the future.

The meal was very enjoyable. Han Rao was continuously given emotional support by Vivi, who kept pouring out her thoughts, leaving her in a daze, even making her feel as if she had returned to her twenties, in the prime of her youth.

This thought flashed through her mind but was immediately dismissed by herself.

Han Rao thought to herself: I’m twenty-four, right in the prime of my youth!

After the meal, Vivi pulled Han Rao to take a few photos together, then asked if she could post them on her Moments.

Han Rao smiled and nodded, then posted a photo of the two of them on her Moments.

She was quite a contradictory person, liking to record little trivial matters in her friend circle, but only visible to herself.

However, this time, she didn’t set it to private and even added a little bouncing penguin emoji.

It was probably because she, a living dead in this circle of friends, rarely faked being alive, that quite a few people quickly liked her post.

The latest message was a comment from Qin Yunqian to her: [Back in Beicheng? When shall we meet for a meal?]

Han Rao also remembered this and, thinking that she would be going to the crew in a few days, privately messaged him, saying, “Let’s meet tonight.”

She casually flipped to the grilled fish restaurant page to find the owner’s phone number and reserved a table in advance.

　　-

Zhao Jichuan saw Han Rao’s post on Moments at four in the afternoon.

He didn’t often scroll through Moments, but this afternoon, after finishing work and feeling bored, he absentmindedly opened it and swiped a couple of times.

The one Han Rao posted showed it was sent three hours ago.

If it weren’t for this Moments post, he almost would have forgotten her.

Zhao Jichuan zoomed in on the picture, feeling that Han Rao was actually at a disadvantage—she was the type who didn’t photograph well. Even though she looked stunning in the photo, she was nowhere near as beautiful as she was in person.

He glanced at Vivi again, knowing she was her assistant. A while ago, when she appointed her assistant, Sun Hao had specifically reported this matter to him.

At that time, Zhao Jichuan was bored and happened to glance at Vivi’s resume. He thought it was unimpressive—just those competitions she participated in during college held no real value in his company.

Sun Hao noticed his boss’s disdain and tentatively suggested letting Hu Shengnan find a new match for Han Rao.

At that time, Zhao Jichuan said something like, “It’s nothing, anyway, there’s no need to do any brainwork; as long as I can take good care of her, that’s enough.”

Just like that, Zhao Jichuan relented, and Han Rao finally succeeded in keeping Vivi.

Of course, she had no idea about any of this.

At this moment, Zhao Jichuan exited the Moments feed and directly opened the chat window to send a WeChat message to Han Rao.

Zhao Jichuan: [Come to my house.]

Cold, ruthless, three words without any warmth.

Han Rao did not receive the news in time; she was at home unpacking her suitcase, with her phone lying on the coffee table playing music.

Every time she returned to Beicheng from Suzhou, she had to pack for a while. Besides the suitcase of clothes she carried with her, she had also sent many Suzhou specialties in advance.

She thought about visiting Teacher Zhou Yun in a few days to bring her some local specialties, and also to bring Qin Yunqian two boxes of snacks, personally made by Xu Lianqiu. Back then, they…

While on the film set, I often ate the pickled vegetables sent by Qin Yunqian’s mother.

Han Rao remembered all of this.

Han Rao hadn’t finished packing when the alarm went off. She had set it for five o’clock, planning to change clothes, do a simple makeup, and then go have dinner with Qin Yunqian.

They arranged to meet at seven o’clock.

As a result, she picked up her phone and saw the message Zhao Jichuan had sent her 57 minutes ago.

Han Rao shivered with a start and quickly explained to him that she had just been busy and only saw the message now. She then said she had plans in the evening and might not be able to make it.

Zhao Jichuan: [Who are you meeting?]

Han Rao: [A friend.]

Zhao Jichuan: [Serious matter?]

Han Rao: [It’s been too long since we last met, let’s have a meal and catch up.]

Zhao Jichuan: [I want to see you tonight.]

Han Rao glanced at the time; she really felt that Zhao Jichuan and she were at odds—every time, he made it difficult for her to choose.

Han Rao didn’t want to stand Qin Yunqian up, so she politely negotiated with Zhao Jichuan, asking if she could come over a bit later.

Zhao Jichuan: [Do as you wish.]

Han Rao carefully read those two words through the screen. She wasn’t stupid; she sensed that he was probably dissatisfied.

She sighed, hesitating over whether to say something nice.

She could actually feel that lately, she had been taking Zhao Jichuan for granted, relying on her boldness.

At first, she still couldn’t figure out his temper and was quite wary of him, so she played some teasing games of giving and withholding.

But now, it seemed she had gotten a grasp of Zhao Jichuan’s temperament. He was actually far less terrifying than she had imagined. Most of the time, he was very magnanimous and unwilling to nitpick with her.

Han Rao thought of this and mustered the courage to tell him that she would be arriving a bit late.

When Zhao Jichuan saw her message, he chuckled softly and turned off the screen. He looked down at the watch on his wrist, pondering whether he had been too good to her lately.

Han Rao, this woman, shines brightly with just a bit of sunshine—she’s just asking to be dealt with.

Since she wasn’t coming, he couldn’t just wait at home like Meng Jiangnu; Zhao Jichuan turned around and invited a friend to find a place to hang out.

　　-

By the time Han Rao arrived at the grilled fish restaurant, Qin Yunqian was already there.

They met at the grilled fish restaurant they used to frequent years ago. The restaurant had doubled in size; apparently, business had been good in the past two years, so the owner rented the neighboring shop, renovated it, and merged the two together.

Qin Yunqian saw her and immediately stood up, waving his hand.

Han Rao smiled and handed him the menu, letting him order first.

“You order, there’s no way to let the lady pay,” Qin Yunqian said, passing the menu back to Han Rao.

Han Rao raised an eyebrow. “Let’s not fuss over this. I can order too, anyway, I’ll be the one paying. We’ve already agreed on this—next time, you treat.”

Qin Yunqian didn’t argue with her after hearing that. Among friends, these things didn’t matter.

Han Rao ordered the lychee-flavored grilled fish, her favorite flavor. Qin Yunqian teased her for never changing her taste.

Han Rao laughed it off with him, and after chatting for a while, they became more familiar.

They already had a foundation of friendship; back in the day, they had a blast on the set. Now, all it took was a small spark to ignite the atmosphere, and it immediately became lively.

“The Sea of First Love” is their Virgo sign, and they both gave each other their first on-screen kiss.

People always have a special attachment to the first time they experience something, and Han Rao was no different. She felt that Qin Yunqian was an important milestone in her acting career, which made her feelings more complicated.

The two of them ate while chatting, talking quite a lot—about the past, gossip, and future work.

In short, the meal was very enjoyable. Halfway through, the two of them ordered two bottles of beer. Qin Yunqian pointed at the bottles and said, “Snow Beer, brave the world! Cheers!”

Han Rao gently bumped into him.

By the time it ended, it was actually quite late.

Han Rao had a knot in her heart, still thinking about Zhao Jichuan, so she waved her hand and said, “Let’s wrap it up.”

Qin Yunqian agreed, casually handing her bag back to her, saying they could meet again when they had time, and reminded her to send him a message once she got home.

Han Rao agreed.

After leaving the grilled fish restaurant, Han Rao hailed a cab to go find Zhao Jichuan, and sent him a WeChat message saying she was on her way.

Zhao Jichuan was drinking at a friend’s newly opened club when he received her message. He waved his hand and told his friends he was leaving first.

A friend asked him if there was an urgent matter that prevented him from finishing the drink. Zhao Jichuan said, “The cat at home has come back from wandering; I need to go check on it.”

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, and someone murmured, “Since when did he start keeping a cat?”

“I don’t know.”

Han Rao didn’t know that Zhao Jichuan had also gone out to meet friends. She simply thought he would be waiting for her at home, so as soon as she got out of the taxi, she followed her memory upstairs and found his place.

Han Rao took a deep breath, adjusted her clothes once more, and gently pressed the doorbell.

Two minutes passed, and still no one opened the door.

Han Rao pressed the doorbell again and knocked on the door twice with her hand.

Still no response.

Zhao Jichuan wasn’t home?

Han Rao was filled with frustration, and she knocked on the door harder twice more. After waiting for a while, there was still no response.

Han Rao really didn’t expect Zhao Jichuan to play the same disappearing act. She took out her phone to send him a message, but he didn’t reply.

Han Rao felt helpless. She didn’t know if Zhao Jichuan was doing it on purpose. She decided to wait a few more minutes, and if he still didn’t reply, she would go home.

Although the hallway wasn’t cold at all, she didn’t have a single place to sit. She could only pitifully rest against the wall for a moment and took the opportunity to call him.

As a result, the call was disconnected.

Han Rao: !?

Her bad temper flared up. She picked up the bag she had thrown on the ground and was about to get up and kick the broken door a few times.

I had been squatting for quite a while, my legs went numb, and I almost fell to the ground.

Suddenly, Han Rao heard a muffled laugh.

She looked up, and Zhao Jichuan was standing there leisurely, with an air of calm and ease.

Actually, he and Han Rao arrived home almost simultaneously, with only about seven or eight minutes between them.

When Han Rao’s taxi left the neighborhood, Wang Jie had just pulled him back, and the two cars were still meeting at the neighborhood entrance.

So, he chose to turn a blind eye to the news about Han Rao.

I just wanted to see how far this hot-tempered little wildcat of hers could stir things up.

Han Rao looked at his gloating expression and deliberately gave him a glare. “If you had arrived any later, I would have gone home.”

“You dare.”

Han Rao pouted, stood up, and followed behind him, watching as he opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, Han Rao was grabbed by the wrist and pulled inside, pressed against the door panel.

She winced in pain, letting out a muffled groan.

After quite a long time apart, he still really wanted to sleep with her, so he followed his instinct, gripping her chin to kiss her.

As he got closer, he smelled the scent of grilled fish on her and the stench of cheap liquor.

Zhao Jichuan frowned, immediately letting go of the marinated Han Rao, and said in a deep voice, full of frustration: “Go wash yourself clean first.”

Han Rao certainly knew she was being disliked, she just didn’t believe it. So she grabbed her clothes and sniffed them, but there was no particular smell. After eating, she had even deliberately sprayed some perfume to mask the cooking odors.

“Isn’t your nose a bit too sensitive?” she asked innocently, blinking her big eyes.

Zhao Jichuan saw her stubbornness and glanced at her with a cold glare, “If you don’t wash, then get lost.”

“Get lost forever.”