Chapter 32: Losing Contact Doesn’t Mean I’m Worried About You

Han Rao herself processed the information in his words, returned his kiss, and then nestled intimately in his arms, deeply inhaling the rich scent on him.

She actually quite liked the scent of him; usually, it was clean and not overpowering. Occasionally, he’d smoke a cigarette, and the faint smell of smoke mixed in wasn’t off-putting either.

Zhao Jichuan tucked her hair back, “What’s wrong?”

He thought she was going to argue with him about the deadline. If that were the case, he would mercilessly shatter her dreams and tell her that while he did dote on her, he wouldn’t spoil her to the point of losing all sense of direction.

But she didn’t. She seemed to accept the information in an instant, burying her chin in his shoulder, her nose occasionally brushing against his ear.

“Zhao Jichuan.” She called his name.

“Mhm.”

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to say thank you.”

Thank you for standing up for me tonight.

Han Rao actually knew that after tonight’s incident, probably no one in the crew would bully her again.

They at least knew she was not to be trifled with.

Zhao Jichuan was completely amused by her. He patted her lower back, urging her to get up quickly and rest early, as he had to get up early tomorrow.

Han Rao pouted and said, “I’m a little hungry.”

She hadn’t been in the mood to digest the table full of delicacies earlier; she’d been too busy admiring Su Wan’s expressive face as she drank.

“What do you want to eat? I’ll have someone get you something.”

Han Rao shook her head, “Let’s order takeout. There’s a restaurant nearby that makes really good braised pancakes.”

She didn’t want to trouble anyone, especially by sending hard-to-digest and fattening food late at night.

It’d be better to just order takeout; it’ll be here in half an hour.

She really liked the braised pancake from that shop; the owner was very generous with the portions. Neither she nor Vivi ate much, so one portion was just right for the two of them.

“Alright, suit yourself.”

He didn’t say much; he wouldn’t be eating anyway, so she could eat whatever she liked.

Zhao Jichuan tucked her hair back again. “Let’s go, let’s head up first.”

Han Rao followed Zhao Jichuan upstairs, and soon the takeout arrived. As she was clearing the table after dinner, Zhao Jichuan suddenly suggested that she go back since there was nothing else to do.

Han Rao was stunned, and asked reflexively, “Go back where?”

“Where can you go back to? Back to your place, or are you going to stay here with me and not leave?” he said with a smile.

Han Rao pursed her lips, thinking something was going to happen tonight.

“Didn’t I say I was going to see you off tomorrow morning?”

“No need.” He tied up the trash bag for her. “I have to get up early tomorrow, so I won’t bother you. You should rest well. Let’s go, I’ll take you back now.”

Han Rao felt he was too considerate tonight, a little unlike himself.

But she didn’t refuse, saying okay. Anyway, staying at his place, she probably wouldn’t sleep well.

Zhao Jichuan drove her to the hotel where the film crew was staying.

It was crowded here, and he probably didn’t want to be seen, so he didn’t get out of the car and just waved at her.

Han Rao said goodnight to him and left in a daze.

Zhao Jichuan didn’t leave. Watching Han Rao’s graceful figure disappear into the hotel lobby, he silently lit a cigarette, glanced at the watch on his wrist, and waited quietly.

After about fifteen minutes, a familiar figure emerged from the lobby.

As soon as Vivi exited the automatic doors, she squinted, searching for the license plate number sent to her phone. Then, she lightly tapped her head, took a deep breath, and gently knocked on the car door.

The car window lowered, and Zhao Jichuan invited her to get in and talk.

Vivi swallowed, slowly saying, “That’s not good, is it?”

In truth, she was afraid. Zhao Jichuan exuded a sense of oppression, and from the first moment she saw him, she was scared, finding him unsettling and difficult to get along with.

But who would have thought that Zhao Jichuan’s assistant suddenly found her this afternoon? Sun Hao instructed her, saying that if anything happened in the crew in the future, she should tell him, and he could pay her another salary.

Vivi was afraid of Zhao Jichuan, but not of Sun Hao.

She felt that Sun Hao’s request was simply for her to monitor Han Rao and report her whereabouts. Wasn’t that restricting Han Rao’s freedom?

She absolutely would not do such a treacherous thing, so she righteously refused, saying that she would never bow for five pecks of rice.

Sun Hao tried to persuade her with a few more kind words, but Vivi drove him away.

Sun Hao was uncharacteristically defeated; he hadn’t done a good job.

There was nothing for it, Zhao Jichuan had to personally invite Vivi out.

Zhao Jichuan looked at Vivi’s timid demeanor and felt that Sun Hao was incompetent. He couldn’t even handle such a timid girl?

“Then you can just stand outside and let the wind blow.”

Zhao Jichuan didn’t insist on her coming in; it was just a polite gesture, not truly heartfelt.

Vivi lowered her gaze, “Mr. Zhao, what can I do for you?”

She had actually guessed, and now she wanted to play dumb to save herself.

Zhao Jichuan gave her a look, and Vivi immediately recoiled, feeling that the May wind was still a bit chilly, making her shiver.

“Brother-in-law, it’s not that I want to refuse Assistant Sun’s kindness, but the main thing is, wouldn’t this be betraying my sister? It’s a bit disloyal, don’t you think?”

Zhao Jichuan raised an eyebrow; the address “brother-in-law” pleased him.

At that moment, he felt that this little assistant, whose resume was terrible, still had some outstanding qualities.

At least, she knew how to play her cards right.

Han Rao still had good judgment.

Zhao Jichuan lightly “hmm”-ed, calmly explaining, “It’s not betrayal, nor do I mean for you to monitor and report her whereabouts. I’m just worried that she’ll be bullied again like this time and won’t say anything. I happened to find out this time, but that doesn’t mean I’ll happen to find out next time. I don’t have the energy to constantly monitor online activity and keep track of her. Miss Wu, you spend more time with her than I do, so I’ll trouble you to look after her and report her schedule to me.”

Zhao Jichuan knew that if he didn’t ask, Han Rao wouldn’t tell him proactively.

If he deliberately asked, it would seem like he was overly concerned about her, which was unnecessary.

Seeing the man’s gentle and refined appearance, Vivi licked her lips, “Oh, so I was overthinking it.”

Vivi had originally thought that Zhao Jichuan was too possessive and controlling, and she was afraid that this would be detrimental to Han Rao.

Zhao Jichuan smiled, “Alright, it’s nothing, you can go back. Sun Hao will deposit your monthly salary

into your account.”

Vivi nodded, half-understanding. She was going to earn two salaries just like that?

It was like manna from heaven!

“Thank you, brother-in-law,” Vivi said with a grin, then bid him farewell and returned to the hotel.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Vivi rushed to Han Rao’s room and breathlessly recounted how Sun Hao and Zhao Jichuan had sought her out.

“Sis, I really wasn’t a traitor, and I didn’t give in. I genuinely felt that Mr. Zhao was worried about you, so I agreed.”

Han Rao smiled, marveling to herself at her good fortune in having such a kind and honest assistant as Vivi.

Otherwise, if Vivi had kept this matter from her and betrayed her, she might never have known.

“It’s fine, it’s actually quite good. Why refuse money when it’s offered?” Han Rao winked at Vivi. “He has money and is willing to give it, so just take it.”

Vivi’s eyes lit up, “Thanks, sis.” She then said to the air, “Thanks, Mr. Zhao.”

Han Rao smiled, seeing her excitement, and thought Vivi was easily pleased.

However, she, of course, didn’t know that while Vivi’s heart was with her, she was also a master of adapting her speech to her audience. In front of Han Rao, Vivi kept saying “Mr. Zhao,” but when she was with Zhao Jichuan, she would call him “brother-in-law” due to his intimidating presence.

Even if she felt Han Rao didn’t want her to acknowledge this brother-in-law.

　　-

Han Rao’s official wrap-up was half a month later.

According to the plan, she was supposed to finish filming in another week, but her swollen face delayed the work by two days.

After her face healed, Su Wan’s condition deteriorated. Su Wan was reportedly traumatized, in a bad mood, and developed a high fever.

The crew’s work was thus delayed.

After filming wrapped, Han Rao and Vivi left the set with their luggage.

Han Rao told Vivi to go straight home and take two days off. So Vivi bought a flight ticket to Harbin, saying she would go home to spend two days with her mother and celebrate her birthday with her.

Han Rao didn’t plan to return to Suzhou. She had other work coming up, so she flew directly to Beicheng and went straight back to her rented apartment.

Han Rao habitually threw her suitcase in the living room, then reported to her family that she had arrived home and was going to sleep, telling them not to disturb her, and muted her phone.

Han Rao threw her phone aside, made herself a simple meal, took a shower, then drew the blackout curtains, and comfortably snuggled under the covers on the bed, falling asleep.

Han Rao felt the old saying was true, “A golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as one’s own straw nest.”

Compared to a hotel, her own home was more comfortable and at ease. Once the door closed, this small world completely belonged to her.

This was actually Han Rao’s habit: after filming wrapped, she would lie in bed and sleep for a long time, until she woke up naturally.

First, she could get some rest. After all, with filming wrapping up, the crew had been rushing to meet deadlines, with three shooting teams working simultaneously and several scenes being filmed every day. Second, Han Rao wanted to rely on sleep to break free. Every time she finished filming, she struggled to get out of character, always immersing herself in the role and inexplicably becoming emotional when reminded of it.

Han Rao sometimes felt that being an actress was a process of repeatedly filling herself up and then slowly emptying herself out.

When she first encountered a role, she wasn’t familiar with it, so she gradually got to know it, became it, and let it fill her body and soul through accumulation over time.

This is a gradual process.

But when the filming wrapped, it was a sudden process of withdrawal. It was as if, at the moment the clapperboard snapped shut, her soul was instantly emptied, and she and the character completely separated.

Han Rao could never make a graceful exit, but she always told herself it was time to leave.

It’s better to use sleep as a buffer, and relax your body and mind at the same time.

Han Rao didn’t know how long she had slept, but she hadn’t set an alarm. When she woke up, she reached out and pulled back the curtains; it was already completely dark outside.

Han Rao rubbed her eyes, then heard the erratic knocking at the door again, and frowned.

She had vaguely heard a knocking sound in her sleep just now, and thought she was dreaming. Now it seemed she had been woken up by the sound.

Han Rao felt she hadn’t slept enough, so she naturally had a bit of morning grumpiness, and went to open the door with drooping eyelids.

She even forgot to glance at the peephole and pulled the door open directly.

Zhao Jichuan, enveloped in the warmth of early summer, held her tightly.

Han Rao was stunned for a moment, her mouth agape in surprise. Before she could utter, “Why are you here?” Zhao Jichuan had already stepped in. His brows were tightly furrowed, and “displeasure” was written all over his face.

Han Rao wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he didn’t give her a chance to speak at all. He raised his hand, pinched her chin, and kissed her.

Han Rao was already used to his sudden urgency. She just took a step back, then instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist, gently responding to him.

She closed her eyes, remembering that she hadn’t seen him in half a month, and indeed missed his body.

She extended the tip of her tongue, delicately sucking and kissing his lips, her hand naughtily tugging at his shirt, pulling the hem out from under his belt.

Zhao Jichuan felt her initiative and suddenly ended the kiss. He opened his eyes and looked at her flushed face. She looked at him with a puzzled expression, her hands wrapped around his back again, and she tilted her head to ask him, “What’s wrong?”

Zhao Jichuan chuckled softly, turned around, and closed the door with a bang, startling Han Rao.

She could tell that he was a bit upset today, but she just didn’t know who had provoked him

It wasn’t her anyway. She thought.

They didn’t really keep in touch when they weren’t seeing each other, so she didn’t even have a chance to make him angry.

“Han Rao, do you have nothing better to do? Disappearing for no reason?” he asked in a low voice, his tone laced with ice.

“How did I pretend to disappear?” She frowned, with a “you’re talking nonsense” expression.

Zhao Jichuan gritted his back teeth, pulled out his phone from his pocket, and opened the call interface to show her. Seeing her startled, he was still not satisfied, so he opened the WeChat page and brought their chat history in front of him.

He never sent long messages, habitually using imperative sentences and particles. But this time, interrogative sentences took up almost a whole page, and he asked a question almost every hour.

Han Rao’s heart skipped a beat, instantly enveloped by guilt. She forced a smile and said, “I’m sorry, my phone was on silent. I was just sleeping.”

Zhao Jichuan chuckled, seemingly disbelieving her nonsense, “Sleeping the whole time?”

Han Rao uncharacteristically said “Hmm” in an unsettled manner, “This is my habit.”

But for some reason, her words sounded a little guilty.

Her family knew about this habit of hers, but he didn’t.

Vivi didn’t know either, because she hadn’t had a chance to tell her yet.

“I’m too tired. I’ve been working non-stop these past few days and need to rest. I was afraid of being disturbed, so I turned off my phone’s network and put it on silent,” she explained.

After saying this, she realized that Zhao Jichuan was worried about her because she wasn’t answering his calls?

He was angry because she wouldn’t answer his calls and pretended to disappear?

He was worried about her, so he traveled thousands of miles to her home to find her?

Guesses surged like a tide, one wave after another.

The last wave crashed upon her heart, and she was almost certain of these conjectures.

Han Rao was speechless, only feeling her heart rate suddenly accelerate and her breathing hitch.

If he helped Su Wan out last time because he was embarrassed by her being bullied, and it was a coincidence, an accident.

This time, it was truly out of concern.

Han Rao looked at him, the man’s eyes still deep, as if he was thinking about how to settle this score with her.

But she didn’t mind at all. She only felt that manipulating him and being cared for by him felt great, so great that she felt like she was wagging her tail, a little lightheaded.

Zhao Jichuan remained silent, waiting for her to explain a bit more, but to his surprise, she fell silent.

His anger flared up instantly, feeling like his kindness had been wasted.

The man pondered for a moment, only to see the woman snatch the phone from his hand and throw it aside.

She hooked the corner of her lips, wrapped her arms around his waist again, and, still a bit clingy, held him tightly, resting her chin on his chest.

“Zhao Jichuan, you’re worried about me, aren’t you?” After saying that, she provocatively stood on tiptoe and kissed his Adam’s apple, then kissed him again

her chin.

Zhao Jichuan glanced at her, saying she was being presumptuous.

Of course, he wasn’t willing to tell the truth, that he learned from Vivi that she was returning to Beicheng today, so he estimated she had arrived home and called her, but no one answered.

He thought she just hadn’t heard, perhaps she was showering or cooking, so he called her again an hour later.

Still no answer.

Zhao Jichuan was a little anxious, fearing something might happen to her on the way, or that her flight was delayed and she hadn’t disembarked yet, or perhaps she had been bullied again. So he tried to contact Vivi.

Vivi answered the phone readily, saying that Han Rao had already returned to Beicheng.

Zhao Jichuan wanted Vivi to go to Han Rao’s house to see her, but Vivi said she had just landed in Harbin.

So, Zhao Jichuan was worried. After the meeting, he immediately drove over to find her in person.

On the way, as he held the steering wheel waiting for a red light, he thought to himself, if he saw her grinning mischievously at her house, he would definitely strangle her.

Now, he definitely couldn’t bear to strangle her, but Zhao Jichuan got angry every time he saw her carefree attitude.

He suddenly grabbed her waist, lifted her up, and then strode over and threw her onto the bedroom bed.

Han Rao’s body sank into the warm bedside. Before she could even lift her hand, she saw him unbuckle his belt and smoothly pull it out.

The man clasped her wrists, stacking her hands together, and a black leather belt was wrapped around her wrists, tightening.

At this moment, Han Rao was a little stunned. She clenched her fists and then opened her palms, unable to break free. “Zhao Jichuan, what are you doing? Let go of me.”
The man roughly tore off the straps of her silk nightgown, biting her shoulder, then moving down to hold it in his mouth.

Han Rao flinched, her scalp tingling, as she heard him say, “I’m not worried about you, I want to f*ck you.”

“F*ck you to death.”