Su Zhiyi couldn't hide it from Jiang Yuanheng anymore. She had no idea where he got the news that her movie resource came from Pei Yan and that she would be acting in the film with Pei Yan... She could only try to explain, to see if she could fool Jiang Yuanheng.
"Yes, that's right." The awkwardness on her face vanished, replaced by a natural sweet smile. Her soft voice turned into a gentle breeze as she softly spoke to Jiang Yuanheng, launching her offensive of saying whatever the listener wanted to hear, gradually breaking down his defenses.
"Yuanheng, you have to understand how important a good resource is to me."
"Besides, Pei Yan and I aren't that close. We're just friends at most. I wasn't lying to you earlier—we're really just friends."
Su Zhiyi completely distanced herself from any relationship with Pei Yan. "Pei Yan and I met on set. We've known each other for just over a month, purely work partners. We can't even be called close friends."
"You said you're my fan. You should be happy for me for landing high-end endorsements and acting in a movie, shouldn't you?"
She stared fixedly into Jiang Yuanheng's eyes, moisture glistening in her own. She bit her lower lip lightly, furrowed her brows slightly, and even the upturned corners of her eyes drooped with her sorrow.
"I don't like my current company. They tricked me into signing the contract."
"The resources they give me are terrible. My family is only in business and politics. They have no connections in the entertainment industry. They can only support me financially, but they can't provide me with resources."
"Pei Yan gave me this resource because he appreciates me. I really... couldn't refuse."
"You can understand me, right?"
Her words were flawless, paired perfectly with a faint sobbing tone. Her tearful eyes gazed sincerely at Jiang Yuanheng, without a trace of deceit. Her pitiful appearance could easily stir a man's protective instinct, making him believe her lies.
Jiang Yuanheng believed her.
Jiang Yuanheng froze for a few seconds, then slowly blinked. The mist in his eyes cleared, returning to its usual clarity.
"Sis, you don't need to explain so much. Of course I trust you and understand you."
"It's just..."
His tone suddenly shifted. A myriad of conflicting emotions played across his face, finally dissolving into an almost inaudible sigh.
Jiang Yuanheng tilted his head, revealing his fragile neck hidden beneath his hair. His skin was so pale and translucent that his throbbing veins were clearly visible.
Just as Su Zhiyi had shown her pitiful side to him, he now revealed his most vulnerable aspect.
Su Zhiyi stared at Jiang Yuanheng's neck, her eyes wide. She swallowed hard, her voice a bit hoarse. "It's just what?"
"It's just..." Jiang Yuanheng lowered his head even more. From her angle, Su Zhiyi could see his long lashes shadowing his eyes.
"There's something I've been keeping in my heart, always waiting for the right time to tell you."
"But as I kept it hidden... I realized I can't hide it anymore. If I hide it any longer, you'll drift further away from me. I don't want to see you become distant. I've worked so hard all these years, finally catching up to your pace..."
"How can I let others drive us apart?"
As he spoke, his voice began to choke, and his body trembled slightly, clearly holding back immense emotion.
"I know I'm not as outstanding as Pei Yan, nor do I have as many resources and connections as Gu Yu to help your career..."
The more Su Zhiyi listened, the more she felt something was off. A sense of dread crept up on her.
Jiang Yuanheng's emotions were off. His words were off.
Her voice trembled. "So, what do you mean?"
"I like you, Sis."
Jiang Yuanheng's confession was brief, each word spoken with utmost seriousness, laden with the deep love he had suppressed for so long. Like a pure-hearted boy experiencing his first love, he opened his heart to his beloved and spoke the simplest yet most touching words of affection.
"Sis, I told you before. It was because of you that I went abroad to study music in high school. And it was because of you that I abandoned the orchestra that was thriving abroad and returned to develop my career in China."
"I'm so grateful that our teacher made me participate in the campus Top Ten Singers competition. I'm grateful that I agreed. And I'm even more grateful that I won first place, and that the person who presented the award to me was you."
"Sis, without you, there would be no singer Jiang Yuanheng today—only the young master of the Jiang family, Jiang Yuanheng."
He bit his pale lower lip until it turned red and swollen, as if kissed.
"I know I'm not as good as other men. But I hope there's a place for me in your heart, okay? Just a small space, enough to hold me."
After hearing Jiang Yuanheng's sincere confession, Su Zhiyi had only one thought: Run!
"Um... actually, I want to focus on my career right now. I don't have those kinds of feelings. I don't feel that way about anyone else, and I don't feel that way about you either..."
"I only see you as a little brother. This..."
As she said these words, her tone was light and gentle, as if comforting Jiang Yuanheng. But if you listened closely, it was pure rejection.
Su Zhiyi actually wanted to turn and flee, but this was her home—there was nowhere to go.
Jiang Yuanheng understood the rejection in her words and also noticed her slight step back.
His lips quivered, losing color and turning paper-white. The affection on his face faded, replaced by an unbelievable, shattered melancholy.
"Sis, does that mean... you don't like me?"
His voice trembled like a snapped string. In an instant, a layer of moisture covered his eyes. A tear spilled from the corner of his eye, trailing down his pallid cheek and dripping onto Su Zhiyi's hand, cold as ice, making her shrink back.
"It's okay. It's fine if you reject me... It's my fault. I know I'm not as good as the other men pursuing you. I shouldn't have said this to you, at least not now..."
"Maybe... Brother Pei was right. I'm not qualified to pursue you yet."
Jiang Yuanheng bit his lower lip as if he might break it.
"I've put you in a difficult position."
He raised his sleeve and roughly wiped away the tears on his face, as if unwilling to show his weakness. He wiped so hard that his eyes and cheeks turned red.