14 years time difference

Chapter 86 20-1

It's raining again in East China.

Li Miaomiao looked at the sky from the window, it was cloudy, after noon it was like twilight, and until dusk really approached, it was still gray and immortal.

Since midnight, she has been continuously receiving birthday congratulations from people from all walks of life. Gifts from various brokerage companies and artist studios are piled up like hills. She finally has a certain name in the industry. As a named director, but with deep qualifications, a start-up partner, and the contacts in the circle accumulated in the early years as a broker, in the past ten years, he has brokered or operated many major commercial projects. Write her down on the relationship maintenance project, I haven't met her face for three years, and I have to send an exquisite gift box in the name of my own artist, the contents are all big-name collaborations, I don't know how many times I went through it, anyway, it wouldn't be a deliberate pick bought it.

This circle is like this, there are smiling faces everywhere, but there is no sincerity.

The phone rang, and her brother Li Benben called her.

After chatting for a few words, she broke it down and said: "Put it down, you're still busy, don't you guys start the show at eight o'clock in the evening? It's obvious that you didn't realize that today is your sister's birthday until this point."

Li Benben's voice was lazy, and he began to talk about other things that were not important: "The weather in Shenzhen is so hot, it's so hot in March, I thought it was already summer."

"How are your tickets selling? The heroine is so popular, it should have been sold out long ago, right?"

"What's so popular, people's schedules are not open, the female number one in the South China field is all on the B corner, but the tickets are sold well, after all, it is a big city, and the attendance rate is also [-]% to [-]%. The publicity is bad, last night For the first show in Shenzhen, many people didn’t know it was at Corner B, and clamored for a refund, but almost nothing happened.”

"Oh, who is your B corner?"

"I told you, but you don't know each other. Sanshui always cooperates with big stars."

"Speak well to me, Shaoyinyang is weird."

"I met the B-corner actor when I opened the shop. Her name is Lu Shan. She used to be in dance dramas. She dances a lot in small theaters, so she's not well-known."

"When the store opened? Didn't we know each other for many years?"

"Yes, she is also a student of the Academy of Art, the first class."

The voice fell, and both ends of the phone were silent at the same time.

After a while, Li Benben said in a deep voice, "How old is your birthday this year? Oh, 37 years old. My sister has grown up."

He has been a smoker for many years, and his voice is very hoarse.

"Brother, 37 years old, not growing up, but getting old." Li Miaomiao stood up, walked from the living room into the bedroom, and went into the cloakroom to pick out clothes.

"In the eyes of my parents and me, I have grown up. I have grown into a great person. Hey, you didn't listen to your mother's words. She said that she was lucky to have you, otherwise she would have found a white cloth to hang herself early. Die. You are now the backbone of Lao Li's family and the hope of the whole family, unlike me, an unworthy descendant..."

She wanted to find a coat that she hadn't worn for a long time, so she turned on the lamp of the side cabinet, and there was a photo frame on the lower level of the side cabinet, which she deliberately placed in a place that she didn't often see.She bent over to hold the picture frame in front of her eyes.

"What's so great? Only you and your parents would say such things to me."

That is a photo from 14 years ago. 14 years ago, on the stage of the top ten tour concert, she and Zhu He took a group photo with all the top ten members.

"Amazing, really. Proud of you bro. You've become who you wanted to be."

Even the plastic in this photo has started to turn yellow, but the people in the photo have not aged. Being framed in this frame, every smiling face becomes eternal.

How lucky is she? In this photo, these people who shared eternity with her, today, 14 years later, have gone to different situations, how many of them have become the so-called "people they want to be"?

Her brother seemed to have guessed her mind, and said at the other end: "Fate is a wonderful thing. Sometimes you can't help it at all. You have done your best. You have suffered enough in your own life, so don't do it for others." Carrying too much burden in life."

Li Miaomiao turned the photo face down, gave up looking for the coat, took another set of clothes hanging in a conspicuous place, and walked out of the cloakroom.

"...Well, I'm going out now, let's talk about it when I get home. Don't be so lazy. After the tour is over, I will come to East China. I have some directors of the troupe to introduce you."

Hang up the phone.

It rang again.

It was her special assistant calling.

"Good afternoon Sanshui President, I'm Jaynee. I've sent you the confirmed guest list tonight. Teacher Chen Jia's studio hasn't responded yet. Do you want to remind me again?" The girl's young voice was lively, and her speech was cadenced.

"Don't rush, let her go."

"Can it work? Didn't we spread the news everywhere that Mr. Chen Jia will come tonight? Wouldn't the bosses be unhappy if we don't see anyone tonight? Your personal relationship is so good, why don't you just ask her, Looking for a studio connection?"

"You care so much? Do your best. Hang up, see you tonight."

The birthday party was just a pretext. In order to start the "Loving Star Idol" audition project, and the anniversary of Whale Star was approaching, it was just an excuse to gather various partners, employers and potential cooperating artists together.The last time Li Miaomiao met Chen Jia, the two broke up because of this project. She turned her head and sent Jaynee to send the invitation letter of the birthday party directly to the person in charge of Chen Jia's studio, and went to various platforms to communicate with each other. The boss and investors said that Chen Jia would be there tonight.

She wanted to see if she dared to refute her face.

Jaynee said on the other end of the phone: "Well, Mr. Sanshui, I wish you a happy birthday! Bye!"

Her assistant, Jaynee, is in her twenties, about the same age as she was when she first joined the company and loved culture. She has only graduated from college for a year or two. She is lively and smart, and she is not afraid of her boss at all.When recruiting, she picked her from the resume at a glance, her ability matched, and she was also from her hometown.

Jaynee hung up the phone and tapped on her stilettos as she walked past the banquet hall being decorated.This banquet hall is prepared for the company's employees and other team members. Mr. Sanshui explained that it should be more lively to support the scene. In fact, there is another private club upstairs, and only the bosses are invited to go. , that is the real venue for the birthday party.

The banquet started at seven o'clock, and it was just after five o'clock. A person walked in at the door of the banquet hall, not a stage master in overalls, nor a hotel manager in uniform.

Jaynee frowned and took a closer look.

Still a beauty.

She straightened her back.

"Hey, miss, we haven't started here yet, who are you?"

She approached her.

The other party showed her his badge: "I am Lin Zhique from the product center."

"Oh...it's so early. It doesn't start until seven o'clock, why don't you sit down first."

Lin Zhique asked, "Is Mr. Li... Sanshui here?"

She arrived early on purpose so that she could have a chance to talk to Li Miaomiao alone.

She glanced down, and the girl in front of her was wearing a small dress with a work card on her chest, which read:

Special Assistant Jaynee Jian Ling

"How can she be so early? Those who are early are all of us who are busy. Uh, you know, right? I'm Jaynee, the assistant of Sanshui President, hello."

Jaynee was beaming when she spoke, and she was full of vigor. For some reason, it gave Lin Zhique an inexplicably familiar feeling.

So she bluntly said: "You look familiar."

"Familiar? Do you often come to our floor? I haven't seen you. Are you talking to me? Sorry, I'm not what you think..." Jaynee's phone rang, "Ah, Excuse me."

She turned to answer the phone.

This person's level of narcissism is comparable to Susu's.Lin Zhique searched for the memories in his mind, but he still had no impression of the name Jian Ling, but this was not important, she just wanted to ask her about Li Miaomiao's whereabouts.

She heard her say on the phone: "Ah? You're here? I thought Teacher Chen Jia wasn't coming. I'll pick you up right away, wait a minute. It's okay, we booked the top floor, it's very private..."

Jaynee was talking on the phone, nodded to her, walked past her, and walked out of the banquet hall.

Lin Zhique asked the waiter for a glass of water.

She found a corner that was hard to be noticed, and waited quietly.

About 15 minutes later, Jaynee walked in with another group of people. Chen Jia was not there, so he presumably went to the top floor.She heard them chatting: "She's just stubborn. Sister Sanshui celebrates her birthday. How could she not come? She said she would come as soon as she got off the plane, and she didn't care if she was advised to come early. She put on the blindfold and said to leave. Come here." "That's right, we have been in a relationship for more than ten years, and we are more affectionate than husband and wife..." "Isn't it good for us to gossip about the bosses here?" "Hahahaha——"

Lin Zhique quietly walked out of the banquet hall.The elevator in the hotel needs permission to specify a floor. She found a male manager, showed him her work ID, and chatted with her, finally making him relax his vigilance and helping her press the elevator to the top floor.

The clubhouse on the top floor is separated from the rest of the floor and can only be reached by an elevator. When the elevator enters the home, there is a dark lounge where countless reflections are reflected by the glass wine cabinet on the wall, which connects to the entrance of the outdoor garden. In the garden is an infinity swimming pool. Crossing the garden is the hall, and there are also several rooms for guests to rest.Lin Zhique leisurely walked through the rainy garden, met one or two waiters along the way, and no one doubted her whereabouts.

The hall has been set up, the balloon champagne should be ready, and I don't know how many fragrances have been ordered, and the rich breath and soft soft music are entangled in the air.

Chen Jia's thin figure stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Sensing someone entering the room, she turned around.

She has become thinner, her hair has grown a bit longer, she has put on makeup on her face, her already handsome features are more delicate, her clothes are also low-key and classy, ​​her overall personality is extraordinary, she is no longer the sleepy look in 2005 up.She looks perfect, she seems to be urged, and the maintenance work is well done, so looking at it from a distance of more than ten meters, except for the eyes, it seems that nothing has aged.

"Chen Jia." Lin Zhique called her.

Chen Jia cast a questioning look.

She walks up to her.

"You...do you remember me?"

Chen Jia frowned slightly, her eyes wandered between her and the door, and she seemed to be suspicious.

Lin Zhique stopped a few meters away.

She asked her softly, almost in a pleading tone: "Your memory has always been the best, and you always recite the lyrics the fastest. Do you remember me?"

Chen Jia's frowning brows stretched out, maybe she heard her say the lyrics, she stared at her with flickering eyes for a few seconds, and finally said with a polite smile, "Excuse me, are you?"

Lin Zhique's heart fell into an ice cellar, dropping from zero to below zero, but she was mentally prepared, and finally she was able to answer normally: "I've seen you before, and Du Si is my aunt." Chen Jia heard this The name was obviously blank for a second, and Lin Zhique continued: "I work at Whale Star, and I happened to come over for something, so I thought I could see you."

"...I remember, you came to the finals that year, and you went to our concert, right? You don't look like you did when you were a child, otherwise, I would have recognized it."

She thought she was Du Zhian.

Lin Zhique didn't answer.

Chen Jia hesitated and said, "...Are you busy? I can just stay here by myself."

"I..." She was speechless.

Chen Jia finally asked with sad eyes: "Is your family all right? Is Siren's father okay?"

"Passed away. Last month."

Instead, Chen Jia was speechless.

Instead, Lin Zhique was asked to comfort her: "The old man is over 70 years old, so it's not considered mourning."

"Hmm... also. Do you work in Whale Star? Which department? Is it going well? Does Miaomiao know where you work?"

She seems to want to take care of her at work.But she doesn't need to.

She shook her head slightly and replied, "I have no problem. I just... miss her a little bit, so I want to see you."

Chen Jia nodded, "Do you want to sit down?"

They sat facing each other at an elegant high table by the fireplace.

"I remember...your father is engaged in real estate. Is everything okay with the company?" Chen Jia tried hard to greet her.She knew she was not good at these.

"Well, that's it. He's not important."

Seeing them sit down outside, the waiter deliberately walked to the door and asked, "Do you two have something to drink? It's cold, do you want to make a pot of scented tea?"

Chen Jia answered yes.

Lin Zhique stared at Chen Jia without blinking, "Can you chat with me about Du Siren?"

She must not cry tonight.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"all."

"all?"

"Well, everything before that happened."

Chen Jia looked distressed, "...I thought you should know more than me. Could it be that you are too young and your family didn't tell you?"

"Yes. My grandparents passed away, and my dad is not close to her. She doesn't know anything about her work. Actually, I can see some on the Internet, but..." But she didn't dare to look, didn't dare to look The real and fake ones on the Internet, I dare not read those posts that are either nostalgic or speculative, saying how frustrated she is, how she has been wronged, how she is struggling in this vanity fair, and for a few days, she often reads similar content , desperately opened his eyes wide and forced himself to read, his eyes turned red, and tears flowed after reading a few lines. "I just want to know, did she live well in those years, was she happy?"

Chen Jia thought over and over again before answering, "She is the one who smiles the most among us. Just pretend that she is having a good life."

"What do you mean? It's because she's having a bad time. You can't bear to tell me?"

"No. I can only say that in this circle, she has not had a worse life than most people, nor has she had a better life than most people. Everyone has their own pursuits. Whether she is happy or not, I don't know. In fact, in the two or three years before that incident, we didn't communicate very often..."

"Why? Are you busy with work?" In fact, you don't need to ask, you know, adults always lose contact for no reason.

"Well, busy. But it's also because I'm not good at interacting with people."

"You are more popular." She was so straightforward that Chen Jia was surprised.

"...That's not the reason."

"It's okay. I get it. You probably don't have much in common at work."

"But we still try to get together every year." Chen Jia lowered his head and played with his fingers, "There is one thing that I haven't told anyone."

"what's up?"

Chen Jia raised her phoenix eyes, "She...she is the same psychologist as me. I introduced her to her."

The cups of scented tea were brought up, boiling slightly on the fire, and a burst of hot and humid air came from their hands.

Chen Jia added: "Of course it doesn't mean that she has any problems. We are all the same. The work pressure is relatively high. Sometimes, we need to chat with strangers."

Lin Zhique raised his hand to get the water cup, but instead of holding the handle, he touched the hot outer wall. He was so hot that he withdrew his hand before he woke up. The waiter walked over quickly, "Madam, it's hot, I'll do it .Do you burn your hands?"

The waiter filled her completely untouched cup with more tea.

"Then... where is that psychiatrist? Can you introduce me?"

"Do you want to go to him? But they won't disclose the patient's information. If you go, he may be very embarrassed. It's been so many years, so don't worry about these things."

She almost lost her composure and almost blurted out: nothing has passed so many years.

Chen Jia suddenly looked behind her and stood up from the high table.Someone came in.

"Hey, Teacher Chen Jia is here..."

Lin Zhique turned his head.

It was Li Miaomiao who came.She was wearing a soft plush coat and didn't have an umbrella, so the coat was wet from the drizzle and left some marks.

"This is? Huh? I remember you. You belong to the company. Which department are you from?" She couldn't remember anything more.

Chen Jia said softly, "I just don't remember. This is Siren's little niece, you forgot."

Li Miaomiao's originally vivid expression froze on his face.It seems that no one is willing to hear the names of Dusi people on this day.

"Mr. Sanshui, hello. You probably don't remember me either."

"No, I remember. I met you at the meeting some time ago. You didn't tell me that you were from Siren's family. I remember your surname... your surname is not Du, right?"

"Yes, my surname is Lin, and I follow my mother's surname."

Li Miaomiao nodded, "Did your leader arrange for you to come? Well, we also need someone to help explain some product issues on the project."

She was asking her euphemistically: why are you here?

Lin Zhique stood up. "Mr. Sanshui, I want to ask you about my aunt's death."

Chen Jia walked towards Li Miaomiao and stood between the two of them, "Is it almost time? There may be many guests coming later. Well, Miss Lin, we can talk after the end. I will talk about it in the next few days." If you have time, you can come to my studio for coffee."

Lin Zhique was keenly aware of the strangeness.She is protecting her.

"No need, I just want to ask President Sanshui a few questions." She went straight to the point, ignoring Li Miaomiao's lifeless face, "I want to ask, in 2011, who was Du Siren's manager?"

Li Miaomiao replied, "It's me."

"Where were you on the day that happened?"

Li Miaomiao's lips opened and closed slightly, her cheeks lost their color.Chen Jia walked to her side and stood shoulder to shoulder with her.

"……I'm not here."

"Why?" Lin Zhique faced the two of them alone.

"...Are you here to inquire about crimes? The company has fully explained these things to your family back then. You should ask the elders in the family, it should be very clear."

"Ask the crime? You mean, someone is guilty." After eight years, she certainly didn't come to hold anyone accountable, she just wanted to find out what happened, but at this moment her thoughts were flooding, and she couldn't restrain her anger.

Chen Jia interjected, "Many years have passed."

Li Miaomiao grabbed Chen Jia's sleeve.

She said: "It was my dereliction of duty. I also admitted it eight years ago. Eight years later, I can tell you again, sorry, I was dereliction of duty." Her voice began to tremble. "If I had been there that day, I would definitely not have agreed to start work. Going forward, I would have tried my best to keep her lead actress, and would not let her be replaced just before the start of the filming. If the lead actress was on the scene, there would be no drama that day... "

Lin Zhique couldn't move.

The three people in the room were silent for a while. With tears in their eyes, Li Miaomiao said again: "I'm sorry. If you want to hear me say this. Or how do you want me to make up for it. But it has been eight years, and I I have to live on, I'm sorry..."

At this time, Jaynee's vigorous voice came faintly from the outdoor garden: "Please come here, yes, President Sanshui has just arrived."

Chen Jia walked quickly to Lin Zhique's side and whispered, "I will contact you soon. You should have left your contact information in the company. Today is not a good time to talk about this matter." She lowered her voice, Only Lin Zhique could hear clearly: "Today is her birthday, please."

It's pointless to ask any more.

Lin Zhique didn't say another word, walked past Li Miaomiao, walked out the door, and met Jaynee who was leading the guests. Ignoring Jaynee's suspicious eyes, she walked straight away. When she turned the corner, she saw Li Miaomiao rushing towards him through the glass wall. Wipes his eyes before the guest enters the door.

When she left the hotel, the rain was still falling, and the very fine rain fell on her hair and clothes.

it's dark.

She didn't know where to go.

She stood under a certain streetlight on the street for a long time until the phone called.

A call from Shenzhen.Caller: "Cena".

She picked up Xu Xinan's call.

"Hey?"

"Hey! What are you doing? Are you working overtime? I sent you a WeChat message and you didn't reply."

"You know I'm busy and you still call to harass me?"

Xu Xinan chuckled over there: "It's rare that I get off work at this hour, and I can't even chat with you."

"What are you talking about? Boss is not young anymore. Instead of dating after get off work, why don't you chat with me?"

"No, it's not that I'm going back for vacation next week, let me inform you."

"What are you doing back here? The Chinese New Year was just over last month. Aren't you busy with work?"

"Hey, don't play dumb."

Lin Zhique pondered for a moment, and finally came to his senses: "...Xu Xinan, don't you want to come back to drink Du Zhian's Xi Bar?"

Xu Xinan simply replied: "Yes."

"...It's almost thirty years old, it's really sad."

The other end of the phone cursed: "Fart! I can't get ivory out of a bird's beak!"

She stood under the street lamp and listened to the phone. Not far behind her, on the top floor of the hotel, the birthday party kicked off as scheduled.

Smiling faces, a little alcohol and rationality, countless exchanging glasses and flattery or unfashionable but popular jokes piled up the whole night until the early morning, when the guests left the venue one by one , the rain stopped, and the night became quiet.

Li Miaomiao sank deeply into a soft sofa.

Jaynee just left and was sent away by Chen Jia.

Chen Jia leaned against the fireplace.

"Do you want the hotel to make sober tea? The wine is so delicious, and I won't get tired of it after drinking it for many years."

Li Miaomiao's cheeks were flushed.

"You know what? You don't smoke, drink, or have no heart. You can lie down and fall asleep at 11 o'clock all your life. Didn't you say you won't come tonight? What are you doing here? You just come Come on, you really dare to offend someone for me, and refuse so flatly in front of those bosses..."

"If I don't come, what will happen just now? How are you going to answer that girl?"

"Don't judge me morally!"

Chen Jia had no choice but to go to the door and call the waiter, telling him to make sober tea.

"Chen Jia, come here." Li Miaomiao called her.

"Huh?" She walked up to her.

Li Miaomiao raised her eyes.When she was drunk, her eyes became brighter, just like when they first met 14 years ago.

"I ask you."

"what?"

"I ask you, have we ever been in love?"

Chen Jia looked at Li Miaomiao on the sofa and said nothing.

Li Miaomiao raised a hand and grabbed her cuff.

"I guess, you loved me at some point, and I loved you. But we probably didn't love each other."

Chen Jia raised the corners of her mouth, wanting to smile, "What are you talking about? Have you broken up in love recently?"

"You're just broken in love. It's called broken in love when you're dumped. What do you call broken in love when I dump someone? What about you? Did that beautiful photographer dump you?"

"Dump it. It's been so long, and you didn't ask."

"Chen Jia, you scum!" Li Miaomiao cursed.

"Aren't you too? We have been in this circle for so many years, how many good men and women are there?"

"Is there? Dusi people are very good men and women." She tugged at her sleeves, sat up straight from the too soft sofa, leaned forward, and rested her forehead on her waist, "Unfortunately, she Gone. My fault."

Li Miaomiao sobbed.

Chen Jia reached out to touch Li Miaomiao's hair.

Unexpectedly, Li Miaomiao suddenly raised her head again, staring at a pair of red eyes and cursed: "You are also at fault!"

Chen Jia took a step back.

Li Miaomiao leaned on the armrest of the sofa, muttering, "Do you know? I have regretted it for so many years. On that day, November 2011, 11, in the early morning of that day, Zhu He called me and said that your lawyer I sent a letter of understanding to the company. It happened to be that day. There is no airport in Yu'an, so I took a midnight bus and went back to Jincheng to take off. Zhu He said that all the senior management of the company will attend the negotiation with you. I am afraid that you will be bullied... so I've regretted it for years. I shouldn't have picked you."

Chen Jia stretched out her hand to Li Miaomiao, but she didn't know whether to help her or hug her.

"Do you remember? Later, your fans attacked the company by using the matter of thinking about people, saying that the company cannibalize people without spit out bones, and the chaos is full of chaos. The company was afraid that the matter would not end, so it agreed to terminate the contract so easily. In the end, you still You have gained a reputation for righteousness, and everyone has rumored that you fell out with the company because of thinking about talents. You said, who is the one who eats people without spit out bones?"

Li Miaomiao pushed Chen Jia's hand away.

"I think I should have loved you at that time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have left Siren and come back to accompany you without even thinking about it. She has soft ears, and when I'm not here, she will cooperate with whatever people ask her to do. That day, Just after the negotiations started, the news came...Why should I love you? This is really the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life. You don't love me. If you loved me, why would you have a secret plan with your lawyer? For a long time, until the day of the attack, you didn't tell me a word in advance?"

Chen Jia called her softly: "Miaomiao..."

"If you love me, why would you text me every day, kiss me, sleep with me, and never tell me what you are planning to do for so many months?"

Li Miaomiao burst into tears.

Chen Jia bent down to hug her.

She said in her arms: "So I think, we should have never been in love."