Rebirth: The Ascent of a Socialite-Chapter 590 - 239: Plunder Amidst Chaos (Part 2)
Chaotic lights and shouting voices, the crowd growing larger and larger, she cried out and leaned entirely on those arms for support.
Her faltering steps steadied, and before she could even thank him, those hands calmly secured her own and lifted Su Ziceng off her feet.
Then everything went dark before her eyes. Su Ziceng felt her nose pressed against the chest of this kindly stranger, her view completely blocked.
"Thank you, ah, please let me go," Su Ziceng was frantic, unsure if the "Japanese" man who held her in his embrace could understand her. She felt her waist tightly encircled, her entire body pressing against the man’s, as a suffocating heat overcame her.
The stage performance was coming to an end, and Jim, who had not seen Su Ziceng, had to lead Melin in accepting the audience’s praise.
"Please let me go," Su Ziceng gasped for breath, while the man’s hands stayed provocatively on her.
The September night was a bit chilly, and the man, wearing a coat, had Su Ziceng tightly wrapped in his arms. Everyone else was focused on the stage, and Su Ziceng’s increasingly faint calls were drowned out by bursts of applause.
"You!" Su Ziceng shouted, feeling the man’s chest heave dramatically. His hold loosened slightly, and she sensed an intense gaze from above. Her hair was pushed aside, and a soft, moist sensation touched her. The man was kissing her, and Su Ziceng was terrified. She wanted to scream immediately, but the curtain call was underway, and she could not ruin this perfect show.
Thankfully, the despicable pervert did not proceed further. He just held her, gently nipping at her earlobe. As the crowd began to disperse, Su Ziceng’s brain was still oxygen-deprived; suddenly, the light brightened, her support gone, she sat down on the ground.
"Ziceng!" Jim and Melin came down from the stage and saw the flush on Su Ziceng’s face, "Where did you go just now?"
Unable to explain properly, Su Ziceng could only make up an excuse: being pushed away by the crowd, she had missed the curtain call. With everyone already gone, Su Ziceng could find no trace of the man in the coat. Her ears throbbed - red and swollen. "Pervert," she cursed under her breath. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Despite the scare, Su Ziceng quickly recovered her mood, thanked the Japanese crew that helped organize the show, and personally expressed gratitude to the models and the staff.
Back at the hotel, just when she thought of taking a relaxing bath, an angry Jim knocked on her door. Unfortunately, there was a communication barrier between them; through signs and gestures, Su Ziceng finally understood that Jim and Melin had argued.
They had cooperated well during the show. How come as soon as it ended they started fighting? Su Ziceng, exhausted, had to find Melin.
In Melin’s room, a bouquet of pink roses still stood. Su Ziceng entered, and Melin was sitting on the bed, visibly agitated.
"What happened? Why did you argue with Jim?" Su Ziceng didn’t want to bother Sister Mu and had to mediate by herself.
"He has the nerve to play the victim first. Right after the curtain call, several Japanese media outlets wanted to interview me, and he turned them all away," Melin threw a pillow onto the floor, feeling wronged. She became an overnight sensation and needed to promote herself, but Jim had rejected those opportunities.
"You can’t blame Jim; he was following the plan we discussed beforehand. You’re not a professional model yet, and during interviews, you might slip up. Once we return to Mo City, we’ll have similar shows lined up. Then we can arrange the interview details and select a batch of qualified media. It won’t be too late for interviews then." Su Ziceng explained the plan, hoping Melin would understand.
"I can let go of the interviews, but what about my salary?" Seeing the interviews falling through, Melin shifted to inquire about her salary. Before the show ended, she saw other casually invited models receiving a handsome catwalk fee, but she, the most hardworking finale model, had received nothing.
"Of course, you’ll have a salary, but Jim hasn’t yet decided on which pay scale to settle your wages. Just be a little patient." Su Ziceng was also troubled, as Melin had been a friendly cameo without runway experience, lacking standard remuneration for reference. It was difficult for Jim to settle the payment arbitrarily.
"Why complicate it? Just use Lin Ying’s rate; I replaced her after all," Melin said arrogantly, convinced that even if Lin Ying had walked the show in Shibuya herself, the outcome wouldn’t have been better than Melin’s. Besides, Lin Ying’s fame was fading, while Melin, a rising star, was sure her future salary would not fall short of Lin Ying’s.
"Melin," Su Ziceng grew impatient with Melin’s unreasonable demands, "You must watch your words. The show’s success is thanks to Sister Mu’s design, Jim’s organization, and you’re a fresh face who had the momentum to rise. Any decent model replacing you could have found fame on this show."
"If that’s the case, then don’t expect to find me for future shows. Either pay me or I’ll leave," Melin gestured to see Su Ziceng out, not giving her a second glance.
Su Ziceng shook her head and walked out, helpless. Melin was young, after all, and would understand in time.
Once Su Ziceng left, Melin hastily dialed the number included with the pink roses and spoke in a coquettish tone: "Darling, where are you?" (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
