Chapter 563: 272 Fog (Second Update)

Ming Jing wanted to read in the afternoon, and Ye Zhen and Liu Muxue went out shopping together.

As soon as the two left, Zheng Qing arrived.

Smelling the lingering hotpot scent in the room, she looked at Ming Jing with some resentment: “You had hotpot without me.”

Ming Jing sat on a sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, with a thin blanket over her knees and a book in her hands, flipping through it leisurely.

Zheng Qing walked over and glanced at the cover, raising an eyebrow: “Wind on the Clouds? So this is the book you had me spend a fortune on for the copyright. I didn’t know you had a dream of martial arts.”

Ming Jing smiled, her gaze shifting from the book to the high-rise buildings outside the window.

“Flame still has a funding gap of two hundred million. You should fill it.”

Zheng Qing picked an orange from the fruit plate, peeled it, and popped a slice into her mouth. She jumped onto the storage cabinet by the balcony with one leg bent, exuding an indescribable charm.

“Two hundred million? You say it so casually. Can you guarantee it will be a hit?”

“Support the arts and let Director Yu focus on filmmaking without being held hostage by capital,” Ming Jing said lightly.

Zheng Qing almost believed her, “What about Wind on the Clouds?”

Ming Jing’s eyes deepened, the corner of her lips curved slightly, “Start preparing for it. Get in touch with the best team.”

Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, snatching the book from Ming Jing’s hand: “It’s just a martial arts novel. What’s so special about it? There are plenty of better IPs out there.”

The book was quite famous, but Zheng Qing felt that although the story was good, the writing and overall execution were somewhat lacking. Moreover, the book had severe narrative breaks which prevented it from being even better.

“I like it.”

“Alright, since you like it, I’ll gather the best professional team and make the best martial arts movie for you.”

“I’ll write the script myself,” Ming Jing said with a smile. “By the way, contact the original author and complete the copyright negotiations and contract.”

The copyright was only for three years and only included film and television rights, while animation, publishing, audio books, and other rights still belonged to the original author.

Zheng Qing rubbed her chin, wondering why Ming Jing was so insistent on this novel.

It was a question worth considering.

“Don’t worry, I’ll secure it for you. The author happens to be from Jingzhou. I’ll arrange a meeting and finalize the copyright deal.”

“Now that we’ve talked about the novel, let’s discuss something else. I discovered a secret about Xue An,” said Zheng Qing, her gaze fixed on Ming Jing.

Ming Jing remained calm, raising an eyebrow: “Oh? What secret?”

“More than a decade ago, his first love was A Yu, so is it possible that you are Xue An’s child?”

Ming Jing was taken aback, then shook her head with a smile: “That’s a fairy tale.”

“Don’t you believe it? But I have evidence.”

Zheng Qing listed a series of so-called evidences from her investigation and reasoning, trying to prove that Jiang Yu and Xue An had a secret past.

Ming Jing rubbed her temples helplessly. How could she explain to Zheng Qing that she, as the person involved, knew whether Jiang Yu had given birth to a child or not? But Zheng Qing firmly believed it.

One mistake led to another, and Zheng Qing went further and further down this path.

But denying it would render her existence illogical.

It was an unsolvable problem.

Ming Jing neither confirmed nor denied it, which in Zheng Qing’s eyes was as good as admitting.

“It looks like there’s no connection between the two, but I’m sure A Yu’s death is related to Xue An. No wonder you’ve been watching him all this time. Did you know about this all along?” Now that she thought about it, Ming Jing had been subtly keeping an eye on Xue An all along.

In the long silence, Zheng Qing waited for her explanation.

Night fell, and the lights outside the window dimmed.

There were no lights on in the room, and the moonlight and stars outside the floor-to-ceiling window cast a faint glow on the floor.

“Night Hawk used Xue An to lure her to the snowy mountain, and when she was off guard, he set a trap.”

The young girl’s calm and indifferent tone seemed to be narrating a simple story, but it struck terror into Zheng Qing’s heart.

“She was already severely injured and had no chance of escape surrounded by twenty elite soldiers.”

Ming Jing lifted her jade-like hand and gently brushed her white skirt, her beautiful face serene and indifferent.

“No one could leave the organization alive, her freedom came at the cost of her life, but she never regretted it.”

Ming Jing smiled softly.

She had never regretted her choices.

Zheng Qing clenched her fists, her eyes reddening: “A Yu…”.

Soon, she gritted her teeth and said: “Night Hawk, I’ll never let him go.”Ming Jing shook her head with a smile.

Zheng Qing paused, “Why are you smiling?”

“Back then, it was not just Night Hawk who wanted Jiang Yu dead,” Ming Jing replied.

A dead body, buried deep in the ground, flesh rotted away, cells gone, leaving nothing but bones.

Like some things, as time goes by, their appearance may blur, but the context becomes clearer.

Clear away the fog, and find the truth.

Zheng Qing was startled, “Who else wants to kill you? How big of a grudge do they have against you? Your personality is so good, who did you offend?”

Ming Jing lowered her eyes and smiled, her fair face as brilliant and ephemeral as fireworks.

“Innocent men suffer because of their treasures,” she said.

Her gaze fell on the novel’s cover, where the three black characters “Wind on the Clouds” were written with vigorous and elegant strokes, exuding a sense of chivalry.

The author’s name, Xiang Kui, was written next to it.

Ming Jing’s finger brushed over the two characters “Xiang Kui,” and her smile grew warmer while her eyes remained cold and dark as an icy, deep pool.

Zheng Qing became more confused, unable to sort out her thoughts.

Did she not know A Yu well enough?

“Tell me who they are, and I’ll kill them for A Yu’s vengeance,” Zheng Qing said through gritted teeth.

“There’s no rush. I have plenty of time to play this game with them,” said Ming Jing.

Zheng Qing looked up. Under the moonlight, the girl’s eyes were gentle as water, yet Zheng Qing shuddered involuntarily.

The gentler Ming Jing’s smile, the more serious the situation.

Those people had better be careful.

——

On November 14th, the sky was overcast. The winter days in Jingzhou were always like this, with little sunshine.

On this day, the entertainment industry was buzzing.

Director Yu Dawei’s new film “Flame” had attracted widespread attention, and on this day, the film’s production crew held a launch conference in Jingzhou, unveiling its star-studded cast.

The mysterious “Lady Yu” also revealed her identity on this day.

She turned out to be an unknown newcomer, leaving the public somewhat disappointed and doubting Yu Dawei’s taste.

However, the actress playing the second female lead was quite eye-catching. People joked online that she was a resource coffee that some investor had forced into the project, and that Yu Dawei had deliberately chosen a beautiful supporting actress to outshine the lead.

When Zhou Zhengru was announced to be playing the male lead, everyone was surprised, though it made sense—two giants teaming up.

Ye Zhen and Lan Huixin stood together. Ye Zhen wore a large cotton-padded coat, making her look a little puffy. Next to the other “stunningly beautiful” actresses, she really stood out.

Lan Huixin rubbed her arms and sneezed, “I miscalculated. If I had known it would be this cold, I would have worn a down jacket.”

Ye Zhen took off her cotton-padded coat and draped it over Lan Huixin’s shoulders. Lan Huixin hurriedly said, “No need, no need.”

Ye Zhen smiled, “I’m wearing another layer under this, and I’m strong, so I won’t be cold. You wear it to keep warm, and don’t catch a cold that would delay the shooting schedule.”

Having been forced to practice the Eight Pieces Brocade by Ming Jing since childhood, Ming Xin’s physical fitness was far better than that of others. Even after lying down for several months, her body recovered quickly after these past days of recuperation.

The winter in the nunnery had been harder than this, and they had still made it through. It could be said that all the sisters in the nunnery were quite cold-resistant.

Lan Huixin gratefully said, “Thank you.”

Ye Zhen patted her shoulder, “You’re Ming Jing’s friend, so you’re my friend too. There’s no need to thank me; we’ll be spending a lot of time together, so don’t be so polite.”

Lan Huixin sniffled, her nose red. The cold wind blew on her body, but she felt warmth in her heart.

This scene was captured by the media and ignited speculation online.

Originally, people wanted to see drama between the two actresses. However, the pair appeared to get along harmoniously, with the lead actress going so far as to give her cotton-padded coat to the second female lead. The anticipated fight between the two failed to materialize, leaving the public somewhat disappointed.

Some people even ridiculed Lady Yu as hypocritical, claiming she just pretended to be a good person.

That’s how the entertainment industry is—one look or word can be dissected into countless meanings, purely out of boredom.

“Flame” started with a bang, and a week-long script read-through followed.

Li Tingting and her two roommates saw the pictures from the launch ceremony online and noticed a familiar face alongside Lady Yu.

The three looked at each other in disbelief, seeing the incredible in each other’s eyes.

How lucky had Lan Huixin become?