CHAPTER 83

Wei Zhuang rarely thought about the past. The events of her teenage years felt like a lifetime ago.

She closed her eyes briefly, and as she reached for her wine glass, she suddenly turned her face, sensing something.

Xiaoyuan peeked out from behind the wall, her bright, sparkling eyes blinking at her, then slowly walked over. "Did I disturb your rest last night?" She approached under Wei Zhuang's gaze. "You don't have to mind me. I can just watch movies here for a few days."

Wei Zhuang looked at her silently. Under her gaze, Xiaoyuan felt inexplicably pressured. She heard Wei Zhuang ask, "What movie did you pick?"

"Oh, I haven't chosen yet..." Xiaoyuan scratched her cheek. "How about..."

'How about we choose a movie to watch together?'

She glanced at Wei Zhuang, unsure if it was her imagination, but she felt that Wei Zhuang seemed a bit tired. "How about you take a rest for a while?"

When Wei Zhuang visited her in Bincheng last year, she looked very haggard, with dark circles under her eyes that couldn't be concealed, yet she still had a captivating charm. After returning to Shencheng and resting for a few days, she still looked a bit thin, but after all, she was young, her face delicate like a newly bloomed flower bud, exuding a fresh and charming glow.

There was also a hint of natural innocence.

And last night, Xiaoyuan, in her arms, had suddenly and boldly, almost unexpectedly, leaned down to kiss her.

"Then I won't disturb you anymore." Xiaoyuan said before running off again.

Wei Zhuang stood still for a moment before heading to her room and entering the walk-in closet to change into loungewear.

The full-length mirror reflected her tall and graceful figure. She stepped closer, her gaze falling on her lips.

During adolescence, it seemed like many people were falling in love. The school had related educational courses, so they were more than just vaguely aware of matters of int!macy.

In the prime of youth, it was said that even a glance could play out like a blockbuster drama, and the emotions and desires were completely normal.

Wei Zhuang initially didn't pay much attention to it, but as she grew older, no matter how much she preferred to keep to herself, she still needed to socialize with the well-connected people in her family circle and find topics to blend in.

Moreover, being young, curiosity was inevitable, so she also tried to show goodwill to boys and agreed to go on dates.

The so-called affection from boys always seemed so pragmatic. It didn't take long before they wanted to push further. Wei Zhuang found that whenever a man got close to her, the image of Zhu Ehua entangled with that man on the carpet would flash through her mind, and she would feel a wave of nausea...

Perhaps it was a type issue.

She tried changing her dating partners.

Sometimes it was better, sometimes it wasn't.

But she never felt any excitement, nor did she experience the kind of "sparks flying" passion that others talked about.

How to avoid feeling "nauseous" about something? That was to try to get closer. Perhaps once she understood, she would realize it was just like that.

Wei Zhuang barely remembered what that boy looked like, nor could she recall his name. She only remembered that he studied painting, was quite quiet, and even a bit reclusive.

When they were in bed together, she refused to take off her clothes or be in the submissive position. Strangely, even though it was both their first time, the boy was extremely shy and awkward, blushing the entire time, while she took control of the situation.

The experience was brief and safe.

Afterward, Wei Zhuang felt it was just so-so, nothing special.

The boy later came to find her again, saying he liked her and wanted to date her, but Wei Zhuang refused.

She was still grateful to him. He made her realize that s3x wasn't actually disgusting, she just wasn't interested in it. She and Zhu Ehua truly had nothing in common. Zhu Ehua was a person of intense desire, while she was not.

Indeed, they were nothing like mother and daughter, she thought self-mockingly.

Later, when she went abroad for further studies, overwhelmed by academic pressure, she sought out a male partner once or twice, all of whom were from Northern Europe.

The Northern Europeans said she was very ungentle in bed, yet they couldn't forget her.

Frankly, it was indeed a much better experience than her teenage years, but still not something worth her lingering thoughts.

After returning from studying abroad, she joined the Tonghua Group. At that time, under the leadership of Old Master Wei, Tonghua primarily focused on the development, management, and operation of real estate and commercial properties. The company was riddled with factions that constantly fought among themselves, but they unanimously turned their guns outward, excluding and making things difficult for her.

From entering Tonghua to eventually taking control and becoming its leader, it took her ten years to emerge from the pack of wolves surrounding her. That year, she was 35.

During those ten years, she hardly took any vacations and had always struggled with sleep. She saw a psychologist and a rehabilitation therapist for a while, gradually developing a regular routine, and her health improved.

But strangely, every now and then, she would experience an indescribable emotion, one that couldn't be directly classified as either positive or negative.

It was as if she was alone inside a glass dome, with the world outside—people, her career, the faces that called her "President Wei," the stacks of documents waiting for her signature, the meetings she had to attend.

She observed from a distance, yet felt an unreal sense of detachment. Numb, indifferent, but without any outward negative expression, she would just sit alone for long, long periods of time.

She would still continue to work, but this emotion lingered for longer and longer.

This kind of emotion would surface every so often, and no remedy seemed effective.

Her psychologist had been searching for the cause for a long time and would occasionally ask if she was experiencing such emotions.

One day, the psychologist said, "Frances, you might need to fall in love."

Wei Zhuang frowned.

The psychologist had been with her for many years, understood her situation well, and had developed a suitable way of interacting with her.

"Ha, love is just a broad term. In my view, not everyone encounters true love, and that's no big deal. But we ordinary mortals still need hugs, kisses, and s3x."

Wei Zhuang continued to frown.

"We need int!mate relationships, verbal int!macy and s3xual int!macy are both necessary. I suspect you haven't had this kind of int!macy with anyone for a long time?"

Wei Zhuang stared at her coldly.

The psychologist smiled, "Come on, don't look at me like I'm being unprofessional."

"Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps cells transmit impulses. This brain secretion is related to feelings of desire, conveying messages of excitement and happiness."

"You, my dear, are just lacking dopamine."
"You need to find someone who can give you dopamine."
x

Wei Zhuang: "..."

She had been immersed in this world of fame and fortune for many years, no longer the reclusive and distant teenage girl she once was, especially after stepping into the entertainment industry and becoming what others called a "behind-the-scenes big shot." Countless people wanted to get close to her, flatter her, use her, and gain her "support."

In this circle, there were some brokers—some of whom were agents—who would use certain methods to bring artists closer to high-ranking individuals, achieving mutual benefits. This was not uncommon. Wei Zhuang, however, did not favor such tactics. Unless she took an interest herself, no one dared to play such games with her.

But sometimes, one couldn't be too self-righteous, so she would create some rumors that she had "casual partners." If she found someone appealing, she could genuinely engage, she wouldn't mistreat anyone.

Unfortunately, there really wasn't anyone.

She had never paid much attention to Wei Jiabao's affairs. He had a great deal of freedom, and his female companions were all mutually beneficial arrangements. As long as he didn't do anything too outrageous or harm the interests of Tonghua, she didn't interfere. For example, deleting Xiang Xiaoyuan's scenes in 'Choice' was something Wei Zhuang would never agree to. That was a Tonghua-produced and created work, and the work itself took precedence over everything else.

Later, some subordinates quietly mentioned Wei Jiabao's activities, saying he had taken a liking to a female star who refused him, and he was making things difficult for her.

Wei Zhuang didn't pay much attention to it. In this world, the strong preying on the weak was all too normal.

She didn't expect Xiang Xiaoyuan to hold her ground, nor did she expect her to keep appearing in front of her, and not in a carefully orchestrated manner—she didn't even know who Wei Zhuang was.

The girl seemed to exude an indescribable aura, something that Wei Zhuang's senses picked up on. It had happened too many times, so Wei Zhuang decided to follow her heart.

The night they spent together was also a novel experience for Wei Zhuang. It had similarities to previous encounters—she was still the one in control, and she still refused to take off her clothes, but there were also significant differences.

The soft skin of the girl, the fragrant body scent, and the alluring sounds were a delight to her sight, hearing, and touch.

This kind of interaction was a new experience for both of them. Xiang Xiaoyuan seemed to dislike contracts, yet she later agreed to renew the contract, while Wei Zhuang had never drafted such a contract before.

Two years. Not too long, not too short.

They were both busy. Xiaoyuan loved acting so much that once filming started, she would close herself off for two to three months, so opportunities to meet were few. Relatively speaking, this meant fewer complications. When the contract expired, they would naturally and tacitly part ways.

Wei Zhuang liked seeing young people pursue their passions and enjoyed watching others' dedication and efforts.

Since Xiaoyuan was her "contract" partner, much younger and a girl, Wei Zhuang felt she couldn't mistreat her in any way.

No one understood the darkness of this industry better than Wei Zhuang. Even with talent, passion, and skill, one couldn't always avoid doing things they disliked. A slight misstep could lead to losing everything.

Since that was the case, Wei Zhuang decided to arrange a safe and suitable environment for Xiaoyuan, one that was strong and secure.

In Wei Zhuang's eyes, Xiang Zhishi didn't have this capability, and since she did, how could she stand by and do nothing? This was her own decision, and Xiaoyuan didn't need to know.

Wei Zhuang had never established a long-term relationship with anyone before. This time-limited relationship was also a first for her. She did feel something different, though.

Especially this morning when she went to work, knowing someone was at home.

When she returned, the girl told her she wanted to stay for a few more days.

Perhaps this was a relationship that would gnaw away at her space and time.

Wei Zhuang looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly raised her hand to touch her lips.

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