I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping Chapter 2082: 1343: Sorry to Disturb You (2)
Previously on I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping...
The show wrapped up without a hitch.
Jin Zhuxuan expressed her gratitude to the fans.
As she stepped off the platform, Liu Junxiang murmured close to her: “Wait for me.”
In the backstage changing area.
Jin Zhuxuan gazed at the image that popped up on her screen, a smile tugging at her lips, her gaze sparkling with delight.
“Oppa, are you here?”
No words came back from the other side, only the snapshot of her mid-performance.
Jin Zhuxuan itched to reply, to invite him to depart side by side, yet she hesitated, composing and erasing her message repeatedly.
“Knock, knock, knock…”
Rapping echoed at the entrance.
Jin Zhuxuan set her device aside, glanced over, and watched Liu Junxiang push the door open and enter.
“Bang.”
The entrance shut once more.
“I’m sorry, just now I… I have no idea what came over me, Zhuxuan, I caused you trouble.”
Liu Junxiang had arrived to make amends for his impulsive move during the show.
Jin Zhuxuan rose to her feet, upholding a basic level of courtesy.
“The performance wrapped up fine.”
No hint of reproach.
As though reassuring him that things had ended on a positive note.
Yet as old acquaintances from youth, her words carried an unmistakable chill of distance.
She wasn’t using Oppa any longer.
After hours of intense performing, fatigue must have set in, yet Liu Junxiang appeared unrested and unchanged, likely rushing over right after his exit.
“You’re upset, right?”
A bitter grin crossed his face, blending regret with a touch of self-pity.
Having shared friendship for over two decades, was a simple hand-hold such a big deal?
Jin Zhuxuan denied it with a shake of her head.
“You’re mad, Zhuxuan, I promise it won’t happen again.”
“This ought to mark the final joint project for Oppa and me.”
Jin Zhuxuan delivered the words steadily, her voice turning icy.
Liu Junxiang stiffened in shock, then stared in utter disbelief, “What are you saying?”
Jin Zhuxuan met his eyes, “Oppa, let’s cut off all ties from now on.”
“…”
Liu Junxiang stood stunned, perhaps rethinking everything.
An embrace or hand-holding—for performers, what did that amount to? Especially since it was merely a grasp, without any real contact.
Did it warrant such a drastic reaction?
“Zhuxuan, you’re kidding, aren’t you?”
Liu Junxiang inquired with a forced, puzzled smile.
Jin Zhuxuan offered no response.
The grin on Liu Junxiang’s face faded gradually.
“Why? Over something so trivial? If it bothers you that much, I’ll make it up to you however you want.”
“Oppa doesn’t need more friends these days, does he?”
To be fair, her looks matched her demeanor perfectly—Jin Zhuxuan possessed the essence of a cool beauty, and once resolved, she stuck to it firmly, much like how she handled that one individual, and now this longtime companion before her.
Grasping her resolve and firmness, Liu Junxiang’s features hardened in turn.
“Could you explain why?”
He started to sense it clearly—this wasn’t about the onstage slip-up at all.
A tiny mistake like that could spark irritation or annoyance, but not a full break in relations.
“Oppa, your crew is probably waiting outside.”
“Jin Zhuxuan!”
“Twenty years of knowing each other, and you’d turn us into strangers without even a why?”
Liu Junxiang grew heated, his attractive features twisting into something sharper.
It wasn’t his fault for losing composure—anyone in his shoes would struggle to remain steady.
Jin Zhuxuan stayed impassive, merely observing him quietly, her poise cool and detached.
“Did Li Xuejing talk to you?”
Liu Junxiang muttered lowly, dropping the pretense.
“I haven’t seen Xuejing.”
“Ha, Zhuxuan, don’t fib. You’ve talked to her, or you wouldn’t act this way. Let me tell you, Li Xuejing’s lost it completely—you can’t trust anything from her mouth.”
“If she’s a lunatic, why chase after her so desperately?”
Liu Junxiang quieted, then demanded: “Where is she at now?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m trying to help her!”
Liu Junxiang’s tone sharpened, “Zhuxuan, you’re not sheltering her—you’re shoving her straight into the abyss.”
“The one who suffered won’t end up damned. Those hiding monstrous deeds behind a human mask are the true damned souls.”
“Human mask, monstrous deeds…”
Liu Junxiang echoed the phrase and sneered, “Zhuxuan, is that aimed at me?”
Jin Zhuxuan held back, simply watching him in silence.
“Oppa, would you ever make amends for your wrongs?”
A flash crossed Liu Junxiang’s eyes.
“Make amends? What wrongs have I committed?!”
“Back then, Oppa wasn’t so spineless; he owned up to his actions without flinching.”
Liu Junxiang dismissed it with a headshake, his voice flat.
“Zhuxuan, Li Xuejing has you under her spell, swallowing her biased story whole. That madwoman just wants to pull everyone down with her these days.”
“Xuejing hasn’t shared a thing. She’s no madwoman. The actual mad ones are her tormentors.”
“Where is she? Tell me!”
“She counted Oppa as a close friend once. I get that you couldn’t aid her, Oppa, but why team up to destroy her?”
Liu Junxiang’s face clouded over entirely.
No point in pretending any longer.
“Why dump all the blame on me? This industry—no, this whole world operates like this! She reaped fame and wealth—doesn’t she owe something back? Jin Zhuxuan, don’t act like you’re clueless about the rules.”
“So that makes it okay to trade away your principles,” Jin Zhuxuan shot back.
His sensitive nerve struck, Liu Junxiang’s stare turned profoundly shadowed.
“I traded my principles—how about you? You got incredibly fortunate, breaking free and flourishing in Shen Zhou. What price did you pay for that?”
Liu Junxiang’s eyes lingered hungrily on Jin Zhuxuan.
“Zhuxuan, we’re cut from the same cloth—no sense acting all saintly and superior; it’s just nauseating.”
Despite the mockery and barbs, Jin Zhuxuan showed no fury, not a flicker of disturbance.
Sometimes, seeing proves the harsh truth.
Certain folks fit best in the past, where their charm stays untouched.
But at present.
Even the past slips away.
Aware of how it would end, she still gave it a shot, yet the result stayed predictably grim.
Jin Zhuxuan ceased her futile efforts.
“Farewell.”
Since he wouldn’t budge, she decided to depart, moving past Liu Junxiang toward the exit.
In that passing moment, Liu Junxiang’s expression grew stormy, his hand shooting out to seize Jin Zhuxuan’s wrist, yanking her around.
She stumbled, finally creasing her forehead in displeasure.
“Where’s Li Xuejing? Tell me.”
“I don’t know.”
“Zhuxuan, I’m warning you—for your own good, spit it out truthfully.”
By now, Liu Junxiang had shed every trace of the stage persona.
Or better said, this revealed his authentic nature.
The stark shift from a boyhood pal proved tough for anyone to swallow, Jin Zhuxuan included; she appeared curious about the extent of his change, probing, “And if I refuse to say?”
The edges of Liu Junxiang’s lips curled in a chill smirk.
“For the sake of our long history, Zhuxuan, I’ll offer you one final shot.”
Jin Zhuxuan met it with quiet defiance.
At that, Liu Junxiang didn’t flinch—in fact, a spark of satisfaction lit him, anticipating her stance; he lunged ahead, and amid Jin Zhuxuan’s abrupt quiver of alarm, he clutched her athletic top and tore it open with a fierce pull.
“Snap…”
The fastener gave way under the strain.
“Liu Junxiang!”
Jin Zhuxuan backed away fast, her eyes flaring wide, more stunned than scared.
“I did warn you.”
Youth’s unattained desires can torment one forever.
Liu Junxiang refused to carry such a burden; his focus locked on the dark lining beneath her coat, the elegant neckline, smooth pale skin, slender white arms… his look shifted from icy to blazing.
“You’ve lost your mind!”
Liu Junxiang brushed it off, closing in steadily, while fishing out his phone, “I’ll film it all soon, seize your finest moments. Zhuxuan, I need to see if you’re truly that virtuous, ready to give yourself up for a companion.”
“Help!”
Rather than the usual dramatic film line where the lead might bluff about calling out, Jin Zhuxuan let loose a real cry.
“This is FOX’s event today. Think anyone will catch it, or rush to your aid?”
Liu Junxiang’s grin stretched broader, twisting into full madness.
Yet abruptly, a sound broke from behind.
“Sorry to interrupt.”
Liu Junxiang’s grin locked in place.