Chapter 2.1: You Aren't Your Younger Sister (1)
Song Shiyu leaned against the window of the driver’s seat as he lit up a smoke, but he didn’t puff on it. He simply watched silently as the crimson embers gradually extinguished under the dim lamppost.
He had just sent Ji Xinxin off earlier in the afternoon.
It was no big deal to him that Ji Xinxin had chosen to study abroad in Paris—it was just a day’s flight away—but farewells were always difficult to handle. As a result, he naturally thought of Ji Fanyin’s existence.
He knew that he would be going against his words, since he had already ended his stand-in relationship with Ji Fanyin yesterday, but he was well aware that Ji Fanyin wouldn’t reject him.
There was nothing she could do since she fancied him.
He thought about Ji Fanyin, who had for once shown her facial features openly during the afternoon farewell party, and the notion slowly became more and more enticing to him.
True to his instinct, after making a call to Ji Fanyin, he quickly drove away from the Ji Residence and over to the address she sent over.
It was an apartment located at the borders of the first ring road. It was still fairly high-class, as evident from the branded cars scattered all around its underground car park.
Moments after Song Shiyu parked his car and lit a smoke, a person walked out from the nearby elevator. He casually raised his head to take a look, only to be bewitched by what he saw.
Too similar!
It was only once the woman dressed in a white cold shoulder lace dress walked up to him smilingly that he finally snapped out of his daze. “Ji Fanyin?”
Ji Fanyin extended her hand toward him with her palm facing upward.
Despite knowing that the person standing before him was not Ji Fanyin but Ji Xinxin, Song Shiyu’s attitude still subconsciously mellowed down a little. “What do you mean by this?”
“I’m charging by the hour,” replied Ji Fanyin.
There was a subtle change from her usual voice, but it somehow made her resemble Ji Xinxin even more.
For this reason, Song Shiyu wasn’t angered by Ji Fanyin’s response. He even broke out in a smile as he asked out of curiosity, “Are you that lacking in money?"
“Much more than you think,” replied Ji Fanyin with a nod, not embarrassed to admit it at all. “Someone as rich as young master Song shouldn’t be lacking in money, right?”
“I can give you money.” Song Shiyu stifled his cigarette on the car window, not worried about damaging its expensive glass at all. With a suggestive tone, he asked, “But are you able to satisfy my needs?”
“Since I’m charging for my service, I’ll satisfy any reasonable requests you pose,” replied Ji Fanyin unhurriedly.
Were it not for the fact that Song Shiyu had known Ji Fanyin for many years and his knowledge that Ji Xinxin was currently already onboard a plane, he would have really wondered if the person before him was really Ji Fanyin or not.
“I want to hear you bark like a dog,” remarked Song Shiyu with a soft chuckle.
He had the appearance of a refined gentleman and a scholarly air, such that even as he spoke the crude words, ‘bark like a dog’, his unhurried but pleasant voice still made it sound reasonable.
Ji Fanyin looked at him in surprise. “Is that the impression you have of my younger sister?”
Song Shiyu laughed softly before responding disdainfully to Ji Fanyin’s act of comparing herself to her sister, “But you aren’t your younger sister.”
“I refuse,” replied Ji Fanyin firmly. “I only provide a single service, and that’s to play Ji Xinxin’s character. If you are unwilling to accept this condition, I’ll just have to look for other customers.”
She gently tucked her hair backward, revealing her fair ear.
“I believe that there would be someone else who is interested in this service.”
Song Shiyu looked at the composed Ji Fanyin as he lit up his second smoke with a smile. This time, he took a puff off it before blowing it softly at Ji Fanyin’s face. “Fine. I’ll think of it as your compensation for the time you’ve spent with me this far. How much do you charge?”
Ji Fanyin took out the laptop she was carrying in her bag and spoke with a smile, “I’ve just started my business, so my price list may appear a little sloppy. Just make do with it, alright?”
Song Shiyu lowered his head to take a casual look at the list. The list was indeed made quite sloppily, but it was detailed.
【Working Hours: Monday to Sunday, 9A.M. to 12A.M. Reservations have to be made ahead of time, and only 1-to-1 service is provided. Last-minute calls will be rejected.】
【Details of Service: Other than the standard stand-in service, the client is allowed to make requests during the reserved hours which will be accepted if viewed to be reasonable and appropriate to the context.】
【The starting price will be 100,000/hour. Traveling time and miscellaneous delays will be calculated into the service time as well. Should the service duration not come to a full hour, the cost will be rounded-up to the nearest hour. All expenses incurred during the course of the service shall be borne by the client.】
【In the case where a reservation can’t be made ahead of time or a request is made for additional service outside of working hours, the client will be charged a premium that ranges from 2 to 10 times of the usual fee. The service will only begin upon the acknowledgment of the terms by both parties】
【Payment has to be made in full ahead of time, and all transfer of fees should be labeled clearly.】
Song Shiyu burst into laughter upon seeing the terms. “100,000/hour? Ji Fanyin, do you know how much it costs for me to call a celebrity over to accompany me for a drink?”
“Oh? I’ll have to give it a try myself to find out. Is the price for male celebrities the same as female ones?” asked Ji Fanyin with a smile.
This was the first time Song Shiyu saw such an unyielding Ji Fanyin, fiercely guarding the final shreds of her dignity. He tapped on the laptop screen softly and asked mockingly, “Ji Fanyin, is this your way of overcoming your heartbreak? Selling your own body?”
Ji Fanyin looked at him with a ‘What in the world are you talking about’ expression as she replied, “What I’m selling here is my wit and energy. Do you know how tiring it is to act?”
“Very well, I shall play along with you in view of the face you share with your younger sister.” Song Shiyu tapped on the laptop and sneered deeply, “Tomorrow, 11 to 2, I’ll be reserving you for three hours. However, I want to see ‘Ji Xinxin’ and not ‘Ji Fanyin’. Are you able to do that?”
The smiling Ji Fanyin turned her laptop over and tabbed over to another application before turning it back toward Song Shiyu. “In order to ensure the quality of service, I’d need young master Song to finish up a questionnaire.”
Song Shiyu: “?”