Chapter 773

Sawajiri Erika's face flushed crimson.

She realized she had completely misjudged Uesugi Muneyuki's intentions, and moreover, she had been humiliated by him.

So why would he say that?

Actually, the reason is very simple: for the television drama version of the super IP "Hand of God," an epic project that brought countless national expectations to the big screen, Sawajiri Erika had originally been a sure bet, and Aihui had already helped her secure a supporting role in broad terms.

However, when the screenwriter formally planned it, this role was killed off and replaced with Eto Miyabi.

No one told Aihui the reason; Fuji generally just said Eto Miyabi's image was better and more suitable, and coupled with the fact that Eto Miyabi is an NHK female anchor, this drama even received NHK's support, so within the industry there were rumors: either NHK directly pressured Fuji and Uesugi Muneyuki, or Eto Miyabi and Uesugi Muneyuki had a dirty PY transaction.

Thus, Sawajiri Erika naturally assumed this Metropolitan Police pervert wanted to have a "spring breeze once" with her.

So she came, and Fuji also felt a bit embarrassed, and also arranged for her to be a guest on one episode of the variety show version of "Hand of God." As a result, she came forward eagerly, but Uesugi Muneyuki didn't appreciate it?

Moreover, he said he wanted to sleep with her, offering ten million yen he wouldn't even consider, but instead opened his mouth by saying he sells his art, not his body, yet immediately afterward said he had already been kept by Bai Chuan Mai?

What a joke! I was once the winner of the Japan Film Academy Award for Best New Actress! I was once considered the next Yamaguchi Momoe! You can't only emphasize selling your art, not your body, when you're being kept!

This truly made Sawajiri Erika feel an indescribable disgrace; she immediately let out a cold snort and slammed the door shut.

"Bang!" This time the sound was very loud, shaking the end of the hallway so it could be heard.

While Uesugi Muneyuki stared at the door, the muscles on his face twitched once.

This woman really hadn't guessed wrong.

Sawajiri Erika's role was exactly the one he had killed off.

It's just that this woman misunderstood, thinking he wanted to sleep with her.

But what kind of person is Uesugi Muneyuki? He currently has no shortage of women around him at all; in whatever he does, there are always women around him—either the senior student faction or the Minami faction—and if worse comes to worst, when he comes to Fuji, the scene building will always dispatch female anchors from the pleasure quarters to entertain him at any time; how could he possibly lack women?

It's just that he doesn't like her.

Sawajiri Erika is of mixed blood, her father Japanese, her mother of French descent; she debuted as a magazine model in 1998, and by 2002 was already called the "Fuji Visual Queen"; she debuted in television dramas in 2003, and from the start she exploded in popularity due to her beautiful mixed-race features and unique aloof temperament. But perhaps because she became famous too easily, leading to a very big temper, at a movie press conference in 2007 she kept a sour face throughout, reporters asked her questions, she replied "just as you see it," "nothing special," "nothing worth paying attention to," which triggered a physiological disgust and displeasure among the populace, and Stardust Affairs had no choice but to arrange for her to go to a temple to "cultivate" to avoid the spotlight.

Then this woman pulled off a shocking stunt.

She announced her marriage to her 22-year-older producer and DJ, Gao Chenggang.

And this isn't even the most outrageous; marriages in the entertainment industry are quite common, and generally only industry people can understand industry people, and in Japan older husbands with younger wives are not uncommon either, but the most outrageous thing is that Sawajiri Erika and her husband Gao Chenggang signed a "marriage agreement":

The content of the marriage agreement is formulated according to the woman's wishes: stipulating that marital relations can occur only five times a month; if exceeded, the husband must pay the wife 500,000 yen each time.

Furthermore, if Gao Chenggang is discovered dating other women, each time requires a payment of 10 million yen, and if there is further relations, an additional 20 million yen must be paid; if the two divorce, Sawajiri Erika can take 90% of Gao Chenggang's assets, and she herself decides on child custody.

Conversely, if this butt wants to divorce, it requires no compensation.

This marriage agreement sparked a huge controversy in Japanese society; although Gao Chenggang indeed wasn't butt-red at the time, regardless, Uesugi Muneyuki, upon seeing this marriage agreement, knew they weren't even married yet, and the agreement was signed with divorce in mind.

Even France's "Marriage Law" doesn't have such absurdity!

Later came terminating the contract with the agency, causing a city-wide storm, and although she married her husband, they split up after less than a year, and the two negotiated a divorce agreement for three years, while she herself remained silent for nearly two years; finally, relying on Aihui's help, she appeared fully nude in director Mika Ninagawa's "Confusion," blazing a bloody path and returning to the front line.

As a result, because she became popular again, the previous series of events were instead viewed by the public as "genuine nature," "society's oppression of women," and "new-era independent women."

"Failure is rebellion, success is revolution!"

Gaius Julius Caesar, lifelong dictator of the Roman Republic

This woman is a tough one.

It's undeniable that this is why Japanese entertainment agencies nowadays are increasingly unwilling to seriously train actresses: training a female actress from child actor onward requires enormous investment, and after painstakingly spending years to cultivate a female entertainer who barely enters the ranks of leading actors, she is basically in her early twenties, her peak lasts only a few years, and by her early thirties she must prepare for a transition; and once a female entertainer pulls some stunt—like Sawajiri's black-face incident, or Sawajiri's sudden marriage announcement, or Sawajiri's sudden retirement announcement—

Everyone would rather scratch lottery tickets than spend big money to specially train them.

Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head; he himself had undergone the modern baptism and, due to family tradition, retained much pre-modern thinking, and his inner self harbors deep disgust for this "wanting both" female psyche; he immediately gave the butt's role the axe, directly replacing it with Eto, and Fuji didn't dare say anything at all.

As a result, this woman still thought she wanted to sleep with him... Even if I go find Ming Sha Jie, I won't touch you!

Do I look that desperate for anything to eat?

Uesugi Muneyuki let out a cold laugh, and suddenly heard the door thumping thump thump.

"Who?" he said somewhat irritably.

"It's me... Miyawaki." It's Sakura.

The door opened a crack, and Uesugi Muneyuki's face appeared behind the door.

He saw her, froze slightly, then turned sideways to make way: "Come in."

Miyawaki Sakura slipped inside, and with her hand she locked the door from the inside.

Uesugi Muneyuki raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

Only the two of them were in the room. The lighting was soft, and the air retained a faint, barely-there perfume scent—one that was not the kind Miyawaki Sakura uses, but another, more intense and aggressive one.

Sawajiri Erika's.

Miyawaki Sakura leaned against the door, gazing at Uesugi Muneyuki, for a moment not knowing how to speak, and could only weakly say: "Um, I think I saw Sawajiri-san..."

"Yes, she wanted a role, I told her to get lost." Uesugi Muneyuki said, both annoyed and amused: "Sakura, are you also here for a role?" "Sakura I, am here to thank you, Uesugi." Miyawaki Sakura's pure and moving eyes flashed with a hint of pride and joy; she slowly drew closer, speaking softly: "I feel it, you know—Tei Reiji's gaze, so, Sakura can have today, all thanks to your grace, Uesugi!" Sakura today wore a light pink dress, the hem above the knees, the collar tied with a delicate butterfly bow—daily version of an idol's performance outfit, pure yet with a hint of scheming. Her hair flowed freely, her bangs slightly messy, probably from rushing over, her face bore light makeup, her eyeshadow a light pink-brown, her lip gloss sparkling, making her look as if she had just stepped down from a magazine cover.

But the most eye-catching thing was her pair of beautiful legs.

White polka-dot glossy silk stockings.

Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze lingered on her legs for a second.

The stockings were semi-transparent, the base color a soft skin tone, with the glossy sheen evenly dotted with tiny white polka dots, like sugar sprinkled on cream cake; under the reflective gloss, the dots appeared and disappeared, shimmering with a soft luster under the light, making her legs look even more slender and straight; on her feet were a pair of black round-toed little leather shoes, the shoe opening just revealing the small section of polka-dot silk stockings at the ankle.

This outfit, said to be a coincidence—ghosts wouldn't believe it.

Miyawaki Sakura noticed his gaze, her cheeks flushed slightly, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise.

She deliberately wore these stockings today, just so he would look.

Mr. Uesugi likes what kind of stockings? She had long since found out—black silk he likes, white silk he also likes, flesh-colored and gray silk he still likes; when Tei Reiji that little sprite wore lace-trimmed sheer stockings, she personally saw Uesugi Laoshi's gaze change.

So the scheming little Sakura deliberately chose this pair.

White polka dots, silk stockings, glossy color, perfectly matching this pink dress.

Perfect.

Seeing Uesugi Muneyuki like it, Miyawaki Sakura's face flushed slightly, but she didn't avoid his gaze; instead, she gathered courage and walked over, sitting down beside him.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Uesugi, when is it my turn?" She paused, her voice so soft it sounded like a mosquito: "After Ashura Rei, it should be my turn now, right..."

She didn't finish, but the meaning was already clear.

Uesugi Muneyuki looked at her, his gaze carrying a hint of amusement.

Miyawaki Sakura took a deep breath, then made a bold move—she took off her little leather shoes, curled up her legs clad in polka-dot stockings, and gently placed one white-silk-clad foot on Uesugi Muneyuki's calf.

Through the thin stockings, she could feel the warm temperature of his leg.

"Uesugi-san." She lifted her head, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushed, her voice carrying a hint of pride and anticipation: "Sakura is also eighteen now, Sakura also wants... also wants to climb onto the idol stage, oh!"

She paused, bit her lower lip, and whispered: "And Mai-sama also said it's okay."

Uesugi Muneyuki almost burst out laughing, thinking Mai Xuejie alone was like a water pump that could drain him dry, and with Eirina always by his side at the Metropolitan Police Department, Sakura never had a chance.

Before he could say anything, Miyawaki Sakura leaned in, pressing her whole body against him. Her skirt rode up slightly, revealing a thigh wrapped in white polka-dot stockings, lightly brushing against his leg. The foot resting on his calf wasn't idle either—her toes, through the stockings, drew circles on his leg.

"Uesugi-san..." Her voice was so soft it could drip water: "Does Sakura look good in these stockings?"

Uesugi Muneyuki nodded, smiling: "Did you wear these on purpose today?"

Miyawaki Sakura nodded, her eyes crinkling into crescents: "Do you like them?"

Uesugi Muneyuki didn't answer, but his gaze swept over her legs again—that pair of legs wrapped in white polka-dot stockings, slender and straight, glowing with an alluring sheen under the soft lighting.

Miyawaki Sakura saw his reaction, and her heart blossomed with joy.

She grew bolder, nearly sitting on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, leaning on his shoulder, lifting her head to look at him, her big eyes sparkling, cheeks flushed, and whispered: "Does Sakura need to help?"

Uesugi Muneyuki held the girl in his arms, facing her, and said: "Time might be tight, and we're here now, which isn't quite appropriate." Miyawaki Sakura laughed, happily: "No problem, Sakura has learned a lot from Mai-sama lately—Edo Forty-Eight Techniques, shrine maiden service, and such. Sakura can help you first; we can talk about that later."

Uesugi Muneyuki looked at her, fell silent for two seconds, then reached out to gently lift her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Just a moment, we still have recording to do later."

Miyawaki Sakura's eyes lit up instantly.

She threw herself into his embrace, arms around his neck, face buried in his neck's hollow, whispering: "Thank you, Uesugi-san..." Uesugi Muneyuki held her, feeling her soft body in his arms and the smooth sensation of the white polka-dot stockings on his leg, slowly closing his eyes.

Sakura is still the best!

At the same time, in the break room on the other side of Fuji Tower.

Suou Hinata sat on the sofa, holding a cup of whiskey, his expression gloomy.

He came today intending to watch the filming of "Hand of God" and, by the way, see how his favorite Oowada Nana performed. The result? Her performance was terrible—just a pretty face with no substance. Yuasa seemed to have secured a background role for Hirate and was happily sharing it with him, while he disliked and couldn't even touch Miyawaki Sakura, who had taken the guest seat.

That little brat Miyawaki Sakura—by what right?

Just because she's cute? Knows how to act spoiled? Or because she's backed by Shirakawa Mai?

And thinking back to the earlier incident and this year's canceled general election...

Suou Hinata grew angrier the more he thought, downing the whiskey in one gulp.

The door was knocked.

"Come in."

Sawajiri Erika pushed the door open, her face even worse than before.

Suou Hinata saw her, his brows knitting: "What? Didn't work?"

"If it had worked, would I still be coming to you?" Sawajiri Erika plopped down opposite him, picked up the wine bottle on the table, and poured herself a cup: "That Uesugi guy doesn't know how to appreciate favors."

Suou Hinata's brows knitted even tighter.

"What did he say?"

"He said he wouldn't take me even if I paid him." Sawajiri Erika gritted her teeth, each word laced with hatred: "He definitely despises me for being divorced!" Suou Hinata fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed—a cold laugh: "He's also quite a cautious fellow."

"Since that's the case, then don't blame us for not being polite." Sawajiri Erika lifted her eyes to look at Suou Hinata: "Do you know Fuji's 'Green Room'?"

Green Room.

This term in the entertainment industry carries a subtle meaning—on the surface it's a polite name for a break room, but in certain circles, it has another layer. "I heard there are some rooms in the Scene Building not open to the public," Sawajiri Erika lowered her voice: "As far as I know, Fuji has been using those places to arrange female anchors and certain important figures... for private communication."

"Uesugi Muneyuki..."

"He definitely participated." Sawajiri Erika said firmly: "That kid has a reputation, looks good too, and those female anchors are dying to throw themselves at him. If he hasn't done anything in the 'Green Room,' I'll write my name backward."

"I think we can use this method to utterly destroy Uesugi Muneyuki's so-called 'Legendary Forensic Doctor' and 'National Idol' personas! 'But I need your help, Suou-san!' Sawajiri Erika said softly: 'Let's work together to send Uesugi Muneyuki and his 'Hand of God' to heaven!'"