Chapter 41

It doesn't seem to be anything important; take it or leave it.

Shen Li looked at the craftsmanship of the puppy keychain. The wood carving was on par with the handicrafts he had given her when she was a child. If it was really a gift for her, why was he only giving it to her now? He was just putting on an act, trying to evoke her memories and trick her into softening her heart.

She pitied him since he was a child and spoiled him too much, which is why he dared to set his sights on her.

Shen Li was furious at the thought and raised her hand to throw the thing into the trash can.

Just then, his phone vibrated. Since she hadn't replied to his WeChat message, he sent her a text message.

"I've thought about it, you should leave the keychain with Mr. Cheng, and I'll have Brother Liang get it."

Don't throw it away.

"Did this kid install surveillance cameras?" Shen Li paused, her hand still holding the keychain, when she saw the message. She replied with a single word: "Okay."

The next morning, Shen Li got up, dressed, and drove to the company. She was supposed to go to Cheng Qingqing's place that morning to review the work she hadn't finished before the new year.

It wasn't specifically for storing keychains.

Upon arriving at Cheng Qingqing's office, Shen Li raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

Cheng Qingqing's voice came from inside, and the door was opened the next moment. The person who opened the door was Luo Mingxiu.

"How could you..."

Shen Li realized she'd been tricked halfway through her sentence. This man had deliberately told Liang to come in and get it, making her subconsciously think he had business outside and wouldn't be coming to the company. In reality, he was just trying to prevent her from avoiding him.

"Sister." He resumed his humble demeanor, his eyes gentle, his face showing no trace of the gloom from that night.

Shen Li looked displeased, threw the keychain in her hand to him, and went to look at Cheng Qingqing.

Cheng Qingqing was bending over and doing something under the table when she straightened up: "Did you tell him you were coming to the company? This kid was already waiting in front of my office door early this morning."

"Yes, I'm returning something." Shen Li said calmly, noticing the printer plug in her hand, and asked, "Is the printer broken?"

"Yes, I thought there was something wrong with the cable, but it didn't work no matter how many times I plugged it in and out." Cheng Qingqing paused and sent a voice message, asking her assistant to contact a repairman.

Shen Li turned around and saw that Luo Mingxiu was still there. She frowned and said, "Aren't you leaving? Don't you have anything else to do?"

"I have something to tell you. You go ahead with your work, I'll wait for you outside."

After saying that, he turned and left the office, not giving her a chance to refuse.

The door closed, and Shen Li muttered in dissatisfaction, "How did Liang Jin arrange the work? He's so idle he's practically asking for trouble."

Hearing her muttered complaints, Cheng Qingqing chimed in, "He hasn't had a break since filming wrapped. He had a lot of business commitments back after filming, and he just finished recording a variety show recently. He only got a break these past few days because he was moving."

Shen Li was speechless. Holding her anger, she told herself that it was best to stick to the facts and not take her anger out on others.

Shen Li pulled up a chair and sat down at Cheng Qingqing's desk: "Besides the new magazine shoots for VO and BF, and the Haini brand event, do I have any other work coming up?"

Cheng Qingqing scrolled on her tablet: "There's no leave before the New Year. There's an awards ceremony to attend in early spring next year. I'll take leave until the training for your next movie."

“Li Nan’s filming starts at the end of May, and I’ll go to the dance troupe for special training in early April. After the New Year, in February and March,” Shen Li smiled, “Okay, there’s still such a long gap in my schedule.”

Seeing her calculating the days, Cheng Qingqing asked, "What are your plans after the New Year? Are you going on a trip?"

Shen Li nodded: "I have this plan. It's a rare opportunity to go home for the New Year. I'll accompany my parents to visit relatives and take them on a trip."

Cheng Qingqing: "I'll take a few more days off after the New Year before going back to the company. You can also invite me to travel."

There was a knock on the door, and the assistant opened it and led the person in: "Mr. Cheng, Mr. Shen, the repairman is here."

“We’ll talk about the trip later,” Cheng Qingqing glanced at Luo Mingxiu peeking in from the doorway and said to Chen Li, “Go talk to your brother about what you need to discuss, don’t keep him waiting.”

She didn't want to talk to him at all.

Shen Li got up and walked towards the door. She didn't want to talk to Luo Mingxiu, so she walked around him and quickened her pace.

Luo Mingxiu took long strides and caught up, urgently grabbing her sleeve: "Sister, I'm sorry."

"Let go," Shen Li slapped him away, "I don't want to see you."

He still has the nerve to call me "sister"? Hearing this title made Shen Li feel ironic. She treated him like her own brother, and this is how he treated her, turning around and biting her.

A cold look in his eyes, a tone of disgust in his voice.

Luo Mingxiu knew that she found him annoying, and he deserved it for doing something offensive. He hoped that she would vent her anger on him.

He didn't want to see her distance herself from him.

He lowered his head again: "I'm sorry, what can I do for you to forgive me?"

The woman's tone remained cold and firm: "Stay away from me."

These words seemed to have struck a nerve with Luo Mingxiu. The next second, Shen Li saw the sharpness in his eyes, and he was equally resolute: "Impossible."

Shen Li took a breath, calmed down, and calmly analyzed to him: "I know you've liked me for too long, and it's difficult to ask you to give up now."

I told you to stay away from me so you wouldn't think about romance all the time. Shift your focus to your work, and observe people your own circle and age. You'll realize we're different in age and experience, and our views on love and values ​​are different. Your passionate feelings for me are a waste of time and completely useless.

The words of those closest to you are the most hurtful weapons, and Luo Mingxiu truly experienced this with Shen Li.

He took deep breaths, each one a tear in his heart: "Sister, I'll listen to whatever you say, work hard, and strive to be worthy of you, but you can't be sure I'll turn my heart to someone else."

"This is too cruel to me."

Shen Li dislikes the feeling that her current, habitual relationship with Luo Mingxiu has been suddenly broken and is developing uncontrollably, leaving her with no choice but to face it or run away.

Seeing that she remained silent and showed an unusual irritation on her face, this expression seemed to pierce Luo Mingxiu like a sharp knife. His eyes instantly reddened and his throat became dry: "That night, when you left the villa to see Li Nan, I regretted my impulsiveness, regretted revealing my feelings to you, and was afraid that you would really never talk to me again."

I stood there in the snow, waiting for you to come back. During those hours standing in the cold outdoors, I reflected and thought deeply.

Ultimately, I concluded that it was wrong of me to force a kiss on you, but it wasn't wrong of me to like you. If I didn't tell you my feelings, I would never have a chance and would forever remain stuck in the same place.

At the other end of the company corridor is the employee rest area, where people come over to make coffee from time to time. Their argument was so loud that it attracted curious onlookers.

Luo Mingxiu's eyes darkened, and he pulled Shen Li again, leading her into the stairwell not far away.

"What are you doing now?" Shen Li looked at him in horror. The door to the stairwell closed, and Luo Mingxiu leaned against the door, blocking the exit with his body.

Before she could finish saying "the company," the person in front of her knelt down. "I was too impulsive that day. As long as it makes you feel better, you can hit me or scold me however you want."

This scene seems familiar. He apologized like this after the last fight too. Does he only have this one trick up his sleeve?

Last time, Shen Li felt she couldn't accept his kneeling, but this time, she felt he really should kneel, not only to her, but also to his godfather, godmother, and Aunt Luo.

Hit him? Shen Li was furious just looking at him. She really wanted to hit him, but looking around, she couldn't find a suitable tool. So she could only lift her foot and stomp hard on his leg with her heel to vent her anger.

"I'm afraid hitting you will hurt my hand." Shen Li looked coldly at his face, only slightly frowning.

She pressed harder with her feet and finally saw him grit his teeth and try his best to endure.

Seeing his discomfort, Shen Li felt a little better. She withdrew her foot and helped him to his feet.

"That night must not happen again. You'd better remember this: liking someone is not a reason to force them."

The physical pain was nothing to Luo Mingxiu, who looked at Shen Li with great eagerness: "Sister, have you forgiven me?"

"I forgive your offense, but when I said you should stay away from me, I meant it. I can't possibly like you. The more you cling to me, the deeper you'll fall. You should give yourself some space..."

“No,” Luo Mingxiu interrupted her, his face showing hurt, his voice almost choked with sobs, “I didn’t force you to be with me right now. I just wanted to stay by your side and cling to hope. It’s been like this for so many years. Whether I leave or cling to you, I can’t give up my feelings for you. I’ve already fallen into an abyss.”

“I believe my sister when she says she has nothing for Li Nan, but anyone with eyes can see how much he likes you. He was able to continue working with you and pestering you even after confessing his feelings. Why can’t I?”

Shen Li's lips twitched slightly, her emotions complex: "You just can't."

“Why not?” Luo Mingxiu stared at her with his dark eyes, as if trying to lock her in.

"Is it because I'm not as good as Li Nan? You say you have no feelings for him, but you're actually biased towards him. I can't compare to him. He says he's your equal, and I have nothing."

I admit I'm not as good as him. He's worked with you on so many projects, while I was still in school back then, only able to watch you laugh, hug, and kiss on screen.

"Of course you'll like him."

"I didn't." Shen Li's chest heaved, annoyed by his stubbornness and self-righteousness.

“Liar,” Luo Mingxiu said.

"What did you say?" Shen Li asked incredulously, thinking that he still stubbornly refused to believe that she didn't like Li Nan.

Unexpectedly, Luo Mingxiu approached her, looked down at her for a long time, and said with a glint in his eyes, "Sister, do you still remember what you said? You said that as long as I get through the college entrance examination, you will support me no matter what I do or how I confess my feelings."

“But now,” he lowered his eyes, “I just want to continue liking you and staying by your side, but you don’t want to.”

Fragments of memories from four years ago flooded back, leaving Shen Li dumbfounded by his counterattack.

She paused for a moment, then quickly racked her brains and retorted, "If I had known that the person you liked was me, why would I have said those things? You knew I was just trying to persuade you. I've always taken care of you since you were little, and you took advantage of my soft heart and went too far. The thing I regret most now is signing you into the company. I should have ignored you in the first place."

That gloomy expression reappeared on Luo Mingxiu's face that night. When she saw him approaching, Shen Li's heart skipped a beat, and she retreated in fear: "Don't come any closer. If you dare to do it again, I will never forgive you in this lifetime."

Having caught the key words, Luo Mingxiu stopped in his tracks, his imposing manner instantly diminishing by half.

"I dare not." He looked at the person in front of him who had put his hand in front of him and lowered his eyelashes.

"Chen Li, please don't do this. I don't want you to feel scared. I'm here today to apologize for my offense that day."

You are someone I cherish so dearly, how could I possibly overstep my bounds?

Shen Li looked at him suspiciously, and taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention, she bumped into him and ran downstairs. After running three floors, she realized that no one was following her, so she slowed down and walked out of the stairwell.