Chapter 82

"When did you get back? Did you pass the audition? Oh," Shen Li thought of Xiao Yu's actions earlier, "Xiao Wen, and Cheng Qingqing, did they already know? Explain what happened."

“The auditions ended on the 13th. I had Xiaowen send the wrong work record so I could surprise you on your birthday. I also talked to Xiaoyu and Sister Qingqing beforehand and asked them to keep it a secret.” Luo Mingxiu said, turning around.

"Where are we going?" Shen Li grabbed him.

"Get in the car," Luo Mingxiu said, bowing to her. "It's so hot. Look at my sweat. Actually, I wanted to change out of this, but I miscalculated. I didn't expect you to take so long to notice me."

“There’s a bathroom upstairs, go take a shower and change,” Chen Li said. “Why are you covered up so tightly? Even if you wore a mask and blended in with the other guests, wouldn’t I have been easily spotted?”

Luo Mingxiu looked at her and said, "I specially chose this mascot costume. Don't you think the dog is cute?"

“It suits your image quite well,” Shen Li glanced at him, “just as silly as you.”

Enter the private elevator that goes directly to the top-floor office.

"Did you bring any clean clothes?" Shen Li wrinkled her nose. "You smell of sweat."

“It’s in the car, and my phone is in the car too,” Luo Mingxiu said. “Could you send me a message and ask Xiaowen to deliver it?”

“Okay,” Shen Li sent a voice message, then asked, “Did you pass the audition?”

Luo Mingxiu didn't answer immediately, but instead reached out and handed her the gift bag, saying, "This is a gift for you."

Shen Li took the bag: "Why are you bringing this up now? Tell me quickly."

“This isn’t the gift you prepared for your guests,” Luo Mingxiu said. “It’s been replaced with the gift you wanted.”

Shen Li was startled, remembering that Xiao Yu had reminded her to open the gift bag. Could it be...?

She quickly opened the bag, and inside was a transparent folder with large print clearly visible: Film Actor Employment Contract.

"That's great!" Shen Li's joy was palpable. She flipped through the pages and scanned the images with her phone. "Take a picture of this and send it to me sooner so I can be happy sooner..."

"Isn't this a pleasant surprise?" Luo Mingxiu said.

Upon reaching the top floor, the two went outside.

“A pleasant surprise,” Shen Li said, opening her office door and glancing at the signed contract. “This is the biggest surprise.”

Luo Mingxiu: "And what about me?"

Shen Li smiled: "Your return surprised me even more than the successful audition, okay?"

Luo Mingxiu smiled and, seeing her place the bag on the table, reminded her, "There's something else in the bag."

"Oh?" Shen Li touched it and found another long box. "What's this? A necklace?"

Luo Mingxiu nodded, and with some effort, pulled out the puppy necklace she had given him from the mascot costume that was choking him. "It's similar to this one, also handmade silver. I saw it while shopping before I went back to China, and I felt it would suit you perfectly."

Shen Li opened the box, inside lay a silver chain with a pendant in the shape of an exquisite pear blossom, the stamen and petals inlaid with tiny, sparkling diamonds.

Luo Mingxiu bent down and lowered the pendant around his neck: "See, doesn't it match perfectly?"

"Mmm." Shen Li's eyes welled up with tears. She had promised him not to prepare a gift, but he still bought one.

"I'll put it on for you." Luo Mingxiu raised his hand, revealing a pair of dog paws in front of his eyes.

Shen Li smiled and reached out to take off his necklace: "Go take a shower, I'll wait for you to come out."

The bathroom door closed, and soon the sound of water came from inside. Shen Li walked to the table, took a picture against the light, posted it on her WeChat Moments, and then placed the two necklaces together with satisfaction.

My phone beeped with a message.

Cheng Qingqing: Where is he? What did he do?

Cheng Qingqing: The guests are playing those educational games outside, and we'd like you to try them too.

Shen Li: I've discovered Luo Mingxiu.

Shen Li: I'll be there in a bit, can you help me out for now?

Cheng Qingqing: Yo yo yo~

Cheng Qingqing: No need to come. Leave everything to me, you guys get back to work.

Shen Li: Reliable, mwah!

Knock knock knock—

A knock came at the door.

"Enter."

Xiaowen walked in, placing the bag she was carrying on the sofa: "Sis, the clothes are here. Brother Luo's phone is dead, could you charge it for him? I'm going downstairs now."

"Thank you, thank you for your trouble." Shen Li got up and walked over, plugged in his phone, and fiddled with the bag that had been delivered, inside which was a light blue suit.

She took them all out and draped them over her wrist, then turned and walked towards the bathroom, handing the clothes in.

"There's a small hairdryer inside. Dry your hair before you come out."

"Um."

When Luo Mingxiu came out, his hair was not only dried, but he also styled it, making him look more refined and handsome. His suit was a deep V-neck style, and his muscular physique could be faintly seen when he walked.

Even as the person walked right in front of her, Shen Li remained staring intently.

Luo Mingxiu saw the two necklaces placed together in the box, and slightly curled his lips. He picked up the necklace with his fingers, took her hand, and said, "Come on, let's go to the mirror."

“Oh,” Shen Li’s gaze lingered on his neck, not forgetting to comment, “Your clothes are nice, they’d suit a necklace.”

“Is that so?” Luo Mingxiu stopped and turned to face her, putting the puppy necklace around her finger and bending down to say, “Then you can put it on me first.”

As he bent over, his pectoral muscles were generously displayed. Shen Li swallowed hard, clasped her hands behind his neck several times, and then put the necklace on.

"Okay, all done." Feeling her face getting a little hot, she took two steps forward after putting it on, and heard laughter behind her.

"Watch it if you want."

"Who wants to watch this!"

"I don't know, who is it? I was staring at it for a moment." Luo Mingxiu smiled, and Shen Li turned around angrily, walked over and simply pulled open his collar.

"What's wrong with looking? I not only look, I touch it too." As she spoke, she put her hand on it and pinched and squeezed it.

"Uh..." Luo Mingxiu let her play for a while, and before he knew it, his cheeks were gradually flushed. He bit his lip and said, "Chen Li, stop."

After saying that, he hugged the person in front of him and leaned close. Shen Li immediately stopped moving, straightened his clothes, and pretended that nothing had happened.

In front of the mirror, Luo Mingxiu stood behind her and put the necklace on her.

"Happy birthday." He gently kissed her cheek, then lowered his head to turn the pear blossom so that its center diamond sparkled.

Luo Mingxiu picked up his pendant, the puppy's mouth touched the pear blossom, and Shen Li chuckled softly. Their smiles in the mirror were particularly dazzling.

Just like the one she gave him, the one he gave her was a casual piece that he could wear often without anyone noticing. Only they knew that it was a very symbolic couple's necklace for each other.

After getting dressed, the two didn't rush downstairs. They lingered on the sofa for a while before their phones rang, urging them to hurry up.

"Birthday boy/girl, come to the dining room quickly," Cheng Qingqing teased from the other end of the line. "You two are so lovey-dovey that you don't even want to eat?"

Shen Li glanced at the time; it was already twelve o'clock, though it felt like only a short while had passed.

"Coming right away," she said, hanging up the phone. She patted the person who was still kissing her ear, stood up, and said, "I'm off."

"Okay." Luo Mingxiu narrowed his eyes, still holding her tightly, as if he were hanging behind her, and pushed her into the elevator until they reached the first floor before letting go.

"What would it look like if people saw this?" Shen Li raised her hand to smooth the messy ends of her hair.

"Who would see that?" Luo Mingxiu shrugged indifferently. "Nobody gets to ride your private elevator anyway."

“You,” Shen Li replied without thinking.

Luo Mingxiu smiled and hooked his arm around hers, but she slapped it away. He then reached out and hooked his arm around hers again.

Shen Li glared at him, but he still led her into the restaurant, and the two quickly let go of each other's hands.

A gaze met hers, and as if she had caught something, Song Ting raised an eyebrow, put down her wine glass, and walked over.

"It's President Song." Afraid that Luo Mingxiu might have forgotten about him, Chen Li gently reminded him.

"Hello, Mr. Song," Luo Mingxiu greeted politely.

"Hello," President Song nodded and said to Shen Li, "My ex-boyfriend's matter delayed your Xiao Luo's filming last time, and I've been wanting to make up for it. I just talked with President Cheng, and the 'Restoration' project is good. Our Song Group will also participate in the investment... Xiao Jiang, show the contract to President Shen."

Song Ting called to her assistant, who took out a fresh contract from her bag and handed it to her.

"If collaborations with brands under the Song family are needed for the later release, that will also be included, providing free publicity."

"Thank you so much," Shen Li said happily after reviewing the contract, then handed it back to her assistant. "Actually, that incident didn't have a negative impact on Luo Mingxiu, so thank you for keeping it in mind."

“Then consider this my birthday gift to you, it’s perfect…” Song Ting’s gaze swept back and forth between them. “I heard from President Cheng that this is your first film collaboration, and I have high hopes for the two of you.”

The tone of her voice seemed to have a hidden meaning, and Shen Li instinctively felt that she must have figured something out.

Luo Mingxiu: "Thank you, President Song."

A limousine pulled up at the entrance. Song Ting said, "I have to go now. I have things to take care of at the company and can't stay until the banquet is over."

"So soon?" Shen Li glanced around at the guests who were having lunch. "It wouldn't be too late to leave after having lunch."

"President Cheng has already treated me to a meal. The food at Qingli is really delicious. If I keep eating, I'll have to poach two chefs," Song Ting joked, waving her hand. "You guys go and eat too. Goodbye."

"Take care." Shen Li walked to the door, intending to see her off, but then heard hurried footsteps behind her. Cheng Qingqing, walking even faster than her, chased after her, accompanied by several security guards, and loaded a cart full of gifts into Song Ting's car.

Before starting the car, the two chatted for a while. Cheng Qingqing has high emotional intelligence and good eloquence, so it seems that she had a very pleasant conversation with President Song.

A message popped up on her phone. Shen Li glanced at it, turned around, and saw Xiao Yu waving at her from the innermost seat by the window.

"I'm going in to eat with Xiaoyu," Shen Li said, seeing that the person next to her was about to follow her. "You go find Xiaowen."

Luo Mingxiu looked in Xiaoyu's direction: "They're at the same table."

Shen Li looked up and, sure enough, the person who had just sat down by the window with the dishes was Xiao Wen.

"What's wrong with us eating together?" Luo Mingxiu noticed her hesitation, and his voice became muffled.

"Many of the guests are industry professionals. We haven't made it public yet, so we don't want them to recognize us," Shen Li said.

Luo Mingxiu: "How easy is it to tell? Isn't it normal for employees and bosses to dine together?"

"Just now, President Song felt..." Shen Li didn't bother to think it through and said in a commanding tone, "Are you going to listen to me or not?"

"Listen." Luo Mingxiu immediately lowered his head and became meek, then tilted his head towards Xiao Wen, who was waving at him from the window, indicating that he should change tables.

They separated during the meal and never found another opportunity to be together. Many producers and directors tried to chat with Luo Mingxiu.

After a brief exchange, he looked at Shen Li in the crowd and saw that she was still dealing with the customers.

With nothing to do, he went to Cheng Qingqing and her team to help with some of the work, seeing off wave after wave of guests. When he had free time, he would quietly stare at Shen Li in the center of the crowd until the 'flowers and plants' around her gradually disappeared.

Finally, the last guest left, and Luo Mingxiu stepped over. At this moment, Liang Jin came over and patted him on the shoulder: "Um, did you talk to President Shen?"

Luo Mingxiu: "I was too busy just now and didn't have time. I was just about to talk to her."

“I’ll tell you,” Liang Jin said, walking over to Shen Li.

"Liang Jin?" Seeing the two walking this way, Shen Li stepped forward and looked around. "Did Director Meng leave first? I haven't thanked Mr. Weber in person yet. Mingxiu owes this opportunity to her."

Liang Jin: "She's a little tired and needs to rest, so she went to the car to wait for me."

Shen Li: "Have you all received your gifts?"

“All done, thank you for your concern, Mr. Shen,” Liang Jin said. “Mr. Shen, there’s something I need to tell you. I’ve already spoken with Mr. Cheng. Luo Mingxiu is going abroad to film a movie, and I can’t accompany him the whole time. The company needs to arrange another agent for him.”

"What?" Shen Li asked in surprise, "Is something wrong at home?"

Liang Jin: "Ya Xin is pregnant. Although she feels that her parents are there when she goes home, I am not at ease and want to stay home to take care of her."

"Oh, that's good news," Shen Li smiled. "Congratulations on becoming a father."

“Pregnancy requires companionship the most. I’ll have Qingqing approve paid leave for you. Go back and spend time with Director Meng. I’ll hire someone for Luo Mingxiu, or I can have my executive agent temporarily fill in for him.”

Liang Jin: "President Shen, you don't need to worry about this. The movie will officially start filming next week. The reading session is the day after tomorrow, and I will still go with Luo Mingxiu. I will sell my business after the crew has settled down and started filming."

"The day after tomorrow? Does that mean you have to go to the airport tomorrow?" Shen Li lowered her eyelashes; she hadn't expected it to be so soon.

“Yes,” Liang Jin nodded, noticing that Shen Li’s eyes were somewhat fixed on the spot, and then said, “Because Mr. Weber had already prepared the venue. As you know, auditions are done on-site.”

That's true. If auditions take longer to select actors, then we should save the production team preparation time in other aspects.

"Have you booked the house yet?" Shen Li asked. "I remember that most of the scenes in the script are set in Country B."

“It was booked before I came back,” Liang Jin said, then suddenly slapped his forehead and said to Luo Mingxiu, “Oh right, your apartment lease is about to expire, and I still need to tell the landlord I don’t want to renew it, and all your stuff…”

“I’ll send someone to move it back to my place,” Shen Li said, glancing at Luo Mingxiu. “You rented a place outside to avoid me, you should have gone back a long time ago, right?”

“Yes.” Luo Mingxiu nodded, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"We can live together again once we move back to the villa."

After Liang Jin left, the logistics staff and cleaners finished cleaning up the scene and left one after another. The roads in the entire Qingli Park were quiet. Luo Mingxiu took Chen Li's hand without any scruples and shook it.

“Nonsense,” Shen Li said, interlocking her fingers with his. “Now you’re my boyfriend, not my younger brother who lives with me. You’re not allowed to rent a place anymore, and you can’t argue with him either. That’s my home in this city, and it’s your home too.”

Luo Mingxiu paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay."

Her earnest gaze and solemn tone suddenly made him feel flattered. He looked at their clasped hands and saw that Shen Li seemed to be holding them tighter than usual.

"Are you reluctant to part with me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Li exerted even more force.

Luo Mingxiu lowered his eyes and gently tapped the back of her hand with his fingertips.

"A tiny bit," Shen Li said, slightly relieved after being exposed. "I thought you could stay a few more days after returning to China, but you only attended my birthday party and left. It would have been better if you hadn't come back at all. What a hassle."

They are the ones that truly test the depth of one's feelings. She admitted that she had underestimated this aspect before, and that her feelings for Luo Mingxiu were deeper than she had imagined.

A kiss landed on her head, then on her face. Luo Mingxiu's smile reached his eyes. He pinched the flesh on the side of her face and squeezed it together before biting down on it.

"Ah, what?" Shen Li frowned and ran away, touching her face. Although it didn't hurt, it was covered in drool.

Luo Mingxiu caught up with him: "It'll be less trouble to celebrate your birthday, and I want to give you the gift myself."

It's like being blown by a gentle breeze. Sometimes, being moved is shown in the details. There are always people who remember every word she says and pay attention to her emotions. It's not just talk; they genuinely put their heart and soul into it for her.

Shen Li doesn't want much, and her ex will never understand. Only Luo Mingxiu, who has liked her for a long time and knows her well enough, can accurately find the things that make her happy and comfortable.

“Mingxiu”.

"Um?"

Luo Mingxiu stopped and looked at her. Shen Li's eyes suddenly became alluring. She stood on tiptoe, tugged at his clothes and pulled him down. As they got close, she smiled, her red lips quickly brushing against his chin, and her warm breath reached his ear.

It felt like my earlobes were being tickled by feathers, an itch that reached my very core.

"Tonight we'll share a room."