Chapter 16 The Silly Deer and the Little Deer (Bonus Chapter)

Lu Zhao forced himself to focus on the video, but inadvertently caught Ling Wei's gaze intently fixed on him on the screen.

His figure was clearly reflected in those playful peach blossom eyes, filled with pure admiration.

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he panicked and immediately looked away.

Meanwhile, deep within the grove where they were, the faint sounds of whispers between lovers, and even... the soft sounds of kissing, could be heard.

The surrounding air seemed to become ambiguous and viscous.

Lu Zhao felt a fine sweat on his back, and he unconsciously softened his breathing. All his senses seemed to be amplified, especially the warmth and fragrance emanating from the person beside him.

The video has finally finished playing.

Ling Wei put away her phone, turned her head, and looked very seriously into his eyes: "Your physical appearance is top-notch, your musicality and dance sense are innate, and what's even more rare is that you have ideas, know how to think and design the stage, and have quick reflexes. With your current state and rate of progress, plus the right opportunity..."

The girl leaned forward slightly, sunlight shattering into sparkling stars in her eyes. She gazed at him and said clearly, word by word, "Lu Zhao, you will definitely become famous."

At that moment, a gentle breeze brushed the stray hairs across her forehead, and the whole world seemed to quiet down.

Lu Zhao's heart pounded like a drum, each beat striking his eardrums.

He stared at the beautiful face so close to his face, his mind went blank, and he couldn't even speak properly: "I...you...really, really?"

Seeing his flustered state, Ling Wei lowered her voice, her tone slightly husky and seductive: "How about it? Compared to your sister Yuqing's 'all-purpose' compliment, isn't my praise... more sincere and more accurate?"

Lu Zhao was still malfunctioning when she leaned closer with a mischievous grin, her warm breath almost brushing against his burning earlobe: "So, how about you consider... finding someone else to be your simp?"

"You...you you you!!!" Lu Zhao suddenly jumped up from the ground, his finger pointing at Ling Wei, trembling. He had thought this person was praising him in a good way, but she actually mocked him as a simp. What did she take him for?!

Ling Wei couldn't help but laugh out loud; sunlight filtered through the leaves, dancing on her smiling face.

Lu Zhao didn't know how he felt. He only knew that he was annoyed to be called a simp, but when he saw her smiling face, a kind of uncontrollable joy quietly crept into his heart, like being gently tickled by a feather, itchy and impossible to suppress.

He turned and walked away almost simultaneously, but after a few steps he suddenly stopped, strode back, and stretched out his hand to her with his neck stiff: "Give me your phone!"

Ling Wei raised an eyebrow and obediently handed over her phone.

Lu Zhao quickly added his contact information, shoved the phone back into her hand, and this time he really left without looking back, his back view revealing a panicked attempt to cover up his true feelings.

Ling Wei stood up, picked up the paper bag he had left under the tree, and a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes: "Fun."

System: "...I mean, is it possible to go too far by using the older brother to blackmail the younger brother?"

Ling Wei smiled and tore open the paper bag. Inside lay a Canon R3, perfectly suited for her current professional use. It was clear that the camera had been chosen with her current situation in mind. She ran her fingertips over the cool camera body, her tone cheerful:

"Getting on track."

Then she reassured the system, her voice light and cheerful, like humming a song: "It's okay, it's okay."

System: ...sing.

Setting the timeframe at six months perfectly aligns with the timeline of Su Yuqing completing filming abroad and returning with accolades.

Looking at Lu Zhao's chat window on her phone—a chat window with a cool, arrogant profile picture but an air of innocent stupidity—Ling Wei's lips curved into a smile.

This beautiful yet reckless silly deer has been quite amusing to tease for half a year.

Thus, Ling Wei's life entered a new rhythm: focusing on intense study in the directing department, intermittently making her presence known to the Lu brothers, with strategies varying from person to person and targeted precisely.

Her chat with Lu Yan remained free of lengthy small talk; even the transfers and repayments maintained a fixed frequency and amount, conveying a clear sense of boundaries.

But those notes became her window to share snippets of life, as natural as breathing.

[Transfer of 1000 yuan. Note: Installment payment. Today I analyzed the lighting and shadows in "The Godfather" and found that the structure of the lighting and shadows on your profile bears a striking resemblance to a young Al Pacino.]

This slightly teasing note made Lu Yan pause slightly on the other side of the screen. His gaze lingered on "Al Pacino" for a moment before he clicked to receive payment.

One late night.

[Transfer of 1000 yuan. Note: Installment payment. Just finished reading the director's explanation, feeling dizzy. Sharing a late-night healing playlist (link attached), instrumental music, suitable for people like you who need to concentrate intensely.]

Lu Yan was dealing with a complicated project report and, in his frantic state, clicked on that link as if by some strange impulse.

The ethereal and soothing piano music flowing out did indeed relax his tense nerves a bit.

He stared at the quiet avatar on the screen, and for the first time felt the urge to reply, but after typing a few words, he deleted them.

Unlike Lu Zhao, who was a complete idiot, Lu Yan was like a young beast that grew up alone in a dangerous jungle, having experienced the cruelty of survival far too early.

His childhood and adolescence, being switched at birth, the struggles in the city, his grandmother's illness, and the heavy pressure of making a living all etched a deep-seated fear and aversion to "loss of control" into his bones.

What those years taught him was not dependence, but to tightly seal all his emotions, vulnerabilities, and even desires within the walls of reason.

Now, although he has been taken back to the Lu family, seemingly rising to the top in one step, he has actually stepped into a more complex battlefield.

As one of the designated future leaders of the Lu family, he stands in the spotlight, surrounded by scrutiny, expectations, and possibly hidden attacks.

He was like an extremely alert fawn, instinctively defending himself against any attempt to cross the safe distance.

Ling Wei understood perfectly that if she showed even the slightest intention to cross the line, this person, who was adept at using reason to suppress emotions, would not hesitate to sever all ties.

Ling Wei never cared that he was like a pre-programmed program, only replying with "received" after each payment.

Because she knew that even if she sent a message late at night, she would receive a response within moments, which in itself proved that he heard her every knock.

This realization, more so than any enthusiastic response, made her feel that this cautious approach was now on a clearly visible progress bar.

Like a hunter patiently waiting for its prey to approach, she quietly watched over the easily startled deer from a safe distance.