Chapter 16
Xiaoyu had an emergency at home, so they dropped her off at the apartment entrance and then drove away.
They said they'd finish it as soon as possible and come back tomorrow afternoon.
Shen Li told her not to panic, and if she really couldn't make it back in time, she could tell Cheng Qingqing and ask her to send an assistant temporarily.
After having dinner at the restaurant downstairs, Shen Li went upstairs and finished the rest of her hot tea.
She washed the thermos and placed it on the table. The thermos had her image printed on it; it was the kind of customized merchandise that fans would buy, not the simple style she usually preferred. She was really embarrassed to take it out.
She took a picture and sent it to Luo Mingxiu: "The jujube tea is all gone, the cup is now in the cupboard."
After a while, Luo Mingxiu replied: Can I get it from you when I get back?
Chen Li: Aren't you going to give it to me? What are you going to do with the drink I made?
The message showed that the other party was typing. After typing for a long time, they finally replied: "Leave it here, I'll make you some more tea."
That would be too much trouble. Although Shen Li thought it tasted good, she really didn't want to overindulge.
She typed: No need, just get some rest after you finish filming.
Luo Mingxiu: I bought some red dates, and there are still some goji berries left.
Luo Mingxiu: Xiaowen and I also drink it; it's good for health and replenishes qi and blood.
Shen Li laughed when she saw him send two messages to explain, and replied: Okay, great job!
Then I randomly selected an emoji.
On the other side, Luo Mingxiu leaned against the inside of the corridor, staring at the cat on the screen petting its head. He quickly searched for the keyword: kitten being petted on the head, found an emoticon of a well-behaved kitten being petted, and sent it over.
Chat ended.
Luo Mingxiu swiped up, scrolling through the chat history, saving the emojis before Xiao Wen snatched the phone away. He then turned and walked towards the director to begin the next scene.
...
Shen Li nestled on the sofa, working through the remaining script on her computer. When she finished, she felt sleepy, so she went back to her bedroom to get her pajamas, ready to take a shower and go to bed early.
She had just finished washing up when the doorbell rang. Only then did she remember that Luo Mingxiu was coming to get the cup, and she almost went straight to sleep after washing up.
She wrapped her wet hair in a towel, peeked at the access control, and saw it was Luo Mingxiu.
When the door opened, Luo Mingxiu was taken aback, not expecting that she had just finished taking a shower.
The woman's cheeks were flushed, and she smelled of moisture and shower gel. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and then he suddenly remembered something and urged her, "Go dry your hair quickly, don't catch a cold."
Shen Li hummed in agreement and pointed to the table: "The cup is over there, it's been washed."
Luo Mingxiu picked up the cup, noticed the laptop on the table and the scattered script pages beside it, bent down to tidy them up, found the phone that had been carelessly tossed aside on the sofa, and placed it on top of the laptop.
As soon as I put it on, the screen lit up and a phone call came in.
Luo Mingxiu glanced at it; it was an unfamiliar number without a note.
"It might be Xiaoyu, could you answer that for me?" Shen Li's voice came from the bathroom.
Luo Mingxiu wanted to say no, but then he heard the sound of a hairdryer coming from inside. He reached out and pressed the reject button.
The next second, the phone rang again, and Luo Mingxiu answered it.
"Hello, who is it?"
The person on the other end said, "Who are you? Where's Chen Li? Give her the phone."
That voice belonged to Fang Wei.
Luo Mingxiu frowned: "Chen Li is taking a shower and it's inconvenient for her to answer the phone."
"Oh, I recognize your voice, Luo Mingxiu, right? I knew it, you really were..."
A harsh laugh came from the other end of the phone. Fang Wei said, "Four years ago, when she brought me home, I could tell. You were peeking from behind the door that day when we kissed."
"Disgusting. A foster son of a nanny, how ridiculous! Does Shen Li know? Her beloved younger brother has always harbored such feelings for her?"
Luo Mingxiu clenched his fists, walked to the balcony, and said coldly, "So what? As long as I'm by her side, there's still a chance. As for you, what Shen Li doesn't want will disappear completely from her heart."
"Aren't you afraid I'll tell her?"
"I've endured this for so many years, and I've long wanted to be with her for real. Now, I can openly and honestly pursue her."
"Don't even think about it, you won't succeed!" Fang Wei roared on the other end. "Do you know why I can see through your filthy thoughts, but Shen Li can't?"
Because no matter how much she spoils you, she only treats you like a younger brother; she has never treated you like a man!
"Get out—" Luo Mingxiu gritted his teeth, slammed his fist against the wall, and the veins on his arm bulged.
"What's wrong? Is that Fang Wei?" The sound of slippers came from inside the house. Shen Li ran over and took the phone. "What exactly do you want!"
Fang Wei's voice was hoarse, clearly indicating he had drunk a lot: "Chen Li, please forgive me, forgive me, give me a chance to make amends. We've had such a long relationship, I don't want to give up until the very end."
Shen Li laughed angrily: "Do I have to spell it out for you, Fang Wei!"
They're afraid that if I leave, all the photography clients connected to me will leave. You've worked so hard for so many years, do you really think the company can't survive without me as a resource?
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then someone said, "Even if we get divorced, as a friend I can still advise you not to get too close to him. That guy is more cunning than anyone else, and he's not as innocent as you think."
"Listen to yourself, isn't what you're saying hilarious?" Shen Li raised her voice. "Friend, did we break up amicably?"
"How many times do I have to say it? You cheated on me. Don't try to reduce your guilt by assuming that I'm having an affair with someone else and pinning the blame on me."
Fang Wei, listen carefully. It is you who betrayed this marriage. What happens to me in the future, who I get close to, and who I am with are none of your business!
"Come to court on time in two weeks. After that, we're strangers. Don't harass me anymore. Don't make me hate you forever."
Trembling, Shen Li hung up the phone, bracing herself against the balcony railing to calm her anger. She had no more tears left to shed for Fang Wei.
"Chen Li." Luo Mingxiu suddenly moved closer and hugged her from behind.
"Um?"
"Sinking pear, sinking pear, sinking pear."
"What are you doing, having fun yelling like that? You're so disrespectful," Shen Li said with a laugh.
Caught off guard by his sudden embrace, she turned to face him, her arms tightening around his waist.
Luo Mingxiu buried his head in the crook of her shoulder and uttered a sound: "I'm not young."
The rapid, rhythmic breathing of the young body sent a shiver down Shen Li's neck. She said, "Yes, you're not young anymore. Why are you suddenly being so competitive?"
Luo Mingxiu didn't say anything, holding her without moving.
Shen Li then realized that this kid had really grown up. His size was enough to completely block her from getting out, and his strength was so great that she couldn't break free.
"What did he say to you just now? Did he scold you?" Shen Li asked gently, letting him hold her.
It's like when he was a child, he would still act cute and affectionate towards me.
Luo Mingxiu did not answer the previous question, tacitly acknowledging that he had been scolded.
"Because I blocked all his contact information, he called using someone else's number. I usually don't answer these kinds of calls from unknown numbers, so don't worry, okay?" Shen Li patted him. "Sister is sleepy, go back to sleep."
"Okay, goodnight." Luo Mingxiu let go of her and walked out, turning back to look at her every few steps.
With filming in Hengdian wrapping up and only one week left, aside from some reshoots, Shen Li spent her days moving between different sets, taking turns as a producer to help the crew polish their scenes.
I flew back to City B one day, memorized the lawsuit documents and scripts prepared by my lawyer, and prepared for the court hearing.
On the day of the court hearing, before entering the courtroom, Shen Li glanced at Fang Wei sitting in the waiting area. He looked haggard, and there was no trace of his former noble and refined demeanor.
It seems that things at work and with his family have really taken a toll on him lately.
But none of that mattered to her anymore. She walked into the courtroom with her head held high in her high heels and didn't look at him again until the divorce was declared final.
Stepping out of the courthouse, Shen Li looked at the bright sunshine outside, feeling as if she had been transported to another world.
She immediately took a picture in the light and posted it on Weibo with just two simple words: divorce.
In less than three minutes, the post garnered over 10,000 comments and quickly rose to the top of the trending topics.
Hot topic in the square: The white moonlight has returned, everyone get out of the way!
Top comment 1: [I predict Shen Li's name will be appearing in the nominations for major awards again next year.]
Top comment 2: [Pear Goddess is finally back! Please save the Chinese entertainment industry! Without her, who else can get me a state banquet?]
Top comment 3: [A collaboration between Nanli and Dreamland.]
This popular comment sparked curiosity among passersby:
Who is Nanri?
[Li Nan, Shen Li, ever since Shen Li got married, that movie star we often worked with has also retired from acting.]
[I heard he has a cameo role in the new movie. Could Li Nan be making a comeback to the film industry?]
That's great!
Taking advantage of the buzz, the official Weibo account of "Detective Xie Huaixi" released a separate character poster of Li Nan. Li Nan went online and reposted it, and also left a comment on Shen Li's Weibo: Happy divorce.
The dead couple has been resurrected, and Nana and Rina have stood up, making the topic the second hottest one like it's New Year's.
Within an hour of the Weibo post being published, the enthusiasm of netizens crashed the server.
After Shen Li drove to Qing Li, she learned about this and replied to Li Nan with a "haha" emoji showing her teeth in a smile.
Scroll down, front row fans: Congratulations to the sister for dumping the scumbag, may you continue to walk the flower path in the future.
It's exactly the same as the banner and slogan displayed at the entrance of Qingli.
She smiled and gave a thumbs up, then tossed her hair and entered the revolving door, where she was surrounded by Cheng Qingqing and company employees, who presented her with flowers.
Someone was playing background music on their phone: "Good Day," and the entire first-floor lobby became festive.
"Who came up with this idea to make such a big fuss?" After thanking everyone, Shen Li took the flowers and went upstairs with Cheng Qingqing.
Cheng Qingqing reached out and brushed the flower petals off her shoulder, saying, "They're from all the female employees in the company."
Shen Li's eyes crinkled into crescents, her heart filled with warmth.
Cheng Qingqing: "The crew is going to film in the ancient city scenic area next, right? How's your apartment in Hengdian? Should we keep it and not return it?"
Cheng Qingqing understands her. Because she was married before and wanted to have a baby, she would turn down acting offers whenever possible. Now that she is divorced, her focus will naturally shift to filming, so having an apartment in Hengdian is more convenient.
"Keep it." Shen Li said firmly.
"Oh, I see that feeling from back then in you again, it's so nice," the person next to her put their arm around her, their faces reflected in the elevator doors.
Cheng Qingqing laughed, "I feel ten years younger. Divorce is the best cosmetic procedure for a woman."
"Go to hell." Shen Li scoffed and pushed her away.
Shen Li hadn't logged out of Weibo on her phone yet. She glanced at the screen and saw a new hot comment at the top.
The puppy eating a pear: [Happy divorce.]
When Shen Li saw this familiar nickname, her eyes lit up, and she gave it a thumbs up and even gave it a special reply: Happy!
The puppy eating pears is a long-time fan of hers, having followed her since her debut.
The reason this comment was brought up by other fans is because this long-time fan has accounts on various platforms, specializing in creating videos analyzing her acting skills. These videos are meticulously categorized and compiled, and the fan has a certain level of popularity.
I've followed all of Shen Li's alternate accounts and saved those videos in my favorites. Whenever I want to analyze and reflect on the roles I've played, I just take them out to watch.
It's done very well and is very convenient. People on her team often jokingly call her "Little Dog Eating Pears" an unofficial member of the studio.
It's just that the videos haven't been updated in a long time, and I haven't seen this ID in the comments section for a long time either.
There were rumors circulating in the supertopic that Shen Li didn't focus on her career after getting married, and when her boss left, some of her younger fans also left, causing a stir among the fans.
During that period, her studio was also receiving a constant stream of complaints.
The commotion left Shen Li unsure whether this loyal fan still supported her, leaving her feeling empty inside.
However, whoever started this matter will also be responsible for its end.
The puppy eating pears eventually posted a Weibo post explaining: "I'm too busy in real life, so I haven't unfollowed you."
From then on, the bios of all the accounts on various platforms became: No updates ≠ unfollowing.
No one questioned it anymore.
Stepping out of the elevator, they saw Luo Mingxiu and Liang Jin sitting in the waiting area. The two looked serious, as if they were arguing about something, but they composed themselves when they saw them arrive.
"Hello, President Shen, President Cheng," Liang Jin greeted them with a smile. Seeing that they were both holding flowers, he ran over and said, "Let me help you carry these to your office, right?"
Cheng Qingqing nodded and handed him a bouquet of flowers. She looked back and glanced at Chen Li with a smile: "You're giving flowers to your little brother too?"
Luo Mingxiu, holding an exquisitely packaged blue iris, walked over to Shen Li and said, "This is for you."
“Thank you, little brother,” Shen Liteng said, taking the card from the flower. “Let’s go.”
The bouquet was placed in the office, adding a touch of brightness to the otherwise monotonous and dull interior.
Shen Li glanced at the greeting card in her hand. The message read: "Break free from your cocoon and become a butterfly; may your future be free and vibrant."
She smiled, took a picture of the card, and put it back into the blue bouquet.
"Xiao Luo has work this afternoon, shall we go first?" Liang Jin said from behind.
Cheng Qingqing casually asked, "Are you going to film that soda commercial?"
Liang Jin nodded: "Yes, after filming, take him to meet a producer."
"I don't..." Luo Mingxiu was interrupted by Liang Jin before he could finish speaking, "Um... we won't disturb you two any longer."
"Let's go." Liang Jin put his arm around Luo Mingxiu's shoulder and walked out.
"Huh?" Cheng Qingqing looked at Shen Li in confusion. "What's going on?"
Shen Li frowned. She had just seen the two arguing at the elevator entrance. What were they arguing about? Meeting the producer?
Could it be that a new manuscript has been offered to Luo Mingxiu?
That's a good thing, why do you look so unhappy?
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