Chapter 44
"Even if you hate me, don't let your godparents notice anything unusual."
"Isn't my sister the best actress?"
Who caused all this?! We could have faced our elders naturally, but now we have to pretend.
Shen Li said irritably, "I know, I'm not so ignorant as to not understand this."
She walked to the door, then remembered something and turned back to warn him, "If I'm normal, you should be normal too."
Luo Mingxiu looked at those wide, staring eyes, curled his lips, and nodded.
The two walked out one after the other. Shen Li had a smile on her face, looking warm and affectionate, as if there was no animosity between them.
"Hey? Where did you two go? Why did you disappear when I turned around?" After visiting several bedrooms, Mrs. Shen bumped into them in the living room.
Luo Mingxiu stood up from the sofa: "Godmother, I just showed my sister her room. Have you and Godfather seen it? What do you think? Is there anything you're not used to?"
“No,” Mother Shen said with satisfaction. She walked to the entrance hall and looked around again before turning to Luo Qiuli, who was coming towards her, and said, “This house has good lighting and looks quite spacious, but it’s a bit too empty for you to live alone.”
“I didn’t originally plan to buy such a big house, but when we bought the house, Mingxiu was still working as an extra and his career was unstable. I was afraid that he would waste his youth and achieve nothing, and no girl would be interested in him, so I bought a large house as a wedding home.”
"Who knew this guy would graduate from college without a girlfriend..."
Luo Qiuli glanced at her son, then at Shen Li, and stopped speaking.
She sighed softly and changed the subject, "Let's not talk about it anymore. He's now working for Lili's company. He's capable of buying his own house. I'll use this house to retire in. It has many rooms, and I love lively gatherings, so it's convenient to invite friends over often."
Mother Shen: "That's true. It's our own house, we can use it however we want, and we can rent it out if we don't want to live there anymore."
The meal was almost ready after they entered the room, and just as they finished touring the room, the last turtle soup was ready.
After distributing the bowls and chopsticks, we sat around the table.
More than four years later, Shen Li finally got to eat Aunt Luo's cooking again, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"It's still so delicious," Shen Li said, picking up a piece of green pepper and shredded pork with her chopsticks. "Thank you, Aunt Luo, for cleaning the room and making such a big meal."
"You're welcome, have more," Aunt Luo pointed to the clear beef rib and radish soup on the table and emphasized, "This was made by Mingxiu, try it all."
Mr. Shen, who was sitting nearby, picked up a piece for his wife and then picked up a piece for himself: "Mmm, delicious, with a very pleasant aroma."
Mother Shen praised him highly: "As expected of Qiu Li's son, Ming Xiu's cooking skills are quite good now, thanks to your guidance."
Having tasted Luo Mingxiu's cooking before, Shen Li knew it was delicious, and her appetite was whetted.
She glanced over there and was about to get up to pick it up when Luo Mingxiu took the small bowl from the table first and ladled a bowl of it for her with a spoon.
He placed it in front of her, saying, "This soup is also delicious; eat it with this."
"Thank you." Shen Li picked up the bowl, looking at the ribs and white radish in the clear soup with scallions floating on top, and her appetite was whetted.
Luo Mingxiu watched her finish her meal, then silently handed her a stack of papers.
Feeling the intense gaze beside her, Shen Li coughed, nudged him with her foot, and whispered, "You eat yours."
"Hmm." Luo Mingxiu hurriedly looked away and continued eating, his ears growing hot, his heart pounding wildly at the warning gesture.
After dinner, I cleaned up the restaurant kitchen.
Luo Qiuli asked her son to go find Aunt Zhang and take Xiuxiu downstairs for a walk.
Luo Mingxiu went back to his room to put on his coat. When he came out, he passed through the living room and stopped to look at Shen Li, who was playing on her phone on the sofa.
"Want to go walk the dog together?"
Shen Li hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."
After leaving the house, Luo Mingxiu went upstairs to get the dog, while she went downstairs first to wait for him.
While walking, she replied to messages. Cheng Qingqing said on WeChat that she was also in City C. Her family was pressuring her to get married, which was making her anxious, so she came out to travel alone on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
Shen Li felt as if she had found a savior and quickly asked her for the hotel address, making an appointment to visit her the next day.
Cheng Qingqing: You rarely get to visit your brother's house, why don't you stay a few more days?
Shen Li: He can't stay any longer. He's the type who wears his heart on his sleeve. The longer it goes on, the more likely he is to reveal his true colors.
Shen Li: My parents are also here for tourism. Aunt Luo will take them later.
Shen Li: I definitely have to separate from them. I can't go out with them when I go out to play.
Cheng Qingqing: That's true. Nobody knows about your relationship. If someone photographs you going to Luo Mingxiu's house for the New Year, it will be hard to explain.
Cheng Qingqing: Then you can rest assured and embrace me.
A GIF of a fierce woman kissing someone was sent over, and Shen Li replied with a heart-eyed emoji.
Something darted around her feet. She looked down and saw a Samoyed with its tongue sticking out, tugging at her trouser leg, its leash trailing behind it.
"Shushu?" Shen Li recognized it, squatted down and petted it. The puppy was very enthusiastic and kept jumping up and down to burrow into her arms.
Its fur tickled her neck, and Shen Li laughed, "Hahaha, stop! Oh dear, we're too close."
"Whoosh—" someone called from behind, and the dog stopped and obediently sat down to the side.
Luo Mingxiu ran over, picked up the rope, grabbed it, bent down and patted its butt: "You're running away while I'm tying my shoelaces. Don't try to crawl on me, or you'll get fur on me."
A single sentence reminded her, and Shen Li quickly looked down to check. Luckily, the clothes were red, and the white fur on them was very noticeable. She waved her hand to brush it away.
"This dog is so affectionate, but it's also quite obedient to you. It stops moving when you call it."
“It’s only this enthusiastic towards you.” Luo Mingxiu stood up, suddenly walked over, and handed the rope to her, wrapping it around her arm once.
Shen Li's breathing became slightly erratic. She stared at him as he raised his eyes, a cryptic smile playing on her lips: "Tie it up tight, sister."
The next second, the dog shot into the air and charged out with her in its wake.
Shen Li was dragged around by the dog for a while, and arrived at the pear orchard she had seen earlier from upstairs. She found a wooden bench and sat down.
She was panting heavily and leaning back in her chair to rest when she saw Luo Mingxiu walking over calmly. She said angrily, "You dare to play a trick on me."
Luo Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, his eyes innocent: "What I said is all true."
“I often show your picture to the dog. Before you came, I would whisper in its ear every day, ‘Shushu, the woman in the picture is also your owner. You must remember her, recognize her, and love her…’”
Luo Mingxiu's tone became increasingly affectionate. He paused, his gaze sweeping across her face, "It only becomes affectionate towards you because it recognizes you."
"You... how can you be so shameless?" Shen Li blushed and felt hot inside. She lowered her head and turned her face away, just in time to see Gouzi miss his target on the stone steps and flip over in a comical way.
"Hahahaha." Shen Li went over and straightened it, her cheerful laughter leaving people somewhat stunned.
Luo Mingxiu took out his phone and captured the scene.
"Who told you to take this picture?" Shen Li caught the camera, stepped forward, snatched his phone, and tapped the delete button.
"I'm sorry, I think it's beautiful," Luo Mingxiu said softly.
Shen Li didn't say anything. As she swiped her finger, she accidentally saw his other pictures. Luo Mingxiu had an album named after her on his phone, which was full of her retouched photos.
Exit the photo album and return to the desktop; her image is also the wallpaper.
A photo taken in dim light, seemingly inside a car, is one she has not publicly posted on social media.
Shen Li looked at him, but he wasn't nervous. He was clearly prepared to be discovered, and his gaze met hers calmly.
"Chen Li, I like you." Luo Mingxiu said these words again.
His tone was calm, but Shen Li's heart trembled inexplicably, as if she could glimpse the turbulent undercurrents beneath his placid face.
She didn't respond again, but handed the phone back to him and said sternly, "Don't you dare take pictures of me like that again."
On the way back, Luo Mingxiu led the dog, while Shen Li walked faster, keeping a certain distance from him. Both of them remained silent.
The photos in the album, at first glance, included pictures of her early roles, and some red hearts marked on the pictures, overflowing with affection.
Stepping into the elevator, the two leaned against opposite corners. Shen Li stared at the rising numbers, her thoughts in turmoil, her heart pounding.
Luo Mingxiu observed her expression, tapping his fingers on the metal wall, his desire reflected in the light.
"What is my sister thinking about?"
The elevator opened with a ding, but neither of them moved. The doors closed again, and the car descended.
The dog barked twice and tilted its head to look at the person.
Upon reaching the first floor, the elevator doors opened again.
Shen Li suddenly came to her senses and saw the people waiting outside coming in, realizing that they had returned to the first floor.
Luo Mingxiu quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her into the fire escape corridor behind the elevator before letting go: "It's just the two of us here, can you tell me what you want to say?"
The dog started barking again.
"Quiet." Luo Mingxiu glared at it, and the little guy whimpered and lay down at its owner's feet.
Luo Mingxiu looked at her again: "Why did you think for so long in the elevator just now, sister? Tell me the truth, even if it only makes you waver a little bit, I will be very happy."
His voice was deep and seductive, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue in the dark, bewitching people.
Faced with this alluring atmosphere fueled by hormones, she used to be easily swayed and unable to resist when she was in her twenties. But now, Shen Li was clear-headed enough to control her emotions and said in a cold and somber tone, "I will not waver."
"You've never been married, and you're still at an age where you rush headlong into relationships based on a fleeting infatuation, while I'm not. Putting aside whether I'll ever like you in the future, even if I do fall for you, I won't be willful anymore. I've suffered for love before; even the deepest love eventually fades. I can never purely love someone again, do you understand?"
"Does that mean you've fallen for me, sister?" Luo Mingxiu was caught off guard by a possibility from her words, and his joy was palpable. "It's okay. I don't need you to love me now. I have plenty of time to wait for you. Time will prove whether my feelings are just a passing fancy."
Shen Li was uncontrollably annoyed by his behavior of only listening to what he wanted to hear: "Who's tempted? That was just an assumption, an assumption to dissuade you."
Luo Mingxiu looked somewhat innocent: "But I didn't mention anything about being attracted to someone. It was my sister who considered the future and talked to me about liking and loving someone."
Chen Li was flustered and speechless. Seeing his happy and triumphant look, she felt that even the dog next to her was more pleasing to the eye than him. She called out, "Xiuxiu, let's go."
"Hmm." Luo Mingxiu's ears went numb for a moment, and he followed her.
"I didn't call you!" Shen Li was furious. How could there be such a shameless person? She bent down and patted the dog's head, unable to help but curse, "Are you a dog? Can't you behave properly? Who taught you to be so shameless?"
Luo Mingxiu was in a daze; despite being scolded, he couldn't help but smile.
Combining the woman's series of reactions and her tacit acceptance of being moved, his eyes were filled with the image of his sister saying she liked and loved him, and the warm heart in his chest beat with joy for her.
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