Chapter 46
"Where are you?" Shen Li asked, unaware of the worry that overflowed from her screen.
"By a river outside the residential area." Hearing her anxious tone, Luo Mingxiu immediately picked up the flammable trash he had gathered on the ground and walked back.
Hearing that she was by the river, Chen Li gripped her car keys tightly, even more worried: "Send me your location, I'll come pick you up."
"No need, I drove here. It's late, cold and dark outside, you should get some rest."
The person on the other end pretended to speak in a nonchalant tone, but their listless voice betrayed that they had been crying.
A moment later, a voice came from the other end: "I'm on the bus and will be right back. You go to sleep, goodnight."
Shen Li was heartbroken and wanted to say something, but the other party hung up the phone.
She had already reached the basement level, but instead of going up, she simply walked to the parking space and waited for him in her car.
Ten minutes later, a light appeared, and the car slowly stopped on her right. The person who opened the door touched the ground with her toes.
"Mingxiu." Shen Li called out to him through the car window, and immediately noticed that he seemed to have an injury on his hand.
Luo Mingxiu paused for a moment, then quickly put his hands behind his back.
"What are you hiding? We can see everything," Shen Li said after a couple of seconds of silence, then exhaled. "Come here, let me see."
"It's nothing." Luo Mingxiu turned to the side.
"Come here." Shen Li said firmly, got out of the car and pulled him in front of her to check his injuries. His hand was scraped and his wrist was red.
Shen Li frowned slightly: "How did you do that?"
Luo Mingxiu smiled almost imperceptibly: "It was too dark by the river, and I accidentally slipped and fell."
"Idiot," Shen Li scolded, then asked, "Did you fall anywhere else?"
Luo Mingxiu shook his head, paused for a moment, and then asked, "Did you see the fireworks, sister?"
"I saw it."
Shen Li lowered her eyes. "I'm not angry, why are you making yourself suffer like this?"
“You’re unhappy, and I want to do something to make you happy, otherwise I can’t sleep.”
After they finished speaking, the two remained silent for a long time.
Shen Li stared at the person in front of her, her eyes gradually welling up with tears. What exactly was his ability that made her feel both panicked and afraid, yet also pity and guilt? How could he make her feel so troubled?
She was suffocating from these complicated emotions.
Luo Mingxiu looked up again and saw Shen Li silently shedding tears. He was speechless for a moment, and reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, but she slapped them away with her hand.
She sobbed uncontrollably, "Luo Mingxiu, what exactly do you want from me? Why are you torturing me like this? How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? We can't be together."
Stop wasting your time and energy on me, stop hanging around me, and stop making me feel burdened by your actions!
Luo Mingxiu felt as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat, his heart was being torn apart by her words, his chest was twisted into a knot, and he felt a pain that pierced his heart and lungs.
This was the first time Shen Li had cried so bitterly in front of him. She hated him so much, no matter what he did. She just didn't like him, and his affection made her feel so bad.
“I understand,” he said, giving in with all his might. “I’ll be joining the crew tomorrow, and we won’t be seeing each other for a while. I won’t bother you or do anything unnecessary.”
Luo Mingxiu's eyes were gloomy, as if he had returned to the darkness of four years ago. He tried his best to suppress his sobs, but his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
The dim basement lights cast long, parallel shadows on them.
...
After the Lantern Festival, Luo Mingxiu joined the crew. During the days of script readings, he devoted himself to character analysis, listened to the director's explanations, pondered the character, and went over lines with his colleagues every day.
When he's busy, he looks no different from usual, but once he finishes work, he looks vacant, as if surrounded by depression.
While on vacation abroad, Shen Li was isolated from the world. She deliberately avoided looking at the trending topics promoting Luo Mingxiu's new drama and restrained her attention from him.
After that day, even though he had done as she wished and stopped bothering her, his face kept appearing in her mind, and she kept replaying that night, the tears streaming down his face, and the sadness and despair on his face.
The guilt in my heart lingered.
She wondered if she was being too cruel.
On the one hand, he felt that this was something he deserved to suffer.
Torn between two conflicting emotions, Shen Li was distracted while playing with her parents. When they asked her about it, she couldn't tell them and could only pretend that nothing was wrong.
As a result, in the last few days, the elderly couple went out to play by themselves without her, saying that they wanted her to have some peace and quiet on her own.
Shen Li was both amused and exasperated. She stayed alone in the hotel, picked out two selfies from the photos of her trip a few days ago, and posted them online.
The Weibo post garnered over 10,000 likes within a second of being published. She hadn't posted in a while and wanted to interact with her fans. Clicking on the top comment, she saw a familiar ID.
The puppy eats a pear: Sofa.
Having not seen this old fan for a long time, Shen Li was slightly surprised and replied with a little heart emoji.
On the other side, Luo Mingxiu stared at the red heart, and a smile finally appeared on his face, which had been filled with melancholy.
Xiao Wen, who was driving, saw her artist smiling and smiled too: "Did Sister Li send you a message?"
Luo Mingxiu's eyelids drooped: "No."
"Then why are you smiling so happily?" Xiaowen craned her neck to look at his phone screen and saw Shen Li's selfie.
He sighed, "You switched to a secondary account to stalk that spies' Weibo again. These days, surfing the internet shows your IP address, so don't post anything that might expose you."
Luo Mingxiu remained silent, swiping his finger towards Shen Li's reply and clicking "repost." Actually, there was nothing wrong with being exposed; apart from reposts about Shen Li, all his Weibo posts were set to be visible only to himself.
If it gets exposed, it'll just be labeled as a fan of Shen Li. She's involved in both film and television, and has been in the industry for many years; it's common for other celebrities to be her fans.
...
After her vacation, Shen Li received an invitation from Yuan Haoxuan to be a regular on a variety show, with the aim of promoting her drama on the program.
The show's guests were enthusiastic and funny. She recorded two days as a guest, and then got busy with other things, finally managing to stop being swayed by those complicated emotions.
But the calm mood didn't last long before it started to fluctuate again.
The awards ceremony hosted by the investors included Sun Qi and Luo Mingxiu on the list. She and Cheng Qingqing were also going to attend as producers.
It had been more than half a month since she and Luo Mingxiu had last contacted each other. When they weren't meeting, she didn't feel anything when she was focused on other things. But now that they were going to meet again, she suddenly felt anxious, afraid that he might do something unexpected again, and afraid that she would soften her heart.
Inside the dressing room, Shen Li continued to drift off into thought. Cheng Qingqing called her twice before she snapped out of it.
Cheng Qingqing looked at her suspiciously: "Did you hear what I just said?"
Shen Li raised an eyebrow: "What?"
Cheng Qingqing said helplessly, "To put it simply, the new drama will likely be broadcast on the platform that invited us this time, as the investment has already been agreed upon."
“Yuan Haoxuan has a popularity award, and Li Nan’s film that was nominated for Berlin will also be presented at an award ceremony. They will both be there. It’s a good opportunity for the entire Detective crew to be together. When the host leads the conversation, we will all cooperate and promote the film.”
Shen Li smiled slightly: "Okay."
With her makeup and styling complete, Shen Li wore a trailing red dress, her lips were rosy, her skin was as white as snow, and the curve of her wavy hair cascading to the side perfectly framed her neck.
Cheng Qingqing was wearing a black dress and her straight black hair was styled in an updo.
The two linked arms and set off, bumping into Luo Mingxiu and Liang Jin, who were also heading to their van, in the elevator.
"Hello, Mr. Shen. Hello, Mr. Cheng." The two said in unison.
Shen Li nodded. Luo Mingxiu's gaze met hers for a second before quickly looking away, continuing straight ahead until they reached the underground parking garage and got into the car. Neither of them exchanged a single word.
That's great, isn't this exactly the effect she wanted?
Ignoring the dull pain in her chest, Shen Li sat quietly and waited until the other party's van had driven away for a while before letting Xiao Yu start the car.
Red carpet moment.
As the male and female leads of an upcoming drama, Shen Li's team had communicated with Yuan Haoxuan's side in advance, and the two walked the red carpet together.
"Welcome Shen Li and her new drama's male lead Yuan Haoxuan to walk the red carpet together. What kind of work will they bring us in the new year?"
"A period detective drama that combines suspense and mystery with themes of love and friendship."
"A handsome man and a beautiful woman, a powerful combination. Looking back at their past works, I believe we don't need to say more. We look forward to their wonderful performance. Alright, you two, come to our photo-taking area..."
In the waiting area, Luo Mingxiu watched the woman's back on the red carpet, his heart pounding as if it wanted to leap out of his chest and fly to the person who made it beat faster.
Before they met, he believed he had enough confidence to continue pretending, just as Shen Li hoped, to be indifferent to her and gradually fade out of her sight.
But the encounter in the elevator was the best he could manage under his best control.
God knows, when he saw her just now, he was almost unable to think for a moment. She was so beautiful, and he had to force his eyes not to linger on her.
He was in so much pain. Shen Li said he was tormenting her, but wasn't she tormenting him too?
"Next, welcome our new actor Luo Mingxiu to the red carpet. He plays Qiao Yunfei in the movie 'Youth Diary,' a role that has showcased his talent."
"Oh, he's also a character in Teacher Shen's new play."
"Yes, in the new year, he will bring us even more surprising works, so please look forward to it..."
The hosts chatted back and forth. At that moment, Shen Li was about to walk into the inner area with the staff when she heard the introduction and looked back.
At the red carpet autograph session, Luo Mingxiu, dressed in a blue suit with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, wore the outfit with a unique sense of style. His cool and noble demeanor made her pause for a moment.
Immediately, she lowered her head and, as Luo Mingxiu turned around, casually walked past the crowd and entered the inner area.
Big names like Shen Li, who have capital, naturally sit in the front row with other company presidents or famous producers and directors.
The two people sitting in the middle are the presidents of two major media companies in the industry. Next to them are their famous directors and producers. The producer is the aunt of Yao Yunhe, a popular actress whom I met before.
Shen Li and Cheng Qingqing sat down in the two seats next to her and greeted her with smiles.
The producer tilted his head and chatted with her: "Teacher Shen, you have no idea how much Yunhe wants to see you. Her name was on the list, but unfortunately, it conflicted with an awards ceremony on TV."
Shen Li: "It's no pity. The awards over there are very prestigious. Did the role of the psychologist win? Congratulations!"
"Oh dear, after all these years, you've finally made a breakthrough in your acting skills. You must keep up the good work." Although the aunt spoke modestly, her beaming smile clearly showed her pride in her niece.
Shen Li smiled and turned her head, glancing at Luo Mingxiu sitting in the corner of the fourth row. The two looked at each other from a distance, and she was the first to look away.
Yuan Haoxuan, who was sitting behind Shen Li, happened to see this scene and turned around to wave to Luo Mingxiu behind him.
Luo Mingxiu returned a polite smile, then stared coldly at the front row. At the other end of the first row, Li Nan also took his seat with the staff.
After politely greeting the bigwigs, he bowed and said something to Chen Li, which instantly caused a stir among the audience in the back.
Luo Mingxiu stared at the front row for a long time with his deep black eyes until someone sat down next to him, at which point he looked away and went to his phone.
The pinned WeChat chat had been dormant for a long time. He opened it and saw that the chat had stopped half a month ago.
Feeling a pang of sadness and depression, he exited the app, his hand gripping the phone slightly tighter.
It hasn't been long, but what can I do? The days without being able to contact her feel so long.
The awards ceremony hosted by the platform awards all actors who attend. The awards themselves are not important; what matters is that it allows investors to see the potential of these newcomers.
Shen Li's name would never appear in such an encouraging award. Luo Mingxiu knew that she was participating in this kind of award to select actors and explore business opportunities with Cheng Qingqing.
He should feel lucky to have entered the entertainment industry and signed with her company, which gave him the opportunity to stand alongside these celebrities who were more popular than him and to appear in front of the big shots.
Otherwise, based on the low-budget film he released this year, he wouldn't be qualified to be invited at all.
All of this was brought to him by Shen Li, so he did whatever she said.
He willingly submitted to her, even while suppressing his greed.
As Luo Mingxiu lowered his head in thought, the people on the stage changed one after another. His assistant came over and nudged him, reminding him, "Brother, stop daydreaming, you're next."
"Hmm." Luo Mingxiu nodded, his gaze fixed on the awards stage, where clips of his character were playing on the big screen.
"He is Cheng An, the chivalrous swordsman in 'Yan Yun You,' a man of chivalry and tenderness; he is Qiao Yunfei, the sunny and cheerful, passionate and sincere young man in 'Youth Diary.' He is the top-grossing actor in the youth series and the most popular young actor on social media. The winner of the Newcomer of the Year award is Luo Mingxiu."
The host smiled and said, "Congratulations, Luo Mingxiu. Please come up on stage to accept your honor."
As the music for the stage performance played, the camera focused on Luo Mingxiu. He stood up and followed the cameraman's guidance. Thinking that Shen Li was watching from the front row, he couldn't help but feel nervous and quickened his pace.
He walked to the front of the stage into the light, the spotlight focusing on him, making him stand out dazzlingly.
Thunderous applause erupted, and the bigwigs in the audience whispered among themselves, beginning a small discussion.
Although Shen Li didn't want to praise him, she had to admit that Luo Mingxiu's looks were among the best of the new generation, and even among most male celebrities in the industry.
There are few works by newcomers, and discussions among established artists mostly revolve around external factors.
It was related to his appearance; as the words of praise reached her ears, she couldn't help but look at his face, a slight smile curving her lips.
Cheng Qingqing raised her phone to take a picture, and Shen Li was about to raise her hand, but then thought about it and pressed her phone down.
Cheng Qingqing noticed her action, smiled, and said, "Want the photos? I'll send them to you."
"No, who wants it?" Shen Li immediately denied it after her thoughts were guessed.
However, Cheng Qingqing knew that she was not being honest. The photo was quickly sent to her, and Shen Li saved it without expression.
On stage, Luo Mingxiu was giving his acceptance speech, thanking the platform and fans. When he mentioned thanking the company, he looked in Shen Li's direction. Suddenly, a few people left the middle of the row of seats, and Li Nan got up and sat down next to her.
He lowered his eyelashes slightly and pursed his lips: "Thank you, Qingli, thank you to my two bosses."
The host continued, "Okay, congratulations again on winning the Newcomer of the Year award. What are your wishes or expectations for the new year? You can also share them with the audience."
The microphone stand was a bit low, so Luo Mingxiu bent down to adjust it, but he couldn't get it right. The host smiled and handed him the handheld microphone.
He took the microphone, his gaze lingering on the audience again, where he noticed Shen Li slightly turned her head, whispering and laughing with the person next to her.
His heart skipped a beat, and his eyes darkened: "No."
This answer came without thinking, because the next moment, he saw a hunched-over staff member run up to the two people chatting and laughing and say something to them.
He panicked and followed the gaze.
Shen Li stood up and let Li Nan help her hold her skirt. The two of them left in a hurry, one after the other.
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