Chapter 49
After arriving in Y City, Shen Li finally understood why Cheng Qingqing didn't want to go back. The filming location was a seaside town on the outskirts of the city, which was so beautiful and far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
As the car approached the town, Shen Li couldn't help but look out the window. The sky was a clear, deep blue, and the sea met the horizon, a scene straight out of a Japanese anime.
The messages kept coming in, and Cheng Qingqing sent a picture of a table full of grilled skewers. The tempting plates of skewers made her swallow hard.
The restaurant was not far from their guesthouse; it was just along the beach.
Cheng Qingqing, her assistant, and Chun Chun sat by the window, waving to them through the transparent glass.
"Oh, Chun Chun, it's been so long! I've missed you." Shen Li walked over and hugged Chun Chun.
She was her executive agent, and usually followed Cheng Qingqing's arrangements, specifically handling business connections and acting opportunities for Shen Li.
In the early years of her career, Cheng Qingqing was the only person by her side, and she did all the work.
After Qingli was established, Cheng Qingqing shifted her focus to company management, production and investment, so she gradually started training others to do the talent agency work.
"Sister Li," Chun Chun said, a little embarrassed.
Cheng Qingqing said in a strange tone, "Oh, haven't we seen each other in a long time? Don't you miss me?"
"Think about it." Shen Li went over and hugged her again, then sat down beside her.
"Here, these are what I picked out for you. I was afraid we'd all be gone if you came too late." Cheng Qingqing had grilled all her favorite meats and vegetables and placed them on a separate plate.
"Thanks." Shen Li took a skewer of beef and ate it; the aroma of caramelized beef was rich and strong.
"It tastes good, doesn't it?" Cheng Qingqing stared at her. "I've eaten here several times this month."
With her mouth full of meat juice, Shen Li could only nod. After finishing her meal, she grabbed a skewer of potatoes.
She looked out the window at the blue sea and sky, at the small island in the sea, where a flock of white gulls was flying towards the island.
"Can we go to that island?" Shen Li asked.
Cheng Qingqing: "Sure, I'll take you there after we eat, and we can take a stroll around the town while we're at it."
The phone screen on the table lit up. Shen Li glanced at it and picked it up. It was a message from Li Nan.
Li Nan: Have we arrived?
Shen Li: Yes, I'm having dinner with Qingqing.
Li Nan: Okay, you guys enjoy your meal. I just finished dealing with some things and can't take you to see the venues I selected. I told President Cheng in advance to show them to you.
Shen Li: It's okay, you should get some rest.
After replying to the message, Shen Li put down her phone and continued eating.
"Li Nan?" Cheng Qingqing asked.
"Yes, he said you'd take me to see the venue." Remembering a previous venue rental issue that someone in the crew's group chat had mentioned, Shen Li asked again, "Is it because the previous rental issue hasn't been resolved yet?"
Cheng Qingqing: "There was no way to communicate about that. The house was the most suitable for the script, but the owner suddenly had other uses for it. He even offered to pay compensation to make us withdraw. There was no other way. Li Nan worked through the night to find another location and re-set the scene. He has been dealing with this for almost a week and hasn't slept much."
“He’s worked so hard.” Shen Li picked up her phone again. “Has he eaten yet? Should we pack some food for him to take home later?”
“I don’t think so,” Cheng Qingqing said. “Let’s take a walk around and ask him again. Let him catch up on his sleep for now.”
Shen Li thought for a moment and then closed the message interface.
Cheng Qingqing raised an eyebrow, looking like she was looking for gossip.
"What's with that expression?" Shen Li said. "I'm just showing normal concern as a friend, okay?"
“I know you don’t have feelings for him,” Cheng Qingqing said, “but if you really don’t have anyone you like, you could give it a try. Dating is different from being friends. What if things start to develop…”
Shen Li stopped what she was doing and looked over: "That's strange. Why did you suddenly say that? Did Li Nan say something to you?"
"No way," Cheng Qingqing quickly picked up a piece of meat for her, "I'm not going to say anything more, just eat, eat, eat."
Shen Li stared at her, her tone somewhat sharp: "Confess honestly."
Cheng Qingqing put down her chopsticks: "Oh dear, we see each other all the time at work. Whenever I talk to Li Nan, he always steers the conversation towards you. How did you refuse him? He's still not giving up."
"Knowing we have a good relationship, he wanted to make his move on me. For the past month, he's treated me to meals every week and bought me things I like. Wouldn't I feel guilty if I didn't say something nice for him?"
"It's all because of you, you bad woman, that I've attracted all these suitors," Cheng Qingqing said, sounding aggrieved. "I'm so annoyed I don't know what to do anymore, and you're still angry with me."
Shen Li didn't expect Li Nan to go this far. It's not a good feeling to have your feelings affect the people around you. It seems that she needs to have a good talk with Li Nan.
After dinner, Xiaoyu and the others went back to the guesthouse first, while she and Cheng Qingqing walked in the other direction, one after the other, without saying a word for a while.
Seeing that Cheng Qingqing was still angry, Shen Li stepped forward, took her arm, and poked her puffed-up cheek: "Qingqing, I was wrong."
"I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. You could have told me about this sooner in the future."
Cheng Qingqing: "Aren't you focused on dance training? I don't want to distract you with these trivial matters, so I'll help you block them if I can."
Shen Li: "Okay, okay, thank you, baby."
“I was also at fault in this matter,” Cheng Qingqing said, her tone softening.
“I know you don’t like him and I shouldn’t try to change your decision, but don’t blame him. I said all this just because I was being nosy. He didn’t ask me to say anything. He was just trying to find out if you have anyone else you like.”
"Also, Luo Mingxiu probably already knew he liked you. He asked me a lot about your past with Luo Mingxiu, and he seemed to care a lot about it. I think it's hard for him to let you go."
“I’ll have a serious talk with him later,” Shen Li said. “Li Nan is a very good person, and I don’t want him to continue like this. He’ll only hurt himself.”
"How should I put it? It's troublesome. Why don't you start dating someone now? Maybe that will make him give up."
Cheng Qingqing said half-jokingly, and Shen Li beside her gradually slowed down her pace.
Shen Li: "I'm actually thinking about that now."
"Um, wait, what did you say?" Cheng Qingqing stopped, turned to face her, and covered her mouth in surprise.
"You wouldn't be..."
"Yes, I have someone I like." Shen Li also stopped. She knew that Cheng Qingqing had already guessed, and she simply confirmed her guess.
"Luo Mingxiu".
Cheng Qingqing was stunned for a long time, then suddenly smiled with relief.
"I noticed a long time ago that you two were a bit ambiguous. You're thinking about him all the time, but he still won't admit it. It's true that the younger brother is more likely to win over our Pear's heart."
Shen Li didn't expect her reaction: "Aren't you angry?"
Cheng Qingqing wrapped her arms around her neck: "Angry? Why would I be angry? Do you think it's still like when you first started out, when I would feel like the sky was falling if you wanted to date? Now that you're successful, I wouldn't mind if you dated ten or eight people. It's just that you have so little dating experience. That damn Fang Wei wasted so much of your youth."
"However, Luo Mingxiu is still far from good enough. In outsiders' eyes, he's not a good match for you, but for me, as long as you like him, it's not a problem. Anyway, Liang Jin already told me that he doesn't care about fame. You two can date, but as for going public, we'll have to wait until Luo Mingxiu is more stable..."
"You're thinking too far ahead." Shen Li lowered her head. "I'm still not sure whether I should tell him how I feel. I don't think he likes me that much."
Cheng Qingqing laughed: "Are you joking?"
"He's practically wagging his tail around like a dog when he sees you, even more obviously than Li Nan. Do you really think I didn't notice just because I didn't talk to you about him much?"
Shen Li blushed slightly: "It's not that exaggerated."
Cheng Qingqing took out her phone: "If you don't believe me, I'll make a call now and tell him how you feel, then you'll know if I'm exaggerating."
Shen Li pressed her hand down and told her everything about the live broadcast that day, as well as her feelings towards Yao Yunhe.
"...And so, I felt their relationship was developing faster than I had imagined."
Cheng Qingqing laughed so hard she almost fell over, and it took her a while to stop: "Hahahaha, my goodness, Chen Li, why are you acting like you've never been in a relationship before? Don't you know you're jealous?"
"They didn't know each other before filming. They probably got to know each other better by acting together. Luo Mingxiu has liked you for more than just a day or two, right? How could he fall for someone else so easily?"
Shen Li blushed with embarrassment at her mockery and squatted down, feeling utterly ashamed.
“Simple. I’ll call Liang Jin and ask him to check with Luo Mingxiu’s assistant to see what Luo Mingxiu is like on set, and whether he and Yao Yunhe are having an affair.” Cheng Qingqing said, taking out her phone again.
Shen Li immediately stood up and snatched her phone: "I'm really impressed by you."
The phone wasn't unlocked at all; Cheng Qingqing was just trying to scare her.
“Actually, I understand what you’re thinking,” Cheng Qingqing said seriously. “You were so heartless before, saying it was impossible, never possible, but now you regret it and are too embarrassed to admit it, right?”
“Think about your relationship,” Cheng Qingqing raised her left hand in front of her eyes, “You are here,” she gestured with her right hand to her waist, “and he is in this position.”
She slowly lowered her left hand: "The simplest way for you two to take things further right now is for you to come here and clearly tell him that you like him."
“It’s not enough for him to figure it out on his own,” Cheng Qingqing said seriously and realistically. “Chen Li, I know you don’t think much about the differences in status between people, but it’s a fact that you and Luo Mingxiu are not equal, and this inequality may last for a long time.”
He needs to look up to you, so why don't you bend down and beckon him, making it easier for him to reach you and climb faster?
Shen Li thought there was some truth to it, but didn't show it: "You yourself are unsettled in your love life, yet you analyze me so eloquently."
Cheng Qingqing laughed: "Just because I'm single now doesn't mean I haven't dated. Although I'm not getting married, I have quite a rich dating history. I'm more than qualified to be your mentor. It's precisely because I can't seem to find the right person that I find mutual affection so precious."
These words stirred up Shen Li's emotions. After Fang Wei, she was afraid to start a relationship, but she didn't want to miss out on someone she really liked.
Cheng Qingqing: "Alright, that's all I wanted to say from the bottom of my heart. I'm getting a little cheesy. What you do next is up to you."
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