Chapter 52
The promotional task for the drama is to record a popular comedy variety show, hosted by comedy stars and regular popular celebrities.
Each episode invites guest stars to record, usually actors from dramas that are about to air or singers who are about to release a new album. They come to record in advance so that the variety show can be broadcast simultaneously with the release of their work, achieving real-time promotion.
After obtaining broadcast permission, "Detective Xie Huaixi" will be scheduled to air as soon as possible in early August, as investors and platforms are optimistic about Shen Li's ability to carry a drama.
So Cheng Qingqing quickly contacted the variety show producer and informed the other three members of the detective team to set aside time to appear on the show together.
At 1 p.m., in the dressing room backstage of the variety show, Shen Li was closing her eyes and letting the makeup artist pat and apply powder to her face.
The plane landed early this morning, and after catching up on sleep all morning, Shen Li is feeling sleepy again now that she's arrived at the scene.
She arrived half an hour earlier than the time the production team had notified her. It was quiet before everyone had arrived, so she could take a nap.
After an unknown amount of time, the makeup artist said it was done, and at the same time, footsteps came from the corridor. Shen Li opened one eye and looked out, just in time to meet Luo Mingxiu's gaze at the door.
"Coming!" Shen Li blinked, raised her arms and stretched, like a cat that had just woken up, lazy and charming.
Luo Mingxiu was so engrossed in watching that his heart skipped a beat. Just as he was about to approach, Yuan Haoxuan and Sun Qi arrived one after another behind him.
"Dude, long time no see, did you miss me?" Yuan Haoxuan put his arm around Luo Mingxiu's shoulder and led him to sit down opposite Chen Li.
Luo Mingxiu nodded, his smile fading as he faced Shen Li, not daring to show it. He simply followed Sun Qi's lead and called her "Sister Li".
This amused Shen Li, who pursed her lips and stared at him, trying not to laugh.
The two exchanged glances for a while. Because of their flirtatious exchanges, Luo Mingxiu blinked frequently. The makeup artist behind him asked with concern, "Teacher Luo, what's wrong with your eyes? Are you uncomfortable?"
"It's nothing." Luo Mingxiu's face instantly turned bright red, and Shen Li suppressed a laugh, picking up her phone and refusing to look at him.
Luo Mingxiu looked at the culprit opposite him, lowered his eyes and pondered. After a while, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, as if he was plotting something bad.
The bad idea was that before going on stage, with Yuan Haoxuan in front of her and Sun Qi behind her, Luo Mingxiu stood next to her and secretly hooked her hand in the shadows.
Shen Li swatted his hand away, but he hooked it back up. After Shen Li turned to glare at him, he pretended to have bumped into her by accident, looking away with a vengeful smirk on his lips.
"You've really gotten to you," Shen Li thought silently, making a mental note of it. "I'll see how I deal with you during the game later."
According to the variety show format, during the game segment, she was paired with Yuan Haoxuan, while Luo Mingxiu was paired with Sun Qi, and the two groups competed against each other.
Shen Li has appeared on this kind of variety show many times, and Yuan Haoxuan is also a regular guest on another show. The two cooperated well and scored two points first.
Unexpectedly, Luo Mingxiu wasn't a gaming novice either, and he quickly brought Sun Qi to a draw with them.
The two teams were evenly matched until the final game finally broke the deadlock.
In the water-splashing game, the girls are responsible for protecting their teammates and splashing water on the opponents, while the boys are responsible for answering questions and getting wet.
Before starting, Sun Qi told Luo Mingxiu frankly, "Sorry, you might get splashed a lot later. This is the first time I've played a game that tests both reaction and physical coordination."
"It's okay, just do your best." After saying that, Luo Mingxiu glanced at Shen Li sitting in front of him. He frowned and looked somber.
She was chatting and laughing happily with Yuan Haoxuan.
I have a feeling that the two of them are trying to create a romantic couple image. Their sweet interactions according to the script are one thing, but they also have great chemistry when playing games. Moreover, Shen Li is particularly competitive, and the winning team gets to perform a short skit together.
Although he knew it was all for the sake of promoting the drama, Luo Mingxiu admitted that he was still a little jealous.
If he were the male lead, he could openly chat and laugh with Shen Li, instead of having to restrain himself from secretly glancing at her here.
Completely unaware of someone's jealousy, Shen Li was still discussing with Yuan Haoxuan how they would cooperate later, while her hands didn't stop, secretly practicing the action of quickly splashing water.
She then revealed a wicked smile that seemed somewhat incongruous with her beautiful face.
Haha, Luo Mingxiu, get ready to get splashed!
Sure enough, after going on stage, Shen Li successfully splashed Luo Mingxiu repeatedly, and each time she did it cleanly. Sun Qi was caught off guard, unsure whether to grab the splash or block it, and could only silently hand tissues to her teammates.
After suppressing their emotions for so long, the Shenli team finally won a game as the competition neared its end. This was purely driven by personal emotions, a revenge against Luo Mingxiu for his sabotage before they went on stage. It was exhilarating and satisfying.
Shen Li became more and more excited as she played, and by the end of the game, Luo Mingxiu was soaked to the bone.
"Sister Li, you're amazing! I need your advice!" After announcing the scores, Sun Qi ran up to Shen Li and showered her with praise, followed by Luo Mingxiu, whose hair was completely soaked.
The host brought over a towel, which Shen Li took and handed to Luo Mingxiu: "Wipe yourself off."
This was their first close interaction throughout the entire show. Luo Mingxiu was deeply moved and quickly took the towel, standing behind the camera, drying his hair while watching Shen Li and the other guests talk.
The woman's bright smile made Luo Mingxiu stare blankly for a moment, then he smiled too.
I never expected Shen Li to be so happy after winning the game. I would have thought it would be worth it even if someone threw a bucket of water on him right now.
The recording of the program finally ended after dark.
The game segment was so exciting that Shen Li was physically and mentally exhausted after going offstage. All she wanted to do was get back to her car and fall asleep as soon as possible.
In fact, Shen Li did just that. She didn't have dinner with everyone and went straight to the garage. She didn't know where Xiao Yu was either, so she sent her a WeChat message asking her to wait for her in the car.
Shen Li quickly arrived at the parking lot, got into the car, and someone opened the car door right after her.
Shen Li turned around and saw Luo Mingxiu take off his mask, close the door, sit down next to her, and lean his head towards her.
"What?" Shen Li leaned back slightly.
"We will keep our promise," Luo Mingxiu said.
"Hmm?" Shen Li looked at his staring eyes and remembered the kiss he mentioned before he flew back.
Shen Li: "Let's talk about it another day. What if someone finds out?"
“The car windows are all closed so we can’t see anything, and your assistant is being held back by Xiao Wen,” Luo Mingxiu leaned forward. “Chen Li, don’t try to fool me. Keep your word.”
"Is that all you've got in your head?" Shen Li said speechlessly. Just like in the video that day, she reached out and kissed her own hand, then pressed it to his lips.
"Okay, that's enough." After finishing, Shen Li tried to pull her hand back, but someone grabbed it again.
“Not enough.” Luo Mingxiu looked up at her, a different emotion appearing in his eyes.
Warm breath brushed against her palms, tickling her. A blush rose to Shen Li's cheeks; she sensed something was off.
Luo Mingxiu peered through the gaps in his fingers at Shen Li's beautiful red lips, slowly approached, lowered his head, but stopped just inches away, not moving any further.
"Sister, is it okay?" he asked softly, his eyes filled with intense anticipation.
Shen Li was also aroused by him and her breath rose in her mouth. She nodded, but the next "Mmm" was blocked by his lips.
Unlike the previous forceful kiss, Luo Mingxiu was very gentle this time. He closed his eyes and carefully cupped her face, as if slowly savoring a dessert, lingering on her lips without going any deeper.
This made Shen Li feel like her heart was being scratched by a cat, and she wanted more, so she tried sticking out the tip of her tongue.
In that instant, she clearly felt Luo Mingxiu's body stiffen. He opened his eyes slightly and stopped looking at her.
"What's wrong?" Seeing him looking thoughtful, Shen Li smiled and grabbed him. "I already said it was okay, so why are you saying it's not okay now?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Mingxiu's eyes darkened completely. He grabbed her head and kissed her fiercely.
The two inside the carriage were completely out of breath, their body heat rising in a cacophony. Luo Mingxiu was infatuated with the fragrance emanating from Shen Li's lips, the scent of her filling the air.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Li's waist went limp, and as she leaned back in her seat, Luo Mingxiu was also lying in her arms. Her hair was loose, her eyes were hazy, and her gaze was seductive.
Upon seeing this scene, Luo Mingxiu's Adam's apple bobbed violently. He buried his head in her shoulder, took a deep breath, and then looked up, his gaze lingering on her snow-white neck. His chest heaved, and his eyes were unfocused.
Shen Li was in the same state. She sat up halfway, lifted Luo Mingxiu's chin with her hand, and reached for him again.
Their lips met, and they kissed again, reluctant to part...
It wasn't until the phone rang that Shen Li snapped out of her reverie and began to push Luo Mingxiu away, her voice broken: "That's enough, Xiaoyu should be coming back soon."
Luo Mingxiu lightly touched her lips, bit them, sucked on them, and continued kissing her.
"I said stop." Shen Li pushed him away with all her might and gave him a flick on the forehead.
Luo Mingxiu was forcibly separated from her, his eyes still heavy with tears. He stared at her lips: "Your lipstick is smudged."
"It's not all your fault." Shen Li glared at him, then reached for her bag to find a mirror.
"I'll help you." Luo Mingxiu placed his hand above her lips and gently wiped away the red stains that had spread around them.
Shen Li's heart was pounding, still immersed in the intense afterglow of the previous encounter.
She noticed a bit of lipstick on Luo Mingxiu's lips, so she took out a wet wipe and wiped it off for him. After wiping it off, she casually tugged at his disheveled clothes.
"Alright, hurry back to your car," Shen Li urged him.
Luo Mingxiu turned around, his hand pausing by the door before looking back at her, the faint blush still lingering on her neck: "Chen Li, are you happy this time? I didn't force you."
Is this a consequence of her hiding from me for so long?
Shen Li smiled, then she stood up slightly, kissed him on the cheek, and finally helped him put his mask back on: "Yes, I'm very happy that you didn't force me."
.
After seeing Luo Mingxiu off, Shen Li picked up a mirror and wiped the shine off her lips again, then combed her messy hair.
Outside the car, a light rain knocked twice on the door: "Sister Li, has she left?"
Shen Li's face flushed slightly: "Let's go, get in the car."
Xiaoyu then opened the door and got into the driver's seat, glancing at the people in the back seat through the rearview mirror.
Seeing her sneaking around, Shen Li curled her lips and said, "What are you doing? If you want to look, just look openly."
"I'm still not quite used to it. Xiaowen, what are you thinking about while you're holding me back?" Xiaoyu turned around, scratching her head sheepishly. "Um, sis? You guys are making such a quick progress."
"What progress?" Shen Li asked in confusion, then glared at her. "What are you talking about? What are you thinking? We just kissed."
"Oh," Xiaoyu blinked, "I didn't say anything else, did I?"
"If you didn't say anything, hurry up and drive. I'm going to take a nap." After saying that, Shen Li closed her eyes. She didn't even need to look to know that her face was so red that she couldn't be seen by anyone.
The car drove smoothly on the road. Shen Li was half-lying down, feeling drowsy, but her phone kept ringing with messages, so she had to keep her eyes open and reply.
Luo Mingxiu: Can we video chat when we arrive?
Shen Li poked two words: No, sleepy
Luo Mingxiu sent a teary-eyed emoji.
Chen Li was speechless: You've been recording a show all day, aren't you tired?
Luo Mingxiu: I probably won't be able to sleep tonight.
Shen Li yawned: "So excited about a kiss? You should kiss less often in the future, it's bad for your health to have insomnia."
Luo Mingxiu: No, I can sleep.
Shen Li was so tired that her brain had automatically shut down, and the words in front of her began to blur. She put down her phone, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
When I checked my phone again, it was the next day, dawn.
Yesterday, Luo Mingxiu probably guessed that she had fallen asleep, and only sent her a goodnight message.
Shen Li checked the time; it was 9:30. She should be up by now. She opened a voice message: "Good morning, did you sleep well?"
After sending the message, Shen Li went to wash up. Xiao Yu had stayed at her house last night, and breakfast had already been bought.
After finishing breakfast, Shen Li checked her phone again, but there was still no reply? Could it be that she really had insomnia and only went to bed in the morning?
Xiaoyu, sitting on the sofa, looked over and asked, "Sister Li, your flight is at six in the afternoon. Are you going to the company to see Sister Qingqing?"
“Go.” Shen Li got up. She was going to check on the artists department too. Luo Mingxiu would be going back to the company to work after the drama wrapped up. If no one was there, he was probably catching up on sleep because he had insomnia last night.
"We'll pack our luggage and head straight to the airport when it's time."
She heard Xiaoyu's reply from behind and walked towards the bedroom. She was only staying for one night, so she used a small suitcase with not much stuff in it.
She put her clothes and toiletries inside, sat in front of the mirror to put on makeup, then packed her cosmetics into her bag, and she was all packed.
Picking up her phone, Shen Li scanned the bedroom to check if anything was missing, her gaze falling on the pear-shaped bag on the cabinet.
Shen Li smiled slightly, walked closer and opened it. Inside, the hairband, bracelet and keychain that Luo Mingxiu had made by hand lay quietly.
She rarely carried this bag before, and she hardly ever touched the little things inside.
It wasn't that she didn't like it, but she thought that Luo Mingxiu would have someone he loved in the future, and such a thoughtful gift should be given to his girlfriend, not to her, his older sister.
Shen Li only allowed herself to accept it that one time, so she cherished it all the more, because once it was broken or lost, it would never be available again.
Now, Shen Li adorned herself with all her belongings, stuffed the bag in her hand into her suitcase, and slung the pear-shaped bag made by Luo Mingxiu over her shoulder.
She was his girlfriend, so of course he didn't feel any pressure.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
