Chapter 78
I told Luo Mingxiu the news, and he replied instantly, sending two identical messages: Congratulations!
Shen Li: Why did you send it twice? Did you press the wrong button?
Pear's Little Dog: The first time was a sincere congratulation, the second time was a sincere congratulation tinged with gritted teeth.
Why are you going around in circles reciting tongue twisters?
Shen Li imagined his expression and laughed out loud: I deliberately told you in advance so you wouldn't be jealous.
Pear's puppy: I'm not that jealous.
Shen Li: ? ? You'd better be
When they got back, Luo Mingxiu took her out for a delicious meal, then held her tightly, whispering in her ear, "I really wanted to go with you."
She was not disappointed.
This is so Luo Mingxiu.
"Have you finished your business?" Shen Li smiled and patted his face, then propped herself up and leaned over the bed to touch her phone. "Actually, I really wanted you to go too. How about next year? Whether you have any works nominated or not, I'll take you there."
Luo Mingxiu didn't speak, but stared intently at her.
Although Cannes Film Festival professionals and ordinary people can buy tickets to attend every year, Luo Mingxiu still wants to have a film to show for him, rather than just showing his face on the red carpet.
Including this time, Shen Li's works have been nominated for Cannes six times and she has won Best Actress once. These are all the results of her courageous attempts and active exploration of the international market.
Klaus Weber's film is undoubtedly a great opportunity to quickly rise in the ranks.
He knew it very well.
But……
"Hey, I found it," Shen Li said, pulling her phone out from under the bed. "It fell here. That's why I couldn't find it for so long."
"Shen Li, if I..."
The ringing of the bell interrupted Luo Mingxiu's words.
"I'll take this call." Shen Li hesitated for a few seconds after seeing the caller ID, but still answered.
"Hey, Li Nan?" She glanced at Luo Mingxiu and saw that his eyebrows were furrowed and his expression immediately turned fierce.
Shen Li turned on speakerphone.
"I sent you a few messages but didn't reply. I was afraid you didn't receive them, so I called to let you know..." Li Nan was only talking about the submission and shortlisting of his work, and didn't mention anything else.
It's said that he has a chance to compete for both Best Director and Best Actress awards, and he might stay in Cannes for a few more days until the final stages of the film festival, so that Shen Li can prepare a few more speeches.
Shen Li noted everything down to indicate that she understood, and then ended the call.
"Can you win Best Actress?" Luo Mingxiu had taken in the main point of their conversation, his expression softened considerably, and he looked at her expectantly.
“There is hope,” Shen Li said, scrolling through the list of films Li Nan had sent her. “Two domestic films were nominated this time, and the other one stars two veteran actors who were nominated last year. I think they have a better chance of winning than I do.”
"Who knows until the very end?" Luo Mingxiu excitedly pecked Shen Li's cheek. "I'll be watching the whole film festival livestream, but... the final segment will take a long time over there, right?"
“About ten days,” Shen Li said, noticing that Luo Mingxiu’s mood had dropped again. She added, “I won’t be alone. Cheng Qingqing will be going with me. If she misses me, she can video call me. Just remember the time difference.”
“Hmm,” Luo Mingxiu pursed his lips and said, “After you go there, I may send you messages frequently. You don’t have to reply, but don’t find me annoying. I can’t let another man steal your attention for so many days.”
"Whatever you want," Shen Li said, affectionately pinching his cheek. "Oh, by the way, did you and I have anything you wanted to say to me just now?"
Her reminder brought the movie audition back into his mind, and Luo Mingxiu felt a heavy weight in his heart.
He himself hadn't figured this out, so it was best not to tell Shen Li for the time being.
“It’s nothing,” Luo Mingxiu said. “I just feel uneasy about the thought of you seeing Li Nan, after all, he pursued you.”
"Hmph, and you still say you don't get jealous?" Shen Li turned around and reached out to hook his chin.
"What are you doing?" Luo Mingxiu was stunned by her sudden action.
"What do you think?" Her breath was close, brushing from his brow to the bridge of his nose, lingering on his lips.
Luo Mingxiu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her waist, closing his eyes to enjoy her sweet kiss.
“Mingxiu”.
"Um?"
“Look at me.”
Luo Mingxiu obediently opened his eyes, only to see Shen Li's hand slowly moving downwards, her smile captivating: "Let's do it again."
...
Two days later, Shen Li, Cheng Qingqing, and their team traveled to France. Meanwhile, news spread online that "Breaking the Cocoon" had been nominated and that Shen Li would win her second Cannes Best Actress award.
After landing, photos of Shen Li and Li Nan meeting quickly spread online, and their names and their CP name once again became trending topics.
[Oh God, we're finally reunited! I knew they wouldn't have a bad ending!]
[The rumors about Shen Li and Luo Mingxiu are definitely false; Nan Li is the real one.]
[Each shines brightly, meeting at the summit]
[Nanri will never be a tragic love story!]
...
After finishing his live stream with the brand, Luo Mingxiu got into his car and was about to message Shen Li to ask if she had arrived when he saw a notification pop up: Shen Li landed in F country and had a close hug with Li Nan.
Luo Mingxiu clicked on it and saw a GIF of the two embracing.
There was no 'intimate' hug, just a slight, polite embrace. Didn't you see that Shen Li's hand was separated from his clothes?
Marketing accounts will come up with these sensational headlines.
I turned off the image, and then I saw the trending topic again, and a group of people in the comments section getting excited about Shen Li and an unrelated man.
Luo Mingxiu snorted and curled his lips.
What do you mean "never to break up"? It's already broken up!
Just wait, sooner or later I'll show you ignorant people who the real boyfriend is.
Out of sight, out of mind. Luo Mingxiu logged out of Weibo and sent a message to Shen Li: Have you arrived at the hotel? What time does it open?
Pear the Puppy: We've arrived. The opening is at 7 PM, it'll probably be midnight where you are, so don't stay up late to watch it.
Luo Mingxiu: It's okay, I don't have any plans tomorrow.
After finishing typing, he switched to the work group and confirmed that he would have a day off tomorrow.
When I switched back, I saw that the operations team posted a few retouched photos of him from today's live stream. This live stream was one of his more handsome looks in recent photos.
He forwarded it to Shen Li as well.
Puppy's Pear: Stop spamming!
Luo Mingxiu continued typing: I saw you and Li Nan trending on social media.
Puppy's Pear: What does this have to do with the picture you posted?
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end. Luo Mingxiu tapped her profile picture, waiting for a reply.
The puppy's pear: starry eyes.jpg
Pear the puppy: Wow, brother, you're so handsome!
Upon seeing the reply, Luo Mingxiu raised an eyebrow and said into his phone, "I'd like to hear the voice message for the last sentence."
The puppy's pear: Dream on!
The Cannes Film Festival opened at 7 p.m. local time.
In the early hours of the morning in China, people who were sleeping turned off their alarms, quickly got up, turned on their computers, and went to the official website.
The red carpet live stream began, with directors and actors from various countries entering in turn. The background audio featured the host's introductions in French, and the platform also hired an English host for the convenience of viewers.
International superstars were entering first. While waiting, Luo Mingxiu switched between different camera angles in the live stream to see if Shen Li would be on camera.
After waiting for half an hour, a slender figure finally appeared in the waiting area, and the camera slowly zoomed in on her face.
Shen Li wore a high-end retro-style long dress, simple and elegant in silver-white, and her hairstyle was also a simple updo, which perfectly showed her delicate bone structure.
The camera zoomed in to focus on her; she bowed slightly and smiled faintly. For a moment, Luo Mingxiu, watching on the screen, held his breath for a second.
What a nice view!
The host interspersed the word "beautiful" every few sentences, expressing his true feelings.
In fact, Shen Li's makeup was very light, and her lip color was a sophisticated nude color, but even in this kind of setting, she had a unique charm under the spotlight.
It has a cinematic feel.
Her look tonight perfectly captures the spirit of her character in the movie—pure yet resilient.
From waiting in the wings to switching camera positions and entering the venue, Luo Mingxiu's eyes never left the screen. His hand even skillfully pressed the screen recording shortcut, as if he had returned to before he entered the industry.
He recorded every highlight of Shen Li on the red carpet, put them into his own editing footage, and watched them repeatedly.
Upon entering the venue, they saw Shen Li walking towards Li Nan. The two linked arms and walked together to the center of the red carpet to be photographed by media from all directions.
With no solo shots, Luo Mingxiu lost interest and pressed the stop recording button. From then on, the live broadcast focused on the opening ceremony and no longer showed the audience.
He lay back down on the bed and watched the red carpet video he had just recorded several more times. He sent two messages to Shen Li, and while fighting off sleep to wait for a reply, he unknowingly fell asleep.
Pear's Little Dog: My girlfriend looked so beautiful on the red carpet.
Pear's puppy: I miss you
After the opening ceremony, Shen Li finally got her phone. Just as she was about to make a video call, she thought about the time difference in China and realized that her puppy should be sleeping, so she didn't disturb him.
I called him the next day after I got up.
The connection was established, and Luo Mingxiu's body came into view. He was wearing a white fitted vest and holding a clothesline pole in his hand.
"Have you done the laundry?" Although Shen Li asked this question, her eyes couldn't help but fall on his firm muscles, which were faintly visible through his vest. A thin layer of sweat made them look even more alluring.
"Hmm." Luo Mingxiu finished hanging up the clothes, picked up his phone, and pointed the camera upwards at his face, just in time to capture Shen Li's focused expression.
"What are you looking at?" He smiled.
Shen Li's face flushed slightly, and she looked away: "How did washing clothes get so tiring? You're sweating so much."
"I just threw the clothes in the washing machine, then I went to exercise for a bit," Luo Mingxiu said, coming inside from the balcony and leaning against the sofa. "Um..."
His voice became muffled, and he pretended not to care, "What did you and Li Nan talk about after you walked the red carpet?"
"I didn't say much, I was watching the film intently," Shen Li replied truthfully.
Luo Mingxiu was satisfied: "Okay, keep it like this. You're not allowed to reminisce with him about the past, go out to eat and catch up or anything like that."
Shen Li leaned closer: "We can leave the past out of the way, but if we're talking about food, we'll be having lunch together later."
"Huh?" Luo Mingxiu's lips immediately drooped.
That same expression again, changing her face faster than anyone else. Shen Li chuckled, "Can you please stop being so jealous? We're not just two people, we have two teams, and Cheng Qingqing is going too. She's a film director, after all. It's only polite to treat everyone to dinner after being nominated. And if she actually wins an award, there might even be a celebration banquet."
“I understand,” Luo Mingxiu said, looking at her intently. “Then you mustn’t drink alcohol.”
"Well..." Shen Li seemed to be thinking.
"Chen Li—" Luo Mingxiu's voice softened as he unleashed his coquettish charm.
"Okay, okay, I won't drink, I won't even touch the glass, I promise you, alright?" Chen
"good."
The call ended, but Luo Mingxiu was still feeling annoyed that they were going to have a meal together and meet every day for so many days.
Shen Li has only been abroad for a few days, but he feels like his heart has flown away with her. Every day he longs for her to come back quickly. If he were to go abroad and be separated for so long, would Shen Li feel the same way?
Luo Mingxiu picked up the script he had printed out earlier from the bedside table and flipped through it page by page, feeling uneasy.
I feel like I can't live without her.
.
On the other side, at Liang Jin's house.
On their day off, not only was Liang Jin at home, but Meng Yaxin also happened to be back from abroad and was relaxing at home adjusting to the time difference.
After their lunch break, the two snuggled together against the headboard, playing on their phones.
Meng Yaxin scrolled through the list of nominees for this year's Cannes Film Festival, sighing as she read, "I wish I could have a film nominated for Cannes someday. This director, Li Nanzhuan, is even more popular than when he was acting. He was nominated for Berlin last time, and now he's nominated for Cannes."
“With such good looks, why doesn’t he focus on being an actor and instead tries to steal my wife’s job?” Liang Jin clicked his tongue, then turned and kissed Meng Yaxin. “I think you’re a better actor than him.”
"Ugh, so annoying," Meng Yaxin complained. "Come on, all you do is try to appease me."
"It's not about stealing jobs. There's a wide variety of themes, and it's a good thing that more domestic films and television shows are gaining international recognition. When I went to the international film festival this time, I saw that there were too few domestic works. I'm the only new generation director, and I don't know anyone to talk to."
Liang Jin: "If you don't know anyone, then get to know people you don't know well. The more people you get to know, the more familiar you'll become. Didn't you get to know Klaus Weber?"
Meng Yaxin: "This is the most worthwhile place I went to this time. At least it let the director know about your Xiao Luo, right? So, is he preparing the script yet?"
“Speaking of this, I get angry,” Liang Jin shifted and sat up straighter. “He told me I wasn’t suitable for the role and gave a whole bunch of reasons, but guess what the real reason was?”
Meng Yaxin tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Because of Shen Li?"
Liang Jin: "You guessed right."
Meng Yaxin scoffed: "Did you tell Shen Li? With such a good opportunity, she'll definitely drag him to the audition if she has to."
“Sigh,” Liang Jin sighed, “the two are a couple. I wanted Luo Mingxiu to say it himself, but he’s probably still hesitating and hasn’t said it yet.”
“This won’t do. It’s such a big deal. It’s not right for you to keep it a secret.” Meng Yaxin frowned. “This can’t be delayed. You’re his manager. You can make some decisions for him.”
"Director Weber is very strict with auditions. He can tell at a glance whether an actor has any distractions. He won't hire someone who lacks determination."
“You can’t go along with him. He said he’s considering it, which means he’s reluctant to go abroad to film. He won’t be able to prepare seriously, and if he misses the opportunity, Shen Li and he will have a bigger conflict. President Cheng will also blame you.”
Liang Jin's expression was serious: "What you said makes sense. I'll call President Cheng right now to report this."
Meng Yaxin: "Yes, I happen to be right next to you. After all, I was the one who brought this opportunity here. If President Cheng has any questions, I can explain to her."
The call was connected.
A voice came from the other end: "Hey Liang Jin, what's up?"
"Hey, Mr. Cheng, excuse me, I have something important to tell you. Luo Mingxiu has a foreign film project, and he'll be auditioning at the end of next month. The director is Klaus Weber, and we've already got the script."
"Klaus Weber?" Cheng Qingqing exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"
Meng Yaxin patted Liang Jin, signaling him to hand her the phone.
“President Cheng, this opportunity is related to my wife. I’ll have her explain it to you in detail.” Liang Jin handed his phone to Meng Yaxin.
Meng Yaxin told Cheng Qingqing the whole story.
"...crime themes are also quite consistent with his work experience."
Meng Yaxin: "Yes, Xiao Luo still has a lot of advantages, which is why I said I should tell you sooner."
“No, how come you…” Liang Jin nudged Meng Yaxin’s arm.
“We have to be direct to solve the fundamental problem,” Meng Yaxin told him.
Upon hearing the voice on the other end of the phone, Cheng Qingqing guessed, "Did the director contact you a while ago? Does Xiao Luo know about it too? Is he hesitant?"
Meng Yaxin: "Yes, that's right. I'm sure you've heard about that director's filming style. This is a big-budget film, so it's bound to take a long time."
"It's only natural that Xiao Luo is considering his relationship with President Shen and doesn't want to be apart for so long. I think it's best for you to know about this as soon as possible. You should explain the pros and cons to him."
“Thank you, Director Meng. You did the right thing,” Cheng Qingqing said. “I’ll pass this on to Shen Li right away. Liang Jin, please send me the director’s script and related materials. We’ll talk about the rest when we get back.”
"Okay, Mr. Cheng." Liang Jin ended the call.
A short while later, Shen Li sent a message.
Shen Li: Don't tell Luo Mingxiu I know about the audition.
Shen Li: I'll give him some more time and see if he'll tell me on his own before he goes back to China.
Liang Jin: Okay
"Is she angry?" Liang Jin showed the message to his wife.
Meng Yaxin glanced at him and said, "It's on the verge of exploding. Now we just need to see if Luo Mingxiu will confess. I don't think he will."
Liang Jin: "Then we're doomed."
He hasn't replied to my messages for three days, and he won't answer my video calls.
Luo Mingxiu felt a little uneasy. He watched the Cannes live broadcast every night, trying to find Shen Li.
He only felt relieved when he occasionally caught glimpses of her in the camera's lens, seeing her bright eyes smiling and still radiant.
Perhaps I'm just too busy.
Soon, "Breaking the Cocoon" was selected for the competition, bringing the total number of films shortlisted to fifteen.
On the final night, the official results were announced. Li Nan won the Best Director award, while Shen Li, as she had predicted, narrowly lost to another domestic film's Best Actress, a film starring two veteran actors who both won Best Actor and Best Actress awards.
Those online who had been pushing for Shen Li to win her second Cannes Best Actress award saw that this hadn't happened and began to mock her, saying that her acting skills had indeed declined since she got married and hadn't acted much.
Luo Mingxiu blocked everyone and sent a message to Shen Li: Congratulations on your nomination, in my heart you are the best actress.
After waiting for a while, there was still no response. He checked Shen Li's Moments, but there were no updates.
The Weibo account that he was being followed reminded him that he had just posted a Weibo message.
Shen Li V: It's an honor that "Breaking the Cocoon" was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival. Congratulations to @Wang Yilin and @Chen Shuxian for winning Best Actor and Best Actress on behalf of Chinese films. Congratulations to @Li Nan for winning Best Director. Director Li is amazing!
The accompanying images and text are very official, probably posted in response to a trending topic.
Luo Mingxiu gave it a thumbs up, then saw the interaction between Li Nan and Shen Li in the comments section. He switched back to check his WeChat messages, but still hadn't replied.
He felt a pang of unease, reflecting on the chat history he hadn't replied to in the past few days. A chill ran through him, and he suddenly remembered something, about to make a call.
Shen Li replied with a voice message.
"Luo Mingxiu, are you hiding something from me?"
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