Chapter 83
Just four words made Luo Mingxiu's blood boil instantly. When he drove to the villa, Shen Li in the passenger seat was fast asleep, her eyelashes obediently pressed against her skin, and her breathing even.
Today's birthday party is also a celebration for her. The guests who come to talk to her all give the same answers. Dealing with repetitive things is bound to be boring and tiring.
Luo Mingxiu walked to the other side, opened the car door, gently picked her up, and stepped into the elevator. Shen Li opened her eyes groggily and found herself in a familiar and strong embrace. She buried her head and leaned in comfortably.
Her head nuzzled against him, and Luo Mingxiu subtly raised his arm, holding the person in his arms even tighter.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Shen Li tilted her head back slightly, unbuttoned the buttons that were right in front of her, revealing the muscles hidden under the collar of his suit. Then she leaned closer, her eyelashes fluttering, and blew a breath onto his chest.
“Chen Li…” Luo Mingxiu’s voice became deep. He tensed up and rushed to the bedroom.
The two of them fell into bed together. The soft bed made Shen Li let out a comfortable sigh. She smiled, her curly hair spread out on the quilt like a blooming flower, and the thin chain on her collarbone shone with a silver luster under the light.
She raised her hand to stroke Luo Mingxiu's hair, from his forehead to behind his ears, her fingertips gently tracing the path, like playing a piano.
Luo Mingxiu was mesmerized. He ripped off his clothes, threw them aside, and leaned down to kiss them gently and slowly.
As she descended, Shen Li couldn't help but tilt her head back, clutching the blanket tightly, until she felt her breath lingering in one spot for too long.
“That’s enough,” she said, her eyes slightly red, looking at him breathlessly. “You don’t have to be so gentle.”
Luo Mingxiu's eyes darkened, his breathing became heavy, and he lifted her sweaty hair behind her ear: "Do you know what you're saying?"
“I know,” Shen Li said, biting her lip, her eyes shimmering with a watery light. “Hurry up.”
After she finished speaking, her lips were sealed, and her whole body was lifted up and tilted towards him. He supported himself on the bed with one hand and held her waist with the other.
He completely controlled her, admiring her expression, his eyes burning with passion. Shen Li clung tightly to his back, then, weakened, began to scratch: "Wait..."
"Hmm?" Luo Mingxiu chuckled lightly, "Is it fast or slow?"
“You didn’t have to be so gentle,” he said, carrying her to the window and kissing the back of her neck. His hot breath sent shivers down her spine. “Lili, shall we try it here too?”
"Hmm..." Shen Li couldn't answer, she just shook her head, feeling him hug her tightly, feeling the cold necklace pendant hitting her back again and again.
"Chen Li, I love you."
"I love you."
"I love you."
He repeated those three words over and over, then turned her face and kissed her deeply: "Call me by my name, say you love me."
"Um……"
"Chen Li, say you love me." He lingered mischievously, teasing her, wanting to hear her say those three words.
"I love you."
"Speak louder, say it again."
As night fell, the shadowy figures on the glass gradually blurred in her vision. Shen Li turned her head with difficulty, and her lips touched his face.
"I love you, Luo Mingxiu."
...
The plane soared through the sky, sunlight pierced through the morning mist and poured down. Shen Li watched the white contrail gradually disappear into the clouds, then turned and went back into the house.
After she fell into a deep sleep that night, Luo Mingxiu seemed to whisper something in her ear, but she couldn't hear it clearly.
She shook her head, her steps a little weak, and walked to the mirror. Sure enough, her shoulders, neck, and chest were covered with hickeys of all sizes.
Last night was too crazy. Perhaps the emotions of parting had piled up to the peak. She liked Luo Mingxiu's recklessness and wanted him to leave his mark on her body.
But it was too obvious; she had forgotten she had work to do today.
A WeChat notification sounded, and coincidentally, the executive broker sent a message.
Chun Chun: Sister Li, there's an interview with Company A this afternoon, remember to come to the company!
Shen Li replied with a "good" and carefully selected several summer outfits. Even changing them back and forth couldn't hide the heat. What if she wore long sleeves and pants? She looked at the bright sunshine outside; even the summer wind felt hot.
Looking at her schedule again, she breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, before joining the crew next month, she only had a few interviews and didn't need to go on location, so she could dress more conservatively.
She put on a blue shirt and white trousers, took off the necklace Luo Mingxiu had given her and put it in a box, put on a slightly wide choker to cover herself, and then put a band-aid on her collarbone.
OK, no problem.
Wear sunglasses and head out!
Before leaving, Shen Li put the unselected clothes back into the wardrobe and hung up the pajamas on the bed.
Wait, it seems like one of my nightgowns is missing.
After searching through the wardrobe, Shen Li confirmed that her favorite burgundy silk nightgown was missing. All her pajamas were hung up according to season and style, so it was easy to spot if anything was missing.
Could it be that Luo Mingxiu didn't notice when he was packing his things and took them with him?
But she remembered that she hadn't put it outside last time. How could he have made a mistake if it was in the closet? She didn't have any of his clothes here.
A car horn sounded outside the villa; Xiaoyu had come to pick her up.
Filled with doubt, Shen Li quickly went downstairs and sent a message to Luo Mingxiu after getting into the car: "I've lost a nightgown. When you get to the hotel, please check your luggage. Did you pack it this morning and sneak it in?"
The flight to Country B was long, and Shen Li thought he wouldn't reply quickly, but unexpectedly, a video call came at four o'clock in the afternoon.
They were still at the airport, probably waiting in transit when they saw her message.
"The nightgown is with me. I asked you before I left, and you gave me permission to take it," Luo Mingxiu said truthfully.
"Huh?" Shen Li asked in surprise, recalling Luo Mingxiu's vague whispers to her last night. "How did I agree?"
Luo Mingxiu shifted his gaze and scratched the tip of his nose with his finger: "You... hummed in response."
"Is it okay for me to hum in my sleep?" Shen Li frowned and scolded, "That's the one I feel most comfortable in, and you know how to use it."
Luo Mingxiu lowered his eyes: "I'll buy you a new one. Consider that one a reward for me, okay? It has your scent on it."
“Luo Mingxiu, you’re really acting like a pervert,” Shen Li teased. “What did you do that I should reward you for?”
“I…” He was scolded, but the person who was scolded turned red. He thought for a while and said firmly, “I passed the audition. Although it was a birthday present I promised you, I still need a reward.”
They are not in the right and are not confident.
But she actually thought it was cute.
She's a pervert too, she must have been infected by Luo Mingxiu.
“Alright, I’ll give it to you, but…” Shen Li coughed slightly, a blush rising on her face, “You should restrain yourself and not use it for strange things.”
“I see,” Luo Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, a hint of teasing in his eyes, and feigned sudden realization. “Thanks for reminding me.”
"Get out—" The video ended with a furious roar of shame and anger.
.
As the new month arrived, Shen Li brought her script, which was covered in markings, to the set and further analyzed her character thoroughly during the reading session.
The film "Grandma's Tree" is a fantasy family drama created and directed by Xu Zhi's team. It tells the story of a grandmother and granddaughter who cross time and space to heal and redeem each other.
The granddaughter is played by last year's Golden Goblet Award-winning actress, while Shen Li plays the grandmother Gao Yuanzhi, who is the heart of the film.
The plot revolves around her life development, requiring the actor to portray the character in three stages: youth, middle age, and old age.
The crew's daily routine was tight and fulfilling, with little free time. Shen Li would look at the sky and the contrails, imagining what Luo Mingxiu was doing at the same time, and whether he was also looking at the sky.
Like Director Hsieh, Director Hsu is used to filming in chronological order. Shen Li likes to share the makeup and styling of her characters at each stage with Luo Mingxiu.
Similarly, Luo Mingxiu responded that the agent he plays has many different names and appearances, but his code name Echo remains the same.
Gao Yuanzhi, with her hair in braids and wearing a blue cotton shirt, went to work in the fields. Echo's hair was matted and her gray work clothes were stained with oil; she was a cargo ship crew member at the port.
Gao Yuanzhi had short, ear-length hair and was operating a sewing machine at the village workshop. Echo, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, was the owner of an antique shop on the street.
As Gao Yuanzhi, her temples graying, watched the dying tree in the yard, Echo, dressed in a suit and tie, collapsed into a pool of blood amidst the Christmas Eve bells.
Two completely unrelated characters seemed to resonate with each other through their frequent interactions during filming. For the first time, Shen Li felt that she was not experiencing the life of a character alone.
.
Filming for "Grandma's Tree" took four months. On the day of Minor Snow, the film was still not finished. Shen Li couldn't travel abroad to celebrate her boyfriend's birthday, so she could only send him the gift she had prepared in advance.
On his birthday night, Mr. Weber and the crew held a simple birthday celebration for Luo Mingxiu at a riverside restaurant.
As night deepened, the river reflected the dazzling lights. After parting ways with his fellow actors, Luo Mingxiu squatted by the railing, video chatting with a drunk man.
She wore a cashmere scarf given to her by Shen Li around her neck, and her face was flushed from drinking.
"Sinking pear".
"Um?"
"I miss you so much."
He repeated the three words, "I miss you so much," over and over again. Shen Li felt the same way; her longing surged like a tide.
After saying goodbye to the character Gao Yuanzhi, B City experienced a week of continuous rain and the cold air grew stronger day by day. Finally, as December arrived, the city welcomed its first snow.
At that time, Shen Li had just finished participating in a store event she was endorsing. As she walked out of the revolving glass door, she looked up at the heavy snow falling all around her, took out her phone to take a picture of the live performance, and posted it on her WeChat Moments. A moment later, a familiar like appeared.
When she video-chatted with Luo Mingxiu before, she could always see a white backdrop behind him, and white steam rising from his breath as he spoke. It snowed earlier where he was than in China, and he had already shown her the snowy scenery.
A gust of cold wind blew by, and Shen Li shivered, shrinking her neck and breathing on her hands to warm them.
If Luo Mingxiu were here, he would be the one to take her hand and do that.
Thinking of this, Shen Li smiled, put her hands in her pockets, tilted the umbrella over her head to block the wind, and walked into the snow with her bodyguard.
As the year draws to a close, the festive atmosphere is everywhere. Restaurants and coffee shops in the Qingli Industrial Park are launching New Year's set menus and drinks, making it convenient for employees to reward themselves amidst their busy schedules.
The entire company was discussing train tickets for the Spring Festival and where to go for the holiday. After the year-end party, Shen Li finished her last task and drove home with New Year's goods.
This year, I managed to clear my schedule before Lunar New Year's Eve, so I was able to participate in the pre-New Year's cleaning when I got home, adding red decorations to the house for good luck.
The parents decorated the yard with lanterns and colorful decorations, while the daughter took over the interior decorations. After pasting up the window decorations, two lanterns were hung high outside the main gate.
Looking at the joyful atmosphere in the courtyard, Shen Li took a satisfied photo of herself by the window and sent it to Luo Mingxiu.
Thinking back to last year's Spring Festival, they were both at work, and her villa was decorated with a festive atmosphere by someone.
It's amazing how fast a year goes by.
I didn't feel this clearly when I was a child.
As adults, each year flies by, and some things become even more desirable to grasp and cherish.
Outside, Shen's mother saw her daughter staring blankly by the window, leaned down and whispered something in Shen's father's ear, and the two put away the ladder with the lanterns and went inside.
"What are your plans after the New Year, daughter?" Father Shen asked, walking up to Shen Li.
"Just like every year, after we go to Grandma's house, I'll take you on a trip," Shen Li said, her eyes crinkling. "Do you and Mom have any places you'd like to go?"
"And you, where do you want to go?" Father Shen asked. "To see Mingxiu?"
Shen's father wore a loving smile, and Shen Li's eyelashes fluttered as she looked at her mother behind him, who had the same expression.
"It's not too late to go after I've played with you guys," she said softly.
“Don’t always think about us. You’ve taken us to all the places we wanted to visit, both domestically and internationally,” said Shen’s mother. “This year, your father and I are planning to take your grandmother and the others on a road trip.”
Mother Shen gently rubbed her face: "So don't worry about us, go see Mingxiu, I know you well enough."
"Okay." Shen Li immediately ran to the sofa, grabbed her phone, and started checking flights. As expected of her parents, they could tell what she was thinking at a glance.
There was a red dot on WeChat; Luo Mingxiu had already replied to the photos she had sent earlier.
Pear's puppy: So pretty!
Pear's Little Dog: Both People and Scenery
Huh? She didn't take any pictures of people, Shen Li wondered for a moment, then noticed her own blurry shadow on the window in the photo.
She smiled and was about to send him a voice message when he called her on video.
It was afternoon for Shen Li, while Luo Mingxiu had just woken up and was still brushing his teeth.
"Seriously, can't you finish your quest before you start playing?" Shen Li said with a laugh.
"Hmm..." Luo Mingxiu finished spitting out the foam, the camera shook slightly, and then it was picked up again. The man had already finished washing up and walked into a brighter light.
"I'm about to leave, I think..."
"Wait a moment," Shen Li looked up and saw her parents' eyes on her. She stood up shyly, "I'll go to the yard."
Stepping out the door, Shen Li looked at the person standing there, stunned, on the other end of the screen: "It's ready."
"What?" Luo Mingxiu pondered for a few seconds, then looked down at the screen and made a crisp "pop" sound. "You want it like this?"
"Isn't that right?" Shen Lixin's heart pounded. She turned to look through the window at her parents inside the house to make sure they weren't peeking.
Luo Mingxiu smiled and shook his head.
"Really not?" She raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "You said you were going out, I thought you were going to hang up. So what are you planning to do?"
“You’re so cute,” Luo Mingxiu said, his eyes slightly glazed over. He leaned down and gave her another kiss. “There’s something I need to tell you. The crew is planning to move to R country for filming, and I’m afraid I might forget if I get too busy.”
"Could you come to my house after New Year's Eve?"
"What's wrong? Does Aunt Luo want to see me?"
"No, when she was living in T City, she had a boyfriend. Their relationship progressed quite quickly, and he came home with my mom for the Chinese New Year this year. They're planning to live together from now on."
"It's a good thing that Aunt Luo has a boyfriend, but do you know who he is? Isn't this moving a bit too fast?" Shen Li was genuinely taken aback by this sudden news.
Luo Mingxiu looked troubled: "I also think it's too fast. I'm afraid she'll be deceived. I've never met that person, I've only greeted him in a video. He's a full twelve years younger than my mom."
Shen Li: "Age isn't a problem, Aunt Luo doesn't look old either. The main thing is that we younger generation have to meet her and give her our opinion."
Luo Mingxiu: "It's like this, I don't know why my mother is in such a hurry. She didn't wait for me to come back before making a decision on such a big matter."
“She must have her reasons. She’s a very opinionated person,” Shen Li said. “Then I’ll contact Aunt Luo. After I visit my maternal grandmother’s house on the first day of the Lunar New Year, I’ll go to her place and see if she’s reliable.”
“Okay,” Luo Mingxiu nodded, looking somewhat guilty. “Will it interfere with your time with your godparents? If it disrupts your plans, then forget it.”
“What are you talking about?” Shen Li frowned. “Can this even be considered a priority? There are different things to consider. Aunt Luo is also my family. It’s inconvenient for you to do this while you’re abroad, but my parents would definitely make me do it anyway. Besides…”
Shen Li gasped for breath, "We don't have any plans at all this year."
"What do you mean?" Luo Mingxiu was a little confused.
"Just having some fun. My parents want to spend time with my grandma this year."
Shen Li didn't explain things too clearly. She confirmed with Luo Mingxiu that his filming for the next two months would be in the capital of R country. Then she ended the call and started booking plane tickets.
She couldn't tell him she was going to see him, just like how he surprised her when he came back to China for her birthday last time. This time, it was her turn.
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