Brocade withered bones
"Can."
Without hesitation, Chu Yiqi turned to look at Xi Ai, a hint of light color at the corner of his eye.
Xi Ai was in a daze for a moment, then asked, "Can you tell me now? What are you planning?"
The two questions didn't seem to be equivalent, but Chu Yiqi didn't mind and replied, "I'm planning... to resolve some trouble, my own trouble."
Chu Yiqi had always known Xi Ai's thoughts. For example, when Mu Jin asked her, "Is it possible that no matter what kind of person you are, you won't be a burden to Xi Ai? Even Chu Rou won't be a hindrance to her coming out?"
She believed it, believed it would always be true.
No one could love more than Sisley.
But Chu Yiqi replied at that time, "But I do care."
Even after all this time, she still cares.
Chu Yiqi still couldn't get over this hurdle in his life.
She simply couldn't accept that she had injured Xi Ai after her emotions and defenses collapsed, so she hurriedly left, turning the knife she had intended to use on Xi Ai into her own.
Once her condition stabilized, she still wanted to come back and stay with Xi Ai. She thought that even if Xi Ai didn't like her that much anymore, they could just be friends, and then gradually fade away after Xi Ai retired from the entertainment industry. That wouldn't be a problem.
But Xi Ai said she wanted to start over, so Chu Yiqi began to hesitate again, wondering if there was a risk of things going wrong again.
Therefore, the best way to eliminate the problem completely is to turn to Chu Rou as a breakthrough point.
Xi Ai remained the same, able to see that Chu Yiqi was avoiding the issue by keeping quiet, so she stopped asking and told Chu Yiqi what he was curious about.
"About six months ago, Qinqin broke up with her ex. It was a huge fight, a pure hatred between them. Neither of them could let go of the other, but neither of them could say anything. I know exactly what kind of nemesis they were."
Chu Yiqi glanced at Qin Siyao, who had just taken a sip and was slightly tipsy, and then Xi Ai asked, "You're going to record a show starting tomorrow, right?"
Chu Yiqi nodded and then said, "Is this your problem?"
"Um."
Xi Ai's answer was so frank that Chu Yiqi felt something was off, as if a beautiful cat had come at him aggressively, and he thought he was going to be swindled out of money, but the other party just lightly brushed his palm.
Chu Yiqi asked, "You'll be able to wrap up filming in early October, right?"
"Thanks to Qin Qin for ensuring that the lead actor wasn't the last to finish filming."
Xi Ai seemed to want to say something more, but Gu Yu's name appeared on the screen of her phone on the table, so Xi Ai had no choice but to pick up her phone and walk out.
The night breeze was a bit far away, but Chu Yiqi heard Xi Ai's voice. Without the slightest impatience, he simply said, "We'll discuss it again at the meeting tomorrow. Is the planner still working overtime?"
"Ask if there's anything you'd like to eat. Ask quietly, and I'll reimburse you personally."
After hearing something from the other end, Xi Ai smiled briefly, but only for a moment. Then she frowned slightly and said, "Wait, the technical department has sent me the documents. I'll connect with Xi Yuchuan later. Nadia will be attending the negotiations tomorrow."
Director Qin, with his excellent hearing, caught the word "delay" in the key words, and whispered to Chu Yiqi, "Why don't you try to persuade her? If she faints again in my crew, my parents will really take her home and detain her."
"Again?" Chu Yiqi only heard what she cared about. In her memory, there was no information about Xi Ai falling ill in the group.
Qin Siyao was stunned for a moment, and finally realized that she had let something slip.
But who knew that Xi Ai's news could be kept so secret that even Chu Yiqi couldn't get through to it?
Moreover, Xi Ai did not pay her hush money.
Besides, we're all family, why speak like strangers? What's done is done. At worst, I'll just get the best assist of the game.
So Qin Siyao struggled and told Chu Yiqi: "About two years ago, when Mu Jin was completely at odds with his father, Xi Ai had to be the white knight. The two of them were busier than the other."
"When I found out, Xi Ai had already joined the crew. We couldn't completely delay her, so she ended up in the hospital. Miss Xi tried to cover it up, but the old man caught her during a routine check-up and exposed her. After that, the old man took on some responsibilities again."
Chu Yiqi pursed her lips, looked out the curtain, and could only vaguely see some outlines. She took the coffee, and even her slightest smile was like a warm breeze passing by.
As if sensing something, Xi Ai looked up and met Chu Yiqi's gaze, which she hadn't looked away from.
Unexpectedly, Chu Yiqi did not miss her, and Xi Ai read concern and inquiry in his watery eyes.
With a slight shake of his head, Chu Yiqi glanced at the coffee in Xi Ai's hand and knew that this meant it wouldn't work.
Xi Ai returned quickly and explained, "A project encountered some unexpected problems, and I couldn't stay idle."
"you……"
Chu Yiqi was about to say something, but Xi Ai picked up a piece of stewed eel with her chopsticks and handed it to Chu Yiqi, saying, "You go about your business, I know what I'm doing, okay?"
Xi Ai glanced at Qin Siyao as if she were referring to something, but Qin Siyao met her gaze calmly without any qualms. Xi Ai had no choice but to let it go and suppress her bad feeling.
Chu Yiqi remained noncommittal; who would believe Xi Ai's words?
Especially her words about caring about me.
"Can you please take better care of yourself?"
"good."
...
Xi Ai was accompanied by her second assistant. Xu Zhaoshi answered the phone several times and looked at Xi Ai, but Xi Ai only gestured with her eyes to wait a little longer.
So Xu Zhaoshi first listened to the discussion of the people opposite him and wrote down the key points.
The actor acting opposite Xi Ai was a newcomer, and he didn't quite achieve the effect Qin Siyao wanted. Xi Ai called for a stop, handed him a glass of warm water, and helped him get into character.
“Pingcheng was very cold that year, but it didn’t snow. I was waiting backstage for my senior sister to come back, but they said that she couldn’t come. I took that gorgeous dress.”
"I thought it was a magnificent robe, a feathered garment that would allow me to emerge from the shadows, but when I stepped up, I saw only blood beneath the shadows."
Xi Ai's voice was very soft and slow at this moment, unconsciously drawing people into the scene and making them become characters in the play.
“I saw my senior sister lying on the stage, dressed in plain clothes. I finally saw clearly the filth and decay hidden under her clothes.”
“But the teacher said that once you’re on stage, you have to finish the performance. But my senior sister said that the tradition must not be broken.”
“What else can I do? I’ll just act. With these bones all over my body, I’ll just pretend that I’m living in their place.”
...
Qin Siyao finally made the decision, and Xi Ai quickly put on a light coat and left. Her co-star tried to say something, but Xi Ai just smiled and let it go. When the other person came to their senses, the lotus root powder in her hand was very gentle, and the warmth that the white porcelain could not block was transmitted to her.
Xi Ai, wearing an earpiece, could find some solace in gazing into the distance.
The people opposite her all looked unwell, indicating they hadn't had a good rest. Xi Ai's fingertips twitched slightly, breaking the silence.
"Excuse me, what did Yinlan say?"
Nadia took off her glasses and threw them on the table, mimicking Schneider's tone: "Your demands will increase costs by twenty percent, enough to send our stock price plummeting."
“Their CFO said,” Xi Yuchuan tapped his fingertips on the edge of the table, “that if the original pricing is maintained, they will choose to terminate the Scandinavia project.”
Xi Ai smiled, her expression unreadable, and said, "Why don't you two connect online tomorrow?"
Xi Ai turned off the video call and just then received a message from Chu Yiqi.
The conversation went up several times with song checks and revisions, but this time Chu Yiqi sent a picture.
It must be a TV program being filmed. Among the dishes on Xi Ai's table, there was Huaiyang cuisine, mixed with Hunan, Cantonese, and Sichuan cuisine.
In the bottom left corner of the image, a hand makes a "V" sign.
Xi Ai's lips curled up slightly.
How could you not see through Chu Yiqi's subtle hints?
It's just a roundabout way of reminding myself that it's lunchtime.
Xi Ai then said, "I'm on my way home. Guess who I met today."
Chu Yiqi met quickly, but changed the subject: "Guess who today's hidden guest is. Hint: They've competed against each other before."
While Xi Ai was thinking, Chu Yiqi sent another message: "Let's narrow it down, is it someone we've all communicated with?"
"You're the one who praised me."
Chu Yiqi thought to himself that there was something strange about what he was saying.
After giving her name, Xi Ai asked, "Is it Wen Xi?"
Chu Yiqi sent an emoji, which coincided with Xi Ai's emoji.
The cats all nodded.
Honestly, guessing it right the first time doesn't provide any enjoyment at all.
Chu Yiqi put her phone away, and Wen Xi blinked and leaned over to ask her, "Were you chatting with Xi Ai?"
"Yes, they just sent me the revised lyrics."
Xi Ai put down her phone and answered the call. She glanced at the unobstructed road and said, "Oh dear, it's Xiao Gaofeng."
"Is that so?" Old Master Xi's words were loaded with meaning.
Xi Ai pretended not to understand the deeper meaning and kept saying "uh-huh, uh-huh".
Grandpa Xi sneered and said, "Really? I saw a car when I came back from the tea mountain that looked like yours."
Xi Ai took a breath and slowly, very slowly, turned her head, and saw her grandfather's car.
The color is exceptionally understated, if you ignore the Rolls-Royce logo.
"Really? You must have misread it."
Xi Ai could have avoided this route, but she took Xu Zhaoshi home first.
"Could you drive a little faster, instead of staying at the lowest speed?"
Xi Ai quickly backed down: "Okay." She whispered, "Could you hurry up a little?"
The two returned to the house one after the other. Xi Ai jumped out of the car and immediately began to act obediently, taking the old man's hand and saying, "Oh, Grandpa, you must be tired from meeting with Uncle Shi and the others today."
The old man snorted and said, "Why don't you go and study broadcasting and hosting?"
"?"
"I have this feeling that you sound sarcastic and unsettling whenever you speak."
“.
Xi Ai got up early the next morning, made breakfast and kept it warm before going to the company.
"I still reserve my opinion on open-sourcing the code."
On the sofa, Mu Jin adjusted his glasses—he only wore them when he was working.
Mu Jin said, "Mm."
"Just say, I'm telling you, you're making me feel too quiet, and you brought up the meeting with that person this morning."
"Just tell me, are you going to see Isaac later or not?"
Xi Ai immediately shut up: "Did I say anything? No."
"You want to exchange the compensation for the technology leak for an investment and equity stake?"
"Making the best use of resources."
Mu Jin chuckled: "You really are..."
I won't let myself suffer even the slightest loss.
Mu is also involved in this project, although his role is not significant.
Xi Ai had to make concessions in the early stages of the project because of the other party's patent. Now that she had a handle on the other party, she was determined to make it back.
"He's going to make the first move."
The text scrolled across the cold white screen, and a few words of English came through the headset.
Sis sent the materials to Nadia late last night. Because of the time difference with Schneider, Nadia had just gotten off the plane a short while ago, but she still had the upper hand in the conversation.
"Your technician copied the process parameters. This gentleman returned to the DA district last week, and three days ago, this technology appeared in the patent application of a rising tech company in G state. As for that gentleman, he's out of contact, hasn't he?"
A four-letter English word was swallowed with particular frustration after the first syllable, and the voice said, "You've been waiting all along, did it on purpose?"
"Turning the tables is not a good approach; we have a complete chain of evidence."
"This damn project..."
“Darling, if this damn project is terminated, the demurrage fees will amount to hundreds of thousands of euros. Of course, tariffs will be raised next month, and your energy transition is still 19 percent behind. You won’t find another person who can provide this technology besides us.”
Xi Ai spoke up: "I want 53% of the equity, and I want 16% of the medical device distribution channels he owns."
Since Nadia couldn't comment in real time, Xi Yuchuan immediately messaged Xi Ai privately: "Your hands are a bit dirty, sister. Hope you know how you behave."
Xi Ai glanced down at the message, then at the pinned chat box, and said indifferently, "Your sister just reminded me that I need to eat breakfast."
"..."
Mu Jin lifted his eyelids, glanced at Xi Ai, and continued to finish up his work emails.
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