Chapter 8 Waiting for her to come home
Xia Li looked up in a panic.
For some reason, Ji Ling's image from last night suddenly appeared in her mind. His exceptionally moist eyes were slightly upturned, exuding a strong sense of pressure. When he looked at her, she inexplicably felt a suffocating sense of being scrutinized.
Her gaze naturally drifted towards Ji Ling, observing his reaction.
Coincidentally, Ji Ling had also been staring at her. After their eyes met again, Ji Ling frowned meaningfully, turned his gaze to the door, and replied to Han Rui, "Okay."
Xia Li felt a little regretful. She shouldn't have been so stubborn last night. She should have explained that she and Sheng Minyang were just ordinary friends and there was nothing between them.
The inexplicable reasons and unresolved misunderstandings, like wildly growing vines, tightly entangled them, causing them to struggle in pain while caring deeply for each other.
"We have quite a lot of filming today." Jiang Xue glanced at the time and blocked the way by closing the door. "The sunlight is softest around the island at this time. It wouldn't be good to miss it, otherwise we'll have to do reshoots, which will trouble Teacher Xia and Boss Sheng. Mr. Han Rui, should I put in a good word for you and suggest that you get together again sometime?"
After listening, Han Rui pondered for a moment, and then realized that it made sense. He couldn't keep bothering them with reshoots, so he accepted Jiang Xue's suggestion.
Xia Li breathed a sigh of relief, her expression relaxing. She silently thanked Jiang Xue, whose unreliable nature had saved her life.
She was really afraid that Ji Ling would say something strange or do something irrational after meeting Sheng Minyang. Sheng Minyang was an extremely meticulous person and would definitely notice something amiss, which would probably make things difficult to handle.
They arrived at the island's beach at 3 p.m. sharp. The sun was bright but not as scorching as at noon, making it exceptionally comfortable. The seawater was bathed in a golden light, and the sand shimmered with a subtle glow.
With Sheng Minyang's help, Xia Li set up the set and equipment and was adjusting the camera. She frowned, the lighting was not right. If a layer of warm light were added to the left, the atmosphere would be just right.
Just as she was about to ask Wang Shu to bring over a fill light, Jiang Xue, who was sitting to the side enjoying the breeze from the fan, suddenly stood up and interrupted her, "President Han Rui, you're here! And Mr. Ji, you're both here!"
Jiang Xue was overjoyed and immediately headed towards the beach entrance to greet them.
Xia Li and Jiang Xue have worked together many times, and Xia Li has to admit that Jiang Xue is an extreme person who is attracted to good-looking people. As long as there is an unfamiliar pretty face, whether it is male or female, she can immediately notice it, go up and chat with her, and express her liking in a very generous way.
She had also been "watched" by Jiang Xue for a period of time.
What's meant to happen will happen; there's no escaping it.
Xia Li took a deep breath and turned to look in the direction of the beach entrance.
It was only after turning around that she noticed that she and Sheng Minyang were standing very close together. Since they were checking the equipment together, there was nothing wrong with it, but she was afraid that Ji Ling would misunderstand again.
She thought she would have to explain things to Ji Ling when she had time.
Ji Ling had a somber face the whole way, but Han Rui, who had originally planned to introduce Ji Ling to Sheng Minyang, had completely forgotten about it and was chatting non-stop with Wang Shuru as if they were old friends.
Han Rui didn't introduce them, leaving Xia Li awkwardly in the middle. Sheng Minyang noticed the awkward atmosphere, politely greeted Ji Ling with a smile, and then asked Xia Li, "Do you two know each other?"
Xia Li looked up when Sheng Minyang asked her a question, then turned her gaze to Ji Ling. Ji Ling's eyes narrowed slightly, and he didn't look very happy.
She misunderstood Ji Ling's meaning, coughed lightly, and immediately shook her head in denial: "I don't know him."
I don't know him.
Ji Ling gritted his teeth, his expression freezing the instant he finished speaking, but only for a moment. Before Xia Li could even react, he regained his calm and composed demeanor, showing no surprise whatsoever, and formally introduced himself:
"Ji Ling, now you know him."
Xia Li's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she dared not meet his deep gaze.
She stared at the large, well-defined hand that came into view, its veins bulging. Feeling uneasy, she slowly raised her arm and awkwardly took it.
The instant palms touched, skin to skin, a burning passion emanated from them, seemingly seeping into flesh and blood, rushing to the heart with each pulse. All the past experiences, all the unspoken words, melted away, converging into this single sentence:
"My name is Xia Li, nice to meet you."
Ji Ling's palms were warm, and he deliberately suppressed the slight trembling.
When Xia Li noticed this, her fingertips curled up slightly, she pursed her lips and withdrew her hand, a hint of panic appearing on her thin face as she looked up at him.
His eyes averted when she looked at him, glancing at the screen to the side. He only glanced at it before turning back, his voice slightly hoarse, and he coughed twice, saying, "We can add a warm light on the left side."
That was exactly what Xia Li had been thinking. She was about to respond when Sheng Minyang beat her to it.
Sheng Minyang raised an eyebrow, looked at Ji Ling, and said with a slightly shocked tone, "I didn't expect Mr. Ji to also know about photography."
Ji Ling slightly raised his chin, not very interested.
Hearing this from the side, Han Rui strode over and jokingly answered for Ji Ling, "Of course. Here's a little-known secret: he used to join the school's photography club specifically to pursue the girl he liked. Tsk tsk, such a deep and unrequited love."
"I didn't expect that." Sheng Minyang lowered his eyes and smiled, his voice gentle: "I heard last month that President Ji got engaged. Did you manage to win her over?"
After he finished speaking, Ji Ling glanced over, raised an eyebrow slightly as if pleased, and responded softly. Then he turned his gaze to Xia Li, his eyes filled with extremely complex emotions.
Xia Li couldn't understand his emotions or guess his thoughts. She pretended to be confused and hugged the lamp. If she were willing to investigate, she would find that his eyes were full of burning affection and love.
Han Rui stood in the middle, patted Sheng Minyang on the shoulder, and joked, "Ji Ling is such a quiet guy, he only knows how to have crushes."
After saying that, she glanced at Ji Ling's expression and, seeing that he wasn't angry, suddenly seemed to remember something, slapped her thigh, and said in annoyance, "Look at my memory! I just said I'd introduce you to each other, and I completely forgot."
After exchanging pleasantries, Ji Ling glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and replied, "No need, we've already met."
At this moment, Jiang Xue quietly finished touching up her makeup and swayed over. Her cheeks, flushed with infatuation, were slightly red as she asked Han Rui, "Why did you guys suddenly come over? I was caught off guard."
Han Rui, a straightforward man, asked with his mouth agape, "What's wrong?" Before Jiang Xue could respond, he suddenly turned around, picked up his phone, and shouted to Wang Shu in the distance, "Wang Shu! We're not friends yet, let's add each other as friends."
Wang Shu was adjusting the lights with Xia Li when, unaware of what had just happened, she stared wide-eyed in confusion and replied hesitantly, "Okay."
Xia Li also turned her head to look, and coincidentally, Sheng Minyang and Ji Ling were both staring intently at her, one with a gentle and refined expression, and the other with a cold and indifferent demeanor.
Her gaze swept between the two men, she gave a hasty smile, her expression tense and unnatural, and then passed by amidst a few greetings.
Everyone was exchanging contact information, and she also picked up her phone. Everything was fine until she and Ji Ling got to the phone, when things became a little awkward. Her hand, which was clasped together, hung in mid-air, and she hesitated to make a move.
Seeing this, Han Rui stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xia Li blinked guiltily, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation, so she casually brushed it off: "Maybe we went to the same school before and were friends on social media."
Ji Ling lowered his eyes, staring intently at her pale lips as she opened and closed, as if someone else had just uttered the words "don't know." So he listened silently, without interrupting or responding, to see what kind of story she could come up with.
After Xia Li finished explaining to Han Rui, she cautiously looked up at Ji Ling, lightly biting her lower lip. As soon as she released it, her lips were faintly pink.
Ji Ling's breathing became erratic for a moment, and she turned her head shyly, her ears turning slightly red.
Xia Li became nervous when she saw him turn his head to the side.
Did she say something wrong?
Han Rui became interested and was somewhat shocked. He raised an eyebrow at Xia Li, cupped his hands, and whispered gossip, "Do you know who he can't forget? Or do you know anyone in the photography club? I've finally caught him red-handed. I'm going to contact them one by one and help him end his nine-year unrequited love."
Xia Li lowered her head and shook it gently. She really didn't know. She had never heard Ji Ling mention it, nor had she seen Ji Ling get close to any girl.
She looked up at Han Rui, her eyes bright and sincere, and said with some regret, "We're not familiar."
Ji Ling clenched his fists and gazed at her silently.
Not familiar with it.
It's not true that we're not familiar with each other.
Putting aside the past, just last night, this man had no idea how torturous he was when he was drunk. He took two cold showers in the middle of the night and finally managed to suppress the anger in his heart, but then she came close to him again.
Han Rui had just made a casual remark and didn't pursue the matter further. Even if they could actually get in touch, he wouldn't do it; his own feelings were far more important than his brother's.
Yes, after adding Wang Shu as a friend, he had achieved his purpose for coming here and happily left with Ji Ling.
Before leaving, Ji Ling slowly turned back, leaving behind a meaningful look.
The filming continued throughout the afternoon. As evening approached and the clouds dimmed, the tide rose and fell. Jiang Xue, being a picky person, requested to change filming locations many times. The day's work did not end until after 9 p.m.
To reward everyone, Sheng Minyang plans to treat everyone to a meal.
Sitting in the car, Jiang Xue was suffering from mosquito bites at the beach, and several red rashes appeared on her arms. She was still dissatisfied even after spraying ointment, and complained the whole way.
Xia Li was getting a headache from all the chatter and took a short rest, rubbing her forehead. Wang Shu saw this and retorted, "Keep chattering, you're like a sparrow that's come to life."
Jiang Xue was furious: "Who are you calling a sparrow spirit? You little brat!"
Wang Shu: "Whoever calls someone a little brat is the one who is guilty!"
The argument continued until they finished their meal, at which point Xia Li called a taxi for each of them.
Jiang Xue smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Xiao Li!"
After hearing this, Wang Shu lowered her voice and imitated her tone, "Thank you, Xiao Li~"
Xia Li gently closed her eyes, sighed, and said in a gentle tone, "You two stop competing. Remember to send a message when you get home to let us know you're safe."
Jiang Xue: "Okay~"
Wang Shu glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and said, "Okay!"
Xia Li: "..."
After watching them leave, not long after, Sheng Minyang slowly pulled up in front of her. He gripped the steering wheel, the passenger door was ajar, and he leaned out to say, "Get in."
Xia Li's previous residence was on the same route as Sheng Minyang's, and for several years, Sheng Minyang would drive her home after filming ended at night.
Absolutely not now.
If Sheng Minyang discovers anything amiss, she can't imagine how embarrassing it would be. Just today, she lied to Sheng Minyang in front of him, saying that she didn't know Ji Ling.
She tried to refuse, but found that Sheng Minyang wasn't listening. His gaze was fixed on her neck, lost in thought. Feeling a little itchy from his stare, she reached out and touched it, asking, "What's wrong?"
Even the mosquitoes on the beach didn't spare her; the skin they bit was thin and red, slightly raised, like hickeys, which were particularly noticeable.
Sheng Minyang avoided her gaze and did not answer her question. He casually replied and nodded in a daze, then called a car for her.
The nights in the neighboring city are not actually cold, but the excessive heat during the day gives the nights a unique, cool atmosphere.
Inside the building, countless lights shone; outside, a solitary figure stood alone. There were car horns blaring and the night market bustling about, sometimes lively and bustling, sometimes desolate and lonely.
After getting off the car, Xia Li felt a little dazed. The events of not long ago seemed like a dream. She drifted in and out of the dream while trying to stay awake.
Born in this city, standing alone in the night, Xia Li felt a little melancholy. She felt so lonely, without even anyone to share her feelings with. Such an important event as marriage was known only to her, yet she also felt very fulfilled. She had everything she needed—money, career, and so on—and was still not satisfied.
Humans are always so contradictory.
It was nearly midnight when Xia Li stood in the courtyard, gazing at the faint light in the living room, somewhat hesitant.
Is Ji Ling still awake? Is he drinking again?
She guessed what was going on in her mind, and a feeling of palpitation shot up her spine to the back of her neck. She could clearly hear her own erratic heartbeat. Then she slowly walked toward the front door and pushed it open with a heavy heart.
The creaking sound was particularly jarring in the empty room, and could even be heard echoing.
What followed was Ji Ling's cold voice, as if each word was squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chill.
"You're back?"
A note from the author:
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