50: Rice soaked in meat broth
Knowing that Lu Ke was coming, Pei Yanxiu seemed to suddenly sense some kind of crisis. He didn't go to the company. When Shang Zhi woke up, he was in the kitchen making her the meat soup rice that she had mentioned wanting to eat in the video she had watched before.
Pei Yanxiu learned how to cook Hunan cuisine from Sister Hua and cooked it himself. She leaned against the door frame, watching him in his suit and apron, and thought the scenery was really nice today.
"Try it." He served her a bowl of rice, and Shang Zhi felt that the hands that cooked and served her the food were even more tempting than the bowl of rice itself.
Bright red chilies paired with fresh slices of meat, and rich broth assaulting the taste buds—Shang Zhi ate two large bowls in a row. Pei Yanxiu had originally planned to go to Lu Xingqi's house with Shang Zhi, but something came up at the company and he was called away.
Shang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. What was the point of him being by her side when it was supposed to be a get-together with her best friends?
When they arrived at Lu Xingqi's house, Pei Wang opened the door for them. It might be Shang Zhi's imagination, but she felt that Pei Wang had changed. There was much less of the fierceness in his eyes, and when he spoke to Lu Xingqi, he really seemed like a good family man.
"What exactly is going on between you two?" After returning to the bedroom with Lu Xingqi and closing the bedroom door, Shang Zhi couldn't help but start gossiping.
Where is Dr. Shi?
"We broke up. We weren't compatible."
"Then you and A-Wang are a good match?" Shang Zhi was dumbfounded.
"I can't explain it to you, Azhi. Awang is different from what he looks like on the surface. He looks like a wolf, but he's actually a very well-behaved little dog."
"He was forced to become who he is now, but deep down he is a very cute boy."
"Cute?" Shang Zhi couldn't help but reach out and touch Lu Xingqi's head, sensing that she had drunk too much.
Are you sure?
“Of course.” Lu Xingqi said sweetly, while Shang Zhi shook her head, wondering what Lu Xingqi had been through these past few days.
"Did the doctor give up then?"
"No, I really regret it now. He keeps coming over to block me and saying he's going to expose everything between us. I'm speechless. I'm afraid Ah Wang will act impulsively, so I haven't dared to tell him any of this. If I did, he'd probably throw Dr. Shi into the sea."
"Forget about that. By the way, Zhi, didn't you say your house is all renovated now and you'd take me to see it? Let's go."
Shang Zhi listened to the gossip with great interest and forgot all about the important matter.
Her villa was finished being renovated, and she thought that Lu Xingqi was the only one who knew the secret of her villa.
Little did she know that Pei Yanxiu had already figured out exactly what she was doing.
Shang Zhihuan happily led Lu Xingqi to her newly renovated villa, but for some reason, she felt something was wrong from the moment she entered.
"What's wrong?"
"Why are there so many flowers here? I didn't order these flowers?" Lu Xingqi looked around and indeed, there was a cluster of blooming flowers in every corner, which was very beautiful.
"Maybe it was a gift from the renovation company. Don't overthink it. Business is tough these days; maybe it's just a clever little trick by the boss?"
Shang Zhi didn't say anything, but became more vigilant. She looked around the room and found no problems with the decoration. She had come to see it several times before, and the style was one she had confirmed many times.
Then she took Lu Xingqi into her secret basement.
When she first went in, she didn't think anything of it, but the moment she opened the cabinet, Shang Zhi's face turned pale.
"What's wrong? Aren't these things all here?" Lu Xingqi was a little confused, seeing Shang Zhi's frightened expression.
"The money is all there, the stars are there, but there's too much money."
"Too many?" Lu Xingqi opened each cabinet one by one, and indeed, just as Shang Zhi had said, there were too many. Shang Zhi's tidying habits weren't very good. Last time Lu Xingqi accompanied her here, she remembered that the gold bars and various file boxes in this cabinet were all scattered around, but now, everything was neatly arranged and looked very clean.
"He found out?" Lu Xingqi immediately understood what Shang Zhi was worried about. More money meant that the secret here no longer existed, that he had been quietly watching her do things all along, and that all her actions were transparent to him.
Shang Zhi felt as if she had been seen through and understood, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Her chest tightened, and she hurriedly left the basement.
"Actually, the problem isn't that big, is it? You know it, you know it, right?"
Shang Zhi was in a bad mood and felt like she couldn't breathe.
In fact, Lu Xingqi could understand her. It was really unpleasant to have one's secret discovered. It had nothing to do with how much money one had. It was like a child's locked diary that one day she discovered had been opened and comments had been written inside.
It's incredibly infuriating.
Shang Zhi sat on the sofa, silent and unable to utter a single word.
She felt that Pei Yanxiu was very scheming. He clearly knew all along, but he didn't say anything and played this game with her, watching her stumble around here.
Is that interesting?
"Ah Zhi, are you alright? Why don't you go back and talk to him?"
“What’s the point of talking to him? He always has his reasons. It’s like talking to a brick wall. I don’t want to see him right now.”
"If he doesn't want to come back, then he doesn't have to. He can come home with me, and we can make him jealous."
Shang Zhi felt extremely wronged. He clearly knew, he clearly knew everything, so why didn't he say so earlier? Was it really meaningful for him to watch her make a fool of herself here?
【XiXi, I've arrived in Hong Kong.】
"Xingxing, do you know Lu Ke? He's not going home. I'll take you to visit him."
"Lu Ke? You mean that actor Lu Ke? The super handsome Lu Ke?"
"Um."
-
Lu Ke and Shang Zhi arranged to meet at a relatively private bar. Lu Xingqi was very excited on the way, while Shang Zhi seemed preoccupied and clearly hadn't recovered from the blow she had just suffered.
"Xixi, long time no see." At the entrance of the bar, a man in a trench coat and sunglasses smiled affectionately at her. Lu Xingqi was stunned. This scene really looked like a scene from a movie.
"Brother Lu, this is my friend, Xingxing."
"Hello, let's go inside and talk."
"Brother Lu, what brings you to Hong Kong all of a sudden?"
Why did he suddenly come to Hong Kong? Of course, it was under the guise of work to see the girl who had captured his heart.
Lu Ke's feelings for Shang Zhi are very special. It's not just because she's young and beautiful, but also because she looks remarkably like his first love, the girl who worked to support him when he wasn't famous, the girl who passed away seven years ago.
He used to be someone who took relationships very seriously, but since she left, he started to play around with life, thinking it was all just an illusion. But the moment he saw Shang Zhi, he felt she was back. He knew his thoughts were base, he knew no one in this world could be a substitute for another, but he just couldn't suppress it.
"Come participate in a variety show." Lu Ke poured drinks for both girls.
"After filming too many dramas, I want to change my mindset. Filming variety shows can help me relax and also build up some popularity."
"President Lu's popularity is almost at its peak, why would he need to accumulate more popularity?" Lu Ke just smiled after hearing this.
"Xixi, if you're interested, I can take you along for the shoot, and we can also help promote Ruikang. What do you think?"
"And Miss Lu, you can join us too. Let's all have fun together." Lu Ke was a smart man and knew that a crucial step in successfully pursuing a girl was winning over her best friend's heart. Lu Xingqi was also excited to hear Lu Ke say this.
“But going on variety shows means having a lot of people watching my life. I can’t stand it if someone criticizes me.” Shang Zhi looked at Lu Ke and smiled. She had a clear understanding and awareness of herself.
“We can play some other games, and we’ll try not to expose your privacy. Of course, if you really don’t like it, I won’t force you. But if you want to try it out, you can contact me anytime.”
Shang Zhi returned home very late that day. She didn't tell Pei Yanxiu where she had been all day, since he would find out eventually anyway, and he knew everything.
She has actually been considering Lu Ke's suggestion today that she participate in variety shows appropriately. Appropriate exposure would be beneficial for both her and Ruikang. The only concern is the potential backlash from the increased exposure, as well as the gossip that might circulate between her and Lu Ke, which would definitely be covered extensively by the Hong Kong media.
But then she felt that she might be worrying too much. In this era of internet traffic, as long as the exposure can make money for the company, it doesn't really matter whether the exposure is positive or negative.
"Besides going to Xingxing's house, did you go anywhere else today?" Pei Yanxiu, having finished showering and wrapped in a towel, leaned close to her like a wall.
He landed a powerful kiss on her neck.
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