Chapter 21 Destroyed
The TV series in which Li Ji plays the second villain has started airing. As if it is a new beginning, Sheng Zhao enthusiastically lists the entire year's plan for Li Ji.
It’s so densely packed and jaw-dropping, including TV series, movies and... albums?
“…Should I release an album?”
Li Ji's voice paused for a moment, and his gaze moved to Sheng Zhao's face. Sheng Zhao smiled beautifully, with a light blush on her fair cheeks. She seemed to be in a particularly good mood, and the tips of her white fangs were exposed, as if shining.
"Yeah, you've quit smoking, haven't you? And you're taking voice lessons, right? This is a plan I wrote a long time ago."
Sheng Zhao muttered to himself, even pointing to the date on the document, with a certain amount of pride, obviously having arranged everything.
Was it she who asked Li Ji to quit smoking?
It doesn’t seem like it. It was Li Ji who inexplicably asked to quit.
So was the album plan based on his quitting smoking, or was his quitting smoking something Sheng Zhao had expected?
But the date of this document was obviously much earlier than the date he started to quit smoking.
So was it her arrangement for him to quit smoking?
It seemed as if he looked at her face and spoke on his own initiative for some unknown reason.
...So strange.
Li Ji's thoughts were inexplicably confused. He just felt that Sheng Zhao's character of arranging everything clearly was a bit strange. He couldn't think of anything, so he nodded and agreed to her record plan.
Miraculously enough, ever since he went crazy due to a hangover, his father really hasn't come to harass him. Even "his past" that made Li Ji a little panic has remained quiet on the Internet.
He was obviously afraid before, and perhaps someone who knew his past was proudly telling those ridiculous "truths" on the Internet - just like the people he had met before.
He was also afraid that Sheng Zhao knew what kind of person he "used to be" and would look at him with contempt.
Li Ji didn't know if he had some masochistic tendencies. He was even looking forward to that day and Sheng Zhao's eyes.
Is it disgust, disdain... or pity?
Li Ji's chest began to swell.
His eyes were somewhat dark and complicated, and he pursed his lips. His thoughts seemed to drift back to the past, at the moment when he was caught up in his emotions -
"Li Ji? Are you okay?"
Sheng Zhao waved his hand in front of his eyes and leaned over to look into his slightly unfocused eyes.
The fragrance of the woman and her clear and crisp voice like bamboo suddenly brought his thoughts back. Her eyes were so clear that they seemed to have never contained anything else. She just looked at him quietly, which made Li Ji feel inexplicably at ease.
He glanced away to hide his loss of composure and coughed lightly, "I'm fine."
"Are you scared because you have too many work plans?"
Sheng Zhao looked at him with a smile, her hair slightly sticking to her cheeks, her extremely dark and fair skin, set against her clear eyes, carried an innocent confusion and depth.
It makes one's heart pound for no reason.
Li Ji slightly suppressed the beating in his chest, and deliberately said something teasing as if to cover it up, "If you are afraid, will you reduce my workload?"
"Unfortunately, no."
Sheng Zhao answered decisively, and even her voice was as smiling as ever, which seemed like a tease, but people who knew her knew that she always meant what she said.
Li Ji's trembling breathing calmed down a bit. He glanced at Chen Shuoxing's pop-up ad on his tablet and said in a low voice, perhaps feeling a little unhappy, "What about Chen Shuoxing? Would he be afraid of such a tedious job?"
"Hmm..." Sheng Zhao thought for a moment, frowning slightly, and replied, "No, after all, he is a very hard-working person. For a year, we hardly had any rest... He even broke his leg while filming a movie -"
Her voice broke off.
Just because he looked up and saw Li Ji's unhappy and somewhat unhappy expression, Li Ji raised the corners of his lips, half-smiled, and said sarcastically, "Then he is really dedicated."
He seemed to dislike Chen Shuoxing as well.
No, his hostility at this moment seemed to be directed towards Sheng Zhao.
Although he didn't know which words touched his irritation, since this was the topic brought up by Li Ji himself, his reaction made Sheng Zhao feel a little aggrieved.
He asked about it himself, but felt unhappy after answering it... Men are really strange.
But Li Ji frowned and the atmosphere around him was a bit low, so Sheng Zhao still didn't speak. He sighed helplessly and made a gesture of sealing his lips.
——————
Li Ji really didn't expect to meet Duan Jingrui here. He stared at Duan Jingrui expressionlessly until he saw that he looked unhappy but suppressed his temper. Then he raised his eyebrows and looked at Duan Jingrui with satisfaction as he was raging in frustration.
Then, when he saw Sheng Zhao's figure behind Li Ji, he suddenly restrained his expression and became obedient and tolerant, so quickly that his expression became a little distorted.
The rapid change in expression made Li Ji a little surprised. He just leaned aside and sneered, watching Duan Jingrui's clumsy and obedient behavior with a bit of gloating.
Sheng Zhao, who had just been blocked behind him, shrugged and said softly, "It's too late. I saw your expression just now."
"It seems that your mother and father still haven't taught you to be obedient--" Sheng Zhao lowered her head slightly and murmured in thought. Duan Jingrui paused, and when he heard her words, he suddenly came up and held Sheng Zhao's hand.
He hurriedly said, "Be obedient, I will be obedient. Don't tell my mother and father."
His eyes also looked pitiful.
His style changed from punk and rebellious to well-behaved and pure. His beautiful almond eyes were clear and lustful, and his hair was pure black, without that ostentatious red.
She looked at Sheng Zhao with tears in her eyes and begged her pitifully, which could almost make all women soften their hearts.
Li Ji observed Sheng Zhao's reaction, but before he could observe, a woman's mature and clear voice came from the side, "Zhao Zhao, Jing Rui."
She looked up and saw the tall figure of Duan Ming. She extended her hand to signal Duan Jingrui to come over. Duan Jingrui hesitated and muttered as he walked to Duan Ming's side. Duan Ming laughed and said, "He said he was getting moldy at home and asked me to bring him out. So I brought him here for the magazine interview."
"Hey—" Duan Ming stretched out his voice, looking at Li Ji, who had a slightly unhappy and hostile expression, and Sheng Zhao, who was standing beside him indifferently, with some interest, "Isn't this Xiao Li? Long time no see."
Li Ji raised the corner of his lips expressionlessly, expressing his friendliness, "...Long time no see."
...Now he knew why this big star who had made a name for herself in the entertainment industry with her outspoken and straightforward personality targeted him so much on the variety show. It turned out that she was venting her anger on her younger brother.
Unfortunately, he guessed wrong... only half wrong.
The main reason was to bring up a topic for Sheng Zhao's sake, and the side reason was also to vent a little bit of anger for his younger brother.
Duan Ming smiled, and Duan Jingrui seemed to have his sister's support, feeling more confident. He asked Sheng Zhao in a tender voice, his eyes moist with affection, "Sister Sheng, are you here to take photos too?"
The "person" he was referring to was naturally Li Ji.
Li Ji didn't like the brother and sister very much. He looked at Duan Jingrui with no expression on his face and nodded lazily, "Yes, Sheng Zhao brought me to shoot the magazine's inside pages."
Duan Jingrui came closer again, looked at Sheng Zhao hesitantly, and said softly, "Well, how about we talk on the side while they film?"
“Tsk.”
Li Ji made an inaudible "tsk" sound and then stepped between the two of them. Duan Jingrui was much shorter than him. He raised his eyebrows and looked down at the former little red-haired girl with a hint of arrogance and teasing. He whispered, "Sorry, she's my assistant manager and she'll be bringing me some water and things later."
Duan Jingrui's expression suddenly frowned, and he felt extremely aggrieved.
He hummed and frowned, and after a long moment of silence, he nodded reluctantly, "Okay."
It seemed as if Sheng Zhao needed his consent to be his assistant. Li Ji sneered, walked past him, lowered his eyes to glance at him, and although he didn't say a word, it looked like he was mocking Duan Jingrui.
Duan Jingrui frowned in anger and grievance, and walked behind Duan Ming and rolled his eyes angrily.
Li Ji sneered and went to the dressing room to put on makeup.
Duan Ming and Sheng Zhao next to them didn't care much about the little fight between the men. Instead, they started chatting. It was unclear what they were talking about, and Duan Jingrui next to them was unable to get a word in.
He stared at Sheng Zhao angrily.
Before he could try to interrupt the conversation, a commotion erupted from the dressing room.
"What are you doing?! Why did you throw my makeup?!"
The man's sharp voice made Duan Ming and Sheng Zhao at the door pause for a moment. Before they could react, Li Ji's voice rang out. His voice was much calmer, and he whispered, "I've repeated it many times, don't use this on me."
"Why did you throw my makeup? You don't have to act like a big shot to bully our little makeup artist!"
The man's shrill voice was filled with tears, and he pretended to sob.
Sheng Zhao and Duan Ming looked at each other, opened the door and went in. The floor was a mess because of spilled foundation.
Li Ji breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Sheng Zhao coming in, and looked at the makeup artist with a somewhat cold look in his eyes.
"I'm not being a big shot. You're the one who insisted on putting this foundation on my face, regardless of my wishes. It smells pungent, and the texture, color, and smell are completely different from the foundations of the same brand I've used before. I've asked you multiple times, but you've been hesitant and only wanted to put it on my face. I've repeatedly told you not to touch my face."
The makeup artist insisted on applying this unknown liquid on his face. Li Ji turned his head away to refuse, and accidentally broke the bottle during the pushing.
Before he could say anything, the makeup artist started crying pitifully at him for using expensive brands.
Sheng Zhao paused slightly, and figured it out at this moment. Her expression became inexplicably cold and gloomy. She lowered her eyes slightly and looked at the liquid foundation on the ground. She squatted down, touched a little with her fingertips, and put it to the tip of her nose. It was indeed a bit pungent.
The makeup artist looked a little guilty, but still looked at Li Ji with confidence, "This is the liquid foundation that our in-house makeup artists use. If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense..."
Li Ji frowned slightly, with a somewhat calm and indifferent expression, and asked the makeup artist softly.
"Is someone mad at me and wants to ruin this ridiculous face?"
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