Chapter 40 She stared at him innocently. ...
She didn't speak, her small face hidden behind her mask, but her thoughts were clearly visible through her eyes to the person opposite her.
One moment frustrated, the next relieved, vibrant and lively, just like the gentle breeze blowing on my face right now, playful and unrestrained, yet stirring my heart.
Wen Shili looked away. "You really like porridge?"
Sheng Yi: "No."
Then you can see the shop's signboard clearly—Sun's Seafood Congee Shop.
Then look at what the boss brought over—raw-cooked fish congee.
Sheng Yi: "..." Actually, she just wanted to find a place with fewer people to stay.
Realizing that this topic was not suitable for further discussion, Sheng Yi quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Actually, it tastes pretty good." As she spoke, she picked up a spoon and scooped up a mouthful.
Wen Shili was about to stop him, but found that he was too late.
The hot porridge rolled through my mouth, its heat sending my soul soaring. "Hot, hot, hot, hot," those words echoed repeatedly in my mind.
She covered her mouth and looked around, unsure whether to spit it out or swallow it.
Wen Shili pulled out a few tissues, brought them to her lips, and said, "Spit it out."
Sheng Yi waved her arms, indicating that she wanted to do it herself.
Wen Shili frowned slightly. "Hurry up."
Sheng Yi glared at him angrily, and Wen Shili's tone unconsciously lowered, "Do you still want your tongue?"
His reminder brought her back to her mouth, and the pain she had forgotten began to strike again. Ignoring her embarrassment, Sheng Yi spat out the porridge she had in her mouth, using his hand to help her swallow.
The evening breeze blew through the alley, and under the tranquil night sky, his features appeared magnified in my eyes.
Her eyes were filled with tears from the burns, and she stared blankly at him, her pale face looking innocent.
Tears hung in the corners of her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.
Wen Shili glanced away, took out a tissue and wiped her wound. "Are you hurt? Let me see."
Sheng Yi seemed startled, covering her mouth and shrinking back. Wen Shili noticed her resistance, rubbed his fingertips together, picked up his spoon, and continued drinking his porridge.
"It's actually pretty good."
She swore that if she ever ate porridge with him again, she'd be a pig!
The person who said they were hungry had only eaten about half a bowl. Sheng Yi, with her head down, whether out of embarrassment or because she had a good appetite, finished the whole bowl of porridge.
There were hardly any pedestrians on the street, and the two walked slowly back, enjoying the breeze.
His shadow stretched long on the ground. Sheng Yi secretly glanced at it and couldn't help but stretch out his foot, again and again.
In his presence, I might just be a clown jumping around, creating a romantic pairing, riding the wave of popularity, and still be able to play role-playing games with him as if nothing's wrong.
He just watched coldly, teasing her occasionally, and at the right moment, just like last time, telling her that she was overthinking everything.
The so-called friendship was merely his moral bottom line; he couldn't allow his casual words to bring unexpected malice upon her.
Once downstairs, all the turmoil in her heart had subsided. Sheng Yi watched him get into the car and let out a long sigh of relief.
Making plans to have dinner with colleagues after get off work is just too much of a hassle.
She waved goodbye to him, saying, "Take care on your journey, and let me know when you get home."
Feeling relaxed, I poured out all the nice things as if they were free.
Realizing what she had said, she stopped abruptly. Could she request to retract the last sentence?
Wen Shili turned his head, gesturing for her to go first, "I'll watch you go up."
Sheng Yi didn't stand on ceremony with him anymore, nodded, and turned to enter the apartment building.
One by one, the lights in the stairwell came on, but the broken motion-sensor lights remained unrepaired. She turned on her phone's flashlight and climbed the stairs step by step without looking back.
Lying in bed, I had no desire to continue those messy thoughts from before.
Some people are destined to be several steps ahead of others from the very beginning, and focusing on that only breeds resentment. We don't only live to be twenty-five; anxiety won't change anything. Instead, we should focus on taking each step well in the present.
As summer drew to a close, an ice cream brand suddenly contacted Shengyi.
Sheng Yi confirmed several times before she was certain that the other party really wanted her to be their spokesperson.
Since the other party was willing to pay, she had no reason to refuse. After negotiating, finalizing the deal, and shooting the promotional materials, the new advertisement was released quickly.
Previously, most of these business contracts were reviewed by Lao Qian, but Hong Jie said that in the long run, a professional agent is needed.
Sheng Yi took some time to meet with Lao Qian.
The two had known each other for many years, and there was no need to bring up some things. After finishing his tea, Sheng Yi sincerely said, "Thank you, Brother Qian."
Old Qian frowned every time he heard that title, so ever since they met, she had always called him "Old Qian, Old Qian." Over the years, if it weren't for him, she didn't know if she would have been able to hold on until now.
Seeing her like this, Lao Qian smiled and said, "What you've actually done has exceeded my expectations."
He dragged her into this murky water, but he didn't have the ability to protect her, nor did he have the right to stop her from reaching higher places.
"I misunderstood before." However, even if he had to do it again, he might still do the same thing.
"But since things have come to this, let's try to get to know each other better. Even if it's just a friendship, you'll still benefit."
“Yes, I know,” Sheng Yi said.
Compared to the demonized celebrities in online press releases, Wen Shili is so normal that he doesn't seem to belong to that group. He has a good temper and doesn't act superior when you're with him.
Whether they're colleagues or friends, let's wait and see. The little bit of kindness he showed through his fingers was enough for her to keep going in this industry.
Wen Shili paid for the last late-night snack, but Sheng Yi offered him money, which he refused, saying she would pay next time. Sheng Yi said okay, let me know in advance if you have time.
As a result, he disappeared completely over the next two weeks.
Sheng Yi told herself that only by adjusting her mindset could she maintain this relationship in the long run.
One morning, she saw the news of Wang Ying getting her marriage certificate on her WeChat Moments. It was posted yesterday afternoon, and she only saw it now.
The person in the photo had a radiant happiness and hope on their face. Sheng Yi gave it a like and sent her a separate message with her blessings.
Wang Ying called soon after, saying that the wedding was expected at the end of the year and asking if she would be free to attend.
She's lost touch with her high school friends, and when one of her college roommates got married, Shengyi happened to be out of town. If the timing is right, she certainly wouldn't mind making the trip.
"I can't say for sure, I'll try my best."
Wang Ying knew the nature of her job and didn't press the issue, only saying she hoped to see her on-site. They exchanged a few more words, then Wang Ying, in a hurry to leave for work, hung up the phone.
When Sheng Yi returned from washing up, she found that Wang Ying had left her another voice message.
"Oh right, I forgot to tell you, Feng Shu also called me yesterday and asked about some things from high school."
Some things from my high school days.
Sheng Yi clicked her tongue twice. "You said last time that handing him a love letter scared him?" No wonder you've been so absent-minded the whole way.
Wang Ying laughed and scolded, "I was out of my mind, why did I suddenly ask him this?"
"Did your partner come to settle scores with you?" Sheng Yi joked.
Seeing her like this, Wang Ying didn't think of it that way at all.
What are you talking about? The past is the past.
"I'm hanging up now, I'm not talking to you anymore."
Sheng Yi agreed, tidied herself up a bit, hailed a taxi, and headed straight to the interview.
She had previously sifted through all the potential contacts on her phone and sent messages to each of them to inquire about suitable job opportunities. At that time, everyone either politely declined or said that they didn't have any suitable projects on hand.
Since the purpose of using facial recognition has been achieved, Sheng Yi is not worried. If needed in the future, she can just remember that she is a backup option.
Unexpectedly, a few days later, someone actually recommended a project to her.
"The male and female leads have been cast, you can try to get the role of the second female lead." The other party sent the time, location, and character biographies to her phone, and reminded her, "The director doesn't like those underhanded methods."
It's a TV series adapted from a novel with a cultivation theme. She's facing the daughter of the sect leader. Her character profile describes her as innocent, naive, arrogant, and willful.
Based on the information she had, Sheng Yi spent another day reading the original novel and filled in some of the female lead's character settings.
The scene they were rehearsing was a scene involving the second female lead and the second male lead, and the assistant director personally came down to act alongside her. The presence of a tall, imposing man opposite her created a certain amount of pressure.
With all eyes in the room fixed on them, Sheng Yi suddenly remembered what the lead actress had told her when she played a maid: "The more critical the moment, the less you should panic."
She gradually calmed down.
Since it's a scene with another actor, besides the performance of one's own character, the other person's reaction is also something to consider. Sheng Yi went through the scene she was going to rehearse in her mind, "Director, I'm ready."
After the interview, the director did not immediately announce the results, only telling everyone to go back and wait for news, and that they were expected to join the crew in October.
Sheng Yi took the elevator downstairs, reflecting on the scene as she walked. She wondered if the performance would have been more effective if she had been a little more restrained.
On her way back, she stopped at a shopping mall to buy some things. While waiting for her ride with her bags in hand, she heard a voice beside her say, "Hi, we meet again."
It sounds familiar.
She turned around and saw a car parked by the roadside with the window half down. Someone was sitting in the car, smiling and waving at her.
Who else could it be but Yan Shen?
Sheng Yi walked over and asked, "You actually know me?"
"I'm not blind."
"No." Sheng Yi gestured and then looked in the rearview mirror. "I think I'm pretty good at disguising myself."
Her voice was soft and gentle, with a drawn-out tone that had a slightly sweet quality.
Yan Shen opened one of the car doors. "I'll give you a ride."
S City isn't very big, and the second time they met, Yan Shen invited her to dinner again. It happened to be lunchtime, and she didn't refuse his invitation.
After dinner, the two took a walk around the neighborhood. Passing by an intersection, they saw an elderly woman sitting by the roadside with a little girl. On the small cart in front of them, various colorful flowers were bundled together, and a rich fragrance wafted in the soft evening breeze.
Sheng Yi glanced at her a couple more times without realizing it, and the little girl looked up at her with a grin and said, "Sister, buy flowers."
The old lady next to her smiled and corrected her, "You should ask the older brother to buy it for the older sister." As she spoke, she looked at Yan Shen and said, "Handsome guy, buy your girlfriend a bouquet of flowers."
"They're already teaching business skills at such a young age." Sheng Yi glanced at the price list in front of the cart, casually picked out two bunches, took out her phone, and scanned the QR code.
She held the flowers in her hands and gently inhaled their fragrance. The vibrant petals, partially obscuring her delicate face, brought a tremor that struck her very soul.
Even long afterward, Yan Shen still remembered this scene.
At this moment, he followed slowly behind her, simply asking with a smile, "Did I miss my chance to shine?"
Sheng Yi was amused by his statement and turned her head, "No way."
She faced him, walking backwards with a mischievous yet gentle smile on her face. "Isn't it perfect when you can afford what you want?"
Why wait for others to fulfill your desires?
The night was dark, but her eyes shone brightly.
Yan Shen looked away.
if……
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".
He suppressed the sudden impulse, but a restless feeling compelled him to ask, "Do you have time tomorrow? Could you do me a favor if it's convenient?"
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