Chapter 39. This is the second time.
Sheng Yi recognized one of them at a glance.
So, he came back too.
After their last parting, the two kept in touch intermittently, but she was busy and he was even busier, so they only exchanged a few messages occasionally, maintaining a lukewarm friendship.
What a coincidence to run into her here! But he probably won't recognize her.
Sheng Yi calmly withdrew her gaze, gently squeezed Wang Ying's hand, and Wang Ying came back to her senses, wondering about her reaction just now. She pouted and continued talking to Sheng Yi about the topic they had just discussed.
Sheng Yi was surprised that after Wang Ying's initial shock, she could still continue with the statement "give it a try with him." She gave her a frantic look, but Wang Ying, seeing her twitching eyes, didn't immediately grasp the deeper meaning.
Noticing the absent-mindedness of the person beside him, Song Yao glanced at the person still chattering away not far away and asked, "Did you run into a friend?"
Sheng Yixin tensed up.
Wen Shili didn't stop walking. "No."
Whew~ Sheng Yi watched the figure gradually disappear into the distance and finally felt relieved.
After seeing Wang Ying off, Sheng Yi rode back in Feng Shu's car.
Feng Shu maintained his gentlemanly demeanor as always, holding onto the roof of the car and gesturing for her to sit inside.
Perhaps influenced by Wang Ying's words, Sheng Yi suddenly remembered what Huang Bei had said about "them" in the book cafe.
Indeed, since his student days, Feng Shu has been more considerate and gentle than other boys his age, and he has never lacked admirers. From a classmate's perspective, it's good enough if you can chat occasionally, but there's a lot more to talk about in the transition from classmate to friend.
Maintaining this distance is actually the result of their mutual agreement.
As for the rest, Sheng Yi smiled and thought, "Wang Ying's childhood nostalgia is indeed very strong."
Even though she was sitting in someone else's car, she started judging them in her mind. Realizing what she was thinking, Sheng Yi quickly stopped her wandering thoughts.
Fortunately, Feng Shu didn't seem to be in a very high mood and didn't notice her attitude.
The car rejoined the congested traffic. By the floor-to-ceiling window, Song Yao swirled his wine glass. "Looks like you should thank me."
Wen Shili scoffed, turned around and sat down, "You're overthinking it."
Song Yao: "..." Did I give you a raise in my endorsement fee for nothing? You didn't even say thank you.
Oh well, I guess I'm just asking to be taken advantage of.
"Oh, everyone's been waiting for me?"
Yan Shen pushed open the door and came in, only to be met with Song Yao's bright eyes. He paused in his tracks, not expecting that after enduring so much cold treatment, Song Yao would see him as a savior.
"Didn't they say your dad issued an arrest warrant? I thought I wouldn't be able to see you today."
Yan Shen casually loosened his tie and slumped back in his chair. "I didn't expect the news to reach you. I have a home but can't go back. It's truly heartbreaking to hear."
Song Yao's own fiancée was arranged by his family, so he didn't understand why Song Yao was being so dramatic: "Getting married is simple. If it really doesn't work out, just go through the motions. Maybe it's not as difficult as you think."
"I'm busy, aren't I? It's an arranged marriage, so at least the bride has to be pleasing to the eye."
Song Yao clicked his tongue and shook his head, "With your standards after being single for over twenty years, what kind of girl do you consider pleasing to the eye?"
Yan Shen was so struck by his directness that he actually thought about it seriously for a moment, then turned to look at Wen Shili. Song Yao's heart skipped a beat. Even a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow; he had never heard of Yan Shen having this kind of preference.
Wen Shili, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, as if he weren't the one being stared at at all. Yan Shen, having had his fill of staring, turned back, a half-smile on his face, "Yes, of course there is.
Judging from his tone, Song Yao realized that there really was such a person, and he immediately perked up, "Oh?" meaning to elaborate.
Yan Shen raised his wine glass to his lips, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bulging veins on the back of the person next to him, and barely managed to suppress a muffled laugh.
It was very soft, but to a discerning listener, it amplified, subtly sending a warning glance.
"Serves you right for being so stubborn. Now look what happened!" Yan Shen thought to himself, "I never expected to see Wen Shili with this expression in my lifetime." His smile widened even further.
As the wine went down his throat, his eyes remained innocent. Why couldn't he even laugh?
The person opposite him darkened even more.
Song Yao was waiting for Yan Shen to give a detailed explanation, but Wen Shili said first, "I'm going back now."
He glanced at Wen Shili, who was not turning his head, and then at Yan Shen, who was blinking innocently. He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Feng Shu escorted Sheng Yi downstairs. Sheng Yi noticed that he wasn't in a very high mood, so he said a few words of farewell and decided that he should bother him less in the future.
When I got home, I saw Fu Xiaodan standing in the living room with her hands on her hips, making a phone call.
"This plan must be completed today. Please work overtime tonight. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us."
"Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your hard work."
Sheng Yi laughed, "Team Leader Fu, are you trying to coax a child again?"
Fu Xiaodan got a promotion a few days ago and has started leading projects independently. She shrugged, looked utterly hopeless, picked up her computer, and started typing furiously.
Sheng Yi changed her clothes, took a shower, put on her headphones, and randomly picked a show to watch.
The male and female leads were both new faces; she did a quick search and found they were all young people who hadn't even graduated yet. To play leading roles at such a young age, good looks were the most basic requirement, and even the supporting cast were all exceptionally attractive.
On the live chat, people often lamented that campus dramas and idol dramas should be played by young actors like these, and why should older people occupy the resources of young people?
Looking at the young actors on the screen whose faces seemed to be plump and radiant, Sheng Yi knew perfectly well that those of them who were over twenty-five and still hadn't made a splash had long been categorized as yesterday's news.
The margin for error is shrinking, and every opportunity becomes a bargaining chip that must be seized tightly. Otherwise, in a few years, you won't even be able to get a minor role.
Having come this far, she is already much better off than many others who are still struggling.
In this huge industry, who dares to say that beauty, hard work, or even acting skills will necessarily be proportional to the achievements one can attain?
Successful people humbly say it's all due to luck, while those who never get ahead can only comfort themselves with metaphysics, thinking that if they had been a little luckier, they might be the ones standing there.
Sheng Yi has always felt that her luck is neither particularly good nor particularly bad, and now it seems that it does correspond to her current situation.
"Director Xie, this is Sheng Yi. Do you have any suitable roles for me? ...No, please keep an eye out for me. If you find any suitable roles, please feel free to contact me."
"Yes, Brother Li, we filmed a short film together in City B earlier this year. Yes, yes, it was me. Do you have any other jobs I can do?"
"Yes, I just finished filming, and I'm available these days..."
Fu Xiaodan looked at Sheng Yi, who was wandering around the room aimlessly, and rubbed her forehead. "Sit down, aren't you dizzy from all this swaying?"
Sheng Yi hadn't thought much of it at first, but after being interrupted like that, she checked the time and lost the desire to continue bothering people.
I had planned to rest for a few days after filming wrapped, but faced with sudden anxiety, I could only fill the time with busyness.
She sat there blankly, unsure of what to do. Her mind raced with thoughts, yet nothing seemed to make sense.
After an unknown amount of time, the phone buzzed and vibrated, bringing Sheng Yi back to her senses, and she saw the content on the screen.
Wen Shili: "This is the second time."
Sheng Yi didn't understand what he was suddenly talking about, but Wen Shili quickly explained it to her: "Pretend you don't know me."
Ah, so this is to interrogate me? To be honest, I can't compare to you. Sheng Yi kept thinking, but what she typed was, "No way." Then she added a couple more excuses.
Wen Shili neither believed nor disbelieved. A few minutes later, she received a new reply: "I'll give you a chance to convince me in person."
Sheng Yi's heart skipped a beat.
Are you kidding me?
She didn't want to believe it, but her actions followed her instincts. She peeked out, but before she could even see what was downstairs, her phone sent another message: "Go downstairs."
She immediately shrank back.
He said, "I see you."
Seeing her startled reaction, Fu Xiaodan stood up and walked over, asking what was wrong.
Sheng Yi quickly turned around and pushed her into the house, saying, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Lao Qian just called me to have a late-night snack."
In a residential building in City S, Old Qian suddenly covered his mouth and said, "Achoo!"
Fu Xiaodan was led back to sit on the sofa: "Oh."
Fifteen minutes later, Sheng Yi pulled Wen Shili to a stop in front of an empty shop.
A small stall was set up in front of the shop, right in a breezy spot, and the gentle breeze actually put me in a surprisingly good mood. It would be even more perfect if someone else could sit opposite it.
Sheng Yi glanced at herself in her tank top and shorts, and the large sandals on her feet. Her hair, which she had just washed, wasn't quite dry yet, so she tied it haphazardly at the back of her head and hurried downstairs. Looking at Wen Shili, even sitting on the street, he still exuded a carefree and unrestrained charm.
If I had known, she should have changed her clothes before going out.
However, no normal person would have imagined that he would suddenly show up at her door in the middle of the night with an expression that said, "I'll listen to your explanation for a bit," when in fact he was just passing by her house and happened to be hungry, so he asked her to have some late-night snacks together.
Sheng Yi was stunned after hearing this. "Huh?"
Wen Shili, with his hand resting on the half-closed car window, asked matter-of-factly, "Aren't you my friend?"
Sheng Yi really wanted to say, "Don't you have any other friends? And when we met in the evening, he was clearly with other people. Couldn't even the hotel chef satisfy his appetite?"
She didn't show it on her face, but her heart was filled with resentment. Wen Shili suddenly moved closer, his eyes, which were always as clear as a deep pool, were piercing. Sheng Yi subconsciously took a step back, feeling inexplicably guilty.
It seems like they're using people when they need them and discarding them when they don't.
But I'm sorry, I have to decline the invitation to have a late-night snack.
Having made up her mind, she looked up again to meet his gaze. The two were very close, and by the light of the street lamp not far away, Sheng Yi could see a fleeting joy in his eyes, followed by a barely perceptible hint of grievance.
It flashed by in an instant, and she wanted to look again, but couldn't find a place to go.
Wen Shili seemed to understand what she meant. He withdrew his hand, his voice still gentle, "It's nothing, sorry for bothering you."
Sheng Yi opened her eyes, listened to the sound of the car starting again, took a step back, then another step back, and then stood still, waving at him.
Wen Shili's lips moved, but Sheng Yi didn't hear him clearly and leaned closer again.
He said, "You go up first."
Sheng Yi glanced at the dark stairwell, then looked back at his face.
"Fine," she gritted her teeth, "Come with me."
The two sat down on the street corner, and the wind helped Sheng Yi calm down.
It's obvious who would dare to wrong him. When you go out late at night and your mind isn't working properly, you're more likely to imagine all sorts of things.
But since we're already here, we can't just leave him here.
Sheng Yi sighed, casually ordering the owner two dishes from the signboard, then drifted off into thought.
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