Turning point
Perhaps because she hadn't appeared on WeChat Moments for so long, this sudden post quickly garnered dozens of comments on her Moments feed. Xu Luoluo clicked through them one by one, most of which were exclaiming, "You're still alive!" She replied to each one, "Thank you everyone for your concern, I'm as energetic as can be!~"
Most of the other notifications were likes. She was so sleepy that she just glanced at them and went to wash up and go to bed. Thinking about the few messages she had just received, she knew she had a lot to do tomorrow. She fell asleep immediately and didn't notice that the profile picture that rarely appeared on her Moments had also silently liked her post.
Sitting by the window as night fell, he opened his WeChat Moments for the nth time, only to find that she had finally replied to all his messages, but hadn't called him back. She turned off her phone and put it aside. The soft moonlight fell on his handsome profile, but it revealed his dark expression. Tang Yizhuo narrowed his almond-shaped eyes and smiled mockingly. This woman was truly ruthless.
The heartless woman, Xu Luoluo, woke up feeling an unprecedented soreness. Was this the consequence of not exercising for too long and running around with a tour group all day without a break? She groaned as she slowly pushed herself out of bed, thinking about her packed schedule for the day, and felt like crying.
But these are extraordinary times, and every minute and every second is precious to Xu Luoluo. Her painful past experiences have taught her that once a person starts to be lazy, they become lazy day after day, year after year, and eventually lose the will to fight. Therefore, the best way to strive is to never stop.
So as soon as she finished washing up, she energetically tackled her to-do list. First, replying to WeChat messages and emails.
After arranging a time with Xia Ning and replying to Gu Sinian with a "?", Xu Luoluo stared at Tang Yizhuo's message and pondered it seriously for a while. In the end, she couldn't resist the temptation of the "benefits" and sent him a "Now?".
"kindness"
A single word, yet a reply came instantly. Xu Luoluo clicked her tongue in amazement. This person hadn't replied this quickly before. Could it be that he had repented? Or was he afraid? Afraid that she would expose his true, ugly nature? The more she thought about it, the more likely the latter possibility seemed. Xu Luoluo nodded firmly and, with a victor's mentality, made a voice call.
As soon as the call connected, Xu Luoluo was about to launch into a sarcastic remark when she was startled by a single "Luoluo," a voice as chilly as a spring breeze in February. She trembled slightly through the phone before finally asking, "Who are you?"
"You don't recognize me after just a few days?" The other person's voice was deep, with a captivating magnetism and a chilling threat.
Very well, this sarcastic emphasis is definitely Tang Yizhuo himself. Xu Luoluo felt relieved and boldly said, "Who told you to call me that? Are we that close? What do you want? I'm very busy."
"Since you're so busy, and we're not close, I won't bother you any longer." The other person said coldly, as if about to hang up.
"Hey, since you're already here, why don't you stay a little longer before you leave?" It's true what they say, human nature is shameless. Xu Luoluo was about to act all high and mighty when a benefit was offered to her, but Tang Yizhuo's nonchalant attitude only made her more curious.
As soon as she finished speaking, the other person chuckled. She couldn't help but despise herself; this damned curiosity—wasn't this supposed to be her domain? Why did she feel like Tang Yizhuo had her under his thumb again?
Tang Yizhuo explained in detail. It turned out that the bankruptcy of the game adaptation project was also part of the plan, designed to continuously inflate the IP's valuation. He and his partners had differing plans for the company's future, and there had been signs of a potential breakup internally for some time, though ordinary employees hadn't heard a word. The benefit Tang Yizhuo offered her wasn't the script for this drama; after all, he had been behind her breakout role, and he knew she wasn't yet capable of carrying the IP. If filming were rushed, it would likely struggle to make a splash in the fiercely competitive market.
"So?" Xu Luoluo gritted her teeth. She had harbored a sliver of hope before, but now she had to admit he was right. In her haste to face Producer Xu, she had assumed this stroke of good fortune was a generous gift from Tang Yizhuo. If not, then what was his so-called benefit?
Xu Luoluo opened the link and looked at the introduction to the screenwriting class on the tablet, still somewhat dazed. This was a screenwriting class run by a generation of screenwriters from the golden age, led by Gu Lao, aiming to guide talented young screenwriters and allow emerging screenwriters to exchange writing techniques with veteran screenwriters, with the hope of passing on the skills from generation to generation.
There are many screenwriting workshops on the market, but these workshops are particularly difficult to get tickets for because they are led by renowned veteran screenwriters. Besides learning more screenwriting techniques, many people are drawn to the resource integration capabilities of these experienced screenwriters. Being noticed by a senior figure might just lead to an opportunity to participate in a major production.
With such a large population, even if the chances of a truly talented person emerging are slim, the total number of people is still enormous. However, well-funded, high-quality production teams are few and far between; it's a pure buyer's market between screenwriters and producers. Without a renowned screenwriter in the industry and without connections, it's extremely difficult for newcomers to break through. Which young screenwriter struggling in the city wouldn't want such an opportunity to shine?
Even industry insiders couldn't get tickets to this event, yet Tang Yizhuo managed to get her a spot. After Tang Yizhuo offered this "benefit," she didn't hesitate to forget her previous grievances, reconcile with him, and was extremely satisfied: "I knew you were a respectable boss, and I definitely wouldn't lose out by cooperating with you."
"Good to know." Tang Yizhuo snorted. "Looks like I was overthinking it. I thought you were holding a grudge against me."
The tone should be as sarcastic as possible.
"Hehe, that's right, you must be overthinking it." Xu Luoluo laughed awkwardly, then said insincerely, "I'll treat you to dinner next time I come to Lin'an."
She casually remarked that the two of them were from completely different parts of the country, and Tang Yizhuo wouldn't come to Lin'an so easily. Little did she know that someone had been waiting for those words for a long time.
The writing workshop starts early next month. Xu Luoluo checked her calendar and realized she still had a week to write her script. After meeting with Xia Ning, she tied her hair up in a bun, made herself a large cup of coffee, and sat down at her computer to rack her brains to write the outline and storyboards.
After a hectic week, she finally finished the script before Friday, archived it with satisfaction, but didn't submit it to the competition. Next week is the writing class, and she feels she can learn and revise as she goes, further improving her skills.
Saturday was the day Xu Luoluo planned to sleep in and recharge. To recharge, she needed to sleep all day! But she was woken up by her phone's incessant vibrations just before noon.
"What?" Xu Luoluo jumped up from the bed with a "bang". Tang Yizhuo actually came to Lin'an?
"Share your location with me." Tang Yizhuo said calmly, seemingly in a good mood. "I'll come pick you up."
Xu Luoluo was incredibly conflicted in bed, torn between the warm, soft bed and the promise she had made to Tang Yizhuo.
"Let's go to Shangyangguan, this meal is on me."
Shangyangguan is a popular hot pot restaurant in Lin'an, and its nine-compartment hot pot is said to be quite delicious. Xu Luoluo's heart was stirred.
"58 Linjiang Road, give me half an hour." Unable to resist the temptation of hot pot and the offer of a treat, Xu Luoluo quickly spat out the address and hung up. Pretending not to hear the soft chuckle in the "okay" before the call ended, she jumped out of bed, got ready to leave.
Tang Yizhuo arrived right on time. Xu Luoluo opened the passenger door and got in. Seeing his spirited appearance, and then thinking about how exhausted she was from rushing to finish her manuscript, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She said sourly, "Looks like your new company isn't very busy."
"It's alright." Tang Yizhuo didn't seem to care much. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before smiling and saying, "Not as busy as you."
"..." Xu Luoluo was furious! She turned her head to look out the window, regretting that she shouldn't have argued with him.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Tang Yizhuo remained quiet throughout the journey, offering no provocation. Xu Luoluo, still angry, drifted off to sleep, remaining lost in a sweet dream until the car stopped, a sweet smile on her lips. Tang Yizhuo stared at her profile for a while, then couldn't resist pinching her chubby cheek. She didn't wake up; she seemed truly exhausted. Tang Yizhuo withdrew his hand from the steering wheel, turned, and drove out of the parking lot.
The delicate, soft touch still lingered on his fingertips, and he couldn't help but tighten his grip to suppress his lustful thoughts, his gaze deep and intense. She really let her guard down around him; he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
When Xu Luoluo woke up, it was already evening. She rubbed her stiff neck before realizing where she was. The driver's seat next to her was empty, and Tang Yizhuo's coat was still covering her. The window was left slightly ajar for ventilation, and it was a bit cold, so she couldn't help but pull the coat up a little, wiping her mouth as she did so, before turning her head to search for Tang Yizhuo.
When Tang Yizhuo walked over, he saw her wiping her mouth with her coat, and his face darkened.
...
"Did you sleep well?" He got into the car, subtly averting his gaze, trying not to look at the damp edges of his coat.
"Okay!" Xu Luoluo stretched and stuffed her coat back into his arms. "Let's go eat hot pot!"
Tang Yizhuo: "..." She had lunch but ended up having dinner, though she hadn't forgotten about hot pot.
*
"What were you doing just now?" Xu Luoluo finished cooking the tripe in the hot pot and then put it in her mouth with satisfaction. She looked at the nine-square hot pot with its bubbling red oil. The pig brain and beef strips needed to be cooked a little longer, and she finally took the opportunity to chat with Tang Yizhuo.
"Make a call." Tang Yizhuo used a ladle to scoop out the tripe and beef rolls that she had missed. Xu Luoluo looked at the ladle with delight and drooled, but Tang Yizhuo put them into her bowl without any hesitation.
Stingy! Can't you even cook for yourself?
Tang Yizhuo raised an eyebrow and looked at her.
Realizing she had voiced her inner thoughts, Xu Luoluo quickly fanned away the steaming heat from the pot, pretended nothing had happened, and smiled, "I mean, you're so careful, even going out to make a phone call, afraid of waking me up?"
Tang Yizhuo slowly finished eating the spoils he had just caught before leisurely speaking, "Yes. Want to know whose call it was?"
It sounds like it has something to do with me? Xu Luoluo looked at him suspiciously, wanting to curse, but the familiar itch in her heart was stirred up again by him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
