Chapter 46: You Are My Angel
"Ning Xi, Producer Wang, Writer Ye and I are very pleased with you, but reality is cruel. We can't make films on feelings alone, the most important thing is funds. Sometimes we have no say when it comes to casting. Who does? The one who puts in the most money!"
As Ning Xi listened, her heart sank like a stone falling to the bottom of the ocean. Had she been replaced after all? Then why had Chang Li told her to go to the filming?
"Chairman Ning did look for me last night. He felt you were too new, and was not in favor of using you. However..." Guo Qisheng paused.
Ning Xi wanted to pull the director out of the phone and shake him. Can't you just say it all at once?
"But you were lucky, Ning Xi. Another investor was very impressed with you, so make sure you do your best!"
"Really?" Ning Xi's fallen heart was suddenly lifted. Don't be too excited! She felt that she had been played by the director. "Director Guo, you did that on purpose! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Hahaha, how can youngsters be so weak-spirited?"
"Can you please tell me clearly, have I been replaced or not?"
"You haven't, you haven't. That investor put in fifty million, which is the sum of the Ning family and Starlight Entertainment's investments combined, so he has the final say!"
"Aren't the investors of the movie just the Ning family and Starlight Entertainment? Where did a third one come from?" Ning Xi felt it was a little strange.
"The investment came in at the last minute, you'll find out later." Guo Qisheng was in high spirits.
An investment of fifty million yuan out of nowhere, added to the existing funds, amounted to a total of one hundred million. What was more, Ning Xi, whose casting he was the most satisfied with, wouldn't be carelessly replaced on the whims of an ignorant investor. How could he not be happy?
"Okay! Thank you, director!"
The moment Ning Xi hung up, the door was opened by a little, sleepy-eyed bun.
She was so happy she screamed, then rushed to hug him and kiss him fervently. "Darling! You are indeed my lucky star! You save the day for me every time!"
Outside, the Big Demon King was gloomy as he watched Ning Xi kiss his son warmly.
When it was actually because of his efforts...
Well, forget it. As long as he could see her bright smile, nothing else mattered.
Lu Tingxiao strolled over to them. "Why so happy?"
Ning Xi cuddled the little bun, who was giddy from her sudden affection. "The director just told me I haven't been replaced, and that the drama's largest investor is very impressed with me!"
"Really? Congratulations!" Lu Tingxiao told her in a deliberately serious manner.
Ning Xi stroked her chin thoughtfully. "But the director didn't tell me who the investor is. It has to be someone with exceptional taste, and an extraordinarily good eye, and also extraordinarily handsome!"
Lu Tingxiao smiled. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course!" Ning Xi defended, but then something occurred to her. "But I'll be filming probably throughout the day, and sometimes in the evening. What do we do about Little Treasure?"
Lu Tingxiao didn't reply, and just stared at his son.
Ning Xi's hugs and kisses had absolutely delighted the little bun, and even with this piece of bad news, he still looked happy. He ran to his room.
Ning Xi was nervous at the thought that he might lock himself in again. Unexpectedly, he quickly returned, a tablet in his hands.
On the tablet: fighting.
Ning Xi was almost moved to tears. "Thank you, darling. You are indeed my angel!"
Lu Tingxiao looked at them embracing each other with unprecedented gentleness in his eyes.
Chapter 47: Red Roses Everywhere
Filming started today in a studio backlot on the outskirts of the city.
The first scene to be shot was the palace banquet, where the Emperor was receiving visiting envoys. Seventh Prince Chu Beichen and his consort Shangguang Yingrong were engaged in a battle of wits with the envoys. Ning Xi's character Princess De only had a minor role in the scene; she only needed to act as an enchanting ornament sitting beside the Emperor.
Even so, for just a small role, wearing so many layers of the traditional dress on such a hot day was a real pain.
It didn't help that Ning Xi's costume was extremely complicated. Her clothes weren't just the thickest, her headpiece itself also weighed several kilograms.
After one shot, she was drenched in sweat inside her costume, though no one could tell.
The director yelled, "Cut." Ning Xueluo's two assistants came up to her straightaway. One gave her a hand fan and the other a bottle of water. A cooling mat had already been arranged for her on her chair.
Ning Xi didn't even have one assistant; she didn't even get to drink any water after filming. She had another scene later, so she couldn't take the costume off yet. She could only undo her collar to cool off.
Everyone was praising Ning Xueluo's acting, and the director also complimented her performance. However, he turned back to the camera to review Ning Xi's scenes.
Although she had no lines and only appeared a few times, her expression was on point; she looked idle and bored, yet also carried an air of contempt for the people around her, since she was preparing to destroy the country with her own two hands.
Good, he wasn't concerned anymore.
At this time, the production assistant Xiao Li shouted excitedly, "Teacher Ning, your boyfriend is here to visit you!"
Of course, by "Teacher Ning" he meant Ning Xueluo.
Dressed in a refreshingly casual style, Su Yan walked over, and behind him two of his men followed with a large box filled with ice cream for everyone.
"Wow! It's Haagen-Dazs! Thank you for the treat, Master Su!"
"Teacher Ning is so blessed, her boyfriend came to visit on the first day!"
"Oh my god! They are so lovey-dovey!"
...
"Why are your mouths still flapping when you're eating!" Ning Xueluo pouted. She then took some ice cream over to Ning Xi.
"Junior Sister Ning, have some!"
"Thank you." Ning Xi accepted it politely.
This woman never got tired of pretending to be an angel in front of other people, especially when Su Yan was around, whereas Ning Xi was tired just watching her. It was a good thing her specialty was acting, so she didn't mind playing along.
After she returned to her seat, Ning Xueluo looked at Su Yan. It seemed like she had something to say, but was unsure whether to say it or not. She eventually said hesitantly, "Brother Yan, I'm a little worried about Xiao Xi..."
"Why? What's wrong with Xiao Xi?" Su Yan asked immediately.
"You know how last night was the opening ceremony? My dad also came, and he saw Xiao Xi there. I don't know what Xiao Xi said to him that made him so angry. He even talked about switching out the actress for her role..."
"How did it turn out like that?" Su Yan frowned.
"I don't know either. When I went over, all I saw was Dad's angry face!"
"Then what happened? It seems that Xiao Xi was not switched out?" Su Yan glanced at Ning Xi. Despite the sweat running down her face, she was reading the script attentively. Her small face looked pitiful under the sun, but it was still eye-catching.
Ning Xueluo seemed reluctant to continue speaking. "Dad called the production team last night, and they promised they would use someone else, but this morning, someone anonymous suddenly invested fifty million yuan into the movie, with the only condition being that the second female lead has to be Ning Xi... I'm worried that..."
Su Yan's face had grown darker as he listened, and eventually he said heavily, "I know Xiao Xi. She would never do that kind of thing."
"Brother Yan, you are too na?ve. What kind of place is the entertainment industry? Who wouldn't change after entering this industry? I am so lucky that I have Dad and you to support me, but Ning Xi does not have a good relationship with the family and refuses to accept our help. Don't tell me you don't know what happens to a pretty girl with no power or influence in the entertainment industry?"
Su Yan's face grew more blank as he listened, and he looked lost in thought.
"Ning Xi, someone is looking for you!" The production assistant yelled then, his voice sounding very excited.
In that moment, everyone turned to look.
Because it was too eye-catching.
Red roses...
Hundreds of red roses were being slowly brought in...
Chapter 48: My Exes Wanting to Trap Me
Before anyone could react, the whole filming site had become a red ocean.
Ning Xi was holding a card, and her face was black.
There was one sentence on the card: Remember to pick me up - Evil Fairy King.
"Miss Ning, please sign for the delivery."
"This, can I not sign? Leaving it all here would be a nuisance for work!" Ning Xi tried to politely refuse the delivery.
"Unfortunately no, we promised the customer that we would only leave after you signed for it!" The flower boy looked troubled.
Beside her, the props manager hastily said, "Ning Xi, accept it, accept it! It just so happens that we need to use roses later for one scene. Thanks to you, we won't need to spend so much effort preparing them later!"
Since the props manager had said so, and Ning Xi didn't want to make things difficult for the delivery boy, she could only rub the skin between her eyebrows and sign for the flowers.
At this time nearby, everyone was gossiping with admiring faces.
"Oh my god! So many roses! So romantic! Who sent them?"
"Still need to ask? It must be an admirer! Beauties are really treated differently, someone already sent flowers on the first day! And hundreds of them!"
Ning Xueluo's assistant, Cui Caijing, then said in a seemingly casual way, "It looks like a lot, but actually doesn't cost that much!"
Right after she spoke, yet another person suddenly came over looking for Ning Xi.
It wasn't anything elaborate this time; the person carefully handed her a small box.
Everyone was insanely curious as they stole looks at the box, trying to figure out what it was.
Ning Xi opened the box with a suspicious expression. Inside was a large, sparkling diamond, with a note that had four words on it: Long time no see. It was signed: YS.
Seeing these two initials, Ning Xi's face grew blacker.
F***! Did these two arrange this together? She just wanted to keep her head down, why did it have to be so hard?
Ning Xi had received both the flowers and the diamond before half the day was over. The drama crew was already gossiping like mad.
"Oh my god! That diamond is crazy big! It's so bright, I'm going to go blind!"
"Ning Xi's admirers are crazy!"
This time, Cui Caijing had nothing to say, but still whispered waspishly, "Who knows whether the diamond is real or not anyway?"
Ning Xi sat down heavily in a chair, and looked as if her life was ending.
What was supposed to come, would come...
There was nowhere to hide...
There was no helping it, Ning Xi could only apologize to the director. "I'm sorry, Director Guo, I didn't mean to trouble the crew..."
Guo Qisheng did not mind, and smiled as he waved his hands. "It's natural for a fair lady to have admirers! It's alright, it's alright, we're going to use your flowers after all."
Not far away, Ning Xueluo looked calm, but was in fact gnashing her teeth so hard in hatred she almost broke them.
How could she not be jealous? This country bumpkin who had been like dirt then could now make men mad for her, and could easily obtain the things that Xueluo had to scheme so much for.
Before filming for the next scene started, Ning Xi found a corner to make a quick phone call.
"Hey honey, did you receive my delivery yet?" The voice on the phone was easygoing.
"Jiang Muye! F*** your uncle! You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Compared with the voice, Ning Xi sounded much angrier.
"Tut-tut, you are the first one to receive my roses, yet you don't want to f*** me but my uncle instead! You have such bad taste."
"Don't try to change the topic! What do you really want?"
"I don't want anything, I'm just reminding you to pick me up at the airport. You promised me already!"
"You still dare ask me to pick you up? You're not afraid I'll bring a 40-meter long knife with me to chop you to death?" Ning Xi suppressed her desire to kill this person.
"Are you backing out on your promise?" The voice on the phone turned cold.
"The condition for picking you up was that you would lend me eight million, but now I don't need it anymore. Didn't I already send a message to tell you?"
"I don't care, you already promised me. Even though you don't need the money anymore, I agreed to help as soon as you asked, and it was for such a big amount. I was sincere. You hate to owe people favors, right? Doesn't this count as a favor?"
Chapter 49: A Little Young Master Who Likes To Make Fruit Juice
Ning Xi clutched her forehead and paced back and forth. "I won't talk about how you sent flowers to trap me now, but you know that the news about you coming back next month has already been leaked; your fans and the media will all be at the airport! You want me to pick you up? You want them to tear me apart? Jiang Muye, I dumped you once and you want to take revenge just for that?"
"Do I? I'm giving you a free pass to become famous, so many small stars pray for this kind of opportunity and can't get it."
"NO! NEED!"
"Fine! If you don't come, I'm going to let the whole world know that you dumped me! I don't care that I'll lose face, I want everyone to carry out justice for me!" The man on the line said, like he couldn't care less anymore.
"You..." Ning Xi was so angry that she felt her lungs would explode. The most stupid thing she had ever done in her life was to provoke the disaster known as Jiang Muye.
Small one, you think I don't know how to deal with you?
Ning Xi smiled with contempt. "Fine, pick you up, right? I'll be there! Don't regret it then!"
Actually, it wasn't difficult to deal with Jiang Muye. He was just unhappy about being dumped by a girl for the first time, so he just wanted to make some trouble for her - he would stop once he was satisfied. Her biggest headache was the devil who had sent the diamond.
Forget it, forget it, she didn't care anymore. There is always a solution to a problem!
"Ning Xi, someone's looking for you - "
As soon as she was done, Ning Xi heard the production assistant Xiao Li calling for her, which made her really want to run away.
Who was it this time?
It still wasn't over!
Everyone in the crew was excited. Was it going to be something even more elaborate this time?
In one corner, Cui Caijing's expression was one of disdain. "These tacky old men only know how to waste money! So low!"
"Miss Xiao Xi, he... hello!" It was a timid girl this time. She looked unhappy and nervous, as if she had done something wrong.
In front of a girl like this, Ning Xi couldn't be angry even if she wanted to. "It's okay. You were looking for me?"
"I'm here to give you something." The girl opened what looked like a white cooler box. As cool vapor poured out of the box, Ning Xi saw three bottles that looked like they contained red, yellow and green fruit juices.
"This is...?" Ning Xi's lips twitched a little. She had watched a lot of palace dramas, and her first reaction was that someone wanted to poison her.
"This was personally made by our Little Young Master. This is watermelon juice, orange juice and green bean juice," the girl replied.
"Who is your Little Young Master?" Ning Xi asked suspiciously, trying to recall whether she had offended a little young master who likes to make fruit juice.
The girl indicated she should read the note on the bottle.
Taking the note off, Ning Xi saw just one English word written on it: fighting, followed by a drawing of a heart.
Ning Xi could imagine how the other party must have blushed and pursed his lips when drawing the heart.
"It's Little Treasure..." In an instant, the look in Ning Xi's eyes turned soft, and her turbulent mood immediately calmed.
At first, she had been most worried about having too high a profile when starting her career, which could stir up unnecessary trouble and gossip.
But now, when she thought about it, why should she care so much about the opinions of people who cared nothing for her? If she constantly worried about what people thought of her in this industry, wouldn't that just be too exhausting?
Back then, it was because she cared too much about what those contemptuous class elites thought of her, about her parents' attitude and Su Yan's thoughts, that she gradually lost her confidence and her own identity...
She already understood this, yet had let one instance like this shake her.
She just needed to be herself and keep a clear conscience, and one day, she would prove herself using her own strength.
She was fighting only for the people who cared about her.
Chapter 50: Sarangheyo
"You can put it down, help me thank your little young master!" Ning Xi said. She took out her cellphone to send a text message to Little Treasure.
While the people in the production crew looked like they were busy doing their jobs, all of them were actually staring in Ning Xi's direction, very curious about what had been sent to her this time.
In the end, there seemed to be three bottles... of juice?
The first time, Ning Xi had looked troubled by the roses. The second time, she hadn't seem very surprised or pleased with the diamond. But now, she had a happy expression on her face, and was texting cheerfully.
Everyone exclaimed:
"Ah, sure enough, money doesn't work on beauties these days, it's the heart that matters the most!"
"That's right, didn't you hear the girl say just now that the juice was personally handmade! That's so sweet!"
"I bet the one who sent the juice will be the one to win the heart of the beauty in the end!"
"Then I bet it's the one who sent the diamond!"
"Why is no one betting on the person who sent the flowers?"
...
...
After drinking the fruit juice and green bean soup, Ning Xi was fully revived as they continued filming.
At the same time, Lu Tingxiao was at home, having taken the time off to accompany his son, when his cellphone sounded with a ding.
It indicated that there was a new text message from Ning Xi.
Lu Tingxiao opened it, and then the corners of his mouth tilted upwards slightly.
[Darling, thank you for your juice and green bean soup! They were super super delicious! Sarangheyo!]
Lu Tingxiao looked at it for a long while before beckoning to his son, who was motionless as he looked blankly out the window. "Little Treasure, come here."
Little Treasure ignored him.
Lu Tingxiao sighed slightly. "It's a message from your Auntie Xiao Xi."
Little Treasure ran at him like a rocket, and jumped up to reach for the cellphone.
Lu Tingxiao raised it out of his reach. "I can show it to you, if you call me 'dad'."
Little Bun's face was full of protest as he refused to cooperate.
It was only until his son was so fitful that he almost cried, that Lu Tingxiao finally relented and handed him the phone.
Looking at his son read the text message with pure satisfaction on his face, Lu Tingxiao's expression was worried.
It was probably because there was very little in the world that could distress him, that god had sent Little Treasure to test him.
Little Treasure was very clever; he had only been six months old when he started speaking. Although he had a quiet character and didn't speak much to begin with, ever since that accident, he had not spoken ever again.
He had missed too many parts of Little Treasure's childhood, and when he wanted to make up for it, he found that it was too late.
He wondered if the day would ever come that he could hear him call him 'dad' again...
Little Treasure stared at the phone for a long time, as if there was something that he didn't understand. Then he went over to his father, and pointed at the phrase "Sarangheyo" with his little finger, probably asking him what it meant.
"Modal particle, it doesn't have any special meaning," Lu Tingxiao replied seriously.
"Pu - oppa, you're not cultured, don't misguide Little Treasure! 'Sarangheyo' means 'I love you' in Korean, okay?" Lu Jingli skipped over, making the shape of a heart with his hands.
When Little Treasure heard this, he gave his father a disdainful look, then ran off to continue juicing fruit.
Lu Tingxiao was fluent in twelve languages. If Ning Xi had written in Korean, he would have definitely known it, but written this way, he didn't understand it at all.
"You don't have to work?" Lu Tingxiao looked askance at Lu Jingli, with the expression of a boss managing his employee.
Lu Jingli immediately moved a chair over to sit in front of him, a thrilled expression on his face. "Boss, I have something very important to report to you!"
Lu Tingxiao couldn't be bothered to speak, his expression indicating that if Lu Jingli wanted to fart, he should just do so.
Lu Jingli waved his hands with extreme excitement. "Do you know what I just heard? Today, Xiao Xi Xi's admirers sent her gifts on set!"
"The fruit juice and green bean soup that Little Treasure sent her," Lu Tingxiao answered calmly.
"I know, but before those, other people had also sent her gifts. Furthermore, it was two of them. One sent red roses which covered the whole film site, and the other sent a big diamond!"
Lu Tingxiao's slowly started to grow cold; on such a hot summer day, it helped immensely to relieve the heat.
...
While 'oppa' means brother in Korea, it's only used by women to address men older than them.
Ning Xi used the transliteration of the word 'Sarangheyo' into Chinese pinyin.
Chapter 51: Yet Another Ex-boyfriend
"Did you find out who they are?" Lu Tingxiao's expression implied that once he knew who they were, he would kill them on sight.
Lu Jingli knocked on the table. "That is what I wanted to tell you. Even with my intelligence network, I'm actually drawing blanks at finding out who they are. It looks like we can only wait for them to make another move before we can try again."
But the Big Demon King looked like he could kill someone now, could he actually wait until they made another move?
Lu Tingxiao immediately made a phone call, and said in a tone as cold as the wind coming off a glacier, "Cheng Feng, help me investigate two people."
Lu Jingli's face was extremely surprised. "Wow, you're even using your Jin Yi Wei!"
His gossip network couldn't be compared with his brother's intelligence network, which could dig up a person's secret past as long as there was even the smallest clue to work with.
"Brother, I told you before, Ning Xi's past isn't simple, do you believe me now? I think you should tell Cheng Feng in passing to also investigate Ning Xi properly!" Lu Jingli suggested meaningfully.
"That isn't necessary." Everyone had a past that they didn't want to tell others about. He wouldn't touch what she didn't want to be touched. If she wanted to tell him, then she would tell him.
Filming finally wrapped up at six o'clock in the evening.
The main scenes today were all of the male and female leads. There weren't many shots of Ning Xi, but she still had to appear in the scene, acting like a vase for the whole day.
Being a vase was also very tiring. She felt like her neck was about to break from wearing such a heavy costume, and her body was also breaking out into a rash.
After changing her clothes and getting her makeup removed, she put on a mask as she prepared to take the subway.
She wasn't famous yet, so nobody knew her. It was very convenient to take the subway, plus she didn't have to deal with traffic jams.
She was about to walk towards the station, when a black Maserati pulled up beside her.
The car window rolled down, and Su Yan smiled at her. "Xiao Xi, let me drive you home!"
Ning Xi: "..."
Ex-boyfriend...
Why was it yet another ex-boyfriend...
Couldn't they just let her have some peace and quiet?
"No need." Ning Xi walked away directly, as she didn't want to see his disgusting face.
However, Su Yan refused to leave, and drove slowly after her. "Xiao Xi, can we talk?"
Ning Xi sneered. "What is there to talk about? Do you hate the fact that there aren't enough scandals about me today? Do you want someone to take a photograph of us and send them an even bigger scandal?"
Su Yan frowned, a little unused to these cold words and attitude from a girl who before had listened to and done everything he said. "Xiao Xi, that's not what I meant, I do have something important to talk to you about!"
Ning Xi was afraid they really would be photographed if she continued tangling with him on the street.
This guy's car was too eye-catching.
Ning Xi looked left and right to make sure there was nobody around, then quickly opened the door and got in the car.
Half an hour later, in a room at some restaurant.
Su Yan called the waiter over and ordered a number of dishes, most of which were Ning Xi's favorites. "Xiao Xi, I haven't seen you in a long time, so I don't know whether your taste has changed. How have you been all these years overseas? I sent you some money, but you returned it all to me, and in the end changed your bank account number..."
"Say what you want to say." Ning Xi put her hand against her head and buried herself in texting Little Treasure, letting him know that she would be back a little late.
Resignedly, Su Yan pushed a check at her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ning Xi gave the check for eight million yuan a quick glance before narrowing her eyes. "What is the meaning of this?"
Su Yan's eyes became stern. "Xiao Xi, don't do anything that you will regret."
Ning Xi put down her phone and looked at him with a disingenuous smile. "Oh? Tell me, what did I do?"
"Then tell me, how did you get this role?" Su Yan said abruptly with heavy emphasis.
'Jin Yi Wei' were imperial guards in the Ming Dynasty which eventually became something like a Secret Service
Chapter 52: Healing Kisses
"How do you think I got it?" Ning Xi crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in the chair as she asked casually.
It seemed that Su Yan was worn out of patience, and he slapped his hand down on the table. "Ning Xi! You know better than me what a girl like you will encounter in the entertainment industry! Why do you have to be so stubborn about wading into these waters?"
"Heh, a girl like me..." Ning Xi smiled slightly. "What kind of identity is Young Master Su wearing to say such a thing to me?"
If she had been who she was back then, hearing this, she probably would have become hysterical.
Back then, Su Yan had told her repeatedly that he didn't want his future wife to enter the entertainment industry, yet when it came to Ning Xueluo, he fully supported her. Even now, he still dared to criticize Ning Xi for the way she lived her life.
"Xiao Xi, even if we broke up, I've always treated you as my little sister, and I just want to help you. Can't you be less stubborn? Take this money, cancel your contract with Starlight, and leave the entertainment industry!" Su Yan advised her earnestly.
"Heh, help me?" Ning Xi's lazy eyes suddenly became very cold. "Now that I think about it, I actually do need Young Master Su to help me with something! I hope that Young Master Su can help me tell the Ning family the truth, and testify in court that Ning Xueluo bribed two men to rape me. Will you help me with this?"
"Xiao Xi, I..." Su Yan paled. "If I do that, it'll be over for Xueluo... at the most, her actions back then can only be considered an attempted crime. You were the one who entered the wrong room, and slept with someone else..."
Though it was the answer Ning Xi had expected, her heart still throbbed painfully. She sneered. "So what you're saying is, back then, the two of you did nothing wrong? It was my fault she got me drunk, my fault I was drugged, my fault I was raped, my fault that I got pregnant with someone's bastard and gave birth to a dead baby!"
Su Yan frowned. "Xiao Xi, I didn't mean it like that! Xueluo and I have already apologized to you for this matter, and have been trying to make it up to you for so many years. Why can't you just let it go?"
Ning Xi picked up her bag and stood up. "Heh, you ask me to let it go? When your Xueluo is raped by someone and has his bastard, you can shake hands with him and happily become a cuckold, then you can ask me again!"
Su Yan's face instantly changed. "Ning Xi! How can you say such a thing!"
"Huh, I'm just talking about it, and your heart already hurts this much. You won't know how much it hurts unless it happens to you, right? Expect me to forgive the two of you? I'm not that saintly!" Ning Xi stalked away after saying her piece.
What bad luck!
She shouldn't have bothered with Su Yan, it had made her so sick that she didn't feel like having dinner tonight.
She should hurriedly go back and cuddle Little Bun to heal herself.
As soon as Ning Xi reached the door of the Lu residence, she saw a soft, white little bun running towards her.
It appeared that he had been at the window waiting for her.
Ning Xi really was instantly healed, and she gave Little Bun a super big kiss as usual.
"Darling, have you eaten yet? I sent a message saying that you didn't have to wait for me, and you should be good and eat first. Did you do it?"
Little Bun nodded.
"Good boy!" Ning Xi kissed Little Bun again as a reward.
"You go play first, Auntie is going upstairs to change clothes and take a bath!"
Little Bun nodded.
The two people walked inside hand-in-hand.
Standing by a window on the second floor, Lu Tingxiao looked at the scene below him, and felt rather melancholy. He had never known he was such a jealous person.
He was even starting to envy his son.
As soon as Ning Xi came back, she had kissed his son, not just once, but twice.
While he could only look at her from a distance.
The first thing that Ning Xi did when she returned to her bedroom was to take. Off. Her. Bra!
It simply was torture to wear this thing on a hot summer day, alright?
She reached behind her to unclasp the back, then started to pull the bra out. When she had pulled it out halfway, the door behind her creaked open.
"Ning..." Lu Tingxiao barely said one word before he froze, his hand still on the door where he had pushed it open, and a startled look on his face at the situation inside the room.
Chapter 53: Did I Please You?
Ning Xi froze in an awkward position, her bra half-out; she couldn't pull it fully out or put it back on. It was the most miserable situation ever.
The worse thing was that the bra she was wearing today was custom-made, with the triangular Superman logo printed conspicuously on each side.
Lu Tingxiao obviously noticed the Superman print, and raised his eyebrows slightly. But being the gentleman he was, he didn't make a big deal out of it, just coughed and said, "Sorry... the door was open, so..."
He started backing out of the room.
"No worries, my fault, I didn't close the door!" Ning Xi pulled her bra out as she answered, like nothing had happened, and hid it under the covers. She fanned herself with her hands. " Keh, it's steaming today, you men would never understand this kind of girl trouble. That, did you need something?"
"Why are you back so late? Had a date?" Lu Tingxiao asked casually.
"What date! I ran into a real jerk, and talked trash for a bit," Ning Xi grumbled, like she had been very unlucky.
Lu Tingxiao relaxed after hearing her absolute denial about going on a date. "I saved some food for you, take a shower and come eat."
"I can look after my own meals..." Ning Xi felt a bit embarrassed.
"It's just one more person."
"Um, alright."
As soon as Lu Tingxiao left,Ning Xi locked the door.
The one time she forgot she wasn't in her own home, Ning Xi actually made such an embarrassing mistake.She needed to pay more attention from now on.
After a shower and dinner, Ning Xi made herself comfortable in bed and started to browse the news online, while Little Bun was at the table with a thick book.
"Ning Xueluo expressed her affection for her handsome, rich boyfriend in public, award-winning actor Zhao couldn't hide his jealousy"
"Ning Xueluo praised Ning Xi as the perfect combination of beauty and talent"
"Ning Xi - No.1 Beauty in the entertainment industry"
"Meng Changge looking stunning at the opening ceremony of <The World> (Images)"
"First day of filming for <The World>, Ning Xueluo's handsome rich boyfriend paid her a loving visit"
"Breaking down the number of upcoming actress Ning Xi's wealthy admirers, red roses piled up on set on the first day of filming (Photos)"
...
...
It was all normal headlines, but they gradually turned strange, like, "Ning Xi - a secret mistress", "Who's the money guy behind Ning Xi?", "Ning Xi and her multiple men", "Ning Xi's personal life is a mess"...
Ning Xi had already been prepared back at the film studio, so she wasn't too upset at seeing these.
She knew that even if the incidents with Jiang Muye and YS hadn't happened, sooner or later there would have been gossip about her public image anyway.
These tabloids used ambiguous wording and had no supporting evidence, but when repeated enough, people might buy into them eventually, regardless of whether they were true or not.
"Need help?"Lu Tingxiao asked.
Ning Xi sat up with the lap-top in her arms, cradled her jaw and laughed."Big Boss Lu, you want to make this go away for me?"
"Can't I?" Lu Tingxiao handed her and Little Treasure each a cup of milk. "Yours is low fat."
"Thanks!" Flattered, Ning Xi accepted the cup, and then said, "Thank you for your consideration, but it's unnecessary, I believe time will prove everything."
"I believe you," Lu Tingxiao said.
His words stunned Ning Xi, and she touched her forehead helplessly. "Lu Tingxiao, has anyone ever told you that you are really good atLiao Mei?"
"Liao Mei?" Lu Tingxiao looked suspicious; obviously he didn't know what this Internet term meant.
"Mm... it means that you know how to hit on girls!" Ning Xi explained.
There was a smile in Lu Tingxiao's eyes. "Thank you for the compliment. So does this mean that I actually pleased you?"
With that, the atmosphere turned intimate.
Ning Xi blushed, regretting what she had said. -Watch what you say! It's led to such a dangerous topic!
Luckily, Lu Tingxiao knew when to stop. "I'm going to go through some documents in my study, you two rest well, good night."
Ning Xi: "Good night~"
Little Treasure: "..."
Though Little Bun didn't say anything,"Hurry up and leave, don't disturb my time with Auntie Xiao Xi" was written all over his face.
'Liao Mei' is a Chinese slang that literally means 'to tease a girl'.
"OK OK, I'll arrange for someone to be on set to make sure not even a single strand of her hair is harmed!"
"You can take a week off next month," Lu Tingxiao suddenly said.
"Huh... bro, what did you say?" Lu Jingli couldn't believe his ears. "You're letting me take time off, and it's even a whole week? You haven't let me take leave in three years!"
"Don't want it?"
"Want, want, want! Of course I want it! But... why are you suddenly treating me so well?" Lu Jingli didn't understand, and tried to recall their earlier conversation.
Finally, he realized: it was all because of that word - Sister-in-law.
Just because he had called Ning Xi Sister-in-law?
This break was making him both happy and sad.
"Eldest Young Master, Doctor Qin is here." The maid's voice came from outside the study.
A slim man in a simple suit was standing next to the maid; he had a gentle look and a warm smiles, and seemed a very pleasant person.
Lu Tingxiao hung up the phone and turned to the visitor. "You're here, have a seat."
Qin Mufeng put his bag down and sat on the sofa. "What is it? Is Little Treasure not feeling well?"
"You can see for yourself, he's in the kitchen," Lu Tingxiao answered.
"Kitchen?" Qin Mufeng lifted an eyebrow, and then headed to the kitchen.
A moment later, Qin Mufeng came back smiling. "When did Little Treasure pick up juicing as a hobby? Also, he seems happy! Did something happened?"
"Something did happen recently. A few days ago, I was too busy to look after Little Treasure, and then Jingli took him to a bar without my knowing..."
Lu Tingxiao explained the situation to the doctor simply.
Qin Mufeng's face changed as he listened to Lu Tingxiao, and in the end, he said happily, "Something good came out of abad situation for Little Treasure! I've mentioned before, he's too uninterested in everything; something that interests or motivates him is good for his recovery.What's more, this is a living person! You didn't have that girl stay on as Little Treasure's nanny or tutor?"
Lu Tingxiao: "Because she is Little Treasure's future mother."
"Cough cough cough..." Seeing Lu Tingxiao's expressionless face, Qin Mufeng was astonished. "What did you say? Are you doing this for Little Treaure, or for yourself..."
The cold expression on Lu Tingxiao's face melted slightly. He looked outthe window and said, "Doctor Qin, I think your previous conclusions were correct."
"You... you've fallen in love with this girl?" Qin Mufeng got very excited. "I knew I was right! How could you be an asexual! Tell me more, when you see her, does your heart speed up and your blood boil? Does it make you want to get closer to her and make love to her?"
Lu Tingxiao thought about it for a bit, and said, "That's basically correct!"
Chapter 55: Everybody Wants to Teach Him How to Chase Girls
He had once asked Qin Mufeng how it felt to really like someone; Qin Mufeng had told him that he would know when he met that person.
Back then, he had thought it was such rubbish.
After meeting Ning Xi, he realized it was all true.
"Congrats! So many asexuals may their entire lives never meet the one for them!" Qin Mufeng congratulated his old friend wholeheartedly.
Asides from heterosexuals and homosexuals, in this world, there are also asexuals.
Asexuality is not an illness and does not mean an unclear sexual orientation or fear of intimacy; to put it simply, it was "a lack of interest in sex."
Because of this affliction, his mother had even urged Lu Jingli five years ago to drug his own brother...
"This must be what they call a double blessing. So when do I get to drink your wedding wine?" Qin Mufeng teased.
"I'm working on it." Lu Tingxiao, who always seemed invincible, had rare uncertainty on his face.
Qin Mufeng was shocked. "It actually still hasn't happened? I thought Big CEO Lu would have had it in the bag by now. Well, a girl able to catch your interest must be quite something. So is the reason you asked me to come over this time to teach you how to chase girls? While I can't compare with Second Master in practice, I'm pretty good with theory!"
Why did everyone want to teach him how to chase girls?
Lu Tingxiao's face darkened. "Don't bother with that, I wanted to confirm the effect of her appearance on Little Treasure, that's all."
Qin Mufeng returned to the real issue after joking around. "It's like this, there are two sides to everything; it could be good for him, but you told me Little Treasure thrashed the house in order to see her, so most of it depends on your guidance.
Whether it was out of selfishness or not, having her stay in the house for the time being was the right thing to do. I would suggest the next step to take is to ask that girl if she can take Little Treasure out more, perhaps even take him to school when the time is right, and slowly ease him into a normal life. She might be able to do what I couldn't even after 2 years..."
"I understand, I'll try."
...
Studio backlot.
All the whispering stopped as soon as Ning Xi walked onto the set; everybody was looking at her.
Obviously, the gossip had spread.
In one corner, someone spoke in a weird tone, "Who does she think she is, a rookie like her arriving late; doesn't she see how Teacher Ning was early to arrive?"
Actually, Ning Xi wasn't late at all, it was Ning Xueluo who was early.
"Teacher Ning, you and Ning Xi are in the same company, is the gossip online true?"
"People say that she slept her way up through the production team to get this role!"
"Shameless! Doesn't Starlight Entertainment care about this kind of unfair competition?"
...
Faced with the crew's barrage of questions, Ning Xueluo put on a helpless face and sighed. "Everyone has his or her own way, the company won't say anything..."
After saying that, she appeared to suddenly realize she had said something wrong, and quickly continued, "I'm not saying Junior Sister really did those things, online gossip is not creditable!"
The way she said it made it sound like she was trying to cover up something, which made the crew think it had to be real.
It was only after Director Guo came over and urged everyone to hurry up and start work that the gossipy crowd finally left.
The helpless look on Ning Xueluo's face also disappeared, and she called her assistant to her side and asked in a low tone, "How did it go?"
"Don't worry, Sister Xueluo, it's all set! You told me she's allergic to metallic things, right? I put metallic power in the makeup artist's kit without anyone noticing. When she puts it on, her whole face will be ruined..."
Chapter 56: A Punch on Cotton
Ning Xi was going to shoot in a dance scene today, so her costume would be lighter than the palace costume from yesterday, which was a relief.
When she entered the dressing room, she was surprised to see Jia Qingqing.
She had thought Jia Qingqing would no longer be coming.
Jia Qingqing had failed the audition for the second female lead, but the director had invited her to play the third female lead Princess Xian.
While the third female lead would also bring disaster to the country, it was a smaller role than Ning Xi's. Furthermore, she would be tortured terribly by Ning Xi in the movie.
Although her manager had accepted the invitation on Jia Qingqing's behalf, she was very unsatisfied and had not attended the opening ceremony. It had even been rumored that she would refuse the role.
Ning Xi guessed that she had come obediently after hearing that the movie had received a large additional investment.
It was a huge project of one hundred million after all.
Jia Qingqing was getting her makeup done when she saw Ning Xi in the mirror. She stared at her with cold contempt and undisguised hatred.
Like Ning Xueluo, she had a rich father, so she always behaved arrogantly and was unpopular on set. But her water army was very skilled and had remade her image into an outspoken and straightforward person. They even gave her the title of No. 1 Beauty in the entertainment industry.
So of course she deeply hated Ning Xi, who had robbed both her role and fame.
"Hm, isn't this our No. 1 Beauty in the entertainment industry? With so many rich sponsors supporting you, you still hang out in the dressing room with small fry like us?" Jia Qingqing sneered.
Ning Xi leisurely found a chair to sit on and began to read her script, completely unaffected.
She was the type of person who would wholeheartedly focus on work as soon as she arrived on set, and wouldn't be affected by anything or anyone.
"Ning Xi, are you ignoring me?" Jia Qingqing dropped her comb with a clatter.
Ning Xi continued reading her script as if she hadn't heard.
At that moment, the makeup artist next to her couldn't hold it in any longer, and coughed. "Ning Xi is wearing earphones, so she may not have heard you!"
Only then did Jia Qingqing see the two little white earbuds in Ning Xi's ears. She felt like she had just been punching cotton.
B****! Who knew whether she was doing it on purpose?!
Of course Ning Xi was doing it on purpose.
The moment she saw Jia Qingqing, she had taken out her earphones and put them in so that she could pretend she couldn't hear her.
Because in this case, no matter who was right or wrong, as long as there was conflict, it wouldn't be good for her. It was better to just avoid trouble altogether!
"Miss Jia, it's done. Are you happy with it?" The makeup artist spoke cautiously, obviously aware that she was dealing with a difficult client.
"No! Do it again!" Jia Qingqing said without even one look.
"Which part are you dissatisfied with?" The makeup artist asked.
"Everything!"
The makeup artist's face was stiff with anger, but she could only remove the makeup and start again.
Seeing how Ning Xi completely ignored her, Jia Qingqing became angrier, and continued to find fault with everything the makeup artist did.
The makeup artist dared not show her attitude, so she could only glare resentfully at Ning Xi sitting in the corner.
She also knew that Jia Qingqing's aim was Ning Xi and she had just been dragged into it.
Apart from the male lead and female lead who had their own dressing rooms, everyone else shared one room, so if Jia Qingqing wasn't finished with her makeup, Ning Xi would have to wait interminably.
At last, it was only when Jia Qingqing's manager came in to get her that she left reluctantly, not forgetting to throw Ning Xi another angry glare as she did.
Literal translation of 水军, which is Internet slang for individuals or groups who are paid to post online comments to help shape or sway public opinion on an issue.
In this context, 'to punch cotton' is to do something that is a useless gesture, i.e. doesn't have any real effect.
Chapter 57: Definitely Exciting
When it was time for Ning Xi to get her makeup done, the makeup artist banged things around and called in a loud and cold voice. "Ning Xi, come and do your makeup!"
Ning Xi put her script down and walked over. "I appreciate it."
The makeup artist was reluctant to do her makeup for her; Ning Xi glanced at the makeup tools and suddenly stopped her with one hand.
"What are you doing?"
Ning Xi said humbly, "Sister Amy, can I use my own makeup? My skin is rather sensitive and I might be allergic to other brands..."
"No way, that's not what we do. Will you take responsibility if the makeup turns out badly? Weren't you fine with it yesterday?" Amy was very impatient, and gave her a look that said she was being a bother.
Ning Xi took out a red packet from her bag and surreptitiously placed it in Amy's palm. "Sister Amy, I hope you will kindly make an exception for me. After all, people doing this sort of work rely on their faces, and for me, too, this is just in case..."
Amy felt the thickness of the red packet, coughed slightly, and then said reluctantly, "Fine! But in return, if the director says there's something wrong with your makeup, you must take responsibility!"
"Of course. I definitely won't get Sister Amy involved!"
In this circle, enemies didn't last forever. Amy's mood improved a lot after receiving a big red packet, and she took care with Ning Xi's makeup; in the end, she looked better than she did yesterday.
After the makeup artist left, Ning Xi crossed her arms looking at the costume she would wear today from head to toe. Then she took a big magnet out of her bag, and like a security inspector, she ran it over the clothes and then the shoes.
Fortunately, there were no problems with either.
Ning Xi put the magnet away, tutted, and thought: how unprofessional! A needle should have been sewn into the clothes to prick and hurt you everywhere, and you wouldn't be able to discover the problem, no matter how hard you looked. Small thumbtacks should have been embedded into the soles of the shoes, so you would feel nothing when walking normally, but with more robust movements, things would definitely become more exciting...
Unlike Ning Xueluo, who had been protected her whole life and didn't truly understand what suffering meant, Ning Xi had been fumbling around at the bottom of the industry for so many years; she had seen so much, there was no way she wouldn't see through the small tricks played on her.
Although she couldn't check the makeup kit earlier, Ning Xueluo knew that her skin was allergic to metal, and it was very likely that she had tampered with the makeup.
By the time she had finished changing, the dance instructor whom the director had arranged for her was already waiting outside. While the other actors were acting, Ning Xi followed behind the instructor and learned her dance moves.
After the rest were done filming, the director came to check on the results. "Ning Xi, how is it? I saw in your profile that you'd learned dance before, so I felt half a day should be fine for you. If it's not enough, I can give you a few more days."
"I think I'm ready..." Ning Xi didn't want to be overconfident.
Guo Qisheng looked at the dance instructor. "What do you think, Miss Zheng?"
The instructor laughed. "You can see for yourself later!"
"In that case, let's begin!"
Scene 13: Princess De's Intoxicated Dance
Characters: the Emperor, Princess De, Princess Xian, some concubines, eunuchs, and servants.
Recently, a large number of new girls had been selected to enter the palace. The Emperor had various concubines and princesses convened in his chamber for drinks and entertainment.
The Emperor was so besotted with the newly selected girls that he even ignored his favorite Princess De.
Before Princess De, Princess Xian had been his favorite, so when she saw how Princess De was being ignored, Princess Xian gloated. "In this palace, the new always laugh and the old always cry. Did she think her looks were good enough for her to keep the Emperor's heart forever? Let's see how long she can take it for!"
Perhaps it was because Princess De was played by Ning Xi that Jia Qingqing, whose acting skills had never been that outstanding, performed well as Princess Xian this time. Seeing this, the director was very satisfied.
Chapter 58: Dreaming Of Riding An Armored Horse to Cross A Frozen River
Surrounded by lively noise, Ning Xi reclined on a chaise lounge and drank as if she was in a different world.
The wine slipped past her red lips and down her long, elegant neck, sliding seductively into her collar...
The scene was so beautiful that all the men on set stared dazedly.
The cameraman deliberately zoomed in for a close-up.
"The strong wind carries the rain over the rivers to the dark village, the downpour on the mountains around us is like waves raging hard..." As Ning Xi recited the poem in a drunken haze, she stood up unsteadily.
In the next second, she threw the cup away with a clatter, and then started to dance with messy steps. "The wood is burning and my felt is warm, my cute cat and I stay inside..."
That slender waist was like a willow branch, bending softly as far as it could go before springing back up fiercely. Light gauze danced as if on the wind; her seductive gaze flowed over you like silk.
"Lying stiffly in bed in a desolate village, I don't feel sad for myself, I still want to go to war and do my duty for my country..." She picked up a flagon from the table and drank it all in one go.
While it might be called a dance, those captivating movements looked more like a war dance on the battlefield. She instantly transformed from an enchanting spirit into a general who led troops into war, and the difference was amazing.
Princess De's true identity was the female general Meng Changge. For generations, the Meng family had fought for the nation, but in the end, the entire family had been executed, except for her. Because of that, she had infiltrated the palace, not just to kill her enemy, but to also overturn the world...
Not far away, completely unaware of the danger, the Emperor had been pulled in by the beauty before him. He clutched a cup and stared, and did not move for a long time.
Seeing the rekindled frenzy and obsession in the Emperor's eyes, Princess Xian, the new girls and the other princesses were full of envy and hatred.
"Lying down in the depths of the night and listening to the wind and the rain, I dream of riding an armored horse to cross a frozen river...I dream of riding an armored horse to cross a frozen river...I dream of riding an armored horse to cross a frozen river..."
Ning Xi recited the last sentence three times, once vaguely, once sorrowfully, and the last time resolutely.
With that, she leaned alluringly into the emperor's embrace, bewitching him; she was determined to continue on her road to vengeance...
Once the scene was over, the director almost forgot to yell "Cut!"
"Cut! Fantastic!" Guo Qisheng was the first to clap his hands. "Ning Xi danced well and was very professional. The hardest was expressing what I wanted, everyone's expressions were also very good. Old Feng, I don't need to mention you, and the rare one was Qingqing, your expression just now was perfectly on point!"
Jia Qingqing's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. That was her real envy and hatred, of course it would be on point.
The Emperor was played by Feng Yibo, a veteran actor who always played emperors and had worked with countless beauties. He couldn't help but laugh as he said, "Director Guo, that wasn't an act, I really was stunned!"
"Just as I said, Junior Sister is very capable!" Next to them, Ning Xueluo joined in the praise, but was actually about to grind her teeth down to nothing.
When it was over, Ning Xueluo drew her assistant aside to question her.
"What's going on? It's the afternoon already, there's been no reaction at all!"
The assistant looked frightened. "I put it in myself, in the blush, the eyeshadow, the highlight powder, I put a bit in all of them! Maybe it's a late reaction?"
Ning Xueluo stared at her. "Impossible, if she had touched any of it, red dots would have started appearing on her skin within half an hour!" She had used this method before to disgrace Ning Xi at her birthday dinner.
"Then the only explanation is that she didn't use any of them at all..." the assistant said feebly.
"You're useless! Why didn't you have a backup plan, and put something into her clothes?"
"I didn't expect it. Don't be angry, Sister Xueluo, I won't fail next time!"
Ning Xueluo suppressed her anger. This time had just been a miscalculation. There would still be plenty of chances anyway. It was possibe that she didn't have to do anything; earlier, Jia Qingqing had looked at Ning Xi with enough hatred to swallow her up.
Ha, Ning Xi, did you think landing this role would be a good thing for you?
I'll lift you up even higher so that you'll fall harder!
Chapter 59: The Second Male Lead Is A Very Handsome Big Star
Although Ning Xi had proven her acting skills this time, her reputation hadn't improved in the slightest; because she had performed too well, making people see her as a vixen, they even thought she wasn't acting, but just portraying herself.
Director Guo was afraid that her mood would be unstable, and went to console her before she left. "Ning Xi, take it easy. Your second male lead will join us next month, there is more to come!"
Ning Xi smiled bitterly. "Director Guo, who on earth is my second male lead? You have been very secretive from the beginning, no hint of it at all. I can understand if you're keeping it from the media as a gimmick, but can't you tell even us?"
"I can't say it, what if someone spilled the beans? Anyway, what I can tell you is that the second male lead is a big star!" Guo Qisheng said mysteriously.
Jia Qingqing was passing by when she heard this, and she muttered with a disdainful expression, "It's just a second male lead, how big can he be? Can he be as famous as king of the movies Zhao Sizhou? Sister Xueluo, don't you think so?"
Ning Xueluo smiled and didn't say anything, but it was clear that she also felt that Director Guo was exaggerating.
Ning Xi ignored Jia Qingqing's taunt, and stuck closely behind Guo Qisheng as she started asking questions. "Then is he handsome? You can tell me this, right? In the script, the second male lead is supposed to be so handsome that all the young ladies in the capital pretend to be sick in order to see him!"
She would have quite a number of intimate scenes with the second male lead. Not only would she have to flirt with him, there were also several sex scenes. What was more, they would always be cuddling and kissing, so it was hard for her not to care about this.
"Of course he's handsome, I'm sure you'll be very satisfied! When the time comes, if you don't pass out from the excitement, that would be a surprise!"
"No way, Director Guo, don't trick me! I'll take it for real!"
...
Time passed in a flash, and it was now August. She had been living at the Lu residence for two weeks, and her relationship with Little Treasure was getting better and better. Her work on set at the moment was also going pretty smoothly.
Ning Xueluo and Jia Qingqing had formed an alliance, and now and then would play tricks on her. Though she had seen through all of them, it was too tiring being wary of them every day, so she was looking for the right opportunity to defeat them once and for all.
Talking about this, it was strange, but she had the feeling that there was someone on the production team who was helping her behind the scenes. There had been several times when she had missed something, but was given very subtle hints. It was likely that there were people who disliked Jia Qingqing's arrogant and domineering way of doing things. Ning Xi didn't think too much about it.
Right now, the biggest headache for her was going to the airport tonight to meet a certain annoying guy.
The whole of today, while she was on set, that guy had continued calling her to death to remind her.
After finishing work, Ning Xi went back to the Lu residence first because she wanted to get her equipment
"You're back. A nice hotpot restaurant opened recently, shall we take Little Treasure out to eat tonight?" Lu Tingxiao was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. Seeing she had come back, he asked her the question in a very natural manner, as if he was asking a wife.
Ning Xi was surprised by her thoughts. It was only just over half a month, but she was already used to the way she and Lu Tingxiao got along.
The two of them, along with Little Treasure; it really did feel like they were living as a family of three.
Ning Xi shook her head to get rid of those strange thoughts, and said awkwardly, "I'm afraid I can't tonight. I'm just about to go to the airport to meet someone, and I'll probably be back very late. Does Little Treasure want to have hotpot? Why don't you take him out to eat?"
"If you're not here, he won't go out with me."
"Cough... alright. Then let's have it next time!"
Lu Tingxiao put down the newspaper and looked at her with dark, deep eyes. "Meeting a friend?"
"Well, kind of..." Ning Xi nodded a little reluctantly.
"Man or woman?"
"Uh..." Wasn't this question overstepping a boundary?
Chapter 60: Love You For Ten Thousand Years
It wasn't that Ning Xi hadn't noticed that Lu Tingxiao's attitude towards her was unusual, but Lu Tingxiao always stopped at the right point. If she overreacted, it would unavoidably seem like she was assuming he had feelings that might not actually exist.
So as if she was hearing a normal question, Ning Xi gave a normal reply: "Male!"
Lu Tingxiao narrowed his eyes imperceptibly. "Are you coming back tonight?"
This question... hearing it sounded more and more like...
Ning Xi brought out her acting skills, and pretending this question wasn't ambiguous at all, she said nonchalantly, "I'm not so sure about that, when the time comes, I'll call you. I'm running late, I'm going upstairs first!"
Tonight, many unexpected things were bound to happen; what if she couldn't take it anymore, and wound up beating up Jiang Muye that guy the whole night?
Ning Xi quickly ran upstairs to grab a big black satchel before hugging Little Bun and kissing him goodbye at lightning speed.
Looking at the back of the girl as she swiftly ran off, Lu Tingxiao's expression instantly changed, becoming like snow in August.
Apart from Ning Xi, Little Bun cared for nothing else, including his own dad. But looking at his father's oppressively dark face just then, he bent his head and wrote something on a board. Then he reached out to poke him with his little finger.
Feeling the slight pressure on his arm, Lu Tingxiao looked down, then saw the question mark his son had drawn on the board.
"Are you asking me why I'm unhappy?" Lu Tingxiao lifted an eyebrow, paused to think, then said slowly, "If the day comes that your Auntie Xiao Xi becomes someone else's, calls him darling and kisses him good morning, goodnight, and goodbye, has hotpot with someone else, and you are no one special to her, without even the right to ask how she is, would you be happy?"
Little Bun looked blank for a bit, before his expression instantly shattered, as if the world was ending.
And so, a certain father finally found some equilibrium.
Little Treasure started sobbing, and grabbed his evil father's cellphone to complain to Auntie Xiao Xi.
He sent Ning Xi a crying emoticon: (>﹏<.)～
Ning Xi, who was on her way to the airport, saw the text and thought that Little Bun was upset about not having hotpot, and she hurriedly gathered sweet words together to coax Little Bun: [Aiya, what's the matter, darling, not happy? Don't be sad, if you're sad then Auntie is sad too! Today Auntie really has something on, tomorrow night we'll definitely go out for hotpot, okay? Muah muah! Love you for ten thousand years! I love darling's smiles the most!]
Seeing her reply, Little Treasure's tears instantly turned to smiles, and he proudly gave the phone back to his dad to take a look.
Lu Tingxiao saw the sweet words that Ning Xi texted, "..." and his heart was struck a blow...
Two hours later, at B City's airport.
Even though Ning Xi had been prepared before arriving, she was still shocked by the scene.
"Ahhhhhh! Jiang Muye! Jiang Muye! Jiang Muye!"
"Hubby, look over here! Hubby, I love you! Hubby, I want to have babies with you!"
"Muye, Muye, you are the most handsome! I'll support you forever!"
"Muye, Muye, you are the best! I'll protect you forever!"
...
Most of them at the scene were young female fans; she even saw quite a number of auntie fans and some male fans. All of them were screaming their hearts out. All the airport security personnel had come out, but the situation was still out of control.
"My dear wives, quiet down, okay? Don't disturb other people! Shhh!"
In the crowd, a sexy voice made itself known. The fans went dead silent for one second, before they broke out into wild screams that almost broke the roof. Far from quieting down, the scene became even more explosive.
Ning Xi hid behind a pillar some distance away to watch, her head covered in black lines.
This man really still held a grudge, he really wanted to get her killed!
If she went out now to meet him, could she live through the night?
Luckily she had come prepared...