Chapter 261: Countdown To The Big Demon King’s Outburst
In the evening at Platinum Palace No.8.
Lu Tingxiao and Lu Jingli were the only two people at the large table.
"Ai, Little Treasure is not around, neither is sister-in-law, which leaves just you on your own. See how considerate I am, specially coming over to eat with you!" Lu Jingli sighed, hating that the house was too cold, so he ran to turn on the TV.
Of course, what he tuned into would be the entertainment gossip channel.
It was currently airing news of the conference for Su Yimo’s latest movie, <The Sea of Stars>. It was a grand occasion, with many stars present.
Su Yimo was dressed in an ice blue, high-quality, custom-made evening dress by WECOUTURE. She gave off a magical air, like a goddess. She was worthy of the title of "National Goddess".
But Lu Jingli, as the boss of Glory World, looked at her with knitted brows. "She has so many resources at her disposal, and so many scripts to choose from, in the end why does she always choose this kind of thing? It’s always a goddess, she’s going to become a professional goddess soon. Can't she break out of her stereotype… ah, by the way, there’s quite a number of people in the company who think that you and Su Yimo are involved that way. Sister-in-law probably would have heard it too. Have you explained it to her yet? Don't create any dramatic misunderstandings!"
Lu Tingxiao looked calm. "Yes."
"What, so efficient?" Lu Jingli was trying to guess if it had been during that conversation which they had on the phone yesterday, when the image on the TV screen suddenly changed, and Ning Xi’s face appeared…
"Wow! It’s sister-in-law! Look, look!" Lu Jingli immediately focused his attention on the TV.
Lu Tingxiao put down his chopsticks and turned towards the TV screen, his expression attentive and serious.
"This morning, our front-line entertainment reporters visited the production set of <The World>, which everyone has been talking about recently, and were able to catch a wonderful extra…"
After the host finished her introduction, the image switched to the large screen behind her.
Ning Xi was dressed in bloody armor, and held a long spear in one hand. She stared angrily at Jiang Muye, who was dressed in blue. "Don't expect me to protect you!"
Jiang Muye smiled softly, and reached out to wipe the blood from Ning Xi’s face. His eyes were full of deep emotion and love: "Changge, I am your man, I should be the one protecting you."
"Pu, cough cough cough cough…" Who would’ve thought that they would show such an explosive scene at the start? Lu Jingli hurriedly comforted his brother. "Brother, it's just acting, it isn’t real, it isn’t real!"
But it wasn’t over.
The scene quickly switched to another one where Ning Xi held Jiang Muye’s body, pierced by arrows. The despair in her eyes at losing her beloved made people feel as if they were experiencing it themselves…
Lu Jingli glanced covertly at his brother’s dark, restrained face, and emphasized with a hollow smile, "Uh, sister-in-law's acting is amazing! Her acting is amazing!"
But in the end, this TV seemed to hate him. As soon as he said that, it began to play a clip of the reporters interviewing Ning Xi.
"Then Ning Xi, what kind of man do you like in reality? Or, what is your criteria for choosing a spouse? Mind telling us a little bit?"
"My criteria for a spouse are that he should be the same age as me, and share common interests and views!"
…
Lu Jingli began to count on his fingers silently.
Similar age: his brother was eight years older than Ning Xi, and it was nearly a three-generation gap. No matter how he looked at it, their ages couldn’t be considered similar.
Common interests: there was an even bigger gap there…
Common values: before, the main reason Ning Xi had refused his brother was that "People with different values cannot be together"…
On the other hand, Jiang Muye fulfilled all three criteria which Ning Xi had for a spouse…
Chapter 262: Do I Harvest This Carrot Or Not?
At this very moment, what was running through Lu Tingxiao’s mind was… radish.
He recalled Ning Xi’s reminder to him the other day, “Carrots and greens are preferred; those who like carrots, as perfect as greens may be, they would still not take a fancy to greens.”
At that point in time, he was confident that Ning Xi reciprocated his feelings. She was most likely just making up excuses, which was why he didn’t pay much thought to her words, but now… he had no choice but to acknowledge this problem.
Maybe, he really was just considered to be greens, and was not her carrot…
Lu Jingli observed his brother’s cold stare at the plate of carrots in front of him and a shiver went down his spine, “Bro, are you okay?”
Why is he staring at a plate of carrots with such a murderous vibe?
With a poker face, Lu Tingxiao pressed the bell to call for the butler, telling him to get rid of the carrots and to never serve such a vegetable on the dining table ever again.
Lu Jingli, “…”
Lu Jingli was baffled. Even if he was a genius beyond comparison, he would still never be able to understand the thoughts of a man in love…
In the meantime, the man from Video City came to the hotel.
Ning Xi had put on a face mask and was ready to hit the sack when her doorbell rang.
Taking a peek at who was outside, Ning Xi exclaimed in shock, “Jiang Muye? Why are you here?”
“I’m following a team too. I will be living on the floor above yours!”
Ning Xi was speechless, “I’m only following a team because I have too many scenes. What are you joining in the fun for?”
“I’m trying to save time so I can play more video games, can’t I not?” said Jiang Muye quite matter-of-factly.
“Fine! You win!” Ning Xi showed a big thumbs up, then asked, “So, why are you here and not playing your video games?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Muye was unhappy. “Play, my ass! The internet speed is so freaking slow that I lost five games in a row, I even lost levels! Quick, accompany me to the cyber cafe to play! Quick!”
Ning Xi said exasperatedly, “I’m not going to play with you. I was about to sleep!”
“It’s only slightly after 9 p.m., why are you sleeping?! Are you coming with me or not? Remember when you’d call me at 3 a.m. for someone to faithfully accompany you? Do you remember who that someone was? It’s only 9 p.m. now and I can’t make you come with me anymore? Hehehe…” Jiang Muye smirked, judging his friend.
Alas, the days of messing around had to be returned in favour someday!
Ning Xi had no choice but to give in, “Okay fine, I’ll go, okay? Let me change my clothes first!”
Ten minutes later, both of them were changed into nondescript clothes, before entering a cyber cafe with masks on.
Because this was Movie City, cyber cafes often had celebrities visiting, so the owner didn’t find it weird to see two people with masks on at night. They were even let in without having their identification cards checked in detail.
There were no more private rooms, so they had to find separate rooms to make do.
It had been so long since she logged in to play video games that Ning Xi had forgotten her password. “Uhh, blondie, what’s my password again?”
Jiang Muye rolled his eyes at her and started typing away a series of possible passwords.
“Thanks!” Ning Xi said as she clicked the ‘Enter’ button to login.
Once logged in, a bunch of system messages popped up non stop. Ning Xi lighted up at the sight of all the pop up windows, “Woah! RKOI! Why did you send me so much skin? It’s even limited edition!”
Jiang Muye was shocked when he heard this, “Dude, I can’t believe you haven’t seen the birthday present I got for you. How many days has it been! Haven’t you been logging in before this? No wonder you could forget your own password!”
“Uhh…” Ning Xi knew it was her fault. She guiltily scratched her head and said, “I’m pretty busy okay!”
Jiang Muye pokered his face and replied, “That’s just an excuse, you just don’t care!”
Chapter 263: There Are People Who Ship Us Together?
“Sorry, okay, it’s not like you don’t know how forgetful a person I am! Thanks for your present, I love it so much! I’ll accompany you all of tonight, okay?”
“Accompany me all night, aye? You’re the one that said so!”
“Yes, I’m the one that said so! I’ll help you regain all your levels and powers! Let’s go!”
…
Ning Xi kept her promise as a faithful friend and played games all night with Jiang Muye.
Jiang Muye finally got to play to his heart’s content since returning to the country, even winning 10 games in a row! Finally, he could enjoy his long awaited win!
It had been awhile since Ning Xi relaxed, and she too enjoyed herself playing the games. She yawned and said, “It’s a good thing the both of us don’t have many scenes in the morning, so we can catch up on some sleep!”
Little did they know that as they were snoring away in their rooms, it was chaos outside…
At last, both were woken up by their managers before they were called to Lei Ming’s house.
“Isn’t there still an hour before work? Why did you disrupt my sleep so early in the morning?!” Jiang Muye grumbled sleepily with a visible bed head.
Ning Xi wasn't doing all that great herself either, almost falling asleep as soon as she sat down on a chair.
Ling Zhizhi walked around the house several times in a circle with her arms crossed before she turned to the both of them and asked with a stern tone, “What did the both of you do last night?”
“We didn’t do anything!” The both of them picked up on the tone and knew that something was amiss, which was why they shook their heads and defended themselves in unison.
Lei Ming seemed to have expected their response and sighed helplessly before showing them the screen of her phone, “Then tell me what this is. Explain yourselves.”
Ning Xi rubbed her eyes and, “Aah…isn’t this from last night…?”
Wasn’t this a picture from last night of her and Jiang Muye playing games together?
Jiang Muye immediately came to his senses, “Please! This is only a silhouette of our backs right? How did they even recognize me under all that disguise?”
Then, Lei Ming flipped to the next picture - this time, it was not just their backs but a clear picture that was taken from the front. Even though Ning Xi still had her mask on, Jiang Muye did not, clearly exposing his entire face.
Jiang Muye scratched his head a little and said, “Uhh…I was just a little too excited in the moment so I took my mask off, but it wasn’t even ten seconds! How did they get this photo taken?”
Ning Xi blinked at the picture and said, “Well at least I didn’t reveal any flaws, right?”
Ling Zhizhi pointed at her earlobe, “Your mole. The person in the picture already looks like you, plus this mole was so recognizable, it’s not hard for people to connect it to you.”
“Who’s this? Such an eagle eye…” Without Lu Tingxiao’s reminder, Ning Xi had really forgotten this little detail…
Jiang Muye’s face darkened, “But when we went we specifically used the identification of crew members, not our own. Who’s the one that so pathetic as to take these pictures and post it online? They could even notice Ning Xi’s small mole?”
Lei Ming casually speculated, “Probably one of your fans, in fact, it’s a fan who ships the both of you.”
Ning Xi widened her eyes at hearing that, “A fan who ships us? We still have such fans?”
At this point, Ling Zhizhi’s expression was unusually serious. “Ning Xi, I think you should remember that since your first day of work with us, we have discussed that you are not allowed to be in a relationship at all in your current circumstance.”
She was too careless this time, she really should have noticed earlier. The way Ning Xi and Jiang Muye interact with one another, including the chemistry between them when they are acting and facing reporters, as well playing video games together all night. It was obvious that they had known each other from long before.
Especially the way Jiang Muye looks at Ning Xi, it was quite unusual…
Ship - A slang that means to endorse a romantic relationship.
Chapter 264: An Ominous Premonition
“No, no! Definitely not! Zhizhi, you’ve misunderstood us! We’re not dating!” Ning Xi furiously denied and turned to Jiang Muye for support. That bastard, couldn’t he explain our relationship to Ling Zhizhi?
Jiang Muye did not say anything, and just shot her a nonchalant look.
Ling Zhizhi was Ning Xi’s manager. The decision to tell her or not to tell her would lie in Ning Xi’s hands.
Ning Xi deliberated for a while, then decided that there was no other choice but to tell the truth, “Zhizhi, it’s like this. Senior Jiang and I have known each other since we went to school abroad, and at that point in time…we did date for a while. But it was only for a few days before we broke up, and now we’re purely best friends! I know I should have told you such an important thing much earlier but I thought that you were Jiang Muye’s ex-girlfriend, and so I didn’t want to say anything to make things any more awkward…”
Ling Zhizhi was exclaimed in shock, “Who told you I was his ex-girlfriend?!”
As soon as she finished her sentence, she glared at Jiang Muye.
He defensively said, “Why are you looking at me? I said no such thing - she made those assumptions herself.”
Ning Xi rolled her eyes at him, “Only because you were behaving so oddly! Can you blame me for overthinking?”
It looked like the two of them were about to launch into an argument, when Ling Zhizhi massaged her temples and sighed, “Ning Xi, Jiang Muye and I are purely just former manager and artiste, you need not worry.”
Immediately,a cold expression flashed across Jiang Muye’s features.
“Mmm, I know that now!” Since Ling Zhizhi said it herself, Ning Xi naturally believed her.
“Well then, let’s discuss a solution to this issue now.” Having cleared up the misunderstanding, Ling Zhizhi began to address the serious problem at hand, “Previously, Jiang Muye’s fans didn’t quite like you, and that was due to some malicious intentions. Now, that their attitudes have changed 180 degrees, there are now a lot of fans that ship the both of you.
Therefore, Ming and I have discussed that when the both of you respond to the reporters and the public about this, you can be ambiguous with your responses without denying completely. Just explain that the both of you work in the same company, have complementing personalities, admire one another, and are currently very good friends. Leave them some ambiguity for their imaginations to run wild.”
Ning Xi nodded obediently, saying, “Oh, okay, I’ll do whatever you say!”
Jiang Muye, with a hand supporting his chin, lazily replied, “No comments! Now can I go back to sleep?”
Ning Xi immediately slapped him and said, “Sleep, your head! Quickly wake up! We’re starting work soon!”
Jiang Muye frustratedly scratched his head and asked, “Which scene are we filming this afternoon?”
Ning Xi stared at him unhappily and replied, “The kissing scene! Don’t you dare tell me that you haven’t even looked at the script once since it was changed! If I was Ming, I would have punched you 800 times a day!”
Since Ling Zhizhi now knew about their relationship anyway, Ning Xi could finally stop pretending to be polite to Jiang Muye.
Jiang Muye heard this and scoffed, “Pft, the higher ups are planning to make it a summer release, there will be many underaged audiences so the scriptwriter has already removed all the kissing and erotic scenes, what kiss scenes are you talking about?”
“Most of it has been removed, but wasn’t there still a little left? One scene of our first kiss, one sex scene within the military camp. The kiss scene is the one we did right before the hailstorm started and we had to stop. The director said that shots from the front could be used, we just need to supplement it with one more shot of a quick kiss!”
“Oh, okay…” Jiang Muye muttered.
For some reason, the tip of his eyebrows started pulsating, in a way that signified an ominous premonition
Chapter 265: The Devil’s Arrival!
The Lu group, CEO’s office.
Lu Tingxiao made a quick call for Lu Jingli to come over.
Lu Jingli immediately made his way to his desk, “Brother, you called for me?”
“Have you prepared the materials for the meeting?”
“It’s done, here you go.”
“Mmm, inform every department that we’ll have a meeting in half an hour.”
“Oh, okay…” Lu Jingli did not immediately leave, but seemed worried and absent-minded.
Lu Tingxiao lifted his head up and gave him a questioning look, “What is it?”
Lu Jingli was frightened and replied, “Nothing, really! It’s nothing!”
Lu Tingxiao put down his pen and stared at him with eyes that seemed like he could see through people.
As if he was being examined on the military field, Lu Jingli stood rigidly straight and tried hard to remain calm, when his guilt was terribly obvious.
Five seconds later, Lu Tingxiao finally looked away.
As Lu Jingli was about to release a sigh of relief, he saw his brother quickly type something on the keyboard and then clicked enter.
He saw clearly what Lu Tingxiao had typed, “ NINGXI.”
Oh no!
His brother was searching it by himself!
My dear brother! Why do you have to be so smart?
After Lu Tingxiao searched through the results, the latest and hottest news about Ning Xi immediately popped up—
[Jiang Muye and Ning Xi Played Video Games All Night, Interacted Intimately. Suspicions of Feelings Blooming]
[Similar in Age, Interests and Are Like-Minded, Jiang Ning Are A Great Match!]
[Both Parties Claim That They Are Just Good Friends, Fans Excited For Them To Get Together!]
[Jiang Ning Are Said To Be ‘Couple of The Year’]
…
Obviously by now, Lu Tingxiao had seen too much of everything, even more than he should have. Lu Jingli shut his eyes tightly, afraid to see his brother’s expression.
Lu Tingxiao shut down his laptop, pulled his chair out, and put on his coat as he instructed, “Jingli, get the car ready.”
“Ah? What about the meeting?”
“Postpone it to tomorrow.”
“Where are you going now then?” Lu Jingli swallowed nervously, following closely behind.
“I’m going to inspect.”
“Inspect? Can it be…?”
At this very moment, at Movie City in Beijing suburbs
Due to the fact that shooting the first kiss scene at the lantern festival required a huge amount of money and manpower, they strived for perfection. Ning Xi and Jiang Muye put on such a stellar performance that the director only needed to shoot some supplementary outtakes for the second half of the scene, saving time and money.
To ensure that the actors performed better, he even asked for all crew members who were not required to leave the set.
When everything was finally ready, just as Guo Qisheng was about to shout “Action!”, the producer Wang Taihe suddenly stormed in. He pulled Guo and the assistant director aside and told him some urgent news.
Guo Qisheng expressed his shock about the news, “Glory Word corporation’s boss is coming to personally inspect? Why all of a sudden? But no worries, Muye and Ning Xi’s acting skills are flawless, let him come if he wants to!”
Wang Taihe exclaimed in response, “Ah, my dear director, if it’s only the Senior Vice President, why would I be so nervous? It’s the big boss himself! The CEO of the Lu group!”
Guo Qisheng was stunned. “Who? You can’t mean…Lu…Lu Tingxiao, right?”
“That’s exactly who’s coming! Guo, hurry and come along with me to welcome him! Zhang Rui, you go quickly and tell the crew members and both the actors about this!”
“Right away!”
…
They were already ready to shoot and yet there seemed to be a delay, and even Guo Qisheng and Wang Taihe were suddenly nowhere in sight. Seeing Zhang Rui run towards them, Ning Xi immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”
Chapter 266: What? It’s A Kissing Scene?!
“Who’s here?” Jiang Muye couldn’t help but ask, his brows furrowing intensely.
Zhang Rui rushed to explain to them, “Later, Lu group’s CEO Lu Tingxiao is coming over to observe the shoot. The director has gone to meet him. I don’t think I need to further explain how important this shoot is, do I? Make sure that the both of you put on your best performance, okay?
Ning Xi gasped, stunned, “Lu Tingxiao? Assistant director, are you sure you’re not mistaken? You mean Lu Jingli right?”
“No, I’m not mistaken! Lu Jingli is here too! Quickly go get ready!” Zhang Rui hurriedly rushed off to alert the other crew members.
Ning Xi turned to Jiang Muye and said, “Blondie, did I just hear him wrongly? Did assistant director just say that Lu Tingxiao is coming over?”
“No, you heard him perfectly. Just as I did!” Jiang Muye said, as he started to look uneasy. Damn it! No wonder he kept having ominous premonitions, this was what was waiting for him!
Zhang Rui swiftly cleared the set and dismissed all the crew members, before preparing chairs, drinks and an umbrella.
They soon arrived. Leading the entourage was the charismatic Lu Tingxiao in a suit, followed closely by Lu Jingli, who was looking around. They were surrounded by the core members of the directing team, with Wang Taihe explaining profusely about the production team’s progress.
Guo Qisheng enthusiastically led them to the best viewing spot, “Mr. Lu, Senior Vice President, please have a seat! You’ve come on the right day. Today’s shoot is an exciting one!”
“Really? What is today’s shoot all about?” Lu Jingli popped a grape into his mouth, asking interestedly.
Guo Qisheng started explaining what had gone on, and then, “…after the script was changed, now we are only left with this kissing scene that we are striving to achieve the best effect…”
“Uhh…” Lu Jingli started wiping the sweat of his face. What? A kissing scene?! We made it in time for the kissing scene. In fact, it’s probably the scene with the man-made rain! What luck is this?
Lu Tingxiao seemed expressionless throughout it all, yet as he sat there, he had an air of arrogance, heeding no attention to anyone else.
Guo Qisheng felt a little awkward. Thankfully, he had already heard about this CEO’s temperament previously and was not moved by his apprehension. He continued, “Ning Xi and Muye’s acting skills are excellent, with such great chemistry. Their scenes are almost always a one take wonder!”
Guo Qisheng thought to himself, there’s no harm in complimenting their own company’s artistes, is there?
Lu Tingxiao casually took the cup of tea that Lu Jingli was serving him, and said with a cold, distant tone, “Is that so?”
“Indeed! I’m not sure if you saw the behind-the-scenes footage online, but even the two difficult scenes we shot yesterday were a one take…” Guo Qisheng continued as he felt a shiver run down his spine.
Lu Jingli cleared his throat at this moment, in an attempt to interrupt, “That’s enough, let’s start.”
“Okay, let’s start now!” said Guo Qisheng, relieved. “Lights, props, cameras…everyone, please get ready! Actors, please be in position!”
The crew nervously prepared themselves, worried that anything might go wrong. After all, the big boss was here to inspect! Lu Tingxiao was a busy man. He did not have time to bother about the trivial matters of his smaller companies, much less personally observe what they were up to. This visit was something that he had never done before, and it was definitely an occasion to brag about!
Chapter 267: A Tensed Atmosphere
When the set was ready, the two lead actors made their way out from the resting area.
The moment Ning Xi appeared in a red and black outfit…Guo Qisheng was not sure if he imagined it, but it seemed as if Luo Tingxiao’s arrogant and distant demeanor warmed up a little…
Ning Xi looked towards Lu Jingli and Lu Tingxiao from afar. Lu Jingli immediately gave her a sneaky wink and pointed at his camera, indicating that his brother had found out about everything.
Ning Xi slowly shifted her sight to look at Lu Tingxiao, who was looking at her in an aggressive, possessive manner, like a predator that was hungry for its prey.
The clapperboard sounded and Ning Xi gathered her senses again, immediately sinking into her role for the scene —
Meng Changge furiously ran away after fighting with Sun Huanqing. As the night fell and the sky darkened, Sun Huanqing who started to worry about her whereabouts.
Actually, Meng Changge had already found Sun Huanqing much earlier. She just did not want to appear, instead mischievously following closely behind him. Observing his grave concern for her, her usually tough demeanour softened.
Ning Xi accurately portrayed the feelings of a girl who was in love yet abashed to admit so.
Finally, Meng Changge couldn’t resist letting her husband Sun worry any longer. Just as Sun Huanqing was about to break down, she tapped his shoulder from behind, wearing a mask that she had bought from the market. With a delighted tone, she said—
"My dear husband, were you looking for me?"
Jiang Muye was first stunned, then revealed a face shining with joy, before pulling her into his arms, "Changge…"
Lu Jingli’s first reaction was to stop watching the scene, but to look at his brother’s reaction. He was shocked and quickly nudged his brother’s fingers, saying, "Bro, bro, bro, not so hard. This cup is made of glass and not of steel. Remember, this is only acting…"
Before he could finish his sentence, there was a loud crack…the tea cup was broken…
Lu Jingli looked up and only saw Ning Xi slowly removing the mask from her face, revealing eyes that were filled with love, looking at Jiang Muye. Then, she leaned forward, slowly approaching his lips…
"Oh no…this time there was no preparation at all!" Lu Jingli did not dare look and had to cover his eyes, yet he could not help but peek through the slits between his fingers.
One second passed…
Two seconds…
Three seconds…
Four seconds…
Wait, what’s happening?!
Five seconds later, Ning Xi who had yet to plant the kiss suddenly buried her face in her hands and apologized, "Sorry, I wasn’t ready, let’s do it again!"
Ning Xi actually had a bad take!
All the crew members, including both directors and producers were shocked! However, they could understand the reason for the mistake - having the CEO there was a huge distraction!
They were only on the sidelines but already felt the tremendous pressure, what more Ning Xi.
"No worries, let’s get ready and do it again," consoled Guo Qisheng.
Xiao Tao quickly passed a bottle of mineral water to Ning Xi, "Sister Xi, you can do it!". Ning Xi finished the entire bottle at one go.
Jiang Muye who was on the side shot her a look, "Who knew you’d have stage fright too!"
With a pale face, Ning Xi replied, "You better make less sarcastic remarks! You know how scary your uncle is. Imagine if you were the one being stared at - we’ll see if you can still perform normally."
Chapter 268: So, Are You Kissing Me Or Not?
Without any further delay, the second take began.
Meng Changge tapped his shoulder from the back, saying, "My dear husband, were you looking for me?"
Sun Huanqing turned around to hug her, "Changge…"
Guo Qisheng, "Cut! Ning Xi, watch your expression, why are you suddenly losing focus?"
Ning Xi bowed her head in shame and said, "Sorry!"
The third take began.
Meng Changge, "My dear husband, were you looking for me?"
Sun Huanqing, "Changge…"
Gui Qisheng blurted out, "Cut! Ning Xi, you took too long staring at him. The most you should take is three seconds before you plant the kiss, okay?"
Ning Xi mumbled, "Okay."
The fourth take…
Guo Qisheng exclaimed, "Ning Xi, you are being too stiff and inexpressive! What are you looking at?"
And then there was a fifth time…
And a sixth…
…
In the end, Ning Xi had six bad takes in a row!
Even Jiang Muye was about to break down and he started exclaiming in the restroom, "Dude! I’m about to get a heart attack! Are you going to kiss me or not? Can’t you hurry up?"
Ning Xi pulled her hair in frustration, "Ahh! I’m the one who’s about to get a heart attack okay! Can’t you get your uncle to leave? His staring at me is like an X-ray screening! Who would be able to kiss like this?!"
Jiang Muye scoffed, "He came for you, what can I do to make him leave?"
Ning Xi pulled off her wig in exasperation, "Dang it! I really can’t stand it!"
"Hey, please watch your reputation…," Jiang Muye cautioned. Ning Xi was about to lose her temper due to the intense pressure. He had never seen her been this irritated.
From a different perspective, it could also be said that…Lu Tingxiao’s influence on her was pretty significant…
More significant than he had thought…
At least previously, no one else affected her acting performance.
A profusely sweating Guo Qisheng entered the restroom to give Ning Xi some advice, "Ning Xi, what’s wrong with you today? Is Lu Tingxiao’s presence making you nervous? Just take it easy! Now is not the time to panic!"
Ning Xi looked down apologetically and said, "I’m sorry for troubling you, director!"
"Sigh, it’s fine. Which actors don’t have bad takes? Who knew that the big boss would have come today? Everyone was taken unaware! It’s not just you, everyone else on set is equally nervous! Do you want to call your manager over?" Guo Qisheng suggested.
Ning Xi shook her head, "No need for that, let’s not trouble Zhizhi. I can do this, please get ready for the next take!"
"You sure?"
"I’m sure."
…
Three minutes later, the seventh take began.
Ning Xi walked to the camera with her teeth clenched and narrowed her stare at Lu Tingxiao. He was playing around with the tea leaves using the cover of the cup, with a smug expression on his face.
The bastard, he was definitely doing this on purpose! His negative presence was clearly trying to make her distracted and under perform!
"Changge…," Jiang Muye hugged Ning Xi. Actually, wasn’t he just as pressured? Every time he hugged Ning Xi, he felt like he was being stabbed at with a million arrows from the back!
Ning Xi took down the mask off her face, and looked at him longingly for three seconds, before slowing leaning towards him…
Up to this point, everything was going smoothly. However, as she was about to touch his lips, the hostile stare of the person behind her forced her to lose focus, and she just couldn’t plant that kiss, no matter what.
Dang it!
In a flash of an eye, Ning Xi unexpectedly put the mask back on.
In the next second, using the mask as a second identity, she planted a kiss on Jiang Muye’s lips…
Chapter 269: The Ice Cold Devil Who Left Angrily
Under the bridge, with lanterns that lit up the surroundings, the wind blew steadily as a young girl kissed a stunned young boy, separated by a mask…
This scene was unexpectedly more beautiful and moving than a direct kiss…
"Cut! Good!" Guo Qisheng came to his senses and called the scene to a stop.
"Not bad, Ning Xi, the way you dealt with this by hiding half of your face actually resulted in a better effect!" Guo Qisheng complimented, while the other crew members also nodded their heads in agreement.
"Director, as long as you’re satisfied, all’s good," said Ning Xi, forcing herself to smile. Dang you! I was just acting out a romantic kiss scene, not a crime scene, yet I had to act till I was physically and mentally exhausted!
Her eyes then involuntarily shifted to a certain direction…
Opposite her, the producer was saying something to Lu Tingxiao while he sat there quietly, like a dull oil painting that had been sitting in a dark corner of an old castle for many years, cold and lonely. Somewhere within his eyes, there was a heart-wrenching sort of loneliness…
Ning Xi was taken aback by that sight, hurriedly turning around to leave.
"Sister Xi, where are you going?"
"The toilet!"
…
Ning Xi quickly sent a text message to Lu Jingli as she walked down the corridor —
[Senior Vice President, what is your brother trying to do???]
Lu Jingli replied her swiftly, "How would I know? He was already acting weird yesterday when he saw the TV play your interview and behind-the-scenes footages. Then, this morning he saw the tabloid news about the both of you playing video games all night, so he immediately postponed a meeting and came here to inspect!"
[Did he let you know what he’s thinking about doing, or if he has any plans?] Ning Xi quickly asked, since she knew that the best strategy to win was to know her enemy!
[It’s not like you don’t know how my brother is like - he would never tell me this kinda things!]
[Then…then was there anything that was odd about him? Try to recall anything!]
[Odd…yes, I think there was one incident! Yesterday, after he finished watching TV, he suddenly glared at a plate of carrots coldly, and then told the butler to never serve this dish! Isn’t that weird? As smart as I am, I can’t seem to understand what this odd behaviour means!]
[…] Ning Xi’s head immediately flashed across the words "harvest the carrot". It looks like Lu Tingxiao had entirely misunderstood her and Jiang Muye!
Ning Xi thought for a while, and typed again, [How’s your brother now? He should be okay, right?]
She had already used up all her brain juices to come with the idea of kissing through a mask…
[No way. The moment you kissed him, the air turned so chilly that I felt like I was ten million meters underground in some thousand year old ice cave.]
[Uhh…]
[Oh, right, little Xi Xi, where are you? Be careful! My brother’s currently not in sight, and I don’t know where he went. My guess is that he’s probably gone to look for you, be careful okay!]
As soon as Ning Xi finished reading that last sentence from Lu Jingli, a silhouette fell from behind her, and someone was forcefully pulling her away.
She felt a hand grabbing her waist and when the world seemed to be spinning around her, she was pushed into the toilet, and she heard the sound of a door closing. Then, she felt her back pressed up roughly against the door and before she could call out in pain, her voice was muffled by a hot, crazy, and hungry mouth…
At that moment, because Ning Xi could barely breathe, the only thought that crossed her mind was —
"Dang you, Lu Jingli! You did this on purpose, didn’t you!"
She refused to say out loud, "You could have warned me earlier!"
Chapter 270: An Irrational Kiss
All along, she had always thought of Lu Tingxiao as a serious and restrained gentleman, yet this kiss was urgent, almost savage and primitive.
The grip on her waist was like iron, and her mouth was filled with the metallic taste of her own blood as her lips were being bitten. Her tongue was also getting pulled to the point of numbness, and she felt as if she was getting devoured…
"Mmm…Lu…" Whenever she attempted to fight back, he held her down even tighter and was more ruthless.
She winced at the shooting pain in her neck and looked at the man in front of her who had lost his control. He was such a stranger to her that she was worried…
Ning Xi discreetly took off the wooden hairpin from her head and quickly pointed the sharp end at his neck when he had his guard down, warning him, "Lu Tingxiao, you’d better calm down or else…!"
Lu Tingxiao’s kisses stopped at her collarbone, but only for a moment. He seemed as if he was deciding where to continue, before he found his way to her lips again, with no sign of stopping…
"You…," Ning Xi felt helpless.
This guy, can he read minds?
He knew that she would not hurt a single hair on him, he knew that…she would not be able to bring herself to do it.
Her mind flashed across to a story she once read, about a girl’s beloved who was cursed to become a monster, yet the girl could not bear to leave him. She even let him have her flesh and blood so that he would not hurt the local villagers and get killed in the process…
When she had finished reading the story, she thought the girl was a total idiot. But now, she had become that idiot.
Lu Tingxiao’s kisses lingered repeatedly at her sensitive earlobe, when Ning Xi finally had the chance to quickly say, "Lu Tingxiao, did you forget what you promised me? Or are you breaking your promise?"
When he heard her voice, some rationality passed through his eyes and he paused before replying mellowly, "Inspection."
Ning Xi almost laughed at this. "Inspection? Who inspects like you? With you sitting there, who wouldn’t be distracted from their acting?"
"Professionalism," he replied monotonously.
"Are you trying to say that I’m not professional? You…Fine! I really haven’t been very professional today, but there will be no next time! Also, if you’re just here to inspect, then what are you doing right now?" Ning Xi questioned.
Lu Tingxiao wrapped her tightly in his arms, as if hugging his favorite toy that he had just snatched back from other kids, and did not say a word more.
At this point, Ning Xi was a mess. All the negative thoughts she had tried so hard to suppress surfaced, forcing her to face the music and make a decision…
Moments passed, and as Ning Xi was about to go limp in his warm, intoxicating embrace, she came back to her senses. She took a deep sigh before saying, "Lu Tingxiao, you gave me seven days. Well, you don’t have to wait for seven days, I can just answer you now."
"I don’t want to hear it," said Lu Tingxiao, whose expression tightened and he immediately went in for a kiss again, in an attempt to stop her from saying more.
Ning Xi had a look of despair as she dodged him, "Lu Tingxiao, listen to me."
As if afraid she would hesitate, Ning Xi squeezed her eyes tightly before looking at him and said —
Chapter 271: No One Can Replace The Person I Like
"Lu Tingxiao, I’ve already told you from the start - there is already someone that I like, very, very, much! Even though there are reasons that I can’t be with him, he will live in my heart forever, filling it to the brim, so much so that no one else can replace him. There just isn’t any more space for anyone else. Even if that person was more wonderful, and even more perfect, it would still be a no, do you understand?" Ning Xi blurted out before she could stop herself.
With Ning Xi’s every word, Lu Tingxiao felt his entire body stiffen, his face aloof. His fingers touched her chin as he denied, "Lying! Ning Xi, you’re lying!"
Ning Xi raised up two fingers, and stared at him with determined eyes, "Then I’ll swear, that if I was lying, I would never be famous in this lifetime, I would get hit by lightning and thunder, I would get hit by a car…"
"Stop it!" Lu Tingxiao could not stand this any longer and burst out of the room.
Listening to the sound of his footsteps leaving, Ning Xi felt herself somewhat relieved.
You did the right thing…Ning Xi, you did the right thing…
You should have done this from the start…You were just greedy for too long…You just did not cut it off earlier…
When Ning Xi slowly walked out, she was surprised to find someone leaning quietly against the wall with a cigarette that was practically burnt out in his hand, indicating just about how long he might have been standing there.
"Jiang Muye…," Ning Xi trailed off in shock.
Jiang Muye breathed out a long ring of smoke, looked down and laughed to himself, "The one you said whom you like very, very, very much…so much so that no matter how amazing others may be, they could not replace this person…you’re talking about Lu Tingxiao, aren’t you? Hah, it’s seldom that Lu Tingxiao who’s usually quite smart could be fooled by this…"
Ning Xi remained silent.
Jiang Muye turned his head to look at Ning Xi and quietly said, "It was you who rejected him, yet it seems like you’re worse off than he is…"
It had been a long time since he had seen her like this. She seemed like she was at someone’s death anniversary, engulfed in a dark aura with no sign of light or energy…
Jiang Muye suddenly did not know what to say, and frustratedly lit another cigarette.
After hearing Ning Xi reject Lu Tingxiao, not only did he not feel happy at all, instead he felt slightly sorry for them.
He knew, Ning Xi was officially head over heels for Lu Tingxiao…
But if even Lu Tingxiao could not succeed, what more him? Someone who did not even have the guts to admit "I like you"…
Jiang Muye sighed, and finally said the words he had been in a dilemma whether to express or not, "Ning Xi, you don’t have to be this way. If you really like him, then just get together with him!"
As soon as he said that, he actually felt a slight sense of relief.
Ning Xi bitterly smiled back and said, "Jiang Muye, weren’t you the one who was against this?"
Jiang Muye raised his brows and replied in a casual manner, "I was against this only because I didn’t want you to be my aunt! But you are my good friend after all, I hope that you can be happy…"
He earnestly looked at her, "Ning Xi, before this I didn’t believe that Lu Tingxiao would be sincere, but now…if he really did like you, he wouldn’t care about your status and your job. He also even has the power to protect you from further harm!"
Ning Xi’s face darkened as she pleaded, "Jiang Muye, just stop."
If the underlying issue was just because of her status, that would be but a minor bump in the road. No matter her status, her class or her job, as long as she lived, she could change her circumstances. But how would one change the past? How could she change that?
How could she change the fact that she was raped five years ago and had given birth to a bastard?
Chapter 272: It’s Over
When Lu Tingxiao returned, Lu Jingli knew it was officially over.
The sky was falling.
The way his brother looked was even scarier than when he first took over the company years ago. At that time, father suddenly fell severely ill and was on the brink of death several times. Everyone was eyeing the position of the heir, so much so that some even tried to break apart the siblings, causing quite a blood shed among the family empire…
The Lu Tingxiao at that time had no emotions, forgetting all meanings of kinship and even using harsh means to defeat all those who tried to stir trouble within the Lu family empire…
Now, Lu Tingxiao was akin to a beast who had just been awoken from his slumber, awash in a murderous vibe.
Lu Jingli initially wanted to console him, but Lu Tingxiao chased all the house’s maids away and then locked himself up all alone in the bungalow. He even instructed that no one but himself was allowed to enter.
Lu Jingli was afraid that something would happen to him, fearful that he might even blow up the house, so he waited worriedly outside.
He waited the whole night.
Yet, Lu Tingxiao still had not come out.
On top of that, something worse had happened…
Early in the morning, Father Lu personally gave him a call with an unhappy tone to drop by the old home.
Lu Family’s Old Residence.
In the living room, Father Lu and Mother Lu were sitting on the sofa with crestfallen expressions.
The alarm in Lu Jingli’s brain was going off frantically and almost immediately, he could guess what had gone wrong.
Indeed, something had gone terribly wrong. Father Lu raised his voice, "Bastard, explain to me what’s happening here!"
White A4 papers and photographs were scattered all over the floor.
Lu Jingli briefly skimmed everything, and it was all Ning Xi’s pictures and personal information. Ning Xi’s identity had been exposed.
Sigh, why does this have to happen now, of all times…Lady Luck is really not on my side!
Mother Lu’s expression was full of heartbreak and anger as she stared at her younger son and scolded, "Jingli, you have really disappointed me! You can mess with other things, but this is your brother’s marriage we’re talking about! How could you not understand the implications of this and help him hide this from us!"
"I thought it was someone from a proper household of suitable class and status, but it turns out she is just a little actress girl, with a very complicated private life! How could someone like this be our Lu family’s daughter-in-law, and be the mother to my grandchildren?!" Father Lu shouted as he slammed the table.
Lu Jingli shuddered and cold sweat trickled down his face as he thought about how he had left Little Treasure under their care.
"What spell did that woman cast onto your brother? The fact that she could let the arrogant Lu Tingxiao fancy her!"
"Thank goodness we noticed this early. Otherwise, the both of you would have only told us after all was said and done, right? This is ridiculous!"
…
Both parents went on and on their tirade for at least half an hour.
Initially, Lu Jingli did try to explain himself but he soon gave up. He sat on the sofa and idly started counting the tea leaves in his cup as they scolded him.
Mother Lu gave him a death stare and said, "You little punk! Are you listening to us or not?"
Lu Jingli put down his teacup and blinked twice before asking, "Eh? Are the both of you done talking? Can you please let your dear son, who’s been scolded harshly, have a say now?"
Father Lu scoffed, "Fine! You speak! I would like to know what you have to say for yourself!"
Chapter 273: Another One Down
Lu Jingli adjusted his collar before standing up and said, "Firstly, occupation. Being an actress is a decent job, there’s nothing shameful about that. Yes, the entertainment circle is a little messy, but you can’t just generalise and discriminate everyone in it. Even I’m the boss of Glory World Entertainment! Since you have investigated, then you should also know that Ning Xi has been nothing but decent since she entered the industry. If not, with a face like hers, she would have been famous beyond comparison by now, and not just a B-list newbie.
"Secondly, education. Before Ning Xi went abroad, she managed to get into Imperial University with excellent grades. Later, it was only due to disagreements with her family that she was forced to further her studies abroad. Within those four years, she didn’t receive any financial assistance from her family, and relied on herself to get into the Southern Film Academy. Her grades were stellar and she received scholarships every year — why did you selectively ignore this point?
"Thirdly, private life. Every one of Ning Xi’s ex-boyfriends were relationships of open and decent nature. She was neither a third party in any of them, nor was she being taken care of by a sugar daddy, so which part of this is messy? If you guys can accept the fact that I, your son, have had 800 ex-girlfriends, can’t you accept that Ning Xi had eight ex-boyfriends? Don’t you think you’re imposing a double standard here? Let me remind the both of you that we’re in the 21st century; men and women are equal!
"Fourthly, family background. Indeed the Ning family has become increasingly outrageous in recent years. They ignore the real treasure of their family and instead side her unruly sister." But don’t forget, Ning Xi’s maternal grandfather is Zhuang Zongren. Years ago, they only disowned Zhuang Lingyu because she insisted on marrying Ning Yaohua. Though Ning Xi is still considered their granddaughter, this is a fact that can’t be denied. Zhuang Zongren’s granddaughter is more than enough to match us Lu family, isn’t she?"
Father Lu and Mother Lu were both still angry, and initially they were not prepared to listen to Lu Jingli’s defense. However, now that he said his piece, their expressions started to change…
At this point, Lu Jingli added, "Fifthly, I forgot to mention the most important thing."
"What is it?" both parents eagerly asked.
Lu Jingli told them, "The both of you are worrying too much for no reason! Just yesterday, Ning Xi has already rejected big bro. So, stop worrying because Ning Xi is not becoming your daughter-in-laws, nor your grandchildren’s mother. From hereon, she won’t have anything to do with us Lu family."
All of a sudden, a piercing sound came from behind —
Lu Jingli and his parents both turned towards the direction of the sound, only to find Little Treasure’s small figure standing there with broken glass pieces on the floor…
"Little Treasure…"
Without waiting for the Lu parents to console him, Little Treasure ran into the house and slammed the door shut.
Lu Jingli sighed, "Great, another one down! After big bro got rejected, he’s been locking himself inside the house and hasn’t left since last night till now!"
Mother Lu who was worried for her son and her grandson was now even more anxious and scolded Lu Jingli, "Bad son! Can’t you watch what you say? Now that Little Treasure has heard us, what do we do now? Little Treasure likes that woman so much!"
Lu Jingli looked innocently and replied, "The day was going to come anyway! Ning Xi only promised big bro that she would accompany Little Treasure for three months, and three months is about to be up. Even if Ning Xi hadn’t set things straight with him, she would eventually have to leave!"
Chapter 274: I Have A Date Tonight
"Did you just say…that your brother is locking himself up in the house?" Father Lu pondered.
Lu Jingli was just about to say something when his handphone suddenly rang - it was Cheng Feng.
"Second master, help!"
"I know, I’m on my way!"
As soon as Cheng Feng uttered those words, Lu Jingli knew what was up. He hung up the phone and shrugged at his parents, saying, "Brother’s assistant just called, he’s finally left the house and gone to the office, so I’ve got to go provide support to my comrades! Bye!"
As they watched Lu Jingli leave, the Lu parents just sat there and looked at one another.
"Chongshan, what do you think about this?" Mother Lu asked worriedly.
Father Lu merely responded coldly, "Let’s just wait further and see how things go. Who knows if that girl is just using reverse psychology?"
Mother Lu bit her tongue as she thought about her son’s confession. Which stupid girl would continue playing tricks when they had already succeeded in making him fall for her?
"What about Little Treasure then?" This was what she really wanted to know.
"I think Little Treasure has almost completely healed, so it’s no big deal. Stop worrying for no reason. The past few days that he has been with us, that girl wasn’t by his side, and he looks just fine, doesn’t he?"
"But…"
…
At the same time, in Movie City
Ning Xi laid on her bed, clammy with cold sweat as her body seemed to writhe with torture written all over her face…
She was having a wonderful time, or at least it was a wonderful dream.
She dreamt that she was wearing a beautiful white wedding dress, her hand held by the one who gave her hope and light, and slowly they walked into the sacred church. However, as the pastor was reading the vows, the world around her started to be engulfed in darkness…
A man was forcefully tugging her hand, and no matter how loud she shouted, he wouldn’t let go…
At last, she was finally dragged into the hell hole behind her…
"Ding dong, ding dong…"
The doorbell rang urgently and woke her up from the nightmare.
Ning Xi immediately sat up and realised that her entire body was damp from sweating profusely, and her head hurt so much it felt like it was going to explode.
Last night, she barely got any sleep. When dawn came, she finally got some shut eye, but she might as well have stayed awake because her sleep was ruined by all sorts of nightmares.
"Ding dong…"
The doorbell was still ringing incessantly.
With a heavy head, Ning Xi dragged her feet to open the door.
"Who’s there?"
"I bought extra breakfast do you want… some…" responded Jiang Muye who did not finish sentence, as he stared wide-eyed at Ning Xi as if seeing a ghost. "My God! You look frightening! You better be careful not to let the paparazzi see your face or they might think you’re on drugs!"
Ning Xi snatched the breakfast out of his hands and snapped, "Stop acting so shocked! Haven’t you seen a victim of heartbreak?"
Jiang Muye replied, "I’ve seen other heartbroken people, but I’ve never seen you heartbroken, all you do is break the hearts of others…"
Ning Xi took a bite of the bun and said, "Then you’re in luck today!"
Jiang Muye sighed worriedly, seeing through her facade, "Ning Xi, are you really okay? Would you like me to drink with you tonight?"
Ning Xi smiled and waved, "Apologies, but no thanks, I’ve already got a date tonight!"
"What! I was just feeling sorry for you, but you’ve gotten a date already?!"
…
It was a good thing Ning Xi only had war scenes today, so her face was covered in black charcoal, strategically covering up her pale skin, otherwise she would definitely have delayed the shooting progress.
As much as she tried her best to focus, she still did make a few mistakes. Some of her kung fu moves almost caused grievous harm to other actors but thankfully, nothing too terrible happened.
Ning Xi knew that she could not continue in her current condition, or else, she would not be able to shoot any longer.
Chapter 275: Little Treasure Is Unhappy
Ever since Little Treasure accidentally overheard Lu Jingli’s words, the Lu parents were uneasy, but they breathed a sigh of relief at lunch time.
Little Treasure opened the door to let himself out and obediently finished his rice, drank his soup, and even ate some fruits after his meal.
Everything seemed normal but in the past, the little guy’s every move was filled with energy, and now he just seemed like a robot who was just following instructions.
After the meal, Little Treasure took his drawing book and went to the garden.
The Lu parents spied on him from afar, trying very hard to see what the little guy was drawing in an attempt to figure out his thoughts.
But the little guy just sat there and stared blankly into the distance without drawing a single thing.
"I knew it the moment that I saw him - our Little Treasure is unhappy!" said Mother Lu mournfully.
Father Lu walked in a few circles, his arms behind his back, finally concluding, "Completely breaking this off is a good thing. If only Tingxiao was just getting a wife, that’s fine, but because of Little Treasure, we can’t be hasty about this! Will you be at ease leaving Little Treasure in the hands of that girl?"
"But what Jingli said today makes sense too. That girl might not be as bad as we imagined her to be. Besides, she did teach Little Treasure quite well! Didn’t you yourself say she was doing a good job too?"
"That was because I was fooled by those two punks!" Father Lu started to become incensed again talking about this. He warned his other half with a stare, "Don’t you be nice about this, no more further discussions about this! The most important thing you have to do now is to hurry up and choose a suitable wife for Tingxiao. Make him give up on the girl."
"If you want to choose, you go ahead! My dear grandson is already like this, I’m not in the mood to deal with such nonsense now!"
"What would it look like if I did the choosing?!"
"Whatever it is, I’m not going! I want to accompany my grandson!"
"You…"
…
Late at night at Dragon Bay
A group of avant garde fashionable youths gathered together.
One of them was a black short-haired youth that particularly stood out. His entire face was covered with an exaggerated skull, with a tattoo sleeve on his arm. He had a black coloured earring on his left ear and chewing gum in his mouth, he said to the white haired youth beside him, "Ah Ka, is my car ready?"
Ah Ka tapped the car that was shined to sparkle beside him and said, "It’s ready, here’s the car! Have a look see if you like it!"
The skull-faced youth looked critically at the car, and said stiffly, "It’s not bad I guess, but it doesn’t have my blackie’s cool factor."
Ah Ka rolled his eyes, "Please, I can make your car look like this is considered not too shabby in just one day, alright? Right, Xi Zi, where’s your car? Where’s your blackie?"
"I sent it for maintenance, it’s still not done yet," slurred the youth lazily. Her car was still with Lu Tingxiao. It was not too convenient to get it now in their current situation, so she had to borrow another one.
Ah Ka nodded and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. "Everyone’s here, right? Let me reiterate the competition rules! We’ll start here from Dragon Bay, and the destination will be Death Valley. First place gets to have our princess Xiang Xiang for one night of fun!
The crowd started to cheer loudly.
A sexy lady with a devilish body stepped out of the crowd to slap the back of Ah Ka’s head. "Pfft, please! You hooligan! One night of fun, in your dreams!"
Despite getting hit, Ah Ka grinned as if he had just swallowed honey. He laughed and said, "Haha, I was just joking! Let’s start again! The grand prize will be a kiss from our princess! Additionally, there’s a prize money of five million dollars!"
Chapter 276: My Handsome Xi
As soon as Ah Ka finished his announcement, he smiled giddily and walked up to Xiang Xiang. "Xiang Xiang, wait for me, tonight your kiss is definitely mine!"
Xiang Xiang rolled her eyes at him with a look of disgust, and then walked up to the skulled-faced youth, clinging onto him, "Xi, you can’t lose, okay? I hate those guys, I only like you!"
When it came to Tang Xi, she would be more than willing, even if it was just a one night stand…
"Hey, Xiang Xiang, you’re a little biased, aren’t you? Why do you hate us and only like Xi Zi?" The crowd started to get dispirited.
Xiang Xiang put one hand on her waist and said, "Obviously it’s because Xi Zi is the most handsome!"
Someone from the crowd shouted back, "Please! Every time he plays with us, he covers his face with such ridiculous makeup, How would you know if he’s really handsome or not?"
Xiang Xiang scoffed, "I just know! Handsomeness is not just about the face, you’ve gotta look at the charisma too, okay! What do you rogues understand?"
"Fine, we don’t understand! You better be careful of the day that Xi Zi comes bare-faced and scares you to tears with his ugliness!"
"Who knows? Maybe if he was stripped naked, he might be a woman! Hahaha!"
…
"You guys…," listening to the guys ridicule her, Xiang Xiang became furious. She turned her head towards the skulled-faced youth who was familiarising himself with the car and said, "Xi, torture them all!"
The youth’s lips curved into a smirk, and with a hand saluted, "Your wish is my command, my princess!"
Xiang Xiang was so electrified and starstruck that she felt faint, "Ohh — my Xi, you’re so handsome!"
On the side, Ah Ka jealously said through clenched teeth, "Pfft! This little punk, I knew you’d try to act cool! Watch me defeat you today. The first place is definitely mine!"
When the crowd was done fooling around, the midnight race finally officially began.
Xiang Xiang picked up the starting gun and stood at the starting line, "Everyone, please get into your positions! Get set, ready, go!"
At the crack of the gun, all the cars accelerated forward.
"Xi, all the best! I’ll be waiting for you at Death Valley!"
Death Valley was true to its name because of the narrow and steep roads. It was a place where many accidents had happened. Yet, it was also a heaven for daredevils who indulged in extreme sports as hobbies.
Ning Xi knew this group of people because when she first returned to the country and sped along the roads, they often had altercations but at last, they became friends.
All these people were from the same racing club but Ning Xi only joined them to race illegally once in a while.
However, as her job became increasingly busy, plus her meeting with Little Treasure and Lu Tingxiao later on, she did not need such extreme and dangerous sports to release and relieve her stress anymore.
That was why it had been such a long time since she had gone out with them, until tonight, that was.
Her nickname Tang Xi and her dressing up as a man was all for convenience. Especially with her current situation, she would have to be extra careful doing something like this.
The sound of the car engine drumming against her ears and the strong wind howling past her as she sped through made her feel as if her soul was being elevated. She could feel the stress that was suppressing and suffocating her leave her body at that moment in time. Even if it was just a momentary relief and calm, it still led her to chase the thrill like a moth drawn to a flame…
"Xi Zi! If you don’t mind, I’m going to go ahead first!" Ah Ka mocked as he sped past her at a turning point, successfully overtaking her.
Ning Xi’s lips curved up into a smile, not caring. She continued to follow her own momentum of driving, maintaining her spot at second place.
Until the last round. The most dangerous round.
Chapter 277: Regaining Her Best Form
Ning Xi lowered her body, shifted gears and slowly increased her speed. At the one of the steepest curves that closely shaved the side of the cliff, she dangerously overtook Ah Ka.
"Jesus, you’re crazy! Do you really want to die?!" Ah Ka furiously cursed her.
The final results were obvious because no matter how good you were, you could never beat someone who would risk their life.
At the finishing line, Xiang Xiang cheered happily and jumped into the arms of Ning Xi as she held the trophy and prize money. She pouted her red lips to offer a kiss.
Ning Xi did not reject this and she smiled as she leaned forward to receive the kiss. But as she was about to plant the kiss, Ning Xi repositioned a little, so Xiang Xiang’s lips did not reach hers but found her cheek instead.
Xiang Xiang went red with embarrassment, and she sulked, "Xi, you’re so mean!"
Ah Ka, who had to watch his dream girl kiss someone else, was so angry that he threw his helmet onto the ground and said, "Goddammit, how could you actually kiss such a face?!"
Xiang Xiang ignored him while continuing to cling onto Ning Xi’s arm and said, "Xi, we’re having something on tomorrow night, do you wanna come along?"
"No, thanks, you guys go ahead," rejected Ning Xi.
Xiang Xiang looked disappointed, then she asked that had been bugging her for a while now, "Xi, you’re really mysterious. What are you busy with everyday? What do you actually do for a living?"
"It’s a secret!" Ning Xi responded as she revealed a secretive and sneaky smile, before she waved and slinked away.
As she watched Ning Xi’s carefree shadow leave, Xiang Xiang was practically a puddle of infatuation…
She had to get him!
…
Returning to the hotel before dawn, Ning Xi was prepared to crash as soon as she got to her bed.
Despite having slept for only slightly over three hours, she felt much better than she had yesterday.
Today was another day of intense battlefield scenes, with another scene at night.
Ning Xi perfectly performed from start till the end flawlessly.
When they wrapped up, Guo Qisheng was overjoyed and said, "Not bad, Ning Xi, your form is much better today! At this rate, we can definitely catch up on our progress!"
Ning Xi breathed a sigh of relief, "I will work harder to keep it up!"
Upon returning to the hotel, Jiang Muye circled her like a watch dog.
Ning Xi punched him and asked, "What’s wrong with you? You’re giving me a headache! Becoming a golden retriever now, are you?"
Jiang Muye looked at her with squinted eyes and said, "Ning Xi, you better tell me honestly, what did you do last night? How are you suddenly so much better today?"
"It was just the rest. What else could I have done!"
"Liar. Last night, I rang your doorbell many times, but you weren’t even in your room!"
"Pfft! Why did you ring my doorbell for?"
"Don’t change the topic! I’m saying, Ning Xi, you wouldn’t be doing anything illegal, are you?"
"Mmm, I think it is slight illegal. If I got caught, I would have to go to jail…"
…
Ning Xi still did not reveal what happened that night, so Jiang Muye could only silently worry for her. He had to check that she was not out all night for the next two nights before he felt at ease again.
For the next two days, Ning Xi continued to keep up her steady performance.
In a blink of an eye, it was soon three days since she had straightened things out with Lu Tingxiao.
Within those three days, Lu Tingxiao did not contact her at all. She too had intentionally avoided any news about him, focusing all of her energy on working. Only sometimes, she would randomly have flashbacks to that night…
Lu Tingxiao suddenly hugged her from the back and said, Ning Xi, I’ve really missed you, it feels like it has been so long since I’ve seen you…
Chapter 278: Obedient Little Treasure
Lu Family’s Old Residence.
Little Treasure sat unmoving in front of the easel, the horizon of the sunset to his side. His small silhouette seemed especially lonely and pitiful.
"Little Treasure, come have dinner now! Grandma made your favourite sweet and sour mandarin fish! Little Treasure…Little Treasure?"
After Mother Lu called out to him for about five or six times, Little Treasure finally reacted.
He started packing up his easel without saying anything, and looked a few more times towards the direction he had been staring at for the entire afternoon before entering the house obediently.
The dining table was filled with various kinds of both Chinese and Western dishes.
"Little Treasure, eat more, okay? These are all your favourites!"
"Yes, eat more! Come, let grandpa feed you."
Little Treasure looked at the dishes stiffly, and then picked up his chopsticks to get the nearest dish before starting to eat with his head bowed down. He did not need any coaxing.
Seeing Little Treasure this obedient, the Lu parents were relieved.
Father Lu gave his wife a look and said, "See, I told you it will be okay!"
That night, Little Treasure continued to eat a lot, even more than usual, in fact. It seemed like he had a really enormous appetite.
Three calm days passed and nothing out of the blue happened. Father Lu was very happy and Mother Lu finally felt assured again.
Yet, that night itself…
The sound of the maid’s screams from Little Treasure’s room suddenly pierced the night.
"Master! Madam! Something’s wrong! Little master he…quickly come and see!"
"What are you saying? What happened?"
Both of them rushed over.
When they reached the room, they saw Little Treasure bending forward and vomiting the dinner he had had all over the floor. He even started retching bile.
Mother Lu hurriedly patted him on his back and exclaimed, "Ah! Little Treasure! Little Treasure, what’s wrong? Why are you vomiting so much?!"
Father Lu calmly said, "Kids vomiting once in awhile is no big deal. Maybe he just ate too much, don’t be so shocked."
Yet as he finished his sentence, the little guy went limp and passed out.
"Little Treasure!" screamed Mother Lu.
Now even Father Lu could not stay calm any longer, and he started to turn pale and shouted at his butlers and maids, "Why are you still standing there?! Quickly call for the doctor!"
Within a split second, the entire residence was thrown into chaos.
Mother Lu hugged a pale Little Treasure and was so worried that she was frantic, she grumbled to Father Lu, "It’s all your fault for saying that there was nothing wrong! Look what has happened now! Must you torture my grandson? So what if Tingxiao fancies that girl, as long as she can make our Little Treasure happy!? Even if she was a beggar on the streets, I would still let her in!"
"You…what are you saying now?"
"What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong? I just want for my dear grandson to be happy! He was so much better previously, to the point that he was already healed! And now, he’s become like this. It’s really breaking my heart to pieces."
"Don’t you think it’s breaking my heart too? I’m only worried for Little Treasure’s future."
"What future is there if Little Treasure is dead?!" Mother Lu said this as she suddenly remembered something and turned to the maid, ordering, "Xiao Rong, go get little master’s drawing. I want to see it!"
"Okay, madam, I’ll go immediately!"
The maid immediately brought over Little Treasure’s drawing from that afternoon.
The Lu parents scanned the drawing.
Little Treasure did not draw a single thing on the blank canvas, but upon closer inspection, they saw that in the middle of the canvas was a sentence written with miniature font in pencil—
Aunty Xiao Xi
Little Treasure has been very good
Why don’t you want Little Treasure?
…
Mother Lu’s tears started to pour as soon as she saw this, she cried, "Who said Little Treasure was fine? He was only forcing himself to be obedient! Even though he couldn’t finish his rice, he still made himself do it. Even though he wanted to throw a tantrum like he used to, he forced himself to be obedient…all because he promised someone else that he would be."
Chapter 279: Days Without The Sister-In-Law Sucks
At night, the Lu group’s company building was brightly lit. As of three days ago, the entire Lu group had been on alert mode.
Winter had arrived early…
Assistant CEO’s office.
"I know, I know, you guys are bearing the brunt of suffering, but it really was your fault. Before this, my brother was in a good mood, but you guys took it easy, so now you regret it, don’t you?"
"At this point, the only thing you can do is to just not let my brother find any loopholes, so he can’t mess with you guys, okay?"
"Yes, you guys are scared of him, but do you think I ain’t scared too? Jeez. Damn you, the person who’s in the most danger now is me okay? Don’t even bother whining to me."
…
Lu Jingli was feeling frustrated thinking about dealing with the next wave of workers whining when his private handphone rang.
It was an even more troublesome worry.
"Mom, what is it now? I can guarantee that the girl hasn’t come to look for big bro, and big bro hasn’t gone to look for her either. If you don’t believe me, just come and ask anyone in the office! Big bro has been working 24/7 for the past few days, without resting for a second!"
Mother Lu on the other end quickly stopped him and said, "Jingli, get your brother to come home! Something’s happened to Little Treasure!"
Lu Jingli’s expression suddenly changed before he asked, "What did you say? Didn’t you say Little Treasure was fine before this, and that we didn’t have to worry? How did this suddenly happen? What has exactly happened?
"Little Treasure’s not feeling too well, and he’s in a really bad shape. Quickly get your brother to come home, hurry!"
As he stared at the phone which his mother hung up on, Lu Jingli momentarily collapsed onto his desk.
Sigh, days without the sister-in-law sucked…
There was no one to ask for help from now on. It seemed like he could only rely on himself. By God's grace, he prayed that he would survive!
Lu Jingli anxiously walked to the door of the CEO’s office.
He took a deep breath and was about to knock the door when a bunch of people swarmed up to him and stuffed all sorts of documents and proposals into his arms…
Lu Jingli shouted back at them, "Jesus! You bunch of cowards, you better watch out!"
Goddammit, the true colors of everyone revealed in trying times. The fact that everyone was waiting for him!
"Second master, please, and thank you. You’re our only hope!"
"Exactly, second master, we’re desperate!"
"Only you, second master, can go in and come out alive. Please help us!"
…
"Stop sucking up to me, everyone get lost!" Lu Jingli shooed away everyone, and then knocked on the door to his brother's office.
He did not actually need to shoo them, because everyone disappeared in the blink of an eye…
"Come in," said a coarse voice from inside the office.
"Brother, these…" Lu Jingli could not even finish his sentence because he started coughing and almost choked to death inside. He had to back up a few steps before moving forward again.
Jesus, was this Hitler’s gas chamber or something?
How many cigarettes had he smoked?
The curtains were closed, even the windows were shut! He really was not afraid of suffocating himself to death, was he?
Lu Jingli put down the documents and hurriedly pulled opened the curtains and windows for some ventilation.
He saw Lu Tingxiao leaning back in his chair with his expressions hidden by the shadows. The cigarette between his fingers was almost burnt out and about to reach his fingers…
The side coffee table still had the lunch and dinner his secretary had served him, none of it was touched.
Lu Jingli slowly looked over to see a stack of information beside Lu Tingxiao, all about the Jiang family.
Chapter 280: A Motherless Child Is A Sad One
Lu Jingli suddenly lost all color in his face. My God…brother is not going to mess with the Jiang family, is he? Is he really going to forfeit all kinships?! Even if they are not related to the Jiang family by blood, they are still connected to Jiang Muye’s mother’s generation and their parents really care about this relationship!
After some thought, Lu Jingli knew something was not right.
Based on his brother’s personality, if he was going to do anything to the Jiang family and Jiang Muye, he could have done that much earlier. There was no way he would have kept quiet for the past three days…
What was up then?
"Is there something you want to say?"
The air around suddenly filled with an icy voice, causing Lu Jingli to shudder and return to his senses. He quickly explained, "Yes, Mother and Father called earlier and they said that Little Treasure is not feeling too well, so they want you to quickly go home!"
Lu Tingxiao stubbed out his cigarette butt and then lit another one again, "Get the car ready."
"Okay!"
Lu Jingli quickly sneaked out, secretly grateful.
It was a good thing that his brother had not forgotten all kinship to point of neglecting his son…
Lu Family Old Residence.
Mother Lu was anxiously pacing about outside the door. As as soon as she saw Lu Tingxiao, she immediately went up to greet him and said, "Tingxiao, you’ve finally come home! Quickly go and see Little Treasure!"
Father Lu was obviously unhappy and scolded him, "Oh you finally know your way back home do you? Little Treasure is ill and yet you couldn’t even be contacted! How are you suitable enough to be his father?"
Lu Tingxiao’s pale face was devoid of any expression as he replied calmly without fighting back, "Weren’t the both of you going to get me a wife? You can go let those women take care of him."
Father Li's eyes flew wide and he shouted at his son, "You bastard! How could you say something like this? Little Treasure is your son! You don’t take care of him yourself and yet you expect strangers to do it for you?"
Lu Jingli scoffed. He could not help himself and said, "Father, please, can you be more sensible? It was the both of you who were in a hurry to find strangers to take care of Little Treasure! Brother did find Little Treasure an extremely reliable lady to take care of him, but it was the both of you who didn’t trust his judgement! Now he’s agreeing to let the both of you choose for him, yet you’re still unsatisfied. What do you want him to do?"
"You…" Father Lu was so angry that he was speechless. Then his expression changed and he said, "You punk, I almost fell for your trap! It was he himself who didn’t have the ability to get her, don’t blame it on me."
Uhh, exposed…
Lu Jingli rubbed his nose and then said again, "But…this means…that if he manages to get her then you wouldn’t be against it anymore?"
Father Lu grumbled, "Don’t try to be smart with me. Quickly go see Little Treasure!"
"Little Treasure, what’s wrong? Where are you not feeling well?" Lu Jingli asked the boy.
Mother Lu wiped her tears as she said, "It’s probably because that girl had previously taught him to be obedient, so these few days he has been a very good boy, always eating and resting normally without rebelling. Until today, not too long after dinner, Little Treasure suddenly vomited everything he ate and he even fainted…"
Mother Lu took out a drawing and cried even harder as she told him, "Later on, after I saw these words on Little Treasure’s drawing, only did I realize that he wasn’t fine at all, that he has been suppressing everything…"
Lu Jingli took over the drawing, looked at it, and started sobbing within seconds. "My goodness, poor Little Treasure…a child without their mother is a sad one…"
"Exactly, I am so heartbroken by this!"
Both mother and son cried in each other’s embrace.