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“Huang Baiyan?”
Back when Feng Xu hadn’t had his scandal yet, he and Lu Xingyu were rivals. Rong Hua and Huang Baiyan had taken plenty of shots at each other online. Feng Xu’s downfall was a huge win for Lu Xingyu.
Now sending Yu Chi to Huang Baiyan would only continue the rivalry, wouldn’t it?
Rong Hua frowned. “I’m okay with helping Yu Chi buy out his contract, but he needs a different agency. It can’t be Huang Baiyan.”
“Why not? Are you afraid he’ll overlap with Lu Xingyu? That Lu Xingyu won’t measure up?”
Sheng Li smiled. Even Rong Hua was worried Yu Chi might become a star and overshadow Lu Xingyu. That actually made her relax. “In this industry, only those with work to show can go the distance. As long as Lu Xingyu doesn’t self-destruct, no one can take him down. Yu Chi is just a rookie, with no works to his name. If you’re already this defensive, is it because you’re too confident in Yu Chi, or not confident enough in Lu Xingyu—or yourself?”
“Huang Baiyan reached out to me before. I didn’t agree to anything, but I casually brought up Yu Chi’s name.” Sheng Li looked at Rong Hua, her voice growing increasingly calm. “I’ll renew my contract with you for five years. Those will probably be the five years where I have the highest commercial value. I’m more popular than Lu Xingyu and more stable. You know that. And as long as I’m under contract with you, as long as I don’t date publicly or reveal any relationships, my link with Lu Xingyu stays intact.”
If she didn’t renew the contract, Lu Xingyu would lose half his buzz almost immediately.
Rong Hua was shrewd. She had to know this was the best deal she could get. Even if Yu Chi became hugely popular in three years, it would still give her enough time to cultivate a new rookie.
After a while, Rong Hua stubbed out her cigarette and looked up at Sheng Li, raising a brow with a smile. “You’ve only been seeing Yu Chi for a couple of months, right? Spending a few million isn’t a small thing. Is he worth it?”
Sheng Li was currently at the peak of her career and had made a lot in recent years, but a few million was still a significant sum. Her phone buzzed. She unlocked it and glanced at the screen.
Zhou Houhou:
Why can’t I go? I already booked my ticket!
Sheng Li:
Because Yu Chi and I broke up.
She put her phone down, slumped lazily on the sofa, and smiled faintly. “You gave your boy toy a job just for sleeping with him. I dated mine, took full advantage of the perks—helping him out of a jam seems only fair, no?”
Rong Hua’s husband was a shareholder at Huayu Entertainment. The two had long since led separate lives. Her expression was calm as she stood up and looked down at Sheng Li. “I’ll be staying here for the next few days. Once everything’s settled, Yu Chi’s scenes will probably be wrapped. Get some rest—you’re not in a good state today.”
Half a minute later, the door clicked shut.
The next second, Sheng Li collapsed onto the sofa, curling up and staring blankly.
Her phone buzzed a few more times.
Zhou Houhou:
It’s only been a few days, Sheng Baixue, are you playing me?
Zhou Houhou:
You really broke up? Why?
Zhou Houhou:
Didn’t think you were such a heartbreaker. Hit it and quit it? Was he bad in bed or just small?
It took a while before Sheng Li picked up her phone. Her eyes were slightly red, and she frowned as she typed:
Sheng Li:
Who said Yu Chi’s bad? His body’s great, and he’s well-endowed. Don’t slander him.
Sheng Li:
We really broke up. I got bored.
Sheng Li:
Call me a heartbreaker if you want.
A long pause, then Zhou Houhou replied:
Zhou Houhou:
The next one will be even more obedient. Don’t cry.
Sheng Li had never been the crying type. She felt awful now but still had no urge to cry. Was she really a heartless person? Did she not love Yu Chi enough? Otherwise, why hadn’t she cried even though they’d broken up?
At eleven p.m., she sent Yu Chi a WeChat message:
Sheng Li:
Xiao Chi, I won’t be able to see you tomorrow night—it’s Qixi Festival. My agent brought a few scripts; she’s staying for a few days, and we’ll be going through them together.
Sheng Li:
Did you prepare a gift for Qixi?
Sheng Li:
Give it to me tomorrow if you can. If it’s too big, just keep it—I’ll get it after you wrap.
She stared at her screen, unsure how she’d make it through the next ten days. Was she going to keep coaxing and lying to him like this? She tricked him into liking her; now that they were breaking up, she still had to lie and coax him.
Sheng Li laughed at herself. Poor Yu Chi. His first love, and it had to be with a heartbreaker.
Yu Chi was in the shower when the messages came in. Ten minutes later, he came out, hair still damp. He picked up his phone from the table and replied as he walked into his room.
Yu Chi:
Only ten days left until I wrap.
Sheng Li:
I know. Your schedule was originally made for Feng Xu—he was probably rushing to join another project. That’s why your last ten days are packed. Just focus on your scenes.
Sheng Li:
Once you wrap, your sister has a gift for you too.
Yu Chi opened his laptop, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had a gift for her too.
On Qixi night, the crew had a dinner party. Rong Hua was present, so Yu Chi had his gift sent back with Yuan Yuan. When Sheng Li received it, she hesitated before opening it and ended up tucking it into her cabinet.
She still had filming to do and didn’t want her emotions thrown off.
A few days later, Rong Hua told her, “Everything’s taken care of, as you wanted. Once Yu Chi wraps, Huang Baiyan will contact him to sign the papers.”
Sheng Li exhaled in relief and smiled. “Thanks, Sister Rong.”
Rong Hua said flatly, “Don’t thank me. It was your money.”
—
Yang Lingfeng’s final scene was dying at the hands of Yun Lansheng’s sword.
At 7 p.m., Director Liu started walking them through the scene. Yu Chi listened quietly for a while, then said, “Director, would it be better if Yang Lingfeng runs into Yun Lansheng’s sword himself? It might suit his character more.”
Director Liu raised a brow. “What kind of person do you think he is?”
Yu Chi calmly replied, “If his sister tells him to die, he’ll die—and still smile at her before he goes.”
Sheng Li’s heart skipped a beat. She turned to look at Yu Chi.
He looked down at her and smiled faintly. “What do you think, sister?”
Her mind was a mess. She clutched her script and seriously considered it. Yu Chi had a point—Yang Lingfeng was the obsessive little brother type. She said, “It really would hit harder that way.”
Though, with this change, the role would become even more scene-stealing.
She glanced at Yu Chi. He seemed to realize it too but still put the idea forward, taking initiative for the role.
Director Liu called over the screenwriter, and the two conferred.
Half an hour later, Director Liu said to Yu Chi, “We’ll shoot it your way. Give it a try.”
This turned out to be the most in-sync Sheng Li and Yu Chi had ever been. No one expected the scene to be completed in a single take.
Director Liu called, “Cut!”
Sheng Li and Yu Chi were still in character. She was still holding the sword, her eyes slightly red, her mind replaying Yang Lingfeng’s faint, almost crazed smile. That faint smile made him seem both pitiful and a little unhinged.
The crew gathered around and shouted, “Congrats, Yu Chi! That’s a wrap!”
Yu Chi was still in costume, blood-stained from the scene, and pushed himself up from the ground. Sheng Li came back to herself, smiling as she gave him a light hug. “Congrats on wrapping.”
It was the first time in a while they’d had physical contact.
She quickly let go and smiled up at him.
The production had hired Yu Chi at a low rate—cheap and reliable. Director Liu was very satisfied with him and, to his credit, gave him a proper wrap party at 10 p.m. right there on set.
Yu Chi raised a glass. “Thank you all for your help and support.”
Director Liu praised him a bit. Wei Cheng took a gift box from his assistant and handed it to Yu Chi with a smile. “A wrap gift—no need to feel shy. We’ve got good chemistry. Hopefully we’ll work together again someday.”
Yu Chi hesitated, then accepted the gift. “Thanks, Cheng-ge.”
“I’ve got a gift too—it’s in the lounge. Come with me to get it later,” Sheng Li added with a bright smile, teasing, “I even made you my assistant for a while—what a crime. Don’t hold it against me when you’re famous, okay?”
Cheng Siqi pouted. “You two didn’t even tell us you had gifts. Makes us look bad!”
Sheng Li laughed. “You didn’t have any scenes with Yu Chi—it’s fine.”
It wasn’t just Wei Cheng and Sheng Li. Several girls in the crew also gave gifts and took the opportunity to ask for Yu Chi’s WeChat. He couldn’t say no in front of everyone, so he took out his phone and scanned their QR codes.
After the small wrap party, filming officially ended for the night.
Yu Chi followed Sheng Li into the lounge. Yuan Yuan hovered at the door, unsure if she should go in.
Sheng Li glanced back. “Come in.”
Yuan Yuan: “Okay…”
She stepped in and closed the door behind her, turned on the fan, and started tidying up, back to them.
Sheng Li looked at her again and said, “Yuan Yuan, put on your earphones. Play some music.”
Yuan Yuan: “...Okay.”
She immediately pulled out her Bluetooth earbuds, put them on, and started her playlist—desperate not to overhear anything inappropriate. A breakup hookup? No way, right? Li Li wouldn’t cross that line… not in a place like this…
Sheng Li turned back. Yu Chi was still standing by the door, hands in his pockets, gaze cool and unreadable. He made no move to hug or kiss her. She walked over, wrapped her arms around his waist, and looked up at him with a smile. “Yuan Yuan can’t see or hear us now.”
Yu Chi looked down, frowning, still unmoving. He muttered, “You seem really happy that I wrapped.”
“I’m not.” Sheng Li panicked inside but kept smiling. “Okay, maybe a little. You really brought Yang Lingfeng to life. Everyone’s praising you. You were amazing—can’t I be proud?”
Yu Chi hugged her tightly. “We’re about to be apart.”
Sheng Li whispered, “It’s normal for celebrity couples to be apart a lot. Some break up just as fast as they get together, it’s just—”
Before she could finish, Yu Chi kissed her hard, biting down in frustration and pinching her waist.
“Ahh—” Sheng Li yelped. “Ow! Not so hard! I was just giving an example—not saying it’s us.”
Yu Chi devoured her lips angrily, holding her tight. Deep down, he felt a wave of panic. He was suddenly afraid he couldn’t hold on to Sheng Li—or maybe he had never truly believed she’d stay. He’d never been close to anyone, never loved anyone—only Sheng Li. But he didn’t believe she’d belong to him forever.
Sheng Li closed her eyes, letting him kiss her. When it ended, he gently licked her lips and whispered hoarsely, “I have more time than you. As long as you have free weekends, I’ll come see you. We can meet every month.”
After a while, Sheng Li caught her breath, cupped his face, and smiled. “Yu Xiaochi, you’ll be entering projects too—you’re an actor now, remember?”
“I don’t think I’ll have new work for a while.” Yu Chi held her, leaning against the door.
Sheng Li looked at him for a while, then patted his face gently and smiled. “Let me introduce you to an agent. With your face, you’ll be a big hit. Don’t stay with Xingqing Entertainment anymore. I’ll buy out your contract.”
Yu Chi lowered his eyes and looked at her, silent.
The termination and new contracts would need his signature. He wasn’t a child anymore—some things couldn’t be hidden from him.
Sheng Li was quiet for a few seconds, then frowned. “I’m your girlfriend. I don’t like that company, don’t like your agent, and I hate the stupid contract your stepdad and stepmom signed for you. I want you out—not just for your sake, but for mine. As long as I’m with you, I can’t avoid dealing with them…”
“Okay.”
“I really hate—” Sheng Li froze and stared at him. “What did you just say?”
“I said okay.” Yu Chi looked at her seriously. “If you’re buying me out, then I’m yours—I’m sold to you.”
He’d given himself to her. That way, with this tie between them, they wouldn’t be able to separate.
From now on, everything he had would belong to her.
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