Chapter 46: ——Sister, I’m waiting for you to chase me.

Half a month after the show’s recording ended, the Golden Horse Film Festival was about to open. Sheng Li and Rong Hua arrived in Taipei a day in advance with their team, accompanied by Lu Xingyu. It had been a long time since they were last seen together. Rong Hua had tried to untie their pairing, but after years of being bundled together, their CP fanbase was too large to simply untangle unless one of them announced a relationship.

Although Lu Xingyu’s popularity had declined recently, he had indeed been extremely popular in the past. Over the past two years, he had matured significantly, and his fanbase remained sizable. He certainly wouldn’t be foolish enough to announce a relationship unless it was with Sheng Li.

On the way to the hotel, Sheng Li and Lu Xingyu sat in the backseat. Seizing the opportunity, this guy began pestering her. He opened the Weibo super-topic for the Xingsheng CP. Before boarding the plane earlier, they had been photographed together, and now the super-topic fans were overjoyed as if celebrating the New Year.

He shoved his phone under her nose. “Sister, look! Our fans are thrilled to see us together. Can we stop untying?”

Sheng Li glanced at it coldly. “No.”

“Why not?” Lu Xingyu was exasperated. “You haven’t dated anyone in the past three years. You refused to be with me, and you still want to untie. Are you thinking about your ex-boyfriend? He’s nominated for Best Actor now. Do you regret breaking up with him?”

Sheng Li shot him a sidelong glance. “What’s it to you?”

“Sister, that’s harsh,” Lu Xingyu said, pulling his phone back and sneering disdainfully. “Isn’t he marketing himself with Chen Yu? Her family is wealthy; she’s a rich, beautiful woman pursuing him. They’ve been filming together for months. Who knows, maybe they’ve already slept together.”

Sheng Li scoffed. “Do you think everyone is like you?”

“I haven’t hooked up in ages!” Lu Xingyu complained bitterly. Ever since meeting Yu Chi, the two had clashed. Yu Chi had stolen two auditions from him—both were standout roles—and he had lost several endorsements because of it. How could he not hate Yu Chi? “After being in this industry for years, surrounded by luxury, do you think he’s still the same innocent high school graduate from a few years ago?”

Sheng Li ignored him and closed her eyes.

Lu Xingyu persisted. “Sister, did anything happen when he appeared on your show last time?”

Lu Xingyu had been pestering her about this on WeChat recently. Sheng Li was already annoyed. That little brat had declared on the show that he wanted to win her back, yet half a month had passed without a single move.

Bastard, was he playing with her?

Sheng Li opened her eyes and glared at him. “Shut up.”

________________________________________

On the day of the film festival, Sheng Li made a stunning appearance in a starry floor-length gown. Her hair was elegantly styled, her face beautifully delicate, and her figure graceful and alluring. With her slender shoulders and waist, she immediately captivated everyone upon arrival. She walked the red carpet arm-in-arm with the male lead from Love Again , posing confidently for photos.

The Malice crew and the Love Again crew were seated in adjacent rows. After taking her seat, Sheng Li saw Yu Chi entering the venue with Chen Yu, who was dressed in a white princess gown, under the host’s introduction.

Yu Chi wore a black suit, his tall and upright figure accentuated by his handsome features. The suit amplified his cold demeanor, and among all the male artists present, Sheng Li thought no one could wear a suit as provocatively as he did.

If only Chen Yu weren’t by his side, the sight would have been even more pleasing to the eye.

Sheng Li leaned back in her chair, reaching up to touch the star-shaped earrings on her ears. All her accessories today were brand-sponsored, except for these star-shaped earrings. On Qixi Festival years ago, Yu Chi had given her a gift. At that time, they had already decided to break up, so she had never opened it, fearing she might hesitate to go through with the breakup.

That night, after finishing the show’s recording, she returned home to Beijing and dug out the exquisite brocade box. This gift was the most unique one she had ever received—it contained only one star-shaped earring.

There should have been a pair, but Yu Chi had only given her one.

The other must still be with him.

When Sheng Li saw this earring, she was stunned for a long while. Perhaps it was right not to open the gift back then. If she had, she might not have been able to let go. At 18, Yu Chi was cold and arrogant, sometimes very straightforward. Their time together was brief, and even their only Qixi Festival was spent on set. That day, they hadn’t even kissed or hugged.

She hadn’t expected him to give her a gift in this manner.

Her outfit for the film festival had been decided long ago, and the stylist had paired her with a set of dangling earrings. Sheng Li only had two ear piercings, but a few days ago, for some inexplicable reason, she got another piercing in her right ear. When the stylist was doing her makeup, she decided to wear this earring.

Fortunately, the earring was small and delicate, complementing her outfit without clashing. Upon closer inspection, it even added a touch of elegance.

After a while, the Malice crew walked toward their seats. As Yu Chi approached, Sheng Li’s gaze lingered between him and Chen Yu. Not only her, but many others were watching Yu Chi, as he was the youngest actor nominated for Best Actor that night.

If he won, he would become the youngest Best Actor in the entertainment industry.

Yu Chi raised his eyes, locking gazes with Sheng Li.

As if she had been waiting for him, Sheng Li lightly raised an eyebrow and smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.

Yu Chi’s lips curled slightly. He pulled his arm away from Chen Yu, preparing to take his seat, but his gaze suddenly froze on Sheng Li’s right ear. For a moment, his mind went blank, and his foot stepped on something. At that moment, Chen Yu turned back with a blush, whispering softly, “Yu Chi, you stepped on my dress train.”

“Sorry.” Yu Chi lowered his head, concealing his expression, helped Chen Yu adjust her dress, then turned to take his seat.

Expressionless, he bowed his head and chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Sheng Li did it on purpose, didn’t she?

On the show, he had declared that he wanted to win her back, and she had worn the gift he gave her over three years ago. He finally understood the meaning behind her enigmatic smile that night during the show’s recording.

—Sister is waiting for you to chase me.

Sheng Li indeed did it intentionally; she just wanted to see his reaction.

The indoor lighting dimmed slightly. Sheng Li sat diagonally behind Yu Chi, casually staring at his profile. Her gaze lingered on his ear. When they were dating, Yu Chi didn’t have any ear piercings, but she later noticed him wearing earrings in magazine covers. She wondered when he got his ears pierced.

Did he plan to get them pierced when he bought the earrings? That’s why he only gave her one. But back then, he couldn’t because they were filming.

The award ceremony was drawing near. The lights dimmed, and the host stood by the side waiting. The organizing committee took their seats on the main stage. Most of Yu Chi’s attention had been drawn away by Sheng Li, so his emotions weren’t as tense as the other nominees. His expression remained calm and relaxed.

The opening music played, and the host walked to the center of the stage. The award ceremony officially began.

One by one, the awards were presented. Finally, it was time to announce the winners for Best Actor and Actress. As expected, Sheng Li only received a nomination for Best Actress, and the award ultimately went to a 50-year-old veteran actress.

Sheng Li wasn’t particularly disappointed, feeling that her performance in Love Again wasn’t quite worthy of the award.

She held her breath and looked toward the award stage. The big screen replayed clips of the actors nominated for Best Actor. After the film excerpts finished, her heart raced, palms sweating. She lowered her gaze to Yu Chi’s cold profile, wondering how he could remain so composed.

On stage, Wei Cheng, the presenter for Best Actor, opened the envelope and announced with a smile, “The winner of this year’s Best Actor is…”

“Malice , Yu Chi.”

The spotlight instantly shone on Yu Chi. He paused, seemingly surprised. Beside him, Chen Yu excitedly hugged his arm, while Director Liu Shu stood up to embrace him, patting his back and saying with a laugh, “Congratulations, go up and accept the award.”

Without a trace of emotion, Yu Chi gently pulled his arm free and returned the embrace, hugging the director.

At the same time, applause erupted around them, and all eyes were on him.

Yu Chi walked onto the stage. Wei Cheng embraced him and said with a smile, “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Brother Cheng,” Yu Chi replied.

Holding the heavy trophy, Yu Chi stood on the glittering stage, a faint halo surrounding his silhouette. He lowered his gaze to the audience below.

Among the sea of people, only Sheng Li’s face was clear in his eyes.

Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled warmly at him.

The microphone was a bit short for Yu Chi, so he adjusted it slightly before addressing the audience. “Thank you to the judges for your recognition, thank you to Director Liu Shu and the entire crew. An excellent film is the result of the hard work and dedication of all the behind-the-scenes staff. I merely put forth my best effort to create and complete a role. Receiving this award makes me very happy because I once thought I was quite unlucky. I had abandoned this industry and the dream of becoming an actor. After turning 18, my luck seemed to improve. Someone called me a treasure and brought me back to this industry. Since then, I’ve met many outstanding seniors and directors who have offered me great help.”

He glanced down at the trophy and bowed deeply to the audience.

“Thank you.”

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from below.

Yu Chi descended the stage with the trophy, his gaze lingering on Sheng Li’s face for two seconds.

Sheng Li pursed her lips. Only now did she truly understand what it meant to have a “balanced, give-and-take” kind of love. She wanted Yu Chi to chase her, while Yu Chi wanted her to soften, or perhaps… coax him?