The film has been out for more than half a month, and it’s been a success both at the box office and amongst critics. Elizabeth White has also seen a surge in popularity due to this film, no longer the forgotten minor character she once was.
When the box office crossed the billion mark, Director Zhang organized a celebratory banquet, and as one of the investors, Felix Shaw was also invited.
Initially, he didn’t want to attend, but considering the unresolved issues between him and Elizabeth White, he instructed his secretary to arrange his schedule so he could rush there on the night of the celebration.
Felix Shaw arrived at the hotel precisely on time, while Elizabeth White was half an hour late, rushing in hastily. As she entered the private room, she bowed to everyone apologetically, saying, "Sorry to keep you all waiting, I really couldn’t get away..." It turned out Elizabeth had just come from a shoot, having taken an endorsement from a certain brand and was busy filming an advertisement.
After some humble small talk, Elizabeth finally noticed Felix Shaw’s presence. Her "pure" eyes clearly showed a trace of surprise, and she excitedly cried out, "Felix?"
Looking sideways at Elizabeth, Felix Shaw didn’t respond, but a faint trace of disdain appeared at the corner of his lips. He had once been deceived by Elizabeth’s harmless, pure-looking exterior, believing her to be a simple and innocent woman, only to realize she was using that harmless facade to repeatedly deceive him.
Seeing that Felix Shaw didn’t respond, and with everyone else’s eyes on her, Elizabeth smiled apologetically again, saying, "Sorry, Director Shaw, I... was out of line,"
Felix Shaw still didn’t respond; he wanted to see how long this woman could keep up the act.
Amidst the awkwardness, Director Zhang glanced at Felix Shaw stealthily, then waved Elizabeth over,
"Xiao Shuang, come over and sit, we’re all family, Director Shaw won’t mind you,"
Elizabeth looked at the empty seat next to Director Zhang but chose instead to sit a seat away from Felix Shaw, maintaining a considerable distance from Director Zhang.
At a celebratory event, drinking was inevitable, but this time Felix Shaw didn’t touch a drop, pretending he wasn’t feeling well and was undergoing medication, so he substituted tea for alcohol.
Hearing that Felix Shaw wasn’t well, Elizabeth looked over past the person between them, "Director Shaw, is it serious?"
It was unclear whether she was genuinely concerned or acting, but her eyes were filled with worry. Felix Shaw covered the top of his wine glass with his hand, glanced at her, then turned away, smirking slightly as he said nonchalantly, "It’s nothing, a heart problem. My wife and I are going through a divorce, which is quite stressful, so I can’t sleep. I sought a traditional medicine doctor to get some medication for relief."
Elizabeth...
She licked her lips and sat back down. Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt Felix Shaw intentionally wanted her to hear that. Even though after the miscarriage, Felix Shaw said he wanted to end things with her, he had promised to give her a ten percent share as a breakup fee. Even if she couldn’t marry into a wealthy family, getting a hefty compensation wasn’t a small comfort.
But now, with his sudden coldness, she wasn’t sure if his promise would still hold.
"Xiao Shuang, with such a good box office result this time, your acting and appeal have contributed a lot. Let’s all toast Director Shaw and the others, hoping we can continue to collaborate in the future!"
The other two investors also raised their glasses, smiling and agreeing, "Director Zhang, as long as there’s a good script, funding is not an issue."
Felix Shaw leaned back in his chair, one hand resting on the chair back and the other tapping idly on the table, not even bothering to pick up the teacup for the sake of appearance.