"I’m back," Shen Dang glanced at her. "I’m going abroad tomorrow."
Qiao Xi smiled, "Then I wish Boss Shen a smooth journey."
When Shen Dang wasn’t around, she felt relaxed.
Shen Dang raised his eyes, staring at her intently, "You seem quite happy when I’m not here?"
Qiao Xi didn’t deny it, "Of course."
His eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze turning cold.
Qiao Xi looked at him oddly, "This way, I don’t have to keep deceiving Grandpa. Don’t you feel less guilty?"
Shen Dang snorted, his tone neither salty nor bland, "What’s the difference between deceiving once and deceiving countless times?"
If you put it that way, there indeed seems to be no difference.
Not willing to give in, Qiao Xi asked him again, "So there’s no difference between a first marriage and a second?"
Shen Dang responded with a half-smile, "Teacher Qiao, do you think these two issues can be compared?"
Qiao Xi frowned, "The idea to deceive Grandpa was yours first, and I just went along with it."
It certainly seemed it was him.
Shen Dang huffed, "Teacher Qiao should know what a white lie is."
Qiao Xi nodded, "I understand, that’s why I’m acting in this with you."
Otherwise, why would she inconvenience herself?
Well, she’d successfully shut him up again.
Shen Dang casually draped his arm over the back of the sofa, his posture lax and carefree, "Then we’ll just have to keep lying."
One lie needed countless others to sustain it.
Qiao Xi felt like she was colluding with Shen Dang.
It didn’t feel quite right.
Qiao Xi sighed, "We’re doing this for Grandpa’s health."
"Thank you, Teacher Qiao, for your cooperation all this time."
Shen Dang suddenly turned serious.
She was not pleased to hear that thanks.
She smiled faintly, "No need to thank me, it’s mutual cooperation. You’ve been making breakfast and dinner for me."
So their relationship was merely cooperative, nothing more, and it couldn’t develop into anything else.
Everything was based on this marriage alliance.
So everything was fake.
Shen Dang got up and walked upstairs, dropping a comment as he passed her, "You can keep staying here while I’m gone, since this is your house after all."
"How long will you be away?"
Shen Dang stopped on the stairs and looked back at her with a careless smile, "Worried about me?"
Qiao Xi rolled her eyes at him, "Check your vanity at the door. I’m thinking about when to move back to my own place."
She wouldn’t stay here by herself; Shen Dang’s presence lingered everywhere.
"Are you afraid to stay here alone because of ghosts?"
Qiao Xi was speechless.
She chuckled, "I’m afraid of you, not ghosts. You’re much scarier than any ghost."
Ghosts don’t charm people, but you do!
"Oh?" Shen Dang laughed out loud, "To think I can actually scare Teacher Qiao, I find that quite an honor."
Qiao Xi was on the verge of cursing.
Before she could, Shen Dang said, "It’ll be three days at least, a week at most; I’m not sure yet."
"Oh," she replied, icily detached.
Shen Dang went upstairs.
The next morning when Qiao Xi woke up, Shen Dang was already gone; he had left her a message at five o’ clock.
["Scumbag: Breakfast is in the thermal container."]
Seeing the breakfast still warm, she was stunned. He’d left so early and still made her breakfast?
Boss Shen probably thought she deserved a nice breakfast for all the acting she was doing.
Sometimes Boss Shen did act quite human.
Qiao Xi guiltlessly finished her breakfast.
At ten in the morning, she took Bei Bei and went to Le Entertainment Company. Google seaʀᴄh ɴoᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt
She had rejected a script from the company that would pair her up again with Zhou Junqi, and the company’s president had specifically called her in to talk.
Qiao Xi first went to see Wang Li, and then together they entered President Fang’s office.
President Fang, who was over forty and always looked smiling, said, "Come in, have a seat."
He then instructed his secretary to bring three cups of coffee.
Qiao Xi and Wang Li sat down, and she slightly raised her eyebrows in confusion, "May I ask why President Fang has called us here?"
"Qiao Xi, please take a look at this script," President Fang handed her a script.
Qiao Xi took it but didn’t open it, smiling faintly, "President Fang, what script is this?"
"I think Wang Li must have forgotten to show it to you; it’s set in an urban background. Take it."
He was asking her to take it just like that.
Looking at her smiling face, President Fang said, "Qiao Xi, you will definitely script, plus it pairs you again with Zhou Junqi. You’ve had good chemistry before. Pairing up again will definitely increase viewership."
"It’s not just for the company but for your own good as well. If the company does well, everyone benefits, right? Your fans are really into your CP with him; cooperation is a win-win situation. I hope you’ll think it over."
President Fang wore a superior and almost threatening demeanor.
Qiao Xi’s delicate eyebrows seemed to crease.
That’s right, how could there be no chemistry? Zhou Junqi was always trying to cling to her.
But would she simply let someone else leech off her popularity?
Qiao Xi inwardly scoffed.
She put the script back on the coffee table, a troubled look on her face, "President Fang, I really can’t take this script."
Le Entertainment had already leeched enough from her.
President Fang’s face darkened immediately.
Just a woman, and she gave him no face!
"Qiao Xi, what do you mean by this?"
Qiao Xi looked towards Wang Li, her expression slightly surprised, "Oh my, Sister Li, haven’t you told President Fang yet?"
Wang Li slapped her forehead, "Look at my memory, I really did forget."
President Fang felt they were playing dumb with him, his expression becoming very unappealing, "What are you talking about?"
Wang Li apologized with a smile, "I’m really sorry, President Fang. It’s , Xixi has already taken another role. Director Mo approached Xixi for the lead role, and now there’s a scheduling conflict, so I’m afraid she can’t take this script."
Le Entertainment certainly wasn’t about to pay a penalty fee for Qiao Xi.
"Why didn’t you report it to the company before signing the contract?"
The company thinks they’re stupid?
Qiao Xi thought to herself.
Wang Li sighed, "It’s such a good script, we thought we couldn’t miss it, right President Fang? We were afraid Director Mo might choose someone else, and that would be a loss. Now all we can do is to regret that Xixi can’t pair up with Teacher Zhou Junqi."
Finally, she dumped that trash Zhou Junqi!
Wang Li even made it seem sincere.
Qiao Xi inwardly laughed.
She didn’t forget to stick it to President Fang, "As for Teacher Zhou, I can only express my apologies, and I hope President Fang can understand. I am still with Le Entertainment after all, and naturally, I have its best interests at heart."