Saying these words brought a pleasure to her voice that she herself hadn’t realized.
Like a child awaiting praise.
"Because I’m a newcomer, the director said my pay won’t be high, but in my opinion, it’s already quite good. I’ve seen part of the script, and after I finish my scenes, it will be about 45 days, less than two months, and I’ll get ten thousand yuan. So when you think about it, the salary is several times better than other jobs."
Song Baiyan asked her, "Do you like acting?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Li looked up.
Song Baiyan’s gaze was gentle, just like ordinary concern.
Tang Li withdraw her gaze, holding the cup with both hands, then gently nodded, "I’ve never acted before, nor have I ever taken professional courses. When I went to Capital Movie Academy to audition, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Maybe I won’t be very good, but I will work hard."
"One needs a goal to have a direction for effort."
Song Baiyan nodded, and then, he ’click’ lit a cigarette and slowly began to speak, "Having a clear goal and focusing your thoughts on the right path can also keep you from thinking about things you shouldn’t."
The private room was filled with a faint smell of tobacco.
However, in Tang Li’s mind, the phrase "things you shouldn’t think about" echoed incessantly.
So before Song Baiyan could "interrogate" her, she proactively confessed, "This morning, I went to Jiahua to sign a contract. When I left the company with my classmate, we ran into my brother-in-law and had a meal together. Later, when we left the clubhouse, we bumped into your friend in the corridor."
After finishing, as if possessed, she added, "It was just an ordinary meal. When we left the clubhouse, my classmate and I took the bus back to school on our own. We didn’t let my brother-in-law drive us."
"If it was just an ordinary meal, there’s no need to explain it to me deliberately."
"..." Tang Li remained silent.
A little while later, Song Baiyan spoke again, "Qin Yansheng is your sister’s fiancé. Unless something unexpected happens, he will be your brother-in-law in the future. You always say you’re not a child, so you should understand the fearfulness of public opinion."
After a long pause, Tang Li said, "If you don’t want me to see Qin Yansheng, I won’t see him."
With those words falling, she met Song Baiyan’s profound eyes, "As long as you say it, whether it’s a person or a matter, I can avoid both."
The words that blurted out without being processed by her brain made her, upon realization, clench the glass in her hands tightly.
Her heartbeat was at a frequency she herself couldn’t pinpoint.
Song Baiyan didn’t respond to her words, only stating, "There are only a few days left until next month. Before joining the crew, the time you have for preparations must be quite tight."
Seeing Song Baiyan change the subject, Tang Li’s nerves relaxed, yet in her heart, there was a sense of dashed hopes—even though she had anticipated it, the reality still brought a subtle sense of disappointment.
In his eyes, she was just an immature child.
Not a woman capable of talking about love and affection.
So, hearing him shift the topic, she understood that he definitely noticed her thoughts—the thoughts that even she herself dared not face and tried to conceal.
As an elder, he chose not to point it out, instead smoothing it over with another topic.
"If you encounter any problems, give Ji Ming a call."
"Can’t I call you anymore?"
Tang Li looked back at him, "Does this mean that from now on, I shouldn’t call you anymore?"
The girl’s gaze was stubborn and somewhat heavy.
Song Baiyan watched Tang Li’s eyes, slightly red at the corners, "You’re still young, and it’s easy to misinterpret familial dependence as another kind of emotion. In a few more years, when you’re fully grown, you will understand that family affection doesn’t represent all of a person’s feelings."