Most of the text and pictures had been highlighted with colored markers, and Lu Xiaomi kept flipping through them with a critical eye.
"Didn't you say you were going to travel to these places with me? How can we go if you're dead?"
She slammed the painting together, her expression anything but kind. She sarcastically remarked that Chen Fu was truly unpredictable, changing her mind every single day.
Her tightly bound hands were only untied before going to sleep. Chen Fu frowned and moved her sore wrists slightly. Sure enough, there were large red marks from the rope. Before the soreness in her wrists could be relieved, Lu Xiaomi tied her left hand to the headboard again.
She tied a knot so tight it was difficult for one person to untie with one hand.
She sneered and said, "Doesn't Chen Fu like red threads? Fine, she can wear them to bed tonight."
Upon hearing this, Chen Fu slightly curled the corners of her lips, thinking to herself that she really held a grudge.
She had experienced this kind of Lu Yu before. He immediately replaced his assistant simply because she pulled Chen Fu in front of him, afraid Chen Fu would develop feelings for someone else but not daring to say it openly, so he could only secretly sabotage Jiang Qing and pay Xiao Lingdang triple her salary just to have her monitor Chen Fu and keep track of her every move. Peeling back the perfect facade Lu Yu put on in front of her, the flesh hidden beneath was truly filthy, too disgusting to look at.
But no one is perfect, not even Chen Fu herself.
The damp smell wafted from under the covers, filling Chen Fu's nostrils with a chaotic stench. She shook her wrist uncomfortably, tapping it against the iron headboard with a series of crisp sounds. The person beside her didn't react, as if determined to teach her a lesson.
Chen Fu sighed.
Lying in bed, she couldn't help but let her mind wander, wondering if she were Lu Yu, she might have already left a lover as emotionally unstable as herself.
That's right, she had tried almost everything to make Lu Yu hate her, but Lu Yu still didn't choose to leave.
I really like her.
She buried herself tightly under the covers.
But Chen Fu knew she couldn't, not only now, but at every moment in the future.
Chapter 38 CP38
When Lu Xiaomi woke up the next day, she finally untied the red rope from Chen Fu's wrist. Sure enough, after being tightly bound all night, a glaring red mark appeared on her fair skin.
Chen Fu's complexion had been poor these past few days. Her already fair skin had become even paler, making her look like she was made of porcelain. This made the mottled scarlet hue appear somewhat ambiguous.
Lu Xiaomi took out alcohol swabs from her bag and carefully disinfected her.
The cold liquid stung her wrist, and Chen Fu's delicate brows furrowed as she tried to pull away. Lu Xiaomi said impatiently, "Don't move," and firmly restrained her movements with her hand.
The atmosphere between the two gradually became awkward. After yesterday's commotion at the beach, their hard-won relationship had become strained again. After treating her wound, Lu Xiaomi calmly told her not to get it wet, while Chen Fu reverted to her old self, coldly refusing any communication.
Lu Xiaomi was furious when she saw the expression on Chen Fu's face. This was Chen Fu's usual tactic. When she was unhappy, she would freeze up and not say a word, not even giving her a chance to make amends.
Thinking this, she slammed the alcohol bottle on the table. Perhaps she used too much force, because the bottle bounced to the ground with a thud, shattering into pieces of glass amidst a series of cracking sounds.
The glistening liquid meandered across the wooden floor. Chen Fu glanced at it, snorted, and prepared to turn and leave. Lu Xiaomi rubbed her forehead, her head aching – she had no mood to clean up the mess right now.
Ms. Macy, who came to call them downstairs for breakfast, knocked on the door a few times. After receiving no response, she slightly opened the door. The tense atmosphere inside the room and the mess in her sight stunned her.
Lu Xiaomi stood up with a big smile and apologized, saying that she had accidentally broken the alcohol bottle and was just thinking of going downstairs to get tools to clean it up. When Ms. Messi heard this, she also gave a polite smile and said that she would come up to clean it up in a little while, and that the two of them could go downstairs to have breakfast.
Lu Xiaomi was just hoping someone would clean up the mess, so she nodded sullenly and turned to leave the room.
*
The trip ended abruptly amidst chaos, and Lu Xiaomi eagerly bought the earliest flight back home. Entering Orus Airport again, she couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. When she first arrived, she had been full of anticipation, thinking that this trip would surely resolve Chen Fu's inner conflict, and the two of them would happily return to their past. That way, everything she had turned down would have been worthwhile, because back then, nothing was more important to her than Chen Fu.
But now, there is no sign of the relationship between Chen Fu and herself improving at all; in fact, it is getting worse. The variety show filming that she had worked so hard to get had to be canceled, and all her efforts were in vain.
Fortunately, she didn't have time to think about these things. After returning to China, Lu Xiaomi was filled with a lot of work. Her adoptive father was furious about her "going on an overseas trip to coax her boyfriend but then turning back halfway through," saying that she had not only delayed important matters but also abandoned the task of coaxing her boyfriend halfway.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaomi could only smile bitterly.
After causing so much trouble, she should have become the laughing stock of the entire company. However, thanks to her protective father, Lu Yu, Lu Xiaomi was still able to act domineeringly in the company. Looking at her cheap father's disappointed face, Lu Xiaomi actually felt a rare sense of guilt.
She had little family connection growing up and never felt any warmth from her family. Her father was just a vague figure in her memory. The father in the novel made her feel the long-lost family affection.
So when she started working on the next project, Lu Xiaomi forced herself to temporarily cut off all contact with Chen Fu.
She occasionally learned about Chen Fu's recent situation from the messages from Xiao Lingdang. After returning to China, Chen Fu seemed to have completely changed her personality, abandoning her previous perfunctory attitude towards work and throwing herself into the acting industry with great enthusiasm.
This is the only good news recently. The entertainment news that automatically pops up on my phone features a photo of Chen Fu. After the broadcast of "Cultivation", it became very popular. When Chen Fu finished filming, her scene with Jiang Qing became a trending topic. Her changes to the plot have won praise from many fans of the original work. Many people believe that Chen Fu gave the female lead a soul.
Lu Xiaomi smiled bitterly while holding her phone.
In this light, her inexplicable journey into the book wasn't entirely a joke. Fortunately, Chen Fu still managed to carve out a place for herself in the Chinese entertainment industry through her own efforts. She casually refreshed her Weibo homepage, and photos and videos of Chen Fu taken by her fans loaded up quickly.
Looking at Chen Fu, who was full of vigor on the screen, Lu Xiaomi skillfully pressed the save button, but then felt it was absurd.
Maybe I'm better off just being her fan.
It's because she doesn't deserve it. If Chen Fu had truly considered her a close and understanding lover, she would never have kept her difficulties to herself and silently shouldered the burden alone. In truth, it's because Chen Fu didn't take Lu Xiaomi seriously. Actually, it's not entirely Chen Fu's fault; she herself has no real ability, and her so-called "privileges" are nothing more than a facade of power she's using Lu Yu as a shield.
Seeing Lu Xiaomi's gloomy appearance, 0413 licked her palm awkwardly. The little guy had just been brought back from Dr. Lu's place. Dr. Lu seemed to have a lot of experience in raising foxes. 0413 had been raised to be shiny and plump, and had gained a lot of weight.
It slowly comforted Lu Xiaomi, saying, "Host, don't be sad. Actually, Chen Fu has a pretty high level of affection for you."
Lu Xiaomi is extremely pragmatic. Initially, she tried every means to win over Chen Fu, but Chen Fu's affection for her just wouldn't grow. At first, Lu Xiaomi was quite saddened, but after experiencing so much, she has become remarkably philosophical about it.
Thinking about Chen Fu's recent attitude towards her and the messy things that happened during the trip, Lu Xiaomi felt that her position in Chen Fu's heart was probably similar to that of Sun Hao.
Whatever.
She chuckled self-deprecatingly, waiting for 0413 to read out that awkward answer. The fox cub, who had been quickly checking, actually froze when it saw the result. Lu Xiaomi comforted it, saying, "It's okay, just say it. It's come to this point, I can accept it."
"Host..."
0413's voice carried a hint of disbelief.
"Chen Fu's favorability towards you is at its maximum..."
Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, Lu Xiaomi froze on the spot. Her mouth, which was half-open and ready to mock herself, remained open for a long time. Lu Xiaomi stared blankly at 0413 and asked it what nonsense it had just said.
Her relationship with Chen Fu was so strained that they loathed each other and were on the verge of stabbing each other in the back. Now you're telling me that Chen Fu has a full level of affection for me? That's absolutely ridiculous.
0413 raised her hand, and the golden progress bar symbolizing favorability appeared in front of Lu Xiaomi.
Like a stream of honey wine overflowing with immense love, shimmering and translucent, it was indeed full...
Lu Xiaomi felt her heart was pounding so hard it was about to jump out of her chest.
*
The annual TV drama awards ceremony will be held at the end of this month, and "Cultivation," as a hit drama that has finished airing, is naturally on the nomination list. The awards ceremony will be pre-recorded and will be held in the largest studio in Weicheng. Lu Xiaomi had already secured a VIP ticket through Xihe.
Ever since learning that shocking truth from 0413, Lu Xiaomi had regained confidence in her relationship with Chen Fu. She figured Chen Fu was currently riding high and seemed to be in a great mood, so the difficulties she'd encountered before must have been resolved.
Does this mean that Chen Fu finally has time to deal with their relationship?
Lu Xiaomi stood in the middle of the crowd, dressed in a well-fitting black evening gown. The backstage area, which was preparing for the recording, was noisy, and the sight of her holding a large bouquet of roses was particularly eye-catching.
Lu Yu is tall and slender, and Lu Xiaomi has lost a lot of weight recently due to her irregular diet, making her look quite like a CEO. She wasn't wearing any jewelry today, and her whole demeanor was very simple.
A staff member came over and asked her identity. Lu Xiaomi gave a polite, faint smile and took out her employee ID card, which was hidden in her clothes, to show her.
"Luyu?"
Amidst the cacophony of sounds, she heard someone call her name.
Lu Xiaomi reflexively looked in the direction of the sound, followed by the clattering of high heels. A tall, aloof woman walked towards Lu Xiaomi.
Perhaps it was because this person's temperament was too otherworldly and stunning that she attracted the attention of many onlookers along the way. Lu Xiaomi couldn't see her face clearly because of the backlight, and she only recognized her face when the person walked up to her.
The person who came was none other than an old friend of Lu Xiaomi.
She looked at her college roommate Yan Qing standing in front of her, her face flushed with two suspicious red lines.
"I knew I would run into you here."
*
The sudden turn of events left Lu Xiaomi stunned. After repeatedly confirming that the person in front of her was indeed Yan Qing, she took a step back, feeling slightly dizzy. Just as she was questioning the reality of this world, 0413's voice appeared in her mental sea, saying, "Host, the person in front of you is not your roommate Yan Qing from the original world. She is just an NPC who happens to look exactly like Yan Qing."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaomi breathed a sigh of relief, and the stiff expression on her face gradually softened.
"But this person is quite important."
0413 said awkwardly,
"She is Lu Yu's ex-girlfriend."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaomi was so shocked that she couldn't catch her breath.
What a coincidence! On the very day she was planning to reconcile with Chen Fu, she unexpectedly ran into Lu Yu's ex-girlfriend.
Moreover, this ex-girlfriend looks exactly like one of my roommates with whom I don't have a very close relationship.
What the hell is going on?
Perhaps sensing the impending doom, 0413 retreated into Lu Xiaomi's mental world and refused to emerge. Lu Xiaomi could only stand awkwardly in place, praying that Yan Qing was a perfect ex who wouldn't engage in any lingering, complicated relationships after the breakup. However, the slightly intense gaze from the person before her completely dashed Lu Xiaomi's hopes. Yan Qing glanced at the large bouquet of roses in Lu Xiaomi's arms, a faint glimmer of moisture flickering in his eyes. Yan Qing said, "It's been years since we last met, and President Lu has a new love interest?"
These words, tinged with resentment, would surely have moved others deeply. Yan Qing's appearance was more aloof than Chen Fu's, and her narrow, indifferent eyes reflected only Lu Yu's figure. Her tone also carried just the right amount of deep affection and melancholy.
But Lu Xiaomi felt embarrassed and got goosebumps after hearing this.
For no other reason than that the person in front of her looked exactly like her roommate Yan Qing, and Lu Xiaomi's relationship with Yan Qing was just so-so. She couldn't remember anything from her freshman and sophomore years, only that Yan Qing had transferred from another college, and ever since she moved into her dorm, the two of them had been arguing and giving each other the silent treatment every few days.
Perhaps it's because our values are incompatible from birth...
"I've heard about all the things you've done."
However, the NPC in front of her obviously had no idea what Lu Xiaomi was thinking. She was still standing there, reading the message. Yan Qing spoke a few words that were tender and affectionate. She said to Lu Yu, "Don't be angry. What is there to love about someone like that?"
"Your father has decided to let bygones be bygones. Everyone misses you. Please come back soon."
She loosely opened her arms and embraced Lu Yu through the roses.
This romantic scene drew gasps of admiration from the crowd, while Chen Fu calmly took in everything before her.
Author's Note:
Yan Qing is the roommate I mentioned in the first picture. Her name used to be Bai Lu, but I changed it.
Then many cuties asked me to explain the plot. Actually, there's not much to explain. It's just that Eva tells Chen Fu the truth about how she accidentally fell off the stage and broke her leg. Chen Fu couldn't accept it after learning it, so she kept thinking about suicide and throwing tantrums.
Actually, this is quite obvious. I didn't try to hide anything. As a couple, Chen Fu suddenly found out who caused her broken leg. Logically, she should have told Lu Xiaomi and discussed how to handle it together. But she showed no intention of telling Lu Xiaomi and kept it all to herself. This is very suspicious.
Another point is that Chen Fu already suspected that someone had sabotaged her fall. Now that she knows, she should be able to get revenge, but she has no intention of seeking revenge at all. Instead, she suddenly doubts herself and says some strange things, such as "We can't escape this."
These two are the rather strange points.