After signing the documents and handling some important matters, Mo Yushen turned off his computer and prepared to go home to have lunch with Xi Jia.
Secretary Ding knocked on the door and came in. "Mr. Mo, the R&D team just called."
Mo Yushen glanced at Secretary Ding, and from her expression, he knew it wasn't good news. He guessed, "The extraction experiment failed, right?"
Secretary Ding nodded.
Mo Yushen: "I understand, you can go ahead and get busy." His voice was unusually hoarse.
He got up, leaned back on the sofa, and looked down through the floor-to-ceiling window.
The traffic flowed continuously, creating a noisy and bustling atmosphere.
It's twelve o'clock.
Mo Yushen grabbed his trench coat and left the company.
The traffic was terrible today, and Mo Yushen didn't get home until almost one o'clock. Xi Jia didn't know he was coming back at noon; she had already eaten and was resting in the bedroom.
Mo Yushen pushed open the bedroom door, and music blared loudly. Xi Jia was lying on the sofa looking at her phone.
He closed the door, went downstairs, and once in the courtyard, he called Xi Jia.
Xi Jia got up and paused the music player on her computer. Her tinnitus was severe, and playing music was the only way to barely cover it.
"Hey, honey."
Mo Yushen: "I'm back. I'll take you shopping this afternoon."
Xi Jia ran to the balcony, where Mo Yushen was leaning against the car door. She waved to him, ended the call, and asked, "Aren't you busy?"
Mo Yushen nodded slightly.
Xi Jia made an OK sign, turned around and went back to her room to change her clothes.
This time, the action was quick; Xi Jia came downstairs in less than ten minutes.
Today, Mo Yushen drove himself and opened the passenger door for her.
Xi Jia: "Can I go out without my brain today? Let it have a day off."
Mo Yushen: "Okay. I'll remember it for you."
Mo Yushen didn't go to the shopping mall; instead, he took Xi Jia to a large supermarket not far from their home. With the Spring Festival approaching, cheerful music was playing in the supermarket, which was bustling with people buying New Year's goods.
Xi Jia rarely goes to supermarkets and has no idea what the family needs; the housekeeper should have provided everything. "What should we buy?"
Mo Yushen didn't understand either, "Whatever. We'll buy whatever others buy."
They followed behind a middle-aged couple, and whatever they took into their shopping cart, Xi Jia would take the same thing, which was quite interesting.
Mo Yushen pushed the shopping cart, following closely behind Xi Jia.
The supermarket was noisy, which made Xi Jia less anxious. She was most afraid of quiet places now, as her ears were filled with a buzzing sound, and she was annoyed by her own noise.
At five o'clock, they left the supermarket, their bags full of purchases.
When Xi Jia got home, she went upstairs to change into her dress, put on makeup, and arranged to meet Ye Qiu at seven o'clock.
Downstairs in the living room, the housekeeper looked at the huge pile of things, things that were not usually used at home.
Mo Yushen gestured to the butler, "Give away anything you don't need." He then instructed, "Replace all the light bulbs in the house with the dimmest ones. Xi Jia's eyes will gradually become sensitive to light."
The butler nodded, speechless.
Half an hour later, Xi Jia finished dressing and went downstairs.
Mo Yushen was watching TV in the living room, staring at the screen but not paying attention to the content.
Hearing the sound, he turned his head.
Xi Jia, dressed in a long dress, looked like a fairy.
With just a little dressing up, she would be the center of attention.
The dress I'm wearing tonight is simple and rather understated.
Mo Yushen escorted her to the courtyard and told her his bank card PIN. It was very simple, and Xi Jia remembered it immediately.
"Take pictures of everything you like."
Xi Jia: "Don't worry, I'm best at spending money." She waved her hand.
The car drove out of the yard, and Xi Jia closed the car window.
On the way, I received a call from Zhou Mingqian.
Xi Jia didn't catch up on her notes about Zhou Mingqian today, and had no recollection of his past bad attitude. All she remembered now was that he was the director of the film crew.
They became much more polite to him, their tone softening, "Director Zhou, hello."
Zhou Mingqian was taken aback, quite unaccustomed to this side of Xi Jia, wondering what she was up to now. With no time for small talk, he asked, "Are you busy?"
Xi Jia: "Not busy."
Zhou Mingqian got to the point: they needed to add a scene tomorrow. The script only briefly mentioned it, but he wanted to expand and refine it. He asked Xi Jia to revise the script tonight so they could have a meeting tomorrow morning.
Xi Jia asked what direction she wanted to refine.
Zhou Mingqian told her all his thoughts, and what role this scene would play later.
Xi Jia remembered, "I'll change it when I get back."
Zhou Mingqian was clearly taken aback again. In the past, whenever he questioned her script, she would always argue with him and say some sarcastic things.
This is the first time I've ever been so accommodating.
As Xi Jia reeled in the line, she pondered how to make the changes.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at the hotel where the charity gala was being held.
Ye Qiu arrived earlier than Xi Jia. She had to walk the red carpet and participate in autograph and photo sessions, so she didn't enter with Xi Jia. The two arranged to meet inside the venue.
Xi Jia ran into Mo Lian when she entered. Her memory of Mo Lian was still from when she was studying at university abroad, and she only remembered his English name.
Mo Lian also saw Xi Jia and stopped.
Tonight's charity gala was hosted by the charity foundation under Mo Lian's company, and Mo Lian, as the behind-the-scenes boss, also attended discreetly.
However, no one knows his relationship with the charitable foundation.
"Long time no see." Xi Jia walked over with a light smile.
Mo Lian: "Just one person?"
Xi Jia: "I was with a friend; she went to walk the red carpet." She asked, "When did you return to China?"
Mo Lian: "It's been over a year."
The two chatted as they entered the venue side by side.
Secretary Mo Lian kept staring at Xi Jia, wanting to remind Mo Lian that at this critical juncture, it was best not to have any contact with Mo Yushen's people.
I wonder if Xi Jia is testing the waters.
The secretary looked at Mo Lian, hesitating several times as if she wanted to say something.
Mo Lian saw it, but didn't respond to her, continuing to chat with Xi Jia.
The secretary looked away and focused on her duties, leading Mo Lian to his seat.
Mo Lian was seated near the front, surrounded by foundation staff; there were no outsiders around. "Sit with me? We haven't seen each other in ages."
Xi Jia rarely runs into someone she knows from the past and can still remember. "Okay. I'll go find my friend later."
Mo Lian handed Xi Jia a cup of coffee. "What are you busy with now? Still training?"
Xi Jia shook her head, "I've switched careers to become a screenwriter."
Mo Lian actually knew all this, but he pretended to be hearing it for the first time, saying, "Not bad, it suits you quite well. Didn't you used to want to be a screenwriter?"
Xi Jia asked him, "What about you? Why did you decide to come back? Have you improved your relationship with your aunt and uncle?"
Mo Lian held his coffee cup, remaining silent.
He had told Xi Jia some things about himself before, and he didn't expect her to remember them.
Seeing his silence, Xi Jia asked, "Do you still hate them?"
Mo Lian snapped out of his reverie, smiled faintly, and said in a low voice, "Anyway, I don't love it."
The front row is near the stage, and the music starts.
Xi Jia rubbed her ears, having not heard what Mo Lian had said. But she did see Mo Lian speak a few words. The music was affecting her hearing.
Xi Jia pointed to her ears, "My hearing is deteriorating, I'm almost deaf."
Mo Lian was taken aback, moved her chair closer to her, and raised her voice a little, "Going back to China has nothing to do with them."
When Xi Jia heard this, she said, "It's good that you're back."
Mo Lian didn't reply. His return to China was related to the Mo Group and Mo Yushen.
Xi Jia stirred her coffee gently, saying nothing more, and she couldn't recall anything else related to Mo Lian.
Mo Lian also remained silent.
He looked at the theme of tonight's auction displayed on the large screen on the stage.
Only then could he momentarily perceive the last vestiges of his conscience and kindness. The rest of the time, his heart was consumed by darkness and depravity.
There is no room for anything else.
Xi Jia messaged Ye Qiu: 【Have you entered yet? I'm coming to find you.】
Ye Qiu and his agent were arguing in the lounge and didn't notice the messages on his phone.
"Ye Qiu, can you be a little more down-to-earth and stop putting yourself on such a pedestal? How many years have you been in the industry? Don't you have a single decent work to your name?"
The agent grew increasingly angry: "Do you think you're still eighteen, nineteen, or twenty years old, with plenty of youth to waste? You're already twenty-six!"
Ye Qiu stared at a corner of the sofa in the lounge without saying a word, but her expression and eyes said it all: she did not accept her agent's arrangements.
Her agent secured her a role in a drama series, a second lead role—her first proper supporting role since her debut. However, the producer was Chu Shan, and she was unwilling to take the role.
Chu Shan is the famous producer, and also Ji Qingshi's sweetheart.
The agent's eyes were piercing: "If I hadn't pulled some strings to get you into Chu Shan's project, do you really think you could have landed her new drama?"