"Lili, tell Grandma. Being a celebrity is really tough, isn't it?"
Jiang Li lowered her eyes and smiled. "What isn't tough? Grandma, you've been embroidering for a lifetime, staying up late by the lamp. Isn't that tough? Dad worked hard for his career when he was young and now has a bunch of ailments. Isn't that tough? As long as you want to do a good job in a career or achieve a goal, you're bound to suffer some hardships."
Cheng Yingchun looked at her and couldn't help but sigh. "But you've had such a tough time before. Grandma doesn't want you to endure more grievances."
"But life has no smooth roads. There are always some twists and turns. Maybe I've been overly favored by fate, so I've suffered more than others. But these hardships have made me more fulfilled and made me cherish the hard - won happiness now."
As she said this, she exuded a sense of relaxation and naturalness. "I'll accept whatever fate gives me. Moreover, didn't Mom also say that love can overcome all difficulties?"
After listening to her, Cheng Yingchun tightly held her hand and smiled helplessly.
"Daughters always end up following in their mothers' footsteps."
She didn't say anything more but just exhorted her. "Grandma is old, but Grandma hopes you can be happy."
...
In the evening, the whole family sat around the dinner table. With Sheng Jingxi cracking jokes, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious, filled with laughter.
Halfway through the meal, Sheng Shuocheng asked a few questions about Jiang Li's future development. He didn't give any evaluations, just told her to follow her heart. The Sheng family would always be her solid backing, which made Jiang Li's eyes well up with tears.
After dinner, the nanny cleaned up the dinner table. Fruits and snacks were placed on the tea table. Considering Sheng Shuocheng's preference, tea was also brewed.
On the evening of Chinese New Year's Eve, the sound of firecrackers never stopped.
As soon as one family's long string of firecrackers finished, the sound of another family's firecrackers would ring out. Only during these few days would such noise not be considered a nuisance but rather a symbol of good luck.
Jiang Li accompanied Cheng Yingchun for a while. Then Sheng Jingxi walked over with his phone. "It's for you."
Jiang Li took the phone blankly and put it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Are you free to come out?"
Jiang Li held the phone tightly, and her heart suddenly raced.
She glanced at Cheng Yingchun. The old lady was already yawning, looking sleepy. It seemed she didn't need her company anymore.
"Yes. Are you outside?"
Xiao Yanzhi's deep voice came from the other end of the phone. "I'm at the gate. Dress warmly and come out."
Jiang Li hung up the phone, returned it to Sheng Jingxi, and said she was going out for a stroll.
She obediently put on her coat at the entrance, wrapped a scarf around her neck, and dressed herself carefully from head to toe to make sure no wind could get in.
Outside the villa, the snow at the gate hadn't been swept away. It creaked under her feet, and every step was full of joy.
On the street, besides the snow, there were scattered red firecracker scraps, like little red flowers blooming on the snow.
Xiao Yanzhi was leaning against the car door, playing with a cigarette in his hand but not lighting it.
Jiang Li looked up and saw Xiao Yanzhi standing across the road.
He had one hand in his pocket, his eyes fixed on a patch of snow on the ground. His shadow was stretched long by the light, giving him an air of aloofness and solitude.
Even on this lively Chinese New Year's Eve, his figure looked so lonely.
Just like the way she had seen him countless times.
She quickened her pace and ran over. She was about to throw herself into his arms as before, but he grabbed her wrist instead.
His fingers felt a bit cold against her skin.
"Why did you turn off your phone?" he started accusing her. "I couldn't reach you."
Jiang Li explained to him. "Sister Chen said today is the premiere. The online reviews might be a mess, so she told me to cut off contact with the outside world and have a good New Year."
"It's a wise decision." Xiao Yanzhi paused. "But doesn't that also cut off contact with me?"
Jiang Li weakly defended herself. "You still have my dad's and my brother's phone numbers."
Xiao Yanzhi's voice was calm and gentle. "I'd rather hear your voice as soon as I answer the phone."
His confessions always came unexpectedly.
The night wind was very cold. Jiang Li's cheeks felt a bit cold. She looked up at him, tucking a strand of hair blown by the wind behind her ear. "Are people scolding me online now?"
Xiao Yanzhi looked at her quietly, as if trying to confirm the emotions in her eyes. After a while, he smiled faintly. "I really want to lie to you."
Although she had already guessed the answer in her heart, she still felt a bit annoyed when she heard the result. She sighed. "Fortunately, my phone has been off. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be able to enjoy the New Year."
She lowered her head and unconsciously stepped on a small patch of snow with her boots. "Sister Chen also said there was a chance to compete for an award. But looking at the current situation, it seems hopeless."
It was impossible not to be disappointed.
But fortunately, she hadn't seen those harsh comments, so she could escape for a while.
She completely gave up struggling. She took out her phone from her pocket and was about to turn it on. "Whether I face it now or later, it's the same. I might as well turn it on now and take a look."
Suddenly, the phone was snatched from her hand.
"Promise me not to look at your phone tonight." Xiao Yanzhi looked into her eyes. "Wait until after midnight."
Jiang Li smiled. "What's the difference? It's just a matter of seeing it earlier or later."
The look of disappointment on her was so obvious. Xiao Yanzhi looked at her seriously and said, "I have a magic that can turn things around. Do you believe me?"
"What magic?"
"You have to kiss me for me to cast it."
Jiang Li laughed, thinking he was childish. But since it was Chinese New Year's Eve, she stood on tiptoe, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him actively.
After the kiss, she whispered, "Isn't it just the three - step trick of 'deleting comments', 'hiring trolls', and 'suppressing hot searches'? This will also suppress the popularity of the movie. It's a method that harms the enemy but also hurts oneself. What kind of magic is this?"
She understood this circle too well, so when talking about these things, there was a hint of helplessness in her calmness.
Xiao Yanzhi didn't refute her. He just asked her, "I've prepared a surprise for you tonight. Do you want to come with me?"
Jiang Li was in a very low mood and urgently needed something else to distract her. Her eyes lit up. "I'll go back and tell my family..."
She turned around. Sheng Jingxi was standing at the villa's gate. As soon as their eyes met, he immediately closed the gate. The iron gate made a metallic sound when it collided.
It was very decisive.
Jiang Li:...
Xiao Yanzhi's eyes were deep, with a faint smile in them. "Do you still need to tell them now?"
Jiang Li couldn't tell what was wrong. After getting in the car with him, she sighed. "I have the illusion that I've boarded a thieves' ship."
Xiao Yanzhi was amused by her analogy and laughed. "Isn't it a bit late to realize that now?"