His unexpected confession startled Song Xi. Her nostrils flared, and her eyes widened in shock, the smile that had been brought about by the sketches vanishing instantly. Her first instinct was to flee, but Lou Yuming grabbed her wrist. "Finish your meal. Don't forget what day it is today."
Song Xi had no idea what acts were being performed on the Spring Festival Gala afterward; her mind was buzzing. It wasn't until Lou Yuming stood up and stared intently at her. "I'll give you a week to consider."
The next day, Song Xi suddenly received a call from Lu Chenyu, asking if she had time. He needed her to fill in for someone. Song Xi saw this as an opportunity to temporarily escape Lou Yuming and give herself time to think clearly. So, while Lou Yuming was back at the old mansion, she hurriedly packed her luggage and boarded a flight to G City.
Upon arriving in G City, Lu Chenyu was already waiting. In the car, Lu Chenyu explained, "The producer of this show is a friend of mine. They were supposed to start recording today, but the female artist backed out at the last minute. I don't know many suitable female artists, so I could only think of you. I apologize for asking you to work on the second day of the Lunar New Year, Song Xi."
His words were somewhat distant, likely due to the confession at the restaurant. However, Song Xi didn't mind anymore. She smiled, "It's alright!"
Lu Chenyu asked, "Did you tell your manager?"
"I called, but he didn't pick up. Don't worry, Brother Dai is a good person."
Since she said so, Lu Chenyu naturally believed her and handed her a program introduction. "This is a beauty variety show. Each episode invites a female artist who must appear with a bare face. Then, a 'pink boy group' composed of four male artists will do her makeup. The format isn't complicated; it's mostly about chatting."
Song Xi flipped through a couple of pages and saw the introduction of the male artists. She asked, "Can they do makeup?"
Lu Chenyu gave an embarrassed smile and handed her his phone. "This is the makeup they did for female artists in the previous episodes. You'd better... be prepared."
What was with that green eyeshadow and purple lipstick! Song Xi's lips twitched. "Are they insulting the makeup, or the female artists?"
Unexpectedly, Lu Chenyu pondered for a few seconds and replied, "Perhaps they are insulting the viewers' eyes."
Song Xi: "..."
She now understood why the original female guest had run away. Fine, beggars can't be choosers. Besides, she genuinely didn't know how to face Lou Yuming right now. Rather than continuing to be awkward with each other face-to-face, it was better to go out and work!
Meanwhile, at the Zhang family's old mansion.
Lou Yuming hadn't expected Anna to visit. He still vividly remembered what had happened at the hospital last time, so he didn't have a good impression of her. However, Anna acted as if nothing had happened, sweetly called his name, and then took a ticket out of her bag and handed it to the old lady. The old lady was so delighted that she couldn't stop smiling and, without further ado, invited Anna to sit down and eat with them. That exhibition ticket was priceless; to appease the old lady, she had spared no expense. Lou Yuming's eyes were filled with ice shards.
At the dinner table, the old lady kept praising Anna, calling her beautiful, kind, and sensible. Her words were clearly directed at Lou Yuming. Lou Yuming remained indifferent, his handsome, cold features seemingly covered with frost. The old lady pouted and began to ask, "Did you meet anyone good on your last blind date? I heard you've been quite close to Mr. Liu recently?" She knew all about that, yet completely ignored the fact that he had been injured. Lou Yuming's gaze grew even colder. Was his mother no longer even bothering with appearances? The old lady continued, "If you're satisfied, settle things as soon as possible. When Qi'er returns in the second half of the year, he can take over your position. He's been gaining experience outside for a long time, so it's about time."