Chapter 47: Idol dramas don't even film this kind of plot anymore

Chapter 47: They Don't Make Plots Like This in Idol Dramas Anymore

Shen Li was both shocked and delighted, staring unblinkingly at the text message.

288 yuan!

She had fantasized about earning her first pot of gold from her first acting job, but she had never imagined she could earn this much.

Even though she already knew her salary when she signed the contract, actually receiving the money felt surreal.

"Sis, 288 yuan... I never dreamed in my wildest dreams that I could earn this much from my very first job," Shen Li murmured, her voice trembling with tears.

Shen Ci patted her sister's head affectionately and said softly, "In the future, you will earn even more than this."

Shen Li nodded excitedly. She looked up at her sister and spoke with deep emotion, "Sis, although I've known for a long time that being an actor can make a lot of money, my original intention for choosing this path wasn't actually for the money. I truly love acting."

"I know," Shen Ci said affirmatively. "Not just I know, but Mom knows too. That's why she supported you so much in taking the art exam."

Hearing her mother mentioned so suddenly by her sister, Shen Li froze visibly.

Since seeing her sister again, she had deliberately avoided mentioning their mother, yet her sister had brought it up first without even changing her expression.

Shen Li pursed her lips and lowered her head, whispering, "Being an art student is very expensive. Mom had to sacrifice your choices for the sake of me and Xingxing. She actually feels very guilty about it."

"I'm sorry, Sis. We've become a burden to you."

Hearing her sister say this, Shen Ci's heart ached again. She quickly pulled her sister into an embrace and said, "Don't say that. It wasn't easy for Mom to raise the three of us to become successful on her own. I was too willful back then. If my compromise could have given you and Xingxing a better future, I would have done it gladly. I really would."

As she spoke, Shen Ci smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "Besides, I feel that university is actually quite good now."

"Really, Sis? You don't resent Mom anymore?" Shen Li looked at her sister, her eyes filled with irrepressible excitement.

The rift between her sister and mother had always been a source of heartache for her and Xingxing as well. She truly hoped her sister could forgive their mother's lack of choice.

Shen Ci nodded firmly, her voice sincere and powerful: "I stopped blaming her a long time ago."

At that moment, Shen Li wept with joy and hugged her sister tightly. It wasn't just their mother; she herself had always carried a sense of guilt toward her sister.

Shen Ci gave a gentle, tender smile and lightly stroked her sister's back. She added, "I plan to return to Shenzhen-Hong Kong during the National Day holiday."

"Really?" Shen Li looked up in surprise, then her expression turned to regret. "But I have to join the production crew before National Day. I won't be able to go back with you."

"Just focus on your work. I can go back by myself."

Shen Li could only nod, but she quickly became excited again. "I've made money! Tomorrow, I'm going to the mall to buy gifts for Mom and Xingxing. Sis, what do you want? I'll buy it for you!"

Shen Ci didn't want to dampen her spirits and blurted out, "I want an evening gown."

She remembered the day she couldn't find a suitable dress for Lu Jinzhao's investor banquet; she might very well have opportunities to wear one in the future.

"Okay, I'll get it for you!" Shen Li said with her hands clasped in satisfaction. "I also want to buy gifts for Chu Han, Meina, and Yuanyuan, and then treat them to a big feast to celebrate!"

Looking at her sister's smiling face, Shen Ci felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment. This was something her sister had once wanted most but could never attain.

From now on, she would do her absolute best to safeguard her sister's life.

***

Early the next morning, Gu Lianxing stayed in bed until the very last moment before getting up to wash and head to her morning class. To her surprise, as soon as she went downstairs, she saw Li Xiao sitting on a roadside bench.

His complexion was terrible, and he looked utterly despondent. Remembering that he had come looking for Shen Ci both yesterday afternoon and evening, Gu Lianxing was startled.

"Big brother, you couldn't have been waiting here all night, could you?" Gu Lianxing stepped forward and asked in shock.

Hearing her voice, Li Xiao looked up. Seeing it was Gu Lianxing, he hurriedly stood up. He was still wearing the same clothes he had left home in yesterday; clearly, he hadn't changed.

"Lianxing, Shen Ci didn't come back all night, did she?"

As soon as he spoke, his voice carried the dryness and raspiness of someone who hadn't used it for a long time. Combined with his soul-lost appearance, Gu Lianxing almost couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"There's no need for this, Li Xiao. What's the point of waiting all night? They don't even make plots like this in idol dramas anymore."

As much as she felt for him, she couldn't resist a jab.

"I'm worried about Shen Ci. Why hasn't she come back all night?" Li Xiao asked as if he hadn't heard her, lost in his own thoughts.

Gu Lianxing sighed. She had promised Shen Ci that she would never reveal a single piece of news regarding her to Li Xiao, so she shook her head. "I don't know. But I advise you not to wait here. It's honestly a bit creepy."

"I have class and I'm about to be late. I really have to go." Gu Lianxing shook her head with a look of disapproval. Before leaving, she didn't forget to remind him one last time, "Go back and get some sleep. Don't faint here."

Once she was far enough away, she quickly sent a warning to Shen Ci: *[Darling, whatever you do, do NOT go back to the dorm right now. I just went downstairs and Li Xiao is stuck there like a widow's rock. Oh my god, he's been waiting for you all night!]*

Turning back to look at Li Xiao, he had sat back down in his chair, clearly having no intention of leaving.

Not long after, Lin Biqi actually showed up.

"Brother Li Xiao, what are you doing here?" Lin Biqi was wearing the green dress that Li Xiao liked most. Under the sunlight, she looked as bright as a flower; she had clearly dressed up specifically for this.

"Auntie said you returned to school yesterday. I asked your roommate, and he said you didn't return to the dorm at all last night. Have you been sitting here all night?"

"Brother Li Xiao, say something! I'm asking you!"

Already feeling uneasy, Li Xiao found Lin Biqi's nagging a headache. He suddenly looked up and glared at her, snapping, "What does my business have to do with you? Didn't I warn you not to bother me anymore and to stop hovering in front of me?"

He looked fierce, his eyes bloodshot.

Lin Biqi was startled by his expression, and her aggrieved eyes instantly filled with tears.

Seeing her like this only made Li Xiao more annoyed. Her ability to burst into tears at a moment's notice was invincible; she could enter the state in a single second every time.

"Auntie is worried about you, that's why she sent me to find you," Lin Biqi said with a sob.

Li Xiao turned his head away in irritation. "I don't need anyone to worry about me. Leave."

"I won't!" Lin Biqi wiped away the tears that were about to fall and sat down next to Li Xiao with reddened eyes. "Anyway, Auntie told me to watch over you. If you don't leave, I won't leave either."

"Are you fucking crazy?" Li Xiao stood up and shouted angrily. "Am I some kind of criminal that needs you to watch me?"