Chapter 66
Song Ling’s heart shattered upon hearing Li Mo’s denial. She couldn’t accept this cruel reality. She swept everything off the table in a fit of rage and grabbed Li Mo’s shoulders, her grip tight.
“Impossible! I don’t believe it!”
“Jun’er, why won’t you acknowledge me? Why are you being so cruel? Why?!”
“After all these years, are you still angry with me? Angry that I made the decision to turn you into a jiangshi?”
“I’m sorry, okay? Please stop pretending you don’t know me! I beg you! Please! Waaah!”
Song Ling broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, clinging to Li Mo. Li Mo, seeing her anguish, couldn’t help but cry as well. Although they had only known each other for a short time, Song Ling had always been confident and strong, never showing any weakness.
Now, seeing her so vulnerable and desperate, Li Mo couldn’t bear to hurt her any further. A protective instinct surged within her. She wanted to comfort this woman, to shield her from pain, although she didn’t understand why. She just didn’t want to see her cry.
Li Mo pulled Song Ling into her arms, holding her close, offering solace. Song Ling, enveloped in Li Mo’s embrace, felt a familiar warmth, a comforting scent that triggered a flood of memories. She wanted more, needing physical confirmation, a way to bridge the gap between past and present. She kissed Li Mo fiercely, pouring all her longing and frustration into the kiss.
Li Mo, initially hesitant, surrendered to Song Ling’s passion, allowing herself to be swept away by the intensity of their embrace. They spent a night of unrestrained passion together.
They didn’t sleep. Song Ling, like a hungry wolf, devoured Li Mo, her touch possessive, her need insatiable. They made love over and over again, until dawn broke, and Song Ling, exhausted, finally fell asleep. Li Mo lay there, watching her sleep, a strange sadness tugging at her heart.
She knew that their night of passion wasn’t love. She didn’t regret it. If it brought Song Ling some comfort, some solace from her centuries of longing, then it was worth it. But as she looked at the painting on the wall, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. How she wished she were the woman in the painting.
Li Mo sighed and gently moved Song Ling to the side, getting out of bed. She went to the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her body was covered in love bites, and she blushed, embarrassed. She quickly washed up and dressed, then quietly left the house.
“Hello, Ah Zhong, can you please come and pick me up? I need to go to the company. I’ll send you the address. Thank you.”
She called Ah Zhong, one of her new assistants, and asked him to pick her up. At the company, she went to Yu Wenqian’s office. Yu Wenqian had mentioned taking her to a TV interview today. Seeing Li Mo arrive, Yu Wenqian immediately ushered her to the stylist.
“You’re finally here! Quickly, go and get changed and have your makeup done. I’ll wait for you here.”
After Li Mo had changed into a new outfit and had her makeup done, Yu Wenqian had Ah Zhong drive them to the TV station. In the car, Yu Wenqian gave Li Mo a list of questions the interviewer had prepared, advising her to think about her answers beforehand. Li Mo glanced at the questions, all about her award and her experience filming her debut movie. Nothing too challenging. She put down the paper and closed her eyes, resting.
Upon arriving at the TV station, Yu Wenqian woke her up. They entered the studio, where the host, Su Jiewen, greeted them. Li Mo sat down on a single-seater sofa, facing him. He briefly explained the format of the interview and then began.
“Hello, everyone, and welcome to our show. I’m your host, Su Jiewen, and my guest today is Li Mo. I’m sure you’re all eager to learn more about her, so let’s welcome Li Mo to the show.”
“Thank you, host. Hello, everyone. I’m Li Mo.”
“I’m sure everyone is familiar with Li Mo. Your win at the Golden Rooster Awards shocked and impressed everyone. Those who have seen your film would agree that you deserved the award.”
“Thank you again for your support and recognition.”
“As a newcomer, how do you feel about winning such a prestigious award for your debut film?”
“Well, I still can’t believe it. I’m just a newcomer, so I’m very grateful for everyone’s support and recognition. I will continue to work hard and make even better films for you all to enjoy…”
The interview continued, with the host asking questions from the prepared list. Li Mo answered them gracefully and eloquently, impressing both the host and Yu Wenqian. After the interview, they chatted with the host for a bit, and then Yu Wenqian drove Li Mo back to her apartment.
On the way, Yu Wenqian informed her that the audition for the film she had chosen was in two days, in Shanghai. They would be flying to Shanghai tomorrow. Yu Wenqian told her to get some rest and said she would pick her up in the morning.
“Get some rest tonight. I’ll pick you up early tomorrow morning. You don’t need to pack much, just some necessities. I’ll take care of everything else.”
“Okay, Sister Qian. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“By the way, have you familiarized yourself with the script?”
“Yes, I have. I’ll go over it again tonight. Don’t worry.”
“Good. Make sure you memorize your lines. Director Wang hates it when actors are unprepared. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand. We have two days until the audition. It will be fine.”
“Okay, good. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes, see you. Bye, Sister Qian.”
As Li Mo got out of the car, she saw Director Xu approaching her, her face thunderous. Li Mo raised an eyebrow, confused. Yu Wenqian, seeing this, instructed Ah Zhong to wait. She asked Li Mo, her voice laced with concern,
“She looks angry. Do you need me to stay and help?”
“No, it’s okay, Sister Qian. You can go.”
“Alright, but try not to make a scene in public. Don’t give the paparazzi anything to write about, okay?”
“I understand. I’ll handle it.”
After Yu Wenqian left, Li Mo approached Director Xu, unsure why she was so upset. Director Xu grabbed her arm, her grip tight.
“Mo Mo, where were you last night? I waited for you all night, but you didn’t come home! I texted you, but you didn’t reply! I called you, but you didn’t answer! Where were you?!”
“Huh? You called me? I’m sorry, I didn’t notice.”
Li Mo realized that her phone had been silent all day. She rummaged through her bag and then realized that she didn’t have her phone with her. She remembered that after calling Ah Zhong that morning, she had left her phone on the coffee table at Song Ling’s house.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Director Xu! I must have left my phone behind! That’s why I didn’t answer your calls! I’m so sorry! What did you want to talk about?”
Director Xu, seeing that Li Mo wasn’t lying, calmed down a bit. However, she was still upset that Li Mo hadn’t come home last night.
“But where were you last night? Why didn’t you come home?”
Li Mo blushed, remembering the previous night’s passionate encounter. She didn’t want to reveal the truth about her relationship with Song Ling, so she lied.
“I was discussing work with Sister Qian, and it got late, so I just stayed at the company’s lounge.”
“You stayed at the company? But the company isn’t far from here! Why would you stay there? Are you hiding something from me?”
“Sigh… Director Xu, why would I lie to you? I have no reason to. I stayed at the company because I had an early morning interview at the TV station. It would have been too troublesome to go back and forth.”
“Are you sure you’re not lying?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Why would I lie? Look, Director Xu, I’m tired. I have an early flight tomorrow morning. Can you please go home now?”
“Where are you flying to tomorrow?”
“To Shanghai, for a movie audition.”
“Oh? You already have another script? Which director is it? Do you want me to take a look at the script and see if the role is suitable for you?”
Li Mo, exasperated, placed her hand on Director Xu’s shoulder and looked at her seriously.
“Director Xu, I’m a signed artist with Pinnacle Entertainment now. Please let my agent handle these matters. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“… But Mo Mo, I just want to help you.”
“I know you care about me, Director Xu, but you can’t keep doing everything for me. Even if you’re willing, I won’t allow it.”
“Why not? I don’t mind helping you.”
“But I mind. If you don’t let me be independent, I’ll never grow. You’ve done enough for me, Director Xu. I’m very grateful. But please, don’t worry about my career anymore. We can still hang out and chat, right?”
“… Mo Mo…”
“Look, I really need to rest. Please go home now, Director Xu. Bye.”
Leave a Reply