Upon hearing this, Duan Qingyu raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, curling his lips disdainfully. “Is this request related to START Entertainment?”
“Aren’t you the boss of START Entertainment? Of course it is,” Ji Xueli said earnestly, twisting logic.
“Do you think it’s reasonable for someone in your current position to say this?” Duan Qingyu’s voice was cold.
It did seem unreasonable. Ji Xueli took a few steps back, lowering her eyes with a hint of melancholy. “If you don’t want to agree, forget it. After all, during those years abroad, it was always you I thought of…”
An eerie silence fell over the room.
“So, System, how’s my acting?” Ji Xueli continued her pretense but couldn’t help asking.
“Impressive, but the male lead doesn’t seem to have much of a reaction. Maybe he doesn’t believe you because of your past record,” the System praised before adding.
Huh?
Ji Xueli immediately looked up, meeting his gaze.
Duan Qingyu placed the water glass on the table. His black shirt was rolled up to his elbows, revealing a section of his arm that was fair-skinned yet carried the mature, masculine lines of a man.
His long, thick black eyelashes trembled slightly, making it hard to discern the emotions in his eyes. Beneath those dark lashes, a flicker of excitement swirled in his dim, dark pupils—unnoticed by anyone.
“You… kept thinking about me?” Duan Qingyu asked, word by word.
Ji Xueli couldn’t read his current state, only sensing a chilling aura emanating from him.
Was there something wrong with what she said? Or was it really as the System said—her past record was too tarnished…
Oh! Right, there’s always this part in novels: the female lead begs for reconciliation, and the male lead gets furious. She had even said earlier that she wouldn’t bring up the past and would only focus on the present.
Damn it, she really couldn’t control her mouth.
“You, me, and Cheng Du… all those past events…” Ji Xueli smiled, trying to salvage the situation.
Duan Qingyu watched the flicker of regret in her eyes, his gaze deepening. He found himself increasingly unable to understand her.
Her actions, her words, her attitude toward Ji Yanzhou… everything hinted that something was off about her.
What exactly was her purpose in getting close to him?
Seeing him remain silent for so long, Ji Xueli thought he might be a little angry. She tentatively tried to shift the topic. “Are you hungry?”
Duan Qingyu’s voice remained cold. “If you want to eat, go back and eat.”
“Eating alone is so boring. Besides, we can consider ourselves friends now, and we haven’t even had a meal together. I’ll order takeout.” Ji Xueli picked up her phone.
“I’m not eating,” Duan Qingyu said before heading toward his room. “Whether you leave after eating is up to you.”
He wasn’t holding a grudge over that matter and was even letting her stay.
“Host, this male lead is really tough on the outside but soft on the inside. He can only say something like that if he wants you to stay,” the System chimed in again.
“Really?” Ji Xueli looked suspiciously in the direction he had left. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he harbored some hostility toward her…
“Based on my experience, after you order takeout, he’ll definitely come out and eat with you,” the System asserted confidently.
Ji Xueli didn’t respond. She couldn’t bring herself to believe it…
“System, your experience must have been fed to the dogs,” Ji Xueli remarked, her lips twitching as she looked at the lavish spread of food on the table and the still tightly shut door.
“……”
The System remained as silent as still water.
She no longer expected the System to offer any help. As long as it didn’t cause trouble, that was her greatest wish.
Ji Xueli turned on the TV, took a bite of fried chicken, and leaned back on the sofa. Whether he ate or not was up to him—she was hungry and didn’t have the energy to deal with him anymore.
The TV turned on, just in time for a drama. Ji Xueli looked at the female lead on screen, her face quite familiar…
It was Ren Tang.
Tsk, this clumsy acting. Ji Xueli shook her head. Oh right! She suddenly remembered that in a few days, she would have to choose a script, but she had never learned acting. Plus, she needed to manage her body—after all, the camera adds ten pounds…
Ji Xueli glanced at the fried chicken in her hand and reluctantly put it back where it was.