Lu Yi never mentioned anything about Yan Huan’s face after that. On that night, he showed little restraint. He was never one to restrain himself from such pleasures, despite his cold and aloof appearance, a result of his repressive nature. Yan Huan had the truth of it. He just had a resting bitch face.
Of course, he could have been taking revenge.
In the morning, Lu Yi left refreshed and invigorated. His vacation was nearly at its end, and Yan Huan had to go back to work too, now that she was fine.
They often say relationships makes one less motivated, but he didn’t balk at the thought of going back to work. It felt normal to him. Perhaps that was why he was unromantic.
Still, Yan Huan’s view was even more unorthodox.
According to her, parting makes the heart grow fonder.
No amount of love can withstand the trial of time if the couple is always together. Everyone needs their own lives and connections, and cutting others off to make room for one’s spouse is foolish.
In a way, they were a match made in heaven.
Even though they didn’t share the exact same ideology, similarities could be drawn from both. Plus, they both had some plans which they kept secret from others.
After Lu Yi went to work, Yan Huan took out her phone and called Luo Lin.
“Are you sure you want this one?” asked Luo Lin doubtfully. “Why bother taking a secondary lead role when there are better offers available?”
“I like challengers and beating up husband stealers,” said Yan Huan, smiling brightly and clenching her bandaged hand. Her bright smile might have sent a chill down someone’s spine.
“You are so wilful,” complained Luo Lin, picking out a contract from a pile of documents. What a wilful best actress. The average actor couldn’t even afford to be this wilful; it was usually the director that picks the actors, not the other way round. And she even forwent a female lead role for a secondary lead one, a role that would surely draw hate and disgust. Of course, a role like that was right up Yan Huan’s alley.
At the same time, it provided a challenging aspect, which she believed Yan Huan liked.
Nowadays, if Yan Huan wanted a role, she needn’t even ask. Her popularity had been sky-high ever since the Serene City earthquake. The problem now was that she didn’t take any drama offers and only took advertisement and endorsement ones. As her manager, Luo Lin had to be responsible.
She knew that it was about time for Yan Huan to return to public view and shoot another movie. After all, she had been away from the big screens for almost a year. She might be forgotten if she takes her time.
Still, the drama at hand was a quality one, and Luo Lin saw most things eye to eye with Yan Huan. She was very shrewd when it came to such things.
Of course, she didn’t know the story behind Yan Huan’s shrewdness had something to do with her experiences from her previous life, where she gained knowledge of which films were going to make it big, and how far it would go. From there, she merely used her resources to secure herself a suitable role and gain popularity through these films and dramas.
The good films she never missed, and it would be an added bonus if it’s a film that could make her enemies feel uncomfortable.
Her smile sweetened, but somehow it felt colder than before.
What’s this called again, she thought, don’t blame me for being superior if you are nothing.
I kinda miss you, Su Muran. What about you? Missing me? I’m sure you’ll be glad to see me, right, my archnemesis?
Yan Huan poured a glass of milk for herself, and just as she was about to drink it, she heard knocking at the door.
When she opened the door, it was none other than the Lu Jin couple.
“What brings you here, Mom and Dad?” said Yan Huan, quickly stepping aside to admit the couple.
Lu Jin was carrying something in his chest, and you would think that it was a timed bomb that could blow up at any time from the way he was acting.
“Come on already!” yelled Ye Shuyun. “Relax, no one’s going to steal your Wu Daozi painting. It’s yours, and no one will take it away from you. You are freaking out too much! Even when you were driving, you were worrying about someone tailing you and stealing your painting away.”
“What do you know?” said Lu Jin, putting down the item he was hugging.
“Do you know the value of this painting?”
“How much could it be?” questioned Ye Shuyun, looking at it up and down. “It’s just a painting! A scroll of paper! Plus, didn’t you say that it’s against the law to own a national treasure like this? If you couldn’t even sell it, isn’t it worthless?”
Lu Jin felt as if he had been playing music to a cow and asking for its opinions at the end of it.
“Huanhuan, let me store this here first,” said Lu Jin, carefully putting the painting on the table. Earlier this morning, Lu Jin refused to take his hands off the painting when the Miao Family had reluctantly sent it over.
This was his only hobby, and he liked this painting so much so that he didn’t feel safe putting it anywhere. After much consideration, he didn’t leave it at his son’s house.
They have already sent it over?
Yan Huan walked towards it and took the painting. Lu Jin’s eyes began twitching.
“Be gentle now, don’t tear it. It’s authentic.”
“Relax, Dad, I will try my very best not to damage your painting,” said Yan Huan. She opened the outermost box, in which there was indeed a scrolled painting that looked fairly ancient. It was a priceless treasure indeed.
Lu Jin was on the tip of his toes even when Yan Huan had not opened the box. Had she done that, he would be sweating bullets.
She put the lid back onto the box, a gesture that made Lu Jin visibly relieved.
She took the box, stored it in an innermost shelf, and locked it so that it wouldn’t go anywhere. It’s not like it could get lost in the first place, but the extra level of security would definitely help Lu Jin sleep better at night.
“Dad, this is only a temporary solution. A collectible is meant to be admired by the collector himself and viewed at his pleasure.”
That was what Lu Jin was stressing over.
“Your Dad wanted to move, but I objected,” said Ye Shuyun, sitting down. “I’m not moving anywhere. It’s my home, so why should I move?”
Of course, they shouldn’t move. That house originally belonged to Lu Jin. Back then, the old master gave one house to each son, but Lu Qin’s father had sold his due to various reasons. When his family had nowhere else to go, Lu Jin had to take them in and shared half his house with them, since Old Master Lu preferred his peace over his family.
