Part 3 of Chapter 63
This chapter is brought to you by Heemi, thanks for the ko-fi! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･
Please Like Her 14 – Male and Female Leads + Casting for ‘Evil’ (No In-Play Version)
Xiao Mi took out a small pouch from her backpack and opened it to reveal several small boxes inside.
Shang Lu opened them one by one and found that each box contained a small note with a name written on it.
For example, that necklace with the small sunglasses pattern, it was indeed meant for Song Zeqian.
That extravagant necklace with huge fake gemstones, it was for Lin Yanyan.
Xiao Mi was like a bowl of water, preparing gifts equally for everyone from Xiao Taoyan.
Shang Lu looked at Xiao Mi and said, “In a few days, I’ll invite Brothers and Sisters to come over for dinner. Would you like to personally give them the gifts?”
However, Xiao Mi shook her head, her face blushing slightly, “Sister, please give them on my behalf. It’s okay if they don’t like them.”
Shang Lu earnestly replied, “Who said that? If anyone doesn’t wear what Xiaomi personally made, I’ll teach them a lesson.”
Xiao Mi couldn’t help but smile and then took out another box from her pocket, “This is for Sister and Brother Chi Yan.”
Shang Lu became even more curious as she took the box, but she was stunned when she saw two rings inside.
Shang Lu looked at Chi Yan, who was sitting in the front seat, with a puzzled gaze.
Chi Yan also saw the two rings through the rearview mirror and immediately averted his gaze.
If Shang Lu were still sitting in the passenger seat, she would have noticed that Chi Yan’s ears were actually turning red.
Shang Lu didn’t understand and asked Xiao Mi, “Why did you make rings for me and Brother Chi Yan?”
Xiao Mi replied, “Because the rings are limited, and each person can only make two.”
“Oh, I see.” Shang Lu put on one of the rings and surprisingly found it to be a perfect fit. She raised her hand and asked Xiao Mi, “Does it look good?”
“It looks great,” Xiao Mi nodded and continued to praise, “Sister has beautiful hands, so everything looks good on you.”
At that moment, the car arrived at their destination.
When they got out of the car, Shang Lu handed the other ring and the box to Chiyuan.
Chi Yan, like Shang Lu, held the box in his hand but directly put the ring on the ring finger of his left hand.
Shang Lu’s gaze fell on his hand, and she asked, “Why are you wearing it too?”
Chi Yan turned the ring slightly and adjusted its position, “Otherwise, how can we let Xiao Mi know that we like her gift?”
With that, Chi Yan put his hand on Shang Lu’s shoulder and pushed her forward, saying, “Let’s go, catch up with Xiao Mi and head home.”
That evening, at the dinner table, Xiao Mi talked about many things from school, and her eyes sparkled throughout.
For example, her roommate gave her a beautiful pen, so she shared some of the snacks that Shang Lu had prepared for her.
There was a plant corner in her class, and she took care of a pot of jasmine flowers.
A few days ago, her throat was a little sore, and her teacher gave her a large pear.
…
These were all trivial matters, but Shang Lu listened attentively to every word.
Because she had once been like this, diligently recording every small good things in her life.
It was these subtle acts of warmth that supported her in becoming the person she is today.
Xiao Mi was tired from the PE class during the day, so she didn’t chat with Shang Lu for long after dinner. She went to take a bath and sleep because she was so tired.
When Shang Lu came out after tucking her in, she saw Chi Yan still sitting on the sofa, leisurely peeling oranges.
Shang Lu walked over to her, picked up a peeled orange, and stuffed it into her mouth.
Chi Yan still wore the ring that Xiao Mi had given her on her hand, and she hadn’t taken it off either.
Suddenly, Chi Yan asked her, “Is next Thursday a special day for your family?”
“Huh?”
Shang Lu was puzzled and didn’t understand what Chi Yan was talking about.
Next Thursday?
Shang Lu counted the days and shook her head, “I don’t know.”
Chi Yan took out his phone and sent a message to inquire directly. After quickly getting an answer, he looked up and said, “It’s Shang Mu’s father’s birthday.”
The way Chi Yan addressed him made Shang Lu want to laugh, but she still didn’t quite understand. “So it’s his birthday, but why are you suddenly asking about this?”
No one in Shang’s family had a tradition of celebrating birthdays, so Shang Lu didn’t remember the date.
“Shang Mu sent me a message.” Chi Yan handed her the phone and let her read the chat history.
In summary, it was mentioned that Thursday was Father Shang’s fiftieth birthday, and the Shang family would hold a grand birthday banquet. Shang Lu was instructed not to be anywhere near on Wednesday and Thursday, and she should definitely not be at home. During those two days, the Shang family’s people would come and forcefully take her back.
There was also a comforting message afterward, suggesting that as long as she escaped those two days, the Shang family wouldn’t bother her anymore.
Shang Lu rested her chin on her hand, still not quite grasping the logic behind all of this.
Why would a family that hadn’t celebrated any birthdays for decades suddenly hold such a grand celebration for Father Shang’s fiftieth birthday?
It seemed odd no matter how she thought about it.
But Shang Lu didn’t want to go back and celebrate his birthday, and she knew that Shang Mu’s reminder was valid. So she looked at Chi Yan and asked directly, “Can I stay at your place?”
This was the most convenient option. She could just bring some pajamas and stay over, and there was no way anyone from the Shang family would dare to come to Chi Yan’s house to find her.
Chi Yan naturally agreed without any hesitation.
That evening.
Chi Yan rarely took the initiative to contact Shang Mu.
Shang Lu had been taking care of Xiao Mi at home for two days.
Actually, it should be said that Xiao Mi took care of Shang Lu because Xiao Mi took turns with Chi Yan to cook meals, and Shang Lu just stayed at home reading scripts, occasionally taking Xiao Mi out for a walk, and helping Chi Yan walk the dogs once.
Since moving here, Shang Lu felt like she was becoming a bit of a slacker.
Don’t mention cooking; she hasn’t even cut fruit for herself in a long time.
But Shang Lu was a bit lazy by nature, and she thought these days were quite nice.
Tuesday.
Xiao Mi had already returned to school, and it was time for Shang Lu’s scheduled audition with Song Zeqian.
Shang Lu was a little nervous.
She really liked this script and wanted to get Song Zeqian’s approval to play in it.
But Shang Lu also knew that although Song Zeqian’s previous film had been a bit of a failure, he was still considered a ‘magic wand’ among the new generation of directors in the film industry. Not to mention directors of his generation, even going back ten years, there were few with a stronger track record than him.
<Evil> had already publicly recruited actors, and for almost all actors, a Song Zeqian film was still a ‘golden opportunity.’ The competition for this role was bound to be fierce.
From the information provided by the official Weibo account of <Evil>, it seemed that the role of the eldest daughter had already been cast, and auditions for the roles of the eldest son and youngest daughter had gone through several rounds. Song Zeqian had directly put her in the ‘final competition.’
When Shang Lu arrived at the designated audition location, she unexpectedly saw someone familiar.
She tiptoed and waved, calling out, “Xu Ze!”
Xu Ze’s assistant stood next to him, holding an umbrella, and it seemed like they had just finished and were walking out.
At the moment he saw Shang Lu, Xu Ze glanced at his assistant. His assistant had been with him for a long time and knew him very well, so he immediately stopped in his tracks.
Xu Ze walked up to her, gave her a faint smile, and said, “The audition for the eldest son has already finished. It’s your turn in a little while.”
Shang Lu blinked and immediately understood, “So you’re also in the final round of auditions for the role of the eldest son? Does that mean we might be acting in Director Song’s movie together?”
“Yes,” Xu Ze nodded, but his voice still held a hint of uncertainty, “There are other very talented actors auditioning today, so I’m not sure if Director Song will choose me.”
Shang Lu patted his arm to encourage him and said, “Have more confidence. I feel like that role is tailor-made for you. Who else would be more suitable?”