IF Storyline • High School (First Part) – If Shang An died earlier

In the afternoon, during physical education class, Shang Lu brought the most delicious cookies she made with the housekeeper aunt and quietly went to find Jiang Yi.

Because Jiang Yi was in the student council, he had a separate lounge room, where he usually hid during free periods.

Shang Lu knocked on the door, and walked in after getting response.

Jiang Yi was originally reading a book. When he saw Shang Lu, he asked impatiently, “Why are you here?”

Shang Lu raised the biscuit box in his hand and said, “These biscuits are delicious. Do you want to try?”

Jiang Yi answered without thinking, “No.”

Shang Lu was still a bit unwilling. She walked closer and handed the biscuit box to Jiang Yi, saying, “I made these with my aunt at home. Try a piece.”

They were really delicious.

She could finish a whole box in a day, and such tasty biscuits couldn’t be bought anywhere.

She remembered when Jiang Yi came to her house before, he ate a lot, so he should like them.

Jiang Yi became completely impatient. He reached out and knocked the box of biscuits to the ground, saying, “Can you stop following me all the time? Just let me have some peace and quiet.”

After saying this, Jiang Yi put the book aside and walked out directly, seemingly unwilling to stay with Shang Lu for another minute.

Looking at the scattered biscuits on the ground, Shang Lu felt an indescribable discomfort in her heart.

But it seemed not because of Jiang Yi, just feeling sorry for the box of biscuits.

The biscuits were really delicious, what a complete waste.

Then she heard Chi Yan’s voice, but she didn’t know what he was talking about with Jiang Yi, and the two seemed to have some conflict.

But Shang Lu didn’t care about that. She just squatted down, picked up the biscuits on the ground one by one, and put them back into the box. Maybe she should throw them somewhere else.

Shang Lu stood up, and at that moment, the door was pushed open.

Chi Yan was still wearing sportswear, breathing a bit faster than usual, as if he had suddenly rushed here.

Their eyes met.

Chi Yan walked over, grabbed the biscuit box from her hand, grabbed a few pieces and stuffed them into his mouth, vaguely saying, “The taste is not bad, it’s mine.”

Shang Lu wanted to stop him, but it was too late. Seeing that he was quite satisfied with the taste, after hesitating for a few seconds, she still revealed the truth, “These biscuits all fell on the ground. I just picked them up to throw away.”

Chi Yan stopped chewing. His not-too-big eyes widened as he looked at her. With a mouthful of biscuits, he didn’t know whether to spit them out or swallow them.

Looking at his expression, Shang Lu couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t apologize but said with a smile, “Chi Yan, you’re really clumsy.”

Chi Yan also laughed, but it was out of anger. However, in the end, he swallowed the biscuits.

As compensation, he demanded that Shang Lu bring a special box of biscuits for him next time.

Shang Lu naturally refused, saying, “You took my biscuits without asking, and I didn’t intentionally make you eat dirty things.”

The aunt who cooks the best at home will only listen to her orders when her Brother or Father is at home. Now that her Father is abroad and her Brother is living at school, Shang Lu can’t boss her around at all.

On that evening, Jiang Yi asked Shang Lu to wait for him at the school gate, saying that he had something to tell her.

Shang Lu sent the driver back home and stood alone at the gate.

From six to eight, it became completely dark.

Shang Lu wanted to go home, but she was afraid that she wouldn’t be seen when Jiang Yi came.

It wasn’t until it started raining.

The rain was pouring down heavily, and by the time Shang Lu realized it, she was already drenched like a drowned rat.

She shivered in the rain, desperately trying to hide under the eaves, but the wind was blowing hard, and the rain still fell on her.

Shang Lu had no choice but to take out her phone and continuously call Jiang Yi, but there was still no answer.

Shang Lu wanted to go home.

She was so cold, and she didn’t want to wait for Jiang Yi anymore.

Thinking of calling the driver, hurried footsteps sounded, and an umbrella shielded her from the wind and rain.

Chi Yan stood in front of her, looking annoyed, and asked, “What are you doing here so late?”

Shang Lu told the truth, “Waiting for Jiang Yi.”

Chen Yan didn’t say anything. Shang Lu also saw for the first time the usually indifferent Young Master looking serious.

He seemed… a bit angry?

“Are you out of your mind? Would he really make you wait until now if he really wanted to see you?” Chi Yan wanted to say more, but seeing Shang Lu shivering and hugging herself from the cold, he closed his eyes. He could only hold back the scolding that almost came out of his lips and said, “He won’t come. Get in the car.”

“I won’t trouble you. I’ll wait for my driver to come…”

Before Shang Lu could finish her sentence, Chi Yan grabbed her collar, pulled her towards his car like holding a chick, and directly shoved her into the car.

Chi Yan took off his own coat and handed it to Shang Lu. Expressionless, he called Jiang Yi, “Where are you?”

Jiang Yi answered from the other side, “Of course, I’m at home playing games. Are you coming over?”

Chen Yan asked him, “I just returned to school to get something. I saw Shang Lu still at the school gate, waiting for you. Aren’t you coming over?”

“I lost a bet with Fatty and the other guys. It’s just a truth or dare game,” Jiang Yi said with a yawn, somewhat surprised, “Hasn’t she gone back yet? That can’t be right.”

This time, Chi Yan didn’t answer. He hung up the phone and looked at Shang Lu, asking, “Did you hear that?”

Shang Lu nodded but remained silent.

Her eye sockets seemed a bit red, but because there were traces of rain on her face, it was unclear whether she had cried or not.

Then, Chi Yan took out a textbook from his bag, opened it, and covered Shang Lu’s face, saying, “If you want to cry, just cry.”

Shang Lu didn’t answer, but she didn’t remove the book either; instead, she pressed it with her hands.

Her vision turned dark.

Shang Lu didn’t cry, but she felt her mind clear.

The disappointment of waiting for Jiang Yi in the rain seemed to have disappeared just now. Even when she heard Jiang Yi say it was just a truth or dare game, she wasn’t sad; she was just angry.

That strange sense of dissonance grew stronger.

Half an hour later, the Jiang family’s car arrived at the school gate. Jiang Yi didn’t know why he had come; perhaps it was because Chi Yan’s phone call had interrupted his gaming mood.

Looking at the empty school gate, Jiang Yi sighed in relief, but then he felt a bit angry.

Shang Lu didn’t wait for him.

Shang Lu actually didn’t wait for him.

This complex emotion made Jiang Yi uncomfortable as well, but he just looked at the driver and said, “Go home.”

That night, Shang Lu lay on her bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

She opened her diary and wrote on it:

[ I like Jiang Yi ]

[ Do I really like Jiang Yi? ]

[ I like men with small eyes ]

---

During class time, Jiang Yi was lost in thought, looking at Shang Lu’s figure. Suddenly, he realized that Shang Lu hadn’t actively sought him out for a whole week.

No one chatted with him during meals, and no one offered him snacks as if they were treasures.

All of this made Jiang Yi feel uneasy, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.

The Lunar New Year was early this year, and in a few days, the exams would be over, and the holidays would begin. Jiang Yi was full of plans for his vacation, thinking that it might be good if Shang Lu bothered him less.

Shang Lu deliberately ignored Jiang Yi.

It’s strange to say that usually, she unconsciously paid attention to Jiang Yi’s every move. Now that she was studying, she couldn’t remember him at all.

In the blink of an eye, the end of the semester arrived.

Perhaps it was because of recent efforts in studying, Shang Lu’s original academic performance was only barely within the top ten of the grade. Now, she had directly become the first.

Shang Lu was very happy. Holding her report card, she returned home, thinking that she could show it to Sister Ah Yin when Sister Ah Yin came.

---

IF Storyline • High School (First Part) – If Shang An died earlier

Seventeen-years-old Shang Lu, with her affluent family background, beautiful appearance, and consistently top-ranking performance, became a prominent figure in the school.

On the campus forum, there was a thread with a thousand posts, titled [ If I had Shang Lu’s life, there should be no worries, right? ]

In reality, Shang Lu had a significant concern that had been troubling her until now – both her older brother and the boy she liked didn’t pay much attention to her.

She truly enjoyed talking but often felt lonely due to the lack of responses.

However, Shang Lu didn’t give up. In this year, the relationship between her and her Brother finally underwent a change.

Her Brother started dating a girlfriend, who not only took the initiative to talk to Shang Lu and show concern but also brought her gifts.

Due to an unexpected event, Shang Lu met her Brother’s girlfriend, and Shang Lu addressed her as ‘Sister Ah Yin.’

In Shang Lu’s eyes, Sister Ah Yin was the gentlest and most beautiful girl in the world. Sister Ah Yin didn’t mind her impulsive approach; instead, Sister Ah Yin chatted with her warmly.

Sister Ah Yin also advised Shang Lu to study well and mentioned that when Shang Lu entered college, she could come and visit Sister Ah Yin’s home during the summer vacation.

Sister Ah Yin’s home was in the countryside, where there were clear streams and ponds. If Shang Lu wanted, she could join Sister Ah Yin in fishing for lobsters and fish in the pond or even dig lotus roots in the mud pond.

Shang Lu was excited about the life Sister Ah Yin described and asked, “Sister, will you marry my brother in the future?”

Sister Ah Yin blushed but answered, “If he loves me, I would be willing.”

Shang Lu straightforwardly said, “I like you, and I want you to be my family.”

Sister Ah Yin hugged Shang Lu and smiled, saying, “I like you too and hope you can be my sister.”

Before leaving, Sister Ah Yin made a promise with Shang Lu to pick her up during her college’s summer vacation.

That day, Shang Lu was very happy. She returned to her room, found a new notebook, and handwrote a calendar for the next year, marking the days for the college entrance exam.

She decided to work harder to get into her preferred university and then go to the countryside with Sister Ah Yin.

During dinner, Shang Mu looked at her puzzledly and asked, “What are you happy about?”

Shang Lu denied it, but the smile on her face couldn’t be concealed.

Shang Mu put down his chopsticks, prepared to go upstairs, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “Are you going back to school tomorrow?”

Shang Lu nodded. Shang Mu casually said, “Get up early. I’m going back to school too, and it’s on the way. Don’t delay my time,” and went upstairs.

Shang Lu immediately understood Shang Mu’s meaning : he was going to accompany her back to school!

That night, Shang Lu set ten alarms to ensure she wouldn’t oversleep.

Until they reached the school, after getting off the car, Shang Lu still stood in place, watching his Brother’s car go further and further, and reluctantly entered the school.

The final exams were approaching, and the weather was getting colder.

Shang Lu exhaled into her hands, eager to quickly get to the warm classroom.

However, before Shang Lu could enter the classroom, a girl from the neighboring class stopped her.

The girl informed Shang Lu that Jiang Yi was now in the girl’s class, teaching another girl.

Upon hearing the name ‘Jiang Yi,’ Shang Lu couldn’t help but follow the girl to the door of that class to check the situation.

Shang Lu knew that she liked Jiang Yi because he had once warmed her heart.

But when she peeked through the window, Shang Lu couldn’t understand why she was so exaggerated. She liked Jiang Yi, but she wasn’t a stalker. Did she really need to sneak a peek?

Shang Lu felt a bit disgusted with herself but couldn’t help but notice that Jiang Yi, who had always been indifferent to her, pursed his lips gently while explaining the question to another girl.

Why was Jiang Yi never like this with her?

Jiang Yi was polite to everyone, even if someone he didn’t know asked for help, he would usually agree. Good-looking, good grades, good temper—many girls in the school secretly admired him.

But Jiang Yi was particularly impatient with her. Was she really so annoying?

Shang Lu couldn’t figure it out and felt a bit downcast, lowering her eyelashes.

And at that moment, her lips touched something firm.

A lychee-flavored lollipop was handed to her lips, accompanied by the lazy voice of a young man : “What are you doing so early? Look at how furrowed your brows are; you could almost catch flies. Miss, is there something upsetting you? Tell me, let me be happy.”

Shang Lu looked at the person in front of her angrily, took a step back, and scolded, “Chi Yan! Can’t you speak properly?”

“Okay, okay, my bad.” Chi Yan admitted his mistake promptly, then extended the lollipop back towards her and asked, “Do you want to eat it? If you don’t, I’ll eat it.”

Class was about to start, and Shang Lu didn’t want the candy, but since the lollipop had just touched her lips, it wasn’t quite appropriate for Chi Yan to eat it.

So Shang Lu snatched the lollipop and stuffed it into her mouth before walking towards her class.

It was surprisingly delicious.

Watching the girl’s retreating figure, Chi Yan chuckled lightly and glanced at the next door classroom.

He directly opened the window and shouted inside, “Jiang Yi, hurry back to your class and tidy up your drawer; a cockroach just crawled out from it!”

Jiang Yi’s expression changed, then he stood up and walked outside.

The girl who had been looking at Jiang Yi with shy admiration had a hint of disdain in her eyes.

Of course, after Jiang Yi carefully checked the drawer and found nothing, Chi Yan insincerely apologized, “Sorry, maybe I saw it wrong.”

Jiang Yi naturally dared not be angry with Chi Yan, but his face became even darker.

Shang Lu still had the candy in her mouth and couldn’t help turning around to look at Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi seemed not very happy. What had just happened?

Before Shang Lu could figure it out, the bell for class rang, and the homeroom teacher’s first words upon entering the classroom were, “Shang Lu? You’re still eating candy when class has started? Go stand outside for morning study!”

It was the same every year. As the end of the term approached, the homeroom teacher’s temper would become particularly irritable.

Shang Lu crushed the candy, put the stick in the trash can beside her desk, and obediently answered, “Yes.”

Soon after, the teacher’s reprimand sounded again, “Chi Yan! Are you unpacking your bread as if you’re afraid I won’t hear? Go stand outside for morning study and the first class!”

“Okay, Teacher!” Chi Yan answered without hesitation, or perhaps he was waiting for these words. He walked out through the back door.

Seeing Chi Yan leaving too, Shang Lu turned her head and didn’t look at him.

Then she felt something being put into her pocket.

Shang Lu reached in and pulled out a handful of lollipops, various flavors.

Chi Yan leaned against the wall, looking at her. The sunlight fell on his handsome face as he asked, “Still angry?”

Shang Lu put the candy back in her pocket and said, “Not angry.”

She really wasn’t angry with Chi Yan but was thinking about something else.

She glanced back at Jiang Yi in the classroom and suddenly asked Chi Yan, “Do you have a girl you like? Oh no… do you have an ideal type?”

Chi Yan coughed, pretending to be calm, “Why are you asking such a question?”

“I just find it strange,” Shang Lu felt a bit frustrated. She looked at Jiang Yi in the classroom again and asked Chi Yan, “I like Jiang Yi, but I always feel something is strange. It seems like I don’t like his type of appearance.”

She seemed to prefer boys with slightly smaller eyes, the smaller, the better. Chi Yan’s narrow eyes seemed a bit too big for her, not to mention Jiang Yi.

Chi Yan, who had a smile on his face, turned cold after hearing Shang Lu’s words and asked, “Are you trying to say that the ideal type is the ideal type, and true love is true love, and nothing else matters after meeting true love?”

Shang Lu : “?”

Was that what she meant?

But thinking about it carefully, Chi Yan’s words seemed to make some sense.

Oh God, she has enlightened!

---

Part 5 of Chapter 83

---

Please Always Love Her – Main Story Finale (Second Part)

At this moment, outside the theater.

Numerous media outlets were waiting, having seen the award results through the live broadcast. They were waiting for the first photo of the award-winning actors to emerge.

However, because there was still some time, their attention was drawn to a valuable and priceless luxury car not far away.

After all, they are all in the news industry, and when it comes to information, they are the most well-informed. After a quick check, they found out that the owner of this car was the heir of the Chi family the top wealthy family in the Imperial Capital.

With the identity of the Chi family, not to mention having a seat at this film festival, it’s not difficult for him to even take the stage as the host.

There is only one truth, and this Young President Chi is waiting at the door to pick someone up.

Media friends exchanged glances, feeling that there might be something to dig into here.

Just as they were about to approach for an interview, they saw the car door open, and a man in a suit descended from the car. Despite his noble temperament, it was easy to confirm his identity at a glance.

“Chi Yan! That’s definitely Chi Yan!”

“That’s the Chi family from the imperial capital… Let’s go, go, go!”

Chi Yan felt bored waiting in the car, so he wanted to get some fresh air. But when he saw a group of journalists carrying cameras rushing towards him, he frowned and asked, “Is there something wrong?”

Immediately, a reporter came forward with compliments, naturally not directly asking why Chi Yan was here but tactfully inquiring if he could accept an interview and share his views on this year’s Golden Dew Awards.

Chi Yan was good at speaking in official terms. He answered a few sentences but didn’t provide much useful information.

These reporters naturally didn’t dare to be rude to Chi Yan. After asking a few questions and not getting the sensational points they wanted, they had no choice but to leave.

However, one of the reporters was still live streaming.

As a result, netizens discovered a ‘secret.’

[Chi Yan’s phone’s lockscreen! It looks familiar!]

[Didn’t Shang Lu post her childhood photo on Children’s Day? This seems to be it! She only posted the upper body, but this looks like the complete version!]

Someone immediately pulled out a screenshot of the live stream when Chi Yan’s phone screen lit up, compared it with the photo Shang Lu posted on Children’s Day, and found it was exactly the same, but Chi Yan’s version was more complete.

[So, is the complete version of this photo Shang Lu stepping on a little boy’s butt? No wonder she looks unhappy, hahaha.]

[Shang Lu always makes me laugh unexpectedly in strange places.]

Some also noticed the crucial point.

[Wait, Shang Lu only posted a part that was herself, but Chi Yan has the complete version!]

[I’m a Shang Lu fan, and I’m sure this is the first time I’ve seen the complete version of this photo.]

[Wow! I suddenly had a bold idea!]

[Chi Yan’s phone’s lockscreen is Shang Lu. Don’t tell me he, a top-tier tycoon, is just chasing stars offline. I don’t believe it!]

[I remember Shang Lu mentioned a while ago during the promotion of <Evil> that she has been in a relationship for a long time, but the partner is not from the entertainment industry.]

[There have been paparazzi shots of their backs before, and it seems to match up.]

[So, this person is…!]

[I remember they were high school classmates. Wasn’t there a leaked graduation photo of Shang Lu before?]

[A talented man and a beautiful woman! Such a perfect match! It’s like an idol drama coming to life!]

…

#Shang_Lu_Relationship#

#Shang_Lu_Chi_Yan#

Both hashtags trended simultaneously.

At the same time, Shang Lu’s high school graduation group photo, that was previously revealed by Jiang Yi, resurfaced among netizens.

A young man with an impatient look, wearing a pink hair tie on his hand, and a seemingly gentle girl with long hair down her shoulders.

Previously, everyone’s attention was on Jiang Yi and Shang Lu, but now that Chi Yan and Shang Lu’s names were put together, the situation became clearer.

[Could the hair tie on Chi Yan’s hand be Shang Lu’s!?]

[So, it’s not Jiang Yi, it’s Chi Yan!]

[Is it a long-term relationship? For so many years? I’m shocked!]

The on-site reporters transformed into paparazzi. Although no one dared to offend Chi Yan, since they came out so openly, it seemed they didn’t mind. The desire for attention overcame their inner fears.

Microphones once again approached Chi Yan. Someone asked, “Is the photo on your phone’s locksreen Shang Lu? I heard you were high school classmates. Can you share the story behind this with everyone?”

Chi Yan glanced at his phone’s lockscreen, realizing that he had been found out. He slowly turned the ring on his finger and smiled, “Can’t you tell? Of course, it’s because—

“I have a secret crush on her.”

Everyone : “!!!”

And at that moment, another reporter shouted, “Shang Lu is coming out! Shang Lu is coming out!”

Countless cameras turned in the direction of Shang Lu.

Shang Lu searched through the crowd, and the moment she saw Chi Yan waving at her, she lifted her skirt and ran towards him, shouting, “You’re here.”

“Let’s go home,” Chi Yan said as he took off his coat and draped it over Shang Lu’s shoulders. He opened the car door and escorted her inside.

When Shang Lu sat in the car, the reporters who were standing still finally reacted. Each of them held microphones and desperately reached forward.

“Teacher Shang Lu! Can you tell us about the relationship between you and Mr. Chi?”

“Does this mean it’s official? Are you already in a romantic relationship?”

“Mr. Chi said he had a secret crush on you. Do you have any response to that?”

Upon hearing the last question, Shang Lu leaned out of the car window and smiled, “It’s not a secret crush. We’ve been together for a long time; it’s a mutual love relationship.”

---

Until the vehicle drove away.

One of the reporters muttered, “Before Mr. Chi left, did he wave the ring on his hand? Is that a couple ring?”

Another reporter looked up, found a picture of Shang Lu wearing a ring at an event, and zoomed in, “They are a couple! Definitely a couple!”

Even though the rings didn’t look very expensive, and the brand couldn’t be identified.

The reporters on the scene were almost going crazy with excitement.

Shang Lu, the award-winning actress, officially announced her relationship with her boyfriend.

The day’s hot searches were almost dominated by her name alone.

Fans were overjoyed.

Come on! Where else can you find such a perfect couple!

There were amusing photos from childhood, a graduation photo from high school already looked like a couple, and now they were actually together. Even a drama wouldn’t dare to script this way!

However, one topic sparked intense discussion.

Why did Chi Yan say it was a secret crush, while Shang Lu described it as a mutual love relationship?

And in the evening.

Chi Yan posted a Weibo post.

@Chi_Yan(V) : [Secretly admired her for many years (image attachement)]

The accompanying image was from that year in high school, in the sweltering summer.

The girl is wearing a school uniform skirt, obedient and gentle, leaning on the young man’s shoulder to rest.

The young man seems a bit impatient, but his ears are clearly red, and his gaze is fixed on her.

Love is something that can’t be hidden at all.

Shang Lu forwarded this Weibo post.

@Shang_Lu (V) : [Congratulations on your secret crush coming true~]

——end——

---

rokumi’s note : the main story ends here. Next, there are three extra chapters (Chapter 84 and 85 are IF storyline and Chapter 86 is continuation of the main storyline).

---

Part 4 of Chapter 83

---

Please Always Love Her – Main Story Finale (Second Part)

On Shang Lu’s left were the crew of <Evil>, and on her right were the crew of <Salvation Plan>. It had to be said that the organizers were quite thoughtful.

Yue Qi didn’t care much. The films he directed were usually commercial, lacking deep intentions, so he didn’t expect much in terms of awards at major film festivals. He could even mock Song Zeqian, saying, “Other films this year aren’t that great. If you can’t take all the awards, I’ll laugh at you for years.”

The response from Song Zeqian was a disdainful glance while saying, “Whether it’s box office or awards, winning against you is enough.”

Shang Lu who was seated in the middle : “…”

Quarrelling is up to you, but can’t you consider the presence of a third person in the middle?

Fortunately, Yue Qi seemed to be in a good mood. Today, he didn’t want to argue with Song Zeqian and happily chatted with Shang Lu.

Seeing Yue Qi’s face practically begging for someone to ask him why he was in such a good mood, Shang Lu could only play along and ask, “Director Yue, is there something happy happening for you today?”

Yue Qi, almost bursting, finally got the chance he was waiting for. Grinning broadly, he replied, “When I left home this morning, my wife personally made me fried eggs! You young people don’t understand, this is proof that my wife loves me…”

For the next ten minutes, Shang Lu listened to Yue Qi give numerous examples of their affection.

Her expression numb, she exchanged a glance with Shen Xian, who sat on the other side of Yue Qi.

Both had a forced smile on their faces and sighed simultaneously.

Oh well, they were used to it.

Until the announcement of the Best Supporting Actress.

The nominees were Shang Lu for <Salvation Plan>, Jiang Jing for <Evil>, and several other very well-known seniors.

Finally, the camera focused on Jiang Jing.

Applause erupted in the audience.

Shang Lu also cheered, waving her hands enthusiastically for Jiang Jing, not caring about her own image.

Jiang Jing smiled helplessly. Passing by Shang Lu and hugging her, she said, “You’re great too.”

“I know, of course,” Shang Lu smiled and let go of her hand, saying, “Go up on stage quickly.”

Jiang Jing stood on the stage and delivered her acceptance speech.

Yue Qi, however, looked a bit regretful as he turned to Shang Lu and said, “I thought you might win this award, Xiao Lu. Let me remind you, this time you might go home empty-handed. In this industry, even with great works and performances, the distribution of awards depends on the situation. You’re a newcomer in the film industry, nominations are easy, but winning Best Actress… you’re still too young, those old folks won’t approve.”

Shang Lu hadn’t even had a chance to speak when Song Zeqian’s calm voice rang out, saying, “Director Yue probably doesn’t know yet. There have been significant changes in the panel of judges this time, mostly consisting of internationally renowned directors who have received the top three international awards or actors and actresses who have achieved grand slams. It’s not like the previous ones.”

Upon hearing Song Zeqian’s words, Yue Qi’s eyes immediately lit up, and he asked, “Is Director An also among them? He’s our teacher; it’s been a long time since we last saw him.”

Song Zeqian replied, “Yes, he scolded you for being unpromising back then.”

Yue Qi slapped his thigh and laughed, “Haha, that’s a thing of the past. I say, Song Zeqian, how long would you remember if someone scolded me once?”

Shang Lu : “…”

So, why did she have to sit between these two!

---

Their quarrel continued until the nominations for the Best Actress were announced.

Shang Lu couldn’t help but sit up straight, becoming more and more nervous.

On the big screen, performances were played one after another, and among the nominees were actresses who had already won awards in the country, including Cen Yan.

The host held up the final list, teasing for a while before finally saying, “It’s indeed an unexpected answer, but it’s the result unanimously recognized by all our judges. As a newcomer in the film industry, her performance this year has been outstanding. Let’s congratulate the Best Actress of this session—

“Shang Lu!”

Applause echoed around her, and Song Zeqian added, “Get up, aren’t you happy?”

As Shang Lu stood up, Lin Yanyan rushed over and hugged her tightly. Lin Yanyan’s tears fell directly onto her shoulder, “Wuwuwu, Lulu, I knew you could do it. You’re amazing!”

Cen Yan, sitting in the front row, turned around to look at Shang Lu and encouraged her, “Impressive. It seems I have another competitor besides Jiang Jing.”

When Shang Lu went to receive the award, she brought Lin Yanyan back to her seat and let Jiang Jing wipe Lin Yanyan’s tears.

Until she walked onto the stage to receive the award, holding the weighty trophy in her hands, Shang Lu still felt everything was unbelievable.

Especially considering Yue Qi had given her a preemptive warning; she had thought there was really no hope. Yet, in the end, this trophy belonged to her.

Her dream, the acting career she loved and persisted in choosing, finally received recognition from everyone at this moment.

She bent down towards the stage, bowed, then adjusted the microphone to the appropriate height, saying, “Hello, everyone. I am Shang Lu. I want to thank Director Song, Director Yue, and Director Han, who is not present, for giving me so many opportunities in the past year. Thanks to them, I have been able to walk on the path of life that I love until now. Thank you all for choosing and liking me. I have realized my dream, and I am very happy.”

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience below.

Next, Song Zeqian also won the Best Director award.

The host asked him, “Director Song, there was a lot of controversy online during the casting of this film. How did you manage to go against the opinions and insist on such a correct choice?”

Song Zeqian stared at the trophy in his hand for a moment, then looked towards the direction of <Evil>’s crew in the audience.

Since Song Zeqian was not present, Shang Lu and Lin Yanyan could finally communicate directly.

Lin Yanyan touched her own arm and said awkwardly, “He won’t scold us at a time like this, right?”

Shang Lu imitated Song Zeqian’s tone, saying, “The contracts are signed. There’s no way. Let’s make do with it. The breach of contract penalty is too expensive.”

Lin Yanyan was amused.

Yue Qi also didn’t miss the opportunity to mock Song Zeqian, saying, “Those are words only he can say.”

After all, they all knew that praise from Song Zeqian was not easy to come by.

At this moment, Song Zeqian said, “It is my honor that Shang Lu is willing to play the female lead in my movie.”

A gasp swept through the audience.

It’s worth noting that no one had ever heard Song Zeqian give such high praise to an actor.

Even Shang Lu covered her mouth and looked at Lin Yanyan, asking with her eyes: Is he really praising me?

Shang Lu even began to wonder if she had offended Song Zeqian recently, leading him to speak sarcastically here.

The host couldn’t help but ask for the reason.

Song Zeqian continued, “Her kindness to choose to take the girl home after seeing the suffering with her own eyes during the recording of the variety show, is also one of the important reasons why I decided to shoot this movie.

“Everyone knows that I am a director who films realistic themes. My father was actually a documentary director, and the world he portrayed is more real and more difficult than what I show. But no matter what the situation, kindness always appears; it’s just a matter of proportion. Although the movie is named <Evil>, it speaks of kindness everywhere. I hope everyone can adhere to the kindness in their hearts.”

---

Part 3 of Chapter 83

---

Please Always Love Her – Main Story Finale (Second Part)

After the premiere, all the negative comments about <Evil> online were refuted by countless people.

As long as you personally enter the cinema to watch this movie, you won’t utter words like ‘a bad movie using traffic celebrities.’

Looking at the entire movie, whether it’s the script, cinematography, lighting, color, or the performance of each actor, it’s impeccable.

Every actor is highly compatible with their character, making the audience feel, after seeing their performance, ‘he/she is the character.’

An Qing quickly posted on Weibo; she didn’t say anything but gave the movie a five-star rating, and then responded in the comments.

[Rather than me evaluating it, I hope everyone can go to the cinema and watch it themselves. It deserves five stars, and your movie ticket. I have to say, Director Song surprised me this time, and those actors I wasn’t too optimistic about also conquered me with almost flawless performances.]

Yue Qi watched the movie the next day and also gave it a five-star rating. He even said, [I haven’t achieved the annual box office champion, really annoying].

Yue Qi’s review shocked netizens.

You see, Yue Qi has been in competition with Song Zeqian for almost ten years, and he actually admitted defeat. This attitude clearly indicates that he believes <Evil> will surpass <Salvation Plan> in terms of box office.

Some netizens timidly suggested.

[Shang Lu’s taste is too good, isn’t it?]

[Is it still Shang Lu who defeated Shang Lu…?]

[So what will Shang Lu’s next movie be about? Can I come along and snatch a role!]

<Evil> was released for only four days, and the box office exceeded 2 billion, becoming a ‘miracle’ in the past decade of theatrical films. Its momentum is indeed stronger than <Salvation Plan>.

More and more audiences, initially entered the cinema out of curiosity, but then willingly spent money to buy tickets, inviting friends to watch it for the second or even third time.

In the end, the box office of <Evil> settled at 8.5 billion, breaking the box office record for domestic films.

Coincidentally, Ning Lin’s new drama was also released on the web at the same time but received little attention.

The biggest buzz around this drama was unexpectedly the male traffic celebrity who collaborated with Ning Lin directly posting on Weibo, implying that working with someone with a questionable character brings bad luck, causing him to suffer for months in vain.

Ning Lin finally couldn’t bear it.

She knew that no matter how hard she tried, she had no future in the entertainment industry.

Within a month, two strange incidents occurred consecutively.

Firstly, Shang An was arrested by the police for stocking up and abusing drugs. Netizens discussed it extensively, surprised that a wealthy man would engage in such behavior in his later years.

Although Shang Lu was also implicated, the heat around her quickly dissipated as she had previously stated on the variety show that she had severed ties with her family. The incident didn’t sustain attention for more than a few days.

Interestingly, it was rumored that Shang An had lost control of his bowels and bladder when he was taken away. He tried to resist and attack the police out of embarrassment, but this only made his crime worse.

Secondly, Ning Lin stole important confidential files from the Jiang family and handed them over to a rival company in exchange for money. The Jiang family, which was already in decline, was desperate to make a comeback with a new partnership. However, at the last minute, they were betrayed, their funding chain was broken, and they faced a bankruptcy crisis.

Unable to cope with the blow, Jiang Yi’s father suffered a stroke and was paralyzed. The entire Jiang family now relied on Jiang Yi.

As for the possibility of Shang An going to jail, Shang Lu wasn’t too concerned. Instead, she was somewhat surprised with the second news, saying, “Did Ning Lin and Jiang Yi fall out?”

Seeing her surprised expression, Chi Yan handed her an apple slice and asked, “Isn’t it normal for people to pursue their own interests? Why are you so surprised?”

“It shouldn’t be like this,” Shang Lu said while biting the apple. “Aren’t they the male and female leads?”

Who would expect the female lead to sell the male lead for money? This was supposed to be a sweet romance novel!

Chi Yan didn’t quite understand Shang Lu’s point and asked, “Male and female leads? What are you talking about?”

Shang Lu earnestly explained to Chi Yan, “Have you read novels? I mean those romantic novels with male and female leads. The world we live in was originally a novel, and they are the male and female leads.”

“Oh?” Chi Yan didn’t know if she believed it or not and followed up on Shang Lu’s words, “Then what are you?”

Shang Lu replied very seriously, “I am the malicious supporting female character, specialized in ruining the relationship between the male and female leads.

They locked eyes.

Without much thought, Chi Yan said, “Then I am the malicious supporting male character.”

“No,” Shang Lu shook her head, denying Chi Yan’s words. “You are a passerby, you don’t have a role in this story.”

Chi Yan didn’t argue. Instead, he just unwrapped a candy, put it in his mouth, and asked, “Can a passerby be with the malicious supporting female character?”

Good question.

Shang Lu started to think, as if no one had ever said that the malicious supporting female character must be with someone or cannot be with someone.

Shang Lu pondered, “It should be fine.”

“Then I’m willing to be a passerby.” Chi Yan said and peeled an orange to continue feeding her.

Shang Lu ate the orange from Chi Yan’s hand and then turned around, lying down with her head on his lap.

She waved to him and said, “Come here.”

Chi Yan bent down and asked her, “What’s wrong?”

Shang Lu kissed the corner of his lips, denied her previous words, and said, “No, you’re not a passerby, you’re my male lead.”

Chi Yan didn’t really understand what Shang Lu was talking about, but he went along with her and said, “You’re my female lead too.”

With that, he peeled another slice of orange to continue feeding Shang Lu, but she pushed him away.

Frowning, Shang Lu said, “No, I don’t want it. This orange is too sour.”

“Really?” Chi Yan lowered his head, kissed her lips, and his tongue explored inside, thoughtfully saying, “It does seem a bit sour.”

And Shang Lu, already used to it, cooperatively opened her mouth to accept his kiss.

The candy he had just eaten was peach-flavored.

So sweet.

---

The Golden Dew Award is the most authoritative film festival in the country, held at the Imperial Theatre.

<Evil> was nominated for nearly ten nominations, including Best Director, Best Original Script, Best Male and Female Leads, and Best Male and Female Supporting Roles.

Shang Lu, with <Salvation Plan> and <Evil>, received nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress respectively, and still a strong contender to win for both nominations.

Wearing a high-end gown and walking the red carpet with the entire crew, Shang Lu once again found this to be the most boring part, with the only interesting moment being Ye Lu almost tripping over Lin Yanyan’s dress. The two almost started arguing on the red carpet, but fortunately, Song Zeqian stopped them with a glance.

After going through this boring process with <Evil>’s crew, Shang Lu hurried back to walk the red carpet again with <Salvation Plan>’s crew before finally entering the venue.

Countless media were live broadcasting.

One award after another was announced, and Shang Lu played the role of an unfeeling applause machine.

---

Part 2 of Chapter 83

---

Please Always Love Her – Main Story Finale (Second Part)

<Salvation Plan> is undoubtedly the box office champion of the Lunar New Year period. Not just the Lunar New Year movies, there is no movie in the next half year that can compare with it.

The six billion box office made Yue Qi believe that his movie is the annual champion, almost a nailed-down matter, until <Evil> officially premiered on National Day’s holidays.

Song Zeqian didn’t spend much money on publicity, but he always chose powerful actors. This time, it was almost a lineup of all popular actors, which had already captured the audience’s appetite.

Song Zeqian was bold enough, without arranging any previews, choosing to release directly and facing the real audience directly.

On the first day of the movie’s premiere, almost all the self-media filmmakers were unwilling to miss such good traffic and were eager to be the first batch of audience to evaluate <Evil>.

Shang Lu also saw the complete film for the first time. Unlike <Salvation Plan>, Song Zeqian brought them to the cinema just to observe the live reactions of the audience, without any interactive promotion. They were just ordinary viewers. Everyone was still present, sitting in the middle rows, quite close to the front, not the best viewing position.

Song Zeqian’s reason was simple: “I forgot to keep the tickets, they were snatched too quickly, so… But it doesn’t matter where we sit.”

Everyone : “…”

This is very much in line with Song Zeqian’s style.

The seat is somewhat close to the screen, but even the front row is filled with the audience. Compared to others, they should be content.

Shang Lu pulled Song Zeqian’s sleeve, handed him the her phone, with memo app on the screen where she wrote : [ An Qing is behind us. ]

An Qing is the one who appeared on their show before as Jiang Jing’s fake friend. She is a well-known film critic who harshly criticized Song Zeqian’s previous film.

Song Zeqian doesn’t mind, just saying, “Let’s watch the movie.”

The movie begins with a close-up shot. Five fingers fall like playing a piano, and the camera zooms out to reveal that the “piano keys” played by the girl’s fingers are actually pebbles on the ground.

Xiao Mi, playing Young Wang Can, squats on the roadside. The sound of her father scolding and beating her mother comes from the house behind her, and glass products fall to the ground.

She doesn’t speak, just quietly lowers her head, and her hands continue to play on the pebbles.

The scene shifts, and slender fingers fall on the piano keys.

Shang Lu, playing Wang Can, finishes playing the piece, stands up to accept the teacher’s praise, smiles gently, and walks to sit next to her brother in the corner.

Ye Lu, playing the rebellious teenage boy, is like a school bully himself, impatiently asking, “Why are you coming over? Didn’t we agree to pretend not to know each other at school?”

The two talk about their mother’s health issues for a few sentences, but because of disagreement on when to go home, they immediately separate when a classmate looks over.

Next, there are certain scenes introducing the current lives of each of the other children.

The hardworking older sister, the older brother who almost lives in the laboratory, the second sister who is a female star full of superiority under the spotlight, they all have their own lives.

These seemingly unrelated five people, until June received the news of their mother’s death, all rushed back home.

The funeral was quite grand, clearly the funeral of a wife, but the father only focused on showing off his successful children to relatives and friends, as if he had completely forgotten that his wife had passed away.

The faces of those relatives were full of envy, each holding a wine glass to compliment him.

Clearly, it was a funeral banquet, but those unaware would think it was a joyous occasion from the lively atmosphere. Except for the five children, no one felt sorrow for the deceased woman.

According to local customs, the funeral banquet lasts three days to send off the departed peacefully. On the first night, the father eagerly discussed future retirement arrangements with them. The eldest son, usually silent, now quarreled with his father.

After the three-day banquet, the father’s body lay outside the door, frightening the relatives who were about to leave.

Soon, the police arrived, focusing their investigation on the eldest daughter and eldest son—their prime suspects.

One, who had long been ‘sucked blood’ by the family¹, and the other, who had recently argued with the deceased.

The second son was widely acknowledged by villagers as the child closest to the father. As for the second daughter, she cried, claiming innocence, pleading not to be implicated which would affect her professional career.

The youngest daughter, played by Shang Lu, appeared the most innocent, shedding continuous tears. Even a female officer had to console her emotions. No one suspected her involvement in the murder.

The investigation continued.

New evidence repeatedly overturned the police’s assumptions of the imminent truth. They were well aware that none of these children were entirely innocent, yet they had no idea who the real killer was.

But the wounds and past sufferings they exposed deeply moved everyone.

These police officers were parents themselves, also someone’s sons and daughters.

Despite their constant exposure to the dark side of the world due to their jobs, witnessing the scars on these children and hearing about their past hardships still stirred their emotions.

The eldest daughter once knelt in the rain at the village doctor’s door to beg for assistance for her mother, who had just had a miscarriage. The eldest son argued with his drunken father about whether his sister should go to school, getting kicked to the ground and enduring it all. The second daughter shared the candy rewards she received during her school days with her mother. The second son, seemingly distant from his sister at school, secretly beat up a classmate who had ill intentions towards her and remained silent when the school disciplined him. The youngest daughter, with a timid personality, protected her mother with her body when her father beat her mother and locked her mother in chains.

Growing up in such a hellish environment, each of them was loved by their siblings and, in turn, wanted to protect their siblings.

Hardship might erase many things, but the love between them did not diminish a bit.

As the movie reached this point, the sound of sobbing from the audience in the theater continued to echo.

Among them, Ye Lu cried the loudest.

Until the movie finished playing, he wiped away tears and said, “Why did I lie to you? You all are so miserable… “

Shang Lu looked at Song Zeqian, lips twitching, and asked, “He still doesn’t know the truth?”

Song Zeqian : “…”

Forget it, let’s keep watching.

As the movie reached its conclusion, a silent, long shot was added, revealing the panoramic view of the village. The camera gradually focused on the midst of the flock of sheep.

One particularly clean ewe was led away by the owner, and then a wooden bucket was brought to milk it.

Milk continuously flowed, filling the entire bucket, even threatening to overflow.

However, the owner was not satisfied, continuing to repeat the motion of milking the eweuntil drops of fresh blood fell into the bucket filled with sheep’s milk, accompanied by theewe’s wails off-screen.

A fat pig walked over, lowering its head to drink the sheep’s milk from the bucket.

The scene shifted, showing scattered sheep wool on the ground, cleaned sheep meat hanging at the door.

In the corner, a few lambs were led to the wooden bucket, and the pig stood by the bucket, seemingly waiting for something.

A lamb kicked the wooden bucket, running around, while the pig lowered its head to drink the remaining sheep’s milk from the bucket.

Finally, a plate of fragrant pig’s head meat was brought to the table, and at the door, instead of hanging lamb chops, there were sausages stuffed with pork.

The screen went completely dark, as if the sky was gradually darkening, until it was completely black.

Then the title appeared again—

<Evil>

The ending song played, and the movie ended completely.

By the way, because Ye Lu participated in the movie cast, the OST was sung by Ou Yi.

No one in the cinema got up to leave, and then applause thundered.

Ye Lu cried even louder, and Xu Ze, feeling disgusted, reached out to create distance between them.

Shang Lu turned around to sneak a glance at An Qing, seeing that she had taken off her glasses and was secretly wiping away tears.

She looked at Song Zeqian, smiling, and said, “We won.”

Song Zeqian, rarely showing a gentle smile, closed his eyes and said, “Yes, we won.”

---

1. meaning she had been working hard for so long only to have her earned money taken by the family ↩︎

---

Please Always Love Her – Main Story Finale (Second Part)

This is the warmest Lunar New Year that Shang Lu has ever had in her life.

Just as she imagined, they had a big Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner and set off fireworks, the family gathered together chatting.

It’s the ordinary yet happy life that Shang Lu loves the most.

On that night.

Wenren Yan brought his cat and, after opening Shang Lu’s door to feed the two cats, went next door to take away Chi Yan’s dog.

In the day for family reunion, he walked the two dogs alone in the cold wind.

Wenren Yan secretly vowed in his heart never to bet with Chi Yan again. On Lunar New Year’s Day, the married couple had a loving reunion, and as a single person, he could only tearfully follow the two dogs and pick up dog poop.

The body is cold, the heart even colder.

---

After the Lunar New Year, the filming for the movie <Evil> officially started.

This time it’s a familiar cast. When taking the group photo, Shang Lu and Lin Yanyan held an ‘angel’s halo’ prop behind Song Zeqian, which earned them glares for a whole week. The two dared not even breathe loudly on the set until this matter was forgotten.

The actors who play their childhood roles have been mostly decided, except for Shang Lu’s character.

Song Zeqian looked at Shang Lu, feeling awkward : “I really can’t find a suitable person. I don’t know if you have any recommendations.”

Shang Lu’s expression was complicated : “You’ve already brought Xiao Mi to the crew, why pretend here?”

Song Zeqian: “…”

Xiao Mi held Shang Lu’s hand and whispered, “I’m willing to act with Sister. I also want to help Brother Song Zeqian.”

Children are the most grateful.

Xiao Mi knew that it was Brother Song Zeqian and Sister Shang Lu who took her out of the village. She wanted to repay them within her abilities.

Shang Lu looked down at her, of course not stopping her, but said, “It will take some time away from your schoolwork. Sister will find a teacher for you to make up for it in your spare time. You’re going to work harder.”

Xiao Mi nodded vigorously and smiled.

On Xiao Mi’s first day on set.

At night.

Ye Lu raised a megaphone from somewhere: “Women’s self-defense class starts tonight! Those who want to learn, please line up to register!”

Lin Yanyan crossed her hands over her chest, saying, “Oh, you’ve got this skill too?”

Ye Lu wore a confident smile, “Of course, I’ve been learning for several months.”

He had promised Xiao Mi months ago that he would learn before teaching her.

That evening, Ye Lu’s impromptu class began.

Xiao Mi was the only one earnestly learning from him, while Shang Lu and Lin Yanyan sat on the side, munching on melon seeds.

Not far away, Song Zeqian’s angry roar could be heard.

Jiang Jing helplessly rubbed her ears and glanced over, “Did Xu Ze forget his lines again?”

Shang Lu sighed, “I’m already used to it.”

Lin Yanyan couldn’t understand either, “I miss the days when Director Song used to sarcastically criticize us. At least it was civilized. I never thought that after joining the crew, his way of scolding would be yelling.”

Shang Lu took out a cotton ball from her ears, saying, “Looks like we need to prepare more.”

The three looked at each other, then sighed together.

Jiang Jing stood up, “I’ve finished shooting my scenes for today. I’ll go back to the hotel to accompany Ruanruan.”

Lin Yanyan flipped through the script, “The next scene is mine. I’ll go prepare first.”

The two of them left together.

Shang Lu had to stay here for Xiao Mi. She sat on the sofa, eating freshly opened biscuits, watching them continue training.

Ye Lu taught seriously, and Xiao Mi learned diligently, but she found it a bit tiring to watch.

Shang Lu leaned on the sofa, feeling her eyelids getting heavier. In her ears were the voices of Ye Lu and Xiao Mi exchanging words. It wasn’t noisy to her; instead, she felt relaxed in this atmosphere.

Before long, she tilted her head and fell asleep.

When Shang Lu woke up, she felt like she was lying on someone’s back.

Without opening her eyes, she tightened her grip on the person and whispered, “Chi Yan, where’s Xiao Mi?”

Chi Yan replied, “When Lin Yanyan finished work, she took Xiao Mi home. It seems they bought some new toys, and Xiao Mi will sleep with her tonight.”

Shang Lu felt helpless, “They’re probably going to stay up late again.”

Every time Lin Yanyan bought some new and interesting toys, she would pull Shang Lu and Xiao Mi to study together.

Chen Yan spoke up for Xiao Mi, “Children are happiest when playing, it’s normal to occasionally lose track of time.”

“Yeah.” Shang Lu didn’t really restrict Xiao Mi too much, just complained a bit. She tried to let the child be happy in whatever way the child liked.

Shang Lu no longer mentioned the matter, but instead lifted her head to look at the sky in front of her, reminiscing, “Chi Yan, do you still remember the first time you took me home in high school? It was like this too, with you carrying me on your back.”

Chi Yan’s lazy voice sounded, “Yeah, that day, you were so tired that your legs were trembling, and you couldn’t even walk properly.”

Shang Lu’s hand punched on Chi Yan’s back as she said, “Isn’t that your fault? If it weren’t for your exaggerated laughter almost making you fall off the wall, our eavesdropping wouldn’t have been exposed, and we wouldn’t have had to escape in such a miserable way!”

“Yes, yes,” Chi Yan didn’t argue, going along with her words, “I admit it, I accept the punishment.”

Shang Lu thought for a moment and said, “Then I’ll punish you to always clean up after me, no matter what good or bad things I do, you have to stay with me.”

“I promise you,” Chi Yan said, lifting Shang Lu a bit with his hands. The two bodies were even closer, and he continued, “No matter what happens in the future, I will always take you home.”

Shang Lu didn’t say anything, just buried her face in Chi Yan’s shoulder, listening to her own heartbeat, feeling his warmth.

All of this gave her a sense of security.

After a long time, she whispered, “Chi Yan, I really like you.”

She could be spoiled with him, occasionally throw a little tantrum, without thinking about right or wrong, without any concerns.

By his side, she didn’t have to be so rational, and she didn’t need to be too sensible.

Because the one who is loved has the right to be willful.

And both the one who loves and the one being loved will be very happy.

---

Part 5 of Chapter 82

---

Please Like Her 33 – Main Story Finale (First Part)

Until a picture of a young Chi Yan with a sulky expression standing behind a rock appeared.

Shang Lu was puzzled and asked, “What’s wrong with him in this picture? Did he get into a fight with someone?”

Mother Chi laughed so hard she couldn’t stop and said, “He was mischievous as a child. He saw a pretty little girl and actually pulled her braids. As a result, the girl knocked him to the ground, and he cried when he lost.”

Chi Yan denied, “You remembered it wrong. I didn’t cry.”

Shang Lu looked at him and half-jokingly asked, “How pretty was she to make you play these childish tricks and deliberately seek her attention?”

Chi Yan didn’t deny it and said, “Yes, she was exceptionally pretty.”

Shang Lu was stunned and instinctively grabbed a nearby cushion, ready to throw it at Chi Yan, but she held back when she realized she was at his home.

Mother Chi, on the other hand, snatched the cushion from Shang Lu’s hand and did something Shang Lu had intended to do but hadn’t done earlier. She threw the cushion at her own son and said, “What are you saying? Is there a girl in the world prettier than our Lulu? If you don’t have anything nice to say, just keep quiet like your Dad!”

Chi Yan bent over, picked up the cushion and put it aside, but not saying anything, just quieted down.

Shang Lu still glared at him, waving her fist in the air with a hint of threat.

At this moment, Mother Chi quickly tried to flip through the photo album and directly turned two pages at once.

Shang Lu’s attention was diverted, and she flipped the page back, saying, “Hey, I see a dress, is that Chi Yan cross-dressing…”

The answer was no.

Because in this photo, it wasn’t Chi Yan who was wearing a dress; he was the one lying on the ground.

Little Chi Yan had a face full of unwillingness, and the little girl with pigtails crookedly stretched out one foot and stepped on… well, his buttocks.

Strange, let’s take another look.

No, it’s even stranger!

This little girl’s face is very familiar.

Shang Lu picked up her phone, opened the camera, looked at her own face, and then pointed at the little girl, asking, “This is?”

“We don’t know either. It was Chi Yan’s birthday that day, and there were quite a few guests who came. We don’t know which family she was from, and we haven’t seen her since.” Chi Yan’s mother realized that something was amiss as she spoke. She hadn’t paid much attention to the girl’s face in the photos before, but now, prompted by Shang Lu, she looked carefully and muttered, “It looks very familiar.”

Mother Chi closed her eyes, her hand resting on the photo, and mumbled a few words before saying, “The aura is also very familiar, very close.”

She looked at the girl in the photo again, and this time, she finally recognized her. She looked at Shang Lu in disbelief and said, “It’s Lulu, this little girl is Lulu. How could there be such a coincidence?”

Shang Lu also found the hazy memories from that year.

At that time, Father Shang had made a few business deals, and maybe he was in a good mood, so he took her out a few times for social gatherings.

Chi Yan’s birthday was probably one of those gatherings.

Shang Lu didn’t remember the face of that little boy very clearly, but she remembered that the boy had pulled her braid and asked her why she was alone and where her parents were.

At the time, Shang Lu had been called a motherless wild child by another boy, and she was hiding in a corner alone. When the boy approached her and asked about her parents, she had reacted aggressively, and started quarrelling with the boy.

Shang Lu won the fight, but maybe it was because the boy was mainly avoiding her, showing some leniency.

When Little Shang Lu pushed the boy to the ground and deliberately stepped on his buttocks to declare her victory, the boy’s mother arrived.

At that moment, Shang Lu was very afraid. She was afraid that her father would find out and never let her go out again, so she ran away.

This incident did not come to light, and her father did not reprimand her for it. However, a few days later, she accidentally broke a frame containing her mother’s photo and was punished to kneel in a small dark room. From then on, she had little freedom to go out and play.

It’s unbelievable that the boy turned out to be Chi Yan.

When she realized that the boy’s mother was coming, she hurriedly ran away, but the photo had already been taken and stored for so long.

Shang Lu looked at Chi Yan, and he seemed quite indifferent, as if he had known about this all along.

Shang Lu immediately guessed, “You knew, didn’t you?”

Chi Yan sat on the nearby sofa, holding his face with one hand and looking at Shang Lu with a mischievous smile, “Guess.”

Shang Lu : “?!” D*mn, I’ve never thought Chi Yan could be so annoying!

Mother Chi also seemed to understand everything in an instant and said, “He knew. We scolded him at the time, and he said he wanted to apologize to you and ran off. He kept going out early and returning late for a week.”

Mother Chi looked at Chi Yan with some anger and asked, “Why doesn’t Lulu remember? You didn’t lie to us and claim to apologize while actually playing outside every day, did you?”

Chi Yan didn’t answer his Mom’s question but closed his eyes, sniffed, and said, “Someone’s specially baked cupcakes seem to be burning.”

Mother Chi screamed, said “I’ll deal with you later,” and hastily went to the kitchen.

Chi Yan picked up a cookie from the table, sat down next to Shang Lu, and opened the cookie. He handed it to Shang Lu’s lips and said, word by word, “I went.”

He continued, “Try it. This is my favorite cookie, I hope you like it too.”

Shang Lu lowered her eyelashes and looked at the plain, unremarkable cookie. It was a well-known national brand, but it held a special place in her heart. Because during that week, every day, the little boy who sent her notes through the window and gave her milk and cookies had given her this exact type of cookie.

The first note he gave her at the time read, “This is my favorite cookie; I hope you like it too.”

Shang Lu slightly lowered her head, took a bite of the cookie from Chi Yan’s hand, and already understood Chi Yan’s intention. She said directly, “It’s not him, it’s you.”

Both of them naturally understood what she meant.

Chi Yan nodded, took back his hand after finishing the cookie, and said, “Indeed, it’s my favorite taste.”

Shang Lu smiled, her eyes unconsciously getting a little teary. She asked, “When did you find out that this person is very important to me?”

Chi Yan didn’t lie, “When I helped you with the plush toy that Shang Mu sent.”

Shang Lu continued to ask, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

As she spoke, she blinked, and tears rolled down her face, despite her efforts to smile. She couldn’t control her tears.

Chi Yan raised his hand and gently wiped away her tears with his fingertip, his voice becoming even gentler, “I didn’t want you to agree to be with me out of gratitude when you didn’t really like me. After being together, we wouldn’t find the right moment to talk about it. Are you angry?”

“No,” Shang Lu shook her head. She held Chi Yan’s hand and pressed his palm against her face, tilted her head slightly, and let her tears fall into his hand.

Chi Yan furrowed his brows slightly, feeling the warmth of her tears in his palm, which made his heart ache.

Naturally, he couldn’t bear to see her cry, but this time, she was crying because of him.

Shang Lu held Chi Yan’s hand even tighter and said sincerely, “Chi Yan, I’m very happy that it’s you. I feel very lucky.”

The boy who had shown her countless kindness and warmth hadn’t become unrecognizable with time, as she had feared. He was still the same as in her memories, even more beautiful than before. This was a good thing.

Seventeen years ago, he had helped her and warmed her.

Seventeen years later, he still chose to love her.

Every time she met him, she felt loved.

So now, she wanted to love the world even more.

---

Part 4 of Chapter 82

---

Please Like Her 33 – Main Story Finale (First Part)

At this moment, Shang Lu was a bit nervous, holding Xiao Mi’s hand and looking at Chi Yan, who was driving. She asked again, “Are we going to see your Mom?”

“It’s not like you haven’t met her before,” Chi Yan said, looking at her through the rearview mirror. “Why are you nervous? You got along well last time, right?”

“It’s different this time,” Shang Lu pressed her lips together and said, “Last time was a chance encounter, and your Mom is very talkative, so we had a good conversation. But this time feels like… we’re specifically meeting the parents. And I haven’t met your Dad.”

Chi Yan was straightforward, “You don’t have to worry about him. In my family, my Mom has the final say. If my Mom likes you, my Dad won’t say anything.”

This reassured Shang Lu a bit, as Mother Chi was indeed easy to get along with.

Xiao Mi handed a piece of candy to Shang Lu and said, “Sister, eat some candy, it will make you feel less nervous. I’ll protect you!”

“Alright,” Shang Lu took the candy, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth. She then reached out to pat Xiao Mi’s head and said, “With you here, Sister won’t be nervous.”

The car quickly arrived at the doorstep of the Chi family.

At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing old, gray clothing and holding a package in his arms rushed out of the yard, glancing back as he went, looking as if he were escaping. When he saw them, he took several steps back in shock.

Shang Lu also stepped back in surprise and asked, “Did someone break into your house?”

However, Chi Yan appeared unfazed and asked directly, “Dad, what are you doing now?”

Shang Lu covered her mouth and was instantly thrown into panic.

This is Chi Yan’s Dad? And she just called him a thief? Help!

Father Chi, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care much. He sighed in relief and said, “I thought your Mom was back, and you scared me. Of course, I’m going to play mahjong.”

With that, Father Chi opened the package he was holding and showed Chi Yan proudly, saying, “Look! These are mahjong tiles carved from pure jade. They’re quite precious!”

Father Chi only let them take a quick look and then wrapped the mahjong tiles back up before heading outside.

After walking a few steps, he turned back, looked at Shang Lu, and exclaimed, “Shang Lu? Is that you?”

Shang Lu lowered her head and greeted, “Hello, Uncle.”

Perhaps it was because the Chi and Shang families often crossed paths in the business world, but she couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on, thinking about the awkward conversations that might follow involving her family’s business.

However, Father Chi laughed and said, “When we were playing mahjong before, we made sure to change our phone wallpapers to your picture. I heard you’re really lucky, like a koi fish! And sure enough, I won many rounds during that time with your picture on my phone!”

Shang Lu : “?”

What is Father Chi talking about? Did her ears go bad?

Father Chi looked at Shang Lu, then at Chi Yan, and finally at Xiao Mi. He asked, “What’s going on with you three?”

“We’re in a relationship, and Mom asked us to come home for the Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner together,” Chi Yan explained to avoid any misunderstandings, “This is Shang Lu’s younger sister, Xiao Mi.”

“In a relationship? Great! Great!” Father Chi seemed even happier and said, “Marry the koi fish home, and I’ll be invincible at the mahjong table from now on! I can’t waste any more time; your Mom might be back soon. I need to go now!”

With the bundle of mahjong tiles in his arms, Father Chi left with a light and cheerful stride, as if he had become twenty years younger.

Shang Lu couldn’t understand and asked, “Does Uncle play mahjong a lot?”

Otherwise, why would he be so happy playing mahjong and have to hide from his wife?

“They don’t play for money.” Chi Yan reached out to rub his nose, as if he found it difficult to explain. “If they lose, they have to eat a can of canned mackerel, so my Mom never lets him go when she’s at home.”

Shang Lu: “…”

However, Father Chi still didn’t successfully go play mahjong. He hadn’t taken a few steps when he encountered Mother Chi, who happened to return, so he had to follow his wife back reluctantly, like a follower.

When Mother Chi saw Shang Lu, she was originally scolding Father Chi, but her face instantly lit up with a joyful smile and said, “Xiao Lu is here? And you brought your sister too. What are you doing at the door? Come on in. I have a few things to discuss with your Dad, we’ll be right there.”

Seeing that Mother Chi was still wearing summer dress, Shang Lu couldn’t help but shiver unconsciously.

It really looks so cold.

Shang Lu suddenly realized that they had been outside for a while, and her exposed hand felt a bit cold. She instinctively wanted to hold Chi Yan’s hand for warmth because his hand was always warm.

However, realizing that there were elders present, Shang Lu felt it was inappropriate. She began to retract her hand halfway, but Chi Yan held her hand and extended his other hand toward Xiao Mi, saying, “Let’s go, go home with Brother and Sister.”

Xiao Mi obediently held Chi Yan’s other hand, and the three of them walked inside together.

At the door, Father Chi stared at the mahjong tiles in his arms, his face filled with a sad expression.

Mother Chi watched their backs and sighed, “They look so much like a family of three, it’s really nice.”

Then, she turned to her husband and quickly put on a different expression, saying, “What’s with that expression on New Year’s? And what are you wearing? Go change your clothes!”

“Yes,” Father Chi could only follow his wife obediently to change into the new clothes they had prepared for the New Year.

During this time, Mother Chi had one of the maids take Xiaomi to the princess-themed room she had prepared for Xiao Mi to play, and then she took out an album, saying, “Here are many childhood photos of Chi Yan and even some with him wearing a dress!”

“Mom!” Chi Yan felt somewhat uncomfortable and tried to stop his Mom’s actions, reaching out to prevent her from taking the album.

Shang Lu turned to look at Chi Yan, clasping her hands together and curiosity evident in her eyes. She said, “Can I take a look? Just one look!”

It was clear that she really wanted to see it.

Mother Chi didn’t hurry over, but instead, she leisurely gazed at Chi Yan and said, “Mom respects you, so if you don’t want to, you can put it back.”

A few seconds later, Chi Yan lowered the hand that had been blocking the album in the air and instead used it to cover his face, giving in. He said, “Okay, you can look.”

“Yay!” Shang Lu cheered, then, realizing she had been too enthusiastic, she covered her mouth, feeling a bit embarrassed as she looked at Mother Chi.

Mother Chi raised the album high and teased Shang Lu, imitating Shang Lu’s way of speaking, “Yay! Let’s look at Chi Yan’s embarrassing photos together!”

Shang Lu burst into laughter and responded even louder, “Yay! I want to see!”

The two of them sat on the couch, their heads almost touching.

With each page Mother Chi turned in Chi Yan’s childhood photo album, she could tell Shang Lu where the photo was taken, what happened that day, and whether Chi Yan was in a good or bad mood.

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Part 3 of Chapter 82

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Please Like Her 33 – Main Story Finale (First Part)

On the other side, Lin Yanyan, who was crawling behind the little kitten, successfully bumped her head against the wall, then became confused and tried to continue passing through the wall.

Fortunately, Xu Ze was not too drunk and wanted to help Lin Yanyan up.

Lin Yanyan grabbed Xu Ze’s trouser leg, but Xu Ze left in a hurry, choosing to hide with Song Zeqian.

Chi Yan covered Shang Lu with a blanket and came out, remaining silent for a long time, making eye contact with the last sober person in the room.

Xiao Mi stood at the room’s doorway with a water cup, originally just wanting to pour some water, but now she could only sigh.

She said, “Adults are so silly.”

Chi Yan : ‘…’

There was no way to argue.

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They woke up the next day.

Everyone tacitly chose to forget what happened when they got drunk together last night. Chi Yan and Xu Ze cooked a sumptuous lunch together. After lunch, everyone went their separate ways.

Shang Lu was holding the little kitten, looking at Chi Yan as he cleaned the living room. “What should we name the cat? Don’t suggest names like ‘San Guai’ or ‘Xiao Xiao Guai’ to appease me!”

Chi Yan thought of several names, but Shang Lu wasn’t satisfied with any of them.

She couldn’t think of a name, so she pestered Chi Yan to come up with one.

Chi Yan washed his hands, grabbed a handful of dried fruits, and handed them to Shang Lu, saying, “Close your eyes and pick one at random.”

Although Shang Lu didn’t understand what Chi Yan was trying to do, she obediently closed her eyes, picked the largest one, and said, “Hong Zao¹.”

Chi Yan looked at the little kitten in Shang Lu’s arms and said, “From today, your name is Hong Zao.”

Little Kitten : *Meow?*

Shang Lu : “?”

Wasn’t that too casual?

But the little kitten lifted its head and wanted to eat the red date in Shang Lu’s hand, then contentedly rubbed Shang Lu’s palm after getting it.

Shang Lu was quite surprised when she picked up the kitten and said, “Do you like it? Alright, Hong Zao, Hong Zao, Hong Zao~”

Although Shang Lu had always felt that Chi Yan was quite casual in naming his pets, she accepted the name, mainly because the kitten seemed to like it.

Shang Lu didn’t go anywhere, just spent the whole day playing with the little kitten.

Besides that, she received a better ‘birthday gift.’

On Shang Lu’s birthday, the police issued a notice regarding the investigation of Ah Zhi and his Grandma’s case.

After more than a month of in-depth investigation, it was found that many village officials in the village knew about the human trafficking case but turned a blind eye. The uncle who was a policeman mentioned by Sun’s second son was protecting such evil deeds, and there were even higher-ranking officials involved.

All party officials and public servants involved were given punishments appropriately due to dereliction of duty, and a large number of officials were expelled from the party, removed from their government positions, and so on.

The village head and his eldest son were not only the ‘buyers’ but also suspected of involvement in human trafficking, and the investigation into this matter is ongoing, with continuous public attention ensuring that it will not be ignored.

Ah Zhi and his mother and grandmother have already been taken to live in the city by Sun’s second son, and they can celebrate the New Year together in warmth.

No more the village’s gossip, no more chains of confinement, no more scoldings and beatings that could happen at any time, and no more husbands who treated them like livestocks.

Their lives are finally going to be free.

For Shang Lu, this is a very wonderful birthday.

She also received a birthday gift from the person sent by Shang Mu, which was still a manor, allowing her to grow the things she liked.

Shang Lu didn’t hesitate at all and called Elvis. After confirming that the soil and other factors were suitable, she chose to continue growing roses.

Although she was allergic to roses, roses were indeed her favorite flowers.

Of course, her absolute favorite was the bouquet of everlasting roses handcrafted by Chiyue.

Today is Shang Lu’s birthday, but it’s also an ordinary day, and she’s growing to love every day in this world more and more.

In the blink of an eye, it was Lunar New Year’s eve.

<Salvation Plan> had good time slots in cinemas with tickets sold out in every screening, and the online reviews were also quite good.

The box office surpassed 3 billion yuan in just one week, directly taking the lead in the Lunar New Year film market, putting immense pressure on other films and production companies. The peak of the Lunar New Year, when most viewers come, has not even arrived yet, so it’s clear that its box office will continue to rise.

<Salvation Plan> has set a great example for domestic films, and with this achievement, it’s destined that not only the Lunar New Year films but also films throughout the year will find it difficult to surpass its box office.

Shang Lu, who played Shangguan Yi, received unanimous praise. She portrayed the character’s contrasts and different facets excellently, and her emotional transitions were very natural, consistently surprising the audience.

Yue Qi felt proud and sent many private messages to Song Zeqian and Han Cheng. Then he saw Han Cheng giving his movie a four-star rating.

@Han_Cheng(V) : [The movie is good, the actors are great, but the director is really annoying.]

He attached a screenshot of a chat where Yue Qi was boasting and showing off to him.

Netizens found it amusing.

[Hahaha, Director Han Cheng, if you’re annoyed, just say it out loud.]

[Director Yue : Showing off around, Director Song: Can’t be bothered, Director Han: Can you just shut up?]

[Director Han : I make TV dramas; you’re showing off in the wrong place!]

[I bet 50 yuan, it’s because Director Song isn’t responding to Director Yue; that’s why Director Yue’s bothering Director Han, hahaha]

Yue Qi naturally didn’t appreciate Han Chengdu’s attitude, but he didn’t care much now. After all, he was the ‘winner.’

It was only when Yue Qi reposted a solo poster of Shang Lu with the caption, [Let’s work together again if there’s a chance], that things got interesting. Shang Lu hadn’t replied, but Song Zeqian retweeted Yue Qi’s Weibo post.

@Song_Zeqian(V) : [Get ready to join the crew @Shang_Lu // RT @Yue_Qi : …]

[Director Song has entered the battlefield!]

[Director Song : Who said you have a chance? She’s about to join my crew]

[Director Song is a rational person, except when he’s arguing with Director Yue, hahaha]

[I can watch the love-hate relationships in the director’s circle for another ten thousand years!]

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1. red date ↩︎

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