Li Quyin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but Xia Xixi seemed far from finished, continuing to berate Shen Bailou without pause.
Especially when he remembered being pestered incessantly during this period, he felt even more exasperated.
He had no idea how Shen Bailou managed to get his phone number. Since that day, unknown numbers would occasionally pop up to bother him.
Xia Xixi didn’t reply to any of them and blocked them all.
But this did nothing to dampen the other side’s enthusiasm; it only made them more persistent.
This made Xia Xixi even angrier. Was there something wrong with Shen Bailou's people?
Did they not understand what rejection meant?
And it was just for shooting a movie. If it was only to find someone to review the setting, couldn’t they find anyone else?
There were plenty of capable people in the industry and at the academy, so why cling to him?
Thinking about this, Xia Xixi puffed up with anger. "Shen Bailou is trash!"
And a particularly annoying piece of trash!
He didn’t even belong in any trash category at the recycling station because he wasn’t even worthy of being called trash.
Li Quyin’s dark eyes were somber as he held the restless Xia Xixi in his arms, having long lost his playful mood.
“I’ll take you back to rest,” Li Quyin said, attempting to take Xia Xixi downstairs.
As he moved to the side, Xia Xixi didn’t cooperate, leaning heavily against him.
Li Quyin quickly steadied him, preparing to say something more, but in the process, he noticed Xia Xixi had already closed his eyes.
Drunk and cursing, Xia Xixi had fallen asleep just like that.
In the dim candlelight, Li Quyin gazed at his delicate profile, not daring to imagine what Xia Xixi would do upon discovering that he was actually Shen Bailou.
Given Xia Xixi's personality, his immediate demand to break up wouldn’t be a joke.
Li Quyin bent down and scooped him up in his arms.
He went downstairs, entered the room, and placed him on the bed.
As soon as Xia Xixi hit the bed, he rolled over, lying comfortably on his side with no defenses.
Unlike his usually cool demeanor, Xia Xixi was much livelier in his sleep, rolling around frequently.
Li Quyin took a blanket and covered him.
During this, Xia Xixi mumbled Shen Bailou’s name, sounding fierce as if he was scolding him even in his dreams.
Li Quyin’s eyes darkened with sorrow. He wanted to cry but had no tears.
He truly didn’t know how he had offended this little ancestor so much that he was hated to the point of being cursed even in dreams.
After turning off the light and leaving the room, Li Quyin went back to his own room and lay on the bed, still thinking about it.
As a public figure, especially one of the best in his field, Li Quyin was very self-aware. He knew he wasn’t perfect and that he would have haters.
Ordinary haters were manageable, usually just expressing their dislike. The more intense haters were harsh, wishing to mobilize the world to boycott him.
Xia Xixi clearly didn’t fit into either category. If Xia Xixi had to be graded, he’d be the top of the top haters, wishing to criticize him to death.
Thinking about Xia Xixi, Li Quyin couldn’t sleep. He picked up his phone and contacted his assistant.
"Boss?" The sleepy assistant yawned and sat up in bed, confused about why his boss was acting so strangely.
"Have I done anything to make people resent me?" Li Quyin got straight to the point.
"Huh?"
"Make a list for me."
"???" For a moment, the assistant thought he was still dreaming, or maybe his boss had lost his mind.
"Things that make people especially hate me."
"... Boss?" The assistant was certain now that his boss had lost his mind.
Could it be that the pressure has been too much lately?
Recently, the entire company has been busy preparing for the new movie.
Everyone outside was holding their breath in anticipation, and the media mentioned it every few days, adding to the pressure.
Moreover, the company Shen Bailou belonged to was essentially his own company, where he held a major stake. With both personal and company factors at play, the pressure on him was even greater.
"By the way, boss, the agent for the new movie asked me to tell you that the other side still hasn't agreed to help." The assistant suddenly remembered.
"Tell them to hurry up."
"Well..." The assistant scratched his head, unsure how to respond, "I heard that our people haven't even met them yet; they've only been in contact by phone."
"Meet in person first and discuss it face-to-face." Li Quyin, already in a bad mood because of Xia Xixi, felt even worse upon hearing this, and his tone became even colder.
The assistant quickly said, "It seems the other party is quite difficult to deal with. Every time our people try to talk, they get blocked after just a few words, let alone arranging a meeting."
"Then find someone else."
"But that person is said to be a top figure in the industry, with high status and expertise that no one can match."
Li Quyin wanted the movie to be the best.
Li Quyin's icy eyes were intimidating. "What's the reason?"
"Don't know." The assistant thought for a moment and guessed, "Maybe we're offering too low a price, and they want more?"
The other party had a top-notch reputation and status in the industry and wouldn't be interested in a standard offer.
Li Quyin was silent for a moment.
The price they offered was definitely not low.
Although they needed the other party's help, such arrogance from them was hard to stomach.
"Give them more." Li Quyin agreed.
"Alright, I'll inform the agent."
"Mm." After a pause, Li Quyin added, "Make a list as soon as possible."
After hanging up the phone, the assistant, holding the phone, was completely bewildered.
A list, what kind of list?
He thought about it for a while and finally understood that Shen Bailou wanted him to make a list of all the annoying things he had done.
Still shaken, the assistant stared at the phone, growing increasingly uneasy. Could his boss really have lost his mind?
The next day.
Xia Xixi slept in until the sun was up before he slowly woke up.
After waking up, his head felt dizzy, and he was inexplicably uncomfortable.
After breakfast, he lay in bed for half the day, only recovering by the evening.
Feeling quite embarrassed about getting drunk on their first date, Xia Xixi felt a bit uneasy when looking at Li Quyin.
He still remembered the things he did after getting drunk. Thinking of his boldness, Xia Xixi's face turned red.
With his fair skin, his blush was particularly noticeable.
Seeing that bright red face, Li Quyin's breath hitched.
He quickly grabbed the fishing rod and took Xia Xixi to the lake near the villa to fish, trying to distract himself.
By the lake, on the fishing platform.
The two of them sat on lounge chairs, leisurely enjoying the breeze.
The villa was in a secluded location, naturally quiet, and without many visitors lately, it was indeed a good place to relax.
Xia Xixi absentmindedly watched the fishing rod in front of him while sneaking glances at Li Quyin.
Li Quyin was reclining on the lounge chair, resting with his eyes closed. His sharp features and chiseled face exuded a constant masculine allure that made hearts race.
Li Quyin and Shen Bailou looked exactly alike, and Shen Bailou was always praised as the most masculine male idol, with countless fans screaming for his handsome face.
Xia Xixi thought that Li Quyin was much more attractive than Shen Bailou.
Lost in thought, his phone suddenly vibrated.
Xia Xixi quickly picked up the phone, not wanting to disturb Li Quyin.
Opening his phone and seeing the unfamiliar number, Xia Xixi immediately frowned.
He didn't need to look to know that the message was from Shen Bailou.
From the first time until now, he had blocked nearly ten numbers, yet Shen Bailou was like a mad dog, refusing to let him go.
Xia Xixi felt a sudden surge of anger. He unlocked his phone, intending to edit a message warning the other party not to bother him anymore.
He opened the message and quickly skimmed through it, but it only made him laugh in anger.
Seeing that he was still unwilling to give in, the other party thought he was trying to extort more money and said he could name his price.
If he had just been annoyed before, now the other party had definitely stepped on his landmine. Who did they think he was?
Did they think that just offering more money would make him change his mind?
Hadn't he made it clear that he would never help?
Or did Shen Bailou think that everyone in the world would like him and that his suggestion to replace the lead actor was a joke?
But then again, someone like Shen Bailou could never be self-aware.
Xia Xixi's fingers flew as he quickly edited a message, "I've already refused. Don't bother me again."
Having to reject so many times had made Xia Xixi's tone harsh.
He really didn't have the patience to slowly deal with the other party. He also feared that if he was too gentle, they would think there was still hope.
After sending the message, the other party quickly replied.
Xia Xixi thought they had finally taken a hint, but their reply made him laugh in anger again.
They thought his response was a signal that he was willing to cooperate and wanted to meet to discuss details.
Xia Xixi considered himself a mild-mannered and easy-going person, but at that moment, looking at the message, he felt so irritated that he wanted to throw his phone into the lake in front of him.
"What’s wrong?" Li Quyin’s voice came.
Xia Xixi turned around, realizing that the phone's vibration had woken Li Quyin up. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
"No." Li Quyin shook his head, eyes probing. "What happened?"
"Work stuff, dealing with an annoying person." Xia Xixi didn’t plan to tell Li Quyin about this matter.
He didn’t want to involve Li Quyin in anything related to Shen Bailou, fearing it would put him in a difficult position.
"If anything comes up, you can tell me."
"Alright." Xia Xixi's mood brightened, a smile forming on his face.
Just as he was speaking, Li Quyin’s phone rang too.
It was a message from his assistant about hiring an expert.
After they had explicitly indicated they were willing to pay more, the other party finally responded but still refused to meet in person.
It seemed the price was still not enough for them.
Li Quyin was not short on money, and since he needed their help, he was willing to pay.
But dealing with someone who kept raising the price was really testing his patience.
"Keep negotiating, probe their stance, if it doesn’t work out, find someone else." Li Quyin's eyes were cold and sharp.
After replying, Li Quyin looked up to see Xia Xixi watching him with a worried expression.
"Work stuff too?" Xia Xixi asked.
"Yeah." Li Quyin put away his stern demeanor and smiled gently. "Also dealing with an annoying person."
Xia Xixi laughed at that.
In a way, he and Li Quyin were quite in sync, even their bad luck seemed to come at the same time.
"I wish these annoying people would just disappear from the world," Xia Xixi grumbled.
"Absolutely," Li Quyin agreed wholeheartedly.