Chapter 27 : Valentine’s day gift (1/2)

Meng Xici felt that his mind might have been a bit off lately.

Otherwise, why would he suddenly start pondering such things?

It must have been influenced by that bag of love letters and whatnot.

As for whether it had anything to do with his father, he couldn’t be sure…

But this wasn’t something he should be concerned with.

Speaking of this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward.

Thankfully, his father hadn’t found the letters, or else discussing this between the two men would have been too embarrassing to imagine…

This was also Meng Xici’s first time dealing with such a situation.

Back in middle school, most of the students were still quite young, and aside from a few, everyone was generally shy about expressing their feelings.

There weren’t many actions that direct.

However, compared to the naive years of middle school, high school students were already beginning to transition into adulthood.

With the open environment at Yuli High School and the students’ unique backgrounds, they tended to mature earlier than average students from regular high schools.

They became freer and bolder in expressing their feelings toward the opposite sex.

If it weren’t for the school’s management of such matters, the atmosphere on campus today would have been much more lively.

When he received the letters today, he was somewhat dazed.

He hadn’t dealt with the letters yet, and if his father saw them, he might think that Meng Xici wasn’t focused on his studies, especially after not doing well on the end-of-term exams.

However, it was also possible that his father wouldn’t say anything about it at all…

Lost in these thoughts, the sound of a door opening from the study interrupted him.

Meng Xici immediately snapped back to reality, instinctively running up to the third floor.

From his recent experience, the second floor at night wasn’t the place for him to be.

Hearing the commotion, Sang Miao peered into the stairwell, catching a glimpse of his hurried figure.

A look of confusion appeared in her eyes.

Why was he running faster than Simba?

Meng Xici was usually composed and had a bit of his father’s style.

It was rare to see him so rushed at home.

When she heard the sound of Meng Peisheng leaving the study, she quickly realized he was probably avoiding his father.

Interrupting her thoughts, Sang Miao glanced at her phone and saw that it was getting late.

She planned to head back to her room for a shower.

Before she could reach her room door, Meng Peisheng called her.

Thinking he had something important to say, she turned and walked a few steps toward him.

To her surprise, Meng Peisheng directly handed her a bag.

“This is for you.”

Sang Miao was puzzled.

The actions of both father and son today were quite difficult to understand.

She took the bag, glanced inside, and saw a square box with luxurious, delicate packaging.

When she took it out, the box felt heavy in her hands.

Not intending to guess his thoughts or the significance behind it, she directly asked, “What’s this?”

Meng Peisheng’s voice was clear and calm as he replied, “A Valentine’s gift.”

Sang Miao almost dropped the gift box in her hands.

“Huh?”

… What is this?

A Valentine’s… gift?

Did these words have anything to do with her… or rather, with the two of them?

Meng Peisheng’s gaze was calm and profound, observing her reaction.

With an amused tone, he added, “As a married man, shouldn’t I be giving this?”

Sang Miao didn’t know what to say…

What’s this misunderstanding about being a married man…?

Despite the shock, Sang Miao was able to interpret his words in a way that made sense.

She was now his nominal wife, so he gave her a gift because of that status.

How should she put it?

It was quite thoughtful, but was it really worth his trouble?

She accepted the gift and sincerely thanked him, “Oh… then, thank you.”

Although there was no such clause in the contract, maybe it was about the sense of ceremony?

Or maybe he was just being generous?

She didn’t really understand, but since he thought it was something he should do, she was happy to accept it.

The problem was, “But I didn’t prepare anything for you.”

Of course, Sang Miao didn’t have the awareness to prepare something like that.

She hadn’t even paid attention to the fact that it was Valentine’s Day today.

Fortunately, Meng Peisheng didn’t mind.

He just calmly replied, “It’s fine.”

…

Back in her room, Sang Miao opened the gift box.

When she saw what was inside, a surprised smile spread across her face.

Inside the velvet box was a beautiful ladies’ wristwatch.

The sapphire dial radiated a cool glow, and the surrounding diamonds refracted a dazzling light.

It was clearly a precious piece.

No wonder it was so heavy.

At the center of the watch’s hands were two silver-white snowflakes, moving in sync with the passing time, turning like gears.

The watch band also featured a snowflake design with diamonds, combining a sense of grandeur and lightness.

Sang Miao felt an immediate sense of admiration for the gift.

She didn’t usually wear a wristwatch or any other accessories, so her wrist was bare.

This gift filled the gap perfectly.

When she put it on, it looked beautiful, accentuating her delicate, slender wrist.

She looked at it in the mirror and was quite satisfied.

Sang Miao admired it for a few moments before taking out her phone to type a message.

“Thank you, the gift is beautiful.”

Meanwhile, on the bedside table, her phone rang twice before a long, slender hand reached out and picked it up.

Meng Peisheng had just finished showering and was now reading her message.

In his grey bathrobe, his body’s muscles were defined, the lines graceful yet strong, the figure subtly revealed.

He opened her message and looked at her wrist, the delicate skin of her hand lightly visible, with a faint pinkish hue on the joints and knuckles.

The watch she wore suited her well.

Meng Peisheng replied to her: “It suits you.”

A while later, Sang Miao received his reply.

She wondered whether she should send him something in return.

Glancing at the brand name on the box, she quickly searched for the price online.

After a brief pause, Sang Miao froze for a second.

Sorry, she couldn’t afford it right now.

Maybe she could buy something small for now and wait until she earned enough money to buy him something better later?

The thought that she couldn’t even return the gift yet made Sang Miao more determined to focus on earning money soon.

Since returning to this world, Sang Miao has had little pursuit of fashion or jewelry, staying indoors most of the time.

Expensive luxury brands would be a waste for her, so she could only enjoy them visually.

However, since the last time Meng Peisheng had sent a pile of high-end fashion pieces for her to attend various events, using her name, Sang Miao, unintentionally became one of the most valued clients for major brands.

Whenever there was a new collection or important event, the brand would notify her through Shao Ying.

Recently, D. Serein sent an invitation to this esteemed top VIP client to attend a fashion show.

The response they received was that, due to a scheduling conflict, the person regretted not being able to attend.

The brand was naturally disappointed by this polite refusal, but still expressed that they would welcome the guest anytime, should their schedule allow.

To everyone’s surprise, a few days later, the guest actually accepted the invitation and asked if a friend could join her.

Although it was said to be a friend, it didn’t matter if there were ten people accompanying her; as long as she attended, it was great news for the brand.

The design director of D.Serein readily agreed and made sufficient preparations for the event.

…

Shen Shuhe had been in the industry for a few years, not too long, not too short.

Although she had a management company, her freedom was still quite limited.

In order to eventually free herself from their control, she worked hard to manage her resources independently once she gained some recognition, rather than relying on the company.

Now her studio had been running independently for a while, with income shared based on contracts with the company, and she had some freedom in choosing roles without being fully controlled.

As for other artists in the company who were not doing as well as her, they had to compromise a lot in order to get resources.

Now, she usually received roles through her efforts and the agent, with the company aware that she was unlikely to renew her contract.

If there were no conflicts, the company only needed to approve the process and give a nod.

Since the issue with changing roles, the company had naturally ignored her and would not bother to fight for her.

The original drama she was supposed to join was no longer an option, and her agent and assistant were more anxious than she was.

She had originally postponed some of her other roles for the sake of joining this project, but now, it seemed, she was stuck at home with nothing to do as an actress at the peak of her career.

The recently launched dramas had already mostly confirmed their leads, and she might not be able to join any set for quite some time.

Her original plans were disrupted, and her fanbase had been in a low mood for a while.

Because they couldn’t bear the tough resources and background that allowed others to bully her, some fans unfollowed.

But, paradoxically, this had also created a wave of devoted fans who had stayed loyal.

“At least there are a lot of activities this spring.

I’ll focus on preparing for the red carpet in two weeks.

I think we should focus on looking good to attract attention.

Whether the brand is prestigious enough is not something we need to worry about right now.”

The agent discussed her next steps.

“Whether a brand’s prestige matters, that’s not something we can just decide on, right?”

Shen Shuhe said lazily.

“Just do what you think is best.”

The agent paused for a moment, then said, “You’re right.

I’ll contact a better photography studio, get some high-quality shots, and make good use of the current buzz.”

Fortunately, her looks and temperament were never lacking, and sometimes, even brands with less high-end reputation but good designs that suited her worked well for her.

What she really needed now was to maintain enough buzz and volume, and not disappear from the industry every time she faced setbacks.

A good project is crucial for an actor in the rising stage of their career.

She was in the competition for a spot among the rising stars, and a six-month or year-long gap could drastically change her situation.

Now, she had to carefully select scripts and attend more activities to keep her exposure high.

Although her current status was not that of a top-tier actor, she still had plenty of scripts to choose from; it was just a matter of whether they were good or bad.

However, actors who cherished their wings were right to do so; if she, who wasn’t a resourceful star, failed to succeed with just two or three consecutive dramas, her resources would quickly decline.

The entertainment industry also relied on momentum.

Once the momentum dropped, the fanbase was hit, and without anyone to support her, her fame and resources would suffer greatly.

While they were discussing, there was suddenly a commotion at the door.

Shen Shuhe’s life assistant ran in, and before being seen, her voice had already reached the room.

“Sister, invitation!”

She quickly entered the room, stopped, and coughed twice before excitedly saying, “I just received an invitation!”

The agent, annoyed by all the trouble, looked at her clumsily rushing in and felt a bit irritated.

With some impatience, she took the invitation and said, “What invitation… you can’t even explain it clearly…”

She suddenly fell silent and looked at her artist in surprise.

It was one thing for the assistant to act surprised, but the agent’s reaction was somewhat unusual.

Having worked in the entertainment industry for so long, she had seen all sorts of things, and yet Shen Shuhe seemed genuinely confused, so the agent stretched out her hand and said, “Let me see.”

The agent handed over the invitation, and after a few seconds, she regained her voice in disbelief.

“D.Serein, why would they send you an invitation to a fashion show??”

The agent had been in the industry for a long time and knew that in the fashion world, such invitations were rare and highly coveted.

It wasn’t even considered a resource, but rather a sign of connections and status.

“This kind of show is usually only open to VIP clients.

Celebrities from the entertainment industry who have attended can be counted on one hand, and most of them are only able to attend through connections with a few wealthy families…”

“Where did you get these connections?” the agent asked, looking at her in disbelief.

The agent’s mind raced, thinking maybe she was hiding her identity as a rich heiress and entering the entertainment industry under a false name, but seeing that Shen Shuhe seemed unaware, she dismissed the thought as nonsense.

She then wondered if the brand saw potential in her and thought their image matched well, offering an olive branch.

But she quickly rejected that thought too.

She then thought maybe the brand had noticed her potential, feeling that their style matched perfectly, and offered an olive branch.

But this thought was quickly dismissed.

Although she was a standout among her peers, there were many senior female artists in the industry with higher profiles, and few of them received such treatment.

Another, more likely, possibility crossed her mind, and she couldn’t help but think of the worst-case scenario.

Her heart skipped a beat…

She felt uneasy, fearing that she might have underestimated the situation and gone down the wrong path.

Almost on the verge of tears, she hesitated and said, “Shuhe, is there something you’re hiding from us…”

Shen Shuhe, however, remained calmer than they were.

But as she looked at the glittering invitation, she fell into deep thought.

She absentmindedly replied, “How should I know…”

Turning to look at her agent, who was giving her a complex look, Shen Shuhe immediately understood that her agent had twisted her thoughts.

She almost choked and nearly rolled her eyes, saying, “What on earth are you thinking?”

The confusion between Shen Shuhe and her agent didn’t last long.

Soon, she received an answer that was both surprising and somehow expected.

…