Chapter 110: Bickering

On a July morning, a sliver of light appeared on the horizon. The sun rose early, lining the edge of the sky with a pale white border.

Lin Xi woke just as dawn was breaking. She had a busy schedule to rush to early this morning.

Drowsily opening her eyes, she felt herself held in Lu Yuxiu's arms. He was behaving himself, letting her rest her head on one of his arms while his other hand lay gently across her waist.

Lin Xi pressed a button to draw back a layer of the curtains. The warm sunlight was not blinding. She looked up at him. Perhaps he was exhausted from his recent days at the company; he was sleeping deeply now, his breathing steady.

The soft morning light filtered in, illuminating his handsome face, which looked aloof, serene, and exceptionally striking.

Looking at his closed eyes, she couldn't help but envy his long eyelashes, a feature any girl would covet. She quietly raised her hand, hesitating in midair for a few seconds. She reached closer, wanting to touch them, but not wanting to wake him, she ultimately did nothing and gently drew her hand back.

Perhaps because they were so close, simply looking at him filled Lin Xi with a deep sense of contentment, and the corners of her mouth curled upward unconsciously.

Before meeting him, she had even thought she might spend her life alone until the end. But after they fell in love, everything changed. She found herself looking forward more and more to the unknown future.

"Baby, playing the 'waiting wife' first thing in the morning?" As Lin Xi stared at Lu Yuxiu's face, lost in thought, a sudden voice broke the silence. He opened his eyes and looked at her, his gaze clear, still carrying that cold, aloof, and otherworldly demeanor.

Lin Xi froze for a moment before realizing, "You've been awake this whole time!"

Blushing slightly, she balled her hands into tiny fists and playfully thumped his chest before turning her back to him, ignoring him.

"Mm," he murmured, his eyes deep, his voice still carrying the raspy, magnetic depth of someone who had just woken up. "I felt my baby staring at me with such burning passion."

Taking her playful blows, he chuckled and leaned in, wrapping his arms around her from behind. He rubbed his chin against the crown of her head, then leaned down to kiss her hair before closing his eyes again. "Be good, let me hold you a little longer," he murmured.

They stayed like that for a while until Lin Xi received a message from Miya saying she was waiting downstairs. The film crew was shooting on location in Feng City, which was a two-hour drive away, so she had to get up.

She turned around in his embrace and looked at him with wide eyes. "I have to get up. I'm joining the crew of *The Ethereal Chronicles* today."

"Mm," he grunted raspily from his throat without opening his eyes. Lin Xi frowned slightly and gave him a dissatisfied push, only for him to catch her hand.

His long, elegant fingers squeezed hers, drawing her hand to his lips for a light kiss before intertwining his fingers with hers, locking them together.

With his eyes still closed, he said in a low voice, "Be good. I'll visit you on set when I have time."

His entire posture was relaxed and lazy.

Lin Xi's face flushed bright red again. She hurriedly broke free from his grasp and dashed toward the bathroom, muttering, "Who wants you to visit anyway!"

Lu Yuxiu lay in bed, his eyes closed, the corners of his mouth curving upward.

***

The crew of *The Ethereal Chronicles* held their filming commencement ceremony at Hengdian World Studios.

During the ceremony, Lin Xi stayed close to her senior, Song Anhe, and also met the male and female leads.

The male lead, Chen Li, was a veteran actor who had debuted over a decade ago. Having won numerous prestigious awards, he remained incredibly charming in his forties and was said to be very warm and polite in private.

The female lead, Ning Shuyu, was hailed by the media as a "born actress." At just thirty years old, she had already achieved a grand slam of the three major film awards. However, rumors in the industry suggested she was difficult to get along with, possessing a fiery temper and a strong personality.

Lin Xi happened to catch Ning Shuyu's eye. She offered a polite smile and a nod. To her surprise, this Best Actress, rumored to have a terrible temper, nodded back quite warmly.

This took Lin Xi slightly aback. It seemed Miya's information was incorrect, or perhaps the rumors were simply untrustworthy.

"May the filming be a grand success!" Fan Xie unveiled the red cloth covering the camera, and the crew members waved the red envelopes in their hands, shouting in unison.

Fan Xie spoke into the microphone. "Next, we will be working together to complete *The Ethereal Chronicles*. I hope everyone will give it their all so we can deliver an outstanding piece of work!"

Everyone applauded enthusiastically.

"We will begin shooting this afternoon. Everyone, go back and get some rest first!" With a wave of Fan Xie's hand, the crowd dispersed.

Lin Xi turned to walk toward her trailer, but Ning Shuyu suddenly blocked her path. Forced to stop, she looked up to see Ning Shuyu sizing her up from head to toe.

She didn't sense any hostility; rather, she felt a curious gaze scanning her face.

Lin Xi looked back at her. The woman before her had clear, bright eyes and exquisite, striking features. Her subtle expressions were lively and vivid, and she exuded a refreshing, high-class aura, carrying an elegant and noble beauty.

"So you're Lin Xi?" Ning Shuyu squinted slightly, resting her chin on her hand as she asked.

Lin Xi blinked, somewhat bewildered. "Uh... I think... so..." she said hesitantly.

"Hahaha!" Ning Shuyu laughed heartily, her eyes curving like crescents. "You really are interesting. No wonder you managed to tame that kid Yuxiu!"

Her uninhibited laughter drew glances from several staff members nearby. They were surprised to see the two actresses getting along so harmoniously.

"Huh?" Lin Xi was instantly filled with questions, staring at her in confusion. Did this woman know Yuxiu? Could she be one of his past flings?

At the thought, Lin Xi's brow furrowed.

"Whoa, don't misunderstand!" Ning Shuyu quickly waved her hands, a smirk playing on her lips. "I'm Lu Yuxiu's cousin."

With that, she wiggled her eyebrows at Lin Xi, waiting to see her reaction.

"Ah?" Lin Xi's mouth parted slightly, caught completely off guard.

***

Suppressing a laugh, Ning Shuyu walked over and linked her arm through Lin Xi's, saying warmly, "It seems that kid never mentioned me to you. Ning Wan, Lu Yuxiu's mother, is my biological aunt."

"Oh—" Lin Xi finally understood. So that was the connection. No wonder this supposedly bad-tempered Best Actress was being so friendly to her.

"So just call me Sister Shuyu. I've got your back from now on!" Ning Shuyu tilted her head up and patted her chest, looking every bit the protective older sister.

Lin Xi burst into laughter at her antics. She was practically a female version of her own fourth brother!

"Alright, thank you, Sister Shuyu!" Lin Xi smiled warmly, and their friendship was instantly forged.

"Come on, let's go eat in my trailer." Ning Shuyu affectionately pulled Lin Xi toward her motorhome.

Just as they sat down and picked up their chopsticks, Lin Xi's phone vibrated. It was Lu Yuxiu.

A mischievous smirk spread across Ning Shuyu's face. She said to Lin Xi, "Put him on speaker. Let me talk to him."

Lin Xi complied.

"Baby, have you had lunch yet?" Lu Yuxiu's pleasant, gentle voice came through the speaker.

Hearing the pet name, Ning Shuyu grimaced and shuddered, staring at the phone with a look of pure disgust.

Lin Xi almost burst out laughing, turning her head away in sheer embarrassment. It was an incredibly awkward moment.

"Ahem." Unable to hold back, Ning Shuyu spoke up. "I say, little brother, is this really you? We haven't seen each other for how long, and you're already using such sickeningly sweet nicknames?"

"..." Silence fell over the line for a moment, followed by a cool, indifferent voice. "Ning Shuyu."

Ning Shuyu immediately bristled, her anger flaring up as she gritted her teeth. "Where are your manners? Let me ask you, why didn't you mention me to Xiao Xi? You're too much!"

Watching the two of them bicker back and forth, Lin Xi felt a strange sense of familiarity. It was just like how she and her fourth brother bickered. It was quite amusing.

"I was afraid your loud, impulsive nature would scare my girl," Lu Yuxiu replied flatly, without a hint of sincerity.

"Am I really that scary?! Xiao Xi is my future sister-in-law, I can't wait to look after her!" Ning Shuyu roared into the phone, her beautiful face contorted with exasperation.

Lin Xi leaned against the backrest, biting her lip as she watched her. She hadn't known Yuxiu had the ability to drive someone to such frustration.

But now she knew that the rumors about the Best Actress's fiery temper weren't entirely groundless.