Bab 14: Talking
Song Luli was deep in her workload when her assistant stepped into her office, urgently informing her of a scandal with one of the people contracted under Song Entertainment.
She stood up immediately, following her assistant into a conference room where a woman was sitting in one of the seats. Her face appeared to be grave and weary as she held her hands on her lap, sitting quietly.
Song Luli stepped to her side. "Zhao Liyin," she called.
Zhao Liyin glanced up at her with red-rimmed eyes. She was an up-coming actress, and she was currently the main lead for a drama they were filming. But because it was her first lead role, she was still vulnerable in the industry and pressured to be perfect under the eyes of critics.
"What's wrong?" Song Luli asked.
Zhao Liyin pursed her lips. Her fingers trembled as if she was afraid to speak. To sign a contract with Song Entertainment meant that they would have to compensate from hundreds of thousands Yuan to millions for breaking the terms of the agreement, which included scandals.
Song Luli read her face carefully, releasing a breath. "Tell me what happened. Depending on what you say, I may be lenient. But if you don't tell me, then I would have to demand compensation," she said with a neutral tone, it was neither intimidating or gentle.
Song Luli didn't want to scare her, but she also didn't want anyone working for her to assume that she'll let things slide.
Zhao Liyin sighed. "Diamond Entertainment is spreading rumours of me sleeping with President Peng Wu," she said. Song Luli's eyes widened in surprise before Zhao Liyin reached out to her. "But it's not true!" she said desperately.
Peng Wu was the president of an airline, a married man, and if this scandal escalates, it will diminish her reputation, thus affecting the film they were producing.
"Explain," Song Luli said.
"I was at a social party, and I pecked him on the cheek as a greeting, but from the angle of the photo the tabloids placed, it looked like a direct kiss," she said. "And then we were seen at a bar talking about business, but I kept my distance, and again, it looked wrong. I know someone was following us,"
Song Luli sighed. Her assistant then passed her a news article that blown out of proportion. Indeed, from every angle, the two looked close and flirty. Song Luli eyed her. "It seems like there was a bit of flirtation."
Zhao Liyin pouted. "Only harmless, but still, nothing else happened. I know the consequences, and he's married! Why would I want to debunk my reputation for that?"
Song Luli considered it before saying, "Don't make any comments, don't accept interviews until I figure it out," she said.
Zhao Liyin sighed in relief.
"You're off the hook for now. But, if you're lying, consequences will be worse," she said.
"Y-yes, Miss Song," she said.
Miss Song.
Song Luli found it pointless to correct her. She didn't care what she was referred by, but she realized not many people knew she was married to Long Jie.
It was a private ceremony, and the only witnesses were Song Zhen and people who worked at the registration office, and by law, they can't out any personal information.
But she didn't care if people knew or not.
Song Luli stood from her seat, heading towards the office. She asked her assistant to obtain the personal contact information of Peng Wu so that she can blow over the rumours.
...
At home, Song Luli dragged her legs up the steps of the porch, before going inside.
She placed her stuff on the racks, heading towards the kitchen for a meal.
She paused when Long Jie casually passed by wearing only a pair of shorts and shoes, with a white towel over his bare neck. His hair was sweat-slick, plastered over his face elegantly. He looked like he finished a work-out.
Song Luli was momentarily stunned. He paused, too. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She stared at him.
His body was angular and toned. He had tattoos on the right side of his body, beginning from his pectoral down to his torso in the shape of a dragon.
And it was a beautiful work of art.
Long Jie smirked, and Song Luli sucked in a breath, realizing she had been staring at him for too long. She glanced away, proceeding to walk into the kitchen with her chin held high, pretending as if she spaced out.
Long Jie went up the staircase, disappearing altogether.
Song Luli sighed with relief before opening the fridge to find some fresh salmon and vegetables. She began to cook them on a frying pan along with some rice in a separate pot and made enough for two people.
She covered Long Jie's meal, not knowing when he'll eat, and she began to munch on her dinner.
Not long after, she heard him descend the stairs and step in casually. He was fully clothed, and his hair looked newly washed. He then took the meal she put away for him and held it to the kitchen table she was sitting in.
Typically, he was the one who cooked meals, leaving them for her when she came home. But since she got off work early, she had enough time to return the favour. She felt like the relationship between them should be equal. But she was still new to the role of a wife.
He began to eat, and she felt nervous at what he may think about her cooking. But his face appeared to be satisfied as he devoured the meal.
Song Luli wasn't sure if she should initiate a conversation, or to let them have a quiet meal. But it was also the first time they ate together, and she was afraid that this wouldn't happen again.
"Do you work out often?" she asked, curiously.
Long Jie held a spoon in his hand just below his lips before glancing at her. His lips curled slightly, holding some intrigue at the seams.
"When I find the time, which is twice a week," he said. "Why?"
He let down his spoon, waiting for an answer, and Song Luli realized that earlier incident. She hid a flush since she knew she shouldn't have asked.
"I'm curious because I would like to try working out too," she said. But, she didn't mean it. In all honesty, she hated anything to do with exercise besides swimming.
"Oh?" Long Jie said. "I can train with you some time if you want," he suggested.
Song Luli glanced at him. "Someday," she said.
Wanting to keep the conversation going, she then continued. "How has work been lately?"
Long Jie continued to eat, and after chewing some time, he answered, "Well, I could say it's the 'same thing' every day, but it isn't."
It piqued her interest. "Continue," she said.
Long Jie was hesitant at first. Still, then, he said, "My company began the process of creating affordable carbon dioxide canisters around polluted air areas that can soak up green-house gas emissions. Now, it will slow down the earth's warming effect, but that's only if other tech companies can help contribute. But it's a start," he said.
Song Luli's eyes widened, astonished. "That's fascinating. But how else can we reduce our carbon footprint if we need fossil fuels to fulfill human needs?" she asked.
Surprise flashed across Long Jie's face. He smiled before telling her that there were many alternatives to some daily essentials, and he and his team are trying to make things affordable because it was difficult. But at least it was a start.
Completely forgetting about the rest of their meals, Long Jie took her to the study room, showing her designs of the canister.
They wanted to mass-produce them, and he showed the engineering behind creating them.
Song Luli couldn't understand most of what he tried to explain, but she listened and grasped bits, and if she didn't understand something, she would ask him about it.
Long Jie appeared to be excited as he explained to her on the project, passionate even.
She didn't realize that two hours had passed of them talking to each other, and he was enthusiastic about it every minute.
Song Luli found herself smiling, and Long Jie caught it.
Her smile was rare to witness, and to Long Jie, it was contagious. His lips unconsciously curled, mainly because he felt satisfied. At work, he could go hours speaking about science. But there was something different about someone not obligated to listen to him, to find what he said as interesting.
To his friends, he was the 'boring' one, but Song Luli never complained about the dry material once. She even asked questions, almost as if she wanted to learn. And he wondered just who did he marry?
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