Chapter 29

Chapter 29

In the blink of an eye, my second five-year contract with Lu Junrong was about to expire.

He cooked personally, preparing a sumptuous feast at home. A bouquet of red roses sat right in the center of the dining table.

They were my favorite flowers.

Lu Junrong was busy in the kitchen.

I rested my chin on my hand, watching him bustle back and forth.

He was twelve years older than me. Without realizing it, time had begun to etch lines at the corners of his eyes, but I had to admit, the older this man got, the more handsome he became.

“What are you looking at?”

Lu Junrong brought out the baked lobster and asked with a smile.

“Looking at you.” I tapped my chin with a finger, studying him. “You’re wearing a white shirt and jeans today. That’s exactly how you were dressed the first time we met.”

Lu Junrong shook his head and laughed. “Yeah. That day, I was just about to leave West City when a young girl suddenly rushed over, shouting ‘Director Lu, wait!’ over and over. She ended up knocking over a swill bucket, getting herself filthy and stinking all over, yet she grabbed my arm and wouldn’t let go. I was so disgusted back then, but her eyes were so dark and bright that I couldn’t help but look at her a few more times. And as I kept looking, years passed, and I could never forget her.”

I picked up a lemon slice from my water glass and ate it. “Wow, so sour.”

Lu Junrong gave me a playful, scolding look. He poured himself a glass of red wine and gave me some juice.

“Joey called me a few days ago. She said she saw you vomiting and even asked her assistant to go buy a pregnancy test?”

He looked at me affectionately. “Is our Joey going to have a little brother or sister?”

I took his red wine and took a large gulp. “That girl Qiaoyi is such a gossip. I’m not pregnant.”

The wine went down my throat, leaving a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Actually, I was pregnant, but I had secretly taken care of it.

A flash of pain crossed Lu Junrong’s eyes, and they seemed to shimmer with unshed tears.

He pressed a hand on my shoulder and smiled tenderly. “You know, it’s strange. I never liked children before, but now I want the house to be a bit more lively. Zhiyi, let’s go to Iceland for a vacation later. Haven’t you always wanted to see the Northern Lights?”

I readily agreed. “Sure. I’ll have Sister Fang check my schedule when the time comes.”

Lu Junrong froze, forcing a smile. “Ah Fang is a real talent. She’s been working on her own these past two years, running her entertainment company quite well. I heard she’s signed a few kids with good potential?”

“Mhm.”

I nodded and picked up some vegetables to eat.

In truth, I knew exactly what Lu Junrong’s other objective for this dinner was: he wanted to renew my contract.

My current reputation and commercial value were both extremely high.

Since he didn’t say it explicitly, I would pretend not to understand.

“Zhiyi, about that…”

Lu Junrong sat down across from me. “I’ll just be direct. Our contract is about to expire. What are your plans for the future?”

I put down my chopsticks. “I’ve been so busy these past few days that I forgot to tell you. I won’t be renewing the contract once it expires. I’m planning to sign with Sister Fang’s company.”

Lu Junrong lowered his gaze, his face filled with gloom. He asked with a forced smile, “With your current status, you’re already capable of standing on your own. Why are you still signing with an agency?”

I smiled faintly. “Oh, I say I’m signing with Sister Fang, but it’s not a full signing. It’s more about giving her some momentum and supporting her career. She’s helped me so much over the years; consider this my way of paying her back.”

“That’s good, that’s good.”

Lu Junrong took a large gulp of wine. He stared fixedly at me. “I want to marry you, truly. And it’s also true that I’ve loved you all these years.”

Silence fell for a long moment.

I lightly stroked the fire-red roses. “Do you remember when I won Best Supporting Actress? The starry sky that night was beautiful. I watched it for the entire night.”

Lu Junrong lowered his head.

I couldn’t see his face, so I didn’t know what his expression was. Sadness? Regret? Or perhaps reluctance?

None of it mattered anymore.

“Ah Ron, I’m leaving.”

I stood up to go.

As I reached the door, Lu Junrong suddenly called out to me.

“Zhiyi, you’ve always been a very clear-headed woman. You always know what you want. After being by my side for so many years… did you ever, even once, love me?”

I didn’t look back. “Of course I did.”

…