As he spoke, his chest resonated, and Song Xi, held in his embrace, could feel the warmth of his body, the faint scent of sandalwood, and a sigh of helplessness mixed with indulgence.
Her face flushed, and she turned to leave, but Lou Yuming's large hand suddenly enveloped the back of her hand, the one holding the club, while his other hand secured her shoulders, preventing her from escaping his hold.
She was like a rabbit, its glands seized by a fierce lion.
Song Xi didn't need to look to feel the shock and gossip in the gazes from all directions.
She struggled angrily, her voice lacking conviction, kept low so only Lou Yuming could hear.
"Let go! If you want to play, play by yourself. I don't have time for you!"
He leaned down, his gaze meeting hers, his warm breath grazing the sensitive skin of her ear.
"Play with me."
His tone was like a spoiled child's plea.
Song Xi's skin crawled, but her resistance had clearly lessened.
Lou Yuming subtly curled his lips, then, using her hand, guided her step by step, leading her to strike the ball.
With a powerful swing, the ball soared across the lawn, landing precisely in the hole, the furthest one at that.
Song Xi couldn't help but gasp in admiration, surprised by his excellent golf skills.
"Well played."
Lou Yuming released her and turned, his peripheral vision slowly sweeping over Wang Bin. Their eyes met, and Wang Bin felt a murderous intent even more potent than yesterday. His face paled, and he shrank behind the others as if facing the King of Hell, terrified.
Apart from Wang Bin, the others had never seen Lou Yuming's true demeanor, not being deemed worthy. So, at first, seeing Wang Bin act like a quivering grandson, they mocked him. But as time went on, they sensed something was amiss. Instinctively, each one of them sat up straight like obedient schoolchildren, not daring to make a sound.
He's so handsome! That scene just now was incredibly cool!
Jin Ying struggled to contain her scream. What breakup? This was clearly just a lovers' spat! Song Xi never spoke the truth!
Seeing Director Pang approaching, Lou Yuming's gaze sharpened, a clear warning in his eyes directed at Wang Bin.
Wang Bin's scalp tingled, and he hastily herded the others, scrambling away like he was being chased.
From their initial grand procession to their current panicked retreat, Jin Ying watched with immense satisfaction!
Lou Yuming was truly formidable. If Song Xi had sought his help earlier, they wouldn't have wasted so much time!
She wondered what they had argued about that led Song Xi to be so wronged yet not seek out Lou Yuming. She suddenly felt very curious.
"I didn't expect Mr. Lou to be such a skilled golfer."
Jin Ying looked over and saw Director Pang, her eyes widening in surprise.
Lou Yuming replied, "Just messing around."
"You're too modest."
As Director Pang approached, he noticed the two young women looked somewhat familiar. Before he could speak, Jin Ying eagerly introduced herself, "Hello, Director Pang! I'm Jin Ying, an actress."
Then, she immediately gave Song Xi a meaningful look. Song Xi, reacting swiftly, followed Jin Ying's lead and introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Song Xi, also an actress."
"No wonder, I thought I'd seen you somewhere before," Director Pang chuckled, his laughter warm and friendly due to his physique.
Lou Yuming said, "Director Pang, let's go to a room for some tea. I've arranged for some West Lake Longjing."
Director Pang's interest was piqued. "That's my favorite."
After taking a few steps, Lou Yuming noticed Song Xi and the others still lingering. He frowned and said, "What are you two standing around for? Hurry up and follow."
Before Song Xi could respond, Jin Ying excitedly linked arms with her and cheerfully agreed, "Coming right up, Mr. Lou!"
Song Xi's expression soured. "They're having business discussions. What are we going to do? Since the matter is resolved, let's head back to the hotel."
"Song Xi, are you an idiot!" Jin Ying exclaimed in exasperation. "Didn't Dai Ze tell you that the director for 'Jing Pian Ling' was confirmed a few days ago? It's the Director Pang from just now!"
Song Xi froze. "Brother Dai didn't tell me."
Jin Ying frowned. "Perhaps he had his own plans. To be honest, I brought you here today partly to help you relax, and partly because I heard through the grapevine that Director Pang would be here. I wanted to seize this opportunity for myself!"
She gave a wry smile. "But it seems the role of the female lead has probably already been decided."
Her words held a hidden meaning. Song Xi's gaze turned serious. "I truly didn't know."
"I know," Jin Ying said, seeing Song Xi's bewildered expression, which indicated she wasn't lying. "But even so, I want to try. Song Xi, you and I both know what the 'Jing Pian Ling' IP represents. Don't you want to win the role of the female lead through your own merit?"