Anna’s original name was Shao Anna, a fact few people knew.
She was his half-sister, an illegitimate child at that. Shao Cheng, as the eldest son, even as a doctor, was not so magnanimous and therefore did not favor her.
But Grandma loved her very much.
Lou Yuming said, "It was she who took care of your grandmother all these years you were abroad."
Shao Cheng pushed his glasses up his nose, his expression conveying a "so what?" attitude.
"Brother."
Anna called out to him proactively. She had dressed modestly that day, hoping to make a good impression on Shao Cheng.
After all, four years had passed since their last meeting.
Shao Cheng didn't even spare her a glance, walking straight ahead.
Anna could only look at Lou Yuming, seeking solace from him. But all she saw was the man's tall, receding figure. She bit her lip, feeling wronged.
"Stay here today, I'll have someone prepare rooms for you," the old lady said from the head of the table.
Lou Yuming was about to refuse, but Anna immediately agreed, "Okay, Grandma, I've missed you so much."
She had always been sweet-tongued and knew how to please the elderly.
The old lady's heart bloomed with joy. She called Anna to her side and said, "Come, let Grandma see you. Our Anna seems to have lost weight recently."
"Not at all."
Old Mrs. Shao then looked at Lou Yuming and suddenly asked, "Yuming, when do you plan to marry Anna? Have you picked a date?"
"Marriage?"
Shao Cheng was startled and, without a second word, pulled Lou Yuming away from the main hall.
The two arrived at the rain shelter, one after the other. Shao Cheng frowned and asked, "When did this happen? How come I didn't know?"
Lou Yuming looked coldly into the distance, faintly hearing sounds of an argument. "Were there others today?"
"No, it's just... Don't change the subject. Why are you marrying her?"
Lou Yuming sat on the platform, his tone languid. "What? Didn't Steward Fu tell you? In January, your grandmother fell seriously ill and was on the verge of death. Anna told a lie, which is how her life was saved."
Shao Cheng let out a cold laugh. "So this lie was that she was going to get married, and the groom was you? Heh, her words are more effective than a doctor's?"
Lou Yuming pursed his lips. "She's your grandmother, after all. The old lady treated me well."
"But you can't sacrifice yourself!" Shao Cheng angrily took off his glasses. "Then what are your plans? Getting married at this stage will only disrupt our plans, and besides..."
"Besides what?"
"What about Song Xi?"
"Her?"
The air carried wisps of dampness, as if it were about to rain.
Lou Yuming looked at the budding bamboo leaves, his tone chilling. "Find a time to break up. She's easy to deal with."
...
The back garden.
After Song Xi changed her clothes, the staff erupted in continuous exclamations of admiration.
She possessed a cool, classical beauty, as if transported back to Jiangnan.
She was truly a natural beauty. The cyan flowing-sleeve immortal dress made her appear elegant, refined, and full of ethereal charm.
Sister Ying, as if she had found a treasure, tidied her clothes while saying, "You don't have a company now, do you? Are you interested in signing with us? Although our company is small, I guarantee we can make you famous!"
Song Xi was overwhelmed. There were no mirrors here, so she didn't know if she looked good herself. But seeing their reactions, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Quick, shoot Song Xi first!" Sister Ying commanded.
The other two girls looked displeased. "Sister Ying, what about us?"
"Wait a moment, after we finish with her, we'll shoot you."
The girls pouted. Though inwardly unhappy, they couldn't help but glance at Song Xi.
...She was indeed beautiful.
With the bamboo forest as a backdrop, Song Xi began her first Hanfu photoshoot.
She was a bit unpracticed, and with so many people around, her expressions and movements were inevitably a little stiff.
The two girls started to gloat.
"This is it. Sister Ying is known for being a tigress; she's definitely going to get angry!"
"Exactly. What's the point of being pretty if you still get scolded? Take a secret video and post it on the school forum later."
"Hahahaha, okay!"
Other staff members also held their breath, anxious for Song Xi.
But unexpectedly, Sister Ying wasn't angry at all. Instead, she guided her kindly, astonishing everyone.
"It's okay, it's normal to have no experience. To shoot Hanfu, you need to learn to imagine, imagine you are in ancient times, imagine you are an ancient person."
"I'll play some ancient style music for you. Can you find the feeling?"
Song Xi: "Okay."
Sister Ying played "Haitang."
As soon as the intro began, the atmosphere was instantly enhanced.
The melodious tune drifted through the dense bamboo grove, past the green tiles and vermilion eaves, and finally reached Lou Yuming's ears. He raised an eyebrow. "What is that sound?"
Shao Cheng said, "It might be from those people who are filming."
"You've always preferred quiet. Why would you let these people in?"
"It's a matter of personal connection. I'll go ask them to turn it off."
Perhaps finding it too boring, Lou Yuming also stood up. "I'll go with you."
They walked along the winding corridor, and at the end, they saw a small film crew with only a few people, apparently shooting Hanfu.
No wonder they chose this location.
Just as Shao Cheng was about to approach, Lou Yuming stopped him, as if he had seen something. "Wait."