Chapter 32

Li Zhengxi's father, Li Gongtang, was a gentle and refined man, with an extremely mild temperament. In both of Li Zhengxi's lifetimes, he had never seen his father get angry.

His face always wore a smile, which was why the three brothers called him "Mr. Nice Guy." However, this did not mean that the three brothers did not respect their equally talented father. In fact, Li Zhengxi almost talked to him about everything.

This time, when he returned to complete his studies, he mentioned to his father that Sun Yizhen was now living in the house in Chengbeidong. At the time, Li Gongtang just smiled and glanced at him, then said that it was fortunate he mentioned it early, as he was planning to have Jin Meiyuan go to the old house to find some ancient books left by his grandfather.

Li Zhengxi was genuinely startled at the time, feeling somewhat guilty, even though he hadn't done anything wrong.

On a sunny Saturday morning, the weather was pleasant and not too hot. Li Zhengxi hadn't seen Sun Yizhen for some time, though they had talked on the phone a few times. When he arrived at the door, he called to avoid any misunderstandings, but no one answered.

"Looks like she's not here," Li Zhengxi muttered, then took out his key and went inside. It had been several months since Sun Yizhen moved in, and the grass on the lawn had grown a bit but was still neat. The flowers in the garden were in full bloom, and the surrounding green trees were lush, creating a vibrant scene. This was the difference when someone was living there.

Li Zhengxi smiled slightly, took a walk around the yard, and then went into the house. The inside was also very tidy and clean, which pleased him. He didn't wander around but went directly to the study on the west side of the first floor.

Li Gongtang wanted him to find Zheng Zhenduo's "A History of Chinese Literature," a rare edition from the Republic of China era with illustrations. Another book was Liang Qichao's "A History of Chinese Scholarship in the Last Three Centuries," also a rare illustrated edition from the same period.

These were things from several decades ago, but they were well-preserved in wax, still in perfect condition, with no damage and little change in the color of the paper.

Li Zhengxi's expertise in Chinese literature was limited, so he wasn't very interested. He flipped through the books casually, then put them in a bag and left.

However, just as he was about to leave through the main door after walking down the west corridor, he encountered Sun Yizhen coming from the right, and she was only wearing a bikini.

"Ah!" Sun Yizhen, who was drying her hair with a towel, screamed when she saw Li Zhengxi suddenly appear. She quickly covered her chest and asked angrily, "What are you doing here?"

Li Zhengxi felt like rolling his eyes but smiled helplessly. "I came to get something," he said, waving the books in his hand. "And I called you before I came in. You can check your phone if you don't believe me."

"I was just swimming in the back!" Sun Yizhen was still angry and glared at him. "And you were looking...!"

Li Zhengxi chuckled and glanced at her casually, then shrugged. "What's there to look at!" Of course, in reality, it was somewhat tempting. Her snow-white skin, her fully developed chest, and the way her arms pressed against it, making more of her skin spill out.

Her waist was slender, and her legs, though not short, were round and straight. However, at that moment, her legs were already kicking toward him, and Sun Yizhen scolded him again, "Shameless!"

Li Zhengxi dodged and teased, "If I were you, I would have changed clothes first!"

This finally reminded Sun Yizhen. She gritted her teeth and spat at him, "Bastard, you wait," then ran up the stairs. But at the top of the stairs, she turned and said something that left Li Zhengxi speechless, "You're not allowed to follow me, or I'll fight you!"

Well, if this were in a romantic context, it might be a kind of hint, Li Zhengxi thought idly, then sat down on the sofa, looking around the familiar house.

Soon, Sun Yizhen came down, wearing a white T-shirt and light gray denim shorts, holding a phone. Her expression had clearly softened, indicating she had seen the missed call.

Li Zhengxi didn't want to stare at her, so he spoke first, "I heard you've finished your role in 'King Taejo'!" It was a minor role, and she had gotten it through Li Zhengxi's and Park Dongzan's connections, to help her get more familiar with the camera and find her rhythm.

"Um," Sun Yizhen was still embarrassed and thought Li Zhengxi had done it on purpose. After seeing the missed call, and reflecting on recent events, she realized it was a misunderstanding. She felt awkward and apologetic until Li Zhengxi spoke, and she sighed in relief, asking, "What about you? Have you gotten your diploma?"

Li Zhengxi smiled and nodded, and Sun Yizhen cheered, clenching her fists. "You're so amazing!"

The two had always been close, with only a few months' age difference. Even on the phone, Sun Yizhen had said Li Zhengxi could call her "sister." After the initial awkwardness, they returned to their normal state.

"By the way, I signed a contract with KBS, just like you!" Sun Yizhen, hugging a pillow, lay on the sofa, her eyes sparkling. "I thought about it for a long time after listening to Mr. Zhang's advice!"

She pouted and said playfully, "I'm trusting you, so if I lose out, you have to make it up to me!"

"It's not like I forced you," Li Zhengxi looked at her with a hint of amusement, admiring the flexibility of her legs as she playfully kicked her round buttocks.

As for her contract, he had heard about it. Zhang Dongguo had blindly trusted him, and when KBS offered Sun Yizhen 5 million won per episode, even though she was a rookie, she was the lead. The going rate for a lead was at least 15 million won, and some were as high as 50 million won (100 million won was what Bae Yong-joon first proposed in "Taewang Ssinmunje" four years later).

So, the final agreement was: "5 million won for a 20% or lower rating, 10 million won for 20% or higher, 20 million won for 30% or higher, and so on."

"I don't care!" Sun Yizhen was no longer angry and playfully kicked his leg, pouting, "Otherwise, I'll stay here forever!"

Seeing Li Zhengxi smiling at her, she blushed and bit her lip, then suddenly smiled brightly, "I really like it here, what should I do?"

She lowered her voice, as if afraid someone else would hear, "Do you know, every time I come back in the nanny car, my assistant and makeup artist look at me with envy. They even say I must be the daughter of some super-rich tycoon..."

This was a common vanity, and Li Zhengxi was not surprised. Of course, he wouldn't promise to let her stay forever, but he also didn't want to say he would make her leave.

After some thought, he smiled calmly, "You'll have all of this in the future, anyway, it's not that special here!"

His emotional intelligence was not high, and this did not make Sun Yizhen feel good. She pouted, "Okay, I'll move out in the future!"

Li Zhengxi was taken aback and laughed bitterly, spreading his hands in helplessness, "I didn't mean it that way!"

But Sun Yizhen turned over, hugging the pillow, and refused to look at him. She really liked it here, and it had almost everything she wanted: a huge lawn and garden, a beautiful courtyard, a luxurious and elegant house, and a swimming pool where she could swim in the morning, a balcony on the second floor where she could drink wine and listen to vinyl records at night, and watch movies...

So, the thought of leaving made her sad, and her temper, which could change in an instant, flared up.

Li Zhengxi had little experience dealing with this and looked innocent, "You're angry, please..."

He was about to say more when his phone rang. It was Guo Jingze, which made him genuinely nervous.

He took a deep breath, and Sun Yizhen looked at him in surprise, not knowing what was happening. He then answered, trying to sound relaxed, "Director Guo, I'm really afraid to hear bad news!"

"Ha ha!" The laughter on the other end instantly relieved all his tension, making him cheer and wave his fist, but Sun Yizhen, annoyed, bit his hand, leaving a mark, which made him wince in pain.

Fortunately, the voice on the other end was very soothing, "Well, I thought about it, or rather, I didn't sleep the first night..." Guo Jingze laughed self-deprecatingly and continued, "Later, I thought, since I have nothing else to do, and after reading the script, it would be hard to focus on other projects!"

He then became serious, "Um, I thought about it. For the production team, like cinematography and lighting, I have contacts. I can give them a heads-up now, and even if it doesn't work out, there won't be many problems. As for the actors, we should be cautious. We can just mention the project to their agents, show them the script, but not give a definite answer or sign any contracts. This way, we have more control, and the risk is much lower..."

He laughed again, "As for the remaining parts, like location scouting and storyboarding, if it fails, we can consider it a bond of friendship..."

Guo Jingze was a man of sentiment, willing to forgo his fee if it failed. However, Li Zhengxi couldn't do that. He laughed and said, "Director Guo, don't think I'm being stingy. I have 50 million won here, which you can use for now. Also, you'll be the co-producer of this film..."

50 million won was the maximum amount Empire Entertainment could allocate, to be used by Guo Jingze during the preparation. As for the co-producer role, it meant he would have the final say.

Guo Jingze laughed heartily, both because of Li Zhengxi's trust and because he felt the excitement he had lost. When he decided, he didn't feel it, but now, he felt more and more motivated.

"Alright, let's do it this way. We'll stay in touch!" Guo Jingze slapped his thigh, "I'll keep you updated on progress, and you can give me your opinions anytime!"

Yes! Reaching an agreement, Li Zhengxi hung up and waved his fist again, grinning at Sun Yizhen and winking playfully.

Sun Yizhen was no longer angry. She had been acting childish. Fortunately, this boss was easy to bully, and now, thinking back, signing with him was a wise decision.

Of course, she still gave him a glare! PS: Keep recommending, and if you like it, please add it to your favorites, dear!