Chapter 160: Going to the Movies!

Father Chu was a man born for career pursuits and deeply enjoyed the thrill of entrepreneurship. Seeing such a golden opportunity, he was naturally reluctant to let it slip away. Little did he know that, apart from the years spent lingering around film and television production bases in her previous life, Chu Luoxi had rarely had the chance to focus on anything else. Whatever she managed to recall were either monumental events known to the entire nation or casual remarks overheard in private, the details of which were thoroughly vague.

Yet, relying on these fundamentally fragmented memories, Chu Luoxi still managed to offer Father Chu quite a few useful suggestions. This kept both Father Chu and Mother Chu busy all day long, leaving them no time to fuss over their daughter.

Indeed, with Lan Lun coordinating things, Chu Luoxi found herself with much more free time. Before she knew it, Christmas Eve had arrived, and she was once again "kidnapped" by Xiao Jingxuan.

Believe it or not, this was by no means a sweet date. Chu Luoxi had never been fond of Western holidays, but merchants adored every single one of them, so the festive atmosphere throughout the country remained remarkably thick.

Xiao Jingxuan’s debut film was scheduled to premiere on Christmas Eve, and this premiere ceremony naturally carried a certain flair. A modest red carpet was rolled out to gather some star power, draw media attention, and offer the audience a little visual treat.

Since it was a red-carpet event, the great God Xiao naturally abducted Chu Luoxi to serve as his female companion, instantly shattering her plan to quietly watch a movie in peace.

Due to Xiao Jingxuan’s domineering decision, Chu Luoxi was once again put through the ringer for most of the day. Starving and exhausted, she inwardly lamented that such affairs were best kept to a minimum. In the pursuit of beauty, styling, grooming, and the like were nothing short of sheer torture.

When she finally sank into the car of the aforementioned great God, Chu Luoxi’s eyes were entirely fixed on the thermos of hot porridge in her hands, a sight that left Xiao Jingxuan utterly depressed. After all that fuss, he apparently wasn't even as attractive as a bowl of porridge.

After slowly sipping a couple of spoonfuls and feeling warmth return to her stomach, Chu Luoxi finally found the energy to react properly: "Uhm, smells so good. Did you make this?"

Seeing the pre-prepared insulated food jar, she had initially assumed it was store-bought. However, the familiar taste prompted her question.

Hearing this, Xiao Jingxuan’s previous gloom vanished instantly, replaced by a brilliant, dazzling smile: "Yes!" So, truly, the great God Xiao was practically a mutant species—it didn't even take a proper compliment to make him this happy.

"...It tastes great!" Chu Luoxi’s expression twitched slightly. This had nothing to do with the food, but rather the fact that she had originally wanted to say thank you. However, remembering that the great God detested hearing those words, she had forcibly swallowed them back.

Smiling faintly, Xiao Jingxuan raised a hand to stroke her hair, which had now grown down to her shoulders, feeling a warmth spread through his chest.

With her eyes curved into crescent moons in a smile, Chu Luoxi suddenly thought that this great God was actually quite easy to coax...

Having walked the red carpet with Xiao Jingxuan before, Chu Luoxi was already seasoned. At any rate, her ears had to be well protected, or the deafening cheers might just startle her out of her wits.

Since the film starred Xiao Jingxuan, his fans naturally showed up in droves, well aware that he would make an appearance.

However, the fans watching the live broadcast on televisions and computers were thoroughly gloomy. Movie premieres never disclosed in advance which celebrities would attend, making it completely unpredictable. While the cast members generally showed up, Chu Luoxi had not acted in the film, so none of the fans had ever expected her to appear. Catching sight of her so abruptly instantly filled them with a tinge of regret.

"Ahhh, Consort Rou actually appeared! Oh my god, if I had known, I definitely would have gone to the venue!"

"Right? Who would have thought? It's so rare to see Consort Rou show up. But she's with the Heavenly King Xiao again; they look so good together..."

"Oh heaven, Xixi, if you're going to show up, at least give us fans a heads-up so a few of us could make it to the scene..."

Wails echoed across the internet, while Chu Luoxi felt utterly wronged. Before today, she had no idea she would be roped into this red-carpet walk, thinking she would just slip directly into the cinema by evening. Look at this, what kind of mess was this?

Fortunately, the attention was mostly focused on Xiao Jingxuan, leaving her largely as background scenery, which spared her the energy of having to socialize.

Besides, this was merely a movie premiere, sparing them from being interviewed by a host. Once the red carpet walk concluded, they headed straight into the cinema.

Stepping inside and shivering slightly, Chu Luoxi sighed regretfully: "Tell me, is this really worth it? Tossed about for an entire day, just for less than two minutes of this. I'm exhausted!"

"Haven't you been resting all this time?" Xiao Jingxuan pulled her toward the front, preparing to sit together to watch the movie. "Fine, next time if there's no business involving you, we'll just slip in quietly by ourselves."

Secretly rolling her eyes at the great God Xiao, Chu Luoxi maintained her surface-level ladylike composure: "Come to the movies together? Then why bother choosing a premiere? Even if you sneak in quietly, won't everyone inside the cinema recognize you anyway?"

To be honest, she truly had no experience of going on dates to watch movies. Her profession dictated many things, making it impossible for her to act like ordinary couples and do whatever she pleased.

"Alright, whenever you want to watch something, I'll accompany you." A genuine, soft smile curved the corners of Xiao Jingxuan's lips, and he looked forward to such prospects with considerable anticipation.

Chu Luoxi felt a twinge of awkwardness. How on earth had she talked herself into this trap? Modern movies held little attraction for her; she had already seen at least half of them, so what novelty was left?

Take Xiao Jingxuan’s debut film, for instance. In her previous life, she had every reason to worship it and remembered it clearly from start to finish. If her relationship with Xiao Jingxuan hadn't changed, she would never have stepped foot into this cinema.

"Forget it, let's talk about it later!" Chu Luoxi’s enthusiasm waned. Was she supposed to go to the cinema just for the sake of dating someone? She would much rather stay comfortably shut in at home!

No matter how clever Xiao Jingxuan was, he could not guess the shifting psychological state of Chu Luoxi. Assuming she was simply feeling shy, he dropped the subject.

Walking to the very front, Xiao Jingxuan casually introduced Chu Luoxi to several people, most of whom Chu Luoxi was already familiar with unilaterally, though now they could be considered formally acquainted.

"No wonder Heavenly King Xiao never obeys the director's arrangements; turns out he has a permanent female companion!" When introduced to the film's leading lady, Qin Youyou said with a teasing expression, casting an ambiguous glance at Xiao Jingxuan.

"Disobey arrangements? Sister Qin, who are you talking about? Did Director Bei make any arrangements?" Xiao Jingxuan put on an innocent look and deliberately asked Bei Luanyong beside him.

"Oh please, I can't be bothered with the affairs of you youngsters. There's a generational gap, so this has nothing to do with me!" Bei Luanyong said with a hearty laugh, quickly distancing himself.

Qin Youyou was a seasoned veteran, and although Xiao Jingxuan had only recently entered the film circle, he was not someone easy to deal with; it was safer to keep her distance.

"See? Director Bei tacitly admitted it, he just didn't want to expose you in front of little sister Rou." Qin Youyou raised her pretty chin, revealing a graceful neck, and blinked playfully at Chu Luoxi with a half-true, half-fake smile.