Xia Qingtian herself found it very unaccustomed, let alone Li Xiaoxiao, who had never seen such a scene.
"Qingtian, are you really not filming a TV series?" Li Xiaoxiao lowered her voice, her large eyes cautiously glancing at the three giant bodyguards sitting at the mini round table behind Xia Qingtian. "Who are they?"
It had to be said that the sudden appearance of these three burly men in a cute, pink-and-white themed girls' cafe was quite abrupt.
Even passersby outside the window couldn't help but look inside.
"The company hired them. I'm also very helpless," Xia Qingtian said, supporting her forehead with one hand. "Just ignore them."
She had wanted to let these three bodyguards rest and not follow her, but these three were too dedicated, stating that unless she went home, they had to follow her all the time.
And they told Xia Qingtian to just ignore them.
Come on!
Three muscular men over six feet tall, dressed like in The Matrix, how was she supposed to ignore them!
She couldn't even make a call to Mr. Gu to tell him not to arrange this.
After all, what Wen Ning said was indeed reasonable; she had been hospitalized quite a few times last year, and this time she knew danger was imminent.
Regarding Li Xiaoxiao's life and death, Xia Qingtian felt that having one more person to help would be good.
After all, these three people were recommended by Wen Jiu. According to Wen Ning, Mr. Gu had already investigated their backgrounds, and they were completely trustworthy insiders.
No matter what, they were an asset, so she would endure it for now.
"Will they be following all the time? Cool! Is this the treatment of a popular female celebrity?" Li Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up, looking very interested.
"Let's not talk about this for now." Xia Qingtian herself wasn't very clear about it, so she could only put the topic aside and took out a document from her tote bag. "There's a three-day variety show recording. You can invite a friend, and I'm planning to invite you."
"Huh? Me? A variety show?" Li Xiaoxiao immediately blushed and waved her hands, saying, "I can't! I really can't!"
"After the recording, there will be an internship certificate stamped by Gu's Entertainment. If you perform well, you might even be directly hired after graduation. Aren't you feeling uncertain about your future? Why not give it a try?" Xia Qingtian said, propping her chin with one hand.
"But... variety shows and stuff..." Li Xiaoxiao twirled her hair with her hand. "I'm a bit embarrassed. I'm not even pretty. If I have to face the camera, I'll definitely be flustered. If I do something stupid, I'll be socially dead!"
"This isn't live broadcast, it's pre-recorded and edited, so what are you afraid of? Gu's Entertainment is a top entertainment company, and there are more opportunities. Even if it doesn't work out, you can consider it as an experience. Plus, I checked, and the three recording days are the three days before school starts, so it won't delay your studies. Pretty good, right?"
Seeing Li Xiaoxiao still looking hesitant, Xia Qingtian decided to use a trump card. "Think about it, if you really get an offer from Gu's Entertainment in the future, you can also recommend your brother for a job."
Upon hearing that she could help Li Xiaozhong, Li Xiaoxiao's spirits immediately perked up. "Then... should I try?"
"Okay, here, sign your name." After tricking Li Xiaoxiao into signing, Xia Qingtian also signed her name on the spot.
Having Li Xiaoxiao sign in front of her and the cameras meant that others would have to think twice before making a move.
Kidnapping someone who appeared in the public eye would be much more difficult than kidnapping a college student.
After signing, Li Xiaoxiao still felt like she was dreaming. When she returned home that night, she lay on the sofa and looked at Li Xiaozhong, who was busy in the kitchen, and couldn't help but ask, "Second brother, what if your sister accidentally becomes a big star?"
Li Xiaozhong came out of the kitchen with the dishes, looked at Li Xiaoxiao sitting ungracefully on the sofa, and moved his lips. "Stop dreaming and wash your hands to eat."
"What if I get hired by a top company, become a first-class department elite, and reach the peak of my life?" Li Xiaoxiao propped herself up and asked.
"Absolutely impossible. Hurry up and wash your hands to eat." Li Xiaozhong urged.
"Tch." Li Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at Li Xiaozhong's reaction, suppressing her desire to share, and decided to surprise Li Xiaozhong later.
After washing her hands and sitting at the dining table, Li Xiaoxiao asked while picking up food, "Mom and Dad have been on a business trip for a long time this time."
"Mm." Li Xiaozhong turned on the TV. The news was reporting the successful development of a new national energy source, which would be put into use soon.
Seeing this news, Li Xiaozhong's lips curved upwards. "They'll be back soon."
"I really don't understand. One is a middle school chemistry teacher, and the other is a high school math teacher. Why are they on business trips more times than the uncle and aunt next door who work in marketing and procurement this year? They both teach middle school entrance exam classes and college entrance examination classes. Is it really okay?" Li Xiaoxiao asked, propping her chin in confusion.
"Eat the ribs." Li Xiaozhong didn't answer Li Xiaoxiao's question but placed a piece of braised pork rib in her bowl. "The ribs have gone up in price today, but fortunately, they are fresh enough, with a good balance of fat and lean meat."
"Really?" Li Xiaoxiao's attention was drawn to the ribs, and she stopped worrying about her parents' business trip.
Seeing Li Xiaoxiao like this, Li Xiaozhong once again turned his gaze to the TV.
The experiment was successful, and his parents should be back soon.
They could be reunited as a family again, and his sister would surely be happy.
Li Xiaozhong glanced at Li Xiaoxiao, who was happily eating ribs, and his lips curved upwards. m..oΓg
"Oh, right," Li Xiaoxiao said as if she had just remembered something. "When we were shopping today, Qingtian picked out a fountain pen for her sister and also brought one for you. It seems quite expensive, with a gold nib. Thank her properly next time we go out together."
"Oh." Li Xiaozhong remembered Xia Qingtian; she was the sister of his classmate Xia Qingyu.
"Take good care of Qingyu at school. That girl is quite pretty. She must be very popular at your school~" Li Xiaoxiao asked gossipy.
"I heard she's the school belle," Li Xiaozhong recalled what his friend had said and replied, "She's very popular at school."
"As expected of Qingtian's sister." Li Xiaoxiao chuckled and asked, "What about you? Do you like her? If you're interested, we could get closer, and it would be good to strengthen our family ties!"
"Don't talk while eating or sleeping." Li Xiaozhong glared at Li Xiaoxiao and said, "Tomorrow we'll have bitter melon."
"Ah? Bitter melon? No..." Li Xiaoxiao's entire face scrunched up at the mention of bitter melon.
"And stir-fried shredded potatoes with ginger shreds," Li Xiaozhong said ruthlessly.
"What kind of devil are you? Are you really my brother? Monster! Give me back my brother!" Li Xiaoxiao struck a pose and pounced on Li Xiaozhong.
"Stop fooling around! Stop..."
"Monster! Give me back my brother!"
"Stop fooling around!" Li Xiaozhong dodged Li Xiaoxiao's tickling hands but accidentally knocked over the dining table.
"Ouch..." Li Xiaoxiao looked at Li Xiaozhong, who was clearly about to get angry. "I... I'll wash the dishes."
"Clean this up before I finish two test papers, or else... you'll face the consequences!" After issuing the warning, Li Xiaozhong went straight back to his room, his face red, and slammed the door shut. "Stupid older sister!"
He had grown up, why was she still tickling him like when he was little!
Honestly!
"Oh dear... she's angry..." Li Xiaoxiao scratched the back of her head and stuck out her tongue.