Chapter 3The Breakup Contract

Returning to the company that day, my phone screen lit up seven or eight times.

All from the same person's name: Liam.

Called once, I hung up once.

Hung up three times, he finally stopped calling.

I thought he gave up, but ten minutes later, WeChat started dinging.

[Liam]: Sorry, I was impulsive last night.

[Liam]: I shouldn't have spoken to you like that.

[Liam]: Can you listen to my explanation?

[Liam]: I didn't mean to break up with you.

[Liam]: The words I said last night weren't what I really wanted to say.

I read through it once, clicked on his avatar.

Hesitated for a second whether to block or delete.

I finally chose—

Move to "Restricted List" (Muted/Archived).

Not blocking, not deleting, not giving him any illusion of "you still occupy a place in my heart."

Like handling a client file whose cooperation has terminated: don't throw in the trash can, in case need to check records for rights defense later;

But absolutely will not take out to look again.

I put away WeChat and continued writing the script.

At 10:30 PM, finished revising the draft, I stretched, ready to shower and sleep.

Halfway through the shower, the phone rang again.

I wiped my hand and picked it up: "Hello?"

Silence for a second on that end, then a somewhat cautious and young male voice: "President Lin, this is Tony."

Quite unexpected.

"Mm, what's up?" I turned on speakerphone, continuing to apply skincare products to my face.

"That... sorry to disturb you so late." His voice was a bit nervous. "I just wanted to thank you for your guidance during the shoot today."

"Thanking for just this?" I laughed. "Then my phone would be blowing up every day."

"No, I—" He was anxious. "I'm really grateful to you. I shot one or two small ads before, directors were very fierce, never taught me, only scolded NG. Today you told me 'natural is good,' and I suddenly wasn't nervous anymore."

His tone was sincere to the point of silliness.

I suddenly remembered the day I started keeping Liam three years ago—

Liam holding the contract, standing in the corner of the coffee shop, eyes just as bright.

The difference was that his eyes then only had money, while Tony's eyes now only had opportunity.

"Just work hard." I said lightly. "If you really want to do this line of work, remember not just to look at the lens, but look at the contract."

"Huh?" He didn't understand.

"It's okay, you'll understand later." I laughed. "Sleep early, you have early class tomorrow."

He paused: "How did you know I have early class tomorrow?"

"Your profile says you haven't graduated yet."

"Oh..." He was a little pleasantly surprised. "Right, I'm a senior."

Hanging up the phone, I looked in the mirror, applying the last layer of eye cream.

In the mirror, I looked at my own eyes and said softly:

"Serena, from now on, we only love one person."

She looked at me in the mirror and curved her lips with me.