It was very late that night, and Lu Lianning was genuinely hungry as he ate the meal Chen Miao had prepared.
Chen Miao sat in the car, enveloped in darkness, with only the headlights casting light over the snowy landscape. The snowflakes seemed to have grown larger.
The car was quiet, filled with the faint aroma of food. The heater was turned up high, and after a while, feeling a bit stuffy, Lu Lianning rolled down the window a little.
From the driver’s seat, Chen Miao heard the steady scrape of the windshield wipers clearing the thin layer of snow, only for it to be quickly covered again.
When Lu Lianning had eaten his fill, Chen Miao cleaned up the thermal container and started driving him home.
Chen Miao drove steadily, but the snowfall intensified, thickening on the road. Finally, Lu Lianning rolled up the window again.
By the time they arrived, it was nearly 1 AM. Lu Lianning entered the house and changed his shoes. After pouring himself some hot water, he looked up to see Chen Miao still standing in the living room.
He raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you need?”
Chen Miao hesitated before speaking, “Lu-ge, could I sleep on the sofa here tonight? The snow is coming down heavily, and I’ll need to make breakfast in the morning. It’s already so late…”
Lu Lianning placed his half-finished glass of hot water on the table, his face expressionless. “Staying over isn’t out of the question, but you know what you should and shouldn’t do, right?”
Chen Miao nodded repeatedly. “I do, I do.”
With that, Lu Lianning said nothing more and headed back to his bedroom.
The bedroom door was left slightly ajar, and Chen Miao could hear the sound of running water as Lu Lianning was in the shower.
Chen Miao closed the living room curtains, shutting out the vast expanse of white snow.
The indoor temperature was 26 degrees. Chen Miao lay down on the large and soft sofa—far more comfortable than his worn-out little bed.
Just as he was drifting off to sleep, something was tossed over him.
He looked down and saw a thin blanket. When he glanced toward Lu Lianning’s bedroom door, it had already been shut tight.
A moment later, he heard the sound of the door locking.
The attempt to be subtle only made it more obvious, as though Chen Miao might actually sneak in during the night.
He smiled bitterly, wrapping his coat tighter around himself before curling up on the sofa.
This was probably the most comfortable sleep Chen Miao had had all winter. His low-rent apartment was too cold and damp; every time he reached for his single thin blanket, it seemed to retain an icy chill that never went away.
He often woke up freezing in the middle of the night, his entire body numb with cold.
Surprisingly, Lu Lianning woke up early the next morning. He’d already been awake for about twenty minutes by the time Chen Miao came over and knocked on the door.
Chen Miao was busy setting dishes on the dining table as Lu Lianning finished washing up and came out. He watched as Chen Miao carefully placed two fried eggs on a plate.
They were heart-shaped, with the yolks in the center and the egg whites slightly browned, releasing a tempting aroma.
Lu Lianning glanced over at Chen Miao, then used his fork to cut the heart right down the middle, like a broken heart. He picked up one half and brought it to his mouth.
That blockhead Chen Miao was still trying to charm with these useless little tricks.
Chen Miao watched as Lu Lianning shredded the heart-shaped fried egg into a messy pile before eating it. He assumed Lu Lianning didn’t like it, and from then on, he rarely made fried eggs for him.
As the end of the year approached, filming progressed quickly thanks to the dedication of the cast. Ren Qi kept pushing the schedule, and as production neared its end, the crew worked overtime even more frequently.
With all the extra work hours, Chen Miao found himself staying over at Lu Lianning’s place more often.
After he behaved himself the first time, Lu Lianning didn’t seem to mind him staying in the living room.
He got used to seeing the neatly folded blue blanket on the sofa each morning before heading out.
During this time, Chen Miao’s hair grew out, and one day, he disappeared for a while at noon. When Lu Lianning saw him again in the afternoon, his hair was so short it was practically shaved down to his scalp.
Lu Lianning frowned and asked, “Who gave you that haircut?”
Chen Miao’s large eyes, dark complexion, and short hair gave him the appearance of an earnest little boy.
He seemed slightly embarrassed when he heard the question and rubbed his head. “I did it myself.”
Lu Lianning gave an ambiguous laugh. “So, you’ve got that skill too?”
Chen Miao found it too inconvenient to go out for a haircut, so he’d simply shaved it all off with a razor blade. This way, he could also save some money, which was, in fact, his main reason.
It was convenient, easy, and cost-effective.
Maybe because Chen Miao had been staying over without any improper behavior, Lu Lianning finally stopped picking on him and making things difficult each day.
Over time, Chen Miao had learned to read Lu Lianning’s moods.
It seemed like Lu Lianning wanted to say something more, but his turn for filming had arrived.
In the final episode, the second male lead took a sword strike meant for the protagonist. A few drops of bright red blood sprinkled onto his white robe, spreading like petals falling on snow. The protagonist held him close, his hands trembling, eyes red with tears that fell onto the man’s face.
He kept calling his name, but the white-dressed young man, now with tears dripping onto his pale face, responded in a disdainful tone, “You’re too loud… Don’t waste time here… Go!”
The protagonist wiped his tears away, covered in blood and tears, and charged forward with his sword to face the final villain alone.
What followed was the final showdown between the protagonist and antagonist.
And with that, Lu Lianning’s role came to an end.
The night the crew wrapped up filming, the atmosphere was lively. Even the usually unsociable Lu Lianning was persuaded to drink at the wrap-up party.
Perhaps because they had finally finished filming and he was feeling more relaxed, Lu Lianning didn’t refuse the smiling faces that came to toast him.
By late into the night, his cheeks were flushed. It was hard to tell if it was from the alcohol or the heat.
When Chen Miao was called over, he saw Ye He bent down, murmuring something to Lu Lianning. Ye He seemed to be trying to help him up, but Lu Lianning made no attempt to hide his irritation, and he shoved him aside.
He must have used quite a bit of force as Ye He stumbled backward and then saw Chen Miao standing hesitantly in the doorway.
Following Ye He’s gaze, Lu Lianning turned and spotted Chen Miao. He strode over to him. “Why are you dawdling!”
Lu Lianning acted like Ye He didn’t exist, leaving Chen Miao awkwardly saying hello before following him outside.
Even the director had drunk too much that night, and the assistant director was busy arranging designated drivers and assistants to help the intoxicated people get home.
Although Lu Lianning’s face was slightly flushed, his naturally fair skin made it hard to tell whether it was from the alcohol or just the warmth.
After all, he seemed to be moving normally, his expression cold, and he wasn’t talking more than usual as he led Chen Miao out.
But the moment they were out of sight from the crowd, Lu Lianning leaned into him. Chen Miao quickly supported him, letting Lu Lianning rest his arm on his shoulder.
Lu Lianning was wearing a black hat and a long brown plaid coat. His pale face was so close to Chen Miao’s shoulder that he could smell the alcohol on his breath.
As they walked, Lu Lianning suddenly squinted and muttered, “Hot…” while fumbling with the buttons of his coat.
Chen Miao quickly stopped him, realizing how drunk he really was, and softened his voice, “Wait until we get home. We’re almost there.”
As the two tugged back and forth, they hadn’t even made it to the underground garage yet. Just as they reached the entrance, Lu Lianning seemed to snap awake, as if startled by something.
Reacting swiftly, he removed his hat and placed it on Chen Miao’s head.
Chen Miao was caught off guard for a second and looked up in confusion. “What…”
There were paparazzi. Lu Lianning was always alert to them, but Chen Miao hadn’t noticed as he had no such experience.
Just as Chen Miao looked up, a large hand pressed down on his head. Through the hat, he could feel the warmth of Lu Lianning’s palm as it firmly pushed down.
Lu Lianning’s voice came clearly beside him, “Your shaved head looks too ugly.”
So, he was worried about being photographed with him and losing face…
Chen Miao lowered his head under the force of Lu Lianning’s hand.
