Back at home, Chu Qianze suddenly remembered that he hadn’t taken the bag of things with him. He walked to the window and saw that Chai Heling’s car was still parked below.
The items Chai Heling gave him were highly nutritious, but their taste was famously bad, hitting Chu Qianze’s taste buds hard. He wouldn’t actively go downstairs to get them, but considering that they were a gift from Chai Heling…
Half-sitting at the nearby table, Chu Qianze contemplated whether this person would bring the items up.
After a few minutes, Chai Heling’s car started and left.
It seemed like he didn’t have to eat those things.
Chu Qianze smirked, grabbed a bottle of yogurt from the fridge, and made a toast to himself.
In the morning, before the crew started working, Director Wang sat in his chair, holding soy milk in one hand and a Chinese pancake with deep-fried dough sticks in the other, munching away.
Looking up, he saw a familiar figure, and his eyebrows lifted.
“Xiao Chu? Didn’t I ask you to rest at home for a couple of days? Why are you here?”
“Bored at home, just came out for a stroll,” Chu Qianze replied, holding a bowl of eight-treasure porridge. He took a few steps to Director Wang’s side, kicked a small stool lightly, moved it to a suitable position, and sat down with crossed legs. “I hurt my hand, not like I’m missing an arm or a leg and confined to bed. Staying at home is boring; might as well watch you guys filming.”
“How did the doctor say? Shouldn’t be a big issue, right?”
Director Wang glanced at the bandage on Chu Qianze’s hand.
“Just let me recover properly, make sure not to get an infection,” Chu Qianze said as he sipped the eight-treasure porridge.
At this moment, Duan Fa also arrived and, upon seeing Chu Qianze, hurried over. “Editor Chu, didn’t we give you a few days off? Why did you come over?”
Thanks to Chu Qianze, things didn’t escalate yesterday. Otherwise, whether we could start working today would have been a problem.
“Bored at home, so I came to see you guys.”
Chu Qianze crossed one leg, revealing half of his ankle and making his legs appear even longer.
“Are you saying this because you want to see us working hard?” Duan Fa immediately grasped the implication.
Chu Qianze smiled but didn’t say anything.
Duan Fa: I knew it!
“Editor Chu, is your wound okay? Last night, a few of us in the crew were planning to visit you today,” Duan Fa said.
He already had a good impression of Chu Qianze, and after yesterday’s heroic actions, his favor increased.
“So, I came over proactively to save you the trouble,” Chu Qianze said as he put down the eight-treasure porridge.
Duan Fa wanted to chat a bit more, but he had work to do, so he didn’t continue. “Editor Chu, I’ll go to work first.”
“Oh, go ahead,” Chu Qianze replied.
“Director Wang, I’m off to work,” Duan Fa greeted Wang Dao and walked away.
Director Wang watched him leave, took a bite of the oil stick, and suddenly remarked, “Hey, why do I feel like you’re more like the director here than me? Look at Duan Fa, that kid greeted you first and then spoke to me, making me seem like a mere companion.”
Chu Qianze finished the last bite of the eight-treasure porridge. “Director Wang, that’s not right. You need to have confidence in yourself.”
Speaking of his position as the director, was it unassailable?
The words sounded comfortable, and Director Wang’s eyebrows relaxed. Just as he was about to speak, Chu Qianze interrupted.
“So, remove the ‘like’ from that word,” Chu Qianze said, and burst into laughter.
Chu Qianze grinned, “I couldn’t resist the allure of the set, you know.”
“Haha don’t take the jokes too seriously. Anyway, no matter how you look at it, I don’t seem like a director—”
Chu Qianze took a deep breath, catching Director Wang’s full attention, and continued, “Because I’m a screenwriter.”
Director Wang laughed and scolded, “You little rascal!”
Zhu Yan arrived on the set.
“Xiao Chu? Why are you here today? Shouldn’t you be resting at home for a few days?” Zhu Yan noticed the two chatting.
“Brother Yan.”
“Why are you asking the same question?”
Chu Qianze sighed inwardly and repeated resignedly, “There’s nothing to do at home, so I came over.”
“True, coming out for a stroll helps to relax and lighten the mood,” Zhu Yan agreed.
Feeling overlooked again, Director Wang cleared his throat a couple of times, successfully grabbing Zhu Yan’s attention.
“Director Wang, are you catching a cold? Remember to drink more hot water,” Zhu Yan said, then turned back to Chu Qianze, ready to continue the conversation.
“Alright, alright, hurry up and get ready for makeup; we’ll start shooting in a while,” Director Wang scolded. Can’t they see I’m coughing like this? Is there no respect left for me as the director?
“What are we filming today, Brother Yan?” Chu Qianze asked.
Given the risky scene from yesterday, they should probably postpone it.
“We’re shooting some everyday scenes later; nothing too action-packed,” Zhu Yan replied, glancing at the time. He needed to head to the makeup room soon; otherwise, he’d be late.
Considering the unexpected events from yesterday, they decided to focus on shooting everyday scenes these couple of days, pushing back the action scenes and the Weiya stunt.
At noon, Chu Qianze looked at his lunch box, a well-balanced mix of meat and vegetables. Surprisingly, it even came with complimentary soup. There was bone broth, pigeon soup, and chicken soup, all very nourishing.
Chu Qianze found it somewhat strange. “Director Wang, did our production receive some excessive investment? You’re being so extravagant, upgrading the boxed meals like this.”
The sun rises in the west—the frugal Director Wang is unexpectedly providing such a luxurious package. With so many people, this must be a considerable expense.
“Looks good, doesn’t it?” Director Wang boasted a bit. “It wasn’t me; it was ordered directly by our Dad Investor.”
“But, indeed, if we saved the money spent on this boxed meal, it could increase our budget significantly.”
It’s painful to think about how much money we could save.
“Investor?” Chu Qianze’s attention lingered on the previous sentence.
“It’s Mr. Chai, yes. First, he invited us to dinner, and now he’s upgrading the boxed meals. In a few days, he’ll even upgrade our equipment.”
Director Wang added, “Oh, Mr. Chai also mentioned that he would find us a new stuntman, aiming to enhance the safety level of our crew. He’s such a generous investor. I’ve never seen anyone like him. What a great person!”
Chu Qianze smiled but didn’t respond.
“By the way, Xiao Chu, drink more soup; it’s very nutritious.”
Director Wang reminded him, sighing, “The taste is really good. Unfortunately, there’s no label, so I don’t know where it’s from.”
Chu Qianze quipped, “Are you planning to order meals from there for us in the future?”
“Ha, I can go eat there sometime,” Director Wang said.
Chu Qianze couldn’t help but chuckle. Just as he was about to say something, he caught sight of someone outside the window, a familiar figure.
Upon closer inspection, he recognized Chai Heling.
At this moment, Chai Heling’s expression was stern, his gaze sharp, giving off an unwelcoming vibe. However, Chu Qianze knew he was actually looking for someone.
Setting down his chopsticks, Chu Qianze stood up and walked out of the room, approaching Chai Heling. “Why are you here?”
After last night’s incident, Chai Heling had not slept the whole night. Reflecting on his actions, he realized they were indeed too obvious.
Without reaching the desired level of affection, confessing impulsively or being passively confessed to would only lead to unfavorable outcomes. In the end, he formulated a plan summarized in one phrase: Boil the frog in warm water.” He aimed to win the other person over gradually, gaining trust step by step, allowing them to gradually let go of their guard, first getting used to his presence, and then slowly becoming unable to do without him.
To capture someone’s heart, start by capturing their stomach. Chai Heling arranged for a nutritionist and a private chef to prepare specialized meals for Chu Qianze. However, thinking it might be too conspicuous, he decided to have boxed meals prepared and sent to the entire crew directly.
This approach was more subtle, and by claiming to be an investor, Chu Qianze probably wouldn’t suspect it was him.
Considering that Chu Qianze was likely at the film set, Chai Heling couldn’t resist coming over to take a look. Originally planning to stay for a moment and leave, he hadn’t expected to be caught red-handed.
“…I came to check on the situation at the film set.”
Chai Heling stepped back half a step, pretending to be calm.
“Have you had your meal?” Chu Qianze asked.
“Yeah, I’ve eaten.” Chai Heling secretly pondered the current situation. After experiencing last night’s incident, he thought it would be awkward, but unexpectedly, it felt just like any other day.
“Mr. Chai! What wind blew you over here!” Director Wang walked out of the room.
Originally, he was wondering why Chu Qianze hadn’t returned after going out for a while. When he looked outside, he saw him standing with Chai Heling, apparently having a conversation.
Director Wang quickly walked out, thinking that this golden thigh had to be hugged tightly!
“Mr. Chai, the boxed meals you ordered for us are really delicious. On behalf of the entire crew, thank you.” Director Wang laughed heartily.
Chai Hliang’s expression stiffened for a moment. He instinctively looked at Chu Qianze, who showed no particular reaction. “It’s nothing.”
He had just treated the entire crew to a meal; it was a common gesture.
“Mr. Chai, would you like to come inside and have a seat?” Director Wang suggested.
“Are you still having your meal? I’m afraid I’ll disturb you if I come in.” Chai Hliang said, glancing towards the room where Chu Qianze should be having his meal.
“Originally, it’s break time. What’s there to disturb?” Director Wang said, looking at Chu Qianze and subtly implying something with his eyes.
Do you two know each other?
Chu Qianze received the eye signal and blinked.
Is your eye twitching or something?
Director Wang squinted his eyes, pondering the meaning behind Chu Qianze’s blink.
As the two of them walked inside, Chu Qianze returned to his seat, continuing to enjoy his lunch.
“Is the wound okay?” Chai Heling asked, glancing at Chu Qianze’s injured hand.
“Yeah, it’s basically not affecting me much anymore,” Chu Qianze replied.
“In a few days, I’ll take you to the hospital to change the dressing,” Chai Heling said calmly, as if it were a routine matter.
After last night’s contemplation, he realized that he wasn’t good at handling the situation and came up with a method—adjusting his approach based on Chu Qianze’s reactions.
“Sure, I appreciate it,” Chu Qianze agreed.
The attitude is natural and easy-going, very good. It seems that this kind of behavior is not a problem.
Chai Heling pondered in his heart, contemplating actions similar to taking someone to the hospital.
Taking people to the pharmacy, steaming in the sauna, going to the gym, hot springs…
He quickly organized possible activities in his mind.
“Last night, your nutritional supplements were left in my car,” Chai Heling said.
Yesterday, his emotions fluctuated too much, and it wasn’t until this morning when he looked in the back seat that he realized that the large bag of things was still in his car.
Chu Qianze nodded and said, “I forgot.”
Chai Heling didn’t doubt, “It’s in my car now. Do you want to go get it?”
“I’m not convenient at the moment,” Chu Qianze said, lifting his injured hand and looking helpless.
Carrying that large bag of things from here back home is more troublesome than it’s worth.
“I can bring the stuff to you when I go home in the evening and give you a ride.”
After all, it’s not the first time he’s given someone a ride home; it’s something normal friends would do.
Chu Qianze fell silent for a moment, then said, “I appreciate it. Thank you.”
Director Wang sat at the table, eating lunch. Somehow, he couldn’t find the words to insert into the conversation.
“What time do you finish tonight?” Chai Heling asked.
Chu Qianze recalled his schedule for the day and provided a time range.
Chai Heling noted the time and decided to come early.
“Don’t come too early, or you’ll have to wait around here,” Chu Qianze said.
“…Hmm,” the response sounded somewhat unwilling.
Listening to this, Director Wang began to doubt life. Is this still the Mr. Chai he knew before? Why does it feel a bit different?
“If Mr. Chai has free time, feel free to come and hang out here,” Director Wang extended the invitation.
Chai Heling responded, realizing the situation. As an investor, it was quite common for him to visit and check on the progress.
After some thought, his gaze settled on Director Wang, “I’ll come by from time to time to check on things. After what happened yesterday, I hope you’ll be more prepared. However, don’t let it affect you too much. Focus on the filming; quality comes first.”
“Rest assured, Mr. Chai. We will give our best effort to produce a great TV series.” When it came to the professional aspects, Director Wang immediately became serious.
“Alright, thank you for your hard work,” Chai Heling said.
Chu Qianze silently listened to the conversation between the two. It was the first time he had seen Chai Heling handle things in this capacity. When he spoke with a serious expression, he had quite an imposing manner. It was impressive.
As he marveled at this, he noticed that Chai Heling’s ears were somewhat red. The other party glanced at him, and their eyes met.
Chai Heling quickly averted his gaze as if caught red-handed, and his ears turned even redder.
Director Wang, inspired by Chai Heling’s words, was already planning the next steps with a strong sense of determination.
Chu Qianze took a sip of soup, lowering the smile that had crept into his eyes.
“Click!”
Director Wang stood on the director’s platform, and after finishing his instructions, as usual, he had Chu Qianze join him to review the footage.
The results were very good this time, and Director Wang smiled satisfied, hands on his hips.
Glancing at Chai Heling sitting nearby, he suppressed the smile on his lips, his expression turning somewhat bitter.
“Xiao Chu,” Director Wang waved his hand, motioning for Chu Qianze to come over, “Are you close with Mr. Chai?”
“What’s the matter?” Chu Qianze asked.
“Recently, Mr. Chai has been coming over every day. Is he not satisfied with our crew?” Director Wang wore a somewhat pained expression.
Even though he had previously said they welcomed him to the crew, at that time, he thought, given Mr. Chai’s busy schedule, he wouldn’t have time to come.
But, as it turned out, not only did he come, he practically came every day, precisely when they were rushing to finish filming and everyone was a bit tired.
It felt like… what? Back in school, when you’re working on the last few assignments, the class teacher comes by to check on you from time to time. Even though they don’t evaluate you, it’s just too much to handle!
Chu Qianze glanced at Chai Heling and said, “Director Wang, there’s nothing like that. Don’t overthink it.”
Director Wang forced a smile, somewhat numb, “Well, I guess I’m getting used to it.”
Moreover, having the investor’s dad around has its benefits. If he sees something that needs improvement, he’ll directly fund it. In just a few days, the crew has undergone a major transformation.
“How about I talk to him about it?” Chu Qianze suggested.
“No,” Director Wang intervened, “Although it’s a bit stressful, I’ve noticed that when Mr. Chai is around, the efficiency of the crew improves significantly. My own skills seem to jump up as well.”
“So, we won’t say anything?” Chu Qianze sought confirmation.
“Yeah, let’s leave it,” Director Wang decided. Then he remembered something and asked, “Xiao Chu, does Mr. Chai usually take you home when he comes at this time?”
“Yeah,” Chu Qianze didn’t deliberately hide anything, “We always leave together.”
Director Wang recalled something, observed Chu Qianze carefully, but didn’t see anything unusual. He actually wanted to ask if Mr. Chai was pursuing him, but on second thought, that question wasn’t appropriate. It was better not to meddle in their affairs. His wife had criticized him recently, saying he needed to change his gossip-loving nature.
Director Wang glanced at the time, felt that the break was almost over, took a deep breath, and composed himself.
“Everyone, get ready!”
Chu Qianze stood on a small platform, watching Director Wang skillfully command the shoot. It had to be said that once the filming started, he transformed as if he were a different person, completely discarding unnecessary distractions. His concentration was admirable.
There was still a lot for Chu Qianze to learn.
After the shoot concluded, Chu Qianze walked over to Chai Heling. “Let’s go.”
They walked together towards the parking lot, and Chu Qianze casually brought up his recent conversation with Director Wang.
“I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw Director Wang looking so dejected. Although I said I thought about it, I was already laughing,” Chu Qianze admitted, chuckling.
Seeing Chu Qianze amused, Chai Heling also chuckled. Then he remembered something and said, “Have you been taking the nutritional supplements I bought for you?”
Chu Qianze’s laughter abruptly stopped, and his gaze became somewhat evasive.
It seemed he hadn’t.
Chai Heling had learned a bit about this person and knew he strongly resisted that particular taste.
“Even though the taste isn’t great, it’s very effective. You should remember to take it,” Chai Heling advised.
Chu Qianze responded with a sulky tone, “Is the taste really that bad? It’s practically worse than digging to the Earth’s core; even black garlic tastes better than it.”
“Seriously?” Chai Heling asked, surprised.
Hearing Chai Heling’s question, Chu Qianze compared the two experiences and felt a sense of suffocation. “I was kidding.”
Seemingly not convinced, he lifted his wrist and grabbed Chai Heling’s sleeve.
“Xiao He, I really don’t want to take it.”
Because he was leaning back, his speech had a nasal tone.
Direct hit.
“If you don’t like it, forget it,” Chai Heling immediately changed sides, as if to conceal his emotions, and started the car directly.
“I have a business trip tomorrow. I’ll find something with a better taste while I’m away.”
“A business trip tomorrow?”
Chu Qianze caught onto the information. “How long will you be gone?”
Chai Heling replied, “About a week.”
“During the time I’m away, be careful not to get your hand wet. It’s mostly scabbed over now, but still, be cautious.”
“Got it.”
Chu Qianze leaned back in his seat, eyelids half-lowered, lazily responding.
Upon reaching their destination, Chai Heling parked the car.
“What time are you leaving tomorrow?”
Chu Qianze didn’t rush to get out.
“At 7 AM.”
“Do you want to come in and sit for a while? Every time, you just drop me off and leave, never coming upstairs,” Chu Qianze propped his chin up with one hand.
Could it be that emotions have undergone a qualitative change, directly heating up?
A glint flashed in Chai Heling’s eyes, “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Don’t mind the mess at my place,” Chu Qianze said, grinning.
Unlocking the door, Chu Qianze pulled it open. “Please come in.”
He grabbed two bottles of yogurt from the refrigerator, tossed one to Chai Heling, and then flopped onto the sofa, not moving. Seeing Chai Heling standing there, he raised his arm and waved, “Don’t be shy; come and sit here.”
Chai Heling settled onto a small single-person sofa, looking around. Somehow, he had a familiar feeling, as if he had been here before.
“Oh, by the way, is your novel still being updated?”
To break free from the emotional atmosphere, Chai Heling brought up a new topic.
“Of course, it gets updated every day.”
Chu Qianze took a sip of yogurt. “I’m currently living off my stockpile.”
The system’s voice-to-text function was powerful, and he could even edit with his thoughts. The efficiency was impressive.
They chatted for a while longer, and as the time approached, Chai Heling reluctantly expressed his intention to leave.
Chu Qianze stood up. “I’ll walk you out.”
Arriving at the parking area, Chu Qianze slowed his pace, planning to go back once Chai Heling had left. However, after watching Chai Heling get into the car for a while, he suddenly opened the door and got out.
Chai Heling circled the car, as if searching for something.
“What’s going on?”
Chu Qianze approached and found Chai Heling crouched down, inspecting one of the tires. Following his gaze, it was… a flat tire?
Walking over for a closer look, he reached out and gave it a poke. Definitely flat.
“How about we replace it with the spare tire?” They fixed it, and there seemed to be no problem.
“That one’s also flat,” Chai Heling said.
Chu Qianze walked over to the other side.
This made it symmetrically bad.
“It looks like they were intentionally punctured,” Chai Heling concluded.
“It’s not common to have two flat tires at once, especially in a parking lot. I’ll go check the surveillance footage later to find out who did this.”
Chai Heling lowered his eyes to the flattened tire, silent. At first glance, it seemed a bit pitiful.
“What do you plan to do now?” Chu Qianze’s tone carried a hint of helplessness. “Should I call someone to come and fix it?”
“This is a limited edition, and the maintenance shop has already closed. If there’s anything, we can only contact them tomorrow,” Chai Heling stood up, patting his coat.
Chu Qianze raised an eyebrow, suddenly thinking of something.
He turned to the person beside him, contemplated for a moment, and spoke tentatively, “How about staying overnight at my place tonight?”
Chai Heling seemed to be contemplating something, then earnestly said, “I appreciate your help.”
“No problem, it’s not a big deal anyway,” Chu Qianze stood up. His legs were a bit numb from squatting for a long time.
When Chai Heling returned once again, he was currently sending a message to his assistant.
[Well done.] He actually knew how to praise.
Assistant: [Oh, no, it’s all thanks to Mr. Chai’s guidance.]
Having observed the place earlier, it seemed there was only one bedroom, so…
Chai Heling cleared his throat, suppressing the upward curve of his lips.
“Sorry about this. Since I live alone, there’s only one bed in the house,” Chu Qianze was currently in the room, seeming to search for something. His voice came out a bit elusive.
“No problem,” so, does that mean they’ll be sharing the bed later?
Chai Heling added, “It’s already a big favor to let me stay here.”
Chu Qianze peeked out. “You don’t mind?”
“No.” Of course not!
Chai Heling replied casually.
“That’s good. Here are a pillow and a blanket; make do for tonight,” Chu Qianze said, and by the time he finished speaking, he had already brought the items out.
Chai Heling was momentarily stunned. “What?”
“My room has a single bed, and it’s too cramped for two people. I’ll have to inconvenience you to sleep on the sofa. But personally, I think the sofa is more comfortable than the bed,” Chu Qianze placed the items on the sofa.
“Squeezing a bit is fine.”
Chai Heling pursed his lips, his expression slightly serious.
“That won’t do,” Chu Qianze took in the other’s expression and adjusted his tone, “How about you take the bed, and I’ll spend the night on the sofa?”
“…No need,” Chai Heling said.
As long as they’re together, anywhere is fine.
Chai Heling pulled back the blanket. “I can sleep on the sofa.”
Now, it wasn’t early, and after chatting with Chai Heling for a couple more sentences and confirming the other’s firm stance, Chu Qianze bid him a good night and went back to his room.
As the room darkened, lying in the darkness, Chu Qianze couldn’t help but chuckle at Chai Heling’s expression from earlier.
Such a show, playing this kind of game.
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![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
