“First, we need to start the needle…”
Qiao Shu sat on the rocking chair on the terrace, basking in the sun while studying through videos.
The warm winter sunlight bathed him, making his bones lazy. Qiao Shu yawned.
“You still know how to come back,” Aunt Lan’s angry voice came, “You might as well not come back for the New Year, and I won’t be your mother.”
“Mom, look at what you’re saying. You are my dearest mother. Even if you don’t want me, I still have to beg you desperately.” A helpless, appeasing voice.
“Hey hey hey, Mom, be gentle.”
A familiar voice.
Curious, Qiao Shu propped up his somewhat sore body and looked downstairs.
Then he was stunned, almost laughing out loud.
The highly acclaimed movie emperor in the entertainment industry, Zhou Yanqing, was pitifully caught by Aunt Lan in the ear, looking wronged and pitiable. Nowhere near his usual glory and arrogance.
Aunt Lan wasn’t buying it at all; she was still very angry. “Zhou Yanqing, listen to me. Behave well and go on a blind date this time. If you upset the girl again, you’ll spend your days alone from now on.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Blind date?
The amused gaze suddenly turned sympathetic. So, the endlessly glorious Zhou Yanqing also had to go through blind dates.
No one would believe it if this were told.
Zhou Yanqing: “Mom, I just got back. Can you let me put my luggage in first?”
Aunt Lan: “Go, go, quickly pack up.”
Zhou Yanqing: “Alright!”
Zhou Yanqing, relieved after a close call, quickly grabbed the nearby suitcase.
After taking a couple of steps, he suddenly looked up, catching Qiao Shu watching the commotion from upstairs. He smiled brightly, “Hey, sister-in-law, Happy New Year.”
Qiao Shu waved and smiled, “Happy New Year.”
Zhou Yanqing: “Sister-in-law, come down and chat. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. I haven’t thanked you in person for the last gift.”
Qiao Shu: “No need. Hold on, I’ll come down right away.”
Qiao Shu put on slippers, ran to the bathroom to tidy up his somewhat messy hair, and then headed downstairs.
Downstairs, Aunt Lan was still nagging next to Zhou Yanqing.
Seeing Qiao Shu coming down, Zhou Yanqing’s eyes lit up as if he had seen a savior.
“Sister-in-law, this, uh…”
Qiao Shu: “…”
He walked over.
Qiao Shu’s arrival silenced Aunt Lan’s nagging. She looked disdainfully at Zhou Yanqing, seeing through him. “Don’t think you can escape.”
Zhou Yanqing: “…”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Aunt Lan walked away disdainfully.
Zhou Yanqing helplessly gestured to Qiao Shu, smiling, “Thanks a lot, sister-in-law, for saving me.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Qiao Shu hesitated, and finally, out of curiosity, asked, “Do you still need to go on blind dates with your status?”
The movie emperor going on blind dates—Commoner Qiao Shu found it hard to imagine.
Zhou Yanqing looked helpless, “Sister-in-law, all mothers in the world are the same. When their sons reach a certain age, they start worrying about their lifelong matters. In the past, I at least had my brother to shield me, and the pressure wasn’t so intense. But now…”
Endless bitterness.
Qiao Shu: “…”
Though Qiao Shu hadn’t experienced it, he felt quite sympathetic.
Zhou Yanqing, with more experience, recovered quickly, “Please save my dog life more in the future, sister-in-law.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Qiao Shu: “Is this what you wanted me to help you with?”
Zhou Yanqing sighed, “Yes.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Pitiful, the renowned movie emperor…
Can escape temporarily but not forever.
Not long after, Aunt Lan came with over a dozen photos of different girls, asking Zhou Yanqing to choose. She even enlisted Qiao Shu’s help for advice.
Qiao Shu: “…”
Zhou Yanqing desperately signaled to Qiao Shu with his eyes: Sister-in-law, save meeee!!!
Qiao Shu felt a bit uneasy.
He had agreed to help Zhou Yanqing, but how was he supposed to help?
Aunt Lan thrust one beautiful girl’s photo after another in front of Zhou Yanqing, “One in the morning, one at noon, and one in the evening tomorrow. Be prepared.”
Zhou Yanqing: “Mom, I’m still young.”
Aunt Lan glared, “Young at thirty! Still thinking you’re wearing diapers! Your dad was already buying soy sauce at your age, and madam got married at 22 this year.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
Zhou Yanqing: “But I haven’t planned to get married yet.”
Aunt Lan: “You just haven’t met someone you like. Meet more girls, and when you find the right one, beg me to arrange your wedding.”
Zhou Yanqing: “…”
Zhou Yanqing continued desperately signaling to Qiao Shu.
Qiao Shu felt like he couldn’t save Zhou Yanqing.
At a crucial moment, Qiao Shu’s phone rang. It was Jiang Jiayu, who had already returned to Haicheng.
Jiang Jiayu: Qiao Qiao, tomorrow is the 30th! What should we eat? (Poor little piggy)
Jiang Jiayu: By the way, my mom made handmade beef meatballs. Do you want some? I’ll bring some for you tomorrow. She’s really skilled. (It’s amazing, give it a try)
Qiao Shu didn’t hesitate: Yes! (Pats piggy belly)
In the novel, Jiang Jiayu’s mom was described as having excellent cooking skills. Now that he had the chance to taste it, Qiao Shu naturally wouldn’t refuse.
Jiang Jiayu: Great! I’ll bring them to you tomorrow. By the way, Qiao Qiao, what should we eat tomorrow…
Jiang Jiayu: (The poor little piggy is really pitiful)
Qiao Shu: (The poor little piggy doesn’t know what to do either)
The melancholy of two individuals with decision-making difficulties.
Originally, the two thought of leaving the choice to their dreams, but that night, Qiao Shu and Gu Chenyan were too active, leaving his dream empty. As for Jiang Jiayu…
He dreamt of eating, but in the dream, Chu Chisheng’s voice was sitting across from him. Dream-Jiang Jiayu was too engrossed in admiring the idol, completely oblivious to what they were eating.
Qiao Shu: (Piggy is shedding fur)
Suddenly, his clothes were tugged.
Qiao Shu lifted his head from his phone, and Zhou Yanqing was frantically winking and making faces at him.
Every movement and expression was filled with sadness, sending Qiao Shu a strong SOS.
Qiao Shu: “…”
Aunt Lan: “That’s settled then. I’ll call to arrange the date with the girls tomorrow…”
Zhou Yanqing mouthed: Save me!
It was hard to refuse the agreed-upon task, so Qiao Shu could only reluctantly speak up, “Aunt Lan…”
Aunt Lan: “What’s wrong with madam?”
Qiao Shu: “Uh…”
Unable to come up with a spontaneous excuse, Qiao Shu felt the pressure intensify, especially with Zhou Yanqing and Aunt Lan both looking at him.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck Qiao Shu, “Aunt Lan, Yanqing might be busy tomorrow. We’ve made plans with Gu Chenyan to go out for a meal together. It’s a gathering with my friend.”
“He probably mentioned it to you, right?”
Aunt Lan was initially skeptical, but upon hearing Qiao Shu’s explanation, she thought for a moment. Indeed, the young master had informed her in advance not to prepare their meals on the 30th.
Qiao Shu continued, “Sorry, Aunt Lan. When we made the plans, we didn’t anticipate you arranging a blind date for Yanqing. Since my friend is also from the entertainment circle and knows Yanqing, we decided to make it a joint gathering.”
Now Aunt Lan finally believed him.
She sighed in frustration, “Well then, I’ll schedule the date for the day after tomorrow. It won’t make much difference for a day.”
Zhou Yanqing: “…”
“Mom, you forgot. We have to go back to our hometown the day after tomorrow for ancestral worship.”
Aunt Lan: “…”
Aunt Lan put away the photos and left.
Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Yanqing: “Sister-in-law, which friend of yours and my brother did you arrange the meeting with?”
Qiao Shu glanced at Aunt Lan’s retreating figure and said, “You probably don’t know him; he’s Jiang Jiayu.”
Zhou Yanqing’s eyes flashed, “Jiang Jiayu? The little actor from ‘Daybreak’?”
Qiao Shu: “You know him?”
Zhou Yanqing: “Yeah. I watched the show. Where are you guys planning to eat?”
Qiao Shu frowned, “We haven’t decided yet.”
Zhou Yanqing: “Haven’t decided?”
“Sister-in-law, how about going for a barbecue? There’s a rural recreation area in the suburbs with good scenery. You can barbecue, have a picnic, and even go fishing. What do you think?”
Qiao Shu: Sounds good.
He said, “I’ll ask Yu Yu.”
Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Yanqing suggested, “Picnics are more fun with more people. Sister-in-law, can you ask your friend if they mind me joining?”
Qiao Shu gave him a strange look.
Zhou Yanqing innocently smiled.
Jiang Jiayu was quite interested in the suggestion. Since entering the entertainment industry, he had been busy with filming and rarely had time for outings. Hearing Qiao Shu’s idea excited him.
Jiang Jiayu: It’s okay, more people make it more fun. I don’t mind.
Jiang Jiayu: (Excited piggy)
Taking advantage of the situation, Zhou Yanqing added, “Sister-in-law, since your friend doesn’t mind, can I bring another person?”
Qiao Shu: …
He asked, “Who do you want to bring?”
Zhou Yanqing flashed a toothy smile, “My college classmate, the one you know, Chu Chisheng.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
“Bring him!”
The next day, as they were about to leave, Qiao Shu remembered his promise to Jiang Jiayu.
Gu Chenyan walked out of the wardrobe holding a scarf, “Okay, let’s go.”
Qiao Shu: “Wait.”
Gu Chenyan: “Hmm?”
Qiao Shu: “Gu Chenyan, do you have a signed photo?” He explained, “Yu Yu’s dad is your fan, and he wants a signed photo from you as a gift.”
Gu Chenyan looked at him.
Qiao Shu was puzzled, “What’s wrong?”
Gu Chenyan: “You want to give my photo to someone else?”
Qiao Shu: “…”
For some reason, Qiao Shu originally thought this was a normal request, but being questioned by Gu Chenyan, he felt it was strange.
Very awkward.
Qiao Shu stammered, “Well, um…”
Suddenly, he didn’t feel like giving it anymore, even though Uncle Jiang was just a fan of Gu Chenyan.
Qiao Shu: QAQ
Qiao Shu decisively betrayed Jiang Jiayu, “I’ll tell Yu Yu that I won’t be giving the signed photo.”
However, Gu Chenyan said, “Can you give a calligraphy instead?”
Qiao Shu: “What kind of calligraphy?”
Gu Chenyan took Qiao Shu to the third-floor collection room. It was Qiao Shu’s first time entering this room.
The collection room was extremely spacious, occupying the entire floor area, and filled with many valuable items.
Qiao Shu looked around in amazement.
Gu Chenyan led him to the calligraphy and painting exhibition area, pointing to one piece, and asked, “Can this one work?”
Qiao Shu glanced at it. Although he didn’t understand calligraphy, he still found this piece impressive, full of grandeur, with strokes resembling dragons and snakes, and the ink lines shining like silver.
Qiao Shu saw the signature: Gu Qingshan.
Gu Chenyan explained, “This is my grandfather’s calligraphy. Back in the day, he was no less famous in the business world than me, and his calligraphy was truly outstanding.”
“We’ll give this one.”
Qiao Shu: “…”
He swallowed hard and said with difficulty, “Is it okay? This is your grandfather’s calligraphy; it must be very precious.”
Gu Chenyan: “It’s fine.”
“My grandfather used to love giving away calligraphy. There are many more in this room.”
Qiao Shu looked around, and indeed, there were quite a few calligraphies and paintings with Gu Qingshan’s signature.
So he nodded, “Alright.”
A legend in the business world… Uncle Jiang should appreciate it, and giving this to Yu Yu for Uncle Jiang should work well.
Zhou Yanqing had been waiting outside and greeted them as they came out, urging them to get in the car.
Qiao Shu: “We’re going to pick up Yu Yu.”
“Oh, what about Senior Chu?”
Zhou Yanqing: “I told him to drive over himself.”
Jiang Jiayu’s home was in the center of Haicheng. Qiao Shu quickly picked him up, and the four of them headed to the suburbs in a car.
The recreation area that Zhou Yanqing mentioned wasn’t far. After driving for about an hour, they arrived at their destination.
Indeed, as Zhou Yanqing had described, the environment here was excellent, with picturesque scenery and fresh air.
After parking the car, the four of them got out.
Once Jiang Jiayu got out of the car, he widened his eyes and stammered, “Chu, Chu, Senior Chu…”
Qiao Shu turned to the sound.
Well…
Even with a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, Jiang Jiayu recognized him at a glance…
Truly a protagonist’s privilege?
A love connection?
Chu Chisheng, standing at the recreation area’s gate, removed his mask and smiled, “Xiao Yu.”
Jiang Jiayu: “Senior Chu, why are you here?”
Chu Chisheng smiled, pointing behind him at Zhou Yanqing, “He invited me.”
His gaze suddenly paused as it landed on Qiao Shu.
Qiao Shu greeted him with a smile, leaning close to Jiang Jiayu’s ear and saying, “A surprise for you.”
Jiang Jiayu: “…”
Qiao Shu patted Jiang Jiayu’s shoulder, whispering, “Yu Yu, seize the opportunity!” After that, he left, leaving behind a trail of virtue, and walked towards Gu Chenyan.
As Gu Chenyan got out of the car, he held a gray scarf in his hands, “Qiao Shu.”
Qiao Shu: “Hmm?”
Gu Chenyan: “Come here, put this on.”
Qiao Shu walked over.
Gu Chenyan lowered his head, earnestly wrapping the scarf around Qiao Shu, pulling it up to cover half of Qiao Shu’s face. “It’s windy. I also brought extra clothes. If it gets cold, let me know.”
Qiao Shu smiled, “Okay.”
Gu Chenyan held Qiao Shu’s hand and led him towards the area. As they passed Chu Chisheng, he nodded.
The five of them walked inside together.
Chu Chisheng, walking behind, glanced at Qiao Shu’s back and approached Zhou Yanqing, whispering, “Is Qiao Shu your brother’s wife?”
Zhou Yanqing: “Yes.”
Chu Chisheng knew Gu Chenyan, as he had once rushed to handle an incident at the university when Zhou Yanqing was involved.
Curiously, Chu Chisheng asked, “When did your brother get married?”
Zhou Yanqing: “Less than half a year ago, around four or five months.”
Chu Chisheng calculated. At that time, Qiao Shu had already finished filming for “Daybreak”, and during the later stages of the shoot, Qiao Shu had kept his distance from him, so he didn’t inquire further.
He quickly shifted his attention away from Zhou Yanqing and went to talk with Jiang Jiayu.
Zhou Yanqing: “…”
A couple and someone pursuing their crush—Zhou Yanqing suddenly felt like he had done something foolish.
Why involve himself in such matters?
Now, here he was, alone and feeling pitiful, forced to endure the endless displays of affection from the two couples in front of him.
Sigh!
A miscalculation!
The group of five, except for Gu Chenyan, consisted of individuals from the entertainment industry. Going out for leisure was already inconvenient, but this recreation area was specially designed for celebrities and wealthy individuals, with measures taken to ensure discretion.
The recreation area occupied the entire hilltop, surrounded by ponds, streams, and vegetable and fruit gardens.
Zhou Yanqing sat alone by the stream, burning charcoal. Jiang Jiayu and Chu Chisheng went to pick fruits, while Qiao Shu and Gu Chenyan headed to the vegetable garden.
They even set up a pot, planning to cook their own dishes later.
The vegetable garden had a wide variety of vegetables, both seasonal and non-seasonal, all sheltered under canopies.
Qiao Shu grabbed a vegetable basket and led Gu Chenyan into the garden.
Qiao Shu: “What vegetables should we pick?”
Gu Chenyan: “Whatever you like.”
Qiao Shu smiled.
He asked, “Excuse me, Mr. Gu, what vegetables does Little Mr. Qiao prefer?”
Gu Chenyan: “Cauliflower, hollow heart vegetables, green peppers, and potatoes.”
Each one was accurate.
Qiao Shu couldn’t help but feel pleasantly surprised, his eyes sparkling.
Gu Chenyan tilted his head, “Is that correct?”
Qiao Shu nodded, “Correct.” He praised, “Mr. Gu is very clever.”
Gu Chenyan laughed.
In a rare moment of relaxation, he chuckled, “So, Little Mr. Qiao, is there a reward for guessing correctly?”
Qiao Shu: “Yes.”
Qiao Shu’s gaze swept across the vegetable garden, and then he said, “Mr. Gu, please wait a moment.”
Stepping on the soil beneath his feet, he walked along the small dirt paths, reaching the area where cauliflower was planted.
Qiao Shu scanned the area and finally stopped at a beautiful cauliflower. He approached, crouched down, and used the tools placed nearby to pick the cauliflower.
Qiao Shu happily stood up, holding the cauliflower, and faced Gu Chenyan as he approached.
With raised eyebrows, he presented the cauliflower to Gu Chenyan, “Is it beautiful?”
Gu Chenyan: “Beautiful.”
Qiao Shu handed over the cauliflower, “Today, there are no little roses. Can I give Mr. Gu this cauliflower instead?”
Gu Chenyan nodded with a smile, “Sure.”
He took the cauliflower from Qiao Shu’s hands.
Qiao Shu’s eyes rolled, “But one reward is not enough. Little Mr. Qiao has another reward for Mr. Gu.”
Gu Chenyan cooperated, “What is it?”
Qiao Shu tiptoed, biting Gu Chenyan’s lips, “It’s marking Mr. Gu.”
After biting, Qiao Shu ran away.
Gu Chenyan sighed and smiled helplessly.
In the end, the two of them picked a lot of vegetables. When they returned, Gu Chenyan carried a basket in one hand and held Qiao Shu’s hand in the other.
However, accidents can happen even with caution.
Qiao Shu, being led, got used to not looking at the road, staring at Gu Chenyan’s back and smiling foolishly.
As he laughed and smiled, he accidentally stepped on a small stone. His whole body lunged forward, with Gu Chenyan in front unable to react quickly. In the end, he could only turn around and catch Qiao Shu, using his body as a cushion.
The two of them fell into the vegetable garden together.
Qiao Shu: “…”
Qiao Shu quickly climbed off Gu Chenyan, the smile on his face replaced with concern, “Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Are you okay…”
Gu Chenyan: “I’m fine.”
He calmly stood up from the vegetable patch, reaching out to rub Qiao Shu’s head. However, he realized his hand was covered in dirt.
Gu Chenyan pulled his hand back.
“Did it scare you?”
Qiao Shu shook his head, his little face wrinkled, “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me.”
He blamed himself, “It’s all because I wasn’t careful when walking.”
Gu Chenyan: “It’s my fault for not holding onto you properly. Don’t be upset. I’m fine, just a bit dirty on my clothes.”
Indeed, Gu Chenyan’s clothes were the only thing that got dirty. The back of his long windbreaker was covered in brownish dirt, even his arms, hair, and pants were stained.
On the other hand, Qiao Shu, protected by him, was completely clean except for a bit of dirt on his knees.
Qiao Shu: “The clothes are dirty… what should we do?”
Gu Chenyan: “It’s fine. I have spare clothes in the car.”
Knowing that outdoor activities might dirty their clothes, Gu Chenyan had prepared spare clothes.
Qiao Shu: “I’ll go get them.”
Gu Chenyan: “Sure, let’s first book a room. You go get the clothes for me.”
Qiao Shu: “Okay.”
The recreation area had accommodation rooms. Gu Chenyan booked a room to freshen up, and Qiao Shu remembered the room number before going to find Zhou Yanqing for the car keys and then retrieve the clothes.
The clothes were placed in the trunk, and as soon as Qiao Shu opened it, he saw several sets of clothes, including his own and Zhou Yanqing’s.
Qiao Shu bit his lip.
He was indeed too careless.
But at the same time, it was sweet.
Qiao Shu didn’t dwell on it and took out the bag containing the clothes, closing the trunk before heading towards the recreation area.
“Qiao Shu.”
After walking a few steps, Qiao Shu heard someone calling him and instinctively turned his head to look.
A handsome and somewhat pretty young man stood behind him.
Qiao Shu blinked in confusion.
Who was this?
But he seemed somewhat familiar.
Approaching, Ran Jiming smiled and said, “Didn’t expect to see you here. Are you here for fun?”
Qiao Shu nodded, hesitatingly asking, “And you?”
Ran Jiming smiled, “I’m Ran Jiming, from the same company as you. I joined the company half a year ago, so you might not know me.”
Qiao Shu felt a bit awkward.
He smiled, “Nice to meet you.”
Ran Jiming: “Are you here alone?”
Qiao Shu shook his head, “No, I came with my friend.”
Ran Jiming: “Me too.”
Not knowing the person well, Qiao Shu wasn’t sure what to say. He scratched his head and decided to end the conversation, “Sorry, my friend is still waiting for me. I need to go.”
Ran Jiming: “Alright, goodbye.”
Qiao Shu: “Goodbye.”
Qiao Shu turned around and walked away.
Ran Jiming watched Qiao Shu walk away before turning and walking to the back of a car.
Behind the car, Tang Chen stood casually leaning against it.
Tang Chen: “He looks quite handsome when he smiles.”
Ran Jiming looked at him, “Young Master Tang, who are you praising?”
Tang Chen sneered, then leaned down and grabbed Ran Jiming’s chin, “Little guy, I told you to bring him over. How do you handle things?”
Ran Jiming pursed his lips, “He said he had a friend waiting, Young Master Tang, your invitation wasn’t convenient.”
Tang Chen squinted his eyes, then suddenly slapped Ran Jiming. Ran Jiming’s head tilted to the side, leaving a bright red mark on his fair cheek, “Ran Jiming, remember who is giving you money and how you should talk to me.”
“What a joke.”
Tang Chen spat on the ground, ignoring Ran Jiming, and walked into the recreation area.
Ran Jiming covered his face, lowering his head with a malicious glint in his eyes.
Unaware of what happened behind him, Qiao Shu returned to the recreation area with the bag of clothes, found the room number, and swiped the card to enter.
The sound of water came from the bathroom.
Qiao Shu carried the clothes and knocked on the door, “Mr. Gu, I hung the bag outside the door.”
Gu Chenyan: “Okay.”
Qiao Shu hung the bag and sat on a nearby chair, waiting for Gu Chenyan. As he waited, he thought about Ran Jiming.
He knew why he found Ran Jiming familiar. He had encountered Ran Jiming when he visited the company last time. At that time, Ran Jiming was being held by another man.
No, that’s not it.
Qiao Shu frowned.
Apart from that incident, he should have seen Ran Jiming before. During his last visit to the company, he also felt that Ran Jiming looked familiar.
Author’s note:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution between 2021-02-06 23:53:03 ~ 2021-02-07 23:56:35~
Thanks to the little angels who threw landmines: Lazy 1;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated nutrient solution: Lazy 60 bottles; Nolan 10 bottles; Night Wins Universe 2 bottles; Xuan Dong Shiba, Demon 1 bottle;
Thank you all for your support. I will continue to work hard!
⌈Weekend chapters: 0⌉ ⌊Progress: 1/2 ⌋
