Chapter 192 A Kiss [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Eight-pack abs, V-line, great physique (romantic subplot)

February 15th, Lunar New Year's Eve afternoon.

Mu Zhi and He Zhiyue's flight took two and a half hours to reach Liancheng Airport.

Liancheng is a small coastal city in the south, somewhat similar to Lucheng, which Muzhi had previously vacationed in. It has a pleasant climate all year round.

It was snowing in the northern part of the city yesterday, and the temperature was only a few degrees Celsius this morning.

As soon as she got off the plane, Mu Zhi immediately felt that the down jacket she was wearing was too thick and too hot.

Looking at the temperature here, it's 20 degrees Celsius.

The temperature difference between the north and the south is quite significant.

"Are you tired? The car is already waiting outside."

Mu Zhi shook her head. Flying is part of an artist's daily routine. They're used to high-intensity promotional tours in a city every day for half a month or a month. What's so tiring about taking a flight here?

Besides, she didn't even touch her own suitcase the whole way; He Zhiyue carried or pushed it the whole time.

He Zhiyue pushed two suitcases and walked side by side with Mu Zhi out of the arrival gate and then towards the parking lot.

As he walked, he lowered his head slightly and explained softly to Mu Zhi, "Grandpa wanted to pick you up from the airport, but I thought he was too old and it would take an hour to drive from the airport to home, so I thought it would be better for him to wait at home."

Mu Zhi nodded: "I don't need to answer it."

Upon hearing He Zhiyue mention Old Master Feng, Mu Zhi couldn't help but think of what had happened a few days ago.

She received a call from Grandpa Feng, who couldn't hide his joy on the phone. He excitedly asked Mu Zhi if she was free during the Spring Festival and if she and He Zhiyue could come to his hometown to celebrate the New Year with him, an old man, and have some fun.

He Zhiyue said that he finally found a girlfriend this year, and he would be wherever his girlfriend was.

Grandpa Feng wanted to see his grandson, and also his grandson's girlfriend. After urging him for several years, he finally got a girlfriend, Mu Zhi, whom he knew and admired and who was very outstanding.

Grandpa Feng kept thanking Mu Zhi on the phone: "I was worried that Xiao Yue was only thinking about getting revenge on He Hongshuo and that mother and son... Now that I see that he knows how to pursue his own happiness and has won the girl he likes, I am happy for him."

He mentioned that he had fallen a while ago, but it wasn't serious except for a minor hand injury, which he didn't mention so as not to worry his grandson.

He changed his tune, saying, "It's good that you young people are staying in the north of the city for the New Year, so Xiaoyue won't nag me when she gets back..."

When Mu Zhi heard that Grandpa Feng had fallen and injured himself recently, she knew that she couldn't let He Zhiyue stay in Beicheng with her for the New Year, both morally and logically.

Now that she knows, she should go and visit her.

Mu Zhi told Grandpa Feng on the phone that she had decided to go back with He Zhiyue.

And so the matter was settled.

She's just treating this trip as a vacation.

We arrived at the parking lot.

The person who came to pick her up was He Zhiyue's aunt's daughter, who was probably in her thirties, with short hair, and looked very simple, a little reserved and shy.

He Zhiyue addressed her as "cousin," and the other woman smiled and nodded politely. Then, she glanced at Mu Zhi somewhat shyly and addressed her as "Miss Mu."

Mu Zhi took off her mask and smiled at the other person.

He Zhiyue's cousin stared wide-eyed at the sight and exclaimed in her hometown dialect.

Mu Zhi could roughly guess from the other person's expression that they were praising her for being beautiful.

The airport's open-air parking lot was nearly empty.

Most people rushed back yesterday to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and very few stayed until the afternoon of Lunar New Year's Eve.

In Liancheng, it's customary for families to gather together for New Year's Eve dinner around 2 or 3 pm.

So after picking them up, everyone said hello and got into the car.

Along the way, Mu Zhi looked at the scenery outside the car window. Unlike the northern city, there were many trees on both sides of the road here. The winter climate was warm, and the trees were all lush and green.

He Zhiyue sat down next to Mu Zhi and gently introduced her to the tourist attractions in Liancheng...

An hour passed quickly.

The car didn't head into the city center, but instead drove towards the suburbs, entering a villa area where every household lived in a three- or four-story villa.

Then we stopped in front of a detached villa with a large yard and many fruit trees.

"arrive."

My cousin insisted on helping me carry a box.

He Zhiyue had no choice but to let her have her way. He pushed Mu Zhi's suitcase with one hand and held Mu Zhi's hand with the other, and walked into the courtyard.

Upon hearing the car, Feng Chongxian and his aunt's family rushed out to greet them.

When He Zhiyue met Feng Chongxian, she learned that her grandfather had recently fallen and injured his hand.

Feng Chongxian chuckled and said he was in good health and fine, his hand was already healed. However, He Zhiyue's uncle-in-law was standing beside him, helping to support his arm. As the saying goes, "it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone," let alone for an elderly man in his seventies.

Fortunately, Feng Chongxian looked a bit thinner, but his spirits were good.

He Zhiyue was finally relieved.

"Zhizhi, you've come all the way from the north of the city, it must have been hard work."

"Come on in and sit down, we'll start eating now."

Upon entering the living room, He Zhiyue took out a pair of unworn pink cotton slippers from the shoe cabinet.

This was ordered in advance by him and sent to his hometown for Muzhi.

After changing his shoes, he carried a suitcase in each hand and led Mu Zhi upstairs to the second floor.

Feng Chongxian lived on the first floor, He Zhiyue lived on the second floor, and the room prepared for Mu Zhi was also decorated in advance, with all the furnishings in the room being brand new and high-end.

As soon as I pushed open the door, I saw that the window was open, letting in sunlight and a breeze. The room was bright and looked very clean and comfortable.

After putting away their suitcases, He Zhiyue helped Mu Zhi wash her hands, and the two immediately went downstairs.

Upon arriving at the dining table, Mu Zhi sat down next to He Zhiyue.

Feng Chongxian first introduced each of the relatives sitting at the table to Mu Zhi in turn, and then invited everyone to start eating.

During the meal, He Zhiyue served Mu Zhi soup, peeled shrimp, scooped out crab meat, and served her vegetables; he practically fed her.

Mu Zhi: "......" Along the way, he treated her like a child.

He Zhiyue retorted in a low voice, "You are a precious pearl held in the palm of my hand. I enjoy taking care of you."

The other people at the table kept their eyes down, focused on their food, and no one dared to make a single joke about He Zhiyue. They also didn't, like some family elders, inquire about or ask Mu Zhi about entertainment gossip.

They only recommended Liancheng's local customs, specialties, temple fairs, etc. to Muzhi, and also tried their best to recommend which dishes were good for the New Year's Eve dinner, urging Muzhi to eat more.

The atmosphere during the meal was very relaxed and harmonious.

After dinner, it was already five o'clock in the evening.

It gets dark quickly in winter, and the sun is setting right now.

He Zhiyue did not let Mu Zhi stay to chat with the relatives. He made an excuse that Mu Zhi was tired from the long journey and took Mu Zhi's hand to go upstairs to rest.

The two went up to the rooftop on the fourth floor to enjoy the view.

Upon arriving, Mu Zhi was surprised to find that the seaside was not far away. At this moment, the setting sun was sinking into the sea, and the sea and sky were dyed with a large area of ​​red clouds, which was extremely beautiful.

The two strolled slowly around the balcony, enjoying the sunset.

I've almost finished digesting my food.

Seeing that Mu Zhi looked a little sleepy, He Zhiyue thought that it would be a bit noisy at night, so he took advantage of the quiet time to rest and went downstairs to take Mu Zhi back to her room.

"My room is right across the street. Call me or knock on my door if you need anything, okay?"

Mu Zhi nodded and closed the door.

Lying on the unfamiliar bed, Mu Zhi thought she wouldn't be able to sleep, but she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I heard the crackling sound of firecrackers.

Mu Zhi was momentarily disoriented, unsure of where she was or why there was the sound of firecrackers. It had been a long time since she had heard firecrackers.

My deepest memories of firecrackers are from my childhood...

She was sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, when there was a knock on the door.

It was He Zhiyue's voice: "Zhibao, are you awake?"

While checking in her luggage at Beicheng International Airport, He Zhiyue handed her phone to Mu Zhi for safekeeping after receiving a phone call, but either didn't exit the WeChat interface or accidentally opened it.

When Mu Zhi took He Zhiyue's phone, she saw that he had saved her in his phone as Zhi Bao.

That's what most of her fans call her.

When Mu Zhi discovered this, He Zhiyue asked with a smile: "Can I call you that in private?"

"Whatever you say," Mu Zhi replied.

Sure enough, I'm calling her to get up now, and she's already woken up.

Mu Zhi went over to open the door, and as soon as the door opened...

Standing outside the door, He Zhiyue looked at Mu Zhi, who was still dazed after waking up, and thought she was so cute. He reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Grandpa asked me to ask you if you're hungry. Would you like to come down for dinner?"

Mu Zhi shook her head to indicate that she was not hungry and asked what time it was.

He Zhiyue pulled his sleeve back, revealing his wristwatch.

"It's past 7 p.m."

"This is a village in the countryside, unlike the city center where fireworks and firecrackers are banned. So, during the mornings and evenings of the Lunar New Year, the sounds of firecrackers and fireworks can be quite noisy."

"Were you woken up by the sound of firecrackers? Let's set off fireworks then."

Mu Zhi: "..."

When I went downstairs and into the courtyard, I found that it was already dark outside.

He Zhiyue had just moved the fireworks into the yard when the sound of children playing grew louder as they approached.

"Brother He!"

"Boss!"

"Brother Zhizhi."

Soon, a group of children ran into the yard.

Seeing Mu Zhi, they all stopped in their tracks, but they weren't shy. They looked at Mu Zhi with curiosity and called her "pretty sister," "beautiful sister," and "fairy sister."

The precocious little guy asked her, "Are you Brother He's girlfriend?"

Some even recognized her, saying, "You look like a female celebrity named Mu Zhi!"

Mu Zhi looked at the group of children, some as young as 7 or 8, the oldest no more than 14, and then looked at He Zhiyue with a puzzled expression.

Are all these children from relatives' families?

"They are all children from the village."

He Zhiyue explained that a few years ago when he returned home for the Spring Festival, he encountered this group of children passing by the gate of the courtyard. The children saw that he was a stranger and had a unique temperament, so they went up to him and started chatting. Each of them received a handful of delicious snacks.

They would come to visit him every Spring Festival after that. The video that He Zhiyue had shown Mu Zhi before was of this group of children who bought a big bunch of sparklers with their pocket money and came to He Zhiyue to set them off together, having a great time in the yard.

He Zhiyue didn't even come back for the Spring Festival last year. He didn't expect that after a year, these kids would still think of him and even came looking for him on New Year's Eve this year.

He Zhiyue went back to the living room and brought out a lot of snacks, hoping to bribe the group of children to go play elsewhere and not disturb his and Mu Zhi's time together.

To everyone's surprise, the children squatted down one by one, staring longingly at the firework boxes on the ground.

Mu Zhi smiled and said, "Let them stay."

"You put it down, I'll stand by and watch with them."

Mu Zhi spoke, and He Zhiyue naturally nodded in agreement.

The original plan was for him and Mu Zhi to stand side by side and look up to admire the fireworks as they bloomed in the night sky, creating another beautiful shared memory for them.

As a result, the fireworks were set off.

"Quick! Everyone cover your ears!"

"Wow, those fireworks are so bright! They'll blow up the night!"

"Brother He, Brother He, could you order one for me?"

"Wow, this is the shape of a heart. I know he's confessing his love."

He Zhiyue: "......" Even fireworks aren't as noisy as you guys!

He turned his head and saw Mu Zhi smiling happily, so he also smiled.

"Happy New Year, Zhibao~"

Mu Zhi turned her head and smiled at He Zhiyue: "Happy New Year."

She looked at He Zhiyue, whose hair was neatly combed, wearing a black hoodie and black sweatpants, with cotton slippers on her feet, playing and running with the children in the yard, looking like a big kid herself.

On her first day in Liancheng, Mu Zhi felt as if time had slowed down.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the northern city, without cameras, film sets, or red carpets... actress Mu Zhi seems to have been isolated.

This place is full of everyday life; she is just an ordinary person living a simple life.

It also reminded her of her childhood days living in the countryside, those distant memories she didn't really want to recall.

But the countryside where I grew up is completely different from here. This place is by the sea, while there are many mountains.

Mu Zhi clearly remembered that after her biological parents found her, as she drove away, she watched one mountain after another flash by outside the window, until she lost count of how many peaks there were...

"What's wrong?" He Zhiyue noticed that Mu Zhi had been lost in thought for a moment and her mood had suddenly become low.

Seeing He Zhiyue's concerned expression, Mu Zhi smiled slightly and shook her head: "It's nothing."

"Shall we go to the temple fair first thing tomorrow morning?"

"good."

The next morning.

Mu Zhi woke up at the time agreed upon with He Zhiyue, but looked listless.

She didn't sleep well all night.

The sound of firecrackers started around midnight and lasted until about 1 a.m. Then, around 5 or 6 a.m., there was another round of firecrackers.

Seeing that Mu Zhi hadn't rested well, He Zhiyue asked if they should cancel the trip and go tomorrow instead.

Mu Zhi: "I'll just catch up on some sleep in the car."

At 9 a.m., the two greeted Feng Chongxian and then left for the city.

We arrived at the temple fair location.

He Zhiyue and Mu Zhi were wearing the same style of black-rimmed glasses and masks. Mu Zhi wore a scarf to cover her long hair, making it look short, so that she would not be easily recognized.

It takes several minutes to walk from the ground parking lot to the temple fair venue.

When He Zhiyue went out in the morning, there was a dark cloud in the sky, but she didn't pay it any mind, since the weather forecast only said it would be cloudy.

Just as he and Mu Zhi reached the entrance of the temple fair, a torrential downpour suddenly began.

He Zhiyue remembered that there seemed to be no place to take shelter from the rain at the temple fair, and she was worried that she would be recognized while seeking shelter from the rain, and she didn't know when the rain would stop.

He led Mu Zhi around and headed towards the parking lot.

Mu Zhi:? ? ?

The next second, He Zhiyue took off her coat and covered Mu Zhi's head with it.

Seeing that the rain was getting heavy, Mu Zhi said, "Let's run back to the car faster." She didn't want to shield her from the rain.

He Zhiyue, who had been soaked to the bone in just a few seconds, looked at the passersby running past her with a disheveled expression.

He shook his head firmly: "I'm fine, but you can't be photographed looking like this."

Mu Zhi: "......" Okay.

An hour later, the heavy rain still hadn't stopped.

He Zhiyue drove Mu Zhi back.

Under He Zhiyue's "protection," Mu Zhi didn't get a single patch of her clothes wet, and even her boots, which had been soaked, dried out. In contrast, He Zhiyue was disheveled from the heavy rain, and his clothes were all wet. When they got into the car, Mu Zhi took off her coat and put it on him to prevent... the driver's seat from getting completely soaked.

"Achoo." He Zhiyue sneezed. He looked terrible. He told Mu Zhi to sit downstairs for a while and then quickly went upstairs to take a shower and change his clothes.

When Auntie saw that they had gone out to the temple fair and returned soaked from the rain, she hurriedly went to the kitchen to boil a pot of ginger tea and served Muzhi a bowl.

"Let it cool down a bit before drinking, it's still piping hot."

"Thanks."

Mu Zhi didn't get wet in the rain. After the ginger tea cooled down a bit, she carried it upstairs.

When they arrived at He Zhiyue's room, the door was ajar.

She called out, "He Zhiyue, are you there?" but received no response.

Mu Zhi was about to take the ginger tea back to her room when she heard, "Come in."

As she pushed open the half-closed door and stepped inside, she glanced up and saw the ginger tea in the bowl sway gently, almost overflowing.

Inside the room, He Zhiyue was drying her hair as she walked out of the bathroom.

His hair was wet, with water droplets dripping from the ends. One or two droplets meandered down his long neck to his collarbone, while another merged with a droplet on his chest to form an even larger one, rushing down and gathering all the way before disappearing into the loosely tied trousers he was wearing.

Originally, He Zhiyue thought it was nothing for a man to be shirtless, so he let Mu Zhi in and then walked out.

Noticing Mu Zhi's gaze lingering on his physique, He Zhiyue paused, a little embarrassed.

"Eight-pack abs, V-line, great figure."

Mu Zhi calmly commented, placing the ginger tea on the table, "Remember to drink it."

He then turned and walked out.

He Zhiyue was flattered by the compliment, but also a little uncertain. Was Mu Zhi's reaction to his body a bit too calm? Did she really think he had a good physique? He wasn't sure; he'd find another opportunity to see.

Then, it rained for two days straight.

Unfortunately, the weather turned against them, disrupting He Zhiyue's carefully planned schedule.

It's inconvenient to go out for sightseeing, and Mu Zhi lost interest in going out on rainy days.

I had no choice but to stay at home.

He Zhiyue and Mu Zhi watched the Spring Festival Gala again. Mu Zhi and Feng Chongxian are both actors, and the two had a lot to talk about. Mu Zhi listened with great interest to Feng Chongxian's stories about his past filming experiences, and they discussed and exchanged their views on acting and some filming experiences...

My aunt and cousin from next door also came to ask Muzhi to study cooking together: making dumplings, cakes, and sweet soups, etc., while Muzhi was mainly responsible for eating.

He Zhiyue: ? ? ? What about me?

He and Mu Zhi only had time alone together, watching two movies in the media room...

On the afternoon of the third day of the Lunar New Year, the rain finally stopped and the sky cleared.

I'm leaving Liancheng early tomorrow morning.

It was a little after 8 p.m.

He Zhiyue suggested that she and Mu Zhi go for a walk by the sea, but they hadn't had the chance because it had been raining for the past two days.

"good."

"The weather forecast was inaccurate; it showed cloudy skies, but it rained for three days straight."

"It's okay, I've had a great time these past few days."

After walking for a while, the two found it was dark ahead, as if the streetlights were broken.

He Zhiyue remembered that her aunt had told her yesterday that the problem had broken on New Year's Eve and hadn't been fixed during the holiday.

He Zhiyue turned on the flashlight on his phone and took Mu Zhi's hand as they walked forward.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Mu Zhi: "..." It's just that two streetlights are broken, but it's a bit dark for the next 50 meters.

She's an adult, there's nothing for her to be afraid of.

"If only we had known each other when we were kids, I could have walked home with you every night."

Mu Zhi was surprised; it turned out that He Zhiyue had always remembered what she had said.

He Zhiyue had asked her before if she liked stars.

Mu Zhi recounted how, when she was a child, she would walk home alone at night with a flashlight. Because she was scared, she would look up at the stars in the sky and feel that the stars were keeping her company, which made her less afraid.

Now that she's grown up, she's no longer afraid to walk alone at night.

But upon hearing He Zhiyue's words, she still softly murmured "Mmm".

In fact, it is quite miraculous that they could meet in this world.

When we arrived at the beach, there were still quite a few people there at this time.

Unlike the beaches in tourist areas where you can walk directly into the sea, the beach here has a seawall. Many people sit on the seawall chatting, admiring the moon, and watching fireworks.

During the Lunar New Year holidays, fireworks were almost non-stop every night.

He Zhiyue held Mu Zhi's hand and walked forward until they reached a deserted section of the embankment, where they stopped and sat down.

A full moon hangs in the night sky, casting its soft light, while a slightly salty breeze blows from the sea.

The sea below the dike was dark and difficult to see clearly, with waves rising and receding intermittently.

Occasionally, the sound of fireworks exploding could be heard overhead, with dazzling fireworks flashing on and off.

Mu Zhi looked up at the fireworks in the sky, occasionally responding to He Zhiyue's topic, when suddenly the person next to her stopped and fell silent.

Mu Zhi turned to look at He Zhiyue in confusion, only to find him staring intently at her.

An ambiguous atmosphere lingered between the two.

He Zhiyue leaned forward, his face slowly moving closer to Mu Zhi.

Just when they were about to kiss, they were only inches apart.

"Bang!" Fireworks were set off not far away. This time, the fireworks seemed to explode right above their heads, making quite a commotion.

He Zhiyue paused awkwardly when she heard voices coming from the side.

Looking at He Zhiyue's handsome face illuminated by the fireworks, Mu Zhi recalled the sexy scene she had witnessed in his room that day. At this moment, because the two were so close, their breaths almost mingled together.

She lowered her gaze and fixed it on his thin lips.

He Zhiyue's Adam's apple bobbed nervously under Mu Zhi's gaze.

The next moment, Mu Zhi's hands climbed onto his shoulders, and her soft lips kissed him...