8 living together

Gu Tingshen was amused by her reaction; she looked at him with wide, startled eyes, like a frightened kitten. He maintained his composure, afraid of truly pissing her off, and continued driving, waiting for her to make her decision.

Ye Zhenzhen wanted to slap her forehead. How could she have forgotten this? These kinds of variety shows usually start filming in the morning and they like to film celebrities without makeup.

It used to be fun to see other celebrities being photographed, but when it's her turn, it's a tragedy. She doesn't seem to care about her image and is fearless even without makeup. However, they're currently separated, and the arrival of the production crew will expose them!

She gritted her teeth and figured she could just move them together during the show's recording.

In the original novel, Gu Tingshen is portrayed as aloof and ascetic, seemingly devoid of worldly desires. However, our interactions over the past few days have revealed him to be a gentleman, polite, and trustworthy.

A faint scent of wood lingered in the air. She stole a glance at the man driving; his handsome face was clean and refreshing, his figure strong and upright, reminiscent of a pine tree after a snowfall. She took a deep breath, feeling the cool, refreshing scent fill her lungs, slowly calming her emotions.

Then she thought, maybe Gu Tingshen is the one who doesn't want to live with anyone. He's a bit of a germaphobe and probably has a strong sense of territory. She wondered if he could accept living with her for the sake of filming the show.

"Um, would you mind if we moved in together temporarily?" Ye Zhenzhen asked tentatively. "After all, we can't let people take pictures of us living apart right after we got married."

Gu Tingshen tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and said calmly, "I don't mind. If you do mind, I..."

"I don't mind either!"

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Zhenzhen interrupted him. A barely audible laugh escaped his throat. Fearing that the little cat beside him might get angry, Gu Tingshen suppressed the corners of his mouth and calmly reassured her, "That's good. After all, once you sign a contract, you have an obligation to cooperate with the recording."

Ye Zhenzhen stopped talking in annoyance, her face burning with embarrassment. She simply gave up. Let him think what he wants, she! Doesn't! Care! About! It!

After the meal, Uncle Li was overjoyed to learn that they were moving in together. He said, "You two go ahead and get busy. Leave it to me. I guarantee it will be all set up by tomorrow morning."

"I'm going to pack my things first," Ye Zhenzhen said, then went upstairs to avoid the situation.

There wasn't much for her to pack; her housekeeper usually sorted everything by category. She only put some valuable jewelry in the safe to avoid damage before going to see Gu Sinan.

"Nannan, you finished your bath so quickly? What are you reading?" Ye Zhenzhen knocked on the door and entered Gu Sinan's room, only to find that the little girl had already finished her bath and was sitting on the headboard reading a book.

"Mom, I'm reading a magazine," Gu Sinan replied obediently.

Ye Zhenzhen sat down on the edge of his bed and found that the bedside reading lamp provided ample light, making it easy to read without straining her eyes. She glanced at the open magazine and asked, "This issue is about beachcombing. Do you recognize all these words?"

“Yes, I heard from Dad that our first stop is the beach. I remembered that last month’s episode was about marine life and mentioned beachcombing,” Gu Tingshen answered logically. “There are only a few words I don’t know, but I will look them up in the dictionary.”

"Wow, you're amazing! You know so many words before even starting elementary school." Ye Zhenzhen was genuinely surprised. In her previous life, she had worked as a nutritionist at a private elementary school during her internship and had interacted with elementary school students. Even first and second graders might not have as many words as Gu Sinan had now. Moreover, his language skills and self-control were very strong. No wonder he was destined to be the male lead; his intelligence and emotional intelligence were both top-notch.

He is not yet 6 years old and is in the last year of kindergarten. Compared to other children, he is a little more silent and mature, but he still retains the innocence of a child. He is completely unlike the gloomy appearance described in the original work.

Ye Zhenzhen felt a pang of pity when she thought of his experiences in the original story. "Tell me, how do you go beachcombing? I've never gone beachcombing before, even when I went to the beach."

Gu Sinan immediately perked up, "I just checked, you have to wait until low tide to go beachcombing, and you need to bring a bucket, a small shovel, tongs, and a landing net..."

The child's voice was clear and bright, and his description was very organized, which Ye Zhenzhen listened to with great interest. Afterwards, the two looked and chatted, describing all the small creatures they often encountered while beachcombing.

It wasn't until bedtime that Gu Sinan reluctantly closed the magazine. Ye Zhenzhen watched him fall asleep, then went back to her room and slept until her alarm rang.

The next day was Monday, and Gu Sinan had to go back to class.

Ye Zhenzhen got up before six o'clock. She and Gu Sinan had made an appointment last night to exercise together in the morning. After breakfast, she would take him to school and tell the teacher that she needed to ask for leave. The recording was starting this Wednesday, and she needed to communicate with the teacher in advance.

As she and Gu Sinan went out, they saw Gu Tingshen wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, about to come downstairs.

"Want to go for a run?" Ye Zhenzhen asked casually.

"Good morning, Dad," Gu Sinan said obediently.

"Good morning," Gu Tingshen said, noticing their sportswear. "How's your foot? Are you able to exercise?"

“My foot is fine, but I can’t run very well,” Ye Zhenzhen said, glancing at the father and son, both dressed in black sportswear, their similar faces even showing synchronized expressions. “Why don’t you go for a run with Dad? I’ll just walk slowly behind you.”

Gu Sinan looked at Gu Tingshen with some anticipation. He admired his father, but in reality, the two didn't spend much time together, and he was afraid of being rejected.

"Let's go." Gu Tingshen did not refuse and turned to go downstairs.

Gu Tingshen controlled his pace, just enough for Gu Sinan to keep up without making it too strenuous.

Ye Zhenzhen followed behind them, watching the two run forward. The morning sunlight shone on them, casting two shadows of different lengths on the ground. The two, with similar clothes and hairstyles, even looked as if their backs had been copied and pasted together.

She found it interesting, took a picture of them with her phone, and posted it on her WeChat Moments.

Soon, people started liking and commenting.

Mr. Gu gave a thumbs-up, while Mrs. Gu gave a thumbs-up and a heart.

She glanced at her friends' comments, didn't reply to each one, and was about to turn off her phone when a "like" message popped up.

The note reads "feudal old man".

Ye Zhenzhen remembered that this was her father's WeChat account. The original owner had blocked his phone number, but still had his WeChat account. Ye Zhenzhen hesitated for a moment, then swiped twice, not seeing any comments, and turned off her phone.

On the other side, Ye Fengxing had just finished practicing Tai Chi in the yard and sat down at the dining table when his phone beeped.

The butler, Wang Lin, set out the table for him and sat down to eat with him. Seeing him smiling happily while holding his phone, he asked curiously, "What are you looking at? Why are you so happy?"

Wang Lin had been with the couple for over twenty years and had watched Ye Zhenzhen grow up. Since Ye's mother passed away and Ye Zhenzhen was married off by Ye Fengxing, only the two old men remained in the large courtyard. They were too lazy to even set up separate tables for meals.

Ye Zhenzhen had a falling out with Ye Fengxing before she got married. For the past month or so, Ye Fengxing has had a gloomy face every day and has rarely been this happy.

"Look, this is what Zhenzhen posted on her WeChat Moments." Ye Fengxing showed him his phone.

"Hey, isn't this Gu Tingshen and his nephew? Zhenzhen took this picture? They went for a run together, they seem to get along quite well." Wang Lin recognized them at a glance.

"You brat, you've finally come to your senses." He glared at his old friend again. "What nephew? He's been adopted. From now on, he's their son and has to call me grandpa."

Wang Lin rolled his eyes at him, thinking, "Yeah, you're old enough to be a grandfather, so why doesn't Zhenzhen pay any attention to you?"

"She's just a child and doesn't understand my good intentions. The son-in-law I carefully selected is definitely the right one."

"You're just being stubborn. Zhenzhen hasn't been back for so long." Wang Lin put down his chopsticks, feeling helpless at his stubbornness.

"I don't need her to come back. It's enough that I know she's doing well." Ye Fengxing pulled out his phone's photo album, carefully examining the photos that had trended on Weibo the last time, and muttered to himself, "This girl is looking more and more like her mother."

Both of them fell silent, and the house was quiet for a moment, except for the rustling of the leaves of the crabapple tree in the courtyard.

Gu Tingshen drove to the parking lot of Yaohua Kindergarten. Yaohua Education Group is a well-known educational institution in City A, offering programs from kindergarten to high school.

The three got out of the car and walked towards the kindergarten entrance, with Ye Zhenzhen pulling Gu Sinan, who was wearing a cute school uniform.

It was the morning rush hour for kindergarten drop-off, and the family of three attracted a lot of attention. The students at this kindergarten generally come from well-off families, and their parents are correspondingly busy; most of the parents who pick them up are drivers or nannies. Gu Tingshen and Ye Zhenzhen's outstanding looks and demeanor naturally drew everyone's attention.

As Gu Sinan said goodbye to her parents and walked into the classroom, several children gathered around her. "Gu Sinan, who brought you here today?"

Gu Sinan puffed out her chest and answered loudly, "Those are my mom and dad."

Wow, your dad is so tall and handsome!

"Your mother is so beautiful, like a TV star."

“They even take you to school. My parents don’t have time to take me to school.”

The children immediately started discussing. Surrounded by them, Gu Sinan listened to their chatter, but unlike usual, she didn't find them noisy and even responded to them a few times.

He's usually a top student in class and good-looking, but he's a bit aloof and not very sociable. Today, his sudden cooperation surprised and delighted the other children, who surrounded him and chatted incessantly.

Gu Tingshen and Ye Zhenzhen waited until all the children went to class before they went to see the teacher, asked Gu Sinan for leave, explained the situation, and then went to their respective companies to arrange their work for the next period of time.

When Ye Zhenzhen arrived at the company, she first checked on Zhang Qingfeng and the others' filming progress. Wang Debang and Song Chengcheng were also there, and they all watched the rough cut together.

"I stayed up all night last night, with several groups working simultaneously. The video footage of the palace lantern earrings is almost finished. Next, it's just post-production editing and adding some subtitles. As you said, we don't need dubbing, which will save even more time." Zhang Qingfeng had large dark circles under his eyes, but he was very excited.

Ye Zhenzhen, the client, was generous with her money and didn't give orders haphazardly. She also provided Tao with a ready-made recording studio and various professional equipment. The entire filming team put in their best effort and worked extremely efficiently.

"Time was tight, so we only filmed the process of making the palace lantern earrings. The gold necklace and lock were too complicated and took too long to film yesterday," Wang Debang explained.

To capitalize on the online buzz and release the video quickly, I could only film the earrings, which had the shortest production time.

“We’ll just film the details and the overall look of the collar and locket, and put them at the end, like a preview for the next episode.” Ye Zhenzhen considered it for a moment. She was planning to turn this short film into a series. “We’ll film other things later. This time it’s filigree, and later there will be filigree, inlay, enamel, and engraving. We’ll showcase all the unique skills passed down from our ancestors.”

“That’s easy. The location is ready, and we can start filming in a bit,” Zhang Qingfeng readily agreed.

If this short film is successful, they can secure the entire series. Meeting a client like Mr. Ye, who is well-paid, easy to work with, and has great taste, is pure luck, so they must cherish it.

After telling them to get back to work, Ye Zhenzhen discussed with Song Chengcheng, "Once this short film is finished, let's post it on the official Weibo account of Fengming."

"Okay, we'll post the notice about opening reservations later. We've already started hiring for online operations, but the online store isn't set up yet, so for now we can only accept reservations at the store."

"Okay, let's take it slow." Ye Zhenzhen nodded; that was all she could do.

Song Chengcheng handed over another folder, "This contains information on the other three groups of guests in 'Let's Travel Together'."

"Okay, I'll take my time looking at it. The work arrangements are almost done, you should go and rest for a while too." Ye Zhenzhen took the documents and urged her to go and rest.

Having a boss who only offers ideas makes Song Chengcheng, the assistant to the general manager, even more tired. The continuous high-intensity work has made the dark circles under her eyes so prominent that even her foundation can hardly cover them.

Seeing the worry in her clear eyes, Song Chengcheng's expression softened. "Don't worry, this busy period will pass. This amount of work is nothing."

She could tell that her boss had changed recently; she was more decisive in her actions, and when she was working seriously, she vaguely resembled her mother. But as soon as she opened her mouth, she was still that soft-hearted little girl.

She walked out of the CEO's office with a relaxed smile on her lips. After closing the door and turning around, her sharp expression returned, like a knight in shining armor, ready to clear all obstacles in the path of her young queen.

Ye Zhenzhen flipped through the documents in her hand, reading with great interest.

The oldest couple is 40-year-old Wang Liqing and her 45-year-old husband Yan Feng.

Wang Liqing is a renowned Yue Opera actress, a national first-class performer, known for her stunning appearance and melodious singing. She has won numerous awards in the opera world and later achieved considerable success in film. Yan Feng is a retired soldier. After their marriage, the couple fully supported Wang Liqing's career. Their son, Yan Xu, is six years old this year and looks just like his father; he's a little tough guy.

The second group consists of actress Lan Nuo and her husband Zhou Haitao. Lan Nuo, 28, is a classic beauty. At the height of her career, she married 36-year-old director Zhou Haitao and had a child, fading from the public eye. Now, she wants to make a comeback through this program. Their daughter, Zhou Jingyi, is 5 years old and looks a lot like her mother; she's a lovely little princess.

Another couple is gymnastics champion Liu Wei and actress Zhang Siqing. They are similar in age, both in their early thirties, and reportedly come from long-standing families and were childhood sweethearts. Zhang Siqing has practiced martial arts since childhood, following the Emei School, and is a well-known female action star in the entertainment industry. Their two children are twins; the older sister, Liu Lele, is healthy and lively, while the younger brother, Liu Kangkang, is slightly weaker and more quiet.

Ye Zhenzhen was busy at the company until evening when Gu Tingshen drove to pick her up. The two of them picked up Gu Sinan from school and went back to Mantingfang together.

Dinner was seafood congee. The chef's skills were excellent; it was thick, creamy, and incredibly flavorful. The shrimp and crab were fresh and tender, and the scallops added a touch of freshness. Ye Zhenzhen and Gu Sinan both thoroughly enjoyed their meal.

Gu Tingshen saw that her eyes were squinted, like a greedy cat, almost meowing with satisfaction. He shook his head with amusement and unconsciously ate a little more.

As we were about to go upstairs after dinner, the housekeeper, Uncle Li, came over to remind us, "Zhenzhen, you've moved all your things from your room. Do you think it's okay?"

Ye Zhenzhen paused on the stairs, turned around, and said calmly, "Okay, I'll go up and take a look. Thank you for your trouble."

She escorted Gu Sinan back to her room, then went to her own old room first. She was shocked when she entered; it was completely empty, like it had been ransacked!

She thought it would be a temporary solution, and she could just move some daily necessities over. But Uncle Li moved everything from the bedroom. Except for the autumn and winter clothes in the walk-in closet, he even moved the safe.

The move was already done, and the interview was tomorrow, so there was no point in making any more moves. Her lips twitched, and she reluctantly went to Gu Tingshen's room next door.

From now on, this will be the bedroom for the two of us.

Seeing that the door was unlocked, she pushed it open and went inside.

This was her first time entering Gu Tingshen's bedroom. It was slightly larger than her own, with a light gray color scheme and no luxurious decorations. Most of the furnishings were understated and simple. Her dressing table stood in one corner of the room, its gray-pink color not too jarring in the room.

She looked around the room and, not seeing Gu Tingshen, breathed a sigh of relief.

She guessed he was busy working in his study, so she grabbed her pajamas and went to the bathroom to shower. The thought of sleeping in the same bed with a man she barely knew made her unsure how to face him. If she could fall asleep first, she could avoid the awkwardness before bed.

After showering and drying her hair, she lifted the thin blanket and lay in bed, feeling enveloped by a familiar woody scent. The smell reminded her of the man holding her in his arms, his strong arms and firm chest. Realizing what she was thinking, her face flushed slightly. She pulled the blanket down a little and turned the air conditioner down a bit before she felt less hot.

One moment she was internally condemning herself, the next she was recalling the interactions between Gu Tingshen and the original owner of the body in the original novel. Lost in these random thoughts, she actually fell asleep.

When Gu Tingshen returned to the bedroom, it was already past eleven o'clock. The room was quiet, with only the soft breathing of someone else indicating his presence.

He slowed his pace, looked at the person already asleep on the bed, and raised an eyebrow.

In the dim light of the night lamp, a small bulge could be seen on the blanket. The room was a bit cold, so she covered herself up tightly, leaving only her little face showing, and slept soundly.

He chuckled and shook his head, then went to the bathroom to wash up. When he returned, he hesitated for a moment, but still lifted the covers and lay down.

Ye Zhenzhen slept very well, but he couldn't fall asleep because as she slept, she felt the warmth next to her and first pressed her hands and feet against him, then hugged him tightly, even rubbing her cheek against his arm.

He tried to pull his arm away, but she held him tighter. He turned to the side, gazing at her sleeping face, and slowly tightened his grip.

He felt her soft, warm body fill his empty embrace, giving him a strange sense of satisfaction.

He has had a strong sense of territory since childhood and is somewhat of a clean freak. No one is allowed to enter his bedroom and study except for the cleaning lady.

Later, while studying abroad, he witnessed the decadent private lives of his foreign classmates, and he felt physically nauseous at the idea of ​​intimate contact with the opposite sex or even the same sex.

But when she fell into his arms, for some reason, he felt no aversion. He only wanted to dispel the sadness in her eyes and fill those amber pupils with joy again.

In the darkness, he stared at the sliver of moonlight shining through the gap in the curtains, his eyes deep and thoughtful, before finally closing them after a long while.

[Author's Note]

We're living together! Hooray!