Chapter 10 The Stars and Him

Chapter 10 The Stars and Him

Yan Zhen spent four carefree days in western Sichuan.

The boundless clear sky and the endless undulating fields.

The layered mountains are hidden under the clouds, and the lake is as blue as a mirror, reflecting the warm sunlight above, and emitting a golden glow.

It's not like she hasn't seen similar scenery before, but no matter where she is, the pure nature always brings a different kind of shock every time she is there.

Before coming, she was prepared for the difficulties of the shoot, and even thought that as an unprofessional herself, she might be asked to pose continuously until she got a satisfactory result.

But Liang Yu is not like that.

He held the camera and followed her with a smile all the time, never asking her to make any movements. He just quietly and quickly captured the moments of her journey, and then selected them one by one after they settled down at night.

Yan Zhen asked him why he didn't let her pose, but instead used this method, producing so much waste film. Liang Yu thought for a moment and said, "It was the same when I was photographing animals in Africa. Animals won't listen to you and let you take pictures obediently."

She was stunned for a moment, then said angrily, "You, you actually compared me to those wild animals?!"

As soon as she said this, she realized that something was wrong with her mood, so she quickly closed her mouth and turned to look at Liang Yu, only to find that he was still looking at her with a smile.

"Sorry, I lost my composure." She coughed twice, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“No,” Liang Yu shook his head and smiled, “In fact, I’m very happy to see you like this in front of me.

"During the time I've been back home, I can feel the distance between us. You're obviously not like this by nature, but you've always been very reserved in front of me." Liang Yu looked at her seriously, "You can try to let down your guard with me, Zhenzhen."

She looked away uncomfortably and said, "We have such a good relationship, why would I be on guard against you?"

He shook his head again and said, "It's different. You have a temper, and sometimes you're willful, and you like to act like a spoiled child and get angry. But you never act like that with outsiders. You always try hard to act dignified and never reveal your true emotions."

Liang Yu stood up from his chair, reached out and held her shoulders, and said gently: "Zhenzhen, it's okay to be willful in front of me. I want to touch the real you."

Yan Zhen didn't know how to answer, so she just pursed her lips.

Seeing her hesitation, Liang Yu couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he didn't force her. Instead, he gently rubbed her head and said, "Okay, let's stop talking. Go back to your room. Good night."

Yan Zhen returned to her room with a lot on her mind. As soon as she opened the door, she was showered with rose petals, which scared her so much that she jumped back.

Lu Sichu poked his head out and said, "Oh, you're finally back? What were you chatting about with photographer Liang under the moonlight? We could see everything clearly from the balcony."

"No, we just talked about the photos."

Ying Shu sat cross-legged on the bed and teased deliberately, "Are you really just talking about photos? I think you two are almost kissing."

Yan Zhen opened her eyes wide and said, "What are you talking about? How could I possibly do that with Liang Yu!"

"Oh?" Lu Sichu leaned closer to her, a sly look flashing in his eyes, "Then who are you going to do this with?"

Chen Huaixu's face suddenly appeared in Yan Zhen's mind.

Those lingering kisses, rapid breathing... flooded into her mind like a tide.

Yan Zhen's ears turned red. She hurriedly pushed Lu Sichu away, frowned, and changed the subject: "Why are you in my room?"

Lu Sichu snorted when he heard this and said, "You wouldn't know if I didn't sneak up on you. Yan Zhen, you actually betrayed your sisters!"

She was immediately confused and asked, "What betrayal?"

"Isn't this evidence?" Ying Shu jumped off the bed and pointed inside her room. "Look! Sleep incense, insect repellent, fatigue-relieving essential oils, sunscreen, anti-altitude sickness medication, a full set of brand-name mountaineering equipment, and even roses—they just sprinkled them on your head. What are all these? You didn't bring any of these when you first came here. Tell me! Where did they come from?"

Yan Zhen was stunned for a moment: "The hotel sent it to me, saying it's vlp room service, don't you have it?"

Lu Sichu rolled her eyes and said, "My dear sister, this is not a five-star hotel in Ningchuan. Look at this environment, does it look like a place that can provide such high-quality service?"

As she spoke, she stepped back a few steps, picked up her mountaineering gear, and said, "Just this one jacket costs enough to cover all our room fees. Is the hotel losing money by giving this to you?"

Ying Shu flipped through the pile of things and said with a sigh, "That's a bit too thoughtful. If I remember correctly, this incense is your favorite scent, right?"

"Stop talking, let's divide it up. My insect repellent is almost out of use, and there are really too many bugs in the wild here. Besides, it's out in the middle of nowhere, and there's no shopping mall, so it's impossible to buy these things."

Yan Zhen watched them rummaging through the books, lowered her head slightly, and a rose petal slowly floated down from the top of her head.

She picked it up, and the bright red color bloomed at her fingertips.

Room service, roses.

Only him, only him.

It was clearly the same method Chen Huaixu used that night on a business trip in City F.

She took out her cell phone and opened WeChat. The conversation interface stopped at four days ago. She told Chen Huaixu that she was going to western Sichuan, and he replied indifferently: Have fun.

He must be unhappy. After all, the two of them had agreed to meet in a month, but she had wasted more than a week for no reason and deliberately not contacted him in an attempt to piss him off.

She had never expected him to be so thoughtful and consider everything for her. If it weren't for Ying Shu and Lu Sichu, she wouldn't have discovered that it was him who did it.

The palm of her hand slowly tightened, and the frame of the phone left a circle of light red marks on her delicate fingers.

He made her miss him.

The next day, everyone went to the next location, played and filmed for a day, and then had a party in the evening.

The bonfire was blazing, the firewood was burning with a crackling sound, and tiny sparks kept flying and extinguished silently on the cold ground.

Tourists and locals, a large crowd gathered around the bonfire, drinking, singing, and dancing in Tibetan costumes. Lu Sichu and Ying Shu were also getting a little carried away. They didn't know where the idea came from, but they held hands and formed a semicircle, chasing Yan Zhen to frame her and drive her to the center of the crowd.

Yan Zhen had been sitting nearby drinking, but when she saw them approaching with such force, she took off running. The laughter of several girls mingled with the noisy feast, adding to the lively atmosphere.

Yan Zhen ran left and right among the dancing crowd, then looked back at the two figures chasing him. When he turned his head again, he accidentally bumped into someone.

He was a very tall man with a light woody scent, a very familiar one.

"I'm sorry." She didn't react for a moment, nor did she raise her head. She took a few steps back unsteadily.

A pair of strong hands gently wrapped around her shoulders, steadying her swaying body, and then politely let go.

"It doesn't matter."

The pleasant sound spread in the night, but was blurred by the noise not far away, giving a vague sense of unreality.

Yan Zhen was a little surprised. She raised her head and met a pair of familiar eyes.

He was looking at her and smiling.

The surroundings were noisy, with music and cheers rising and falling like waves. The two people stood motionless in the bustling crowd, looking very out of place.

Yan Zhen stood there, almost thinking she had mistaken him. She tilted her head slightly, her expression filled with surprise, and asked, "Chen Huaixu? Why are you here?"

"Fortunately, it seems you still remember who I am." He looked into her eyes, "You didn't message me for a few days. I thought you were having so much fun that you forgot about me."

She heard the dissatisfaction in his words, and there was a little smugness in her expression. She snorted and said, "Does the law require me to send you a message?"

Chen Huaixu immediately realized that she was doing this on purpose, so he raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Oh, you're starting to learn how to control me."

The firelight illuminated half of her face, tinging her fair, soft skin with a yellowish hue. Her beautiful eyes, hidden in the light, were radiant and charming, staring at him.

The fatigue after a long drive was instantly swept away.

I really want to kiss her.

He took a step forward, but did not take any action. Instead, he restrained himself and wiped the water stains on the corners of her lips with his fingertips and said, "Did you drink?"

Yan Zhen raised her right hand, shook the can in her hand towards him, and said, "A little beer."

She then said, "Aren't you going to work? Why are you here all of a sudden?"

"If you don't come to me, I will have to come to you."

"You're so bored, you came all the way here. What brought you here?"

"I flew to City C this afternoon and then drove here."

Although he said it lightly, Yan Zhen also knew that it would take at least three or four hours to drive from City C to where they were now, not to mention coming from Ningchuan, which would take more than three hours by plane.

This means that Chen Huaixu basically spent the whole day on the road.

She took a sip of wine, and the smell of alcohol spread in her mouth, rushing all the way to her brain, messing up her thoughts and causing her to blurt out without thinking: "You miss me that much?"

"Um."

Yan Zhen regretted her words the moment she opened her mouth, secretly angry at herself for being so suggestive and ambiguous. Chen Huaixu's frank, unhesitating response only made her cheeks burn. She quickly raised the can to her lips, coughed twice to cover it up, and said, "Slippery tongue."

The surroundings were so crowded that she was nearly bumped into by passersby several times. Chen Huaixu reached out and half-embraced her in his arms, using his body to protect her as he walked to the side, saying, "There are too many people here. Let's talk somewhere else."

He took her to the car on the side of the road, took out the key to unlock it, opened the back door, and leaned in to get something.

The temperature difference between day and night is large in western Sichuan. Away from the hot bonfire, the cool evening breeze blew, which also dispelled some of the drunkenness. Yan Zhen, who was wearing a thin Tibetan skirt, shivered belatedly.

Chen Huaixu took out his coat and put it on her, then he gathered the lapels and buttoned it up, then took out a paper bag and said, "Here you go."

Yan Zhen took it and was startled by the familiar logo on the bag. It was her favorite dessert shop. She opened it and took a look inside. As expected, there were all kinds of desserts inside, and they looked very delicious.

"Where did you buy it?"

"The branch in City C."

"Why buy a cake?"

"Didn't you post on WeChat Moments saying you wanted to eat?"

Yan Zhen then remembered that in the nine-square grid of photos she had posted about her travels, the caption of one of the photos seemed to have mentioned this casually.

He actually took this to heart.

Yan Zhen paused and said, "If I say I want to eat, will you buy it for me?"

"Over the years, whenever you asked for something, I always satisfied you."

The noisy voices from afar drifted indistinctly and were blown away by the night wind. Yan Zhen felt that it was extremely quiet at this moment, so quiet that she seemed to be able to clearly hear her own heartbeat, again and again.

"I won't be fooled by your little tricks." She was still showing off, but secretly hugged the paper bag a little tighter. "How can you eat so much sweets at night? You'll get fat."

Chen Huaixu took a look at her thin arms and legs, shook his head and laughed.

At this moment, the cell phone in her pocket rang at an inopportune time. It turned out that Ying Shu and Lu Sichu couldn't find her and asked her where she was.

Yan Zhen glanced at the man in front of her and lied slowly, "I've had a little too much to drink. I'm going back to my room to rest."

After hanging up the phone, she said, "Since you're here, why don't you go say hello to them first?"

"No, I'll go back tomorrow and leave in the morning."

"Huh?" Yan Zhen had originally planned to go to Liang Yu and tell him to let Chen Huaixu go with them on the next trip, but she was stunned for a moment when she heard this. "Leaving tomorrow?"

"I'm very busy. Being able to spare one day is the limit."

Her fingertips dug into the bag, wrinkling the edges of the brown paper. All the excitement she had felt just now at his arrival had now completely subsided.

"Then what are you doing here? Just to bring me a cake?"

Yan Zhen felt that only a crazy person could do such a thing as spending so much time and energy, traveling across half of China, and staying here for just one night. Not to mention that the person involved was Chen Huaixu, which was completely inconsistent with his elite style of pursuing efficiency.

"I told you, I'm afraid you'll forget me." His tone was smiling, and he reached out and pinched her cheek, "Can't bear to leave?"

She turned her face away and said angrily, "No."

Chen Huaixu held her in his arms, touched the back of her head soothingly, then let go and said, "Let's go."

"Where are you going?"

"Go somewhere nice."

After driving for about ten minutes, Chen Huaixu stopped by a small road.

There were several RVs parked crookedly on the side of the road, and it looked like a popular spot.

"Where is this?" Yan Zhen was led by him and looked around. It felt a little eerie. "There's not even a street light."

"You'll know when you get there."

The two people walked forward on the irregular stone road. Five minutes later, the view suddenly opened up. A spacious platform was full of people. Some were holding tripods, some were holding cameras... They all pointed their lenses in the same direction - the sky.

Yan Zhen also raised her head.

The weather is very good today. The Milky Way is almost visible to the naked eye. Countless twinkling stars are dotted in the dark and boundless night sky, and are connected into one piece with varying depths, "falling" like a waterfall.

It is a view that you can never see in the city.

Her breath stopped for a moment, and she was completely captured by the scenery.

“This is the best vantage point for viewing the stars.”

Chen Huaixu took her inside, a little further away from the crowd. He took out a blanket from the bag he had been carrying, spread it on the grass, and sat down on the ground holding her.

"Is it this cold?" he asked.

"It's not cold."

"Time is a bit tight, there's no time to prepare more things." He put her hand in his pocket to warm it, "Just make do with it, baby."

Yan Zhen leaned on his shoulder, looked up at the night sky, and felt an unprecedented peace in her heart.

After being held by Chen Huaixu for a while, she stood up and ran to the front, standing in the middle of the grass. She picked up her phone and tried to take a picture. However, the phone's lens was not able to handle such a detailed scene. No matter how hard she tried, the picture was still blurry. She had no choice but to put the phone away and continue to "take pictures" of the starry night sky with her eyes.

Yan Zhen turned around and found that Chen Huaixu had raised his mobile phone at some point, but he was not taking pictures of the starry sky, but of her.

"What are you filming?" She leaned over and bent down to look at his phone screen, her long hair hanging down and falling on his arm.

“Just take a pat.”

After looking at the photos taken by Liang Yu, Yan Zhen looked at the photos taken by Chen Huaixu and found that they were indeed not very good.

The sky was blurry in the photo, with the stars and the night blending into one, but the people were clearly focused, with their backs outlined by the stars, and their profile looking up at the starry sky was focused and serious.

It has a hazy atmosphere.

Yan Zhen snorted and said, "It's all thanks to my beauty."

Chen Huaixu didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He clicked twice and set the photo as his phone wallpaper.

He put down his phone, put his arm around her waist, and pulled down slightly. Yan Zhen fell forward unsteadily, pressing him down on the blanket.

People not far away were looking up at the night sky, and no one noticed the sudden ambiguous atmosphere here.

Yan Zhen lay on top of him, looking into his eyes, her breathing quickened, and her fingers on his shoulders gradually tightened.

"Are you happy tonight?" he asked softly, his voice clear and low in the silent night.

"A little."

"Only a little?"

She answered the question irrelevantly: "How did you know this place?"

"I did some research."

"Oh." She responded, but did not get up from him. Instead, she boredly stroked his face with her fingertips and tapped the mole at the corner of his eye.

Neither of them spoke, and a hot atmosphere spread quietly.

Chen Huaixu grabbed her fingers.

His face magnified before her eyes. Yan Zhen almost thought he was going to kiss her. She felt nervous and slowly closed her eyes. A few seconds passed, but the expected warm lips didn't come. Puzzled, she opened her eyes and saw the smile in his eyes.

She was a little embarrassed and said, "You!"

He's played me again! I can't trust this guy at all!

She put her hands on his sides and tried to get up, but he grabbed her waist and hugged her back. The back of her head was pressed down, and when she reacted, a kiss had already landed on her lips.

It was light, but very hot, with a gentle breath, eating away at her territory bit by bit.

Under the night sky, they kissed.

The twinkling Milky Way is connected above our heads, pouring down brilliant light.

After watching the stars, the two returned to the hotel. After getting out of the car, Yan Zhen asked, "Where are you staying tonight? In the same hotel as us?"

"I came in a hurry and haven't booked a room yet." He said nonchalantly, "I'm leaving tomorrow morning anyway, so I can just stay in the car for one night."

It’s so cold at night. Won’t you catch a cold if you sleep in the car?

So Yan Zhen made a phone call to inquire, but was told by the front desk that the room was already fully booked and there were no extra rooms available.

She looked regretful and said deliberately, "There's no room left. You can sleep in the car."

"Okay." Chen Huaixu also sighed pretentiously, turned around and opened the car door.

Seeing him actually getting into the car, Yan Zhen quickly pulled him back and asked, "Are you really going to sleep in the car?"

"What else?" he replied nonchalantly. "We can't set up a tent."

Yan Zhen: “…”

"Since you bought me a cake today, took me to see the stars, and sent so many things to my room, I'll allow you to sleep in my room." She tugged at his clothes with a compassionate expression, "I'm reluctantly going to squeeze in with Ying Shu."

Chen Huaixu said, "What? Are you afraid that I'll eat you?"

It was obviously a normal sentence, but she felt it seemed a little inappropriate.

The phone rang again, this time it was Liang Yu.

"Sorry, Zhenzhen. I've been editing the film until now, and I just heard that you drank too much. How are you? Are you still feeling uncomfortable? Do you want me to bring you some hangover tea?"

The surroundings were extremely quiet, so Liang Yu's voice clearly leaked out from the phone and reached Chen Huaixu's ears.

Yan Zhen felt a little guilty when he stared at her. She wanted to turn around, but he grabbed her and pressed her against the side of the car with an expression that said, "What can't you talk to me about in person?"

Yan Zhen made up an excuse: "No, I...will rest soon."

After dealing with a few words, she hurriedly said goodbye: "Thank you, Brother Liang Yu, goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, I heard Chen Huaixu say slowly, "Calling him brother is quite smooth."

"I've always called him that." Yan Zhen glared at him, "Don't be unreasonable."

He didn't say anything, but just raised his chin slightly, indicating that she should go back to the hotel first.

She took two steps, turned back, and said, "Come back with me. It's so cold outside, it's hard to sleep in the car."

"It doesn't matter."

Yan Zhen simply grabbed his wrist and said arrogantly, "This is an order."

Chen Huaixu was pulled back to the room by her.

The bed in the hotel was not big, and if two people slept together, there would inevitably be physical contact. Yan Zhen was a little hesitant, but Chen Huaixu said casually, "I'll sleep on the floor."

So it was actually carried out.

After turning off the lights, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Chen Huaixu's voice rang out in the darkness: "What's wrong?"

She asked, "Are you still awake?"

"Um."

She said "Oh" and said, "I didn't sleep either."

"Yeah." This time there was a hint of laughter in his voice.

She moved to the edge of the bed, looked at him, and asked, "Isn't the floor hard?"

"good."

There was another silence, and Yan Zhen turned over and looked at the ceiling with his eyes open.

After a while, a delicate complaining voice sounded: "Chen Huaixu, I drank too much and can't sleep."

There was no response from under the bed.

She stood up and looked over. Seeing that he was motionless with his eyes closed, she muttered, "Could he be asleep?"

Yan Zhen quietly turned over and got out of bed, stepped on the quilt on the ground, and half-knelt beside Chen Huaixu.

She lay down gently beside him, testing the comfort of the ground, then frowned and stood up and said, "It's so hard, how can I sleep like this?"

Fortunately he could fall asleep.

She sat cross-legged beside him, studying his sleeping face boredly.

I have to say that Chen Huaixu is really good-looking, with a high nose bridge and nicely shaped thin lips. Even when he is asleep, his brows are still relaxed, and it seems that nothing can stump him.

She looked at it for a while, and then suddenly had an idea, so she picked up her phone and took a picture.

"Kacha!" The flash suddenly went off. Yan Zhen was startled and frantically tried to cover it, but her hand slipped and the phone fell straight onto the quilt with a dull thud.

Chen Huaixu finally couldn't pretend anymore and sighed softly.

Yan Zhen picked up the phone and immediately climbed back onto the bed, pretending nothing had happened.

He sat up from the ground and looked at her wrapping herself in the quilt like a quail. He felt a little funny and asked, "What were you doing just now?"

"No." She denied it immediately.

Chen Huaixu didn't pursue the matter and just said, "If you can't sleep, do you want to come and chat?"

She moved to the edge of the bed wrapped in the quilt and asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything."

Yan Zhen was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Why did you come to western Sichuan?"

"You've asked me twice tonight. Do you think my behavior is stupid?"

"No..." She pulled the pillow over and hugged it in her arms, "I just don't understand your motives. You came all the way here and only stayed for one day before leaving. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't do that."

She couldn't understand why he could do this.

“What if I say, I think it’s worth it?”

Yan Zhen looked at him, paused for a moment and said, "Are you really leaving tomorrow?"

"real."

She said "Oh" and stopped talking.

Yan Zhen was lying on the bedside wrapped in a quilt, with only her head exposed. Her soft cheeks were pressed against the edge of the bed, and her long black hair was falling, like a little mermaid in the sea.

His heart was moved, and he couldn't help but reach out and touch her face. She raised her eyes to look at him, but didn't look away.

"You've been so good tonight." He stroked her skin with his fingertips and said softly, "Is it because of the drinking?"

She ignored him.

"Are you unhappy? Because I'm leaving tomorrow?"

This time she finally reacted, turned her face away angrily, and said, "You are so sentimental. What does it have to do with me whether you leave or not?"

He smiled, reached out and turned her face back, then lowered his head and kissed her.

The moonlight poured in through the gap in the curtains, gently and tenderly falling on the two people.

This position was not suitable for kissing. Yan Zhen felt her neck ache after a while and stepped back, but she did not dare to look him in the eye. Instead, she commanded, "You should sleep on the bed. The floor is too uncomfortable. I can give you half of the bed, but there is a prerequisite: you are not allowed to touch me."

Chen Huaixu raised his eyebrows and said, "You won't kick me out in the middle of the night, will you?"

Yan Zhen said angrily: "Sleep if you want!"

The light went out again, and the room was plunged into darkness again.

Chen Huaixu suddenly said, "You're about to fall."

Yan Zhen huddled in the corner of the bed and said, "No."

"The gaps in the quilt are so big that air is leaking in."

"No... Oh! Chen Huaixu! We agreed not to touch me!"

"Move a little inside. I'm afraid you'll fall down if you fall asleep."

“…”

"Want to kiss for a while?"

"Um?"

"Goodnight kiss."

"How long is a while?"

"It depends on the status."

"……fraud."

The next morning, Chen Huaixu was awakened by the alarm clock. He turned around and saw the person next to him sleeping soundly. He touched her cheek and couldn't help but lower his head to kiss her lightly.

Yan Zhen felt something was bothering her in her sleep. She frowned and hummed, then stretched out her hand and waved it away. He caught her finger and kissed it on his lips.

The intimate playfulness stopped. He got out of bed, washed and tidied himself up quickly, then looked back at the person on the bed. Then he quietly closed the door and left.

The air in the early morning is fresh, and the wind blows on your face with the scent of morning dew. You can feel the slightly moist coolness when you breathe, which makes you feel refreshed.

Chen Huaixu got out of the elevator and was about to walk towards the door when he saw a young man walking in with big strides.

He had a gentle face and a camera hanging around his neck. He walked while looking down at the photos in the camera with a focused expression, as if he had just come back from taking a photo.

There were few people in the hotel lobby in the morning. The receptionist at the front desk was yawning drowsily at the empty hall, and the sound of water splashing in the artificial rockery was particularly clear.

Seeing the man walking straight towards the elevator, Chen Huaixu slowed down his pace, but did not take the initiative to avoid him and continued walking.

Liang Yu was concentrating on looking at the photos he had just taken, and occasionally glanced at his feet, until his eyes were suddenly covered by a shadow. He immediately stopped and turned sideways, but he was too late and his shoulders bumped into each other dully.

"Sorry," Liang Yu put down the camera, "I didn't look at the road. Sorry."

"It's okay." Chen Huaixu answered lightly, brushing his shoulder and walking forward, as if he didn't take the matter to heart.

Liang Yu gently rubbed his shoulder which was slightly sore from the collision, and looked back. The man's tall figure disappeared at the hotel entrance.

It's strange, it seems a little familiar.

Yan Zhen was woken up by the alarm on her cell phone.

She propped up her heavy eyelids and slowly got up. She saw that the corner of the quilt beside her was neatly tucked in. She reached out to touch it, but the quilt was already cold.

It's like no one has ever slept here.

If it weren't for the aches in her body, she would have almost thought that everything that happened last night was a dream.

There is no doubt that the moment Chen Huaixu appeared, she was first surprised, and then very delighted, as if she had received an unexpected gift, and joy spread in her heart.

The encounter by the campfire at night, the kiss under the starry sky, she felt like a prince in a fairy tale, who lost her "princess" the moment the fateful moment arrived.

She sat on the bed in a daze for a while, then got out of bed to change clothes and wash up. She accidentally glanced at something on the table beside her, so she walked over curiously and picked it up.

"Cinderella" Chen Huaixu actually left behind his "crystal shoes".

It was a torn-off note that said if they still wanted to continue the fun after the filming, they could follow this recommended route to Tibet. He had already sent the specific guide to her on WeChat.

Yan Zhen turned on her phone. As expected, Chen Huaixu had sent her a document early in the morning that looked like it had been prepared long ago.

"Are you kidding me? How could you be so kind?" She muttered as she clicked it. Dense text and various photos unfolded before her eyes. She was instantly shocked by the rich content.

It is obvious that Chen Huaixu takes making travel guides as seriously as he takes his job. He carefully plans the route, recommends attractions, selects hotels and B&Bs to stay in, marks various matters that need to be paid attention to in each place, and even recommends foods that can be tried and foods that should never be tried out of curiosity based on her preferred tastes.

It was obvious that she needed to come to western Sichuan for more than a week, but he was so impatient to come and see her within four or five days. Now he made such a detailed travel guide for her and encouraged her to continue to go to Tibet after that?

Is the game over? Has he completely given up?

Yan Zhen held the note and tried to figure out Chen Huaixu's thoughts, when she suddenly discovered that there seemed to be a line of words written on the back, with traces of ink faintly visible.

She turned it over and saw the familiar handwriting again. The handwriting was just like the person, beautiful and elegant. She could almost hear his smiling voice: "Do you think it's nice to travel with me now?"

Yan Zhen stood at the table for a while, and when he came to his senses, he had already dialed the phone unconsciously.

The moment the call rang, she remembered that Chen Huaixu was probably driving. Not wanting to distract him, she was about to hang up, but he answered quickly: "Are you up?"

Yan Zhen asked: "Are you driving?"

"The journey is too long and the road is difficult to drive on. I've been taking turns with the driver, and now it's my turn to rest."

"oh."

Her fingertips unconsciously stroked the edge of the note and she said nothing more.

Chen Huaixu didn't ask and remained silent on the other end of the phone tacitly. Yan Zhen could only vaguely hear the navigation broadcast reminder.

The two people's gentle breathing sounds were transmitted to each other's ears through the mobile phone, and they let the silent air spread infinitely.

Until a sudden brake sound came from the other end, sharp and piercing, and her heart suddenly panicked.

She asked hurriedly, "What's wrong?"

"It's okay, a small animal suddenly jumped out from the side of the road."

"Oh..." She seemed to have found an excuse and continued the conversation, "What do you mean by that strategy? If I really go to Tibet to play, our game will be over when I come back."

"It's nothing," Chen Huaixu said, "I think your happiness is more important than our game."

He has always been calm and rational, and his words at this moment were also calm and steady as usual. They did not sound like a joke or glib talk at all. To her ears, it was just as if he was simply stating a fact.

The words were spoken in a plain tone, but they were very deadly.

Yan Zhen turned his gaze to the window, trying to distract himself, and snorted softly, "If I really go, you won't come looking for me again, right?"

But Chen Huaixu asked at this time: "Will you go?"

She paused.

The soft voice continued, "Or...will you come back to meet me soon?"

It seemed that he had given the initiative to her, but in fact he was the one who was always in control of everything.

If she chose to continue traveling, she would be sacrificing their bet for her own happiness, and Chen Huaixu would lose because he would be too late to do anything. Yan Zhen was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She enjoyed his strategy but let him down, so she would inevitably feel a little guilty towards him. This psychological tilt would be a perfect opportunity for him.

If she did not go on the trip, then she made a choice unintentionally, which also helped him judge how much weight he occupied in her heart so far.

Yan Zhen couldn't see through these calculated tactics. She just felt that the current situation was very bad. Because of his voice, she really wanted to go back.

The ear that was pressed against the phone suddenly felt hot. She didn't know how to answer, so she hung up the phone in panic.

There was a "beep" sound from the other end of the phone. Chen Huaixu glanced at the phone and lowered his hand. He didn't look unhappy about the call being hung up. Instead, he was in a good mood.

The driver tilted his head to look at him and thought this customer was really strange.

At first, he thought the man was traveling alone, but he had only arrived last night and was leaving early this morning. Fortunately, the man was generous and offered a generous reward, making this trip worth leading several tours. However, even with the money, he couldn't help but wonder, "Are you here to discuss business?"

"No," Chen Huaixu replied, "I came to see someone."

"Someone very important?"

"Yes, it's very important."

The driver gripped the steering wheel and said, "I could tell from listening to you talking on the phone. You've been so cold all the way, and only just now were you smiling."

"No big deal. I spent a lot of effort making a travel guide, but now it seems like it might not be useful at all."

The master grinned and said, "Then all your efforts were in vain. Why are you still smiling so happily?"

Chen Huaixu rested his right elbow on the edge of the car window, gently supporting his head. His left hand clutched his phone, resting it on his lap. He casually flicked it on and off, the screen flickering back and forth. The profile of the beauty on the wallpaper was outlined by the stars, his gaze meeting the distant skyline.

He watched silently for a long time, then placed his fingertips on her cheek on the screen and said with a smile, "It wasn't all in vain."

After Yan Zhen finished packing in her room, she went out to meet up with everyone else. As soon as Lu Sichu saw her, he pulled her aside and asked mysteriously in a low voice, "You weren't drunk at all last night, were you?"

"What?"

"Last night, the assistant girls from Liang Yu's team were also playing by the bonfire. Someone photographed a handsome passerby, and they were all discussing whether to approach him and try to develop a casual romance." Lu Sichu raised his eyebrows. "Where there are handsome guys, how can I be absent, right? I also wanted to join in the fun and see how handsome he is. Guess what happened?"

Yan Zhen had guessed the answer, but she still pretended to be calm and continued with her words: "What's wrong?"

"It's a very familiar handsome guy named Chen." Lu Sichu narrowed his eyes. "Tell me, why is he here? Did you find an excuse to go out and fool around with him last night?"

Yan Zhen suddenly felt a little guilty, and avoided her questioning, saying, "Don't make trouble."

Lu Sichu leaned over to look behind her and asked, "Where's the person?"

"There's no one here, you're seeing things wrong."

Someone happened to beckon her at the door, and Yan Zhen pulled her forward, saying, "Hurry up, we have to go to the next place today."

The sun rises and sets, day and night alternate, and the not-so-long journey finally comes to an end with the repeated "click" sounds of the shutter.

The night before returning, Liang Yu found Yan Zhen and invited her to sit downstairs.

There was a row of stone benches on the roadside in front of the hotel. Liang Yu took out a tissue and wiped it carefully before asking her to sit down.

The night was very quiet, the surroundings were vast, the sound of the wind was mixed with the rustling sound of leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

"Are you happy on this trip?" Liang Yu turned his head to look at her.

"Very happy."

He sighed and said, "I'm too busy with filming and the team. I'm always worried that I haven't taken good care of you."

Yan Zhen shook her head and said, "Don't say that. On the contrary, I should thank you. I secretly watched a few sample photos, and you took a very good-looking picture of me."

Liang Yu smiled and said, "That's good."

Yan Zhen noticed the camera beside him and asked, "I've seen you carrying this small camera these days. Is there any special use for it?"

He handed her the camera. She flipped through it carefully and asked, "Is this a sunrise photo?"

"Yes. These days, I find a place to take pictures of the sunrise every morning."

"Every day?" She was surprised.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I'm still deciding whether to edit it into a video or a photo album. Anyway, I want to make it romantic."

She handed the camera back to him and said, "You're so artistic, everything you do will be romantic."

"Do you like romantic things?" He hung the camera back around his neck and asked casually.

"I like it." Yan Zhen nodded without hesitation.

He smiled and said, "That's good."

The two chatted for a while longer, and when the night chilled to the bone, they stood up and walked back. As the hotel door drew near, Liang Yu stopped and called her softly, "Zhenzhen."

She turned around and said, "Hmm?"

"I'm also rather clumsy in this area. I don't know what to do, and I'm often hesitant and indecisive." He sighed softly. "Anyway, if you think I'm doing something wrong, please tell me."

Yan Zhen thought he was a nice guy, so she could only nod and say, "Okay."

Liang Yu looked at her and slowly smiled.

He didn't pull out his phone until Yan Zhen's back disappeared from his sight. He said, "Mom?"

"What time will you arrive at the airport tomorrow? I'll ask Xiao Luo to pick you up."

He rubbed his brows wearily and said, "I told you, I can go back by myself. There's no need for you to force her to go. She has her own life too."

A sneer came from the other end: "You talk so nicely, but don't think I don't know what you're planning. Who did you go with to western Sichuan this time? Did you not listen to what I said at all?"

"Mom, I'm very tired, that's all."

Liang Yu didn't want to dwell on this topic any further, so he hung up the phone without a second thought, but stood there dejectedly. After a long moment, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and walked back into the darkness.