Chapter 231 Backyard on Fire
Looking at the message from Xin Zixing, Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated, not even knowing how to reply.
It seems that both Chen Ziyan and Xin Zixing are worried that he will do something outrageous, and they are "reprimanding" him in a joking tone.
Lu Yanhe returned to his room and took a shower first.
After taking a shower, I sat by the window, enjoying the gentle night breeze, and checked my phone to reply to messages.
There are many messages I need to reply to.
Lu Yanhe hadn't expected that as he made more and more friends, his phone would receive a lot of messages if he didn't check it for even a short while.
Some people would forward him funny videos.
Some people simply send a greeting.
Some people will ask about his availability and discuss whether there will be time to collaborate later.
There's all sorts of content.
Lu Yanhe replied to each one, and then saw that two hours earlier, Chen Siqi had sent the design draft of "Jump Up", including the cover and inner pages, made into a PDF file.
Lu Yanhe was pleasantly surprised and quickly opened the file.
-
Chen Siqi dried her hair and glanced at her phone.
Two hours have passed, and Lu Yanhe still hasn't replied.
Is the recording still not over?
Chen Siqi frowned slightly.
She sat on the bed, picked up the printed copy, and decided to read it through from beginning to end again.
Chen Siqi is also a little nervous now, a nervous excitement.
To be precise, every step of making "Jump Up" was filled with this thrilling excitement—the thought that the work had taken another step forward and was a little closer to its final completion filled me with excitement.
Even now, Chen Siqi still feels a sense of unreality.
She's actually making a magazine book?!
Incredible.
Just then, my phone suddenly started buzzing.
It was Lu Yanhe who replied! Chen Siqi immediately picked up her phone, and sure enough, it was Lu Yanhe's feedback.
I have no complaints about the overall design; it's a very nice book. However, could the font size be increased? The text seems a bit small. But maybe it's because I'm reading it on my phone, so it's difficult to read.
Chen Siqi said: The font is indeed a bit small. I have already told Yilong about it. She personally prefers a smaller font, so it was made like this.
Chen Siqi asked: Are you done recording?
Lu Yanhe: I'm done recording. I just took a shower and am drying my hair. What about you?
Chen Siqi: Me too, I just dried my hair.
Lu Yanhe: Is your dad still forcing you to repeat a year?
Chen Siqi: They haven't mentioned this to me again these past few days. Going crazy is still effective; Liu Wei'an hasn't bothered me much these past few days.
Lu Yanhe sat by the window, looking at the message Chen Siqi sent, and paused in his typing.
Although Chen Siqi said this in a smug tone, Lu Yanhe felt somewhat sad. If Chen Siqi hadn't been pushed to the limit, why would she have to resort to threatening to go crazy just to keep the university she wanted to attend?
Lu Yanhe had wondered if Chen Siqi harbored hostility towards Liu Wei'an, which was why she reacted so defensively, like a hedgehog, exaggerating and misinterpreting many of Liu Wei'an's words and actions. But at this moment, Lu Yanhe felt that even if Chen Siqi was irrational and subjective, he would still stand firmly by her side. Because Chen Siqi had never intended to harm them; she simply wanted to escape from them—if an adult couldn't even achieve such a goal, what difference was there between her situation and that of a prisoner?
Lu Yanhe said: When you come to Jiangguang for university, you can come to Jiangzhi. It's really worth a visit.
Chen Siqi asked: "If you have time, come with me. You've been there once, so you must know where there are fun things to do and good food to eat."
Lu Yanhe agreed.
Seeing that Lu Yanhe replied with such a straightforward "okay," Chen Siqi smiled.
-
The next day, Lu Yanhe opened his eyes early in the morning to the sound of his alarm clock.
He turned off the alarm clock, rolled over in bed, and couldn't quite get up.
I want to go back to sleep.
After struggling for a minute, Lu Yanhe finally got out of bed.
Although I'm really tired, I have to get up.
The play "Phoenix Terrace" required him to play a young bodyguard, and he had to have the heroic temperament of someone who had practiced martial arts for many years.
He doesn't practice martial arts now, but he should at least resemble him in physique and skin color, or at least get close to him.
Lu Yanhe changed into running shoes and sportswear and went out.
Chen Liang and his team were already working downstairs.
Lu Yanhe saw them, waved, and said good morning.
To Lu Yanhe's surprise, Chen Liang and the others greeted him with a "Good morning" and then got on a small electric scooter.
Xiao Mei was in charge of driving the electric scooter, while Chen Liang sat in the back carrying the camera, facing Lu Yanhe.
"What are you trying to do?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise.
Chen Liang said, "I'll film you jogging in the morning."
"What?" Lu Yanhe looked at them in shock.
This wasn't part of the filming schedule.
Chen Liang said, "That's what Director Xin instructed."
Director Xin's voice was sarcastic.
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
"Alright."
So Lu Yanhe ran ahead, while Xiao Mei and the others followed slowly behind.
Because someone was following him, Lu Yanhe felt that he was running awkwardly.
I felt very uncomfortable, like I was putting on a show.
He never liked running to begin with, and when he did, he felt like a dog struggling to breathe, so he probably didn't look very good.
Lu Yanhe stopped, panting, and put his hands on his knees. He looked at them and said, "Let's discuss this. Can you please not take any more pictures of me like this? Instead, take some pictures of me running more easily and comfortably later, so I can look handsome."
Chen Liang and Xiao Mei both laughed.
Chen Liang said, "It's not up to us to decide; we'll have to ask Director Xin."
Lu Yanhe pouted helplessly.
-
When he finished running and returned to the inn, he heard Lin Miaomiao shouting as soon as he entered: "Lu Yanhe, you're finally back!"
Lu Yanhe looked up and saw Lin Miaomiao standing on the second-floor corridor, dressed neatly, waving at him with a bright smile.
Lu Yanhe was completely out of energy to respond to her—he was fully aware of how incompetent he was.
After running three kilometers, I was completely out of breath, and my calves were numb.
He waved his hand and said, "I'll take a quick rinse first."
Lin Miaomiao nodded. "I'll wait for you."
-
Chen Liang and Xiao Mei looked at each other in bewilderment.
Chen Liang asked, "Are they dating?"
Xiao Mei: "It looks like it, all sweet and loving."
"But I heard that Lu Yanhe is dating that girl he works with on the magazine, isn't he?"
"Huh? Wasn't that just a rumor? They've already clarified it." Xiao Mei looked puzzled.
Chen Liang shook his head and said, "Never mind, it's none of my business."
Xiao Mei rubbed her chin with one hand for a while, a look of suspicion in her eyes.
-
Lu Yanhe took a shower and went out for breakfast with Lin Miaomiao.
He greeted Xin Zixing and said, "Let's not take these photos yet?"
Lin Miaomiao is not a celebrity, and her identity is sensitive, so he does not want Lin Miaomiao to appear on the show.
Xin Zixing yawned and said, "Okay, don't worry, we'll remove Lin Miaomiao from the film later."
"Delete me?" Lin Miaomiao looked at them in confusion. "Why would you delete me?"
"Would you be willing to appear on the show?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise.
“Of course I’m willing, why wouldn’t I?” Lin Miaomiao said. “I know you’re here to record the show. If I don’t film because I can’t be on the show, then I’m disturbing your work. I’m not that petty.”
Lu Yanhe could only pull Lin Miaomiao aside and whisper, "After you appear on camera, many people may discuss you and try to find out your identity. Maybe the fact that your father is Lin Desheng will also be revealed."
"What does it matter? It's not like my dad is Lin Desheng or anything shameful." Lin Miaomiao said with a proud smile. "Let's go, take me to eat something delicious."
Lin Miaomiao seemed completely unconcerned, and seeing this, Lu Yanhe didn't say anything more and set off with her.
Chen Liang and the others stayed by their side.
Lin Miaomiao looked around in surprise and said, "I didn't notice this when I came here last night. Why are there so many ancient-style buildings here? They all look so old."
Lu Yanhe said, "Because this city has a long history and is located in a relatively remote area, a lot of things have been preserved."
Lin Miaomiao said longingly, "If I had known, I would have bought a Hanfu. It would have looked so good to take pictures here."
Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised and asked, "Are you a Hanfu enthusiast?"
"Me? No, I just like taking pictures," Lin Miaomiao said. "I like any picture that makes me look good."
-
Xiao Mei followed Xin Zixing and saw the two of them chatting and laughing.
She whispered to Xin Zixing, "Sister Zixing, are those two dating?"
Xin Zixing glanced at her and said, "How would I know?"
“This morning, Liang Ge told me that Lu Yanhe is also having an affair with the girl he works with on the magazine,” Xiao Mei said curiously. “I’m a little confused. Who is he actually dating?”
Xin Zixing: "Since it hasn't been made public, it means they don't want to talk about it. Why do you care about these things? The artists' private affairs are none of our business. We just need to make the show well."
Xiao Mei smiled and said, "I'm just worried that Lu Yanhe is two-timing and will eventually fall from grace, which would prevent our show from airing. So many celebrities have fallen from grace these days."
Xin Zixing frowned slightly and said, "This is not something you should be worrying about at this time. If you discuss something that has no basis in fact, it will become a rumor if others hear it."
Xin Zixing's expression was somewhat stern. Seeing this, Xiao Mei stuck out her tongue and immediately shut up.
Xin Zixing is not usually a very strict person, but when she puts on a stern face, it's best to obediently bow your head and admit your mistake.
However, this matter still piqued Xiao Mei's curiosity—she was a very gossipy person, and she really wanted to dig up any secrets. Xiao Mei had always felt that she was quite suited to be an entertainment reporter or a paparazzi; it was her hobby.
-
The recording continued until evening on the second day. Because Lu Yanhe had to catch the 11:30 pm flight, he hurriedly got into the car and headed to the airport as soon as he finished recording.
Xin Zixing and her team weren't in a hurry; they planned to continue filming some footage here for the next two days before leaving.
So, in the end, Lin Miaomiao was the only one who went to the airport with Lu Yanhe.
"Did you buy a ticket for that flight?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Lin Miaomiao nodded and said, "I've bought it."
Lu Yanhe said, "Why do you insist on coming back with me so late at night? We'll probably get home around three or four in the morning."
"It's not safe for me to stay there alone," Lin Miaomiao pouted and said, "I might as well come back with you."
Lu Yanhe: "You... went to Baichuan alone, why weren't you worried about your safety back then?"
Lin Miaomiao said, "I have bodyguards with me in Baichuan, so I'm not worried."
"Then why didn't you bring bodyguards to Jiangzhi?"
"Isn't this you?" Lin Miaomiao said matter-of-factly.
-
Sometimes, Lu Yanhe wondered if he was just deceiving himself.
Lin Miaomiao clearly has feelings for him, right? He's not stupid, he's not emotionally clueless, and he can sense other people's feelings.
However, Lin Miaomiao's attitude left Lu Yanhe unsure how to react.
Should I just stupidly say, "Sorry, I already have a girl I like, we're not suitable to be friends"?
Okay, that's definitely the right thing to do.
That's so silly.
They've already said they just want to be friends with you, but you still have to pull this stunt to make yourself seem exceptionally noble.
But if he pretended not to know, Lu Yanhe felt like a terrible person and would feel guilty from time to time.
For Lu Yanhe, it was truly impossible for him to know that a girl liked him and pretend not to know, while still maintaining a serious friendship with her.
-
The airport was still busy in the early hours of the morning.
As Lu Yanhe and Lin Miaomiao passed by the boarding bridge, they saw through the window that several planes were still moving slowly outside.
It was already past 2 a.m., almost 3 a.m.
Lu Yanhe and Lin Miaomiao walked out of the airport with their suitcases.
Lin Miaomiao had a driver pick her up.
Lin Miaomiao said, "Come with me in the car, and I'll have the driver take you home first."
"It's so late at night, don't bother your driver. I'll just take a taxi home myself," Lu Yanhe said.
Upon hearing this, Lin Miaomiao, though somewhat unwilling, did not allow Lu Yanhe to get into her car.
"Then I'm leaving." She waved her hand. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. I think you're worried that I've fallen for you, aren't you?"
Lu Yanhe stared at Lin Miaomiao in shock, not even bothering to hide his astonishment.
He never expected Lin Miaomiao to be so perceptive; she saw right through his dilemma.
Lin Miaomiao put her hands behind her back, looked at him, and said, "Don't worry, I will never fall in love with you!"
After she finished speaking, she smiled brightly, waved to Lu Yanhe, and left.
Lu Yanhe was stunned and hadn't reacted yet when Lin Miaomiao turned around quickly and walked towards the exit.
-
Lu Yanhe didn't arrive at his dormitory until around 4 a.m.
I'm so tired.
Exhausted, he carried his suitcase into the room, covered in sweat. He really didn't want to take a shower and just wanted to lie down on the bed and fall asleep, but after struggling for a moment, he still took a shower.
Fortunately, it's summer, so taking a shower is quick and convenient.
While I was taking a shower, someone suddenly asked from the doorway, "Old Lu? Is that you back?"
It was Li Zhibai's voice.
"Um."
"Oh," Li Zhibai replied, and then left.
I don't know if he got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
Lu Yanhe quickly finished washing up and went outside, only to find the living room lights on and Li Zhibai lying on the sofa.
"Do you need to use the restroom? I'm done washing up."
Li Zhibai opened his eyes, glanced at Lu Yanhe, and nodded. "You're back quite late."
"Mm." Lu Yanhe nodded.
Li Zhibai yawned and went to the restroom.
Lu Yanhe returned to his room.
My hair is still wet, I can't sleep.
He didn't use a hairdryer because he was afraid of disturbing Li Zhibai and Yan Liang's sleep.
Since my hair is short anyway, I'll just let it air dry.
He sat on the bed and picked up a book to read.
I don't know when I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
-
When Lu Yanhe woke up the next day, he saw bright sunshine outside the window. Because the curtains were not drawn, the sunlight shone directly on his body and face.
If the air conditioning hadn't been on, I probably would have woken up from the heat long ago.
Lu Yanhe stretched his arms and legs and got out of bed.
The person was still a little dazed.
I was feeling drowsy.
Lu Yanhe heard Li Zhibai and Yan Liang talking in the living room, but he didn't know what they were saying and couldn't hear clearly.
He picked up his phone to check the time, only to find that he had forgotten to charge it before going to bed the night before, and the phone had automatically shut down due to a dead battery.
He had no choice but to quickly charge his phone.
Stepping out of his room, Lu Yanhe went to the living room and first glanced at the wall clock.
"Ah, it's almost midnight."
Yan Liang asked, "What time did you arrive yesterday?"
"Around four o'clock," Lu Yanhe said, yawning again. "I'm so sleepy."
Yan Liang said, "You and Lin Miaomiao were photographed at the airport and the photos were posted online."
"ah?"
“Many people suspect that you are dating her.” Yan Liang waved his phone.
"Do netizens all know Lin Miaomiao?"
"Of course, Lin Miaomiao has accompanied her father to many events, and many media outlets recognize her," Yan Liang said.
Although Lu Yanhe was somewhat taken aback, he wasn't particularly shocked, whether because he had just woken up or something else, and he didn't even feel "startled awake".
He sat down next to Yan Liang and said, "Let me borrow your phone. I forgot to charge it yesterday, and it shut down automatically."
Yan Liang then handed the phone directly to Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe took a look.
Fortunately, it didn't trend on social media; it was just some people talking about it.
Lu Yanhe swiped his phone, realized what he meant, and nodded, saying, "It's alright, not as stormy as I imagined."
Yan Liang: "That's because this matter was discovered as soon as it started to escalate, and Sister Ziyan is handling it and trying to suppress the heat."
"ah?"
Yan Liang said, "Sister Ziyan probably couldn't get through to you, so she called me. She knew you were sleeping and told me not to wake you up, but to let you know when you woke up."
Lu Yanhe's eyes widened immediately.
He immediately said, "Then I need to call Sister Ziyan right away."
Li Zhibai put down his phone and said, "Don't rush to call her back. First, tell me what you want to eat for lunch. Should we order takeout or go out to eat?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head, "I don't want to go out, let's order takeout."
Li Zhibai: "What should we eat?"
"Whatever."
Yan Liang: "Whatever."
After thinking for a moment, Li Zhibai said, "Let's order a roast duck and a pizza."
Lu Yanhe's mouth watered at the thought.
"good."
Having decided what to have for lunch, Lu Yanhe went to his room to get his phone and call Chen Ziyan.
The phone can finally be turned on.
Upon closer inspection, wow! There were two missed calls from Sister Ziyan, and a bunch of unread messages.
Lu Yanhe first called Chen Ziyan.
"Sister Ziyan, I'm sorry, I was sleeping just now and I just woke up."
"It's nothing. You didn't go to sleep until four or five in the morning yesterday, did you?"
"Um."
“Someone photographed you and Lin Miaomiao coming out of the airport together in the early morning, saying that you two went out on a date.” Chen Ziyan’s tone seemed to find the claim somewhat amusing. “I’ve been dealing with this matter for a while now. Fortunately, it involves Lin Miaomiao, and the Northern Lights Video team has also put in a lot of effort, and they have basically brought the heat down.”
"I didn't expect anyone to be taking pictures so late."
“It’s a media age now. If you have a mobile phone, you can take photos and videos anytime,” Chen Ziyan said. “And you’re a celebrity, so it’s normal to be photographed. Whenever you go out, you have to be prepared to be photographed. You might even be secretly photographed at home.”
Lu Yanhe asked, "I'll pay attention next time. It was my fault for not paying attention."
“There’s no need to be so paranoid. Like this time, you and Lin Miaomiao were photographed, so what? It’s not like you have a really shady relationship,” Chen Ziyan said. “Just remember not to be photographed at crucial moments.”
Lu Yanhe didn't know for a moment when Chen Ziyan was referring to the crucial moment.
Chen Ziyan said, "However, you and Lin Miaomiao are trending on social media this time, and people are speculating that you two are dating. That Ms. Chen must be unhappy to see the news, right? Has she contacted you?"
Miss Chen?
It took Lu Yanhe a while to realize that the "Miss Chen" Chen Ziyan was referring to was Chen Siqi.
Lu Yanhe was taken aback and immediately said, "My phone just turned on. I forgot to charge it and it turned off automatically."
Chen Ziyan: "Alright, that's enough for now. You should hurry up and appease your Miss Chen, lest things get complicated at home."
Lu Yanhe's cheeks turned red.
-
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yanhe logged into his social media account and saw that Chen Siqi hadn't sent him any messages. Instead, Huang Kairen and a few others were curiously asking if the news was true or false.
Lu Yanhe replied to each question and then clicked on Chen Siqi's profile picture. He was silent for a moment, hesitant, and also wanted to know why she didn't react at all.
Haven't you seen the news online yet?
That's possible.
This matter didn't go very far; its popularity was suppressed.
But how could that be?
Lu Yanhe saw that people in his class group were discussing this matter and even asking who Lin Miaomiao was.
Even Li Pengfei asked him an hour ago: "Have you fallen for someone else?"
Lu Yanhe typed back: Get lost.
Three "get lost"s are not enough to express his feelings at this moment.
Li Pengfei replied almost instantly: You've finally shown up.
Lu Yanhe: I didn't get to the dormitory until 4 a.m. yesterday. I had just woken up when I found out that rumors about me were circulating online again.
Li Pengfei: Who is that girl?
Lu Yanhe said: A friend, whom I met when I was working before, was meeting a friend nearby when I was recording "City Travelogue" in Jiangzhi yesterday. We just happened to be on the same flight back to Yuming.
Li Pengfei: I see.
Lu Yanhe: You really think I've fallen for someone else?
Li Pengfei: It's mainly because Chen Siqi asked me for help early this morning, and I'm with her at the printing factory looking at paper.
Lu Yanhe was taken aback: Looking at the paper?
Li Pengfei: Yes, she was choosing what kind of paper to use for the physical book of "Jump Up". She didn't seem to be acting strangely all morning. I thought she hadn't seen the news online. But when I asked her, she said she already knew. She said she knew that woman. Are you that amazing? You actually introduced the two of them?
Lu Yanhe: No, I only mentioned her to Chen Siqi.
Li Pengfei: You'd better explain to Chen Siqi. Although she didn't react at all, I felt something was wrong with her; she seemed a bit sullen.
Lu Yanhe felt troubled, had a headache, and even wanted to sigh.
He hesitated for a long time before asking, "Is she with you?"
“Her? She’s up ahead,” Li Pengfei said, “about three meters away from me.”
Lu Yanhe: "I understand. Is she free now?"
“We’re waiting for someone to bring us a new batch of paper. I’m free now,” Li Pengfei said. “If you want to call her, hurry up. I reckon that person will be back soon.”
Lu Yanhe hummed in agreement and hung up the phone.
After a moment's hesitation, Lu Yanhe called Chen Siqi.
Chen Siqi hung up on him immediately.
After a while, Chen Siqi replied with three words: "At the printing factory."
Lu Yanhe wasn't sure if Chen Siqi was really angry, so he asked: Are you angry?
Chen Siqi: Why am I angry?
Lu Yanhe scratched his head, hissed, and said: "It's that rumor on the internet."
Chen Siqi: I already know it's a rumor, so why would I be angry? Did Li Pengfei exaggerate it for you again?
Lu Yanhe: No, it's not.
Lu Yanhe actually wanted to say more, but he really couldn't say anything more.
He and Chen Siqi hadn't even broken the ice yet.
Chen Siqi: I need to choose my paper now, I have to talk to you later, we can chat when we meet.
Lu Yanhe remained silent.
He was certain that Chen Siqi was angry and something was wrong.
Lu Yanhe scratched his head and sent a message to Li Pengfei, asking: Where are you? Send me your address.
Li Pengfei immediately sent a location.
Lu Yanhe checked his phone and saw that it was only at 12% charge.
He immediately called a ride-hailing service, which arrived ten minutes later.
"Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, I'm not eating anymore, I have to go out!" When Lu Yanhe's phone reached 17% charge, he unplugged the charger and hurriedly left.
Li Zhibai and Yan Liang looked at each other, then asked, "Why did he suddenly go out again?"
(End of this chapter)
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