Chapter 41 Stolen Phone vs. Gotcha! [Live Broadcast in Another City...]
Their timing today was quite coincidental; it seems there's some kind of celebration going on in the area.
Outside, crowds surged, and the streets were adorned with flags woven from ancient vines and colorful feathers, fluttering gently in the warm wind that carried the salty scent of the sea. Wooden buildings stood in layers, and the delicate terracotta bells under the eaves jingled and tinkled in the wind, producing a clear, bird-like sound.
People's faces were covered in paint, and their unrestrained smiles shone brightly in the sunlight. Barefoot children frolicked and played freely in the gaps between the crowd, their laughter echoing the sound of wind chimes, as melodious as a spring.
The production team used a drone to faithfully capture this lively scene, which was full of local customs and traditions, eliciting a barrage of exclamations from viewers.
The uneven stone pavement gleamed in the sunlight, making the already crowded street even more difficult to walk on.
Wen Yinhe and Lu Huaijin had to clench their hands even tighter, leaving almost no gaps. The air was hot and noisy, and their palms were sweating. Their sweat mingled together, and all the noise and clamor seemed to be separated by their clasped hands, making them their own world.
"Should we go to a more spacious place?" Lu Huaijin walked ahead, his back almost touching Wen Yinhe's chest, and turned his head slightly to speak to Wen Yinhe behind him.
The man's hair brushed against Wen Yinhe's cheek, and his ears, tanned red by the sun, were clearly visible in the bustling crowd.
Wen Yinhe lowered his head, his lips involuntarily brushing against Lu Huaijin's ear amidst the jostling of the crowd. His voice was low and clear, reaching Lu Huaijin's ears: "Do you feel it's too crowded?"
“I was afraid you’d feel uncomfortable,” Lu Huaijin gently shook his head, his ear brushing against Wen Yinhe’s warm lips, the touch soft and hot. “Don’t you dislike crowds?”
Wen Yinhe paused for a moment, his chest vibrating with laughter, his hot breath brushing against Lu Huaijin's ear. Their bodies were already pressed very close together, and they could clearly hear each other's heartbeats, unable to tell whose heart was pounding: "But I like it now, because this way, I can be close to you openly and honestly."
[Wow, you've really evolved! You've improved by leaps and bounds since the proposal! Please keep this sugar-generating machine going for all the upcoming recordings! Give us as much sweetness as you want, we gluttonous girls can eat it all!!!]
【Great! It's a sweet, clingy couple that makes all of humanity envious! We're saved! QAQ】
[I don't know what to say, so I'll just shout something out for you guys! One person~ I'm drinking and getting drunk! [Check check] Drunk, I've made the movie star and President Lu a couple! [Nao nao~] My eyes are only for them! [Electric Eye King] I just hope the movie star and President Lu can be together again! [DJing and hip-shaking rockyou]]
Just then, a group of dancers dressed in local ethnic costumes walked barefoot from the center of the street not far away.
The crowd parted like waves, cheering, creating a wide path for the dancers, who then waved their arms wildly to the beat of the drums.
Wen Yinhe and Lu Huaijin didn't have time to retreat and were confusedly pushed to the edge of the crowd, where they had a close encounter with the lead dancer.
It was a glamorous woman wearing a crop top, her face covered in thick, bright paint, obscuring her original features. She spun and jumped on tiptoe, each step perfectly in time with the drumbeats, her skirt blooming like crimson flames.
As she turned around, she inadvertently made eye contact with the two bewildered, handsome strangers on the street. She paused for a moment, then a sly yet innocent smile spread across her face.
Wen Yinhe met the woman's gaze and subconsciously stepped in front of Lu Huaijin. However, the woman had already spun around to his face like a whirlwind and stretched out a hand covered in bright paint towards Wen Yinhe.
In the instant she turned and passed by, she quickly and gently wiped Wen Yinhe's fair face and whispered a sentence in the local language.
Before Wen Yinhe could react, the woman gracefully escaped amidst the cheers and chatter of the crowd.
Wen Yinhe raised his hand and wiped his face in a daze. The touch was wet. He looked down and saw that his fingertips were covered with bright paint.
The woman, who had long since departed, continued to extend her colorful hands to the crowds rushing forward, painting vibrant patches of paint on their smiling faces.
Wen Yinhe belatedly realized that this might be a special blessing ceremony in the area, but unfortunately he had subconsciously shielded Lu Huaijin from it, so he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
Lu Huaijin leaned over and curiously glanced at Wen Yinhe, then couldn't help but point one finger at his face, which had turned into a clown's face, while clutching his stomach and laughing heartily: "Pfft, hahaha, your face! Ouch, wait a minute, don't move, I'm going to take a picture of you to keep as a souvenir!"
As he spoke, he quickly reached into Wen Yinhe's pocket. The production team had provided each team of guests with a mobile phone, and their phones were with Wen Yinhe.
Wen Yinhe's face, covered in paint, flushed red. He pursed his lips in embarrassment, then suddenly raised his arm and wrapped it around Lu Huaijin's waist.
Lu Huaijin's body was suddenly pulled away by an irresistible force, his chest slamming into Wen Yinhe's burning embrace, and his laughter came to an abrupt halt.
The next second, Wen Yinhe's colorful face, with its rapid breathing and the smell of paint mixed together, pressed down on Lu Huaijin's fair and clean face without saying a word, and began to rub wildly against him.
"Damn it, you attacked me from behind!" Lu Huaijin pushed Wen Yinhe's shoulders with both hands, his face shaking wildly in the air, trying to avoid Wen Yinhe's attack, but he couldn't push away those strong arms no matter what he did.
At this moment, Wen Yinhe was unusually stubborn and obstinate, determined to share every blemish on her face with him.
"Enough, enough, I was wrong, I won't laugh at you anymore, okay?" Lu Huaijin's struggles visibly weakened, and he half-heartedly pushed against Wen Yinhe's hard chest, almost flirting, and kissed Wen Yinhe's lips in a pleading manner, showing a rare show of weakness, "Let me go, baby, you're too amazing, I admit defeat, okay? Hmm?"
At this moment, both of their cheeks were burning red from the paint smearing on them, and the mess of paint on their faces was about the same. Wen Yinhe's tight grip on Lu Huaijin's face loosened slightly, and he said breathlessly, pressing his forehead against Lu Huaijin's, "This is your blessing. Here you go, please take it."
Lu Huaijin was slightly stunned. Only then did he slowly realize the reason for Wen Yinhe's persistence. He couldn't help but lean on Wen Yinhe's shoulder and laugh, his hands interlocking with Wen Yinhe's.
How could someone be so naive as to believe such a thing?
Who are you trying to seduce by doing these incredibly cute things every day?
[Ahhhhhh, I'm accepting this! I'm receiving blessings! Beautiful lady, please apply some too! My face is big! Just draw whatever you want! You can even splash it on my face!]
[Family members, who understands?! The Best Actor received the blessings and threw a tantrum, insisting on sharing half with CEO Lu! I can't take it anymore! You couples are just too much!!!]
[Tsk tsk tsk, you guys are so childish! How old are you to still be playing this face-to-face rubbing game! Do you think mature adults like us would enjoy watching this? That's right! I love it so much! Modo modo!]
[Haha! I saw right through you scheming little couples! Trying to kill me with cuteness, huh? Luckily, I was already dead from cuteness! You don't even need to lift a finger! I'll just have a nosebleed myself! *splat*—biu~]
Perhaps it was a case of extreme joy turning into sorrow.
Lu Huaijin smiled and stepped out of Wen Yinhe's embrace, reaching into Wen Yinhe's pants pocket, only to find it empty: "Hmm? Aren't our phones with you?"
"Let me look. I think I should have it here," Wen Yinhe said, patting himself down. Finding nothing, he looked up in confusion and said, "I can't find it."
Lu Huaijin asked calmly, "Was it stolen?"
"Maybe," Wen Yinhe gently squeezed Lu Huaijin's fingers, his originally bright eyes dimmed and lowered, his thick eyelashes casting uneasy shadows on his eyelids, and he said with a face full of guilt, "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
“It’s okay, I was also at fault. This is a phone that the production team assigned to both of us. It’s not just your responsibility. It should have been guarded by both of us, and we should both bear the final consequences.”
Lu Huaijin casually patted Wen Yinhe's hair, his gaze gentle and focused on Wen Yinhe's face, without a trace of blame or anger, but rather filled with a reassuring calm.
"The fact that I lost my phone is irreversible, so there's no need to let it affect my mood. A phone is just an inanimate object; people are the most important. At worst, I can apologize to the production team and get a replacement. It's not like there's no other way to resolve this."
As he spoke, Lu Huaijin cupped Wen Yinhe's face in his hands and rubbed his paint-stained nose tip hard against Wen Yinhe's nose.
"You've come all this way, don't let this little thing upset you, honey. Smile, okay? Hmm?"
Wen Yinhe's cheeks were pinched and squeezed by Lu Huaijin, his nose was rubbed affectionately by Lu Huaijin, and his lover's deep and gentle voice called "baby" repeatedly in front of so many people. The gloom in his heart instantly disappeared, and instead, his ears turned red involuntarily, and a shy smile appeared on his face.
[Oh my god, are there really people in the world with such stable emotions?! Everyone says that to test whether two people are compatible, you just need to go on a trip together, because there are so many unexpected situations that can happen during a trip! It's basically impossible to find a travel buddy who has absolutely no friction from beginning to end. You might even get angry with yourself if you travel alone! I'm so touched by your gentleness! QAQ]
[President Lu is such a smooth talker! He only took 0.001 seconds to make the movie star happy! You guys should try it too!]
[I'm so envious! I wish I could have a partner as emotionally stable as CEO Lu! Waaaaaah!]
[Was this arranged by the production team? Wow! I didn't even notice when it was stolen, even with cameras watching! The method is so professional!]
However, the truth is that the staff member who was specially hired by the production team to play the role of a thief was trapped in the crowd and was struggling to squeeze past Wen Yinhe and Lu Huaijin.
The production team was also surprised by how smoothly the operation went; they themselves didn't even realize when the other person had acted, and couldn't help but secretly admire this person's professionalism.
According to their original plan, the professional who had completed the task should have quickly returned to the production team to return the phone. However, the production team waited for a long time but the other party did not return to report. They couldn't help but call and ask, "Where are you now? Have you come back?"
"Huh? No?" The person asked anxiously into their phone while struggling through the crowd. "Where are Teacher Wen and the others? I can't find them at all..."
The staff member on the phone was taken aback: "What? You haven't started yet?"
"Yeah, could you give me some directions? I think I can't get out!" The person opposite him said, wiping the sweat from his brow in a disheveled manner, looking like he was about to cry.
If it wasn't one of their people who stole it, then who did?
The staff were dumbfounded.
Oh no! It seems they've encountered a real thief!
Stealing things is one thing, but stealing items from their sponsors is a problem!
If they can't explain this back properly, how will they explain it to the investors?!
The staff member asked the director with a distressed expression, "What should we do? Should we call the police?"
However, everyone knows that calling the police is the worst possible option.
First of all, with such a large celebration, there must be a lot of thefts on site, and the police force is definitely not enough. Even if they have filmed the specific process of the theft, they did not capture the faces of the perpetrators, so it will still be difficult to find them.
Secondly, they are foreigners and won't be staying in this place for long. The local police probably won't want to put in too much effort, and it's highly likely that they'll waste time and energy trying to catch them.
In the end, they will waste an entire day trying to recover a phone, and the show will even have to be taken off the air, which is not worth it.
The director's gaze fell on the camera lens, then he paused abruptly, raising his hand sharply to make a stopping gesture: "Wait, it seems that Teacher Wen and the others have other ideas."
In the live stream, Wen Yinhe's dark eyes suddenly pierced through the camera, looking directly into the director's eyes, and he said earnestly and in a low voice, "Director, I request to adjust the playback."
Five minutes later, Wen Yinhe and Lu Huaijin returned to the van belonging to the director's crew who were accompanying the filming.
The camera, following everyone's gaze, focused on the playback in the monitoring room.
The recorded footage flashed through Wen Yinhe's dark, focused eyes frame by frame. At one moment, Wen Yinhe's pupils suddenly contracted, and he whispered:
"stop!"
The central control unit quickly pressed pause, but it was still a second too late.
Wen Yinhe calmly instructed, "Please rewind one second... Yes, right here."
The image perfectly captures the moment the phone was stolen.
Wen Yinhe pointed his slender fingers at the screen, his clear and steady voice conveying a calming power:
"Here it is. An arm quietly reached into my pocket at this moment. There was a special tattoo on the arm, which is the appearance of a thief. Apart from that, this person has been hiding behind me and Huai Jin the whole time, without even showing the top of their head. They are probably shorter than us. Please continue the video for one more second... Stop, thank you."
Wen Yinhe slowly turned his finger to another corner of the video, and everyone's eyes followed.
"The second after the phone is stolen, another hand catches the person from behind and takes the stolen phone. In this way, even if someone discovers that their phone has been stolen in time and manages to catch the thief, the phone has already been passed to the accomplice the moment it was stolen, and there is nothing that can be done about the person who has been caught."
"The crime was committed by a gang, which was well-organized and skillful. They are repeat offenders, and they would not have left after stealing just this one phone. They are most likely still wandering around the scene. Looking at the person who met them, there is a set of motorcycle keys on his waist, and a black backpack is sticking out from his side, which is very likely full of stolen goods."
"Most of the people attending the celebration are dressed casually, and very few are carrying backpacks. Based on this characteristic, it should be easy to find these two people."
After Wen Yinhe finished speaking, he slowly stood up, took Lu Huaijin's hand, and smiled gently. He looked pure and kind, with no threat whatsoever, but his deep black eyes revealed a hidden excitement and a sense of certainty.
"I'm sorry, our date today might have to be postponed. Let's go catch a thief together."
[Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! Is this a live broadcast of chasing a thief in a foreign country?! How awesome is that?!]
[I'm dying of laughter! I was wondering why the people the production team found were so professional, turns out they're real professionals! I don't know what to say about the production team's luck (laughing and crying at the same time)]
[Our own people didn't even have a chance to make a move before a real thief intercepted the food, hahaha! Professional players are banned from participating!]
[Ahhh everyone! I'm so excited! Does anyone understand?! I've hated those thieves and scoundrels abroad for so long! Every time I travel overseas, something always gets stolen! Many of them even snatch things right there on the street, it's so rampant! Especially since some local police, once they see we're foreigners, just don't bother with us! It's infuriating! If this actor really manages to get his phone back, I'll be a die-hard fan!]
Wen Yinhe immediately pulled Lu Huaijin back to the celebration site, specifically choosing the area with the highest foot traffic. After sweating profusely for more than ten minutes, they finally spotted a suspicious figure carrying a black bag.
He immediately tugged at Lu Huaijin's hand and pointed towards the furtive figure.
Lu Huaijin nodded knowingly.
Instead of immediately arresting the man, the two men quietly lurked near him, posing as ordinary tourists enjoying the ceremony.
Then a short man with tattoos on his arm suddenly appeared in front of them and subtly beckoned to the man with the backpack, as if he already had a target to target.
Wen Yinhe and Lu Huaijin then followed behind the man with the backpack, and then slowly separated to the left and right, preparing to flank the two men from the front and back and catch them red-handed.
Even though netizens weren't actually there, they couldn't help but hold their breath in the atmosphere that felt like a crime thriller was being filmed, and even the number of comments in the live stream decreased significantly.
[Help! I'm so nervous I can't breathe! My palms are sweaty!]
[Holy crap, me too! It felt like I was right there! The first-person perspective was so exciting! I never thought watching a dating reality show would involve catching a thief together! (Rubbing my hands together)]
Shh—Don't speak! If the thief gets scared away, it'll be your fault!
Sure enough, the tattooed man quickly reached his hand into the crossbody bag of a man in front of him.
The backpacker following closely behind also unzipped his backpack, ready to provide backup.
Wen Yinhe and Lu Huaijin stared at each other across the sea of heads.
The next second, amidst the screams of the viewers, the two of them charged forward without hesitation.
Wen Yinhe's strong arms wrapped tightly around the man's neck from behind, while his other hand locked his wrist, restraining the man's struggles.
The man with the backpack only had time to let out a short scream before he was knocked down by the sudden force, landing heavily on the ground, dizzy and disoriented.
Another man's screams and curses came from ahead, and Lu Huaijin successfully subdued the tattooed man.
[Ahhhhh, the Best Actor and CEO Lu are so handsome! I'm going to watch that scene where they capture the thief a hundred times over!!!]
[Hahaha, the thief's caught! So satisfying! We've rid the locals of a menace! Hurry and thank the mysterious couple from faraway China!]
[No wonder they've been married for seven years! Their teamwork is amazing!!! No need for prior discussion or words, just a glance and they understand each other perfectly!!! This unspoken understanding is so wonderful!!!]
Wen Yinhe looked up at the surrounding crowd and shouted in English, "They are thieves! We have already called the police! Please check if any of your belongings are missing!"
Panic immediately erupted around them as everyone frantically checked their wallets and pockets.
Soon after, a series of local insults and curses began to emanate from the scene, indicating that quite a few people had discovered they had been robbed.
Wen Yinhe turned to look at the man who had almost been robbed and was staring at him with a blank and surprised expression, and said in a deep voice, "Sir, your backpack zipper is open."
The man looked down and immediately, while hurriedly and awkwardly adjusting his backpack, bowed and thanked Wen Yinhe.
"You're welcome," Wen Yinhe replied politely in English.
At this moment, Lu Huaijin dragged the tattooed man who had been screaming and struggling all the way over.
He casually tossed the tattooed man to a few hot-tempered thugs who were itching to steal, then strode over to Wen Yinhe, picked up the black bag that had fallen to the ground, opened it, and immediately frowned:
"This bag is empty!"
Before the viewers could even celebrate their victory, they were caught off guard by this sudden turn of events.
Wen Yinhe was taken aback. He immediately flipped the backpack over and saw that the place where the keys used to be was now empty. His brows furrowed suddenly, and he said in a deep voice, "The car keys aren't on him. There's a third person... right ahead! That person is trying to escape!"
He spoke in English on purpose, his voice loud, and as he spoke, his sharp eyes scanned the crowd inch by inch, not missing a single suspicious movement. His muscles were taut, his strong thighs gathering power, like a wild beast waiting for its prey, ready to strike fiercely at any moment.
Lu Huaijin was slightly taken aback, already knowing what he was planning.
Suddenly, the back of a man carrying a camouflage bag on his chest paused almost imperceptibly, and the next second he instinctively raised his legs and ran away in a panic.
In an instant, Wen Yinhe leaped off the ground like a cheetah awakening.
The viewers in the live chat were stunned, momentarily speechless.
[Holy crap?! Did I freeze?! How did the movie star suddenly disappear in front of me?! Is this even possible?!]
[What kind of speed is that?! Is he even human??? Such a big-name actor, just like that, right under my nose and he's gone! Am I hallucinating???]
[Damn! Can I help this movie star get registered for the next Olympics? If we have crossover singers, why can't we have crossover athletes?! Our sports world needs talent like you!]
[The actor was incredibly smart and calm! If I had discovered the bag was empty, my mind would have gone completely blank. But he immediately realized there was a third accomplice and used that as a trap to lure them out! My god, what incredible reaction speed! His mind worked so fast! Respect!!!]
"Yinhe!" Despite being prepared, Lu Huaijin still instinctively called out to Wen Yinhe's fleeing figure.
After regaining his composure, he immediately and calmly left two English-speaking staff members to control the two thieves at the scene, letting them hand over the police who would arrive shortly, and then quickly ran back to the production crew's van.
Having parted ways with his lover, Lu Huaijin's imposing and authoritative aura, befitting a person in a superior position, finally poured out without any concealment.
The man's handsome face was devoid of warmth; his thin lips were sharp as blades, and his intimidating black eyes were unfathomable, like two icy pools in the far north. Wherever his gaze swept, people trembled with fear, lowering their heads in panic, none daring to meet his eyes.
Not to mention the production team who were directly facing President Lu on set, even the viewers watching on the live stream were nearly fainting from shock:
[Holy crap... Is this the first time I've ever seen CEO Lu without the movie star by my side? So...so scary! QAQ]
[Actor, actor, come back quickly! Summon the actor! Your CEO Lu looks like he's about to freeze over!!!]
"Has the drone caught up?" Lu Huaijin's deep, cold voice carried a suffocating pressure. Although his tone was not particularly inflected, it made people inexplicably cautious even when breathing.
"We're on! We're on!" The director frantically wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his finger trembling slightly as he pointed at the monitor. "Mr. Lu, please look! Teacher Wen has arrived, but they're taking a shortcut that our car can't pass through. We can only follow them from the side. But don't worry, if there's any emergency, we'll be there immediately!"
Lu Huaijin glanced deeply into the familiar figure rushing across the monitor screen with his dark eyes, and calmly ordered, "Pull up a map of this area for me. Fly the drone a little higher and get a panoramic view."
On the other side.
The hot air was cleaved by Wen Yinhe's speeding figure. The taut muscles in the man's shoulders and back outlined a perfect sense of power, and the speed he was traveling almost brought a heart-pounding sense of fear.
The thief never expected they'd run into such a tough opponent today! They were incredibly unlucky!
And no one knew what this person ate to grow up like that, because he ran even faster than the local horses! He was like a vengeful ghost, relentlessly chasing after him. If he hadn't been familiar with the terrain, he probably would have been caught by this person in less than half a minute!
After taking advantage of the terrain to quickly run out of the street, the thief was exhausted and overwhelmed by both physical and mental fatigue. He was on the verge of collapse and fled frantically towards where he had parked his motorcycle.
When fear reaches its peak, the only thought in one's mind is "escape," and there is no other distraction.
Just then, Wen Yinhe suddenly heard Lu Huaijin shouting from afar:
"Yinhe! Go to the right! His motorcycle is over there!"
Wen Yinhe, who was originally planning to continue chasing, immediately ran into the small path on the right at a bend without pausing at all.
Meanwhile, the thief finally ran in a panic to where he had stored his motorcycle.
He rushed forward almost ecstatically, but the next second his legs buckled uncontrollably, and he shakily fell onto the hood of the car. His rapidly beating heart and trembling, numb spine could barely support his swaying body.
His voice was hoarse and labored, like a broken bellows. He shakily pushed himself up from the motorcycle seat, and it took him three tries to insert the key before he finally managed to. His bloodshot eyes were filled with fear and panic, and his pupils darted left and right with apprehension as he warily scanned the silent surroundings.
The man who had been chasing him like a ghost suddenly disappeared without him noticing.
He's probably already left her behind.
He swallowed hard, finally letting out a sigh of relief. He grumbled as he slung the camouflage bag full of his phone and wallet over his shoulder and yanked the handlebars of the motorcycle.
What he couldn't see was that a figure had already arrived behind a tree not far in front of him, its broad back as steady as a rock, disappearing into the shadow of the tree, its tall and upright figure concealing all sound.
Only those sharp eyes, peering through the gaps in the branches and leaves, were fixed on the end of the winding path like a hawk.
The roar of the engine grew louder as the motorcycle sped towards them, carrying a thief whose face was etched with the relief of surviving a close call.
Wen Yinhe held his breath and waited intently.
Just as the motorcycle's front end swept past the tree trunk, Wen Yinhe suddenly stretched out two strong arms from the shadows of the tree, and his large, powerful hands, like iron pincers, grabbed the straps of the thief's backpack with lightning speed.
Before the thief could even scream, he felt an irresistible, immense force suddenly strike him from behind, and in the next second, his entire body was instantly detached from the speeding motorcycle seat.
He was lifted up like a piece of paper, almost arcing through the air, before being slammed down hard onto the ground.
"Bang!"
A deep, resounding thud that sent chills down one's spine.
Dust flew everywhere.
The motorcycle ahead went out of control and crashed into the grass, slamming headfirst into a tree with a deafening roar that ripped through the air, accompanied by the ear-piercing whirring of the motorcycle engine.
Gasoline gushed out, and the tires spun nearly a hundred times due to inertia before gradually returning to calm.
Wen Yinhe's tall figure stepped out from the shadows of the trees, the muscles in his arms still clearly defined, as if a trace of strength had not yet been completely dissipated.
The man had a handsome face, with a pair of deep and clear eyes beneath long, thick eyelashes. He had a high nose bridge, beautiful lips, and a natural, subtle, almost pitiful upturn at the corners of his lips.
This is a face as gentle and beautiful as an angel in a classical painting.
The next second, he parted his lips slightly, and his low, clear voice was as beautiful as his appearance, yet it sent a chill down one's spine and made one's scalp tingle.
I got you.
I've got you.
The entire room fell into a deathly silence.
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