Chapter 17 Distant Mountains Kissing Flowers
Their eyes met, and Fu Yanle pushed the terrified An Shigou out without hesitation.
"Holy crap—"
The national treasure was once again aborted. An Shigou had just steadied himself when he looked up and met three pairs of faces with different expressions—the fierce Gu Jiming, the serious Meng Xinqiu, and the pale and weak Lin Qingtong. He paused, frowned, and said, "So, in the middle of the night, you're hiding here having a group fight? Or is it two against one?"
"..." Meng Xinqiu paused for a moment, "Shi Gou, what are you doing here?"
Fu Yanle almost burst out laughing at the sound of "Shi Gou".
An Shigou's face also twisted slightly, but he still said, "There's a car race next door."
Gu Jiming had met An Shigou at the racetrack before and knew that he also had this hobby, so he casually lied, "I'm planning to shoot a new music video. There's a scene in it, so I came to ask Meng Xin... Brother Meng and Brother Lin for advice."
"Really?" An Shigou said suspiciously, "It's freezing cold, and you're asking for advice here? Is your next film a horror movie?"
Gu Jiming's lips twitched, and he chuckled, "Yes, 'A Man's Lament.' Never mind, you should go quickly, don't miss the opening."
“Oh, right.” An Shigou was about to take a step when he suddenly remembered that there were two people squatting behind him. Just as he was about to turn around, he heard a suppressed, terrifying “hiss—hiss—hiss” from behind him. At the same time, a blade of grass poked his calf, the threat was obvious.
An Shigou rubbed his cheek, silently left the melon patch, and walked over to say, "I almost bumped into the cleaning lady when I came here. Don't take the side path, or you'll run into her."
"Thanks." Gu Jiming patted An Shigou on the shoulder, turned around and glared fiercely at Meng Xinqiu, then took the lead and went back the way he came, leaving through the back door.
Meng Xinqiu and Lin Qingtong also left.
An Shigou waited for a while, then suddenly turned around, rushed into the melon field, and said fiercely, "Fu Yanle!"
"Hey." Fu Yanle stood up, shaking his legs that were numb from squatting. "Thanks, bro."
An Shigou swallowed back the words he was about to say, his gaze shifting between the two men. "What are you doing here so late at night?" He scrutinized the butler's handsome face and suddenly had a bold but highly probable thought: "You're having an affair."
"Shh." The butler gently interrupted his speculation by extending his index finger. "Please don't utter that terrible and horrifying word."
Fu Yanle stepped forward and patted An Shigou on the shoulder, saying meaningfully, "Shigou, let's pretend we never met tonight, and we can still be friends tomorrow."
"Who wants to be your friend?" An Shigou snorted.
“I know you’re thinking of me.” Fu Yanle smiled, and while An Shigou was looking on in a daze, he rushed to the back door, then jumped up, grabbed the wall, and flipped over.
"Damn it, the door is right next to us, why do you have to climb over the wall, what are you pretending for—" An Shigou felt a chill in his ears as he saw the butler pass by, closely following Fu Yanle's steps, and climb over the wall to get out.
At the same time, the sound of a car starting up could be heard outside the door.
"--force?"
Holy crap, so handsome!
An Shigou followed with a sudden burst of energy, mimicking the movements of the two, bouncing and leaping until he successfully grabbed the top of the wall. With a joyful effort, he landed on the ground like a caterpillar.
“…Never mind.” He dusted off his hands, walked to the back door as if no one was there, and gently opened it. Outside was a long road, but Fu Yanle was nowhere to be seen.
*
The butler sat in the passenger seat and skillfully took out a pair of clean white gloves from his pocket and put them on.
"Ha." Assistant Xu scoffed. "I wonder if the air is polluting you, or you are polluting the air?"
The butler said gently, “I get along well with the air, but I’m afraid of being polluted by you, since you reek of stupidity from the inside out.”
"Heh." Assistant Xu remained unmoved. "Then shut your mouth, or you'll get into trouble."
The butler replied calmly, "My breath is like air freshener. Your little tricks are nothing special."
"Ha." Assistant Xu sighed, "A prime minister's belly can hold a boat, and Xiao Qiao's mouth can hold a tube—what a mouth as big as a pig's."
A terrifying "snap" sound came from the butler's clasped hands. Fu Yanle, sitting in the back seat, quickly put his hands on their shoulders and said in a doting yet gentle tone, "Alright, you're not children anymore, why are you throwing a tantrum?"
At the same time, a blast of cold air rushed forward from the back seat, and the two felt a chill on their shoulders. They both shut their mouths at the same time, achieving an unprecedented harmony.
"Very good." Fu Yanle withdrew her loving little hand with satisfaction.
Yu Jingchen simultaneously looked away and asked, "Are you hungry?"
"Actually, I'm not hungry, but I want to eat." Fu Yanle snuggled closer to Yu Jingchen, mimicking the tone of underground agents making contact in spy dramas, "Pleasure Maker, where's the food?"
Yu, the creator of joy, paused for a moment and said, "Hidden inside No. 33 Pengchang Road, a cute little lucky bag."
"..." The two people in front of him shuddered at the same time.
Small lucky bag?
Fu Yanle paused, suddenly remembering that when he first met Madam Yu, she had also called him that. Madam Yu said it was a nickname her mother gave him because he was chubby and lucky when he was little.
But he was only three years old when his mother passed away. Those memories are too distant for him to imagine what his mother looked like and how she sounded when she said "little lucky bag".
Fu Yanle felt a pang of sadness and said awkwardly, "I'm all grown up now, you're not allowed to call me by my nickname."
“Okay, I won’t call it,” Yu Jingchen said. “I’ll call it when you give me permission.”
Fu Yanle snorted: "Then you just wait."
Yu Jingchen's lips curled up slightly. "Alright, I'll be waiting."
Fu Yanle hummed again, took out his vibrating phone, and found that it was a barrage of calls from Tang Wanbai and a series of screenshots of her dancing live.
[Aww, so beautiful! You and red go so well together!]
[Absolutely stunning peach blossom fairy! I swear I've never seen such a beautiful little fairy!]
[Your arms and legs are so long, your proportions are so good, I'm so envious! I'm never dancing with you again, it makes my legs and arms look short. (Sobbing.jpg)]
"You've been watching for so long?" Fu Yanle muttered, replying: ["Handsome guys should be praised together, don't put others down."]
Yu Jingchen glanced at it and said, "You made friends on the show?"
"Not really, but he's a really nice guy, very kind to me." Fu Yanle thought for a moment, "We only had an hour to prepare for the dance today, which was quite rushed, but we didn't expect to have such good chemistry and communicate so smoothly."
Fu Yanle knew his reputation wasn't good, but at first, Tang Wanbai only looked at him with fear and nervousness, not with the disdain and contempt that most people in the industry would have. This made his impression of Tang Wanbai immediately improve.
Yu Jingchen rubbed his wristwatch, his fingertips slightly cool, and said, "People in the industry are restless, and it's not easy to make true friends. If you think he's a good person, then give it a try. Just don't be foolish enough to be deceived. When you're together in private, be careful about the distance between you to avoid being photographed and having your relationship misrepresented."
"Understood." Fu Yanle felt that Yu Jingchen's voice was rather deep, as if he was suppressing something. He secretly glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and saw that Yu Jingchen's coffin-like face was even colder than usual.
Fu Yanle was completely baffled. When he turned his gaze back, he caught a glimpse of the butler's meaningful smile.
"Gotcha!" Fu Yanle lunged forward and grabbed the back of the passenger seat. "For whom is that knowing, mocking, and wistful smile on your face?"
The butler coughed and said inscrutably, "I just smelled a subtle and lingering sour smell."
“Me too,” Assistant Xu seconded.
Fu Yanle sniffed and only smelled the ebony scent emanating from the car perfume bottle. He retreated awkwardly, guessing that it might be the emperor's sour smell, which only intelligent people like these two highly paid talents could smell.
Damn, he's so stupid.
The black Bentley drove into the underground garage, and the group took the elevator to the 25th floor of No. 33 Pengchang Road. Fu Yanle then followed Yu Jingchen into the room after the two smart men waved goodbye.
The lights came on, revealing the classic lilac on the cabinet.
Fu Yanle's heart skipped a beat. She leaned over and stroked the petals, then suddenly peeked her head through Yu Jingchen's arm. "Thank you, Brother Chen, for the flowers. I've already seen through your fresh and beautiful love!"
The moment Yu Jingchen reached out, he tightened his arms, gripping the head like a gallows. "So you're going to give me back a fresh and beautiful human head?"
Fu Yanle spat, "A profiteer!"
Yu Jingchen flicked his forehead with his finger, leisurely enjoying Fu Yanle's graceful movements as he did the breaststroke in place and his extremely affected cry for help.
Fu Yanle struggled against the arm circles and the flicks on the forehead. When he squinted, he saw that Yu Jingchen was actually laughing. He couldn't help but angrily reach out his finger and lightly poke Yu Jingchen's side.
The instant his finger touched the target area, Fu Yanle cried out, "So hard!" Before he could even cover his own finger, which he had brought upon himself, Yu Jingchen turned around and slammed it against the cabinet.
"What, what, what, what, what, what—"
Yu Jingchen flicked Fu Yanle's forehead with his finger, stopping the sonic attack. He leaned down slightly to observe the brilliance in Fu Yanle's eyes up close, and warned him fiercely, "Don't tease me."
"Only officials are allowed to set fires, while commoners are forbidden even to light lamps." Fu Yanle bravely retorted under this oppressive power, "Hegemony!"
Yu Jingchen watched as Fu Yanle's cheeks puffed up adorably, her thick eyelashes trembling timidly and in astonishment, her beautiful curly hair nestled among the flowers, the vibrant and sweet fragrance drawing out a wisp of dew that playfully darted into his breath.
"..."
Amidst his confusion and indignation, Fu Yanle keenly noticed Yu Jingchen's slightly heavy breathing. A sudden inspiration struck him, and he couldn't help but reach out a tentative finger and gently press it against Yu Jingchen's chest. After a pause, he drew a small heart.
Yu Jingchen froze, momentarily losing his breath.
This strange feeling reached Fu Yanle's fingertips. He raised an eyebrow, his posture haughty, and turned his smug speculation into an innocent murmur. "Brother Chen, have you developed worldly desires for me?"
Yu Jingchen didn't speak. He ran his right hand through Fu Yanle's hair and, while lifting his head, gently plucked a petal from his hair.
Fu Yanle straightened up in the confined space, one hand resting on the counter, the other casually combing her hair, her sharp eyes noticing the innocent, suffering petal between Yu Jingchen's fingers.
He was about to condemn this cruel act of destroying the flower when he saw Yu Jingchen raise two fingers and lightly kiss the petals.
Perhaps the fragrance of the flowers was too strong, forcing even a hint of stinginess into Yu Jingchen's eyes, causing his dark gaze, as deep as distant mountains at night, to ripple and sway. Fu Yanle's gaze fell into the mountain stream, his face splashed by the spring water rushing towards him.
His breath hitched, and his legs went weak.
Author's Note:
Da Yu: Ah~
Xiao Fu: Ah!
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