17 Going home
After taking a nap in the afternoon, none of the three of them felt sleepy.
I simply sat on a deck chair in the yard, looked at the stars, played with the little black leopard, and ate some cut fruit to while away the time.
"The coconuts here are so much better, sweet and fresh. The coconut water I buy always tastes weird." Ye Zhenzhen hugged a large, split coconut and drank happily through a straw. "Are we really not going with the production crew tomorrow?"
The staff member carrying the camera subtly pricked up his ears.
“Commercial airliners can’t bring very small pets. If Black Panther is with the production crew, he’ll have to stay here.” Gu Tingshen patted Black Panther’s head, and the little guy affectionately rubbed against him.
"Then let's not. Let's tell Director Jiang that we'll go alone." Ye Zhenzhen then asked Gu Sinan, "Okay, Nannan?"
“Yes, yes, let’s take Black Panther with us.” Gu Sinan agreed wholeheartedly.
Around 11 a.m., the three of them packed their tools and set off. There was a beach just outside the village, a great place for beachcombing. The cameramen followed silently behind them.
The headlamp cast a bright beam of light, allowing people to clearly see the fine sand on the beach.
The tide was receding, and they were now searching with their heads down on the beach closer to the water.
Gu Sinan carried the small bucket, found a small hole that looked like a breathing hole, and started digging.
Ye Zhenzhen circled around, but unfortunately found no clearly living creatures, not even a small crab. As she was about to head to the rocky area, somewhat disappointed, she suddenly noticed something moving on the sand beneath her feet.
She quickly squatted down and saw a snail shell the size of a mung bean moving rapidly. Upon closer inspection, she discovered tiny feet under the snail shell.
"It's a hermit crab!" Ye Zhenzhen exclaimed in surprise, "Nannan, come quick, I found a hermit crab!!"
Gu Sinan put down her shovel and ran over, only to see the little creature under Ye Zhenzhen's headlamp. "Wow, it's so small! I've never seen such a small hermit crab before."
He carefully picked up the shell with his fingers and placed it in his palm. Startled, the hermit crab hid inside the white shell with yellow spots. It didn't peek out for a while.
Next, Gu Sinan found several more hermit crabs on the beach.
Ye Zhenzhen had a sudden inspiration. She picked up the net and scooped up some of the surging seawater, then held it up to examine it closely. The seawater slipped through the gaps in the net, leaving only fine yellow and black sand. Just as she was about to empty the sand, she suddenly noticed it moving!
At least five or six tiny hermit crabs of various shapes crawled out of the sand!
"Old Gu, Nan Nan, come quick! I've caught so many hermit crabs!!"
"Mom, you're amazing!" Gu Sinan leaned forward to take a look and exclaimed in amazement, "This tiny thing has a perfect shell, it's incredible!"
Gu Tingshen carried a bucket filled with seawater and sand and walked over.
Ye Zhenzhen and Gu Sinan were squatting on the beach, heads close together, watching the hermit crabs crawling around in the net with great interest. Their faces were full of novelty and smiles. They watched for a long time before finally putting them into the small bucket.
"Look at this, the patterns on its shell are so unique, isn't it beautiful?" Ye Zhenzhen looked at him as he came over, held a hermit crab the size of a peanut in her palm, and handed it to him to look at, her eyes sparkling, like a child showing off a treasure.
"Yes, it's very beautiful."
The man's voice was carried by the sea breeze to Ye Zhenzhen's ears, making them itch a little.
She bent down and put the hermit crab into the small bucket, then picked up a shovel and went to where the tide had just receded. "There are lots of hermit crabs now. I'm going to dig for clams. Nan Nan, do you want to come?"
Gu Tingshen watched her run away, then slowly followed, a smile on his face that he himself didn't even realize was on his face.
Finally, they dug up two light yellow clams and a small mantis shrimp. They put them in a small bucket along with the hermit crab, which looked quite lively.
"Mom, what do hermit crabs eat?" Gu Sinan suddenly asked Ye Zhenzhen as they were getting ready to go back.
"They probably eat plankton from the seawater? I'm just guessing, let's check it out when we get back."
"They're so young, can we take them back and raise them?"
"Um, it probably won't be easy to raise, because we don't even know its living habits." Ye Zhenzhen didn't try to coax him; she chose to answer honestly.
The child frowned, gazing thoughtfully at the adorable little creatures in the bucket.
Finally, she tugged at Ye Zhenzhen's hand and said, "Mom, let's put them back in the sea, shall we?"
“Okay,” Ye Zhenzhen said softly, squatting down to touch the child’s face. Seeing his reluctance, she suggested, “However, we can take a picture with each of the little ones, and at the end, we can have the photographer take a group photo for us as a souvenir!”
The child's big eyes immediately lit up, "Great!"
The next day, after seeing off the production crew, a driver picked them up and took them to the Gu Group's hotel in H City.
Gu Tingshen had previously discovered that Ye Zhenzhen liked to go to the beach, so he specially chose a seaside villa with golden sand outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The waiter helped carry the luggage to the door, and the three of them put their belongings away themselves. They then settled the black leopard's cage and kennel before sitting down on the sofa to rest.
“We’ll stay here for a few days. Once the private airline application is approved, we can go home.” Gu Tingshen poured a glass of water and handed it to Ye Zhenzhen.
“Okay,” Ye Zhenzhen said, taking the money and thanking her.
The production crew had been following her around for the past few days, and only now, having arrived here, did she feel truly relaxed. After spending three days and nights together, her interactions with Gu Tingshen had become much more natural, and she was no longer as reserved as a stranger.
Watching Gu Sinan playing happily with Black Panther, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the man, "Where will Black Panther stay when he goes back? We haven't prepared a doghouse for him yet!"
City A
Uncle Li was watering the flowers in the courtyard of Mantingfang, humming a little tune. Everything had been going well lately; the young master and young mistress's relationship was gradually improving, and Old Li couldn't be happier!
Just then, my phone rang.
It's young master! He quickly took out his phone from his pants pocket and answered it.
After hanging up the phone, Uncle Li's smile deepened.
I remember when Ting Shen was 5 or 6 years old, his older sister Lin Fang was only about 10 years old. The two siblings went out to play and found a puppy. They loved it very much, but unfortunately, Madam Gu wouldn't allow it, and in the end, they had to give the puppy away. Ting Shen was sad for quite a while.
This time, he'd better make sure this little doghouse is properly arranged!
For the next few days, they stayed at the villa by the sea. Gu Tingshen had to go to the branch office to inspect the work. Ye Zhenzhen took Gu Sinan out to play. When Gu Tingshen wasn't too busy, he would also spend time with them.
Ye Zhenzhen bought a camera and hung it around her neck. She would take pictures of anything interesting or fun, mostly of Gu Sinan, hoping to leave more childhood memories for the child.
They went to the aquarium in H city, saw various marine animals, and took photos with giant manta rays and sharks with many teeth in the underwater tunnel; they went diving in a sea area with many corals, seeing many colorful corals and strangely colored tropical fish, as well as sea slugs that looked like rabbits...
The beautiful ocean world inspired Ye Zhenzhen a lot. An idea was born in her mind: she wanted to incorporate ocean elements into her jewelry designs. She spent the next day doodling in her sketchbook.
Gu Sinan and the little black leopard stayed with her, offering their opinions from time to time. Gu Sinan even drew a big bone for the little black leopard.
During this time, the short film about filigree craftsmanship that had been filmed earlier was also completed. Originally, she planned to be able to go back and watch it, but now she couldn't go back for the time being, so Song Chengcheng sent her the film. Ye Zhenzhen was very satisfied with it and posted it on Fengming's official account that very evening.
Ye Zhenzhen reposted it using her own account, which quickly sparked discussion.
The hashtag #ChineseAesthetics# trended in the top ten.
"I swear, I came here for the gossip, but I watched the promotional video three times without blinking! It's so well made!!! Everyone go watch it!!"
"Wow, where did Fengming find a director? The film has the quality of a documentary! When those palace lantern earrings came out, they were absolutely stunning!"
"They even went to the N City Museum to take pictures of the original for us. They went to such great lengths. The aesthetic sense of our ancestors was amazing!"
"Hurry up and take pictures, I want to see more!! I want to see the filigree phoenix hairpin and the gold necklace!! Fengming, you better hurry up and get them done!"
"Aaaaah! I want to buy it! If you dare to be so envious, then post a purchase link!! What era are we living in? You don't even have a physical store!!"
"That last Hanfu outfit was so beautiful too! The model's hairstyle paired with the complete set of gold jewelry created a dignified and elegant look. Hanfu lovers want the same one!!!"
Fengming's official Weibo account quickly responded, stating that they are actively preparing inventory and working overtime, and the official flagship store is also in preparation. Please stay tuned.
By the time the flight route application was approved and we returned to City A, it was already four days later.
Uncle Li greeted them at the door and helped them put their luggage away. Seeing that Gu Sinan was in a hurry to settle the puppy in the carrier, he led them to the garden in the back.
A wooden doghouse stands in the yard, its small, pointed roof in natural wood color is very pretty.
"Come out, Black Panther, and take a look at your little den!"
Gu Sinan opened the door of the flight case, and Black Panther came out, shaking its head and whimpering.
“Grandpa Li, it seems to really like this little den.” Gu Sinan squatted down and watched the black leopard circle around the den, sniffing here and looking there, as if it were surveying its territory.
"I'm glad you like it, I'm glad you like it." Uncle Li smiled broadly as he watched the family of three standing together, chatting and laughing.
-----------
"Little Peach, are you back?"
That evening, after settling Gu Sinan and Black Panther in, Ye Zhenzhen took a shower and took out her phone, only to see Zhao Nanqiao's message.
"You're back." She had just clicked send when the phone rang, still with that familiar impatient tone.
"How's it going? Spending every day in the same room? Have you two sparked any romance?" Zhao Nanqiao teased with a mischievous smile as soon as the call connected.
"What sparks? We still have Nannan with us. Be serious, or I'm not talking to you anymore." Ye Zhenzhen's ears were a little hot. She listened to the sound of water coming from the bathroom and knew that Gu Tingshen was still taking a shower and couldn't hear their conversation, so she breathed a sigh of relief.
"My supervisor conscripted me to film in the mountains for a week, and I only saw your leaked video when I got back. From my professional perspective, it was so amateurish, it was shaky, and the focus was off. But the atmosphere was amazing!"
Ye Zhenzhen listened to her teasing for a long time with her ears red, and finally managed to get the chatterbox to stop before getting down to business.
How's the post-production work on your graduation project going?
"Hi, my long-awaited project is finally finished. I'd like to invite you to come and see it another day. My advisor said it's pretty good. The quality of our batch of graduation projects is quite good. We're planning to send it to an international film festival."
"Really?! Then I wish you all the best in advance on winning the award! I'll go with you to the award ceremony and make sure you look your best!"
"How can you talk to Director Zhao like that? Forget about being pretty, I want someone who exudes domineering aura!"
"Great job, Director Zhao!"
"That's because the senior brother I introduced to you is really capable, isn't he?"
"Great job! I'll treat you guys to dinner when you're done!"
"Let's talk about it over dinner. I really do need your help with something. My mom has a jade bracelet that was passed down from my grandma. A few years ago, it was accidentally broken in two, and the old lady was heartbroken. Could the craftsmen in your area find a way to redesign it? I've contacted a few jewelry repairmen, but their aesthetic sense is terrible, and their designs are too ugly."
"Maybe it's possible. I remember Master Liu knows how to do this. He repaired a broken bracelet for an old customer before and turned it into a pair, half jade and half gold. It's so beautiful. Fengming still has photos of it. I'll have them find it and send it to you."
"Okay, send it over so I can take a look. If it's ready, I'll send the bracelet to you another day."
The two chatted for a while longer before hanging up the phone.
The sound of water in the bathroom hadn't stopped yet. Ye Zhenzhen put down her phone and stared blankly at the ceiling.
When she got back today, her luggage was delivered directly to her room. Her original room was completely empty, and with several more episodes of the show to be filmed, it would be quite abrupt for her to suggest moving back now.
And so they started living together.
She trusted Gu Tingshen quite a bit, but she didn't trust herself.
What if I accidentally make inappropriate advances while I'm asleep?
She got up and pulled a small panda pillow out of the dressing room. "You're the one!"
She rolled onto the bed, turned her back to the other side, and hugged the little panda tightly, her arms full. Hopefully, this way she wouldn't hug Gu Tingshen anymore. Ye Zhenzhen closed her eyes, rubbed against the little panda's soft reddish-brown fur, and fell asleep peacefully.
When Gu Tingshen came out of the bathroom, he saw that Ye Zhenzhen was already asleep. Her thick black hair was spread out on the pillow, her face was flushed, and the quilt was kicked off a little. Her fair and slender arms were buried in the reddish-brown fur of the little panda, so white that they were dazzling.
He chuckled and shook his head, then lay down, covered her with the blanket, pulled her into his arms, turned off the light, and went to sleep.
A moment later, in the dark bedroom, the little panda silently rolled onto the carpet, its innocent big eyes staring at the ceiling.
An office of Qunxing Film and Television
Bai Xue sat on the sofa with her arms crossed, her face gloomy, and asked her agent, "Didn't the paparazzi you hired really get any pictures?"
"No, I bribed someone from their production team to wait at the airport on their return day, but they never came back." The manager also looked frustrated. "Later we found out that something came up and they couldn't leave with the production team. All the fake fans we prepared waited for a whole day for nothing."
Ever since Ye Zhenzhen readily accepted the travel variety show, completely eliminating any hope of her participating in "The Actors," Bai Xue's team couldn't sit still. The original publicity plans and copycat articles were all unusable.
Bai Xue knows best how she gained popularity over the past few years. Without Ye Zhenzhen generating buzz, her popularity simply wouldn't have reached that level!
So they arranged for paparazzi to stake out the airport early on, ready to pose as Ye Zhenzhen's fans, cause chaos when they got off the plane, take photos, and fabricate stories about Ye Zhenzhen insulting fans and acting like a diva.
As a result, everyone from the production crew left, and Ye Zhenzhen was nowhere to be seen.
"Didn't you get any dirt on her during the recording?! Everyone in the industry knows that their two families have a business marriage. Ye Zhenzhen even had a falling out with her father over the marriage. With her princess-like temper, she can't pretend in front of the camera at all!" Bai Xue's expression was completely devoid of the gentle and approachable demeanor she showed to her fans, her eyes filled with resentment and venom.
“Jiang Wei is a seasoned veteran. He’s learned his lesson before and is very strict with his team management. It’s not going to be that easy to get him.” The agent pulled at his hair, also very frustrated.
The format of "The Actors" magnifies everyone's acting flaws, and Bai Xue has already felt the pressure after recording just one episode. If she continues recording like this, her own reputation will collapse first.
Bai Xue clenched her fists, her exquisite manicured nails turning her palms red. "I don't believe they're truly in love. If it's fake, it'll be exposed sooner or later. Go find someone to keep an eye on her. I don't believe she can keep up the act forever!"
[Author's Note]
I'm home! This means we're living together now.
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