shell
Chapter 8, Section 1
Before the sweetness of the mango had dissipated from the tip of my tongue, Xiao Chen suddenly hissed and came over with his phone in hand: "Teacher Wen, Brother Yin, look at this."
On the screen was a new tweet from a marketing account, with the lurid title: "Shocking! Top star Zhao Yin secretly instructed his assistant to airfreight mangoes. Was it for him?" The accompanying image was a photo of an assistant moving boxes, and below it was a Reuters photo of me eating a mango at the beach yesterday. I don't know who took that photo, but it's not nice to take sneak shots of people.
"They can even dig this out." I felt a little helpless.
Zhao Yin glanced at him without any expression: "Don't worry about it."
“But the comment section exploded.”
Xiao Chen swiped the screen. "Some people said you two had signed some kind of binding agreement, and some people speculated..."
She was suddenly stuck and glanced at Zhao Yin quickly.
"Guess what?" Zhao Yin took his water cup and took a sip slowly.
"I guess you two... have a special relationship." After Xiao Chen said this, he wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
I was about to smooth things over when Zhao Yin put down his cup and looked at me: "Are they right?"
The air suddenly became still.
I looked at him with a flat expression, unable to discern any emotion, but the look he gave me seemed to carry warmth, burning the tips of my ears.
"Brother Yin, stop teasing him." Xiao Chen interrupted with a dry laugh. "Netizens just love to make wild guesses."
Zhao Yin didn't respond, but just picked up the mango peel on the table and threw it into the trash can.
"I'll go get a glass of water." I stood up and almost ran away.
The kitchen faucet was open. I stared at my red face in the water and suddenly remembered Zhao Yin's eyes just now.
Is he kidding? Or...
There were footsteps behind me.
"Be careful." Zhao Yin's voice sounded behind him.
I turned around and saw him holding a glass and pouring warm water into it: "Drink this, ice water is not good for your stomach."
"Thank you." I took the cup.
He looked down at his hands and said, "The wind was so strong at the beach yesterday. Did your scarf fall on the rocks?"
I was stunned for a moment before I remembered the off-white cashmere scarf.
I picked it up and put it on a rock when I was going to the beach yesterday because I felt too hot. Later, Jiang Li called me to see the starfish she picked up, and I forgot to take it when I came back.
"Maybe."
I was a little annoyed because it was a birthday gift from a fan and I quite liked it.
"I'll go take a look." Zhao Yin turned around and was about to walk out.
"Don't go." I pulled his sleeve. "It's so late, the beach is dark, let's talk about it tomorrow."
He stopped and looked down at my hand that was tugging at his sleeve.
"Let go," he said.
I quickly let go, my hands were full of water.
He suddenly smiled and said, "Wait."
After saying that, he picked up the flashlight at the door and walked out.
I stood there, watching his back disappear into the night, and the warm water in my hand slowly turned cold.
I don't know when Xiao Chen followed me to the kitchen door and poked my arm: "Teacher Wen, Brother Yin is too good to you, isn't he?"
I didn't say anything, just looked at the dark night outside the window, which seemed to be filled with something, yet empty.
About ten minutes later, I heard the sound of a key turning in the door. Zhao Yin pushed the door open, wearing a damp sea breeze and holding a scarf in his hand. It was the one I had left behind.
"Found it." He handed over the scarf, which was still stained with some fine sand.
"Thank you." I took it. It was warm, probably because he had kept it in his arms.
"There's sand on it. I'll go wash it off." He said, walking straight to the laundry sink on the balcony.
I followed him and watched him squatting there, carefully washing the sand off the scarf with warm water.
"Let me do it." I wanted to take it, but he held my hand.
"You sit down." He didn't even look up. "Where's the laundry detergent?"
I pointed to the bottom shelf of the cabinet and watched him pour some laundry detergent and carefully rub the edges of the scarf.
"Brother Yin, did you help others wash things like this before?" I couldn't help but ask.
He paused and looked sideways at me. "What do you think? Don't always ask me if I've helped anyone. If you want to find something to chat about, you can ask other questions."
I was stumped by the question.
In my impression, Zhao Yin always looks cold and aloof.
Behind the scenes of the award ceremony, he simply let his assistant handle it and didn't say a single extra word.
It is hard to imagine squatting on the ground like this to help others wash their scarves.
"I don't know." I answered honestly.
He smiled, said nothing more, and continued to scrub with his head down.
When the scarf was finished, he found a clothes hanger and hung it on the balcony rope. The night breeze blew, and the off-white fabric swayed gently.
"It should be dry by tomorrow morning." He patted the water off his hands.
"Sorry to bother you." I said softly.
"No trouble." He looked at me, "Don't throw things around in the future."
The tone sounded a bit like a lecture, but there was no blame in his eyes, instead there was a hint of...indulgence?
I lowered my head and didn't dare to look at him again.
When I returned to my room, my phone vibrated under my pillow.
It was a special attention reminder from the small account. Zhao Yin’s studio posted a new Weibo with only one photo - a silhouette of him pouring warm water in the kitchen just now.
The caption is simple: [Late at night, warm water is recommended.]
I opened the comment section and it was already exploding.
[This angle! Was this shot near Teacher Wenxi's room?]
[I bet fifty cents that this glass of water is for Wenxi!]
When did Brother Yin become so homely? I remember he used to be too lazy to even screw the caps on his water bottles.
Am I the only one who noticed the calluses on Yin's hands? They look like they come from playing a musical instrument...
I stared at the comment for a while, and remembered that Zhao Yin did have a layer of light calluses on his fingertips when he washed the scarf just now.
He used to be the lead singer in the band and could also play the piano. I guess he learned this skill during that time.
My finger paused on the screen, I clicked on my second account and posted a new Weibo: [His hands are very steady.]
The moment the message was sent successfully, the phone vibrated again. This time it was WeChat, and it was from Zhao Yin: [Are you asleep?]
I replied: [Not yet.]
He replied almost instantly: [The balcony is windy, I brought your scarf in for you and hung it on your door handle.]
I quickly got up and opened the door, and sure enough, I saw the off-white scarf hanging on the door handle.
When I returned to my room, my phone lit up again: [Go to bed early.]
[You too.] I replied, threw the phone aside, and covered my face with the quilt.
In the darkness, the heartbeat was particularly clear, as if it was about to burst the chest.
Chapter 8, Section 2
When I was woken up by the alarm clock the next morning, it was already light outside the window.
I reached for my phone and saw a message from Xiao Chen: [Teacher Wen, breakfast at 7:30, Brother Yin ordered seafood porridge.]
Thinking of the results of yesterday's shell competition, I couldn't help but curl the corners of my mouth.
He could have ordered whatever he liked, but he chose the lightest seafood porridge, saying that everyone was tired.
After washing up and going out, I happened to meet Zhao Yin coming out of the room opposite.
He was wearing a simple white T-shirt and his hair was a little messy, probably because he had just woken up. He was less aloof than usual and looked more down-to-earth.
"Good morning." He spoke first.
"Good morning." I looked at the strands of hair on his forehead and suddenly wanted to reach out and brush them away for him...
"The porridge should be ready soon." He turned and walked towards the stairs. "Let's go down and take a look?"
"good."
When we went downstairs, he walked half a step ahead of me. The stairs were a bit steep, and he walked very slowly, as if he was waiting for me.
The aunt at the B&B has already brought the porridge to the table. The white porcelain bowl is filled with thick porridge, sprinkled with chopped green onions and shrimps, and the aroma is fragrant.
"Try it quickly, Yin Xiaozi specially asked me to put more scallops in it.
"Auntie smiled and said, "You seemed to like the taste of seafood noodles last time you ate them."
I was stunned for a moment and looked at Zhao Yin.
He was scooping porridge with his head down, as if he didn't hear it.
When did I say I liked dried scallops? It seemed like it was the day before yesterday at noon. My aunt made seafood noodles and I casually said, "Dried scallops are very fresh." I didn't expect him to remember it.
"Thank you, Auntie." I picked up the spoon and scooped a mouthful of porridge. The freshness of the scallops mixed with the sweetness of the shrimps was indeed delicious.
"Is it delicious?" Zhao Yin looked up at me.
"Yeah, it's super delicious." I nodded.
The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and he lowered his head to continue drinking porridge.
When Jiang Li and the male guest came down, they saw that we were already sitting at the table. They smiled and joked, "It seems we are late. You two have almost finished the porridge."
"Come and sit down." Auntie quickly served them porridge. "There's plenty more."
While eating, Jiang Li suddenly said, "By the way, the production team said there are no tasks this morning, so we can do whatever we want and go to a nearby fishing village to shoot some footage in the afternoon."
"Fishing village?" I asked curiously. "Is there anything fun there?"
"I heard there's an old pier where you can take a boat to the small island next to it," the male guest said. "I just heard from my aunt that there are many wild seagulls on the island."
"Then we can go and have a look this afternoon." I said, picking up a shrimp and putting it in my mouth.
Zhao Yin suddenly asked, "Is your foot okay?"
I was stunned for a moment before I remembered that my foot was scratched by a shell the day before yesterday.
Actually, it was almost healed yesterday, I just put a Band-Aid on it.
"It's healed a long time ago." I rolled up my trouser legs to reveal the Band-Aid on my ankle. "Look, it's all scabby."
He glanced at it and said nothing, but just picked up two shrimps from his bowl and put them in mine.
"Eat more," he said.
Jiang Li exclaimed, "Brother Yin, are you worried that Wenxi won't have enough energy to walk this afternoon?"
My face turned red, and I lowered my head to eat the porridge, pretending not to hear.
Zhao Yin was very calm: "He didn't seem to eat much when he was picking up shells yesterday."
I looked up at him. How come he even noticed this?
The morning time is indeed very free.
Xiao Chen took his camera to the beach to take pictures of the scenery. Jiang Li and the male guest gathered together to study the shells that they had not finished putting together yesterday. I sat on the hanging chair in the yard, flipping through the book I brought.
The hanging chair was rocking gently, and I felt a little sleepy, and my eyelids were getting heavier and heavier.
I was half asleep and something seemed to fall on me. I opened my eyes and saw Zhao Yin standing next to the hanging chair, holding a thin coat in his hand and covering me with it.
"Be careful not to catch a cold," he said.
"Thank you." I rubbed my eyes. The coat covering me carried his scent, which made me feel at ease.
"Don't you want to take a nap?" He sat down on the stone bench next to me, picked up the book I placed next to him, and flipped through two pages.
"I can't sleep." I sat up. "Why don't you go play with them?"
"Not interested." He closed the book and placed it on the stone table. "Your book is quite interesting."
"Yeah, it's about marine life," I said. "I saw it when the movie was being made. I thought it was pretty amazing."
"for example?"
"For example, octopuses can change color, and squids can spray ink." I counted on my fingers. "And whales. Although they are called fish, they are actually mammals."
He listened very carefully, nodding from time to time. As I watched, I suddenly became a little distracted.
"Have you ever made a movie about the ocean before?" he asked suddenly.
"Yeah, it was filmed three years ago. I played a marine biologist."
I said, "At that time, in order to get a feel for it, I even stayed in an aquarium for half a month."
"I know that movie," he said. "It's called 'Echoes of the Deep'. I've seen it."
I was a little surprised: "Have you seen it?"
The movie didn't do very well at the box office and its reputation was average, so I thought not many people remembered it.
"Well, I went to the premiere," he said. "You acted very well in it."
I remember the day of the movie premiere. I was so nervous that I got stuck on my lines several times. I almost fell down when I was leaving the stage and had to be helped by my assistant to keep me steady.
Was he in the audience at that time, too? On several occasions?
"Were you there... too?" I couldn't help but ask.
He nodded: "Yeah, I just happen to be free."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid to disturb you," he said. "You seemed very busy at that time."
I remember that I was surrounded by a group of reporters that day, and he was in the crowd, looking at me silently.
"Actually..." I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but I didn't know what to say.
He suddenly smiled and said, "Next time there is a new movie, remember to tell me."
"Okay." I nodded.
Chapter 8, Section 3
When we went to the fishing village that afternoon, the production team rented a van. When I got in, Zhao Yin was already sitting by the window, with an empty seat next to him.
"There's no one here." He pointed to the seat next to him.
"Okay." I opened the door and got in. Just as I fastened my seat belt, he suddenly handed me something.
It's a pair of headphones, white, and looks a little familiar.
"The road is bumpy, aren't you carsick?" he said. "Listening to music will make you feel better."
I was stunned for a moment, then I remembered that I was indeed a little seasick when I was on the boat yesterday, and my face didn't look very good.
He was sitting opposite me at the time and didn't say a word, so I thought he didn't notice.
"How do you know I get carsick?"
"I guessed." He put the earphones in my hand. "Try it?"
I put on my headphones and there was a light music playing.
"Does it sound good?" he asked.
"Yeah, it sounds nice." I nodded, feeling calm.
The car drove for about forty minutes and arrived at the fishing village.
There is a big banyan tree at the entrance of the village. It takes several people to hug the trunk, and its branches and leaves are lush like an umbrella.
"This tree is quite old," said the hostess who came with us, pointing at the banyan tree. "It's said to be over a hundred years old. The elders in the village call it the 'peace tree.'"
"Then I have to pray." Jiang Li smiled and put her hands together, praying to the banyan tree, "Please bless our program to have long-lasting ratings."
Everyone laughed.
The fishing village is more lively than I imagined. The stone road is paved with colorful pebbles, and on both sides are houses with white walls and black tiles. Fishing nets and wind chimes made of shells are hung at the door, and they jingle when the wind blows.
"The pier is just ahead." The male guest pointed to a stretch of water not far away. "Let's go take a look."
There were several fishing boats parked at the dock, their hulls painted blue with fishing nets drying on them, and several fishermen were busy repairing them.
When they saw us, they all greeted us with a smile.
"These boats look so cool." Jiang Li picked up her phone to take pictures. "They're much better looking than the shell boats we built yesterday."
Zhao Yin smiled and said, "Shell boats also have their advantages."
"What's the benefit?" I asked.
"It won't sink," he said.
I was amused: "What ship can't sink?"
"The one we're building won't." He looked at me seriously. "It never will."
I looked at him and suddenly felt that he was not talking about a shell boat.
"Teacher Wenxi, Brother Yin, come and look!" Xiao Chen waved from a distance, "They sell conch whistles here!"
We walked over and saw an old lady with a pile of conch shells in front of her. A small hole was drilled in each conch to make a whistle.
"Would you like to buy one, little one?" the old lady asked with a smile, picking up a pink conch and handing it to me. "This one's three yuan."
Zhao Yin looked at him and asked, "Do you like it? Do you want two?"
I:"……"
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