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Psst! We're moving!
Wen Di ultimately didn’t test drive the new car. She carried the gifts that filled the car back into the living room in batches, not letting anyone help her.
With four or five shopping bags draped over her arms and large gift boxes that couldn’t be carried with both hands, several boxes stacked together completely blocked her vision, forcing her to twist her head to see where she was going.
Yan He Yu watched her struggle to move things. His coat was on her. “Give me the coat. I’ll help you carry them.” Saying that, he stood up from the sofa.
“No need.” Wen Di enjoyed the fun of moving gifts.
After she had entered and exited the living room six times, Yan He Yu told her, “There are more in the trunk.”
Wen Di often unwrapped gifts. Most of the things Yan He Yu gave her were piled in the living room or put in the bedroom, so she rarely had to move them around. She never imagined that one day her arms would ache from carrying gifts.
After the last trip, she stood in front of Yan He Yu, extending both hands to him, signaling him to massage them.
Each of the gift boxes in the trunk weighed over ten pounds. She nudged his leg with her knee and asked, “What did you put in there?”
Yan He Yu held her cold and red hands, perfunctorily massaging them twice. “Open them yourself and see.”
“My hands are numb from the cold; how can I open them?”
“Whose fault is it that you didn’t wear gloves?”
“You didn’t find any gloves for me; what would I wear?” Wen Di took the opportunity to sit on Yan He Yu’s lap, burying her face in his neck, warming her cold nose.
Yan He Yu lowered his head, his lips touching her ear.
Wen Di’s earlobe was also cool. He slightly parted and closed his lips, kissing her ear.
Wen Di pulled her hands away from his.
Yan He Yu looked at her. “Not cold anymore?”
“Still cold.” Saying that, she unbuttoned a few of his shirt buttons, her hand sliding under his collar.
Yan He Yu warned her, “If you’re going to warm your hands, do it properly. Don’t touch around.”
Wen Di laughed. The more he said that, the more audacious she became.
Her cold hand pressed against his smoothly muscled torso.
Once he reacted, she nonchalantly got up from his embrace, found a utility knife, and sat amidst the pile of gifts to unwrap surprises.
Wen Di first unwrapped the gifts Yan He Yu personally bought from the flagship store. Without exception, they were all bags and bag accessories. Such gifts weren’t much of a surprise to her.
Any gifts directly purchased with money from a specialty store left her unfazed.
She had received similar gifts since childhood and was long accustomed to them. But Yan He Yu continued to give them, only increasing the quantity to make her feel something. Two years ago, he started giving her things in dozens.
Later, two or three dozens.
Now, a car full.
Before unwrapping the several ten-pound gift boxes, Wen Di set up her phone tripod and started recording.
Yan He Yu was puzzled. “What are you doing?”
Wen Di said, “The gifts must be different; let’s record an unboxing.”
Yan He Yu leaned back on the sofa, watching her carefully unwrap the gift boxes. Just now, her expression while unwrapping other gifts was completely that of completing a task, even more perfunctory than him massaging her hands.
Opening the exquisite gift box lid, a faint scent of old books wafted out.
Wen Di loved books as much as she loved Yan He Yu. When they had arguments, books held more weight.
Influenced by her grandfather, she had loved reading since childhood. The books Yan He Yu gave her were all old, some of which were no longer available on the market.
After all the gift boxes were unwrapped, besides books, there were several stacks of periodicals and magazines older than her.
Wen Di turned to look at Yan He Yu: “Why did you suddenly give me so many valuable gifts?”
She used the word “valuable” to describe the books and magazines she received.
Yan He Yu said, “Jiang Chengyu celebrated Shen Tang’s third anniversary three times.”
Her best friend Shen Tang’s boyfriend was Yan He Yu’s childhood friend, Jiang Chengyu. Shen Tang and Jiang Chengyu started dating first, and then, less than two months later, she and Yan He Yu began their relationship.
Others thought Shen Tang had set them up, but that wasn’t the case. She and Yan He Yu met at a dinner party.
It was only after they started dating that she and Shen Tang realized Yan He Yu and Jiang Chengyu had grown up together, and Yan He Yu was two years younger than Jiang Chengyu.
Shen Tang and Jiang Chengyu’s third-anniversary celebration had already passed. Her and Yan He Yu’s third anniversary was just a few days away, but she would be away filming the show on that day.
So, the gifts Yan He Yu gave her tonight, along with the new car, were an early celebration of their third anniversary.
Wen Di got up from the floor and sat back in Yan He Yu’s lap, “When we reach our fourth anniversary, it’ll be my turn to surprise you. Then it’ll be your turn again for the fifth anniversary. Each of us is responsible for one year.”
She hooked his neck, “Even when you’re old, you can’t forget to give gifts. If your memory isn’t good then, write a note and carry it with you.”
They looked at each other for a few seconds. Neither knew who initiated it first, but almost simultaneously, they leaned in to capture each other’s lips.
Yan He Yu pulled her closer into his embrace.
Leaving the living room full of gifts, they went upstairs.
The bedroom light was off, and the blackout curtains were drawn, making the room completely dark.
No matter how dark it was, Yan He Yu could see the person beneath him clearly.
The soundproof glass of the bedroom’s French windows had been replaced later. Despite the strong wind outside tonight, nothing could be heard inside. Similarly, no matter how loud she was inside, no sound could be heard outside.
When he went deepest, Wen Di clung to his shoulders, arching her body to demand a kiss.
Yan He Yu only looked at her, not stopping to kiss her.
Wen Di pressed her forehead against his chin, wiping away the sweat from her forehead. She looked up at Yan He Yu again. “Husband.”
This time, Yan He Yu lowered his head and kissed her deeply.
________________________________________
The next morning at 8:30 AM, Wen Di woke up fully rested. After showering last night, she had dozed off on the sofa by the bed. Yan He Yu was changing the bedding by himself, and she vaguely fell asleep before he even finished making the bed.
She had no recollection of how she ended up in bed.
Wen Di’s throat was dry. She checked both bedside tables; there were no water glasses.
She propped herself up on the bed. Just as she picked up her nightgown from the end-of-bed stool, the bedroom door opened from the outside, and Yan He Yu walked in, holding a glass of water.
Wen Di was stunned for two seconds, then checked her phone again, confirming it was 8:30 AM.
She pulled on her nightgown, pulling the hem down, and said in a hoarse voice, “Why haven’t you gone to the company yet? You’re going to be late.”
Yan He Yu handed her the glass of water and said, “Going to the airport at 9 AM.”
So he was going on a business trip. No wonder he stayed at home so late today.
Wen Di drank half a glass of water, her voice still husky. She had shouted too much last night.
She gave him the glass and suddenly noticed his belt. She didn’t seem to have seen this belt before. “When did you buy this?”
Yan He Yu glanced at her: “I forgot which woman gave it to me.”
Wen Di: “...”
To say that to her face, with a hint of mockery, it must have been a small gift she had given him before. Giving too many gifts wasn’t good; she often didn’t remember what she had given him.
She frowned, truly unable to recall: “When did I give you a belt?”
“I don’t know.”
Anyway, everything in his walk-in closet, besides the few brands he regularly bought, was from her. As for when she gave it to him, he couldn’t remember either.
________________________________________
This belt buckle was a bit unusual; she tried to undo it.
Yan He Yu placed the water glass on the bedside table, pushed away her hands trying to undo the buckle, and urged her, “Hurry up and get ready to go downstairs, I’ve saved some food for you.”
Wen Di grabbed his belt again. “I want to figure out how to open this.”
Yan He Yu looked down at her, letting her study it for a long time.
She undid it, then buckled it, buckled it, then undid it, until she could undo it in seconds. Then she completely lost interest, and after undoing it one last time, she was too lazy to buckle it back up.
She suddenly remembered to ask him, “How long will you be away this time for your business trip?”
Yan He Yu buckled his belt and replied, “A week.”
Wen Di didn’t ask him where he was going. His itinerary sometimes involved commercial secrets, and she never asked too many questions, especially now that her company seemed to have an opportunity to collaborate with a subsidiary of Jingyue. The formal cooperation hadn’t been finalized yet, so it was even more important to avoid suspicion at this critical juncture.
This season of Like a Shadow, Following was scheduled to film until the end of the year. After filming, she might go straight back to Jiangcheng for Chinese New Year, and then return to Beijing after the holiday.
Their next meeting would be around February 10th.
She reached out, “Hug me.”
She didn’t forget to promise him, “I’ll definitely spend Valentine’s Day with you.”
At exactly nine o’clock, the driver and assistant arrived to pick up Yan He Yu for the airport. That afternoon, they landed in Shanghai.
He stayed in Shanghai for three days, then flew to Shenzhen. During this time, Yan He Yu was busy every moment, even returning Wen Di’s calls only when he had a spare moment.
That night, Wen Di was watching a drama when she received his call.
“Husband, have you returned to the hotel yet?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Then watch TV with me.”
“Do you have to watch it now?”
“Mm. I want to watch it now.”
Yan He Yu still had work to deal with. He found the remote control and sat with Wen Di, turning to the channel she was watching.
“Wait for me.” He went to the bedroom to get his charger.
“Husband, are you ready?”
“Almost.” Yan He Yu put his charging phone on speakerphone in front of the TV.
On the other end of the phone, Wen Di muted her TV at home. She only watched the screen; the characters’ voices from the drama were transmitted synchronously through Yan He Yu’s phone.
Yan He Yu often used this method to keep her company when he was on business trips.
“Do you want me to turn up the TV volume?” Yan He Yu asked her.
Wen Di replied, “It’s just right.”
Yan He Yu returned the towel he used to dry his hair to the bathroom and sat back on the sofa. They were on a voice call, so she wouldn’t know if he did something else, but he patiently sat there, accompanying her to watch TV remotely.
Wen Di usually only let him watch one episode with her, then ended the call punctually so he could get back to work.
________________________________________
On the last day of his trip, all business activities concluded. Yan He Yu had a few hours of personal time. A friend invited him to play golf that afternoon, but he politely declined.
“Where is Wen Di filming the show?”
Assistant Kang: “I heard the second season of Like a Shadow, Following is filming in Haitang Village.”
It was only an hour or two drive from their hotel to Haitang Village, not far at all.
Yan He Yu deliberated for a moment and decided, “I’ll go see her.”
________________________________________
The theme for the second season of Like a Shadow, Following was the ocean, with filming scheduled to begin tomorrow morning.
Wen Di arrived in Haitang Village half a day earlier than the other guests. This was Shen Tang’s hometown, so she came to see Shen Tang’s grandfather and also brought the handbag her mother had bought for Shen Tang.
Shen Tang’s house was just across the road from the sea; you could see the sprawling coastline from their doorstep.
When Wen Di arrived, Grandpa Shen was sitting under a begonia tree, enjoying the cool breeze.
The old man sat there alone, gazing at the bustling beach not far away, his eyes unfocused, seemingly lost in thought. At first, he didn’t recognize Wen Di. Someone stopped by the tree, and he thought it was a tourist looking for shade to cool off.
It wasn’t until Wen Di put down her suitcase and squatted in front of him. She didn’t speak, just smiled at him through her sunglasses.
Grandpa Shen was stunned for a moment, then a smile bloomed on his face as he realized: “Didi, why are you here? Tangtang isn’t home; she’s filming.”
“Grandpa, I know.” Wen Di took off her sunglasses, sat on a nearby chair, and told Grandpa, “I’m here to film a show.”
Grandpa Shen learned that she would be staying in Haitang Village for a few days and invited her to stay at his home.
Wen Di also wanted to spend more time with the elderly man. Grandpa Shen had undergone a major surgery previously, and his health was not as good as before. However, filming a show was not like acting in a drama; all guests of the production team lived and ate together to facilitate recording.
Grandpa Shen regrettably said, “Then after you finish filming, stay and play for two days at home. I’ll make you delicious soup.”
Wen Di smiled and agreed.
She had lunch with Grandpa Shen. After the meal, she planned to take Grandpa for a bicycle ride to aid digestion before his nap.
“Grandpa, I’ll take you for a stroll along the beach on my electric scooter.”
Grandpa Shen chuckled, “Tangtang still doesn’t dare to ride my electric tricycle.”
Wen Di could drive any vehicle and ride any bike, even old-fashioned two-eight bicycles. She had to experience them herself for the script’s needs so she could write with genuine emotion.
This season was the most comfortable time of the year in Haitang Village. The sea breeze felt fresh, moist, and cool on her face.
Wen Di, carrying Grandpa Shen, flashed past Qi Mingche’s camera.
Qi Mingche had arrived in Haitang Village an hour earlier. After dropping off his luggage in his room, he brought his camera to the beach, unexpectedly capturing Wen Di on the coastal road in his very first shot.
Her rose-pink long dress was unrestrained and striking under the sunlight.
Qi Mingche zoomed in on the photo. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the charmingly scattered Haitang Village buildings, an old man with a hunched back, a bright young girl, and a half-worn tricycle on the coastal road.
The people and scenery in the picture, though seemingly out of place, were so vibrant.
He clicked the delete button, intending to erase the photo, but hesitated at the last moment.
When he looked up again in that direction, the tricycle had driven away, leaving only a blurry black silhouette.
Qi Mingche turned off his camera.
________________________________________
In the evening, all the recording guests gathered in the lobby of the guesthouse where they were staying.
Xin Yuan bought a local drink for everyone, one chilled bottle per person.
Guests from other groups each took two bottles, one for themselves and one for their companions. Wen Di casually took an extra bottle, intending to give it to Qi Mingche. If it weren’t for the production team’s cameras following them, she wouldn’t have bothered.
She offered a bottle of the drink to Qi Mingche, but he didn’t take it. “Thanks, my stomach hurts.”
Wen Di could easily tell he wasn’t really having a stomachache and couldn’t drink it; he was just being difficult with her.
Finally finding an opportunity away from the cameras, she decided to confront him: “Do you have a problem with me?”
Qi Mingche looked at her for a few seconds.
The answer was self-evident.
Wen Di found it amusing: “I really don’t know what I could have done to offend you.”
Qi Mingche still didn’t respond.
Since Wen Di knew he had an issue with her, she naturally wanted to clarify: “If you have a problem, say it. You can tolerate it, but I can’t.”
Qi Mingche chuckled, his voice cold: “I know your acting skills are superb, but it’s pointless to keep up the pretense.”
He started to walk away.
“What am I pretending about?” Wen Di couldn’t take it anymore.
Qi Mingche met her condescending gaze, enunciating almost every word: “Do you really think you can hide that business with Ming Jianjun from everyone?”
Wen Di finally understood Qi Mingche’s cold and distant attitude over the past few days. He had misunderstood that she was having an affair with Ming Jianjun.
Mrs. Ming’s surname was Qi, so she was guessing Qi Mingche’s relationship with Mrs. Ming.
Wen Di managed a faint smile: “Are you Mrs. Ming’s nephew?”
It was reasonable for a nephew to stand up for his aunt.
Qi Mingche leaned casually under the eaves, against the mottled stone wall. His posture was relaxed, and no one would have guessed that he was confronting Wen Di.
They probably thought they were just chatting.
“What, did Ming Jianjun not tell you he has a younger son?”
Wen Di smiled: “He really didn’t mention you.”
Qi Mingche knew Wen Di wasn’t the type of woman who was easy to deal with. To be able to be with his father for eight years without a fuss, and to have his father devoted to her, she must have extraordinary methods. She wouldn’t get angry or lose her composure just because he exposed her face-to-face.
Tourists passing by seemed to recognize them. Handsome men and beautiful women were always eye-catching, and many tourists kept looking back.
In the guesthouse just across the wall, the other guests were chatting animatedly.
It wasn’t convenient to talk here.
Qi Mingche’s misunderstanding of her was too deep; a simple explanation that she and Ming Jianjun only had a working relationship wouldn’t clear things up. Wen Di subtly gestured with her chin towards the intersection: “I know Haitang Village very well. I’ll treat you to a cup of green tea.”
She didn’t care whether Qi Mingche went or not and simply walked away, her steps leisurely.
Qi Mingche followed after her figure rounded the bend.
Haitang Village at night was lively and dazzling, with distant fishing lights and nearby neon lights reflecting each other.
Wen Di searched around, but all the restaurants were full, and finding a seat at a seaside open-air cafe was impossible.
She got two cups of green tea to go. “Here, your treat.” She handed a cup to Qi Mingche.
As Qi Mingche hesitated whether to take it, she smiled and said, “Are you thinking that the money I used to buy green tea might be from your dad and mom’s joint assets?”
Qi Mingche: “...”
He was left speechless.
“Don’t worry, I have my own income. I have enough money to buy you tea.” Wen Di stuffed the iced green tea into his arms, then inserted a straw into her own and started drinking.
With no place to sit, they walked along the coastline.
Qi Mingche wanted to throw away the green tea but felt it was a waste.
He was accustomed to luxury but never wasteful.
So, he carried it the whole way as if it were a hot potato.
With no one passing by, Qi Mingche spoke, “What exactly are you thinking? Ming Jianjun is about the same age as your dad.”
Wen Di glanced at him, “He’s five years older than my dad, and not as handsome as my dad. My boyfriend is even more handsome, thirty years younger than your dad. If he wasn’t on a business trip, he should come to the show’s set and let you see how blind you are, to actually think I’d be with your dad.”
There was no change in the emotion in Qi Mingche’s eyes. “Have Ming Jianjun find a young man to pretend to be your boyfriend and act with you? I’m not interested in watching.”
Wen Di said, “Even if you were interested, you wouldn’t have the chance. He’s not someone Ming Jianjun can simply command.”
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