Chapter 48: An Elderly Person of Few Words

During lunch, Xu Xiu couldn't help but feel that Meng Ziyi was sitting a bit too close to him, as he could clearly catch the faint scent of jasmine emanating from her.

However, Xu Xiu didn't read too much into it. After all, they were just having a meal, and nobody had established a rule forbidding anyone from sitting close.

Who would have guessed that right in the middle of eating, Meng Ziyi suddenly stopped, a troubled expression washing over her face.

It turned out she had forgotten to tie up her hair. Every time she lowered her head to eat, her locks would slip forward, making her look quite flustered and messy.

"You guys go ahead and eat, I'll go back and tie my hair up!"

Before she could even stand up, Xu Xiu reached out and grabbed her by the arm.

"No need to go to all that trouble."

Turning slightly sideways, he pulled a chopstick from his hand and threaded it straight through her hair, mimicking a hair-pinning technique he had recently seen online, and secured it with a quick twist.

When Xu Xiu's large hand brushed against the nape of Meng Ziyi's neck, her body visibly gave a slight shiver.

"Don't move! It'll be done in a second!"

"Oh~" Meng Ziyi muttered, pouting her lips.

Hmph!

If you say don't move, then I won't move~ Why do you have to raise your voice like that?
(｡˘•ε•˘｡)

That was what she was thinking, but Meng Ziyi's facial expression completely betrayed her. She was practically beaming from ear to ear, forcing her to cover her face with her hands so no one else could see her glowing smile.

Was there anyone sitting at this table who was simple-minded? Especially Wang Chuanjun, who loved a good piece of gossip.

His expression shifted from confusion to sheer shock, before finally settling into the fond, knowing smile of an elderly father.

Hehehe~

He had taken in every single detail!

"Ahhhhh! This is so sweet! Did they change the script again today? The domineering CEO and his pampered little wife?"

The audience members cheered in appreciation of the trope!

蘄"I told you the 'Xu You Meng' pairing was worth shipping! When Xu Xiu isn't being funny, he's seriously so manly!"

"Xu Xiu is so smooth! How does he even know how to use a hairpin? I can never master that skill; every time I watch a tutorial, my brain understands it completely, but my hands say, 'You don't know a damn thing!'"

"Sister Meng is acting so shy. Is she going to make me believe this ship is actually real? If it is, that would be absolute perfection / smirk."

Back in the dining room.

Everyone finished their lunch with vastly different thoughts and agendas.

Xu Xiu leaned back against the sofa to digest his food, while Wang Sulong and Li Xueqin sandwiched him tightly on the left and right.

"What are you two up to? Guards! Help! There are rebels plotting to assassinate His Majesty!"

"Alright, stop yelling. Even if you scream until your throat tears, nobody is coming to save you."

"Exactly. Besides, neither of us is a bad guy, and we aren't going to do anything to you. Why are you overreacting?"

The mysterious demeanor of the two definitely gave off a chilling vibe.

Exchanging a glance, Wang Sulong finally broke the silence and asked, "What on earth were you and the director sneaking around doing last night? Don't tell me you were having a late-night private feast behind our backs?"

"What the hell, the director took me out to record a song," Xu Xiu replied, waving a hand dismissively.

This answer instantly killed the elders' enthusiasm. They had expected some juicy secret, and it turned out to be just that?

Well, that made sense. If it were a real secret, they wouldn't have let anyone see it in the first place.

"In that case, aside from being a bit stingy, Director Gao is actually pretty great in every other aspect."

"Ha, true. I've never seen a director as tight-fisted as him. It's truly beyond belief and utterly ridiculous."

These two really had no filter, showing zero fear that Director Gao might hold a grudge and make things difficult for them later.

"Don't talk like that. Actually, Director Gao is a great guy. He's an older man of few words," Xu Xiu reminded them.

The two of them never expected Xu Xiu to defend him, especially since they vividly remembered this brat being the very first person to talk trash about the director.

Could it be that he was bought off in a single night? Just how high of a price must that have cost?

Meanwhile, in front of his monitor, Director Gao finally let out a sigh of relief.

The complaints from Wang Sulong and Li Xueqin had practically turned his face green, but luckily this dense blockhead Xu Xiu hadn't said anything bad, otherwise he really would have been forced to swallow coptis and suffer in silence—unable to voice his grievances.

Was it his fault the production team was broke? It wasn't like he wanted to be! It was simply because their market value had skyrocketed while the advertisers' budgets hadn't kept up!

"What is going on with you? You're actually defending him? This is so out of character!" Wang Sulong asked, looking completely perplexed.

Li Xueqin also frowned and guessed, "I get it. Did he pay you off handsomely, didn't he?"

Xu Xiu shook his head.

"You guys completely misunderstood my words. What I meant was: Director Gao is old, and he has very few true words in him!"

Director Gao's face turned even greener in front of the screen. He had thought Xu Xiu was showing solidarity and shielding them from complaints purely out of gratitude for taking him to record a song last night, but it turned out the kid had been saving the ultimate punchline just for him.

[Ding! Detected abstract behavior by the host resulting in exposure, exposure value +91... exposure value +91 × 3...]

Xu Xiu felt as though he had caught wind of something extraordinary. Had someone suffered a mental breakdown again?

Whatever!

Who cares, it wasn't his own mental fortress crumbling!

During the afternoon break, Xu Xiu and Wang Chuanjun sneaked off to look at the sea.

As a result, the two of them ended up thoroughly tanned by the sun, their skin visibly darkening by several shades.

After viewing the ocean, Xu Xiu headed to the stables. Under the guidance of an experienced equestrian staff member, he practiced until dusk finally began to settle before he grasped the core trick of horseback riding.

You shouldn't just sit rigidly on a horse; your upper body needs to lean slightly forward, and your hips must continuously sway up and down in rhythm with the horse's galloping motion. Only then would the ride be both comfortable and safe.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Xu Xiu finally draped himself in the glowing radiance of the evening sunset, spurring a sleek, pitch-black steed into a wild, roaring gallop along the coastline!

"Aow-hoo~ Awesome!"

All the pent-up anticipation of the afternoon burst forth in this single moment, sending a thrilling wave of absolute numbness coursing through his entire mind and body.

The sea breeze rushed past carrying a salty, damp fragrance, fluttering the horse's mane and tangling his own hair. The thudding of hooves on the soft sandy ground beat out a rhythmic tattoo, intertwining and resonating with the roaring crash of the waves.

Bathed in the lingering glow of the setting sun, Xu Xiu—crowned by the evening stars—finally fulfilled the long-cherished dream he had carried in his heart.

In this golden age of his youth, he was reaching out to stroke the burning, passionate fire of his own adolescence!

Even if fierce winds should suddenly rise from the earth, I shall ride the storm and conquer ten thousand miles!

*

Night fell.

Everyone gathered for one final dinner together, after which they retreated to their rooms to pack their luggage and prepare for departure.

The filming for this batch of episodes had officially concluded, and they would all enjoy a week-long break.

Xu Xiu clearly remembered how stiff and reserved everyone had been when they first arrived, yet now, as the time came to leave, a deep reluctance lingered in the air.

"Alright, everyone, we're just taking a few days off, it's not like we're never going to see each other again. Do we really have to make it so melodramatic?" Lamu broke the heavy silence.

"Exactly. You're making it sound like this is our final episode ever," Wang Sulong chimed in with a laugh.

"If anyone has free time over the next few days, we should all get together in Beijing for some fun," Li Xueqin suggested.

Comforted by the veteran cast members, everyone finally brushed away their sorrowful emotions, laughing and chatting as they dispersed.

Xu Xiu had only taken a few steps when a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind.

"Hey! Where are you headed?"

"Back to Beijing."

"Oh~ What a coincidence, I'm heading back to Beijing too. Want to go together?"

"Are you paying for my plane ticket?"

"~·~"

"If you're not paying, forget it. I was just joki—"

"Fine! Sister will treat you, alright? Who told you to call me Sister Meng for all this time? Consider it a special perk from your older sister."

"Sister Meng V5!"

Meng Ziyi: ( ´◔ ‸◔ ` ) —— ʚ ( ◜ 𖥦 ◝ ) ɞ

……

(PS: This book is currently ranked 11th on the new urban novel chart. Ahem, my respected patrons!

I am humbly asking for monthly votes and reader retention! I really want to push higher up the new book rankings!

I am truly eager to improve!
Kowtowing to you all! ＿|￣|○)