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Chapter 149: You and Mr. Chen have a deep love for each other.
Huo Niansheng walked leisurely on the beach, hands in pockets, studying the sand under his feet as if searching for treasure. As footsteps approached, mixing with the ebb and flow of the tide, he finally looked up to meet the newcomer.
It was the popular celebrity Ye Ran, brought by Li Hongqiong. Ye Ran greeted him politely, and Huo Niansheng nodded in return, his gaze carrying habitual disdain as it fell on Ye Ran.
Ye Ran, tall and slender, with a slim waist and delicate limbs, possessed features conforming to current aesthetic standards. Despite being an idol, he barely ate at the BBQ, sticking to a plate of salad—a testament, perhaps, to the demands of maintaining his figure in front of the camera. Over the years, Ye Ran has been attempting to transition into other fields, actively engaging in public appearances and securing a few movie resources. Yet, narrowly missing out on the Golden Horse Awards, he fell just short of being crowned a “rising movie king.”
Huo Niansheng spoke up, congratulating Ye Ran on the success of his new movie, “Black Humor,” which he had heard about. Ye Ran humorously attributed the success to the investors, expressing gratitude for Huo Niansheng’s support.
Huo Niansheng laughed, dismissing any notions of understanding film art, while Ye Ran continued to praise his discerning eye.
Ye Ran, appreciative of the opportunity provided by Huo Niansheng’s investment, acknowledged that others might have sought to promote their own people for the lead role. Huo Niansheng brushed off the gratitude, suggesting that a signed photo would have sufficed.
The conversation continued, with Ye Ran expressing regret for not winning the Best Actor award and thanking Huo Niansheng for the opportunity once again. Huo Niansheng remained indifferent, suggesting Ye Ran could have simply asked Li Hongqiong to pass along any thanks or gifts.
“Yes, I didn’t quite understand before,” Ye Ran smiled, “Next time, I’ll know about your close relationship with Mr. Chen.”
Chen Wengang leaned on the railing, looking out from the platform where he and Li Hongqiong were standing, the two figures on the beach appearing like moving black dots.
Li Hongqiong withdrew her gaze, taking a puff of her cigarette lightly, “You don’t need to worry about these trivial matters.”
This time it was Chen Wengang’s turn to smile, “There’s nothing to worry about.”
He rested his chin on his arm, “I can help manage Huo Niansheng’s business and accompany him to social events—he needs that. I do what a partner should do because I like him. As for what others think, it doesn’t really matter.”
Li Hongqiong said, “Of course you say that now, but you’ve believed in him from the start, and that’s what I admire most.”
Chen Wengang jokingly replied in a relaxed tone, “Well, how should I put it, thanks to my keen eye for recognizing his devotion and gentleness?”
Li Hongqiong chuckled, “We’re talking about the Lao Huo now, right? I’ve known him for twenty years, and I haven’t noticed any of that!”
Chen Wengang laughed, “After being friends with him for so many years, what have you actually learned about him?”
Li Hongqiong casually flicked some ash off her cigarette, “He’s someone who’s very good at hiding things, even from himself. Who cares about how he really is?”
The night breeze blew gently as she flicked the ash off again, “Do you want to go squid fishing tomorrow night? I was actually planning to go today, but the boat broke down. I have to entertain these foreign boys to death. Alright, it’s settled; you all are coming as my guests.”
Chen Wengang readily agreed, “How could I refuse Hongqiong-Jie’s invitation?”
Having played all day, Halley was exhausted, yawning incessantly as he trotted over and lay down by their feet.
Li Hongqiong pinched out her cigarette, covering her mouth as she yawned as well. By the time Huo Niansheng and Ye Ran returned, she had already gone back to her room to sleep, leaving Chen Wengang sitting on the railing, enjoying the breeze with a gentle smile that seemed to glow in the night.
Huo Niansheng extended his arms, “Miss me?”
Chen Wengang jumped down, holding onto his arm, “Of course.”
Ye Ran stood nearby, joking, “Mr
Huo, with you two like this, I feel like I’ve just been kicked while passing by.”
Chen Wengang bent down to pick up the half-asleep Halley. It seemed heavier than when they had arrived home, but it was still small enough for him to cradle it in his arms as it snuggled against him. Huo Niansheng scratched its head, not waking it up.
Chen Wengang turned to Ye Ran and bid him goodbye.
Ye Ran waved with a smile and said, “Goodnight.”
The next morning, Ye Ran went downstairs to the buffet. Since the bonfire party ended late, there were few people up, and even fewer came down for breakfast. There were only two conspicuous figures sitting by the window, occupying a round table.
The round table was large and able to accommodate several people, so it seemed a bit wasteful for just two people, but it had the best lighting, so it was taken first. Chen Wengang peeled a boiled egg while Huo Niansheng handed him a finger sandwich, which he took a bite of.
“It’s alright… tastier than that toasted sandwich.”
“I’ll get a couple more pieces, what else do you want to eat?”
Ye Ran approached with a plate, interrupting their whispered conversation, and both sides exchanged morning greetings.
The vast restaurant was deserted, with only three familiar faces sitting apart, making the atmosphere seem unusually distant. Ye Ran naturally sat on the other side of the table and placed his plate down, “Why is everyone still not awake?”
Chen Wengang looked up and smiled, “Ye-ge, is that all you’re going to eat? Isn’t it a bit too little?”
Ye Ran smiled gently, “No need to call me Ge; I’m only a little older than you; just call me by my name.”
By nightfall, the boat had been repaired, and Li Hongqiong took her guests out to sea. The small fishing boat sailed into the sea, leaving behind white waves in its wake. After about an hour’s journey, the boat stopped in the middle of the sea, surrounded by black water on all sides, with nothing else in sight.
The sound of the engine faded away, and the boat rocked gently with the waves. Those who were on the boat for the first time leaned over the side to look down, fascinated by the novelty.
Squid fishing didn’t require fishing rods or bait, just a fishing line with an eight-pronged hook thrown into the sea, catching squid barehanded. Everyone eagerly tried their hand at it, and Chen Wengang, with his experienced look, searched by the side of the boat for a while. Somehow, he managed to catch an unusually large squid, hoisting it up into the air, squeezing out the ink, and reeling in the rope; it was twice the size of the others caught by the others.
The main participants in the sea trip were several foreign friends entertained by Li Hongqiong. Zhang Mingxian and the two other rather opportunistic friends had already left. The three or four international friends with blond hair and blue eyes weren’t as calculating, cheering sincerely for the huge squid they caught.
Amidst the cheers, for a while, Chen Wengang enjoyed the treatment of being the fishing king on this boat, while Huo Niansheng just watched and laughed.
Halley hadn’t been on a boat before, and they were worried it wouldn’t adapt, so they left it on shore to be taken care of by the staff for the night.
Some people didn’t handle the sea’s roughness well, and halfway through the journey, Ye Ran got seasick. He spent half the day vomiting in the cabin and rested on the sofa with a pale face, unable to join the fishing team.
Finally, the staff awarded the “Squid King” glass badge to Chen Wengang, and the caught squid was taken away to be cooked on the spot. Chen Wengang gave this souvenir to another eager foreign guest. They returned to the cabin, and Ye Ran seemed to feel a bit better.
The freshly cooked squid only needed a bit of spring onion and garlic to stir-fry, without any additional seasoning, and its taste was incomparably fresh.
Everyone enjoyed the meal, but on the way back, there was a small problem again, as the engine stubbornly stopped working, and they had to contact the shore and wait for rescue.
Though stranded, it wasn’t too tense, as the rescue boat replied that it was on its way, but would take another hour to arrive.
Chen Wengang stood on the deck, their fishing boat adrift in the middle of the water, the bright round moon overhead. Huo Niansheng stood beside him, holding his hand, and amidst the helplessness of being anchored, a hint of romanticism emerged.
Ye Ran hadn’t eaten much, still feeling seasick, his stomach churning. Li Hongqiong and her friends were bored, playing cards in the cabin, and making some noise. Ye Ran walked out from the cabin, and they were just ahead. He walked over, joining the conversation.
Chen Wengang chuckled, “Unfortunately, you’ll have to endure another hour of torment.”
“It’s alright; I’m feeling much better already.” Ye Ran waved his hand, “But perhaps it’s a professional habit. When I encounter such scenes, I always feel like something is about to happen next. It’s like the beginning of a movie, you know?”
“Then I wonder what type of movie we’re in now—an adventure, disaster, or horror film.”
“Haha, I didn’t expect you to be quite knowledgeable.” Ye Ran laughed, “Do you like watching movies?”
Chen Wengang politely complimented, “We watched your ‘Black Humor’ a few days ago, it was very good, no wonder it was successful at the box office.”
Ye Ran looked him over and said, “Actually, acting is quite fun. You have a good look, if you visit the film and television city, maybe a talent scout will discover you. Have you ever thought about trying acting?”
Chen Wengang curiously asked, “What? Do you mean even someone like me, who knows nothing about anything, could be scouted by a talent scout?”
Ye Ran explained, “Well, not everyone in the entertainment industry has a formal education in it. You’re so young, you could easily start and maybe even become famous overnight, becoming the darling of the spotlight, you know?”
Huo Niansheng put his hand on Chen Wengang’s shoulder and couldn’t help but laugh, asking him, “Do you want to become a star?”
Chen Wengang also laughed, “You’re just going along with what others say. I wouldn’t become one, why not you go instead?”
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For every Ko-fi received for a perticular novel, I will release a new chapter!
I’m honestly surprised that neither HNS, nor CWG have a trauma for boats. I know they have found each other again and they are living happily, but I would never step on a boat again if I were in their place.