Chapter 150: According to the routine, it’ll probably be you who’ll overthrow me.
“Sure thing. If the director dares to use me, I dare to act,” Huo Niansheng said, turning to ask Ye Ran, “What kind of themes are popular these days?”
“Director Zhao actually has a script on hand,” Ye Ran said with a smile. “A Republican-era drama. I think Director Huo perfectly matches the aura of the warlord in it.”
“What kind of warlord? Sounds like a villain.”
“He’s a villain in the early stages, but the character design is very full and charismatic. A sharpshooter who can pierce a willow leaf from a hundred paces. At the beginning, he relies on his military might to act arrogantly, is opinionated, and indulges a bit in a lavish lifestyle. However, this warlord has his own principles. In the end, he sees the light and is willing to sacrifice his life for the greater good of the nation.”
Having said that, Ye Ran smiled again, “Mr. Chen is also suited for a role in it—a modern student who has returned from studying abroad.”
“The two of them know each other?”
“This student is a progressive individual who has embraced new trends of thought. To rescue a captured classmate, he disguises himself as an opera actor and goes single-handedly to the warlord’s door to negotiate terms. He actually succeeds. Brave and resourceful, it’s also a very likable character design.”
Chen Wengang asked, “And what happened to these two people afterward?”
Ye Ran smiled and shook his head, “I only heard Director Zhao talk about this script verbally, so the details aren’t that clear. They probably always have a relationship of mutual admiration, a mixture of love and hate. This kind of formula should be very popular with audiences—though it’s also very heartbreaking.”
Huo Niansheng stroked Chen Wengang’s hair and laughed, “According to the formula, you’ll definitely be the one to overthrow my regime.”
Chen Wengang burst out laughing, “Childish. Who said Director Zhao agreed to let you act?”
Ye Ran thought for a good while before saying, “I remember now. In the end, it seems one killed the other with their own hands—painful, yet having no choice but to do it personally. It is absolutely a tear-jerking, famous scene. But if you ask me exactly who killed whom, I really can’t recall.”
Huo Niansheng laughed heartily, “I finally catch your drift. You certainly know how to pull investments for Director Zhao. If I can’t resist going to ask him about the ending, will I also happen to have drinks and talk about investing money?”
Ye Ran laughed as well, “You are the financial backer. How would anyone dare to casually hoodwink you?”
After chatting for a while, lights flared up on the distant sea. The rescue vessel rode the waves, descending upon them even earlier than the expected time.
The crowd emerged from the cabin and put on life jackets on the deck.
Li Hongqiong went down first, followed by those few foreign guests. Among the remaining people at the end, Ye Ran considerately yielded his spot.
Chen Wengang initially pushed Huo Niansheng’s hand away, but before he could step aside, Huo Niansheng gripped his shoulder, “No need to fear, go on down.”
Chen Wengang smiled helplessly, appearing to want to argue that he wasn’t afraid. Huo Niansheng was already supporting him, assisting him over the ship’s railing.
Ye Ran watched from behind. Those hands were firm and powerful. Chen Wengang’s movements were agile, and he successfully boarded the rescue vessel without a hitch.
Then Huo Niansheng spared a glance at Ye Ran. Ye Ran continued to politely decline, “Director Huo, I’ll take a moment to compose myself. I’ll line up behind you.”
The other man didn’t demur much either, leaping across in a couple of bounds.
When it was Ye Ran’s turn, he finally stopped smiling. The staff supported him too, but what he was thinking about was the Huo Niansheng from fifteen minutes ago.
That gentle voice and those protective movements did not seem to align with this man’s identity. Frankly, he would be even more charming if he remained a playboy who held no one in his eyes—passing through a vast sea of flowers without ever deigning to curry favor with anyone, merely enjoying being surrounded by everyone like stars cupping the moon. If that were the case, some of the expectations Ye Ran harbored before coming didn’t seem entirely shattered yet. Director Zhao was actually quite right—these days, an investor who only pulls money from his pocket without interfering with creative control is hard to find even with a lantern, at most sleeping with a few male or female celebrities in the crew. Meanwhile, this Young Master Huo was even more uniquely generous, not even requiring celebrities to be delivered to his bed.
This instead made Ye Ran feel an impulse to put all his eggs in one basket. After all, he was turning thirty soon—a age that still appeared rather youthful for an ordinary person, yet was already an awkward stage for a traffic idol. Up to what age can a person act in idol dramas? If one wants to keep going, a transition is necessary sooner or later. The competition in this circle was just too brutal; without a background or resources, the road ahead was truly difficult to traverse.
Although someone had thrown cold water on him, saying that the other party already seemed to have someone by his side, he only half-believed it. After all, it was hearsay. Who would know if it was a rumor? Even if it wasn’t, who could tell if they were just putting up a front?
Upon returning to the shore, even though they hadn’t seen each other for a mere evening, Harley missed them to the point of madness, clinging to Huo Niansheng’s arms and refusing to come down. Everyone was in high spirits, gathering in the lobby to chat for a while about tonight’s adventure, with Harley weaving in and out around Chen Wengang.
Morning came again, and Ye Ran went downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast. He was a bit late today too, only spotting Li Hongqiong carrying a plate. When the two of them headed back, they passed by the hall, inside of which tinkling piano music drifted out through the glass.
The two peered inside through the carved glass window. Beneath the high vaulted ceiling sat a grand piano entirely lacquered in black. The one playing the piano was Chen Wengang, his back to the window. Huo Niansheng leaned to one side, listening with a smile. Propping his body up with his elbow, he reached out to turn a page of the sheet music for him.
Chen Wengang paused, concentrating on the musical staff, and tilted his head up to say a few words. He yielded half of the piano bench, and Huo Niansheng sat down beside him as well. Playing a duet, their hands flew up and down across the black and white keys.
Although Ye Ran had released albums before, he actually didn’t understand classical repertoire for the piano very well, unable to discern any rationale regarding the quality of technique. It was just that this melody seemed naturally to be a dreamlike love song, resonating with the entire world and achieving the ultimate harmony.
The German Shepherd they brought along lay beneath a potted pothos plant, raising its paw to rub its face. Someone had tucked a small flower into its ear at some unknown point.
Recalling something, Li Hongqiong let out a knowing laugh, “I almost forgot. No wonder—this might just be the place where they pledged their love.”
Ye Ran was startled, asking with a smile, “The place where they pledged their love?”
She nodded, using her phone to stealthily record a short snippet of video. While posting it to her Moments, she waved her hand, “It’s a long story… let’s go, let’s go. Let’s not disturb them for now; let them relive their old dream.”
Later on, Li Hongqiong dispatched cars to send Ye Ran and the others back separately.
Huo Niansheng brought his own driver. They headed home from the yacht club. On the way, Chen Wengang leaned against his shoulder and slept for a while. By the time he opened his eyes, they had already arrived at the intersection of Jiangchao Street. Harley pressed against the window, its tail wagging like a blooming flower.
Its thoughts were as easy to read as a child’s. Being this happy was not just because it had returned to its own home—but also because they had passed the pet park near the house. As it happened, Chen Wengang granted its every whim, calling for the car to stop and saying they would walk it for a bit since it was on the way.
Huo Niansheng handed the house keys to the driver, letting him go back to help unpack the luggage.
Once inside the park, Chen Wengang unleashed the leash. Harley let out a joyful bark and dashed inside with its four legs.
When they arrived, it happened that Lu Chenglong was also walking his younger brother here, “Oh, handsome boy~”
Chen Wengang was dressed a bit more elegantly than usual, smiling as he chided him, “What kind of crazy are you acting!”
Xiao Bao looked at Chen Wengang, completing his routine greeting ritual, “Hello, gege.”
Chen Wengang smiled and stroked his head. He lifted his eyes to look at Huo Niansheng again. Huo Niansheng had his hands in his pockets, looking down at him.
This time, Xiao Bao seemed to freeze for a long while, “Hello, Uncle.”
“What kind of uncle is that?” Lu Chenglong pulled him back by the collar. “The generations are mixed up. He’s my younger brother, so you should call this one ‘gege’ too.”
“This proves our baby doesn’t understand fake pleasantries and seriously distinguishes between men, women, young, and old.” Chen Wengang playfully nudged Huo Niansheng with his elbow, “Being over a dozen years older than him and still called ‘gege’—you can’t blame the child for mistaking it, right?”
“Calling me ‘Uncle’ is perfectly fine,” Huo Niansheng didn’t mind. Yet remaining casual and relaxed, he leaned close to Chen Wengang’s ear, speaking with deep meaning in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Then what about you? How should our generations be reckoned?”
The corners of Chen Wengang’s mouth remained curled upward, but he ignored him.
Huo Niansheng repeated in a low voice, “Calling me ‘Uncle’ is perfectly fine.”
With a secret smile, Chen Wengang reached out to swat at him. Huo Niansheng seized the opportunity to catch his hand, kissing his fingertips one by one.
It was right around dusk, and more and more residents were out for a stroll after dinner. The circle of Harley’s little companions constantly expanded, making it almost forget about returning home. They played for a while until the setting sun cast slanting rays and wisps of cooking smoke rose everywhere. While Chen Wengang held Xiao Bao’s hand, teaching him to boldly pet Harley, they encountered Cheng Bo and his wife, who were leading their household Teddy dog to walk in the pet park as well.
He looked at Chen Wengang for a moment, his first reaction being to smile, “Old classmate, you feel particularly different today?”
Chen Wengang smiled with perfect politeness and said, “Not at all.”
Cheng Bo still narrowed his eyes, looking at him for a long while. It seemed that when he spotted Huo Niansheng’s wristwatch, he finally discovered the source of this sense of discord. Before he could speak, noticing Cheng Bo’s gaze, Huo Niansheng looked down himself and let out an open laugh, “Fake. A-grade replica.”
Cheng Bo believed it, his expression becoming a bit more comfortable, “Actually, A-grade replicas aren’t necessarily cheap either! Plus, they don’t last. If you want my advice, you’re better off saving up to buy a real Rolex. A cheap one only costs tens of thousands of yuan. In short, a real one feels more comfortable than a fake one.”
Huo Niansheng earnestly indicated he had learned a lesson, “That sounds good.”
Lu Chenglong suppressed a laugh, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, his face turning a dark shade of red. Seeing that he was present too, Cheng Bo joined them to chat.
Cheng Bo’s usual talk never strayed from business, and he even mentioned a project he and other partners were working on recently, claiming a return rate as high as 10% and so forth. He was habituated to being grandiose and impractical, unable to speak of anything reliable, so this time it was the two classmates’ turn to echo back with nods and murmurs.
Cheng Bo’s wife let their own dog into the field to play. The Teddy loved to bark, being timid, small, and tiny. Before long, it somehow provoked other big dogs, and several dogs suddenly tangled into a barking brawl. His wife’s expression changed, and only then did she push Cheng Bo inside to halt the battle.
Only after the couple left did Lu Chenglong lean over, whispering a proposal to Harley in Chen Wengang’s arms, “Next time that little Teddy of theirs comes over, could you bark twice in advance to leave your owner and me a bit of time to run away?”
Chen Wengang lost his composure in laughter, and Harley obediently wagged its tail at him.
Xiao Bao overcame his fear of furry creatures, petting Harley several times in succession. Suddenly turning his head, he threw himself into Huo Niansheng’s arms. Huo Niansheng held his arms wide, offering no resistance, letting the boy fiddle with his fingers to play.
Lu Chenglong’s heart skipped a beat. Caught between tears and laughter, he hurriedly yanked his younger brother back. Xiao Bao was having fun, however, grasping Huo Niansheng’s hand without letting go. Fearing he would grow impatient, Lu Chenglong apologized in rapid succession, while Huo Niansheng merely offered a shallow smile.
He glanced at Chen Wengang and said very magnanimously, “It’s alright, he’s just a child.”
A bit later in the evening, they encountered Grandma Zhou, who had come out to enjoy the cool air. Grandma Zhou ambled along with tottering steps, supported on the side by Yu Shanding, who had come to visit her. She had difficulty moving her legs and feet, so the sweet soup shop was now run by hired staff. A group of acquaintances collectively went to her shop to eat sweet soup.
The two Lu brothers ordered sesame paste and walnut paste, Yu Shanding ordered sweet potato soup, and Chen Wengang ordered lotus seed and lily bulb soup. Huo Niansheng looked at the menu for a long while, ordering rock sugar pear soup, yet specifically went to snatch Chen Wengang’s once it was served on the table.
Grandma Zhou was in high spirits today, bustling in and out, keeping busy all around. Yu Shanding followed right behind her, wanting to snatch tasks but failing to do so. As a result, his pants caught on a nail and suddenly let out a sharp rip. Realizing what happened, Lu Chenglong laughed the loudest, sparing absolutely no feelings.
Huo Niansheng merely hooked the corners of his mouth, saying nothing, while Chen Wengang truly couldn’t hold it in, covering his mouth and facing the wall to laugh for a good while. Only Xiao Bao looked up at the adults in bewilderment, holding his spoon as he buried his head to eat diligently. Beneath the table, Harley sat itself squarely onto his foot.
So wholesome~