Translator: ChuRen/ YuQiChen
Yan Shu recognised Wei Tingxiao from the beginning, even though the person before him wasn’t as neat and tidy as he had been on the posters. But that face, no matter what, couldn’t hide the handsome features. The man with the stubble gave off a more mature vibe.
When Yan Shu saw Wei Tingxiao just now, he was also surprised, but then he suddenly remembered the crew filming in the mountains.
“Have some water.” Seeing Wei Tingxiao stunned, Yan Shu pushed the tea cup towards him.
Wei Tingxiao must not remember him at all. He still owed Wei Tingxiao money for a bowl of hot and sour noodles…
Perhaps he should invite him to a meal at home, as a way to repay the favour.
Wei Tingxiao mechanically took a sip of water, awkwardly turning his head to the side, embarrassed to look at the young man in front of him.
He felt so embarrassed to be recognised in such a dishevelled state, utterly ashamed.
But Yan Shu didn’t see anything wrong with Wei Tingxiao’s appearance. In fact, he was happy to finally have the chance to repay the kindness shown to him before.
Back then, it was just a bowl of hot and sour noodles, but it was the first time Yan Shu faced the embarrassment of not having money to eat after just crossing over. Wei Tingxiao had helped him out of that situation.
At that time, Yan Shu didn’t know he was being helped by a big star, but Wei Tingxiao’s actions were deeply etched in his heart.
“The rain is heavy outside, just sit here and rest for a while. I’ll go to the backyard.” Yan Shu thought to steam the rice first, then stir-fry a few dishes later. With nimble steps, he disappeared like a little rabbit after saying that.
“Hey, you…” Wei Tingxiao wanted to tell him not to be so formal, but the boy never let him finish a complete sentence.
After all, he was just taking shelter from the rain at someone else’s house. Yan Shu had his own tasks to attend to, and Wei Tingxiao naturally wouldn’t interfere.
Now that Yan Shu was gone, Wei Tingxiao carefully surveyed the environment in the house. In a place filled with a natural atmosphere, there was a small courtyard house that seemed quite comfortable.
In the future, Wei Tingxiao also wanted to retire to a place like this, grow some vegetables, drink a little wine – wouldn’t that be beautiful?
Initially worried about how Yan Shu would fare after leaving the entertainment industry, today, seeing him like this, Wei Tingxiao could sense that the boy was happy and prosperous from his demeanor and overall well-being.
This is good as well, away from the hustle and bustle, living a quiet country life.
Listening to the sound of rain outside, Wei Tingxiao suddenly felt peaceful and content.
After a while, Yan Shu returned, holding a fruit plate in his hand.
Inside were sliced apples and oranges, as well as clean strawberries and sugar-coated tangerines.
“Teacher Wei, have some fruit. These are all grown at home,” Yan Shu placed the fruit plate close to Wei Tingxiao as if offering a treasure.
Wei Tingxiao couldn’t refuse and, being soft-hearted, gradually regained his social nature.
“Quite sweet. If you grow these fruits in large quantities, you could sell them online.”
“We don’t have enough manpower and energy at home. Grandma is getting old and can’t do heavy work. We grow these fruits just for personal consumption and occasionally give some to neighbors,” Yan Shu explained.
Seeing Wei Tingxiao enjoy the fruits, Yan Shu suggested, “I’ll pack some for you to take back later.”
“No need to trouble yourself. Since they are grown at home, you should keep more for yourself.” This person surnamed Wei, who usually wasn’t very polite, found himself unable to resist the boy’s enthusiasm.
In a while, Xiao Lin and the others would come to pick him up. Wei Tingxiao, for the first time, hoped they would arrive a bit later.
He quite liked being with Yan Shu. They had never formally met before, but now here they were, finally fulfilling that wish.
Once the conversation started flowing, their topics gradually diversified.
“I saw you embroidering earlier, quite skilled. How come a boy like you is so good at it?” Wei Tingxiao shifted his gaze to the small table with embroidery frames and thread baskets.
Yan Shu didn’t mention that he was already skilled at it but instead introduced his grandmother’s situation.
There were very few reports online about Madam Zhou Huaixiu, an intangible cultural heritage master who insisted on traditional Suzhou embroidery craftsmanship but didn’t quite align with worldly pursuits.
After listening to Yan Shu’s story, Wei Tingxiao was not only impressed but also deeply shocked. He had his own opinions and, believing that it was harmless to both parties, was willing to express them sincerely.
“Your grandmother is truly remarkable. In that era, I understand her reluctance to commercialise excessively. She offers a selfless dedication to those genuinely willing to learn skills.”
Wei Tingxiao finally looked into Yan Shu’s eyes, encouragingly adding, “But you are different. Born in an era of advanced technology and the internet, the skill you possess can be your backbone to support yourself through the conveniences of the times.”
“Would you like to try opening a live streaming channel?”
Yan Shu: “Live streaming?”
Wei Tingxiao: “Yes, non-face reveal live streaming, just showcasing your own artistic skills, while also spreading awareness of traditional embroidery crafts to the younger generation.”
As if a light bulb had suddenly gone off in his head, Yan Shu realized that this wasn’t the ancient times with communication difficulties.
He had thought about making some embroidered products to sell in the city, as he also wanted to contribute to the household income with his own abilities.
Leaving the entertainment industry, he needed a new profession, that of a skilled embroiderer.
The ideas provided by Wei Tingxiao seemed very practical to Yan Shu.
“Thank you, Teacher Wei, I will seriously consider this.” The young man’s eyes were filled with joy.
Wei Tingxiao also smiled sincerely, “Good luck!”
Yan Shu didn’t blame him for being intrusive, instead, he accepted his advice. This softened a part of Wei Tingxiao’s heart, as he genuinely wanted to help the young man.
Yan Shu now had something he enjoyed doing. Wei Tingxiao guessed that Yan Shu must also be eager to earn money through his skills.
There was no shame in earning a living through craftsmanship.
Those who were willing to dedicate their lives to improving in a field were truly admirable.
…
In the end, the manager Luo Hui and assistant Xiao Lin decided to come together to pick up Wei Tingxiao.
Luckily, the location address was clear, so they put on raincoats and grabbed umbrellas before setting off.
About half an hour later, they arrived at the small courtyard and were speechless to find Wei Tingxiao actually having a meal at the villager’s house…
“My dad and grandma are not here today. I was planning to make do with what I had, but since Teacher Wei came, I wanted to specially treat you. It’s not that good, please excuse the humble offering.”
There were three dishes and a soup on the table, with both meat and vegetarian options, brightly colored and aesthetically pleasing.
“How can this not be good? It’s clearly very delicious. This green vegetable definitely looks like it’s grown in your own backyard, pure and uncontaminated. And this tomato egg soup is sweet and tangy, very smooth and tasty. The stir-fried meat is tender as well. I’ve grown tired of the boxed meals from the crew, and I just wanted a taste of this farm-style home-cooked dish…”
Luo Hui: “…”
Xiao Lin: “…”
Seeing their family’s ancestor talking nonstop, discussing with such conviction, they were unsure whether they should enter the courtyard.
In the end, it was Yan Shu who noticed someone at the door and stood up, “Teacher Wei, are those the people here to pick you up?”
Wei Tingxiao’s chopsticks paused in mid-air at the mention of leaving, finally lifting his head from the bowl, “Oh, they’re here. Just wait a moment, I’ll be right…”
Yan Shu, disregarding Wei Tingxiao’s thoughts, politely welcomed Luo Hui and Xiao Lin into the house.
He even served them rice.
And so, the four of them sat around the square table, each taking up a position.
“Don’t be shy, let’s eat together.” Yan Shu looked at the two guests expectantly.
Luo Hui and Xiao Lin awkwardly smiled at Yan Shu, then exchanged glances, neither daring to pick up their chopsticks first.
Meanwhile, Wei Tingxiao sat casually, eating like a starving dog, seemingly carefree and unkempt.
The two guests: “…”
What exactly happened on their way here?
Luo Hui knew Wei Tingxiao was a social butterfly, but this… was he being too familiar?
He didn’t recognize Yan Shu.
Firstly, he had no contact with Yan Shu. Even though there were rumors online about Yan Shu leaving the entertainment industry, Luo Hui couldn’t be bothered to remember details unrelated to his own artists.
Secondly, Yan Shu had changed so much in demeanor and appearance, transforming from an idol into a simple villager. From a delicate flower vase to a gentle, polite, and sunny young man.
For a moment, Luo Hui couldn’t connect the two versions.
However, Xiao Lin, with a good memory and sharp eyes, noticed.
He remained outwardly calm but internally, his mind was reeling!
Oh my! Is this really Yan Shu? Is this the same fragile young man I saw at the hospital that day?
So, the young man really did return directly to his hometown after leaving the entertainment industry. It’s a bit heart-wrenching, what’s going on here? So, Xiao-ge… probably knew about the young man’s situation already.
Last time, Xiao-ge paid for Yan Shu’s medical expenses and hospital bills. Is he now intentionally having a meal to repay that favor?
Wei Tingxiao was completely unaware of the various thoughts running through his manager and assistant’s minds. He genuinely thought that the meal cooked by Yan Shu was delicious.
Furthermore, he believed that when someone went through the trouble of preparing food, the best way to show gratitude and give back was to eat it all diligently.
Luo Hui felt dizzy seeing his ancestor eating so carelessly. To avoid the awkward atmosphere at the dining table, he took the initiative to thank Yan Shu.
“Thank you for accommodating our Teacher Wei today, and for cooking and hosting us. We are very grateful. Did we trouble you?”
“No problem, it’s not a bother at all. It’s just a small matter,” Yan Shu shook his head, indicating that he didn’t mind, then turned to Wei Tingxiao, “Teacher Wei, you work hard on set, so eat more.”
Wei Tingxiao almost choked on his food at the comment.
Luo Hui chuckled, “Looks like the commotion from the set is too loud. You guessed that Teacher Wei was filming here in the mountains?”
Yan Shu nodded and explained, “I knew there was a film crew shooting here because they booked out the guesthouse run by my dad and uncle.”
The three of them: “??!!”
A sudden realization flashed through Wei Tingxiao’s mind of the father and son he saw one evening, a silhouette he found familiar at the time, wondering if he was imagining things.
Now, it seemed that the figure he saw that day was actually…
Luo Hui widened his eyes, “The guesthouse belongs to your family? So, the Mr. Zhou we often deal with is…”
Yan Shu smiled and replied, “He’s my uncle. The guesthouse was built by him and my dad together.”
Luo Hui exclaimed, “Wow! That’s impressive! Today seems to be quite a fateful encounter!”
Yan Shu thought to himself that leaving the entertainment industry had still brought opportunities to meet big stars, so he and Wei Tingxiao were indeed quite destined to meet.
Even though Wei Tingxiao still didn’t know his name, it didn’t seem that important after all.
After finishing their meal, the three bid farewell to Yan Shu and prepared to leave.
Yan Shu walked them to the courtyard gate with an umbrella, saying, “Take care on the way.”
It was a rainy day, and the mountain roads were slippery. Yan Shu kindly reminded them as they departed.
“Okay, goodbye, and thank you for today.” Luo Hui couldn’t help but feel a bit fond of this handsome young man, his tone involuntarily softening.
In this rural mountain home, with such a good-looking boy, Luo Hui’s heart itched, his professional instincts flaring up. Unable to resist, he asked, “Um… would you like to join the entert—uhh!!”
Before he could finish his sentence, Wei Tingxiao covered his mouth.
Wei Tingxiao signaled to Xiao Lin, who immediately understood and hurriedly led Luo Hui out.
“What are you doing, Wei Tingxiao!” Luo Hui’s scolding voice gradually faded into the distance.
Soon, there were only the initial two people left at the courtyard gate.
A tall figure facing a shorter one.
“Sorry, my manager talks too much. If there was any offense, please forgive me.”
Yan Shu didn’t quite catch Luo Hui’s question from earlier, and seeing Wei Tingxiao’s expression, it seemed like he didn’t want Yan Shu to be asked that question.
“I’ll be filming here in the mountains for three months. In my free time, can I still see you? Or perhaps… can I visit your home?”
In the end, Wei Tingxiao still shamelessly asked.
All the embarrassment he could experience in his lifetime seemed to be condensed into today. Upon closer observation, one could see that Wei still had a slightly red ear.
Yan Shu was momentarily stunned but then quickly responded, “Of course, you’re welcome anytime.”
Just a moment ago, he had felt a sense of loneliness at the thought of parting ways. Even though their interaction was brief, Yan Shu felt like he was getting to know Wei Tingxiao all over again.
He felt that Wei Tingxiao wasn’t as distant as he appeared on the entertainment screen but rather a genuinely caring older brother figure who chatted with him and gave him sound advice.
After a meal, Yan Shu’s fondness for Wei Tingxiao skyrocketed.
“Great, when I’m less busy, I’ll come find you. And if you’re not too busy, you can also visit the guesthouse where I stay, considering it’s your family’s business. In a way, I’ll be staying with you.” Wei Tingxiao could still talk as smoothly as ever.
“Okay,” the young man obediently nodded.
“I’m leaving, bye.” Wei Tingxiao walked a few steps with the umbrella, then stopped and turned back…
“Yan Shu, next time we meet, just call me by my name.”
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