He did find yourself sleeping within the latter half of the night time, however his hand was at all times unconsciously fiddling round on her, stroking right here and caressing there. It was as if he now lastly possessed the one factor that he had yearned for in his goals and was unwilling to let go of it… Half-annoyed, half-amused along with his touches, Chu Jian dug her elbow into him, nudging him away.

Feeling scorching, she lifted away the quilt to attempt to catch some recent air, however he leaned over and sprawled on high of her once more—

This was repeated a number of occasions.

This night time, Chu Jian was like a fish that had been lugged out of the water and thrown onto a chopping block. She had no extra power left to flop and kick and easily let him mess around and transfer her about as he happy. When daybreak was quick approaching, he felt round for the lamp and, with a click on, turned it on. The moment the sunshine appeared, Chu Jian wished to show away from it, however a weight held her shoulder down and he or she couldn’t transfer.

Jian Bianlin spoke. “Maintain me.”

His voice appeared as if it had been carried out on his breath, gentle, and likewise repressed. Chu Jian mumbled, “I’m truthfully so sleepy I might die, Jian Bianlin.” However she nonetheless reluctantly lifted her arm and sluggishly slipped it round his waist. She managed to maintain this up for a couple of seconds earlier than falling asleep once more, and her arm slid limply again down.

Catching her hand in his, he as soon as extra set it behind his waist. As he brushed her sweat-dampened bangs to the aspect, he gazed at her, changing into increasingly more mesmerized by what he noticed. It was Chu Jian.

He was not dreaming.

She lay in a deep slumber all the way in which till the afternoon when she was woken by her cell phone’s alarm.

5 o’clock on the dot—the alarm Jian Bianlin had set for her. The alarm had been labeled, “At an outside shoot.”

Following his directions, Chu Jian ambled her method over to the positioning of their outside shoot. The surroundings was fairly good, and the river was flowing quickly. The climate was freezing, however his higher physique and ft have been ungarbed as he stood atop a boulder by the riverbank, his again towards the place she was. Beneath the daylight, Chu Jian might see the big, snaking vine—a vine that wound round a lotus flower—that the make-up artist had painted on his again.

When the employees and crew noticed Chu Jian, they nodded to her in greeting.

Nothing was out of the strange, however Chu Jian nonetheless felt guiltily self-conscious.

Tong Fei noticed Chu Jian shuffling over, and whereas elevating her cell phone looking for some reception, the very first thing Tong Fei mentioned was, “That man’s the primary lead of the primary leads. Take it simple if you’re taking part in with him, eh. Xie Bin didn’t sleep the complete night time final night time and saved messaging me on WeChat, asking whether or not you’d put scratches on Jian Bianlin’s again. He’s bought a couple of scenes these subsequent days the place he has to point out his again.”

“……”

“Wait a bit, wait a bit. Look, the cloud has floated away now. I’m going to ship out an electronic mail first. This place is simply too insane. A cloud simply drifts by after which there’s no reception.” Tong Fei labored away arduous for a while after which, after lastly ending off the work for a 20 million RMB contract, switched again to her BFF channel. “Take it simple, , take it simple. Hey, oh, wow, you’re even sporting his ring now?”

Jian Bianlin had worn that pinky ring of his since earlier than he shot into fame. Anybody who had seen him a couple of occasions would have an impression of it. Now, it encircled Chu Jian’s ring finger—the which means of that was very clear.

The man had had it made based on the scale of Chu Jian’s finger. No surprise typically it had appeared that the ring’s measurement was a bit too massive and appeared actually unfastened on Jian Bianlin’s little finger.

When Tong Fei considered this explicit element, goosebumps popped out throughout her physique.

So envious. So jealous! There was no probability on this lifetime for her anymore, however subsequent life, it doesn’t matter what, she was going to get herself a childhood sweetheart…

Not removed from them, Lin Shen was studying by means of the script. Jian Bianlin seemingly was taking a break, and he had one in every of his assistants name Lin Shen over so they might analyze and talk about the scene that they later can be performing in collectively. Chu Jian stood beside the displays along with her fingers in her parka, ready for them to wrap up their work. Maybe it was as a result of their minds have been in sync or maybe it was for another motive, however in any case, Jian Bianlin found her presence. Slipping on the button-up shirt that Xiao Yu handed to him, he patted Lin Shen on the shoulder and spoke what gave the impression to be a few sentences of encouragement. Then, whereas fastening the buttons of his shirt, he strode over to the place Chu Jian was.

The collar of Chu Jian’s parka was turned up with the zipper pulled all the way in which to the highest, blocking almost half of her face, from the tip of her nostril downward, and highlighting that pair of eyes.

It was broad daylight now, however concurrently, they each remembered the intimacy of the earlier night time…

Chu Jian’s cheeks have been burning. She found that Jian Bianlin was standing so near her that his eyes have been forged very low. The love that shone in these eyes was so deep it was as if he had not but stepped out of character from his scene a second in the past. Nonetheless, it was apparent that his emotions for Chu Jian didn’t require any performing expertise. Every thing was actual—he liked her.

For a very long time, their gazes have been silently locked collectively. From someplace, Xiao Yu, holding a down parka, wished to step near them, however Xie Bin grabbed him and dragged him again. “You’re so oblivious.”

Jian Bianlin, oh, Jian Bianlin. Oh man. Observing that expression in Jian Bianlin’s eyes and the way in which he appeared, Xie Bin felt a twinge of sentiment. For some motive, he wished to enter his highschool group checklist and search by means of the contact particulars to search out his past love and meet up with her—although he had heard that she was lengthy married, for the second time, in Singapore and had a child already.

In these yesteryears, he had additionally as soon as been a pure boy. When first 12 months of college got here round, he and his past love had been in a long-distance relationship and eventually had a uncommon probability to see each other. Unable to restrain their needs, that they had gotten a room in a resort. The following day once they awoke, he really had held his past love in his arms and waited on her like she was somewhat little one, serving to her placed on all her clothes from inside to out. His eyes had been so delicate and tender you may virtually squeeze water out from them as he gazed on the first girl in his life. What had he mentioned on the time? Ah, proper. “You might be so good to me. In our lifetime, I’ll by no means fail you or this love that you’ve given me…”

So sappily unhappy. Anyway, most individuals’s past love was often like a novel of the pains of youth. You couldn’t keep away from it.

Like everybody was competing to be the sappiest and saddest.

Whereas Xie Bin was sighing away on his finish, Jian Bianlin had discovered a mountain bike from someplace. Placing the masks that he used to hide his face over his mouth and pulling up the hood of his down parka, he patted the entrance handlebar. “Come on up.”

Chu Jian was somewhat hesitant. “There are such a lot of folks.”

The underside half of his face was hidden behind the masks, and the sound of his low chuckle was muffled and carried a suggestive overtone. “It’s not such as you’ve by no means sat there earlier than.”

That was again in center faculty…

Whereas Chu Jian was nonetheless silently battling herself, he had already pulled her into his arms, lifted her up, and set her on the handlebar. Then, with a step on the pedal, he rode off.

He didn’t care in any respect in regards to the marvelous present of expression on the faces of every particular person within the forged and crew.

It had in all probability been a number of years since Jian Bianlin had final touched a bicycle. This one was borrowed from the household who had rented their home out to the manufacturing crew, and the again rack had been eliminated. It was not sure whether or not the proprietor of the bike intentionally did this as girl-wooing technique, however regardless, it brought on him to consider many issues.

The mountain street was truly fairly vast, nevertheless it was an uneven grime street, and Chu Jian was joggled and jolted till her backside was sore. Shifting herself left and proper, she tried to discover a good sitting place.

Winter was virtually at its finish, nevertheless it was nonetheless very chilly. The whooshing mountain wind charged straight into the openings on the cuffs of her sleeves and neckline.

Apprehensive that she was chilly, Jian Bianlin rode with just one hand, whereas the opposite arm encircled her and held her tightly in opposition to his chest. Out of the blue, he requested, “Is it too bumpy?”

“It’s okay.” She tilted her head up to take a look at him. “The place are we going?”

“To have dinner.”

“We’re not going to eat with the remainder of the group?” Hadn’t somebody been employed particularly to prepare dinner for everybody?

“Right this moment is particular.”

Chu Jian, after all, knew what he was referring to. Hunching her shoulders and pulling her head down barely, she leaned herself firmly into his embrace.

Even that needed to be celebrated? …

Jian Bianlin had a pleasant thought: On the close by city, they might discover a clear, little restaurant, which ideally would have a small personal eating room, and have some good meals. However alas, they arrived too late. In small cities akin to this one, as soon as the sky was darkish, all of the outlets on the few streets would shut. Just one restaurant proprietor remained, consuming dinner alone over his wok.

Jian Bianlin was nervous that in the event that they have been to return now, Chu Jian can be too hungry. Deciding to make do, he stepped into the restaurant. Pulling off his face masks, he, in a pleasant and deferential method, mainly begged a meal from the restaurant proprietor.

The proprietor was a person in his forties who appeared fairly laidback and straightforward to speak to. Nonetheless, Jian Bianlin had come immediately from the filming location, and therefore his garb that made him seem like one in every of society’s undesirables, coupled with the black, surgical-style face masks that he was sporting, intimidated the store proprietor somewhat. The person pointed at a desk within the nook of the store and instructed them to sit.

Aside from half a hen and a few eggs, although, there was no different meals left.

With a view to make this dinner really feel particular, Jian Bianlin ordered, “Stir-fried hen chunks, salty crispy hen pores and skin, scrambled eggs with scallions, and egg drop soup…”

Ultimately, even the restaurant proprietor was chuckling in amusement. “Hey, lad, would you like me to make you a bowl of steamed egg custard, too?”

Jian Bianlin thought of this suggestion for a second. “Positive.”

The restaurant proprietor felt much more that this younger couple was fairly amusing, and buzzing somewhat tune, he went off to make the dinner.

Jian Bianlin chased after the proprietor, asking if there have been any shops close by that bought day by day requirements.

“Oh, sure. Sure, there’s. You exit the door, make a proper, and stroll all the way in which to the very finish. There’s one when you step outdoors of the lane. It has any of the fundamental requirements that you could be want. At the moment of day, there needs to be lots of people there watching TV, so there shall be somebody within the store for certain. Go now. It has the whole lot.”

Now that he had discovered the placement of the place he wanted to go, Jian Bianlin didn’t delay. Rising to his ft, he instructed Chu Jian, “Look forward to me. I’m going to go purchase one thing.”

Chu Jian was perplexed. “You continue to want another day by day requirements? I’ve introduced the whole lot.”

“I’ll simply go have a look. There might not be any.”

It was not typically that Jian Bianlin would describe one thing so nebulously. With this quite imprecise motive, he left her alone there and went out by himself.

Chu Jian sat in clean bewilderment for a dozen or so seconds. Then, she understood.

Thump, thump. Her coronary heart was hammering quickly. She had a faint consciousness that her chest was rising up and down with the tempo of her respiration and heartbeat. She felt so embarrassed she didn’t know what to do. Nonetheless, a vital thought immediately popped into her head.

Wait, no. He can’t go purchase that.

As soon as this thought hit her, she couldn’t concern herself with even letting the restaurant proprietor within the kitchen know first and easily dashed outdoors, sprinting all the way in which out the lane. Catching sight of Jian Bianlin already strolling up the steps of the store, she grabbed him and dragged him again. “You may’t go. If somebody acknowledges you, there’s going to be numerous bother…”

It was not out of the strange in any respect for that small restaurant’s proprietor to not know Jian Bianlin, given the kind of movie star that he was, however that didn’t imply everybody else wouldn’t know, too. After she had tugged him off the steps, Jian Bianlin additionally realized that this was problemmatic.

The 2 of them have been a reside instance of a younger couple who had simply tasted the forbidden fruit however have been too embarassed to take regular precautionary measures of contraception. The wind on the entrance of that slender lane was sturdy and whipped Chu Jian’s hair round.

In the event that they saved standing right here, they have been going to freeze, and the scrambled eggs have been seemingly going to go chilly, too. However Chu Jian actually was too embarrassed to push open the door and blatantly, in full view of everybody, ask whether or not there was any of that within the retailer, aaaah. Simply occupied with it made her really feel awkward and uncomfortable throughout.

Softly, she mentioned, “I’m hungry. Let’s go eat. Such a little nook retailer shouldn’t… shouldn’t have any of these anyway.”

Interested by it, he agreed and mentioned, “I’ll return and ask Xie Bin.”

“No! You’re not allowed to ask. You could not ask!”

Jian Bianlin fell silent for a second. Pulling her right into a shadowy a part of the lane, within the dim environment, he leaned in shut. His heat breath tickled the tip of her nostril. Chu Jian evaded his motion, quietly protesting, “In the event you actually do ask him, I’m going to return. You may keep right here and movie all by your self.” So humiliating.

His eyes flickered barely. Precisely taking goal at her lip, he bit down on it. “Then we’ll simply let issues occur naturally and take no matter comes.”

Let issues occur naturally? Let what occur naturally?

Within the biting wind that was swirling on the entrance of the lane, Chu Jian paused in confusion for all of half a minute earlier than lastly comprehending the which means of his phrases.

……

Not even twenty-four hours had handed. How might he already be occupied with wanting a child? …