Chapter 144: Warm Feet

After Xu Xingchen came back, he learned that Xu Dahai’s illness turned out to be Alzheimer’s Disease, which had progress to a serious state. Last month, he forgot to turn off the stove when he was cooking, and the kitchen was almost burned down. Thanks to the timely discovery of his neighbor Aunt Zhao, it did not cause too much damage.

On the surface Xu Xingchen didn’t see anything unusual about Xu Dahai. Xu Dahai is a strong, taciturn man. He had always been unsmiling. Seeing him back, Xu Dahi rarely talks to him, spending his days smoking and occasionally coughing.

Ten years have passed, and the cracks were still there. After the neighbors have dispersed, the father and son returned home, saying nothing to each other.

Xu Xingchen had returned not so much for his father but to avoid his boyfriend, Sun Mingzhi. He wanted some space so he could think about what to do in the future. After being gone for so many years, he spent the first two days exploring the town. It had changed a lot, as there was now construction of many high-rise buildings in the south and a new park was added. On the way home, he passed by the farmer’s market and planned to buy a fish to stew in the evening.

This market had been around for a long time. Not much has changed from ten years ago except some of the stalls looked a bit run down. He first bought a piece of tofu and then went to where they sold aquatic products. He saw a young man, wearing an ink-green leather apron, carrying goods outside. Seeing him coming, the young man put down the box and said with a smile: “What are you looking for?”

After speaking, he was taken aback when he saw him, and then smile more brightly.

Xu Xingchen went straight to see the live fish in tanks. The water was bubbling with a heavy fishy smell: “A crucian carp.”

The other party didn’t respond. Xu Xingchen glance up and saw the young man was still looking at him with a smile. His complexion was a bit tan, but his teeth were exceptionally white. This caught Xu Xingchen by surprise. He felt a familiar feeling coming from the other person.

“Xingchen?” The young called tentatively.

Xu Xingchen instantly recognize him: “Yu Chenglin.”

Yu Chenglin smiled and said: “When did you come back?”

“About two days ago.” Xu Xingchen felt a bit embarrassed. He stood up and said: “I almost didn’t recognize you. You have changed too much.”

The former Yu Chenglin was tall, thin, and fair, far less sturdy than he is now.

“You haven’t changed much.” Yu Chenglin said.

“Is this your shop?”

“Well, I don’t have much skills, so I can set up a stall here. I heard that you are working in Beijing now? ”

Xu Xingchen responded with a “Nn” but then smile awkwardly as he didn’t know what else to say.

“You want fish, right? Crucian carp?”

Xu Xingchen nodded, and Yu Chenglin bent over and grabbed two for him, put them in the bag, added some water to the bag, and handed them to him.

“How much is it?”

“Are you kidding?” Yu Chenglin said.

Xu Xingchen embarrassingly took the bag and said: “Thank you then.”

“You’re welcome.”

The memories and feelings of the past suddenly came back causing Xu Xingchen face to turn hot as he hurriedly said: “If you’re free… let’s have a meal together.”

“Okay.” Yu Chenglin said.

Xu Xingchen hurriedly left the farmer’s market and inhaled in the cold air outside, making him feel better. He looked back and saw Yu Chenglins till standing in front of his stall staring at him. Yu Chenglin was his first love that he had deep feelings for, but in these ten years, he had almost forgotten such a person existed.

The fish in the bag suddenly squirmed causing Xu Xingchen to turn around and abruptly walk towards his electric car.

“Cut! Qiu Hong nodded: “Good.”

Shen Jintai breathed a sigh of relief, handed the fish in the bag to the staff member next to him, and rubbed his hands together. They were freezing and turned bright red.

The crew had changed to a different farmer’s market this time and booked it out in advance. Shen Jintai was heavily covered and only a small number of people knew where the filming was going to take place. After they finished the scene, he immediately went to Qiu Hong’s side and watch the replay.

The actor who plays Yu Chenglin was Gu Jin, a well-known actor in literary and artistic films, so his acting was well refined. After watching the replay, he immediately put forward his opinion. He felt that the two fish he caught were too small. His statement surprised Shen Jintai as he wasn’t expecting the critiques to be about this.

“Ten years have passed so the relationship between the two was a thing of the past. Yu Chenglin has always lived in a small town which has became much different from when he was a teenager, while Xu Xingchen has live in a metropolis that hasn’t seen much change. From a psychological point of view, I think him seeing Xu Xingchen ten years later; His feelings… may not necessarily be love, but he still has that that sort of feeling… Anyways, if I were him, I would definitely pick the fattest fish for Xu Xingchen.”

Shen Jintai nodded: “I know what you mean. Shall we do another take?”

Gu Jin said: “Thanks for your hard work.”

“You’re welcome.” Shen Jintai said.

This kind of small detail generally isn’t noticed by the audience. It would be the same whether the fish was changed or not, but these little details are the charm of the movie as it strives for excellence. Though the audience may not notice, these details highlight the feelings of the characters. Shen Jintai had filmed three movies, and of all of them, he learned the most from this one. The actors who accompany him were all mature and refine.

The movie progress was slow. Qiu Hong can sometimes spend an entire day for just one scene, but his focus wasn’t on aesthetics but rather trying to capture the right feeling. The producer has been urging, but Qiu Hong couldn’t speed up the process.

“According to this progress, it’ll be delay since filming won’t end until March, right?” Xiao Tang said: “It’s not easy to get a break in March. If the deadline goes over, will the crew be paid extra?”

“That depends on Jintai. He’s working for his boyfriend now. Is he willing to increase the film budget?” Li Meilan said.

Shen Jintai took a sip of hot coffee, as he was wrapped tightly in a blanket and said: “The previous films I’ve made were done well and I was able to show off my acting skills. Making this movie, I have a feeling of learning. Both the director and actors are knowledgeable and experienced, and I have learned a lot from them. I will definitely make money with movie. At the first chance, I’ll give you all a break.”

Li Meilan: “It will be delayed until the end of March at most and there are still new projects lined up. Go back and talk to President Yan to put some pressure on Qiu Hong. I think it might be more useful for him to step in.”

Yan Qiuchi also felt that Qiu Hong’s progress was too slow. When the crew is working, every minute was money spent. The current producer couldn’t control it, so he had complained to him again today. Mrs. Yan was listening in on his call as she texted Shen Jintai, asking when he would return. She had invited a famous chef to come over and cook for them in person. Now that preparation was fully prepared, she was waiting for Shen Jintai’s arrival.

Seeing Yan Qiuchi getting off the call, she said: “I made plans with Xiao Jin to go abroad in March. He has been working continuously for more than a year and has not taken much rest. Now that he is your partner, you have to learn to love him. Let the crew speed up the progress, and don’t mess up his vacation.”

Yan Qiuchi asked: “When did you make an appointment?”

Mrs. Yan glanced at him: “Why, do you have this idea too?”

Of course, he did. No one knew Shen Jintai’s schedule better than him. He was still researching where to take Shen Jintai for his vacation.

Mrs. Yan said: “I want him to have at least a one-week holiday. You can figure out the rest. If your crew finish filming earlier, then he will have extra time to rest.”

There was no way around it. Shen Jintai was just too busy, and it was rare for him to have a few days off. Yan Qiuchi felt that his schedule was too crowded. At his popularity level, he could slow down, but Shen Jintai was a workaholic.

“You two are both workaholics. One of you will have to slow down eventually. Let’s see who makes the first concession.” Mrs. Yan said. After a day of extreme excitement, she couldn’t contain it anymore that she ran over to the hotel to visit them. She had to see Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai together with her very own eyes before she could feel completely at ease. The wish she had been looking forward to for years had finally come true and she couldn’t be any happier, as she was the oldest qualified fan of this CP!

Qiu Hong’s filming went overtime again today. Mrs. Yan waited until 10 PM and left when Shen Jintai hadn’t return, scolding Qiu Hong for being such a scoundrel.

At 11, Shen Jintai returned, exhausted. After warming up in the car, his hands and feet were still cold. Li Meilan and others left his room and as soon as they came out, they ran into Yan Qiuchi. Li Meilan smile and said: “President Yan is well-informed. You always know as soon as we come back.”

“You have worked hard.” Yan Qiuchi said.

Li Meilan put on her scraf and glanced at Wang Nan and the others with a smile. Xiao Tang happened to come out at this time as Yan Qiuchi went in.

Xiao Tang whispers: “Hey, shouldn’t he say something to Brother Jin before going in…”

Wang Nan and the others laughed and went back to their rooms. Li Meilan said: “Xiao Tang, your observation ability is getting worser by the day.”

Xiao Tang said: “But Brother Jin is about to take a shower.”

When Yan Qiuchi went in, Shen Jintai had already started undressing in the bathroom. He didn’t notice anyone coming in, so he turned on the shower. Yan Qiuchi scratched his nose and said, “I’m here, just letting you know.”

Shen Jintai wiped his face: “You haven’t slept yet?”

“Waiting for you.” Yan Qiuchi said.

He wouldn’t say anything tonight. They were now a couple and if they don’t interact, it’ll be like regressing their relationship. After taking a shower, Shen Jintai glanced out while in his bathrobe, and saw Yan Qiuchi lying on his bed, as if he had fallen asleep. He went back and continued to blow dry his hair, smiled in the mirror, and after changing into his pajamas, he immediately jumped into bed and patted Yan Qiuchi on the arm: “Hey, wake up!”

Yan Qiuchi turned over and pinned him down with a smile. Shen Jintai said: “If you want to sleep here, be good and listen to me.”

Yan Qiuchi immediately let go of him, acting very obedient, laid back down and covered himself with the blanket. Shen Jintai felt that Yan Qiuchi was getting more childish, but he like this kind of boyishness. As long as Yan Qiuchi was willing to listen to him, everything was smooth sailing.

Shen Jintai: “When did Auntie Fang leave?”

“Around ten.” Yan Qiuchi made a serious expression as he rested an arm on his back, and asked, “Have you finished filming today’s scenes?”

“Although we went overtime, we got it done.” Shen Jintai said.

Yan Qiuchi: “Nn. He needs to hurry. If he doesn’t I’m not sure how long they can extend it for. Other actors may cooperate, but not Cai Jun. His wife is pregnant. A man who loves his wife will definitely not stay a single day longer than necessary. Also, I heard my mother say you made plans with her to go abroad in March?”

“Really?” Shen Jintai was taken aback for a moment: “Did I? I don’t remember.”

It must’ve been a casual remark.

“Won’t you take me with you when the time comes?” Yan Qiuchi asked.

Shen Jintai: “Can you afford to leave?” Yan Qiuchi was just as busy as he was.

Yan Qiuchi: “I asked Xiao Fang to arrange it.”

Shen Jintai laid down. He felt that it was good talk to Yan Qiuchi about work. It was their common language, and it wasn’t awkward. His foot touched Yan Qiuchi, and he kicked Yan Qiuchi’s leg: “Go over there.”

“Your feet are so cold?” Yan Qiuchi said.

“I’m just like this and I was filming in the cold all day long.” Shen Jintai was afraid he’ll freeze Yan Qiuchi so he scooted aside. Suddenly, Yan Qiuchi move forward and grabbed his feet and put them in his arms. Yan Qiuchi probably didn’t expect his feet to be so cold that his body shivered subconsciously.

“It’s too cold.” Shen Jintai shrank back his legs.

“It’s fine. There’s a layer of clothes between.” Yan Qiuchi continued hugging, refusing to let go. Because he wanted to cover Shen Jintai’s feet, his body was almost lying horizontal to the bed. Finally, he sat up and wrapped his legs into the blanket.

Shen Jintai wasn’t used to this and said: “You exaggerate too much.”

“I have a lot of firepower.” Yan Qiuchi said: “Is it warm?”

It was hot. His feet were rested against Yan Qiuchi’s stomach, and he found it very comfortable. He felt Yan Qiuchi’s hard abs and thought how taunt they felt.

Yan Qiuchi was afraid that he would be embarrassed, so he talked about work again. As he talked, Shen Jintai slowly relaxed and got use to it. Eventually, he started talking about Gu Jin and kept praising him.

“He’s good. He has won the best supporting actor, and he has real ability to act in all types of drama.” Yan Qiuchi played with Shen Jintai’s feet as he spoke, causing Shen Jintai to shake abruptly. The soles of his feet were also very sensitive.

Yan Qiuchi smiled and said: “You have beautiful feet.”

Shen Jintai inwardly thought: ‘It’s the system’s reward. How could it not look good?’

He felt that this reward was weird, and Yan Qiuchi praise was even more weird. This whole feeling was getting weird! Fortunately, Yan Qiuchi didn’t do anything and remained covering his feet and continue to talk about Gu Jin and the works he’s been in.

Shen Jintai noticed that Yan Qiuchi’s heartbeat getting faster, and it was beating so violently that his feet could feel it. Outwardly, Yan Qiuchi still had a calm face, and his tone was light, but as expected, his heartbeat had betrayed him.

Shen Jintai didn’t know what was going on in Yan Qiuchi’s head, but he felt amused. He like watching Yan Qiuchi hold himself back.

The author has something to say：

Still like it? Act recklessly*!

*Act recklessly (不知死活) = Idiom which means not knowing what is beneficial and what is harmful.

Kinky Thoughts: Call me a bitch because I’m loving this dog food.