Just finished recording, Song Jianchu originally wanted to treat everyone to something good and reward the artists of his own company.
Unexpectedly, a few people integrated their opinions on the way back and decided to go for barbecue.
The barbecue restaurant was hidden in a small alley with a hidden gem among the food shops. The storefront was not big, but it was stylishly decorated and filled with young people drinking and skewering.
The boss seemed accustomed to their visits. Even when he saw a big star, he didn’t seem surprised. He skillfully led them to a private room.
The appetites of the men were all quite large, and there was even a young guy who could eat a lot of meat. They ordered a table full of barbecue. The table was almost too small to accommodate everything, so they had to stack it up.
When it comes to barbecue, the preferred drink is beer, of course.
The four alcohol enthusiasts each ordered a large glass of refreshing draft beer, and Mu Yr poured a glass of ice-cold cola for Song Jianchu.
“This barbecue place is really delicious, and it was discovered by Brother Xing,” Pei Shinian rolled up his sleeves and handed Song Jianchu a few skewers of grilled beef. “I highly recommend their grilled beef cubes. I can eat thirty skewers by myself, and every time I finish eating, I feel sorry for the cow.”
“The grilled chicken wings are also very tasty, you can try them,” Mu Ye handed him a few skewers of chicken wings and said in a warm voice, “You didn’t have dinner because you were preparing for the speech tonight, so eat more.”
Song Jianchu replied, “Thank you, I can help myself.”
Song Jianchu picked up a perfectly grilled skewer of beef cubes and looked very appetizing. He took a bite, carefully chewed, and swallowed before saying, “It’s really good.”
They raised their glasses for a toast, and Bai Xingyu said, “Thank you, Leader, for treating us.”
Song Jianchu said, “Next time, I’ll treat you to something even better. You don’t have to worry about saving money for me.”
“Next time, we can go to your place,” Pei Shinian put the cleaned skewers into the container and said with interest, “I want to visit those luxury houses you showcased in your vlog.”
“Sure,” Song Jianchu generously agreed. “I’ll cook for you.”
Mu Ye placed several grilled shrimps onto his plate and wiped his hands with a wet towel.
Song Jianchu set down his skewer and ate the peeled shrimp first.
Suddenly, Pei Shinian asked curiously, “Brother Xing, how did you find this place?”
“I saw it on a food vlog,” Bai Xingyu skewered a piece of meat and casually said, “There’s a food vlogger named Xiao Qing who recommended this place.”
“Brother, you still watch food vlogs?” Pei Shinian was a little surprised.
Bai Xingyu replied, “I watch them when I’m on a diet before joining a project. That girl can really eat, it’s enjoyable to watch her eat.”
“Indeed, it’s satisfying to watch food vlogs while on a diet,” Pei Shinian took out his phone. “What’s her name? Is she pretty? I’ll follow her too.”
“She’s quite good-looking, and she doesn’t gain weight from eating,” Bai Xingyu said, “Her name is Xiao Qing.”
Lu Shen peeled the shrimp for Bai Xingyu and glanced lightly at him.
“Wow, she’s so beautiful. How come I never noticed before? She’s exactly my ideal type, is she a goddess?” Pei Shinian looked up and said, “Jianchu, you’re all internet celebrities, do you know her?”
Mu Ye chuckled and said, “Not all internet celebrities know each other. How many female celebrities do you know yourself?”
Pei Shinian retorted, “Including Kun Yu’an, I have four girls on my list!”
Mu Ye replied, “Yeah, but even if you add them, you’re too shy to talk to anyone. You’re always busy playing games and staying up late. If you can find a partner before you turn thirty, I’ll give you a thousand-square-meter wedding house.”
Pei Shinian raised an eyebrow, “Brother, you said that…”
Song Jianchu focused on eating, and the container next to him was already full.
He was getting a bit tired from eating, so he took a break and drank some cola.
In the midst of the noisy conversation, he interjected softly, “I know her, she’s also a graduate of Hongyu.”
Mu Ye slowly turned his head.
“Xiao Qing is also a graduate of Hongyu?” Pei Shinian was pleasantly surprised, then a bit resentful, “Ah, it’s all Qin Fang’s fault. If it wasn’t for him, maybe Xiao Qing would have been the guest for this episode!”
Mu Ye asked with a smile, “Are you close?”
“Her real name is An Ran, and she was in the same year as me in the International Class,” Song Jianchu said, “She asked me to collaborate on Weibo before, but I didn’t agree. I only added her on WeChat.”
Mu Ye nodded with lowered eyes, “Jianchu, your popularity is really high.”
Pei Shinian tried to probe, “She must have been the school belle, right? Did a lot of guys chase after her back in school?”
Song Jianchu pondered for a moment, “I remember she had a famous rumored boyfriend at that time, a senior in our senior year named Sheng Yi.”
“Sheng Yi?” Bai Xingyu had some recollection, “Is he the up-and-coming artist who recently collaborated with various big brands?”
Song Jianchu confirmed, “Yes.”
Bai Xingyu was surprised, “Your school really has produced some famous alumni.”
Pei Shinian fell silent, “…let’s forget it.”
After enjoying the good food and drinks, it was already midnight.
The members put on their clothes and prepared to go home. Song Jianchu had already paid the bill in advance.
Pei Shinian had a bit too much to drink.
While waiting for their manager to pick them up in the parking lot, Pei Shinian leaned on Song Jianchu’s shoulder and murmured, “Jianchu, you should definitely not be like your brother and start dating early… You don’t need to have high standards either. Your brother is too obsessed with looks, being obsessed with looks is a lonely existence.”
Song Jianchu replied, “…oh.”
“Always wasting time and loves to drink,” Bai Xingyu looked disgusted and said, “Lu Shen and I will go first. You guys can keep him company for a while.”
Bai Xingyu and Lu Shen got into a car.
Lu Shen said something unknown, and Bai Xingyu punched him lightly and whispered, “Don’t give me that face. When you go back, we’ll settle both the new and old accounts together…”
Song Jianchu’s expression became complex.
These two talented actors had been secretly married for seven years. If this gossip were to come out, Weibo would definitely go crazy again.
When Pei Shinian got drunk, he liked to hug people.
He muttered in Song Jianchu’s ear, his face already pressed against Song Jianchu’s shoulder, “Jianchu, don’t grow taller. This height is just right for hugging… You smell so good, just like my brother…”
Song Jianchu’s body stiffened for a moment.
Mu Ye grabbed Pei Shinian’s hand and pulled him away, supporting him on his own shoulder. “Stop bothering people.”
Pei Shinian suddenly remembered something and asked, “Brother, are you going to Sister-in-law’s place tonight?”
Song Jianchu’s ears twitched.
Mu Ye replied calmly, “Hmm.”
Song Jianchu slowly widened his eyes and hesitantly turned his head.
Mu Ye had a girlfriend?
It took him a second to react.
Song Jianchu’s face suddenly grew warm, but he calmly turned his head back to face forward.
Was he an idiot? Mu Ye was going to go home with him tonight.
Pei Shinian was supported by their manager, and Yin Chi arranged for someone to pick up Song Jianchu. Mu Ye also got into the car.
After driving for a while, Song Jianchu withdrew his gaze from the window and said, “Teacher Mu Ye.”
Mu Ye was still dealing with work matters. “Hmm?”
Song Jianchu informed him in advance, “I have something to do tomorrow and may have to stay abroad for a few days.”
Mu Ye looked at him and asked, “Where are you going?”
Song Jianchu replied, “I promised to celebrate Yin Chi’s birthday, and he wants to do it overseas.”
Mu Ye smiled and asked, “Can I go with you? It’s been a while since I went on vacation.”
Song Jianchu hesitated for a few seconds and said, “Sure, do you need to inform your manager in advance?”
Mu Ye opened Gu Jiaming’s WeChat and sent a voice message: “Going abroad tomorrow, won’t be in the country for a few days, don’t look for me.”
Gu Jiaming quickly replied, and M Yye played the message on speaker.
There was a crying child on the other end, and Gu Jiaming comforted the child while saying, “You’re dreaming! When I asked you to go on vacation before, you didn’t want to go. Now that you’re busy to the point of exhaustion, you suddenly want to have fun. It won’t work these few days. The studio is about to sign with a new company, and there are a bunch of things waiting for you, the boss, to handle personally. Come back quickly.”
Song Jianchu felt a bit regretful, but he didn’t want to disturb Mu Ye’s work, so he could only say, “…or maybe I’ll go by myself.”
Before he could finish speaking, Mu Ye brought the phone close to his mouth and sent another voice message, “With the sponsor.”
Gu Jiaming quickly replied again, “Okay, go ahead. Have fun. The sponsor’s dad must be exhausted from recording the show. Go and have a good time with him for a few days. Don’t worry about the studio, I’ll take care of it. Say hello to the benefactor’s dad for me.”
Song Jianchu said, “…”
“It’s settled,” Mu Ye put away his phone and smiled at him, “What time should we leave tomorrow?”
Song Jianchu replied, “…nine o’clock.”
Mu Ye casually put his hands in his coat pockets and naturally leaned against Song Jianchu’s shoulder.
He spoke lazily and happily, “Going out with Chu Chu, how fun.”
There was a driver in the car, and although he was Yin Chi’s person and wouldn’t overhear anything, Song Jianchu looked out the window with no obvious expression on his face.
Song Jianchu has always been free to come and go, so going abroad for a few days is a very normal thing for him.
Passing by a large shopping mall, the largest screen was playing a camera advertisement featuring Mu Ye, and pedestrians below stopped to take a few more glances.
Song Jianchu felt the gentle and restrained weight on his shoulder, and the air around him was filled with a familiar scent that could already relax him.
Perhaps influenced by the person beside him, the corners of his mouth lifted imperceptibly.
Suddenly, he felt a bit of anticipation.
The next morning, Song Jianchu, who had not been awakened by his phone for a long time, was woken up.
He closed his eyes and slipped his hand out from Mu Ye’s embrace, picking up his phone and bringing it close to his face.
With a rare absence of morning grumpiness, he hoarsely said, “Hello…”
Yin Chi clicked his tongue. “Don’t sleep anymore. You’re still sleeping in on such a big day?”
“What big day?”
“It’s your best friend’s birthday!”
Song Jianchu: “…”
Mu Ye hugged him tighter and buried his head, his nose against Song Jianchu’s forehead, his breath still heavy.
“Get up quickly, sleep on the plane.” Yin Chi urged, “We still have to fly for ten hours. Your best friend’s birthday only comes once a year, and you’ve already slept through seven and a half hours of it!”
Song Jianchu: “Hmm, sorry. I’ll go to the airport and wait, I’ll be there soon.”
Struggling for a few seconds in the heavy drowsiness, Song Jianchu tried to untangle Mu Ye’s arm that was tightly wrapped around him.
Mu Ye murmured tiredly in his ear, “Just one more minute.”
Stimulated by the man’s sexy morning voice, Song Jianchu instantly woke up.
The room was dim and quiet, and he could hear the sound of Mint outside sharpening his claws.
Song Jianchu obediently stayed still, eyes open, listening to his own heartbeat for a minute.
After one minute, Mu Ye slowly opened his eyes, kissed his forehead, and smiled, “Good morning, my sponsor.”
Because Mu Ye hadn’t had a proper vacation in a long time, this time Song Jianchu planned to take him abroad for a few more days. He packed Mint in the carry-on suitcase as well, while the koi was left at home with someone to take care of.
Yesterday, Song Jianchu informed Yin Chi that Muye would also be going. Yin Chi praised him with ten voice messages of sixty seconds each. At the airport, Yin Chi gave him several thumbs-ups.
It was the birthday of the entertainment circle’s prince, and many popular artists came to join the celebration. They boarded Yin Chi’s private plane together and headed to the holiday paradise islands.
Song Jianchu wore sunglasses and a fisherman’s hat, looking lazy. He boarded his own plane with Mu Ye and the cat.
By the time they arrived, it was 7 p.m. Beijing time, and it was already 1 p.m. the next day in the local time zone.
In fact, according to local time, Yin Chi’s birthday had already passed. But Yin Chi wasn’t that particular, he only celebrated his birthday according to Beijing time. Besides, Song Jianchu had just finished recording last night, and he didn’t want to tire his friend out by accompanying him in the late hours of the night.
The birthday party was held on a private beach, and the invited artists and friends were dressed in swimsuits and vacation-style clothes, looking casual.
When they saw Mu Ye’s arrival, everyone was taken aback.
“Truly the prince’s birthday, even the king of the music industry came to join.”
“This is so rare, I have to go say hello later.”
“Ah, it’s Mu Ye!”
The female artists immediately became restless.
When they saw the casually dressed guy with dyed pink hair next to Mu Ye, everyone was stunned again.
“Damn, the richest person on Weibo is here too.”
“Song Jianchu is now the sponsor of the prince’s company, so it’s normal for him to come. But I heard they’ve known each other for a long time.”
“Why can I still recognize him even though he’s wearing sunglasses…”
“It seems he has really succeeded in becoming a fan. After the show, he’s so familiar with Teacher Mu Ye.”
“Money can really do wonders.”
Yin Chi waved in the midst of beautiful women and called out, “Brother, Mu Ye, over here!”
A very handsome and eye-catching sports car drove onto the beach, attracting everyone’s attention. The driver got out of the car and handed the keys to Song Jianchu, and people around whispered as expected.
Song Jianchu threw the car keys to Yin Chi and said, “Happy birthday, brother.”
There was a moment of silence among the crowd, and then the chatter started.
“If I remember correctly, this car can only be customized for special clients, right?”
“I heard the Prince of Country E has one.”
“A hundred million, and he just gave it away without blinking.”
“Oh my god, when can I have friends like this?”
“Even with common plotlines, he can show a different level of taste. Damn it, I finally feel this kid’s charm.”
Yin Chi caught the keys. He had guessed that Song Jianchu might give him a car, but he didn’t expect his brother to get this one.
This car was the dream of all billionaires, even more precious than the ones in Song Jianchu’s own garage. When you add up the world’s top billionaires and royal nobles, there are no more than seven people who own this car. If he drove it back to China, he would be the first person in China to own this car.
This was no longer just a simple car gift.
Yin Chi remained silent for a few seconds with mixed emotions, then approached Song Jianchu, hugged his shoulder, patted him hard, and smiled, “Brother, you’ve raised the bar so high before turning 80. How can I top this next year? Give you an island?”
Yin Chi laughed at his own words, “Damn, an island is harder to get than this car.”
Song Jianchu pushed him away disdainfully and smiled faintly, “Then give me a bouquet of flowers.”
“You want flowers?” Yin Chi raised an eyebrow, “Alright, I’ll close down the company and personally plant a flower field for you tomorrow.”
“That won’t do,” Mu Ye said, “My studio still needs to sign contracts.”
Song Jianchu said, “Just make sure the company is doing well. That’s the best gift you can give me as the main investor.”
Yin Chi immediately understood and said meaningfully, “Rest assured, Mu Ye, I’ll empty all the resources from my father’s side. Even if I have to do it, I’ll ensure your career stays successful until retirement.”
Mu Ye also gave a birthday gift to his future partner, a wristwatch.
Yin Chi glanced at it, surprised, and raised an eyebrow, “Oh no, after this birthday, I’m in debt. If I don’t run the company well, I won’t be able to repay it next year.”
Giving space for their two good friends to chat, Mu Ye didn’t stick to Song Jianchu too much and went to chat with the younger artists in the music industry.
When Mu Ye walked away, Yin Chi nudged his brother with his elbow and squinted, saying, “Not bad, you brought him on a vacation. This main investor is getting better and better. Isn’t it fragrant?”
Song Jianchu, holding a straw, lazily propped his face with one hand, “Indeed.”
Yin Chi said, “There are no paparazzi on the island, so you can relax and have fun these few days. I’ve taken care of the ones in the industry. Those kinds of incidents won’t happen again.”
“Thanks,” Song Jianchu replied.
“By the way,” Yin Chi asked, “How long do you plan to keep Mu Ye?”
Song Jianchu chewed on the ice in his mouth, “I don’t know, it depends on the situation.”
“Brother,” Yin Chi asked seriously, “Tell me the truth. Do you really want to be with him?”
Song Jianchu stirred the ice in his cup with the straw, lowered his eyes, and pondered without speaking.
Instinctively, Song Jianchu looked up and met the gaze of the person watching him from afar. The once unapproachable eyes showed a gentle smile. Taking advantage of the lack of attention, Mu Ye quickly blinked at him.
“Think it through carefully,” Yin Chi said with a smile, “I take back what I said before. Mu Ye might actually be a good fit for you. He may seem worrying, but he’s actually quite good at taking care of kids.”
Song Jianchu redirected his gaze, calmly suppressing his heartbeat, and said, “Get lost.”
After playing with Yin Chi all night, the next day Song Jianchu and Mu Ye began their vacation on the island.
Finally, Song Jianchu had time to complete his bucket list.
There was no need to wake up early when on vacation, so the two of them slept until almost afternoon before heading out.
Song Jianchu took his medicine in the bathroom, measured his body temperature, made sure his health was fine, changed into comfortable and warm clothes, and went out with Mu Ye to see the volcano on the nearby island.
Seeing an active volcano was one of his wishes.
The weather was excellent, and they took a small plane from the island to the nearby one, where they rented a car and drove to the volcano national park, with Mu Ye behind the wheel.
He was sitting in Mu Ye ‘s car for the first time. Mu Ye was skilled at driving, and the park was large. Unconsciously, Song Jianchu fell asleep on the way, only to wake up and find Mu Ye had taken off his clothes and draped them over him.
“Awake?” Mu Ye was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt, his arms showing beautiful and strong lines. He appeared much calmer while driving than usual.
Song Jianchu was still a bit dazed from sleep, looking out blankly. The sky had darkened. His throat felt uncomfortable, and he asked hoarsely, “Where are we?”
Mu Ye glanced at him and said gently, “Drink some water, we’re almost at the observation deck.”
To view the volcano, one could only use a telescope at the observation deck. During the day, it would be steam, and only at night could the red glow of the magma be seen.
Luckily, the volcano on the island had erupted a week ago, revealing many rarely seen magma vents.
When they reached the observation deck, the sky had completely darkened.
They parked the car in the parking area, both wearing masks and hats as they got out. The observation deck was at a higher altitude, and it was cold at night. Mu Ye held Song Jianchu’s hand and put it into the pocket of his coat as they climbed up together.
From the observation deck, the ground was black, with red smoke rising in the distance. The magma vents glowed a fiery red, visually conveying the scorching heat of the magma.
Many tourists were taking photos of the erupting vents.
Mu Ye helped Song Jianchu put on the hood of his coat for warmth and asked, “Do you want to take photos?”
Song Jianchu watched quietly for a while and shook his head.
They didn’t stay at the observation deck for too long. Song Jianchu and Mu Ye took a helicopter ride in the scenic area to see the magma flowing into the sea.
The glowing red thermal flow slowly crawled into the dark ocean along the melted channel, dyeing the sea a small patch of spicy soup-like red. But soon, it succumbed to the power of the ocean, rapidly cooling down, dimming, and losing its radiance, returning to its originally unremarkable state.
Song Jianchu wore headphones and gazed into the distance, lost in thought. Mu Ye shook his hand, and Mu Ye’s voice came through the headphones, “It seems like you have a helicopter pilot license too?”
Song Jianchu was taken aback for a moment, then nodded, “Hmm.”
Had Mu Ye also watched his vlogs?
“We can do everything, we’re so amazing,” Mu Ye smiled and said, “Next time, let Captain Song take me to see it.”
Song Jianchu and Mu Ye locked eyes for a few seconds before he turned away.
Mu Ye raised an eyebrow playfully.
Watching the unstoppable flow of magma entering the sea, Song Jianchu remembered Yin Chi’s question, and the flickering red light reflected in his eyes.
A few seconds later, he softly murmured, “Hmm.”
He wanted to.