chapter 19 - happy hour

the next chapter will be out in two days instead of tomorrow; it's about three times as long as normal so it'll take me a bit longer! thank you for your patience :D

Gathering together before the new year is a second-generation wealth circle’s tradition.

These people wander aimlessly all year round, yet they still have to obediently go home during New Year’s and pretend to be well-behaved in front of their elders while visiting other friends and relatives.

Therefore, this gathering before the new year has a sort of “the last happy hour before the new year” meaning to it, and tends to get quite wild.

Xie Ning had gone once in the beginning and drank quite a lot of alcohol, but didn’t feel any happiness from it, so he didn’t go again.

He and Wei Lang weren’t close. After his invitation was rejected twice in a row, Wei Lang decided to save energy and stopped inviting Xie Ning, so Xie Ning didn’t know why he was invited again this year.

Yan Xi thought it was weird as well. “Before, they used to rent out a high-end club for a night and invited some female celebrities and internet celebrities. This year is different; they directly rented out Lan Zhai.”

Lan Zhai is a private club in the suburbs. Its surroundings are elegant, and is membership only. It’s said that the owner has an unusual background, and is considered a place where money may not even guarantee entrance.

Today, they were eating SiChuan food. Yan Xi’s ability to eat spicy food is average, but Xie Ning likes it, so he picked this restaurant. It was so spicy that Yan Xi was currently panting with his tongue out.

With his tongue out, Yan Xi said, “Wei Lang is going to celebrate the New Year earlier? He’s already reserved Lan Zhai and invited more people than in the previous years. Even people who normally aren’t invited were invited this time, including me.”

Xie Ning lifted his head. “You were invited, too?”

Yan Xi raised his eyebrows and looked at him. “Yes, but I’m guessing that I was only invited as an afterthought. He mainly wanted to invite you, but was probably afraid that you didn’t want to go alone.”

Xie Ning furrowed his brow. “He’s going through so much trouble for this. What does he want?”

Yan Xi: “What else does he want…” He wants to see a show, of course.

Halfway through his sentence, someone’s phone rang.

Yan Xi touched his pocket, but his phone was quiet and dark.

It was Xie Ning’s phone.

Yang Rui had called, and it was difficult to decline. Xie Ning didn’t try to avoid Yan Xi, and picked up the call directly.

Yan Xi, eating the food by himself, felt a little awkward. He had his phone out anyways, so he decided he might as well ask around to see how many people Wei Lang had invited.

Yang Rui wanted to talk about Zhuang Yan’s movie.

Xie Ning was quite happy when he listened to the beginning. An official, reliable crew that was filming a movie wanted him to take the lead, instead of having him start as a small assistant.

As for the hardships when following the crew, Xie Ning had mentally prepared himself for it already, and thought he could handle it.

Until Yang Rui said that the director was Zhuang Yan. Xie Ning paused for a moment. “Zhuang Yan?”

When he said this, Yan Xi, from across the table, looked up.

Yang Rui didn’t know the connection between them, and asked, “Do you know him?”

Xie Ning: “...I don’t know him.”

Other than the little mess of a connection that was Xu Qing, he and Zhuang Yan really didn’t know one another. If he really had to name a relationship between them, it would just be the connection between a director and a fan.

“But I’ve seen his movies. They’re quite good.”

“You’ve seen them, too?” Yang Rui smiled a little. “Zhuang Yan, this person...he has the talent and education, but his personality is too aloof and his vision too high and far. A student of mine worked with him in the past, but at the end they made a mess of it unhappily.”

“I didn’t want to recommend a person like that to you originally, but this opportunity is so rare. His movies, in terms of art design, are very excellent. For your situation, where you can’t reach the top ones yet are too good to be buried below, his crew is just right. And looking at your temperament, which is not as strong and unforgiving like my student’s, it should be hard for you to make trouble.”

Xie Ning was grateful in his heart. “I’ve troubled Teacher by worrying for me so much.”

Yang Rui: “Since you call me your teacher, of course I’m going to help you. If you want to join his crew, I’ll find a time to let you and Zhuang Yan meet once.”

Xie Ning thought about it, and agreed. “Then let’s arrange a time to discuss.”

“Alright.” Yang Rui, seeing how delighted he was, also felt happy in his heart, and said a couple more things to Xie Ning about his art.

Under Yang Rui’s guidance, Xie Ning’s art was a lot more “real” than before. The fantastical, bold and unrestrained parts were gone, yet the creativity did not suffer.

Yang Rui was very pleased with his progress, and felt that Xie Ning understood concepts as soon as he pointed them out.

When he hung up, Xie Ning abruptly met Yan Xi’s eyes that glared at him.

Yan Xi had already understood the most important point in the couple of sentences that he could hear. “You’re going to meet Zhuang Yan?”

Xie Ning, seeing how his expression wasn’t pleased, explained, “It’s about a job.”

He told Yan Xi what Yang Rui said, but Yan Xi still frowned.

Xie Ning said, “I’m just going to see him first; whether or not it’ll go through is another matter. Teacher Yang Rui already said that he’s picky, so he might not even like my drawings.”

Yan Xi let out a hmph. “If he dares to look down on your art, it means he’s blind!”

In his heart, Xie Ning was naturally the best and good at anything.

Xie Ning knew that he was just worried for him. “Zhuang Yan and I should have no grudges or grievances. It’s not worthwhile to make such a big enemy of him, and...I quite like his movies. You should be happy for me that I have the chance to join his crew.”

Yan Xi sighed. “I know you’re his fan, but I’m worried he’ll make you feel awkward.”

Xie Ning smiled. “I don’t think he’s such a person.”

After eating, the two of them had planned to shop around nearby, but when they got outside, they were assaulted by the wind and snow, and their hopes of going shopping were dashed.

Yan Xi sent Xie Ning back to Lakeside Villa, and asked him when he got out of the car, “Xu Qing, that stupid ass, didn’t bother you these days, has he?”

Xie Ning shook his head. “He shouldn’t be able to find me here.”

Yan Xi: “That’s good, then. I don’t know what kind of stubbornness of his has popped up, but he’s been trying to find out where you’re living now, and even found his way to my company. But I shooed him out the door.”

The two of them entered the door, and Yan Xi looked across the living room. He suddenly frowned, and felt like something was wrong.

Compared to when Xie Ning just moved in, the living room now could be said to have changed immensely. There was a set of cups for guests on the living room table, and there were oranges and apples on the small plate next to it.

Some other corners and areas now had vases and pots with plants in them. There weren’t any expensive ones, but Xie Ning obviously was not the one who bought them.

He’d never bothered to decorate these things before.

Xie Ning poured him a cup of coke, as if it were a habit, and Yan Xi sat on the sofa in a daze.

Was this still Xie Ning’s home?

In the past, there was no unnecessary furniture in Xie Ning’s residence.

Cold and icy, it didn’t seem like a home at all.

Just like how Xie Ning was. He looked docile, but was quite merciless, as if there was a gap between him and the rest of the world.

But now, the gap seems to have closed a lot, and there seemed to be a stronger feeling of sparks.

Yan Xi propped the coke up, sitting in a trance for a little, then turned his sight to the scarf that was hanging off the back of the sofa and picked it up, asking, “Is this a new purchase? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”

Xie Ning paused for a moment and pressed his lips together. “It’s not mine.”

It was the scarf that Zhuang Yan had wrapped around the snow rabbit. When the snow rabbit melted afterwards, Xie Ning brought the scarf in, thinking that he would return it to Zhuang Yan when the opportunity arose.

Yan Xi frowned. “...It belongs to that neighbor of yours?”

“Mhm.”

Yan Xi pointed at the plants around the house. “He gave you these as well?”

Xie Ning nodded. “...Yes.”

Zhuang Yan didn’t like how his house was so cold and unwelcoming, so every time he came over for dinner, he would bring decorations. Sometimes it was flowers and sometimes it was plants. The price for them wasn’t expensive, but they looked nice as ornaments, and putting them in the living room added much more of a human feeling to the place.

Yan Xi became even more curious about this neighbor, and even took a look at the villa in front of Xie Ning’s.

But the villa was too big, and he could only see the dark railings outside, with the garden peeking from the gaps.

Of course, he couldn’t see any signs of life.

Xie Ning then went to his studio.

The meeting with Zhuang Yan this time was also somewhat of an interview, so he definitely should bring his art drafts with him. Xie Ning took this chance to arrange some of his recent art drafts as well.

He had a lot of art that was completed to a high degree, but for original art of film and television, he was still lacking. He’d been in the industry for too short of a time, and most of what he had were drafts, not finished products.

He put away the drafts one by one, and when he saw the scene he drew from <The Monologue>, he hesitated a little.

This was a work he’d just completed, and the one that he was most satisfied with currently. If he brought this one with him, it could possibly make Zhuang Yan’s eyes shine.

Plus, it was a scene from <The Monologue>. As the director, Zhuang Yan’s understanding of the drawing would definitely be deeper.

But, he drew this for Mr. Blue Whale.

He was originally going to show Mr. Blue Whale when he finished, but Mr. Blue Whale was so busy that Xie Ning hadn’t even seen a sign of him recently. So the drawing had remained with him the whole time.

Xie Ning struggled for a while, and finally took out the drawing and put it aside.

He wanted Mr. Blue Whale to be the first person to see the drawing.

After arranging the rest of the art drafts, Xie Ning sat at the table for a long time, staring at the drawing of <The Monologue> in a daze.

Mr. Blue Whale hadn’t appeared for several days already. Xie Ning remembered the professional cameras that he’d seen at his house. At that time, he guessed that Mr. Blue Whale was probably a photographer.

Maybe right now, he’s holding up the camera and taking pictures of beautiful and colorful scenery.

Xie Ning suddenly wanted to see Mr. Blue Whale’s camera pictures.

He thought, It must be very outstanding work.

Thinking of the times that he spent with Mr. Blue Whale, it seemed like a dream.

Warm and beautiful, a little romance story mixed with a fairy tale.

It felt like he struggled and stumbled for so many years, getting through those difficult years, just so the warmth and beauty of this time could be emphasized.

Xie Ning started to recall those times, starting from the beginning when he received the rabbit plushie. As he was thinking, his face became red, and buried his head in his arm.

Mr. Blue Whale was really...too good at being attractive!

……

The Mr. Blue Whale that was good at being attractive was so busy that he was almost beaten black and blue.

He contacted Yang Rui a couple more times, and arranged to meet Xie Ning after New Year’s--he was too busy before New Year’s and he wasn’t very optimistic about Xie Ning anyways.

As Chinese New Year approached, the staff obviously had a vacation then, so there were many things that needed to be decided before the year was over. Zhuang Yan had to fly elsewhere twice, and the night he was to return, coincided with the gathering that Wei Lang had planned.

Qi Rui lamented, “You really are such a busy person. But the time Wei Lang decided on really is such a coincidence. If he changed the time and date, you might actually not be able to come.”

Zhuang Yan glanced at him. “How come I can hear some sort of gloating from your voice?”

Qi Rui pretended to be innocent. “It’s just your imagination.”

“Don’t pretend in front of me.” Zhuang Yan saw his smirking expression, and frowned. “I’d advise you to tell me beforehand. Tonight, Wei Lang’s gathering...a Hongmen banquet?”

Qi Rui quickly shook his head. “How’s that possible? Even if Wei Lang were to give anyone a Hongmen banquet, he wouldn’t dare give one to you. If he angers you, he’d definitely end up with nothing good to eat.”

Zhuang Yan looked at him coldly.

Qi Rui quickly explained. “Alright, I’ll tell you the truth. Tonight, Xu Qing will be there as well.”

“I know this already.”

“Wei Lang also invited Xie Ning,” Qi Rui said.

“...”

Zhuang Yan: “So you weren’t gloating, but getting ready to watch a good show?”

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Author’s Note: A notice; tomorrow, we’ll enter V~

This novel shouldn’t be too long, around 20W or so. My original intention was to write a sweet and healing cookie.

So it’ll be a little plain, and have a more everyday feeling~

Thank you for the support! I don’t know how many little angels will follow me after V, but I love you guys! After V, there should be red envelopes issued as usual~

{T/N: there's a bit more after this, but it doesn't really pertain to the story and more about other works by the same author--let me know if you guys still want me to translate it and i'll put it up!}

Translator's Notes:

hongmen banquet - basically, you would use this idiom to describe a situation where it appears to be festive, celebratory, fun, an opportunity for pacification, but it is really a situation that is dire, dangerous, or even deadly. a situation that is created under false pretenses, expressed with a lie through one’s teeth, harboring ulterior motives. this resembles a trojan horse, but much more involved than a trojan horse as conspirators put on a continuous facade to lower suspicions, lower defenses, and do damage. (andrewpongco.medium.com)

V - not the weibo kind! it means that the work has gotten enough traffic for the author to be able to earn money from it :) so it's a good thing for our author, although this was published last year so it's a bit late for congratulations LOL