Thousands of Heartbeats

The next day, when Yan Qiuzhi woke up, she heard the sound of water from the bathroom.

She rubbed her pillow lazily, looking disheveled.

While she was rubbing her eyes, Chen Lunan walked out from the bathroom.

He had changed into a new set of clothes, still casual but exuded a good temperament. If she didn't know what kind of person he was without clothes, Yan Qiuzhi might have been deceived by his refined appearance.

"Who gave you these clothes?" Yan Qiuzhi asked.

Chen Lunan adjusted his collar in front of the mirror and said quietly, "Wang Kang."

Perhaps it was because he had just gotten up, the man's voice still had a hint of hoarseness, making Yan Qiuzhi inexplicably think of some intimate scenes from last night, along with the man's breath close to her ear.

Her ears heated up, and she said anxiously, "Oh, why didn't I hear the doorbell?"

Chen Lunan didn't say anything, just gave her a casual glance.

In that glance, Yan Qiuzhi understood something.

She cleared her throat, lifted the blanket, and got out of bed. "I slept so soundly because I was too tired."

Chen Lunan nodded, "I know."

Yan Qiuzhi was about to retort, What do you know? but when she met Chen Lunan's meaningful eyes, she shut her mouth.

No, why did the conversation suddenly turn to last night? She never discussed such things with Chen Lunan during broad daylight.

Thinking about it, Yan Qiuzhi rushed into the bathroom in frustration. She needed to wash her face to calm down.

Both of them were ready to leave, but Yan Qiuzhi didn't dare to let Chen Lunan appear openly. After packing up, she urged him to wait in the parking lot while she checked out.

Although Chen Lunan was somewhat reluctant, he still went.

After checking out, Yan Qiuzhi cautiously hid and sneaked into his car.

As soon as she got into the car, she resumed her elegant appearance.

"Good morning, Miss Yan," Wang Kang greeted.

Yan Qiuzhi nodded and said lightly, "Long time no see, Wang Kang."

Wang Kang smiled, "Not too long. We met just last month. Miss Yan is getting more and more beautiful."

Yan Qiuzhi glanced at him, appreciating Wang Kang's flattery, "You too, getting more handsome."

As the two chatted, Chen Lunan didn't say a word throughout.

Suddenly, Wang Kang slammed the brakes, causing Yan Qiuzhi, who wasn't sitting properly, to fall toward Chen Lunan.

Chen Lunan reached out and helped her up, looking indifferent as he said to Wang Kang, "Be more careful."

Wang Kang shivered and quickly replied, "Okay."

After this incident, Wang Kang didn't dare to divert his attention to chat with Yan Qiuzhi again.

Bored, Yan Qiuzhi, with Shen Muqing also offline, had no one to chat with.

Thinking about it, she reached out and poked Chen Lunan's arm.

Chen Lunan lowered his head.

Yan Qiuzhi took the initiative to ask, "What kind of actresses does Director Guan like?"

"Those with good acting skills," Chen Lunan replied.

Yan Qiuzhi said, "...Isn't that obvious? I'm asking about the specific type."

Chen Lunan looked at her curious face and said calmly, "I don't know."

Rarely did he discuss such things with Yan Qiuzhi, but he seemed to have his own insights into the analysis.

"Different roles require different actors," he glanced at Yan Qiuzhi's nervous expression, and slowly said, "Don't be too nervous, it's just a meeting."

Yan Qiuzhi stared at him, "You don't understand."

She took a deep breath and continued, "I haven't worked with Director Guan before. Most of what I've done is TV dramas. Of course, I'm nervous."

Although Yan Qiuzhi had a high popularity on Weibo, it was mainly due to the TV dramas she starred in, her looks, and her figure, which earned her praise from netizens.

In reality, she knew her professional ability was still far behind.

At least in terms of movie roles, Yan Qiuzhi had only filmed two. One of the movies was taken down shortly after its release.

However, it was also because of that movie that Yan Qiuzhi became more widely known.

In the film, Yan Qiuzhi wore a custom-made qipao, holding an oiled paper umbrella as she appeared in the alley paved with small, soft stones, gracefully walking forward.

Step by step, she entered the eyes of the audience.

Her image was so impressive that even now, many people praised her for it. Occasionally, there were even polls like Who is most suitable to wear a qipao? and most fans would vote for her.

Listening to her murmurs, Chen Lunan, in a rare tone filled with tenderness, said, "Director Guan likes you a lot."

"Really?" Yan Qiuzhi looked at him in surprise.

"Yes," Chen Lunan confirmed.

Yan Qiuzhi was somewhat astonished and suddenly thought of something, "Does Director Guan know about our relationship?"

Chen Lunan nodded.

Yan Qiuzhi: "......."

Chen Lunan paused and said, "He doesn't gossip."

In fact, Yan Qiuzhi didn't care much. When she and Chen Lunan first set their ground rules, they agreed not to disclose their marital status to others. She was just afraid that if the two ever divorced, it would be embarrassing if everyone knew.

She nodded, turned her head, and looked at the street scene outside the window, "I don't mind. Both Director Guan and Bo Yu know, right?"

"Yes," Chen Lunan replied.

Yan Qiuzhi didn't say more, and the two of them sat quietly in the car.

Not long after, they arrived at the meeting place.

It was a relatively unusual place; Yan Qiuzhi looked a bit surprised at the scene in front of her.

"Director Guan is here?" she asked.

Chen Lunan walked by her side with his hands in his pockets. "If everything goes according to the plan, the film is expected to be shot in this area."

Yan Qiuzhi understood.

The place Chen Lunan brought her to was a remote suburb.

There were houses around, but they all looked old and seemed like they would be demolished soon.

Even the walls were peeling.

There were almost no pedestrians on the road. As they walked further, Yan Qiuzhi smelled the aroma of food.

Perhaps someone nearby was cooking and the smoke was gently rising at this moment.

Following Chen Lunan, turning left and right, they reached the entrance of a courtyard.

Yan Qiuzhi looked up and watched as Chen Lunan pushed open the courtyard gate to walk in.

As soon as the two entered, the people inside looked over.

It was Bo Yu and Director Guan, accompanied by several staff members.

Feeling their scrutinizing gazes, Yan Qiuzhi greeted first, "Director Guan, Teacher Bo, sorry to bother you."

Director Guan smiled and said cheerfully, "You finally came; we've been waiting for you."

He gestured for Yan Qiuzhi to come over, "Come, have a seat."

Yan Qiuzhi didn't move.

Chen Lunan said, "Go over, sit down."

The two sat down. Bo Yu poured tea for Yan Qiuzhi and Chen Lunan, smiling as he looked at Yan Qiuzhi, "Didn't expect to meet so soon again."

Yan Qiuzhi smiled and pursed her lips, "Thank you, Teacher Bo."

Bo Yu waved his hand, "Just call me Bo Yu. Or, you can call me Brother Bo."

His tone wasn't formal. With a teasing look and his peach blossom eyes half-closed, "Choose whatever you like."

Yan Qiuzhi: "......."

She found it hard to imagine that Bo Yu, who wrote books and scripts so splendidly would, have such an unprofessional appearance in private.

Bo Yu looked at her expression and teased, "How about it, have you made your choice?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Lunan gave him a cold glance, "Who are you trying to take advantage of?"

"......."

Director Guan looked at the two, smiled, and said, "Ignore them."

Looking at Yan Qiuzhi, he said, "Lunan hid you too well. Several times before, I said I wanted to see you, but he wouldn't allow it."

"Ah?" Yan Qiuzhi was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized, "No, Director, it's not like that."

She thought for a moment, embarrassedly stating, "It's me being overly sensitive. I didn't want our relationship to be exposed."

Director Guan laughed without saying a word.

Bo Yu chuckled, reluctantly giving Chen Lunan some face, "Don't fret, Yan Yan. Have you had breakfast?"

Yan Qiuzhi, being cared for by her idol, was pleasantly surprised, "Yes, I have."

Bo Yu asked, "Do you want to take a stroll in the back? There's a large orchard over there."

Yan Qiuzhi's eyes lit up, asking excitedly, "Really?"

Before Bo Yu could answer, Chen Lunan looked at her and said, "Go and have a look; there are many fruit trees."

Yan Qiuzhi was very interested, "Alright."

She glanced at Director Guan, "Director Guan, do you want to join us?"

Director Guan declined, "You young people go ahead. I'll rest here and have some tea."

Yan Qiuzhi didn't insist.

Originally, Yan Qiuzhi thought Chen Lunan wouldn't go with them, but since he decided to join, she followed suit.

Besides Bo Yu and Chen Lunan, there was also the versatile Wang Kang in the group.

Wang Kang even gave Yan Qiuzhi and Bo Yu a small basket for picking fruits.

In the orchard behind, there were strawberries and oranges, as well as some fresh vegetables, covering a vast area and looking particularly magnificent.

When looked at the scenery, she felt an indescribable sense of familiarity.

She subconsciously looked for Chen Lunan.

Turning her head, she found Chen Lunan still talking on the phone. The light in Yan Qiuzhi's eyes dimmed momentarily. She was about to move forward when Chen Lunan suddenly walked towards her.

"What's wrong?"

He noticed her anticipation.

In an instant, Yan Qiuzhi's subtle sense of loss disappeared. She said, "I said it before, if I ever see a place that resembles where I lived when I was a child, I will let you know."

Chen Lunan looked at her with narrowed eyes.

Yan Qiuzhi smiled gently, gazing at the orchard, "The place I lived when I was a child, it looks a lot like this orchard here."

It was a topic Yan Qiuzhi mentioned when she and Chen Lunan had just gotten married.

In fact, their marriage was rushed and quick. It was true that there was no emotional connection. At least, Yan Qiuzhi's only memory of Chen Lunan was a person who acted in some good movies. She had some understanding of him, coupled with his handsome appearance, so she didn't refuse.

After they got married, they approached their relationship with mutual respect.

Initially, when they just got married, Chen Lunan didn't even touch her. It was only after a night of drinking that things progressed.

Afterward, the two lived a normal marital relationship, except for a lack of emotions, everything else was fine.

One time, the atmosphere was particularly relaxed.

They watched a movie before going to bed and chatted.

The movie they watched was a rural love story, with a simple female lead and a male lead, experiencing the beautiful days of youth.

Watching it, some long-buried memories in Yan Qiuzhi's mind were opened, and she subconsciously shared them with Chen Lunan.

She had grown up in the countryside, surrounded by beautiful scenery—waterfalls, streams, lots of birds, and a large orchard.

She used to climb trees skillfully, playing hide and seek with her friends. She'd hide in a tree, making herself nearly impossible to find.

That night, she reminisced about her life in the countryside to Chen Lunan. In the end, Yan Qiuzhi didn't know how to describe the place. She could only tell Chen Lunan, "If I ever see a place that resembles where I lived when I was a child, I will let you know."

Now, she finally saw it.

She still remembered that night, and apparently, Chen Lunan remembered it too.

Chen Lunan followed her pointed finger, looked over, and observed this lush and lively orchard in the winter.

"Very beautiful."

He remarked.

Yan Qiuzhi listened and felt a bit proud, "Of course."

She raised her eyebrows and looked at Chen Lunan, "How can an ugly place give birth to such a beautiful me?"

Chen Lunan had anticipated this and chuckled, "En."

He nodded in agreement.

Yan Qiuzhi felt a bit surprised by his attitude.

She suddenly realized that she and Chen Lunan seemed to be getting along harmoniously today.

Thinking about it, Yan Qiuzhi shifted her gaze and said, "Can I climb the tree?"

Chen Lunan didn't move.

Yan Qiuzhi poked his arm and asked in a whisper, "If I climb the tree, will it embarrass the Chen family?"

Chen Lunan squeezed her hand and said in a deep voice, "It won't."

Yan Qiuzhi raised her eyes, feeling the warmth of his fingertips.

Their eyes met. Chen Lunan gently let go of her hand, "No one else will know."