Thousands of Heartbeats

Yan Qiuzhi felt that she was getting to understand Chen Lunan more and more. With such a simple sentence, she instantly grasped the underlying meaning.

He was telling Yan Qiuzhi – as long as he didn't mind, then it was okay. The others in the Chen family had no say.

Yan Qiuzhi's interest was instantly ignited. To thank Chen Lunan for bringing her here, she took the initiative to ask him, "What would you like to eat?"

Chen Lunan glanced at her, "Anything."

Yan Qiuzhi expressed dissatisfaction with his casual attitude, "Fine."

With that, Yan Qiuzhi turned to Wang Kang and Bo Yu, "Wang Kang, what fruit do you want?"

Wang Kang made a hesitant sound, trembling under the boss's intense gaze, "Miss Yan, I don't eat fruit."

Yan Qiuzhi: "...You don't eat fruit?"

"Yeah... that's right."

Yan Qiuzhi sighed and evaluated him, "No wonder your skin looks so bad."

Wang Kang: "........"

Why did he refuse to eat fruit? Was it hard on him?

Yan Qiuzhi didn't care about him and went to her idol, "Teacher Bo, what would you like to eat?"

Bo Yu wasn't polite with Yan Qiuzhi, nor was he afraid of Chen Lunan. With a smirk on his lips, he dragged out his words, "Yan Yan, I'll eat whatever you pick for me."

Yan Qiuzhi smiled awkwardly, "Then I'll go pick some oranges over there."

Bo Yu raised an eyebrow with a smile, "Sure."

He continued, "The oranges Yan Yan picks must be very sweet."

"........"

Yan Qiuzhi couldn't help it and was teased by Bo Yu.

"Teacher Bo, don't tease me."

Bo Yu chuckled as if realizing, "Right, if I tease you too much, Chen Lunan will settle the score with me."

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

She opened her mouth, wanting to say No, but felt it unnecessary.

Yan Qiuzhi took the initiative and ran off, "I'll go over there first."

After saying that, she disappeared like a wisp of smoke.

Bo Yu looked at Yan Qiuzhi's retreating figure, turned his head, and teased Chen Lunan, "If you are like this, Yan Yan will be snatched away sooner or later."

Chen Lunan looked at him with a cold gaze.

Bo Yu shrugged, "Hit a sore spot, huh? Serves you right."

Chen Lunan had his hands in his pockets and casually asked, "Got any inspiration?"

Bo Yu paused his action in picking a strawberry.

Chen Lunan continued, "Finish the script early. If you delay, your reputation as a screenwriter will suffer."

"......."

"It's still better than you."

Bo Yu suddenly smiled, "Even without the reputation of a screenwriter, I don't have to worry about food and drink, unlike you—"

He pointed to Yan Qiuzhi not far away and said, "If you lose your wife, you won't be able to find another."

After saying that, Bo Yu didn't care about him. He continued to pick strawberries and hummed a little tune.

Wang Kang, listening to the conversation from behind, was frightened.

He glanced at Chen Lunan's expression and faintly worried that Chen Lunan might pick up a stick and start beating people the next second.

Bo Yu really wasn't afraid of death.

Always pulling hairs from the tiger's head.

Yan Qiuzhi didn't know what had happened on the other side. She stood under the orange tree, studied for a while, skillfully found the right method, and then climbed up.

Wang Kang was dumbfounded.

"Miss Yan, can really climb trees?" he exclaimed.

Chen Lunan looked up and said faintly, "En."

Wang Kang felt as if this En carried a hint of pride. Was it just his imagination?

He shook his head, suspecting that he might be hallucinating.

In fact, the trees in the orchard weren't very tall, and, relatively speaking, were suitable for climbing.

Yan Qiuzhi picked some oranges into the basket and, when it was full, prepared to climb down.

But before she descended, she suddenly got stuck.

In her childhood, she was fearless and didn't consider whether jumping down might result in a fracture or anything. But now, Yan Qiuzhi was afraid.

She bit her lip, considering whether to call for help, but felt embarrassed.

She came up on her own, so she had to go down by herself.

She stood on the branch and looked around. Chen Lunan was currently talking to Bo Yu and several orchard workers.

He had his back turned towards her.

Yan Qiuzhi hesitated for two seconds but couldn't bring herself to call for help.

It would be too embarrassing.

However, if she jumped down like this, she estimated the distance; it wasn't high, but she was genuinely afraid.

As people grow older, they become afraid of pain.

She didn't want to get hurt.

While she was in a dilemma, someone walked slowly under the tree.

Through the lush branches, Yan Qiuzhi listened to the rustling sound and looked down. Through the uneven gaps in the branches, she made eye contact with the man below.

In retrospect, Yan Qiuzhi felt that the look wiped away the coldness of winter. It was like the sunlight falling on her, bringing a hint of warmth.

The two locked eyes as Chen Lunan looked up at her and asked, "What's wrong?"

Yan Qiuzhi looked at him and whispered, "I can't come down. Can you get a ladder for me?"

Chen Lunan glanced at the somewhat pitiful figure in the tree, surprisingly without any mockery.

"Give me what you're holding."

"Oh."

Yan Qiuzhi handed him the basket filled with oranges.

Chen Lunan took it and placed it aside.

"Come down."

......?

Yan Qiuzhi was stunned for a moment and pointed, "Are you still a human? It's so high, and you just protect the oranges and leave them aside, then let me jump down?"

She thought about what Chen Lunan had said and done just now, interpreting it as Chen Lunan being afraid she would drop the oranges, so he moved them aside and let her jump down on her own.

Chen Lunan probably didn't have the patience for such things and straightforwardly said, "No ladder."

Yan Qiuzhi replied, "I'm not jumping."

She glared at Chen Lunan and continued, "You just want me to jump down and meet my doom, then find a new wife, right?"

Chen Lunan: "......"

He found it a bit headache-inducing. Sometimes he couldn't understand Yan Qiuzhi's thought process.

After a pause, he succinctly said, "I'm here; I won't let you fall."

......?

Yan Qiuzhi's brain stalled for a few seconds and then resumed normal operation.

She looked at Chen Lunan in astonishment, suppressed the thorns on her, and said, "But..."

"No buts."

Chen Lunan interrupted, "There are no workers around and I don't see any ladders."

Yan Qiuzhi thought for a moment and nodded helplessly, "Then you must catch me."

"En."

Yan Qiuzhi looked at his calm face and, feeling a bit uneasy, added, "If you don't catch me and I get hurt, I'll complain to Mom."

Chen Lunan didn't bother responding. He just stared at her.

Yan Qiuzhi touched her nose and mumbled softly, "I'm just a little scared."

"Not intentionally causing trouble."

Listening to her unusually soft voice, Chen Lunan's throat rolled, and he softened a bit, "I'll catch you, you won't fall."

Yan Qiuzhi stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly began to climb down.

When she reached a position without branches to hold onto, she jumped down.

The expected pain didn't come, only a cold and brisk embrace.

She landed on the ground, took a deep breath, and said, "Thank you."

Chen Lunan released her and said, "Go over there."

"Okay."

Yan Qiuzhi was surprisingly obedient at this moment. To repay Chen Lunan's life-saving grace, she didn't argue with him.

As she walked to the other side, Yan Qiuzhi also picked some juicy strawberries and grabbed some winter dates on the way back.

Carrying two baskets of fruits, Yan Qiuzhi went to wash them. After washing, she planned to ask Chen Lunan if he wanted to eat. However, when she turned around, she ran into Bo Yu.

Without hesitation, she handed them over, "Teacher Bo, do you want strawberries?"

Bo Yu took one, tasted it, and said, "Very sweet. Yan Yan is indeed good at picking."

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

Who did Bo Yu learn this rainbow fart from?

She smiled awkwardly, "Teacher Bo is exaggerating."

"Not at all."

Bo Yu, who was eating strawberries picked and washed by Yan Qiuzhi, turned back and signaled to Chen Lunan, "Lunan, come and try the strawberries washed by your wife."

Yan Qiuzhi watched Chen Lunan come over, her eyes showing a bit of anticipation.

"Would you like to try?"

Chen Lunan reached out, took one that looked exceptionally good, tasted it, and then frowned, "Very sour."

Yan Qiuzhi exclaimed, Ah, suspiciously glanced at Bo Yu, muttering to herself, "Really? Teacher Bo said it's sweet."

Chen Lunan expressionlessly hummed, "En."

Bo Yu chuckled, finished the strawberry in his mouth, and said, "Of course. Some people have sour hearts, so everything tastes sour to them."

He moved away from the two as he said those words.

Yan Qiuzhi couldn't hear clearly and frowned, looking at Chen Lunan, "What did he say?"

Chen Lunan remained expressionless, finished eating the strawberries, and handed the basket over, "I don't know."

"......."

At noon, the two of them had their meal here. The vegetables were grown by the orchard owner, who had contracted this large area. Besides vegetables, he also raised chickens and ducks.

Yan Qiuzhi drank a bowl of chicken soup and whispered to Chen Lunan, "The chicken soup is delicious."

Chen Lunan glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Their relationship at the moment wasn't bad. As long as Chen Lunan didn't provoke her, Yan Qiuzhi was easy to talk to.

Sometimes she talked a bit too much and couldn't control her chatty nature.

"Don't you think so?"

Yan Qiuzhi said softly, "It tastes better than the one you stew."

Chen Lunan paused with the chopsticks in his hand, glanced at her, and said nothing.

On the side, Bo Yu heard the conversation between the two and asked in surprise, "Yan Yan, can Lunan stew chicken soup?"

Yan Qiuzhi was stunned for a moment and subconsciously turned to look at Chen Lunan.

Should she admit it or not?

Bo Yu sighed, "How did I not know that Lunan can cook?"

Yan Qiuzhi mumbled vaguely, "Mm."

Bo Yu, sensing Chen Lunan's gaze, found it boring and didn't tease anymore.

After lunch, Yan Qiuzhi and Director Guan sat for a while, but they didn't chat much. Throughout the chat, Director Guan didn't mention anything related to the movie.

Although curious, Yan Qiuzhi managed to restrain her curiosity.

Since Director Guan didn't mention it in front of Chen Lunan and herself, she guessed he probably thought she wasn't up to the task and decided to pass on it after seeing her.

A bit disappointed, but Yan Qiuzhi could understand. She was willing to keep trying.

That night, Yan Qiuzhi and Chen Lunan appeared at the airport.

They booked the same flight, but to avoid being noticed by fans, although their seats were together, they didn't board the plane at the same time.

After boarding, Yan Qiuzhi pretended not to recognize Chen Lunan. She was quite adept at disguising in this regard, more skilled than anyone else.

It was nighttime, so there weren't many people at the airport when they off the plane.

Yan Qiuzhi wrapped herself tightly and, one after the other, boarded the same car with Chen Lunan.

After getting in the car, she was a bit uneasy, "There are no reporters, right?"

Wang Kang turned to smile at her and reassured, "Miss Yan, rest assured, your itinerary hasn't been leaked, and there are no reporters at the airport tonight." Hearing this, Yan Qiuzhi felt relieved.

She glanced at Chen Lunan through the car window.

Chen Lunan was also looking at his phone at the moment, showing no objection to her question and, one could say, not particularly concerned.

Yan Qiuzhi pursed her lips, withdrew her gaze, and looked out of the window.

The winter wind blew, it was a bone-chilling cold.

Feeling refreshed after the wind blew, Yan Qiuzhi closed the window.

She sent a message to Shen Muqing, saying that she had arrived, then leaned back in her seat and drifted off to sleep.

After playing all day, she was a bit tired.

As soon as she fell asleep, Yan Qiuzhi had a dream.

She dreamt of many things from her childhood. Her mother was very beautiful and loved dancing in the courtyard. Her figure was elegant, and every time she danced, Yan Qiuzhi liked to move a small stool to the side to watch and applaud.

In addition to dancing scenes, there were also many scenes of her mother taking her to the orchard to pick fruits.

The most memorable time was when she climbed a tree like today, a large loquat tree. Yan Qiuzhi didn't know how she climbed up, but once she did, she couldn't come down.

Her mother wasn't at home at the time, so Yan Qiuzhi had to slide down the tree alone and fell, scraping her hands and feet.

When her mother came back, she found Yan Qiuzhi sitting under the tree crying loudly.

Her mother comforted her for a long time, and finally, they reached an agreement. Her mother said that when she, or someone who couldn't provide her with a sense of security, wasn't around, Yan Qiuzhi couldn't climb trees anymore because there was no one to catch her and prevent her from getting hurt.

After that incident, whenever Yan Qiuzhi climbed a tree, her mother would be there by her side.

Later, the person who used to carry her up the tree and play mischievously with her under the tree left.

Since then, Yan Qiuzhi never climbed a tree again.

Until today, the impulse surged again.

When Yan Qiuzhi woke up again, she saw Chen Lunan's enlarged face.

She was stunned for a moment and looked at him with a horrified expression, "What are you doing?"

Chen Lunan looked at her and said, "Now that you're awake, get off the car. The driver is going back."

Yan Qiuzhi turned her head and met the awkward gazes of the driver and Wang Kang. She felt a bit embarrassed, her face blushing, "Sorry."

Wang Kang waved his hand, "Miss Yan, it's okay. Brother Lunan called you several times, but you didn't wake up. We thought you were too tired."

Thinking of Chen Lunan's actions just now, Yan Qiuzhi nodded, "Be safe and rest early."

"Okay."

Yan Qiuzhi got off the car and walked to the villa. Looking at Chen Lunan's tall and broad back, she rubbed her ears, not quite understanding how she could sleep so soundly in the car.

It must be because of that dream.

Yan Qiuzhi stopped in her tracks and decided to stand at the door to gaze at the sky.

Tonight, there were stars.

Chen Lunan casually turned around, followed her gaze to the sky, and knocked on the door to alert her. Yan Qiuzhi came to her senses and followed him inside.

Without paying attention to Chen Lunan, she occupied the master bedroom's bathroom and took a long bath.

When filming outside, what Yan Qiuzhi longed for the most was the bathtub at home. She loved soaking in the bath; it genuinely helped her relax.

Yan Qiuzhi soaked for nearly half an hour before coming out. When she emerged, Chen Lunan was already half-lying on the bed.

She lifted the quilt and lay down properly.

Chen Lunan turned off the other lights, leaving only a desk lamp, and then lay down.

Feeling the change in the atmosphere in the room, Yan Qiuzhi gently kicked the man next to her with her foot under the blanket.

Chen Lunan didn't react.

Yan Qiuzhi didn't mind. After a moment of silence, she turned and moved towards Chen Lunan, whispering, "Thank you."

Chen Lunan's eyelids twitched but remained silent. When she took the initiative to get closer, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

A night of sweet dreams.

The next day, when Yan Qiuzhi woke up, it was already late.

She glanced at the bedside clock; it was ten o'clock.

Yan Qiuzhi got out of bed after lifting the quilt, and after freshening up, she came downstairs feeling energetic.

Downstairs, Chen Lunan happened to be making coffee. Despite being the Eldest Young Master of the Chen family, he seemed to enjoy making his own coffee.

Smelling the aroma of coffee wafting from the kitchen, Yan Qiuzhi suddenly felt a bit peckish.

"I want a cup too."

Chen Lunan looked at her.

Yan Qiuzhi handed the cup to him, requesting, "A bit sweeter, please."

Chen Lunan didn't refuse her; after a while, he indeed made a cup of sweeter coffee for Yan Qiuzhi.

She took a sip, and her eyes lit up, "Delicious."

Chen Lunan looked at her glowing expression, then withdrew his gaze.

"Do you have work today?"

Yan Qiuzhi shook her head, "I can rest today. I have work tomorrow."

She had a magazine cover shoot scheduled for tomorrow.

Chen Lunan understood.

Suddenly, Yan Qiuzhi became interested in Chen Lunan's schedule and asked, "What about you?"

Chen Lunan replied, "I have an interview later."

"What kind of interview?"

"A feature for Orange TV."

Yan Qiuzhi blinked, wondering what type of interviews Orange TV conducted. Surprised, she asked, "A live broadcast?"

"Yes."

Chen Lunan had been back in the country for some time. Although his schedule was low-key, there were various invitations continually coming in. He would attend the ones he deemed necessary, but this interview was indeed a first for him. Many platforms wanted to obtain firsthand information and offered him various conditions.

Yan Qiuzhi was on break, and Shen Muqing's entry into the crew was also postponed, so they decided to gather at Yan Quizhi's place.

Originally, they planned to hang out elsewhere, but since Chen Lunan wasn't home, Yan Qiuzhi decided to invite Shen Muqing over.

"Chen Lunan has work today?"

Yan Qiuzhi nodded, "He has an interview."

Shen Muqing looked at her, feeling both amused and helpless, "Why didn't you go with him?"

"Why would I go with him?"

Yan Qiuzhi rolled her eyes, "We can't spend too much time together; we'll end up arguing."

Shen Muqing shrugged, "You can choose not to argue with him."

"But I can't help it. He's so boring."

Shen Muqing: "......."

She couldn't understand the fun in this couple's dynamics.

Yan Qiuzhi waved her hand. "Come over here. I brought some strawberries and oranges that I personally picked from the orchard. Want to try them?"

Shen Muqing raised an eyebrow.

She will have to try them; not trying would be betraying the friendship.

As the two chatted, the atmosphere remained casual.

Midway through the conversation, Yan Qiuzhi suddenly opened her phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching Orange TV."

Shen Muqing smiled ambiguously. "Watching Chen Lunan?"

Yan Qiuzhi nodded, "I want to see what they are going to interview him about."

Shen Muqing looked at her indifferent expression and didn't know whether to sympathize with Chen Lunan or with Yan Qiuzhi.

She shook her head and joined her in watching.

Chen Lunan was a distinguished guest on Orange TV. He was greeted personally by upper-level leaders as soon as he appeared. After arriving backstage, as the makeup artist was working on Chen Lunan's makeup, a staff member handed over the interview script, "Teacher Chen, please take a look at this script and let us know if there are any areas that need modification."

Celebrities with Chen Lunan's status were treated with extra respect and importance.

Wang Kang briefly glanced at it, picked out a few sensitive questions, and then handed it to Chen Lunan.

Chen Lunan narrowed his eyes, scanning the questions before pausing on the one related to his personal life.

He nodded and turned to the staff member, "Remove this question."

The staff member hesitated, "Teacher Chen, this is a question everyone is curious about and wants to know."

She whispered, "Can you answer it just this once?"

Chen Lunan's voice was low as he directly refused, "No."

"......"

The staff member had no choice but to say quietly, "Teacher Chen, later on, we might have a fan interaction. We will randomly select three questions from fans for you to answer. Is that okay?"

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Lunan nodded, "Okay."

The official interview was live-streamed on the entire network.

Even before Chen Lunan appeared, the barrage of comments from fans had already flooded the screen, expressing a warm welcome to his first live interview.

【Ahhhh, the man I most wanted to sleep with has finally appeared.】

【Wuwuwu, Brother hasn't been in business for over a year, but he's still the same Brother!】

【Why does Chen Lunan seem more charming now?】

【Ahhhh, Brother's look today is so handsome!】

【Ahhhh, I want to act like a spoiled child in Brother's arms!】

Yan Qiuzhi glanced at the barrage expressionlessly, then shifted her gaze to Chen Lunan.

He did look exceptionally good today, wearing a white shirt and jeans, appearing much younger and cleaner.

Of course, he was always clean in his daily life.

As Yan Qiuzhi stared, Shen Muqing leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Actually, the fact that you get to sleep with Chen Lunan can be envied by the entire internet."

Yan Qiuzhi gave her a side-eye.

Initially, the interview questions were relatively serious and lacked excitement. It wasn't until the segment where the host randomly selected the questions from the fans that things became a bit more interesting.

The first two questions were about Chen Lunan's career plans, and for the third, they selected a personal question.

Yan Qiuzhi perked up her ears to listen.

The host asked, "Teacher Chen, have you ever met a woman of the same age who left a deep impression on you?"

Chen Lunan paused slightly, remaining silent for a while before saying, "Yes."