Thousands of Heartbeats

When Yan Qiuzhi arrived home, Chen Lunan happened to be in the study.

He and Cheng Zhan were discussing work on video call. Although Chen Lunan seemed to be just an actor, a well-known film emperor, he owned quite a few companies.

His investment vision was excellent and he held shares in many well-known companies in the industry.

As for Cheng Zhan, he was the owner of one of the largest entertainment companies in the country. The two of them often collaborated, and their cooperation often extended beyond the entertainment industry. They invested in various new technology and financial projects, among others.

In Yan Qiuzhi's words, when these two came together, someone was bound to be unlucky.

The two were in the midst of their discussion when the study door was knocked.

Chen Lunan loosened his tie and looked up. Yan Qiuzhi was leaning against the door, revealing her delicate face.

"Have you eaten?" she asked.

"En."

Yan Qiuzhi blinked, completely forgetting what she had said in the afternoon about not coming home for dinner.

She pursed her lips and cautiously asked, "Are you hungry now? Do you want a late-night snack?"

Chen Lunan: "...Not hungry."

Yan Qiuzhi pouted, the smile on her face instantly fell, "Well, then, you continue to be busy."

She might as well eat apples.

The door closed again. Chen Lunan withdrew his gaze and was about to continue the conversation when Cheng Zhan chuckled, "Is Yan Yan trying to get you to cook for her?"

Chen Lunan glanced at him indifferently.

Cheng Zhan shrugged, "You guys weren't exactly whispering to each other. Of course, I overheard your conversation."

He chuckled, looking at the unmoved person, "Aren't you going to cook for Yan Yan?"

Chen Lunan remained silent.

Cheng Zhan said, "Let's talk about work next time. Go be a chef first. I heard Yan Yan took some good photos this afternoon. Are you interested? I can send you a few in advance."

Chen Lunan gave him a stern look.

Cheng Zhan laughed out loud and quickly ended the video call.

When Chen Lunan came downstairs, Yan Qiuzhi was squatting in the kitchen peeling apples. Although she grew up in a remote countryside, Mother Yan pampered her like a little princess, never letting Yan Qiuzhi do any chores, including cooking and peeling fruits.

As a result, she had a pair of soft, delicate, and fair hands, but she also became useless in the kitchen.

Chen Lunan looked at the apple she had already peeled halfway and reached out to take it.

Yan Qiuzhi was startled, raised her eyes to look at him, and then shifted her gaze to his hands.

His fingers were long, with distinct joints, appearing quite attractive.

His apple peeling technique was different from Yan Qiuzhi's. Although his face carried a casual expression, his hand movements were delicate and meticulous. A string of apple peels were connected and fell off together.

In no time, Chen Lunan handed the apple to her.

Yan Qiuzhi took it with both hands, her eyes curving as she looked at him, "Want a bite?"

As long as they weren't quarreling or teasing each other, they got along very well.

Chen Lunan glanced at her, "No need."

He cleaned the knife and asked in a low voice, "Didn't eat?"

"...En," Yan Qiuzhi said unhappily, "Originally, I wanted to go eat hot pot with Zhu Zhu. She said I have to attend an awards ceremony in a few days and need to appear on camera in a gown, so she won't let me eat."

Chen Lunan understood.

Leaning against the kitchen door, Yan Qiuzhi, while nibbling on the apple, looked at Chen Lunan and asked, "You really didn't go out all day today?"

"No," Chen Lunan replied.

Yan Qiuzhi gave an Oh and continued to munch on the apple, not bothering to ask what he was doing at home all day.

That exceeded the bounds of their plastic couple relationship.

After finishing the apple, Yan Qiuzhi, in order not to indulge herself, quickly went back to her room to brush her teeth and wash up. She lay on the bed and chatted with Shen Muqing listlessly.

"Oh, by the way, do you know that Dijia is choosing a spokesperson recently?"

While wearing a face mask, Yan Qiuzhi nodded vaguely and asked, "I know, so what?"

Shen Muqing said, "I heard some gossip when I went out to eat with Jiang Chen today. Guan He and a director of Dijia in the Chinese region had a meeting."

Yan Qiuzhi raised her eyebrows.

"She's that capable?" Shen Muqing said, "If she gets all these endorsements, you might be suppressed again. Can't you ask Chen Lunan to help you get a backdoor deal? You know, like those married couples securing an endorsement together."

Yan Qiuzhi responded coldly, "No."

Shen Muqing choked.

After a pause, Yan Qiuzhi consoled her, "Don't worry, Guan He won't be able to secure any endorsement deals from Dijia."

"Why?" Shen Muqing asked.

Yan Qiuzhi glanced at her, "I don't know. In any case, she won't get any endorsement deals from Dijia."

Shen Muqing didn't know why, but after hearing Yan Qiuzhi's words, she felt relieved.

Let Guan He go dance; she wouldn't be able to stir up any waves anyway.

"Ah, right," Shen Muqing suddenly called out to her, "Are you free this weekend?"

Yan Qiuzhi glanced at her through the phone screen, "Is there something you need my help with?"

Shen Muqing nodded.

"That day, I mentioned to you that I received an invitation for a variety show. Initially, there was no issue, but there were some scheduling delays on the drama set I'm in. With the delays, the schedules on both sides clashed. I informed the other party, and they asked if I had any recommended candidates for replacement. So, I recommended you."

Yan Qiuzhi pondered for a moment, "With my personality... do you think it is suitable for variety shows?"

Shen Muqing waved her hand, "You should let everyone see your daily life personality, so they won't keep saying you're a delicate young lady."

In fact, Yan Qiuzhi quite approved of being called a delicate young lady.

"Well, whatever. I feel like being called a delicate young lady is a compliment."

Shen Muqing rolled her eyes at her, "What do you think of it then?"

"What kind of variety show is it?"

"A slow-paced lifestyle variety show, the one hosted by Teacher Xu Song."

Yan Qiuzhi's eyes lit up, showing genuine interest, "Oh, do I get to taste the dishes made by Teacher Xu Song?"

She regularly watched this variety show. Every time she watched, Yan Qiuzhi wished she could dive into the screen and taste all the dishes made by Xu Song.

From an outsider's perspective, it truly had everything – color, fragrance, and flavor. For a foodie like her, watching it made her hungry every time.

However, Xu Song had been relatively inactive in recent years, and Yan Qiuzhi hadn't had the chance to meet him.

Shen Muqing looked down on her pursuit of this, "Yes, are you going then?"

"Of course."

Yan Qiuzhi said, "But the show requires doing household chores. Can I learn that in such a short time?"

Shen Muqing stared at her, "Who will you learn from?"

Yan Qiuzhi didn't think much, "Chen Lunan, of course. He seems to be unemployed lately. I can take this opportunity to ask him to teach me how to cook."

"......."

Shen Muqing stayed silent for a few seconds, then looked at her and asked, "Are you still playing these role-playing games with Chen Lunan?"

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

"It's quite interesting."

The next day, Yan Qiuzhi received the news that she was confirmed to participate in the recording of the slow-paced lifestyle variety show.

After she got the confirmation, Yan Qiuzhi was quite excited.

She actually missed those days of catching fish in the pond, washing her feet in the creek, and catching crabs.

That rural life was the most beautiful memory of her childhood.

The last time Chen Lunan took her to the orchard, Yan Qiuzhi's prolonged good attitude towards him was enough to prove her attachment to those memories.

However—

The variety show was confirmed, but the role reversal kitchen play between Yan Qiuzhi and Chen Lunan was not going as planned.

Chen Lunan had been coming home late and leaving early these days. Yan Qiuzhi woke up to find him gone, and by the time she went to bed, this guy still hadn't returned.

If it weren't for the late-night chat group revealing that Chen Lunan had been discussing projects with Cheng Zhan, Yan Qiuzhi would have almost suspected him of keeping a little lover outside.

This scumbag's behavior was really suspicious.

With only three days left until the recording of the variety show, this evening, Yan Qiuzhi felt that she must wait for Chen Lunan to come back.

She had actually tried to learn to cook twice from the auntie who came over to cook lunch and dinner. And whenever she tried to learn, the auntie would say to her, "Madam, you can go sit outside; I'll take care of it."

That slightly disdainful tone dealt a blow to Yan Qiuzhi's confidence and made her extremely uncomfortable:）

Chen Lunan and Cheng Zhan had just concluded an investment project tonight, and after the meeting, they coincidentally ran into a director they were familiar with, so they ended up having dinner together. Chen Lunan was forced to have a few drinks.

When he came out, his head was still a bit dizzy.

He blew the wind and smoked a cigarette to sober up before getting into the car.

The driver turned to look at him and opened a small gap in the window to let in the natural breeze.

Chen Lunan rubbed his temples. He had an average alcohol tolerance and didn't particularly like drinking.

So, his mood wasn't particularly good right now.

As he was rubbing his temples, his phone pinged.

Chen Lunan lowered his head and looked a bit surprised.

Yan Qiuzhi: 【When are you coming back today?】

He didn't know if it was the intoxication of alcohol, or if it was the intoxication of the person, but Chen Lunan's mood seemed to relax a bit.

Chen Lunan: 【Now.】

When Chen Lunan got out of the car, the front door from the inside was opened.

He raised his eyes and saw the person standing at the entrance. The warm-toned light in the entrance fell on her, outlining her fair skin and delicate features, emphasizing her slender waist and shoulders.

She was wearing a simple home outfit, with no elaborate makeup, but it was the first time Chen Lunan felt a different kind of sensation when looking at her.

Yan Qiuzhi, slightly excited upon seeing Chen Lunan, said, "Are you busy today—," but before she could finish, she caught a whiff of the scent of alcohol on Chen Lunan.

Yan Qiuzhi frowned, "Did you drink?"

"En."

Yan Qiuzhi hesitated for a moment, then poked his face with her hand, "Are you drunk?"

Chen Lunan gazed at her with deep eyes.

Yan Qiuzhi didn't think she was intentionally prying, "I just thought it's better to ask."

"No."

Chen Lunan looked at her, "Do you need something?"

Normally, Yan Qiuzhi wouldn't inquire about his whereabouts, let alone warmly greet him at the door.

"Yes."

Yan Qiuzhi briefly explained the variety show she was going to participate in and added, "Can you teach me how to cook?"

She couldn't be completely clueless; otherwise, she would be criticized by netizens who watch the show.

Thinking of that possibility, Yan Qiuzhi shivered involuntarily.

Chen Lunan was slow to reach. He took a moment before he understood Yan Qiuzhi's intention.

His gaze lowered to her slender and fair hands, which were soft and boneless, definitely not suitable for the rough work in the kitchen.

"Now?"

Yan Qiuzhi blinked and nodded, "Yeah, you came back early tonight, who knows when you'll be back tomorrow."

She yawned, tears welling up involuntarily.

Listening to her unintentional complaints, Chen Lunan's throat rolled, "Who will eat if you cook tonight?"

Yan Qiuzhi widened her eyes in disbelief, "You think I will be able to cook on my first try?"

The result would definitely end up in the trash.

Chen Lunan was left momentarily speechless by her retort.

After a brief pause, he suddenly said, "I'll teach you something else."

"What?" Yan Qiuzhi, curious, followed him into the kitchen.

Chen Lunan opened a cabinet and took out tea leaves, his voice low and hoarse, "Hangover tea."