However, Xiao Yi was Lu Zhou's private employee. If he wanted to take a few days off for the Chinese New Year, he needed to discuss it with Lu Zhou.

Xiao Yi: "By the way, Zhou Ge, how are you spending the Chinese New Year?"

Lu Zhou: "I don't know. Watching TV at home."

Xiao Yi asked, "How did you spend it last year?"

Lu Zhou: "In Paris."

Xiao Yi: "…"

"And the year before that?" Xiao Yi asked again.

"I spent it with Zhang Xinran," Lu Zhou said. "What's the matter? Speak up."

Lu Zhou had just returned from a gathering with friends, sitting in the car while Xiao Yi drove without looking. Xiao Yi said, "Um... I'm thinking, I'll go home for the New Year in a few days. What about you? How are you planning it?"

Lu Zhou: "…"

Xiao Yi instantly had a premonition that he was about to hear Lu Zhou roar.

However, Lu Zhou didn't. He just said, "You go home for the New Year. Don't worry about me."

Xiao Yi felt great relief and said, "So when should I come back?"

"Oh, you still want to come back?" Lu Zhou earnestly advised, "Go home and farm, brother. The working people of our motherland need you."

Xiao Yi: "…"

Xiao Yi parked the car in the garage, and Lu Zhou slammed the car door and walked away arrogantly.

From the backseat, Xiao Yi took out fifteen pairs of shoes that Lu Zhou had bought on Taobao, brought them home, and was ready to take them back to the room when Lu Zhou gave the order. Unexpectedly, Lu Zhou said, "Bring them here; let me have a look."

Xiao Yi could only unpack them, hoping Lu Zhou would find the packaging troublesome and ask him to take all the shoes out and throw them away. But surprisingly, Lu Zhou didn't.

Lu Zhou took a pair of shoes and asked, "Size 44?"

Xiao Yi: "Uh..."

Xiao Yi wore size 43, clearly one size too small. He could only grit his teeth and put the sneakers on Lu Zhou, tying the shoelaces.

Xiao Yi: "Is it too small?"

Lu Zhou: "…"

"Try them on yourself? Ah? Try them on yourself." Lu Zhou was almost driven crazy by Xiao Yi.

Xiao Yi put on the other shoe, walked a few steps, and laughed, "They fit me perfectly!"

Lu Zhou's expression made it seem like he wanted to stuff Xiao Yi into the shoebox for a refund. That night, Xiao Yi was scolded harshly by Lu Zhou. The fifteen pairs of shoes, totaling 4300, were deducted from Xiao Yi’s salary. Xiao Yi had to take photos one by one and sell them on his social media.

"So, where should we go for the Chinese New Year, Zhou Ge?" Xiao Yi asked.

"Aren't you going home?" Lu Zhou looked at Xiao Yi holding an iPad, leisurely browsing Taobao.

"No, no," Xiao Yi quickly smiled, "I don't plan to go home. The Spring Festival travel rush is so crowded; I can't get a ticket."

"Oh?" Lu Zhou said, "I'm going on an overseas vacation. I'm leaving tomorrow. Since you're not leaving, stay back and look after the house."

Xiao Yi: "…"

"Turn the page!" Lu Zhou uttered.

Xiao Yi immediately turned the page, thinking he would book a flight ticket later. I knew you were going to play a trick on me. Lu Zhou stared at a dress for almost thirty seconds, and Xiao Yi said, "This... do you want this?"

"Are you crazy?" Lu Zhou exclaimed, "Who am I buying a dress for! Turn the page."

Xiao Yi thought he could go home, but would Lu Zhou deceive him again? He hadn't heard anything from the company about Lu Zhou going abroad for the New Year. Moreover, Lu Zhou hadn't mentioned it recently.

After accompanying Lu Zhou to browse Taobao, reporting the latest trends on Weibo and gossip, Xiao Yi found out that the incident with Zhang Xinran had faded, and everyone was now checking the latest news about Li Changzheng. Before the holiday, Du Mei mentioned coordinating with publicity after the New Year, stirring up some gossip for Lu Zhou, and asked Xiao Yi to pay more attention. But what could they stir up recently?

Lu Zhou made a sound, indicating he wanted to sleep. Xiao Yi returned to his room to check flight tickets, but they were all sold out, leaving only first-class. To go home, Xiao Yi gritted his teeth and bought the first-class ticket. Just as he finished the purchase, shouts came from the next room.

"Hey!"

Xiao Yi hurried over and saw Lu Zhou talking on the phone in bed, saying, "Then, I won't go. Let's talk about it next year."

Xiao Yi: "???"

Standing at the door, Xiao Yi heard Lu Zhou say, "Not going abroad. It's just my bad luck. I have to spend the New Year looking at your face. Go book the plane tickets."

Xiao Yi: "Book plane tickets?"

Lu Zhou: "Take you out for the New Year! What's the point of staying at home? Do you want to suffocate me?"

Xiao Yi returned to his room and planned the itinerary for himself and Lu Zhou. It was driving him crazy. Looking at the plane tickets, first class, ah, ah, ah — over 3000! Suddenly, a thought came to Xiao Yi's mind. He went to the next room and asked Lu Zhou, "Ge Zhou, where do you want to go for New Year's?"

Lu Zhou: "Anywhere."

So Xiao Yi was thrown into deep thought. The next day, he honestly said, "Ge Zhou, getting a visa might not be possible. We can only spend the New Year domestically."

Lu Zhou said, "Don't go to too cold a place, but it shouldn't be too hot either. It should have a winter feeling. It can be in China. Find a lively place, don't be discovered by fans, it should be quiet, have a New Year's atmosphere, good air, beautiful scenery, and healthy food. It's been a long time since I've experienced a New Year with a festive atmosphere. No tourist groups, not too many people, the hotel owner should be enthusiastic, but not too excessive. There must be a reunion dinner for the New Year. If there's a hot spring, even better."

Xiao Yi: "…"

Lu Zhou listed a bunch of contradictory requirements and added, "Hotel staff should be friendly, check the reviews more, and, most importantly, there must be hot water."

Xiao Yi, with a brave face, tried to find such a place. Even Beijing might not meet Lu Zhou's requirements.

Lijiang? (NT: a touristic place with many cultural attractions in the South of China)

Fans would definitely chase them like crazy. Xiao Yi was alone and could predict that he would be pushed down by a fan army and crushed. Southeast Asia was the only place where a visa could be obtained quickly. Japan didn't celebrate the Chinese New Year, South Korea was not an option either. Thailand was out of the question; Thais might recognize Lu Zhou. Hong Kong and Taiwan were also ruled out.

Northeast China was too cold, Sanya was too hot. Xiao Yi pictured himself carrying Lu Zhou's bags, walking behind him while getting scolded, and made a helpless expression.

Not to mention hot springs; it had to be lively, without fans, and there had to be a reunion dinner. How was that possible? Two people eating a reunion dinner, how could Lu Zhou enjoy it with a disgruntled face? Ah!

Got it.

"Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi!" The coordinator's voice came through WeChat, saying, "Finally wrapped up shooting. The screenwriter still has to supervise the later stage, but on New Year's Eve, we'll eat in Sanlitun and then go to the bar. Will you come?"

Xiao Yi said, "I really want to... Anjie, but I've already decided where to go for the New Year."

"Okay," the coordinator said, "If you have time, come play at our company. I'll take you to eat delicious food."

Xiao Yi was elated, thinking he must go visit them after the New Year.

Xiao Yi asked Lu Zhou for his ID card, looked at it, and almost burst out laughing. Lu Zhou roared, "Where's yours? Show it to me! Whose ID photo isn't ugly..."

Xiao Yi held Lu Zhou's ID card, laughing on the stairs. Lu Zhou, teeth clenched, snatched Xiao Yi's ID card. Xiao Yi's ID photo was handsome. Lu Zhou immediately had nothing to say.

"Where are we going? Location decided?" Lu Zhou asked when he saw Xiao Yi coming down the stairs.

"It's decided," Xiao Yi said. "We depart tomorrow."

Lu Zhou stared at Xiao Yi. Seeing that Xiao Yi didn't immediately reveal their destination, Lu Zhou threatened, "If you don't meet the requirements, you'll... you'll..."

"I'll castrate myself," Xiao Yi earnestly declared.

Lu Zhou underlined, "Remember this. If you don't, I'll do it for you when the time comes."

The next day, Xiao Yi drove Lu Zhou to the airport. Xiao Yi had three suitcases — one he pulled, one he pushed, and one slung over his back. He even had Lu Zhou's Hermès bag around his neck. During boarding, Xiao Yi held Lu Zhou's boarding pass, walked through the first-class passage, and once they were on the plane, Lu Zhou's expression changed.

"Wuhan? Why are we going to Wuhan?" Lu Zhou asked.

"Wuhan is great," Xiao Yi flipped through the airplane magazine, saying, "It's lively during the New Year."

Lu Zhou looked at Xiao Yi with a bit of suspicion. Xiao Yi asked, " Zhou ge, have you been there?"

Lu Zhou said, "My mom took me to live in Wuhan for a while when I was a kid."

Xiao Yi was a bit surprised. So that's why Lu Zhou liked Hubei cuisine? Xiao Yi smiled and said, "I'm also from Hubei. Ge Zhou, you're my fellow villager."

Lu Zhou didn't say anything. He took off his sunglasses, adjusted the seat, and fell into memories. Xiao Yi thought it was an accidental success. It seemed like he had guessed Lu Zhou's thoughts, which was great. This should reduce the frequency of scolding during the New Year.

However, things didn't go as planned. In the afternoon:

Xiao Yi was drenched in sweat, protecting Lu Zhou from the surging crowd of migrant workers and getting him onto the car.

They got off at Tianhe Airport at two in the afternoon. After many twists and turns, they finally boarded the T250 to Jingshan County from Hankou Railway Station. They had standing tickets, and there were farmers sitting on sacks beside them. There were people crowded at the bathroom door, and Lu Zhou's 100,000 yuan trench coat was filled with the smell of smoke. Someone nearby was even eating instant noodles.

Xiao Yi said, "I'm sorry, the expressway was blocked. My brother's car... couldn't make it through."

Lu Zhou: "…………………………"

"Have you ever taken this kind of train, Zhou ge?" Xiao Yi said without much to talk about. He was also shaking with the train's frequency, saying, "Come on, let's get high! How about I sing a song for you?"

Lu Zhou, with a calm face, said, "Sing, sing well, and you can keep your ‘little chicks’ until tomorrow."

Xiao Yi: "…"

"Ticking, ticking, ticking, ticking..." Xiao Yi rolled a magazine, followed the rhythm of the train's sound, and started the prelude to a monologue.

"Ticking, ticking, ticking..."

Lu Zhou said, "Is that your alarm clock!"

"Life is a suspense novel..." Xiao Yi continued rolling the magazine, following the rhythm of the train, and said, "Next page, what's the plot — I believe no one knows, what exactly happened to the world —"

Xiao Yi used the rolled-up magazine as a microphone, initially singing in a low voice, but then he raised his eyebrows, and with his eyes shining, he sang as if holding a microphone, standing on his stage.

The train roared, passing through mountains and forests, rushing through the vast land, leaving the plains of Hankou behind, and heading towards the distance.

In winter, smoke rose from the houses in the farmhouse.

"I like — the clues of adventurously chasing dreams alone, my registered trademark is free, oh, oh —"

"…I find even breathing to be a source of happiness."

"Woo—" The train sounded its whistle.

Vast landscapes, snowy mountains, and who knows which household's firecrackers began to sound. As the night fell, countless lights lit up, and the North Star sparkled in the winter sky.

The fog that had obscured the sky dispersed, and the bustling crowd had already receded into the distance.

On the horizon, an endless plain stretched out into a vast world.

"On the roof, in the mirror—I say hey—" Xiao Yi's joy couldn't be resisted and was eventually transformed into a low hum, gradually fading away.

After a few seconds of silence, applause broke out around them.

The aunt selling dinner pushed her cart, staring at Xiao Yi from behind.

"Is it finished?" The aunt angrily shouted, "Make way!"

Startled, Xiao Yi quickly stepped aside. Lu Zhou's expression darkened, and he said to the aunt, "Why are you yelling at him? Do you know..."

"Shh," Xiao Yi said, "Be careful not to get photographed and end up in the headlines."

Lu Zhou: "..."

Xiao Yi quickly made way for the aunt. The food smelled delicious, and Lu Zhou couldn't help but swallow saliva. He had eaten very little on the plane, and now his mouth was almost watering onto the car. Xiao Yi observed his reactions and, seeing that Lu Zhou didn't ask for food, took the initiative to buy him a box of food, saying, "Just eat whatever; we'll find something better in Jing Shan later."

Lu Zhou didn't ask any questions and took the food. Leaning against the carriage wall, he held one box of food in one hand and picked at it with the other, while Xiao Yi held another box of vegetables for him to choose from.

People sitting in the aisle were all watching them. Fortunately, the food on the train was decent compared to the crew's meals. Xiao Yi, afraid that Lu Zhou was still thinking about his private parts, laughed nervously and said, "I didn't expect... uh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Actually, the environment around my house is very good, and it's lively during the New Year. We all gather for a reunion dinner, so..."

Lu Zhou looked somewhat impatient. "How am I bothering you? I've lived in various places during outdoor shoots. Do I seem like someone hard to deal with?"

It's good, Xiao Yi thought. Lu Zhou had been through first class and ended up in a standing-room-only train ticket, and he didn't seem to get angry, maybe because there were too many people to vent his anger on, or maybe he genuinely didn't care, or perhaps he already had a place in mind to spend the New Year. Well, that made things much better.

"Go buy a box of food for yourself," Lu Zhou said.

The aunt with the cart had already left. Xiao Yi said, "I'll just eat casually."

So Xiao Yi poured the remaining vegetables from Lu Zhou's leftovers onto the remaining rice and finished the meal.

People around were all watching them, and Lu Zhou's expression didn't look too good. It seemed that he hadn't been recognized yet. Xiao Yi wasn't sure if Lu Zhou was unhappy because he hadn't been recognized, because he was being stared at, or because he had been stared at for so long without being recognized, resulting in a dual unhappiness... Lu Zhou scanned the surroundings, and the crowd of commoners carefully averted their curious gazes.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Xiao Yi opened the car door and let Lu Zhou off. They had finally arrived in Jingshan...

*

Xiao Yi's younger brother was named Xiao Qiang. After getting on the highway and being blocked by New Year's return traffic, Xiao Qiang couldn't move and had to turn off the highway. He waited at JingShan Railway Station, and the place was completely dark. The lights on the square in front of the train station were also out.

Xiao Yi first let Lu Zhou get into Xiao Qiang's second-hand Santana, then stuffed the luggage into the trunk.

"Hello, sister-in-law!" Xiao Qiang turned around and saw a man sitting in the back seat, immediately shouting in surprise.

Lu Zhou: "…"

Xiao Qiang exclaimed, "Holy crap! Bro, your woman!"

Struggling to fit Lu Zhou's suitcase into the car trunk, Xiao Yi angrily shouted at his younger brother, "Damn it! When did I tell you I was bringing my wife back!"

"But what about this one?" Xiao Qiang pointed at Lu Zhou, inexplicably leaning out from the driver's seat to ask his brother.

Lu Zhou finally couldn't take it anymore and angrily yelled in Wuhan dialect, "It's your ancestor! The two of you are making a mess!"

Xiao Qiang: "…"

Xiao Yi said, "Get the rope out!"

Looking confused, Xiao Qiang got out of the car, and Xiao Yi took the rope, tying Lu Zhou's other bulky LV suitcase onto the roof, saying, "Let's go!"

Xiao Qiang drove, clattering along, carrying Lu Zhou, Xiao Yi, and the swaying LV luggage strapped to the roof.

"He's my younger brother, Xiao Qiang," Xiao Yi said to Lu Zhou, then introduced seriously to his younger brother, "This is my boss, my idol, Xiao Qiang call him Zhou ge."

"Hello Zhou ge, hello Zhou ge." Xiao Qiang clasped his hands together in a bow towards Lu Zhou in the rearview mirror, bowing and kneeling. Lu Zhou was truly defeated by these two brothers. Seeing Xiao Qiang's worshipful movement, he was momentarily scared out of his wits and yelled, "You don't need to turn the steering wheel while driving! Does the Santana even have autopilot!"

Xiao Qiang handed a cigarette to Lu Zhou, who waved it off, thinking about the name. He wondered who came up with it.

"Xiao Qiang, Xiao Qiang." Xiao Yi forced a smile and said, "Whenever people hear his name, they think of 'trouble arises along the Xiao wall' or something like that…" (NT: disasters often come from someone close to you)

Lu Zhou was drinking water and almost sprayed it out. Xiao Qiang added, "Bro, Mom heard you were bringing your wife back, so she made dinner early! I told her not to cook, but she didn't listen."

Xiao Yi was full of black lines. He replied, "I clearly said I was bringing a friend back. Did Mom and Dad eat?"

Xiao Qiang said, "They did."

Xiao Yi's mom must have misunderstood. When Xiao Yi said "friend," it was mistakenly interpreted as a girlfriend. Xiao Yi felt embarrassed, but Lu Zhou seemed completely oblivious, looking thoughtfully at the road outside, the five or six-story buildings, the dim streetlights in the county town, people riding bicycles, electric bikes coming and going, and children playing with firecrackers before the approaching Spring Festival.

The decorative lights on the trees along the way were all lit, flashing brightly in the dark night.

 

Translator : DarNan