Chapter 288: New Year is Approaching

At this moment, Shen Jiaqing also noticed the presence of Wu Yue'er; her tall figure, graceful posture, and pretty face... instantly reminded him of what he had seen and heard in Hengdian.

Rows of question marks appeared in his mind; didn't Shen Yan say his girlfriend was someone else? How could he be tangled up with Wu Yue'er?

It was currently winter break, and by all logic, the two of them should have long since returned to their respective homes.

"Brother Jiaqing, why did you run over here?" Shen Yan took the initiative to greet him.

Shen Jiaqing retorted: "That's what I should be asking you. Why did you run over here, and with her, no less?"

Shen Yan rubbed his nose and said with a calm expression: "It's not something I can explain in a moment. Just pretend we never met today, Brother Jiaqing, and don't mention this to anyone."

???

In an instant, Shen Jiaqing's brain began to run at an overloaded, frantic pace like a precision computer; he only had low emotional intelligence, but he wasn't stupid—how could he fail to hear the subtext in Shen Yan's words?

So... did the two of them have some kind of unknown relationship?

Or was there some hidden story behind it?

He really hoped it was the second guess; after all, Shen Yan had a proper girlfriend. How could a top-tier beauty as delicate and lovely as Wu Yue'er...

But this reason was obviously too far-fetched; he couldn't even convince himself.

In a daze, Shen Jiaqing nodded in agreement, preparing to ask his cousin properly later.

The little beauty beside him was confused, so she asked: "Shen Jiaqing, are they your friends?"

Shen Jiaqing only then remembered the little beauty's presence and hurriedly introduced them: "This is my cousin, Shen Yan, and the one next to him is his classmate."

"Shen Yan, this is XXX."

Hearing such a concise introduction, Shen Yan just nodded at the little beauty as a greeting and had no intention of asking more.

Then, both sides exchanged a few more pleasantries before going off to enjoy themselves.

Seeing that Shen Yan remained as calm and composed as ever, Wu Yue'er couldn't help but ask: "Hubby, why aren't you nervous at all? Aren't you afraid of others finding out?"

"Nervous my foot. If it's a blessing, it's not a disaster; if it's a disaster, it can't be avoided. At worst, I'll just be branded a scumbag; it's no big deal." Shen Yan looked completely indifferent.

As his experiences grew richer, Shen Yan had become increasingly indifferent to such matters.

The only thing worth worrying about...

"Then what about An Qi?"

The sentence struck Shen Yan's weak spot. He said in a low voice: "Don't bring up things that shouldn't be brought up; I've already wronged her enough."

Wu Yue'er sighed inwardly; it was better not to mention these troublesome matters. It was obvious that Shen Yan couldn't let go of his feelings for Hao Anqi, so they could only continue living in this muddled state for now.

After experiencing the scenery of China's highest waterfall at Baizhang Yiji, the two followed the path downward, passing through Baizhang Erji and Shuiliandong in succession; along the way, they could see the stone statue of Liu Bowen, followed by Baizhang Sanji.

After leaving the scenic area from the South Gate, they spent ten yuan to take a shuttle bus back to the North Gate to return the camera and Hanfu.

After a round of sightseeing, the time had already reached three in the afternoon; the warm sun was gradually slanting westward, the breeze was not dry, and the tourists could not hide the exhaustion on their faces.

Traveling is just like this—tiring and expensive—but people still enjoy it tirelessly.

What exactly is the meaning of travel? Some do it purely to show off, letting everyone know how well they are living; some seek poetry and distant places; some seek spiritual solace; and others want to escape the secular world.

Shen Yan didn't have so many thoughts; like most people, he traveled to broaden his knowledge, expand his horizons, and see more of the vast world.

After a long and boring hour-and-a-half drive, the car returned to Junrui Haoyuan. Opening the door to the rental apartment, Wu Yue'er ran into the bathroom without stopping to take a shower.

Although this waterfall trip was wonderful, she had paid a considerable price to take beautiful photos and videos—the water mist in the air had permeated everything, leaving her feeling sticky all over.

Shen Yan leaned lazily on the sofa and took out his phone. At the very top was a message from Hao Anqi; it wasn't anything serious, mainly her sharing her daily life while out with her girlfriends.

After a simple reply, Shen Yan opened the second chat box.

From his friend Fan Bingbing.

"That role fits my image very well. I can make time to come over for a cameo, but how much is the big boss planning to pay? (Smiley face)"

Shen Yan: "Talking about money between friends hurts the relationship (Sad)"

Fan Bingbing: "But talking about the relationship hurts the money (Sticking tongue out)"

Shen Yan: "Then you name a price. I'll go find a rich woman to sell something to and should be able to scrape it together."

Fan Bingbing: "Pfft! You look kind of cute when you're being stingy, little brother. Alright, alright, I won't take your money, okay? Treat me to a meal when you have time later."

Shen Yan: "Alright (Smiley face)"

Afterward, Shen Yan told Xu Zheng the news and asked him to contact Fan Ye regarding the filming arrangements. While Xu Zheng was overjoyed, he was also surprised at the friendship between the two, that she would actually do a cameo for zero pay.

Their relationship was quite deep!

However, Xu Zheng didn't intend to ask more, only telling Shen Yan that the movie would start filming after the New Year and reminding him to get a Thailand visa when he had time. Shen Yan indicated okay.

With nothing to do, Shen Yan came to the bathroom door and said in a flirtatious tone: "Little baby, do you want me to come in and keep you company?"

"Giggle! I don't want a big pervert like you coming in." Wu Yue'er giggled inside.

"Open the door. I got soaked in water today; I need to take a hot shower quickly to dispel the cold, otherwise, it'll be troublesome if I catch a cold."

"Then you aren't allowed to do anything bad if you come in!"

"Hey! Don't you trust my character yet?"

Wu Yue'er giggled again, the implication self-evident. Shen Yan pretended to be angry; you can be mysteriously confident in yourself, but you cannot question my character.

A gentleman's word is hard to chase, even with a horse.

Wu Yue'er couldn't be bothered to listen to his nonsense and opened the door to let him in. Shen Yan chuckled and removed his clothes in a few quick motions. He walked into the bathroom; thanks to the exhaust fan, even though steam was rising, his vision was not obstructed in the slightest.

"Little baby, the master is here!"

That unique, playful tone, as if an ancient man were visiting a brothel, made Wu Yue'er laugh. She crossed her arms over her chest and said pitifully: "Master, no, please let me go."

"Little beauty, the arrow is on the bowstring and must be fired!"

"Mom, come save me, the bad guy is so scary!"

"Ah! So ticklish!"

"Can't you be a little gentler!"

"Hubby, I love you so much."

In the blink of an eye, a few days passed, and office workers and government agency staff officially began their Spring Festival holiday; harboring longing for their families and attachment to their hometowns, the final wave of the homeward migration officially kicked off.

Whether in the city or the countryside, the air was filled with a festive and peaceful atmosphere, with happy smiles beaming on people's faces as they prepared with full hearts to welcome the arrival of the New Year.

On the day of Lunar New Year's Eve.