Chapter 724: The Wind is Very Gentle

The warm sun in Dali is mild, the breeze is cool; looking down, one sees the water of Erhai Lake, looking up, the snow on Cangshan Mountain. A golden eagle wanders amidst the blue sky and white clouds, a little yellow dog pants with its small tongue out on the ridge between fields, running stumble-footed. Energetic, mischievous children chase and play in groups of three or five, while elderly folk nimbly go about their chores, chatting with others about daily life. The cat king lies lazily on a tree-shaded wall, eyes squinted, looking as if he holds everyone in contempt. Heh, noisy humans...

A drone flies across the sky of Yunmiao Village, hovering at times, swooping at others, recording scene after scene of beautiful, idyllic scenery.

Xu Hongdou holds a small wooden stick she picked up from somewhere, unconsciously poking the ground with it. She blinks her large eyes, looking at Wang Yan, who is nearby, focused on watching the screen while holding a remote control.

As the saying goes, a man is most handsome when he is focused; when Wang Mouren is focused, he is naturally extremely handsome. Having known each other for half a month, Xu Hongdou has never seen Wang Yan looking focused; even when he took photos of her before, it was always with a relaxed, effortless nonchalance.

After thinking for a moment, she speaks up: "Is this filming very difficult?"

Wang Yan's eyes remain fixed on the screen as he shakes his head and smiles: "Not difficult, it just requires investing some energy. After all, filming video isn't like taking photos; it's continuous, and you need to have the finished shots in your mind, so you have to be more focused. Are you bored?"

Xie Zhiyao and the others were indeed very thorough in their preparations. They originally had personnel related to art, photography, and design, or rather, because the company is small, the staff are quite versatile and know how to do many things, so the planning was quite good. From the main theme to the specific things to be filmed, everything was planned. If it weren't for the fact that they were truly in different fields, they might have even made storyboards.

It was only after confirming all matters related to filming that Xie Zhiyao treated them to lunch. After they parted ways, Wang Yan began working with Xu Hongdou, calling them for cooperation when needed, still very respectful of professionalism.

Xu Hongdou shakes her head: "It's alright, I'm just idle anyway."

"The filming these past few days hasn't been very interesting; it's just shooting the scenery inside and outside Yunmiao Village, day and night. Once these are done, it will be better. You heard it too, when the time comes, Boss Xie will cooperate with filming tie-dyeing, pottery, food, and so on. By then, you can join in and play along. If you want to be on camera, I can even film you, letting you, a great beauty, be a promotional ambassador for Yunmiao Village."

"Forget it, I don't want to show my face, it feels very shameful. I still feel embarrassed thinking about how I stood there foolishly when you caught the thief before."

"What's wrong with that? It's just because you hadn't experienced it before. With the previous experience, the next time will be better."

"Then how did you practice? Have you experienced that kind of scene before?"

Wang Yan smiles: "Maybe my skin is thick."

"Good, you have self-awareness." Xu Hongdou forcefully thumps the branch in her hand. "If your skin wasn't thick enough, you wouldn't have been able to stop the car and pull me in back in Dali."

"That's a way of putting it, but didn't you get in the car too? It was because you saw I was a man of talent and had no bad intentions."

Xu Hongdou scoffs and asks: "Did you hit on other women like this before?"

When a woman puts her heart into something, she can't help but want to dwell on the past. Of course, men are no exception, perhaps even more intense. Even if both sides are flawed, there is still some resentment, it's just suppressed and left unsaid.

Wang Yan finally moves his gaze away from the screen, turning his head to look at Xu Hongdou, only to see her looking up at the drone buzzing in the distant sky, as if it were an unintentional, casual question.

He says with a chuckle: "We've been in contact for half a month, do you think I'm such a casual person? It was when I was waiting for the traffic light that I saw you with your long hair fluttering, and you felt particularly ethereal. Or to put it another way, it was love at first sight. But 'love at first sight' isn't a good term now, because people say it's just lust. But I don't quite agree; looks are certainly a factor, but more than that, it's that indescribable feeling in my heart."

Xu Hongdou feels her face getting hot. This is a confession, right? Is it? But they have only known each other for ten days; isn't it a bit too rash?

Although her heart is in turmoil, she appears indifferent on the surface. She also smiles and says: "You really can talk; how long have we known each other?"

"There is a saying, 'a glance lasts ten thousand years,' which I think explains your question very well. Often, time is not the standard for measuring certain things; the feeling in one's own heart is."

As he speaks, Wang Yan suddenly turns his head, meeting Xu Hongdou's somewhat flustered gaze. Under her watch, Wang Yan holds the remote control in one hand and walks to her in two steps. Without a word, he very naturally reaches out to touch her flushed, hot cheek.

Staring steadily into her eyes, he says with a chuckle: "What do you feel about me?"

Love comes too fast like a tornado; Xu Hongdou has no time to escape. The wind blows her hair and also stirs her heart. Her mind is blank now; she has never received such a direct attack and doesn't know how to respond.

But in reality, this is the response; it already shows that she has quite a few feelings for Wang Yan.

Wang Yan and Xu Hongdou met on an ordinary sunny day. She was waiting for a car on the side of the road, he was waiting for a red light. He stopped the car in front of her, it was on the way no matter where, she got in the car, she knew they had the same destination. People say they are fated. Looking back now, the ordinary meeting also carries a romantic filter.

They played together for more than ten days, together from morning till night every day, deepening their understanding of each other. Dating can be ten days, ten months, or several years.

In fact, most of the time, purely in terms of feeling, removing the settling, removing the so-called discovering the other's goodness, and even more removing the carnal desire and greed without soul communication, just talking about normal love between normal people, whether it's ten days or ten years, the deciding factor is just those few days of meeting. A long time is just repeating the subtle tug-of-war between men and women.

With Xu Hongdou, they were already together every day, so pointless tug-of-war was meaningless. Straightforwardness was the best way, which was precisely grasping the "just right." Of course, in this process, he certainly had to be more proactive and throw in some smooth talk when there was nothing else to do.

Between men and women, in the general direction of the whole society, men should be proactive. It is also because of being proactive for so many years, coupled with the clamor of various people with ulterior motives, that some noisy women have illusions, ruining the originally beautiful meeting, killing beautiful love, and thus reversely creating 'lick-dogs' (sycophants).

Those without response are 'lick-dogs'; Wang Mouren is clearly not.

Ten-plus days, living together day and night, is actually not short. At this time, since Xu Hongdou brought the topic to Wang Yan's past experiences, and with some sourness, it is natural to seize the opportunity and proactively clarify things. Of course, the premise is that Wang Yan's heart is calm as an ancient well; he can grasp Xu Hongdou's emotions, unlike most male comrades who ponder bitterly and are full of unease and some small, shy embarrassment—this is a difference of heaven and earth.

Even if Wang Yan is favored by the 'Living Father' and possesses destiny, there is still a process. He also once had his face stepped on like a shoe pad, and then picked it up again, so he has no shame. Coupled with the ability to control people's hearts brought by seeing and experiencing much, it is the secret to his success in dating...

Of course, his own financial freedom is also a plus point. After all, Xu Hongdou is already thirty-two, not some little girl who knows nothing. And in today's internet era of high-speed information development, little girls who know nothing also know money.

But then again, with his current ability, even if he were a penniless backpacker who came on foot, dating would still not be a difficult task...

After a long time, their lips part. The silk thread connecting the two glimmers and sparkles in the sunlight, stretches, and breaks.

Xu Hongdou comes back to her senses, gives Wang Yan a punch in the chest in annoyance, wipes her mouth with her sleeve, her cheeks flushed red, breathing heavily, and glares at Wang Yan reproachfully: "Do you not like the look of me, wanting to suffocate me?"

"I also learned from those TV shows and movies; people just hug and kiss for a long time. How about it, do you have a feeling now?" Wang Yan smiles and raises his eyebrows.

"So annoying." Xu Hongdou rolls her eyes and slaps Wang Yan's arm again.

Wang Yan laughs, pinches her nose, and continues to control the drone to film the video.

Watching Wang Yan work seriously, Xu Hongdou doesn't speak again, picks up the branch she threw on the ground earlier, swings it unconsciously, her mind filled with the earlier embrace and kiss.

She is wearing a dress, her hair loose, standing on the road in the fields, the wind blowing her long hair, fluttering the hem of her dress.

Today's wind is very gentle...

When filming, the two of them talk in bits and pieces, without a theme, aimless, but not feeling awkward.

The relationship between the two seems to have made a breakthrough, and yet it seems not, because there is no clear definition given. It seems they are together, and it seems they are not, very ambiguous. Xu Hongdou blushes just thinking about this feeling, but there is also a deeper worry buried in her heart.

Today's work started after lunch, and the drone's battery life doesn't support long-term filming, just over thirty minutes. They found several locations, filmed until three batteries were drained, and the time reached evening.

Wang Yan and Xu Hongdou had dinner at the Gesanghua Restaurant, carrying the drone's case, chatting and laughing, strolling back to the Youfeng Courtyard.

"Wang Laoshi, Hongdou, you're back. Have you eaten?" asks Nana, who has already finished work and is sitting in the courtyard playing with her phone, feeling bored.

Hongdou nods and replies: "We had braised chicken at Gesanghua."

"Is the filming going smoothly?"

"Just filming, there's no such thing as smooth or not."

Ma Qiushan says: "Wang Laoshi, do you have time to taste the tea drink I made?"

"Wait a moment, I'll go up and charge the battery."

Very quickly, Wang Yan comes down again, and a group of people sit around the long dining table, watching Ma Qiushan fiddling with bottles and jars.

The others are just joining in the fun; they all know that Ma Qiushan is handing in his homework to Wang Yan. If satisfied, it means the discussion about investment will begin. They haven't experienced this kind of high-end-sounding thing, so they are all joining in the fun.

Very quickly, Ma Qiushan makes a cup of tea, but first makes a cup of water and sends it in front of Wang Yan: "Cleanse your palate first?"

"No need." Wang Yan waves his hand and smiles, "Do you think an ordinary person can taste the original flavor of tea?"

It's just the plot acting up; otherwise, the tea drink shop Ma Qiushan wants to open would be a miracle if it didn't lose money. In the end, unable to continue, he transformed it directly into a milk tea shop. A milk tea shop has no advantage, not as good as those milk tea brands that open a shop every few hundred meters, or those mid-to-high-end milk tea brands that have already marketed their names; it would be ten deaths and no life.

Ma Qiushan is stunned for a moment, then nods: "Wang Laoshi is right. This is what I concocted with jasmine, milkshake, and lemon juice. Please taste."

Wang Yan picks up the small teacup, drinks it in one gulp, and nods: "It's passable, not hard to drink. Continue."

Next, Ma Qiushan fiddles with bottles and jars for a concoction, Wang Yan tastes them cup by cup, mostly giving an evaluation of 'not hard to drink.'

This is actually enough, as this is just a transition; there will be people researching the recipe later. As long as it's not hard to drink, paired with a relatively elegant environment, it passes. It mainly depends on the subsequent marketing; when people all say it tastes good, then it tastes good, and when it becomes a trend, saying it tastes bad is a sin.

"You have already read the previous project proposal, and today you have also tasted the recipe, and the evaluation is okay. Shall we talk about the investment?" Ma Qiushan rubs his hands and chuckles.

Seeing Xu Hongdou and the three women frowning, Da Mai even shudders: "Master Ma, you are so sleazy."

Ma Qiushan doesn't care at all, tosses his small head, and reaches out to stroke his hair: "It's business, it's not shameful."

Wang Yan asks with a chuckle: "How much money do you want?"

"This..." Ma Qiushan looks at Xu Hongdou and the three women, hesitating. He actually didn't want them to know before reaching that point.

"It's okay, we've all known each other for so long. You're even trying to trick me into investing for you, can't you trust them? Just say it directly."

Giving Xu Hongdou and the three women an apologetic smile, Ma Qiushan holds up a finger: "One million?"

"How much equity? How much are you investing?"

"Ten percent, I'm investing two hundred thousand."

"Then this belongs to 'empty-handed white wolf' (getting something for nothing). Wang Yan shakes his head. "I consider this an angel investment. Your little stuff can't possibly be worth ten million on the spot. And this is actual operation, needing storefronts, employees, etc., not an internet game. But we've known each other for a while, and you are still reliable. Doesn't the venture capital industry always say, investment is investing in people? Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't do it; after all, my money didn't come from a strong wind.

How about this, you invest five hundred thousand, I invest one million, and I take twenty percent of your shares. Based on our friendship during this period, I'll give you face for five million. This 1.5 million is enough to open two shops. If successful, start Series A, I won't follow up with investment. At Series B, I will sell my shares according to the valuation. This can be considered as help from a friend who met by chance to an old boy like you who intends to make a comeback. This is my condition, let's not grind back and forth, what do you say?"

In the eyes of Xu Hongdou, Da Mai, and Nana, who look like fools, Wang Yan says such beautiful words to Ma Qiushan. He shows his emphasis on emotion and righteousness, as well as his pattern in doing things.

The thoughts of Xu Hongdou and the others are also simple: having known each other for less than half a month, he invests one million for only twenty percent of the shares; isn't that brain-damaged? As for the emphasis on emotion and righteousness and the so-called pattern, they can't feel it now.

Especially Xu Hongdou, looking at Wang Yan with extremely complex eyes, thinking, 'Is he not dating a fool...'

Ma Qiushan naturally feels the gaze of the three of them, but he doesn't care. With red eyes, he grabs Wang Yan's hand and shakes it: "Wang Laoshi, a soulmate..."

How much of him is true or false, who knows? ===== CHAPTER 725 =====