Chapter 87: Playing Around

After having a meal with Gao Yuanyuan in Jingcheng, Cheng Chen visited Luo Tong and Wang Quan, who were sort of his half-teacher.

Cheng Chen wandered around the Central Academy of Drama but didn't see Tang Wei—he guessed the girl was busy preparing for her graduation play.

After staying in Jingcheng for a few days, Cheng Chen boarded another flight to Lu Sheng.

"Arrived yet?"

Cheng Chen's phone had just powered on when he received a text message.

The sender was Chang'e—Yan Danchen—who he hadn't seen in some time.

"Just got off the plane, I'll take a car back to the set."

Cheng Chen bent his head to type.

Since Cheng Chen once helped Yan Danchen resolve that gossip scandal,

and they'd stayed at the same hotel in Modu, eating instant noodles together late at night, their contact had never stopped.

So now, before boarding the plane, Cheng Chen had sent her a message—and as soon as he landed, Yan Danchen replied.

"Guess where I am?"

"You're not in Lu Sheng, are you?"

Cheng Chen smiled and pulled his baseball cap lower—Yan Danchen sometimes liked playing these little guessing games with him.

Even though Cheng Chen could see through her trick at a glance, he still played along with her performance.

And he didn't mind these little games at all—he even found them quietly delightful.

He put away his phone and hailed a taxi to the bus station.

The weather in Lu Sheng in early December wasn't too cold—it was still above freezing, much milder than Jingcheng's dry chill.

"Dingdong!"

The text alert chimed.

"You got it—I'm at the airport, planning to visit your set."

Yan Danchen replied.

"You're making things up again."

Cheng Chen smiled knowingly; sometimes he found her just a little adorable like this.

"Why would I lie? Aren't you at the airport? Then I don't have to go all the way to your set—what a hassle with transfers."

Cheng Chen stared at her message, lost in thought.

Was she joking? But it felt too real.

While Cheng Chen hesitated, Yan Danchen called.

"Where are you? I've been waiting at Exit B the whole time—did you sneak away?"

"I'm coming to find you right now!"

After hanging up, Cheng Chen quickly told the driver:

"Driver, turn around!"

When Cheng Chen arrived at Exit B, he instantly recognized Yan Danchen—equally "armed" as he was.

She kept stomping her feet to warm up and rubbing her hands back and forth.

He circled behind her and tapped her shoulder; her masked face revealed only a pair of glittering eyes.

When she saw Cheng Chen, those eyes sparkled with joy.

"Waited long? I bought you something!"

"Roasted sweet potato!"

Yan Danchen's frost-red little hands eagerly took the roasted sweet potato.

"Saved! So good~"

She was a true southern girl and couldn't handle northern winters.

"Did you sneak off and make me wait this long? Don't think a roasted sweet potato will buy you off!"

Yan Danchen said, smiling at Cheng Chen.

"How could I? Come on, I'll take you to try Lu Sheng's local specialties!"

Cheng Chen naturally took her luggage and walked beside her.

"What specialty?"

"Scallion pancakes!"

"What? No way… I won't eat that!"

Cheng Chen smiled silently—how could anyone come to Lu Sheng and not try scallion pancakes? That would be a shame!

"Scallion pancakes—tasty?"

After a while, Yan Danchen suddenly asked.

"Hahaha!"

Seeing her curious, inquisitive expression, Cheng Chen burst out laughing.

A celebrity who sneaks out at midnight for instant noodles—how could she possibly resist trying scallion pancakes?

Since their schedule didn't include a stop in Ji Shi,

Cheng Chen took a taxi straight into the city and checked into a hotel.

After putting their luggage in the room, they agreed to head out together to the night market for food and drinks.

Through conversation, Cheng Chen learned Yan Danchen was a total foodie—planning a night market visit was perfectly tailored to her tastes.

"Why did you suddenly come to Lu Sheng?"

In the car, Cheng Chen asked curiously.

"Didn't I say I was coming to visit the set? How can you not believe I'd actually come find you?"

Yan Danchen said with a cheerful smile.

"Mm, I'm overwhelmed by the favor."

"Pfft, I don't buy it. By the way, that song you sang last time—'Wanjiang'—there's a section with xipi-style singing in it. How did you do that? It sounded really amazing!"

Yan Danchen also came from an artistic family—her mother was an accountant at the city-center hospital, and her father was the union chairman of a silk factory.

To cultivate her artistic cultivation, her parents first had her learn the accordion, then later switched her to the piano.

After graduating from the Xiang Province Arts School, she had originally planned to start working right away.

But her mother felt it would be a shame for her daughter to go straight into work, so she had her continue her studies.

So, following the exam requirements in Beijing Film Academy's admissions brochure, Yan Danchen prepared for a while and then applied.

It was precisely because of the music-related knowledge she'd picked up as a child that she understood just how impressive Cheng Chen's xipi-style passage had been.

Saying he founded a new school isn't quite rigorous—after all, a few songs before his had also used this kind of combined vocal style.

But fused so fittingly, so on-theme—Yan Danchen really was hearing it for the first time.

At first listen it dazzles; on repeated listens, it only grows more impressive.

So Cheng Chen told her the whole story of how he'd learned xipi-style singing through Wang Quan.

"That's amazing—only a few months of study and you've already got results like that. That's our Cheng Heavenly King for you!"

Yan Danchen said admiringly, patting his shoulder.

"Is it really that impressive? I just sang along and picked it up!"

Cheng Chen delivered a perfectly innocent humblebrag.

Yan Danchen was so irritated her teeth itched. Back in the day, when she was learning an instrument, she'd also had the idea of taking up vocal music—but the songs she sang… uh, better not to remember.

Let alone xipi-style singing, which is harder than pop.

After the two got out of the car, they started wandering around the night market in Ji Shi.

The night market here wasn't yet as booming as the influencer night markets of later years, but foot traffic was already heavy.

Even though it was a winter evening, it still couldn't dampen people's restless hearts.

Once Yan Danchen arrived, she was like a fish slipping into the sea, pausing now and then between every stall.

At each stall, she'd call Cheng Chen over to taste things together.

Watching Yan Danchen so full of joy, Cheng Chen felt as though he was getting to know her all over again—his previous impression had been limited to text-message chats.

Thinking carefully, this was only the third time the two had met, yet the feeling she gave Cheng Chen was so familiar, as if they were old friends who'd known each other for years.

……