Chapter 438: Even the Sun Would Hide from Me (4k)

"Zhou Yi is awesome!"

"Amazing, amazing, you've totally fired up the whole venue."

"This is the first time I've seen a song performance before midnight that could create such an atmosphere."

"..."

After the performance ended, having politely thanked the members of the children's choir and fulfilled their wish for a Spring Festival Gala group photo, Zhou Yi returned to the backstage lounge and was immediately greeted by many friends with the phrase "easy as pie."

Zhao Benshan, who had nearly broken down preparing the Spring Festival Gala program "Heart Condition" for this Year of the Goat, finished his review and summary with the other two members of the Iron Triangle, Fan Wei and Gao Xiuying, walked out of his dressing room, and gave Zhou Yi a thumbs-up: "You are this, Zhou Yi, you are truly this."

He had watched Zhou Yi's rehearsal; Zhou Yi was the person with the most relaxed mindset he had seen during the Spring Festival Gala rehearsals for two consecutive years, bar none, yet both performances ended up far exceeding the effects of the rehearsals, making him a true competition-type contestant.

You have to know that this time there was a choir.

With a choir as a singing format, one mistake would cause a performance accident, and this year's Spring Festival Gala was in a period advocating for live singing...

"Uncle Zhao, if you praise me like that, I won't be sleepy anymore."

Zhou Yi shook hands with Zhao Benshan while smiling, and also greeted Fan Dachui and Gao Xiuying standing nearby as if they were minions, aiming for a fair distribution of attention.

Although Fan Dachui was already famous in these years, he had clearly not yet broken away from Zhao Benshan, and in such an occasion, he could only sit at the very end.

After thanking everyone he knew and didn't know along the way, Zhou Yi unexpectedly received congratulations from a singer before she left.

After this, many members of the national team within the system came to find Zhou Yi; fortunately, there was Tan Jing as an intermediary, allowing him to become familiar with the crowd.

Although this group did not watch the live show from the audience, they still watched the entire process on the TV from the backstage area.

They knew better than anyone how strong the killing power and shock value of this stage were; barring unexpected events, this song would most likely appear in various official occasions in the future, and it would have to be this specific version, listening to others would just make one cough.

For Zhou Yi, a "little nobody" who had just joined the Music Association, this was undoubtedly a huge face-saver, and this group of singers within the system understood this better than anyone.

"Sometimes I really envy people like you who can write their own songs."

Tan Jing, who was currently only considered a future star within the national team, after helping Zhou Yi deal with people, inevitably showed some envy in her expression.

"Sister Jing, if you say that, then I envy your singing skills even more; after your divine skill is fully mastered, it will probably be a height I can never reach in my life." Zhou Yi smiled and raised a hand to her: "Crushing me so easily makes me feel very frustrated."

"You just have a sweet mouth."

Having gotten used to Zhou Yi's attitude of running his mouth like a fire truck, Tan Jing laughed and scolded without surprise: "Alright, if you're going home, go back quickly; while it's just past midnight, you can still gather with your family."

She still had to participate in the final group singing of "Unforgettable Tonight," so she couldn't leave.

Zhou Yi, tightening his coat, sent a message to Sun Yanzi, Watching Xiao Yaxuan, and Cheng Hao, then got into the driver's car first and returned to his parents' home.

The three of them planned to spend the New Year together tonight and knew Zhou Yi's parents were in the Imperial Capital, so they didn't ask Zhou Yi to leave his parents to accompany them.

Because fireworks and firecrackers were banned in all major districts of the Imperial Capital, when Zhou Yi rushed back to his parents' home, the bright lights all along the way made him feel that the New Year atmosphere was much fainter compared to his memories.

Shangrao does not ban fireworks and firecrackers.

Or rather, maybe it is banned, but for the counties and villages below, this is equivalent to farting.

From childhood to adulthood, almost every New Year memory of his was spent amidst the sound of fireworks and firecrackers. Only in these two years, since he hadn't gone home for the New Year, did his memories lack some sound—the sound of firecrackers and fireworks popping and crackling every night after twelve o'clock was enough to forcibly wake up an adult who was sleeping.

His parents thus developed the habit of waiting until after midnight on New Year's Day, after the firecrackers were finished, before going to sleep.

Zhao Ping, who had calculated the time her son would return, started busy making dumplings at home because he liked to eat them;

His father, Zhou Yaoguo, wearing a down jacket, stood on the balcony as if he didn't care at all, but his eyes were always looking at the quiet driveway downstairs—

Until his son's car arrived, a smile immediately appeared on the man's slightly aged face.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back."

Returning to the house with ease, with the door opened in advance, Zhou Yi rubbed his hands together, exhaled a breath of air, and said with a beaming smile: "Dumplings, dumplings, I want to eat dumplings, I'm starving to death."

"Your mom has cooked them for you."

Zhou Yaoguo, who had never known how to communicate specifically with his child, could finally only hold back and say this one sentence.

Just as sung in the song "Dad and Mom," even though he was very proud of the achievements his son had made, in front of his son, his emotions still couldn't be expressed outwardly.

As for the mother, Zhao Ping, she was much more at ease; after affectionately bringing a plate of dumplings in front of her son, she also prepared several thermal boxes for him—

"Mom, what is this thing?"

"Bring some for those girls; I've seen the news. One is from Singapore, one is from Taiwan; coming to participate in the Spring Festival Gala means they can't go home. Except for you, they are basically strangers in the mainland, so we must fulfill our duties as hosts."

Zhao Ping, busy back and forth, looked at her son who was eating heartily, with a look of happiness full in her eyebrows and eyes: "And that Cheng Hao, such a good girl, but her family had that kind of incident; her family went to the United States for treatment, and she is also alone and lonely."

"?"

Zhou Yi, who had just picked up a dumpling and dipped it in the hometown secret chili sauce, slowly typed out a question mark upon hearing this.

Zhou Yaoguo on the side had a look of helplessness on his face...

Do you want to see what you are saying?!

This is only because the atmosphere is open now; if it were in the past, her own son would surely have been sent to prison for the crime of hooliganism, and Zhao Ping could have been criticized for instigation.

He thought that her own son liked to play, and a large part of it must be attributed to her own wife's spoiling.

"Cheers!"

Cheng Hao's home.

The three women who returned together bought some barbecue and beer on the way and started their New Year celebration activity at home.

Sun Yanzi, who was being spiced to "hiss hiss," also ate freely, fanning the wind wildly with her hand as a fan, while also sticking out her tongue like a little dog because of the spice.

"Yanzi, is it okay for you to eat these?" Cheng Hao, sitting nearby, was somewhat curious.

"It's fine, it's fine; it's a big New Year, can't I eat a little of what I usually dare not eat?"

Sun Yanzi waved her hand carelessly, clinked glasses, then tilted her head back to drink the half cup of ice beer in her hand, and let out a heartfelt burp: "Burp~ Ha, so refreshing!"

After the New Year, she would at least have two months of rest time; while selecting songs for her new album and slacking off, what was eating some spicy food?

"We are singers, and there is no need for acting, so after the busy period, our time is relatively loose." Watching Xiao Yaxuan, chewing on edamame, ate with relatively elegance: "Like Shaohan, she still has to return to Taiwan to continue filming idol dramas, so her time is very tight."

"Does no one offer you acting roles?" Cheng Hao, as a former actress, found it strange.

For people as famous as the two women, not to mention being triple-threats in film, television, and music, at the very least, there should be television drama invitations coming, right?

"Yes, of course there were, but I rejected them all. Those idol dramas are no fun, and besides, my acting is even worse than Zhou Yi's." After taking a bite of lamb skewer, Sun Yanzi, with oil stains still lingering on the corners of her mouth, spoke her true feelings only in such a girls' gathering.

Watching Xiao Yaxuan's reason was even simpler—"Acting isn't fun."

"I once made a cameo in Infernal Affairs. It was just a few minutes, but the filming nearly made me collapse. The demands of making a movie are completely different from those of shooting an MV. I won't join in on this excitement."

Thinking back to that difficult filming experience of her cameo in Infernal Affairs, Watching Xiao Yaxuan, whose heart wasn't in it, immediately decided to back out: "Singing suits me better. Besides, I don't need the money from acting; I can earn endorsement fees just by singing."

Cheng Hao: "..."

That made a lot of sense. In this day and age, popular singers do indeed make money faster than movie stars of the same level.

"Speaking of which, do you plan to stop acting altogether?"

When the topic turned to this, Watching Xiao Yaxuan looked at Cheng Hao with a playful glint in her eyes: "Your 'Love in the City' aired in Taiwan and became a huge hit. Many viewers weren't impressed with the female lead, Marriage Maniac, played by Liu Ruoyin, but were completely captivated by the character Wan Ren Mi you portrayed."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes!"

Sun Yanzi, who was just picking up a grilled mushroom skewer, nodded vigorously in agreement upon hearing Watching Xiao Yaxuan's words: "I watched 'Love in the City' when I was promoting it in Taiwan before. It was so popular that if I didn't know you, I might have really thought your personality was exactly like Wan Ren Mi."

In early January 2003, the manga-adapted TV series 'Love in the City', which aired first in Taiwan due to approval issues, sparked a ratings frenzy in a trend no one had expected.

Viewers who had previously criticized Zhou Yi for false advertising at the end of 2002 now unanimously declared their love for this TV series, especially for Wan Ren Mi played by Cheng Hao. Her popularity soared straight up; although originally positioned as a supporting character, she ended up reaping all the popularity benefits of the entire show.

It was only because Zhou Yi stood behind her; otherwise, the originally scheduled female lead, Liu Ruoyin, would most likely have turned against Cheng Hao over this matter.

"Guiyi's operations are getting bigger and bigger. Acting no longer holds any special necessity for me."

After satisfying her acting itch with two consecutive dramas, leaving her beauty on screen, and giving an account of her university major, Cheng Hao turned her attention entirely to company management.

With the expansion of Guiyi's investment portfolio, she clearly could no longer stay in the People's Art Theater as a small-time actor as before.

"That's truly a pity. I quite liked your performance image in 'Love in the City'." Sun Yanzi looked genuinely regretful.

Watching Xiao Yaxuan, whose mother was a female CEO in the business world, glanced playfully at Cheng Hao, who was pretending to be flawless, while Sun Yanzi, sitting beside her and feasting heartily, looked in comparison like a little white rabbit raised in an ivory tower since childhood.

But then again, her family truly was the so-called scholarly household.

"Delicious! It's just a pity we can't set off fireworks and firecrackers; it lacks a bit of New Year atmosphere."

Sun Yanzi, who showed not a shred of scholarly elegance or noble lady demeanor in private, was still chewing noisily. She raised her head, looking at the starry sky with the silver moon hanging high, her expression filled with regret.

Just as Cheng Hao was about to open her mouth to explain the issue of fireworks and firecrackers, the sound of a phone ringing reached her ears the next second—

"Hello?"

"Hello, hello, hello, have you arrived home? Are you asleep?"

Zhou Yi's voice coming from the phone receiver immediately caught the attention of Watching Xiao Yaxuan and Sun Yanzi. The latter, who was just raising a glass to drink beer, nearly choked on her drink upon hearing it.

Cheng Hao blinked, turned on the speakerphone: "Not yet. Yanzi and I, Elva, are having late-night snacks."

"That's perfect. I'm adding a meal for you; my mom hand-made the dumplings."

"?"

The three exchanged glances, seeing the confusion in each other's eyes: "Dumplings made by your mom?"

"My parents kicked me out. They said since we've already gathered, I shouldn't disturb their sleep late at night. No choice, I have to come seek refuge with you."

The man, carrying three thermal buckets, walked unsteadily under the streetlights of the residential area. After glancing up at the brightly lit spot of Cheng Hao's home, Zhou Yi sighed helplessly: "You know, the place I live is relatively small."

"... Alright then. We've only just started our late-night snack. Come over."

"Almost there, almost there. A few minutes."

After hanging up the phone, Sun Yanzi, her eyes full of curiosity, asked: "Zhou Yi isn't spending the New Year at home?"

"Is it possible that this place is also his home?"

Watching Xiao Yaxuan, noncommittal, gave Cheng Hao a meaningful glance. The latter, facing the gaze directed at her, made no excessive reaction, simply offering a simple smile.

As their gazes met, no extraordinary sparks were ignited between them.

After all, she, Watching Xiao Yaxuan, was a wealthy woman who adhered to the philosophy of remaining unmarried.

Ten minutes later, as Zhou Yi entered Cheng Hao's home carrying the thermal buckets, the first thing he saw was the three women, drinking beer and laughing uncontrollably.

"Since you're here, why bring gifts? Really..."

Sun Yanzi, with two rosy clouds already spreading across her cheeks, happily opened the thermal container. Smelling the aroma of the dumplings, she contentedly raised her hand to hook around Zhou Yi's shoulder, let out a burp, and said: "Next time, you shouldn't let your mom work so hard."

"How much have you drunk tonight?"

Zhou Yi raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I haven't drunk that much."

Sun Yanzi, who had to pick at a dumpling three times before finally putting it in her mouth, struggled to widen her eyes and said seriously: "I originally planned to go out and set off fireworks, but Cheng Hao said fireworks and firecrackers are banned in the Imperial Capital. As public figures, we certainly can't violate the rules."

Cheng Hao, who was also slightly tipsy tonight, nodded with a smile at the corner of her mouth: "That's right."

After a flurry of tipsy chatter from everyone, even Watching Xiao Yaxuan, who drank the least, started losing her inhibitions half an hour later, completely putting aside everything in her heart to enjoy this rare late night.

Sun Yanzi, half-drunk, even held a pair of chopsticks in her hand as a microphone, plopped down on the sofa, and started singing karaoke on the spot—

"Your enthusiasm, hey! Is like a fire, hey, igniting my desert, oh~"

Sun Yanzi, lying on the sofa like a boneless cat, flashed her shiny front teeth. After running her hand through the short hair scattered across her forehead, she sang loudly while drunk: "Even the sun, when it sees me! Will hide from me, hey!"

At this point, Sun Yanzi, whether on purpose or by accident, happened to be singing while looking directly at Zhou Yi.

Under the man's surprised gaze, Sun Yanzi, who broke character while singing, burst out laughing. She tilted her head, changed direction, and fell onto the sofa, her forehead resting on the cushion. While unconsciously curling her legs, she grinned happily: "Even the sun, when it sees me! Will hide from me, hey! Even he will fear this fire of my love~ Haha..."

(End of this chapter)