Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

As the sun set, it bathed the entire Room 8 in a warm, orange-red hue.

Meng Ziyi stood in the courtyard, watching the three people walk in from the gate, her brows slowly furrowing into a knot.

Guo Qilin led the way, swaggering inside, followed by Wang Sulong and Li Xueqin.

"What are you three doing here?" Meng Ziyi put her hands on her hips, trying to project some authority as the host.

Guo Qilin didn't even lift an eyelid, walking straight past her: "Eating! What else could you be doing?"

When Wang Sulong passed by Meng Ziyi, he stopped and greeted her with a smile: "Hello, Sister Meng."

Li Xueqin waved and said, "Hello, Sister Meng."

Then the two followed Guo Qilin closely and went into the house without looking back.

Meng Ziyi looked at the three people's backs, opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Whose house is this?

Inside the house, Li Xueqin took a deep breath as soon as she entered, her eyes instantly lighting up: "Wow, I can smell the braised pork! It smells amazing!"

In the kitchen, Li Ran was busy at the stove, while Hu Lianxin stood beside him, helping him.

Guo Qilin peered into the kitchen, his nose twitching, and asked, "Xiao Ranzi, when is dinner served?"

Li Ran glanced back at him, then saw Wang Sulong and Li Xueqin following behind him, and couldn't help but laugh: "Not content with just one free meal at noon, you brought two more people over for dinner?"

Wang Sulong immediately chimed in, clutching his chest and feigning injury: "What, aren't you welcoming your brother? Your brother canceled other dinner engagements to come here specifically."

Zhou Ye was nestled on the sofa with Ta Xue in his arms. Hearing this, he pouted and looked down at the Schnauzer in his arms, saying, "Of course he's not welcome. Ta Xue, bite him."

Ta Xue barked twice in response, "Woof! Woof!" while wagging its tail happily.

Amused, Wang Sulong crouched down in front of the sofa and reached out to pat Ta Xue's head: "Hey, this little thing is quite fun!"

Meng Ziyi quickly spoke up to remind it, "It doesn't allow you to touch it casually. I've tried several times..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Wang Sulong's hand already on Taxue's head.

Instead of dodging, Ta Xue squinted her eyes, snuggled comfortably into his palm, and wagged her little tail even more enthusiastically.

Wang Sulong looked up at Meng Ziyi, his face innocent: "Isn't it being quite well-behaved? Why won't it let me touch it?"

Meng Ziyi stood there stunned, her face showing an expression as if she had swallowed a live frog.

Zhou Ye burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking with laughter, and explained with a smile, "Ta Xue... won't let Sister Meng touch it."

Guo Qilin also came over to watch the commotion, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Wow, this dog is being discriminated against?"

Meng Ziyi looked unconvinced and reached out to touch Ta Xue again.

Ta Xue glanced at her, turned her head, and buried herself directly in Zhou Ye's arms, leaving Meng Ziyi with only her proud back of her head.

Meng Ziyi's hand hung in mid-air, unsure whether to pull it back or extend it.

Ta Xue nestled in Zhou Ye's arms, her round eyes looking innocently at everyone, completely bewildered as to why she had become the center of attention.

Wang Sulong squatted there, still trying to get closer to Taxue: "Little one, aren't we destined to be together? How about you hang out with Brother Long from now on?"

Ta Xue glanced at him and yawned.

Wang Sulong: "..."

Li Xueqin: "Hahahaha!"

Meng Ziyi stood aside, watching Ta Xue suddenly become indifferent to Wang Sulong again, and her mood suddenly improved a little.

As night fell completely, warm yellow lights illuminated the courtyard of Room 8.

The place was bustling with activity, both inside and out.

Guo Qilin, Wang Sulong, Li Xueqin, plus Li Ran, Zhou Ye, Hu Lianxin, Meng Ziyi, Zhang Han, Lai Guanlin, who originally lived in Room 8...

Nine people filled the small living room of room number eight to the brim.

Meng Ziyi stood at the door and counted, then muttered to herself, "There are only a dozen or so people in Peach Blossom Village? More than half of them are staying here tonight."

Guo Qilin had already nestled into the sofa as if they were old friends, crossing his legs: "That just means your Room 8 is popular."

Wang Sulong's gaze fell on the direction of the kitchen: "Whether it's popular or not is another matter, but the food smells really good."

In the kitchen, Li Ran was busy at the stove.

He had only planned to cook the leftovers from lunch, but now that there were three more mouths to feed, he had to add a few more dishes.

"Sister Meng, make way." Hu Lianxin, carrying a plate of food, passed by her and squeezed her aside.

"Sister Meng, make way." Zhou Ye also passed by her with a plate of food and squeezed her to the other side.

Meng Ziyi stood there, feeling like a superfluous door god.

Dishes were served one after another.

The braised pork belly is a bright red color, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, piled high on the plate, and the sauce is so thick that it clings to the chopsticks.

The stuffed bell peppers were neatly arranged in a circle, their skins slightly wrinkled from being fried, and the filling inside was almost overflowing.

The stir-fried beef with yellow peppers was piled high, and the aroma of cilantro and chili peppers mixed with the meat's fragrance wafted into my nose.

Stir-fried garlic sprouts with pork, stir-fried eggplant, potatoes, and green peppers, sweet and sour pork, stir-fried dried tofu with green peppers, stir-fried bok choy, and a large bowl of radish and pork rib soup, all steaming hot, are placed in the center of the table.

The already small dining table was crammed full, with plates next to plates and bowls bumping against each other, leaving almost no room to put chopsticks.

Nine people sat in a circle, but there weren't enough chairs. Guo Qilin and Lai Guanlin squeezed into one, Li Xueqin and Meng Ziyi squeezed into another, and Wang Sulong occupied one by himself, saying that "guests should have the dignity of guests."

Wang Sulong's gaze swept across the table, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "Oh my, sweet and sour pork? Three delicacies from the earth? Stir-fried green peppers and dried tofu?"

He looked up at Li Ran, his face filled with surprise: "Little brother Li Ran, you can cook Northeastern cuisine? I must try it!"

Li Ran was handing chopsticks to Zhou Ye when she heard this. She smiled but didn't reply.

These Northeastern dishes were all learned by him from Liu Haocun's mother when he accompanied Liu Haocun back to his hometown.

But it's not convenient to say this.

Wang Sulong had already picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, his eyes widened instantly.

"Mmm..." he mumbled, covering his mouth, "This tastes amazing! It's just as good as my mom's!"

Guo Qilin didn't have time to speak, his chopsticks moving back and forth between the dishes, his cheeks bulging...

While eating, Zhou Ye secretly fed Ta Xue some minced meat, but was caught by Li Ran's glance and guiltily withdrew his hand.

……

After finishing their meal, the group collapsed onto the sofa, unable to move.

Guo Qilin patted his belly, looking satisfied: "Little Ranzi, with your cooking skills, I really need to rent an apartment next to yours."

Wang Sulong leaned back in his chair and said leisurely, "Why rent a place? You can just move in."

Li Xueqin let out a burp and suddenly suggested, "How about we play something? It's so boring just sitting here."

Meng Ziyi immediately perked up: "Truth or Dare! Want to play?"

Guo Qilin raised his hand: "I agree!"

Zhou Ye looked at Li Ran, then at Hu Lianxin, and nodded: "Okay."

Lai Kuan-lin asked in a low voice, "Brother Han, wanna play?"

Zhang Han hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

So the table was cleaned up, and the nine people sat in a circle again.

The bottles were readily available; an empty beer bottle was placed on the table, and it spun quite smoothly.

On the first lap, the bottle opening was aligned with Wang Sulong.

"Truth or Dare?" Meng Ziyi asked with a mischievous grin.

Wang Sulong thought for a moment and said, "Let's be honest and play it safe."

Meng Ziyi immediately asked, "Is there anyone in the industry you like?"

Wang Sulong paused for a moment, then laughed: "That's a question... Yes, but it's not the kind of liking you're thinking of."

Li Xueqin pressed further, "Which one?"

Wang Sulong said in a serious tone: "It's because I love music."

Everyone: "..."

Guo Qilin: "Your answer is cheating."

Wang Sulong retorted confidently, "You didn't say I couldn't answer like that."

On the second lap, the bottle opening was aligned with Li Xueqin.

Li Xueqin chose "truth or dare".

Zhou Ye asked, "When was the last time you felt your heart flutter?"

Li Xueqin thought about it carefully, then pointed to the sweet and sour pork on the table: "When I took the first bite just now..."

Everyone fell silent again.

Meng Ziyi complained, "Your threshold for being attracted to someone is way too low."

Li Xueqin shrugged: "There's nothing I can do. Being single for so long makes everything seem beautiful."

On the third lap, the bottle opening was aimed at Lai Kuan-lin.

Lai Kuan-lin was a little nervous and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I choose... Truth or Dare."

Guo Qilin's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "Go, say a cheesy pickup line to one of the women in the room."

Lai Kuan-lin's face flushed red.

He stood up and his gaze swept across the faces of several girls... Zhou Ye, Hu Lianxin, Meng Ziyi, and Li Xueqin.

Finally, he walked up to Hu Lianxin, took a deep breath, and said, "You... do you know why I love spring so much?"

Hu Lianxin looked at him expressionlessly.

Lai Kuan-lin forced himself to continue: "Because...because spring has you."

The room was silent for a second.

Then Guo Qilin was the first to applaud: "Great! So rustic! So authentic!"

Li Xueqin laughed so hard she slapped her thigh.

Zhou Ye's lips twitched, and he subconsciously looked at Li Ran, who had a smile on his face but narrowed his eyes slightly.

Hu Lianxin looked at Lai Guanlin expressionlessly and slowly said, "Finished? Sit down if you're done."

Lai Kuan-lin returned to his seat sheepishly, feeling as if he had accomplished an impossible task.

Meng Ziyi leaned close to Hu Lianxin's ear and whispered, "Why aren't you reacting at all?"

Hu Lianxin glanced at her but didn't say anything.

But in her heart she was thinking: These cheesy pickup lines are not as touching as a single look from Li Ran.

On the fourth lap, the bottle opening was aligned with Li Ran.

Li Ran raised an eyebrow: "Truthfully."

Wang Sulong immediately raised his hand, a mischievous grin on his face: "I'll ask you! Li Ran, among the female guests here, if you had to choose one to date, who would you choose?"

The room fell silent the moment the question was asked.

Zhou Ye lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously stroking Ta Xue's fur.

Hu Lianxin picked up her water glass and took a sip, but her gaze drifted toward Li Ran.

Meng Ziyi stared wide-eyed, with an expression that suggested she was about to witness a good show.

Li Xueqin covered her face: "Brother Long, are you trying to stir up trouble?"

Li Ran was silent for two seconds, then smiled.

He raised his head, looked at Wang Sulong, and slowly said, "This question..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the table before finally settling on one direction.

"I choose..."

Ta Xue suddenly barked.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Wang Sulong laughed and scolded, "Are you a sycophant, my dog? There to help you out of trouble?"

Zhou Ye hugged Taxue and kissed him, a smile creeping onto his lips. He slowly said, "Good son, you're a little male dog."

Li Ran smiled and didn't continue the topic.

……

I played the game until 10 p.m.

Guo Qilin yawned and stood up: "I can't take it anymore, I have to go back to sleep, there's a spring outing tomorrow."

Wang Sulong also stood up and waved to Li Ran: "Little brother Li Ran, I'll remember this meal. I'll treat you to something nice another day."

Li Xueqin followed behind, turning back to wave to the girls: "See you tomorrow!"

The three of them staggered and disappeared into the night.

Night had fallen, and room number eight finally fell silent.

Zhang Han and Lai Guanlin lived on the first floor, and the light in their room had long been extinguished through the crack in the door.

On the second floor, there are two bedrooms. Zhou Ye, Hu Lianxin, and Meng Ziyi squeeze into one room, while Li Ran lives alone in the next room.

After taking a shower, Li Ran, with her hair still wet, wiped it off and lay down on the bed.

He glanced at his phone; Tian Xiwei's video call had just come in.

"Still not asleep?" On the screen, Tian Xiwei was wearing pajamas, her hair loosely tied up, and she looked like she had just taken a shower.

"Just finished." Li Ran propped his phone up on the pillow, lying on his side as he looked at her. "What about you? Finished work early today?"

"Hmm, not many scenes today." Tian Xiwei leaned closer to the screen, carefully examining him. "How's it going on your end? Is Peach Blossom Village fun?"

Li Ran smiled and said, "It was alright. I cooked a meal today, and everyone was fighting over it."

"Of course, your cooking is so delicious." Tian Xiwei proudly raised her chin, as if she were praising herself.

The two chatted for a while longer. Tian Xiwei yawned, and Li Ran checked the time; it was almost midnight.

"Go to sleep! You have filming tomorrow."

Tian Xiwei nodded and kissed the camera: "Goodnight."

"Good night."

After hanging up the video call, Li Ran placed her phone on the bedside table and was just about to turn off the light...

The door opened.

Hu Lianxin tiptoed in and closed the door behind her.

Li Ran's hand froze in mid-air. Looking at her, he couldn't help but laugh: "What are you doing here?"

Hu Lianxin walked over as if it were the most natural thing in the world and sat down on the edge of his bed: "I'll sleep with you."

Li Ran raised an eyebrow and glanced at the fire sprinklers on the ceiling: "They're all cameras. What are you going to do?"

"They're all turned off at night, so don't tell me you didn't unplug them."

Hu Lianxin glanced in the direction of his gaze, completely unconcerned. "Besides, if we really get photographed, it's just a matter of you saying a word."

Before Li Ran could reply, she had already lifted the covers and crawled in, naturally lying down next to him and snuggling closer to find a comfortable position.

"You don't do anything, you just hug me to sleep." She said matter-of-factly, turning her back to him and pressing her back against his chest.

Li Ran looked down at the top of her dark hair, remained silent for two seconds, and then smiled helplessly.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, the faint scent of shampoo lingering around his nose.

Li Ran suddenly spoke up, his voice very low: "What's going on with that Lai Guanlin?"

Hu Lianxin shifted in his arms and said sullenly, "What else could it be? You're my rival in love."

Li Ran raised an eyebrow.

Hu Lianxin continued, her tone tinged with disdain: "He's probably trying to create a CP (couple pairing) with me. He kept glancing my way at the supermarket today, and even asked me to put food on his plate during dinner... Did I even acknowledge him?"

She rolled over, looked up at Li Ran, her eyes shining in the dim light: "What's wrong, are you jealous?"

Li Ran looked down at her, a slow smile curving his lips: "What do you think?"

Hu Lianxin didn't say anything, but snuggled closer to him and buried her face in his chest.

After a while, her voice came through in a muffled tone: "Don't worry, I'm not interested in that kind of brat."

Li Ran tightened his grip on her arm and slowly said, "You're only a year older than him, right?"

"But I like someone who can take care of me, I'm not interested in younger brothers." Hu Lianxin pouted.

The next room.

Meng Ziyi turned over and looked at the bed opposite her.

Zhou Ye lay on his side, holding Taxue in his arms. Both of them had their eyes closed. Taxue's breathing was even, and occasionally its tail would gently swish.

Meng Ziyi turned over again and looked at the bed next to her.

It was empty; the blankets were neatly folded, and there was no one there.

She glanced at the time again; it was almost 12:30.

"Why did Xiao Hu take so long?" she couldn't help but ask, her voice low. "Did her legs go numb?"

Zhou Ye opened his eyes, glanced at her, and said nothing.

Meng Ziyi thought she hadn't heard her, so she repeated, "Xiao Hu, why did you take so long to go to the restroom? Should we go check on you?"

Zhou Ye paused for two seconds, then slowly asked, "Sister Meng, do you really believe she went to the bathroom?"

Meng Ziyi was taken aback: "Huh? What else?"

Zhou Ye didn't answer, but just looked at her with a hint of "What do you think?" in his eyes.

Meng Ziyi's brain was racing. Two seconds later, she suddenly widened her eyes and opened her mouth into an "O" shape.

"You mean...she...she..."

She lowered her voice, her finger trembling as she pointed towards the next room, "Is she really that bold? This is a TV show being filmed!"

Zhou Ye withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and patted Taxue's head, saying in a calm tone, "She has always been very bold."

Meng Ziyi sat frozen on the bed, speechless for a long time.

In the next room, Hu Lianxin was already asleep in Li Ran's arms, breathing evenly, her eyelashes fluttering gently, sleeping soundly.

Li Ran looked down at her, the moonlight casting a soft halo on her face.

Li Ran looked down at her, the moonlight casting a soft halo on her face.

He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead behind her ear.

Hu Lianxin mumbled something in her sleep and snuggled closer to him.

Li Ran smiled and hugged her even tighter...