Chapter 9
Lu Bei rubbed his temples for a while before saying, "Okay."
Because of Jiang You's video, the guesthouse business improved somewhat. A small group of people came after seeing the video and were amazed by the scene. Even Aunt Li's small shop across the street became bustling.
In the evening, a black car drove into Wanhua Town.
In the back seat sat an elderly man with gray hair, exuding an imposing aura. However, he seemed to be in poor health, coughing softly every now and then. His eyes slightly closed as he leaned back in his seat.
"Mr. Zhou, it's getting late. Shall we go straight back to the capital?" the driver asked.
"Let's find a clean place to stay," said the elderly man called President Zhou.
The driver quickly agreed. This man behind him was no ordinary person. He couldn't afford to take responsibility if anything happened to him.
The old man was getting on in years, and having served in the military in his youth, he had suffered many hidden injuries, so his health had never been good. He had insisted on traveling this far to this small town because a former comrade-in-arms had passed away, and he felt he had to pay his respects.
Searching the entire town but couldn't find a particularly high-end hotel, the driver was starting to get anxious.
"This place will do," the old man behind him suddenly said.
The driver stopped the car and looked outside. They were right outside Tang Yao's guesthouse.
The guesthouse door was still open, revealing a garden and palace lanterns, along with the extended paintings, creating a hazy, beautiful scene in the night.
"Okay, please wait a moment. I'll go ask," the driver said, opening the car door and getting out.
Soon, he returned: "Mr. Zhou, there are rooms available. Would you like to stay here?"
The old man nodded: "This is fine. I'm too lazy to make a fuss. Don't be too nervous. When I was young, I slept in ditch-like pits and ate wild grass. I'm not that delicate."
The driver nodded and helped the old man out of the car. It was understandable that he was nervous. The old man was usually surrounded by many people, but today, because of the death of a comrade-in-arms, he specifically instructed that no one should accompany him. The old man was stubborn. Even his children couldn't handle him, so they could only instruct the driver to take good care of him.
As soon as Zhou Yunliang entered the guesthouse, he smelled a refreshing fragrance. The scent made him feel much more energetic.
The surrounding scenery was also beautiful. It was a pleasant surprise.
Tang Yao registered the two and then led them to their room.
"Boss, is the room clean? The sheets must be freshly changed. By the way, do you have any larger suites?" the driver kept asking.
Tang Yao patiently answered all his questions. “Alright, Xiao Sun, don’t make things difficult for the owner. Every place has its own charm. I think the abundance of plants and fresh air here is quite nice. I even feel better.” Zhou Yunliang spoke. Only then did the driver, Xiao Sun, stop his nagging.
“The 588 family room is already the largest in the guesthouse, but don’t worry, it’s absolutely clean. If you have any problems, you can ask me or the guesthouse staff.” Tang Yao had seen picky guests before. Her patience had been honed considerably in the quick transmigration world. Aside from morning grumpiness, she rarely lost her temper.
After settling the two in, Tang Yao turned and left.
The driver thoroughly checked the room inside and out. It really was as the owner had said—not a speck of dust. Only a five-star hotel’s presidential suite could achieve this level of cleanliness.
The family room was a two-bedroom, one-living room suite. It was decorated very warmly.
Xiao Sun came out of the bathroom and saw Zhou Yunliang standing by the living room window, looking at the beautiful night view outside.
The plants nearby were blooming with small purple flowers, emitting a faint, sweet fragrance. Smelling this scent, Xiao Sun felt his anxiety and restlessness lessen somewhat.
The next morning, when Xiao Sun got up, he found Zhou Yunliang already up, doing some simple stretches by the window.
"Mr. Zhou, apologies. I overslept," Xiao Sun quickly said.
"Young man, don't be so stressed. Sleeping in now and then is fine," Zhou Yunliang said. He seemed to be in a good mood. His spirits were also higher than the day before. Seeing this, Xiao Sun breathed a sigh of relief.
"I haven't slept this well in a long time," Zhou Yunliang remarked.
After quickly washing up, Xiao Sun went downstairs with Zhou Yunliang to have breakfast.
It wasn't the weekend, so the guesthouse wasn't crowded.
Zhou Yunliang and his companion had gotten up early. The restaurant was almost empty.
"This restaurant is quite interesting," Zhou Yunliang remarked.
Xiao Sun nodded in agreement, secretly taking out his phone to take some photos to show his girlfriend.
That morning, Xiao Li made dumplings, with various fillings including pork and scallion, beef and lotus root, etc.
Xiao Li, having been programmed with a cooking program, loved to experiment with food and strived for perfection in every dish.
So when the dumplings were served, almost every single one looked identical, as if machine-made.
Zhou Yunliang ate with great satisfaction. With his appetite whetted, he ordered another bowl. Even the driver was amazed. Everything here seemed to exceed his expectations.
After dinner, Zhou Yunliang and Xiao Sun strolled around the courtyard, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
Zhou Yunliang picked up his phone, filmed a short video, and sent it directly to a group chat.
This group consisted of older men of his generation, with a rather delicate relationship. They would occasionally meet for tea and chess, but when it came to business, they wouldn't yield an inch.
The younger generation had created the group for them, teaching them how to chat. The elderly men would occasionally exchange pleasantries and playful banter. A welcome spice in their lives.
The group members were probably busy and hadn't seen the message, but Zhou Yunliang didn't mind.
He strolled through the garden, doing the stretching exercises his doctor had instructed.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt much more comfortable.
While Zhou Yunliang was exercising, Xiao Sun received a call from Zhou Yunliang's son, Zhou Chen. Zhou Chen urged them to come home. It was time for their weekly checkup and he was worried about the old man being alone out there.
Although Zhou Yunliang liked the place, he checked out and left after lunch.
Before leaving, he received a keychain embroidered by Tang Yao. All the recent guests received one and was considered a reopening perk.
He only saw the message in the group chat when he was almost back in the capital.
In the blink of an eye, it was a few days before the filming of "Escape from the City."
As promised, Huang Yong arrived at the guesthouse early with his team to set up, film the pilot episode, and install cameras.
Tang Yao had already heard from Huang Yong that the area would need to be cleared during filming. She had closed the online booking channel and posted a "Temporarily Closed" notice on the door.
Returning to the guesthouse, Huang Yong was increasingly satisfied with its appearance.
The days flew by, and soon it was time for the live broadcast.
Early in the morning, the cameras were running. Tang Yao didn't go out; she stayed on her rooftop, opening the program live and watching the excitement.
One after another, vans drove into Wanhua Town. The residents, having vaguely heard that some kind of program was being filmed, still craned their necks to peek inside.
However, all the vans had black privacy film applied, making it impossible to see inside.
The vans stopped in front of the guesthouse and six people got out.
Among them were Shen Wentao, a veteran actor whom Tang Yao's mom admired; Du Meijuan, a former comedian; singer Ouyang Hua; female singer Zhang Qing; retired athlete Wu Yang; and finally, Zheng Xinrui, a newcomer to the entertainment industry.
They greeted each other politely on the surface.
Shen Wentao and Du Meijuan had both participated in the first season. The others had chosen to leave because the show wasn't popular.
They had no choice; this era was very unkind to faded stars. They had almost no work left and without variety shows, they had no income.
The last to arrive was the mystery guest that Huang Yong had teased on Weibo. As the car slowly pulled up, everyone's eyes involuntarily turned towards it.
Munching on snacks, Tang Yao watched the screen. She was also curious about the identity of the mystery guest. The chat was filled with speculation.
The car door opened, and a pair of long, slender legs came into view first.
Then, a man appeared on the screen.
The man had striking features; a tall and slender figure, and slightly messy black short hair. Dressed casually, he exuded a relaxed yet incredibly handsome aura, possessing a unique charm that drew everyone in.
While Tang Yao was still wondering who he was, tens of thousands of people flooded into the live stream in an instant.
The previously quiet live stream suddenly became bustling.
Tang Yao tried to find the answer in the chat, but all she found were screams and a barrage of "husband!"
Finally, she got the answer: the blushing newcomer, Zheng Xinrui, ran up to the man and greeted him.
"Mr. Lu Bei, I didn't expect you to participate in this variety show! I've always loved watching your movies."
Upon seeing this, the live chat exploded, with everyone clamoring for Zheng Xinrui to stay away from Lu Bei, telling her not to get close to this scheming woman, and so on.
Tang Yao couldn't help but click her tongue. These fans were too crazy. This was just a greeting; if he started dating someone, they'd be sending death threats!
Tang Yao did a quick online search. Lu Bei was an actor who had won the Best Actor award three times in a row. A true film emperor and every role he played was deeply memorable.
Tang Yao hadn't followed celebrities before, so she hadn't paid much attention to him, but he was indeed handsome; otherwise, so many fans wouldn't be so devoted to him.
Lu Bei's attitude was indifferent, but when facing veteran actors like Shen Wentao and Du Meijuan, his expression softened considerably.
The backstage data surged. Huang Yong nodded with satisfaction. It was worth the high price he paid to recruit Lu Bei. After exchanging pleasantries at the entrance, everyone headed into the guesthouse.
Tang Yao's gaze shifted from the screen to the entrance; now she could finally see it in person.
Everyone had seen the interior of the guesthouse in videos, but nothing quite captured the breathtaking experience of being there in person.