Jackie Chan's Enthusiasm

Although the two had spoken on the phone before, this was their first time meeting in person.

Jackie Chan, ever the social butterfly, didn't give Lin Yuan any chance to feel awkward.

Ignoring Lin Yuan's outstretched right hand, Jackie Chan instead embraced him in a warm hug.

Lin Yuan immediately recalled Jackie Chan's signature move: a hug followed by a kiss on the cheek, his usual way of showing affection.

He didn't just reserve this for women; men were equally subject to it.

To avoid getting a man's lipstick smudge on his face, Lin Yuan reciprocated the hug briefly before quickly pulling away.

Jackie Chan paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Welcome to Hong Kong Island. I'm finally meeting you."

Lin Yuan replied with a smile, "It's great to see you too. Where's Sister Ziyi? Why did you trouble yourself to pick me up?"

"She has a scene to catch tonight, so I told her not to worry and that I'd pick you up."

"Thank you for the trouble."

"If it were anyone else, I'd say something polite like 'no trouble at all.' But to you, I'll say it is trouble, and I want you to trouble me more. I'd be unhappy if you didn't."

Lin Yuan was a bit bewildered by Jackie Chan's enthusiasm.

While his own career had been on an upward trajectory recently, Jackie Chan was a senior in terms of experience, and their status and influence were worlds apart.

Lin Yuan wondered how much longer it would take him to achieve that kind of position and influence.

This wasn't Lin Yuan being overly modest; Jackie Chan had once said something incredibly powerful: "Name any place in the world, and I can find someone to look after you there."

It wasn't just talk. Later, when Jackie Chan was filming Kung Fu Yoga and needed luxury cars, the Dubai Prince immediately lent him dozens of his own cars for free.

When one of them was accidentally damaged during filming, the Prince not only waived any compensation but immediately bought an identical replacement to prevent continuity errors in the shots.

In contrast, even though The Fast and the Furious had reached its seventh installment and was already a major IP, the director was refused when he approached the same Dubai Prince to borrow luxury cars.

Incidents like these weren't isolated cases for Jackie Chan; they were too numerous to count.

Why would such a universally beloved superstar be so enthusiastic towards him?

"Since you're so welcoming, Brother Jackie Chan, I gratefully accept," Lin Yuan replied.

"That's right, that's how it should be. I thought Sister Ziyi had booked your flight, but I was surprised you bought an economy ticket yourself. I already feel I haven't hosted you properly. How about this: while you're filming in Hong Kong, you'll stay at my place. I have a house in Kowloon Tong that's currently empty. You can stay there," Jackie Chan said, patting Lin Yuan's shoulder with a smile.

Hearing Jackie Chan's words, Lin Yuan's first thought was: This is incredibly detailed and thoughtful.

For normal business interactions, people were usually arranged to stay in hotels. A presidential suite in a top luxury hotel, costing over a hundred thousand per night, would be enough to show consideration.

But Jackie Chan arranging for him to stay at his own home was a gesture of intimacy.

Moreover, arranging for Lin Yuan to stay in his luxurious residence in Kowloon Tong was also a carefully considered decision.

As a top figure like Jackie Chan, he surely had multiple residences on Hong Kong Island.

He hadn't arranged for Lin Yuan to stay in a Mid-Levels villa, a district where the wealthy gathered, which might create pressure and make him uncomfortable.

Instead, he chose Kowloon Tong, a place with a more relaxed atmosphere. All of this was clearly well-thought-out.

This unearned favor felt somewhat heavy to Lin Yuan.

However, good intentions shouldn't be casually refused, and deliberately maintaining distance would imply estrangement.

So, Lin Yuan smiled and replied, "I'll do as you say."

"That's the spirit. It's quite late now, so I'll take you to get settled. I'll arrange a welcome dinner for you tomorrow. Oh, right, are there any Hong Kong actresses you'd like to meet? I can invite them over."

Jackie Chan flashed a knowing smile.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to pass. The movie's filming schedule is the priority."

Although Lin Yuan knew such things were common in the entertainment industry, he didn't like or intend to get involved.

Jackie Chan nodded and didn't say anything further, leading Lin Yuan outside.

The night passed without incident.

"Because of love, love is love; feelings don't need to be generously given. No one needs to give me a beautiful era..."

This alarm tone... it was so 2000s, and so Hong Kong.

Lin Yuan reached out and silenced the alarm clock by his bedside. Without a moment's delay, he sat up briskly.

It was 7 AM. Although he had slept less than six hours, his energy had fully recovered.

He was in Hong Kong for work. This morning, he was scheduled to join the crew of Rush Hour 2 to formally discuss his cameo role with Jackie Chan. Being late would be highly impolite.

The minor injuries he had sustained a few days prior had mostly healed.

So it didn't matter whether Jackie Chan made a brief appearance or performed a short action scene.

Lin Yuan's room was on the second floor of the villa. After he pulled back the curtains, he saw a lush green bamboo forest in the courtyard. It was not only beautiful but also served to block outsiders from peeping in.

In Hong Kong Island, where every inch of land is precious, ordinary people would call a 90-square-meter house a luxury mansion.

The common citizens could only cram into apartments the size of pigeon coops.

As for Jackie Chan's mansion, it probably covered several acres, and it was in a prime location. Truly, some had too much while others had too little.

When Lin Yuan came downstairs, breakfast was already laid out in the dining room on the first floor.

There was Western-style bread, bacon, and milk, as well as Hong Kong-style rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings, and congee.

The housekeeper had arranged everything meticulously. He wasn't sure if his Chinese guest preferred Western or Chinese cuisine, so he had prepared a bit of everything.

Lin Yuan's tastes leaned more towards Chinese. Although his parents had passed away, he had developed a "Chinese stomach" since childhood.

After eating Western food for several consecutive meals, his stomach couldn't handle it.

The breakfast was delicious, and Lin Yuan quickly finished his food.

Then...

He picked up two steak knives from the dining table and put them into the inner pockets of his jacket.

Hong Kong Island's public safety wasn't as bad as depicted in movies, but that didn't stop Lin Yuan from taking precautions.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

As the sound of high heels approached, the dining room door was pushed open, and a beautiful woman in a black mini-suit walked in.

She had a pair of bright, expressive peach blossom eyes, and her smile was like a crescent moon.

It wasn't just her eyes that were beautiful; her slender figure and delicate features were just the basics.

What truly made her unforgettable at first glance was her temperament, a blend of gentleness and stubbornness.

This was a face born for the big screen, possessing an innate cool and sophisticated aura.

"You're not mad that I didn't pick you up last night, are you?"

"How could I be, Sister Ziyu? You've always cared for and helped me," Lin Yuan replied with a smile.

"You say that, and it makes me sound old, like your elder." Zhang Ziyi frowned slightly, but she clearly wasn't truly angry.

"You took good care of me when we were filming before, and recently you've enthusiastically helped connect me with Brother Jackie Chan. I'm truly grateful."

"You know I care about you? It's because you never make things easy! Look at you, you're all grown up, and you don't even clean your face after eating."

Zhang Ziyi pulled a tissue from the dining table and naturally raised her hand, gently wiping Lin Yuan's mouth.

Whether there were actually any crumbs, Lin Yuan didn't find it convenient to ask, nor did he need to know.

With such an intimate gesture, what else mattered?