Cold Rainy Night

Xiang Xiaotian's birthday party lasted from noon until the afternoon.

At the banquet, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely, and the wine flowed freely.

Xiang Xiaotian, the birthday girl, was all smiles today, surrounded by everyone, naturally becoming the center of attention. Friends and relatives around her showered her with compliments.

Xiang Detao and his wife raised their glasses and toasted everyone in turn. Xiang Detao, in particular, had a rosy face and looked exceptionally smug.

"Old Xiang, the one you mentioned last time, Xiao Tian's..." Xiang's extended family, including aunts, uncles, and other relatives, took the opportunity to ask in a low voice while drinking.

"Look, the person is over there," Xiang Detao gestured from a distance.

The crowd followed the gaze.

In the distance, amidst the crowd, a figure stood out—handsome and dashing, so strikingly handsome that a single glance was enough to captivate anyone's attention.

"So that's the one!"

Seeing the heartfelt sighs of admiration from the man's friends and family, he thought to himself, "He truly is an exceptional man. No wonder the Xiang family girl has such discerning eyes; she's determined to be with him."

A moment later, as Zhang Yang was chatting freely among the young people, he was suddenly approached by a constant stream of people offering him toasts.

Their tone and words made it seem as if they were treating him as the Xiang family's future son-in-law, which caught him off guard.

Only Xiang Xiaotian stood aside, secretly smiling happily.

People kept coming over to toast him, and Zhang Yang felt he couldn't stay any longer, so he decided to go out alone to get some fresh air.

As soon as I stepped outside, a light drizzle began to fall.

One autumn rain brings a chill.

"It's raining?" Zhang Yang muttered to himself.

My phone suddenly vibrated slightly. I picked it up and saw that it was a message from Tian Chuxi.

"There's a rain scene, how about we shoot it today? It's a rare opportunity."

Zhang Yang glanced at it but didn't reply for the time being.

He knew that this scene needed to be filmed outdoors, not indoors, and that the setting needed to be on a rainy day. Although props could be used to create the effect of rain, it wouldn't be as good as a real rainy day.

However, they had just made plans to go to a nightclub together tonight and have some fun, and now Tian Chuxi is asking him to go to a film shoot?

Everything happened at once?

"Brother Zhang, why are you out here?" Xiang Xiaotian, dressed in her finest attire, affectionately clung to Zhang Yang's arm.

"I came out for some fresh air, it's a bit stuffy." Zhang Yang smiled. "By the way, you're the main character, what are you doing out here? Let's go back."

"I'll go in a bit. I just wanted to stand with you for a while." Xiang Xiaotian stood smiling beside Zhang Yang, An An keeping him company. "Perfect timing, I also feel a bit stuffy in there."

The two stood outside for a very long time.

After a while, Zhang Yang patted Xiang Xiaotian's slender waist.

"It's time to go back."

"Okay, I'll go first, Brother Zhang, come quickly." Xiang Xiaotian obediently replied, smiling as she turned and went back first.

Zhang Yang looked down at the question mark Tian Chuxi had sent later, seemingly waiting for his reply.

After thinking about it, he decided to chat with Tian Chuxi for a while.

"I have something to do tonight, does it have to be today?"

"It's not that it has to be today, it's just that it happened to be raining. This is a rare opportunity, and who knows when we'll get another chance," Tian Chuxi texted. "If you're busy tonight, we can film other scenes first, and you can come later."

"I have to stay up all night filming a movie?" Zhang Yang chuckled. "Is there overtime pay?"

"Please, do you, Mr. Zhang, care about my pittance?" Tian Chuxi sent a string of emojis. "I'll send you the address."

A short while later, Tian Chuxi tacitly acknowledged Zhang Yang's agreement and even sent him the specific address.

Zhang Yang glanced at it; it was quite far, specifically on Hundred-Zhang Ridge, near Hangzhou.

Recalling how she asked Tian Chuxi to help her Soup King Hotpot a few days ago, she agreed without hesitation. It is said that because of her casual sharing of her daily life, Soup King Hotpot actually became the king of Vientiane City in Vientiane City.

For a time, they were the most popular.

It was a twist of fate, you could say.

Considering all this, Zhang Yang naturally couldn't bring himself to refuse. Fine, he might have to work through the night; since he had agreed to participate, he would certainly cooperate fully.

In the late afternoon, after dinner, a group of friends went to a nearby nightclub to party all night.

Luxury cars flocked to the area.

Even in this well-known nightclub in Hangzhou, it was considered to be an unprecedentedly grand event.

Zhang Yang arrived late, sitting in his Phantom.

When he entered the nightclub, he discovered that it had been turned into a private event by someone. Apart from their friends, only girls were allowed in, and all the boys were to stay away.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Zhang, over here!" Xiang Xiaotian waved from afar.

Zhang Yang smiled and walked towards the booth, sitting down next to Xiang Xiaotian. He took the opportunity to look at the venue's setup and the large screen...

On the large screen, videos of Xiang Xiaotian's daily life were playing.

With long black hair, fair skin, and a beautiful appearance, she exudes the air of a wealthy and noble woman.

There were also subsequent well wishes from members of the car club, and a fleeting group photo of Rolls-Royce.

A true "rich, beautiful, and fair-skinned" woman.

The girls present all looked up silently, their eyes filled with longing and envy. At the same time, they all looked at the person in the room, who was even more beautiful and elegant in person than in real life.

Perhaps it's precisely because she's such a dazzling, wealthy, and beautiful woman that she's worthy of the handsome man beside her?

They all turned their gaze to the Xiang Xiaotian, a boy so strikingly handsome that it made their hearts flutter.

"Brother Zhang, it seems like all the girls are looking at you," Xiang Xiaotian whispered in Zhang Yang's ear.

"Where?" Zhang Yang looked around curiously.

Sure enough, he looked in that direction and saw several girls hurriedly turning their eyes away, trying to cover up their secrets. He couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

Zhang Yang has let someone else steal the spotlight tonight.

Those car club members might not be able to afford gifts worth millions, but they can definitely make a splash at nightclubs and become nightclub princes or something.

So tonight, the Divine Dragon dance continues, with a group of people going back and forth, vying for supremacy.

Zhang Yang and Xiang Xiaotian sat in a booth, watching their performance and experiencing the nightclub atmosphere for the night.

"Brother Zhang, really not going to get some drinks?" Xiang Xiaotian sat down next to him and pushed over a glass of freshly poured Ace of Spades.

"No, thank you." Zhang Yang thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Tian, I want to talk to you about something. I have something to do tonight, so I'll be leaving soon."

"Huh?" Xiang Xiaotian was taken aback, and her eyes immediately showed a hint of disappointment. "You're leaving already? You just got here... If you're not here tonight, I can't stay any longer."

"You can do your thing, it's not like I have to be here," Zhang Yang said, amused. "Besides, isn't everyone here?"

"But it's just not the same without you." Xiang Xiaotian tilted her head up and leaned closer. "Last time I said I had a gift for you on my birthday that I wanted to give back to you, did you forget? I thought I'd give it to you today."

Seeing the tender affection in Xiang Xiaotian's eyes, Zhang Yang's heart stirred slightly, but then he remembered that he had already promised Tian Chuxi.

"How about another day?"

"But today is special. After today, it won't have any special meaning," Xiang Xiaotian muttered softly, then suddenly thought of something, "How about I walk with you?"

"Together?" Zhang Yang blinked.

"Yeah, it's not something special that makes it inconvenient for me to be there, is it?" Xiang Xiaotian blinked and asked with a half-smile.

"What are you thinking? Okay... it's no big deal to tell you." Zhang Yang decided not to hide it anymore. Seeing the curiosity in Xiang Xiaotian's eyes, he simply told her the whole story.

"So, that's about it. I have to go over tonight to help her film a night scene."

"What!" Xiang Xiaotian's eyes lit up. "Brother Zhang, you're actually in Tian Chuxi's new drama? I want to go! I want to go!"

"It's raining outside," Zhang Yang emphasized again. "It's late at night, so it's fine for me to suffer a bit, since I promised. But for you, today is your birthday? Are you going to come with me into the rain?"

"I don't care, I want to go! Brother Zhang, please take me!" Xiang Xiaotian grabbed Zhang Yang's arm and shook it, using her charm to get his attention.

Zhang Yang, unable to Xiang Xiaotian pestering, finally had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Alright, alright, if you want to go, you can come with me. Just tell your parents later."

Late at night, to abduct someone's daughter and not let her come home all night, one should at least inform them beforehand, both morally and logically.

"I love you, I'll tell them right now." Xiang Xiaotian cheered and hugged Zhang Yang, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Night was falling, but the nightclub atmosphere was still going strong.

"You all enjoy your drinks, Xiao Tian and I will head out first." Zhang Yang stood up and greeted everyone.

"Huh? Brother Zhang, you're leaving already?" Jin Yanchao, quite drunk, stammered as he stood up. "You and Xiao Tian, you two..."

It's hard for him not to overthink things, seeing a lone man and woman leaving together in the middle of the night.

The thought of a certain possibility caused Jin Yanchao a dull ache in his heart.

"Hey kid, what business is it of yours where Brother Zhang and Xiao Tian went?" Su Jiajun stood up and scolded with a laugh, shoving the somewhat dazed Jin Yanchao back down.

"Brother Zhang, you guys go ahead and get busy, we'll stay here and have some fun."

"Yes, yes, Brother Zhang, take care!"

There was an immediate chorus of responses, as if everyone understood what was going on, and no one was so tactless as to try to stop them at that moment.

Zhang Yang smiled, then pulled Xiang Xiaotian and walked straight out of the nightclub.

Stepping out of the nightclubs, you're immediately greeted by rain, mist, and a chill.

And the rain seems to be getting heavier.

"Is this weather going to work?" Zhang Yang muttered to himself as he looked at the weather.

Because the filming location was on a mountain... The main plot revolves around the female lead suffering amnesia after a car accident in the rain, which leads to a series of interactions with the male supporting character, played by Zhang Yang.

That's why the plot is so melodramatic.

During her amnesia, she fell in love with the male supporting character. Then, her memory returned, and she became conflicted and torn.

Putting the plot aside, if the rain gets any heavier, the mountain roads will become muddy, which would be extremely unsafe.

However, the production team must be more comprehensive in their considerations, so he probably doesn't need to worry about such a small matter.

With that thought in mind, he pulled Xiang Xiaotian and walked straight towards his Phantom.

Driving Phantom up the mountain in this heavy rain seems a bit of a waste, doesn't it?

"Let's get another car." Zhang Yang was still a little heartbroken about his nearly 20 million Phantom, so he simply hailed a taxi and headed straight for his destination, the mountain.

Throughout the journey, Xiang Xiaotian and Zhang Yang sat in the back row, unable to contain their curiosity and asking questions incessantly.

What's it like acting alongside Tian Chuxi?

What is Tian Chuxi like in real life?

She's a perfectly fine, rich, and beautiful woman, but she's become no different from those young girls who idolize celebrities.

"Celebrities are human too, with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. They're not as otherworldly as you imagine," Zhang Yang said after a moment's thought. "What you like is probably just your preconceived image."

"Then I'll choose a different person to idolize," Xiang Xiaotian suddenly said.

"Who?" Zhang Yang asked curiously.

"Brother Zhang, you..." Xiang Xiaotian's eyes lit up. "You've acted with Tian Chuxi before, so this drama is bound to make you a star. I'll be your number one fan!"

"No way! I don't want to make a living as a celebrity." Zhang Yang shook his head decisively.

Joke.

He's so carefree and relaxed right now. But if he were to take this path in the future, living under everyone's watchful eyes...

That kind of life is repulsive just thinking about it.

He has assets and a huge amount of cash; taking this path would be an utterly beneath him.

"But you can't stop people from spontaneously becoming your fans." Xiang Xiaotian gazed at Zhang Yang's handsome face in the night, and couldn't help but gently cup it in her hands, whispering softly, "In my heart, you are my super idol."

Zhang Yang saw deep admiration and adoration in Xiang Xiaotian's eyes.

To be honest, being looked at like that by such a beautiful, rich, and successful woman with almost worshipful eyes is a feeling that's hard to describe.

The night was filled with rain, and the journey was long.

Zhang Yang saw the live updates on the filming progress in the crew's internal group chat.

After an unknown amount of time, the car entered the mountain road, until it reached a desolate area with winding roads and swaying trees.

In the distance, scattered lights twinkled, and the faint sounds of people talking could be heard.

That should be where the film crew is located.

In the distance, the film crew's assistant director, holding an umbrella, jogged over to greet Zhang Yang.

"Chairman Zhang, Chairman Zhang, you've worked hard."

Zhang Yang got out of the car with Xiang Xiaotian, glanced back at the taxi, which was covered in mud and in a terrible state. He was immediately glad that he hadn't let Phantom come along.

"Come with me."

Zhang Yang put his arm Xiang Xiaotian, who was standing next to him, and the two shared an umbrella.

The executive director glanced curiously at the figure beside Zhang Yang. Although curious, he knew it was Chairman Zhang's female companion, so he didn't ask any further questions.

"By the way, how's the filming progress on Tian Chuxi's scenes?" Zhang Yang asked casually.

"They're still filming. You'll see when you get there," the assistant director said with a smile.

The crew was present on set.

Not far away, there were the film crew's vehicles and cars, as well as a nanny van for resting.

"You go and rest in the van for a while, I'll go check on things." Zhang Yang glanced at the heavy rain outside and gave Xiang Xiaotian a word of advice.

"But... I kind of want to watch it." Xiang Xiaotian's eyes were eager.

The mere rain seemed unable to dampen her curiosity and enthusiasm.

"Sweetie, sit down for a bit. I'll come and call you over later. After all, we're filming, so it's not something to be done casually," Zhang Yang said with a smile, gently ruffling Xiang Xiaotian's hair.