Can I come visit you on set?

Shandong, at Yin Zhengchuan's home.

He sprang out of his traditional armchair as though he had been electrocuted, his eyes wide as he stared at his phone. His expression shifted between smiles and astonishment, quite a spectacle.

Qin Qin, who was drinking tea at the golden-thread nanmu tea table, glanced at him and said, "What's wrong? Is the chair burning your ass?"

Yin Zhengchuan exclaimed in delighted surprise, "Dad, he messaged me!!!"

Qin Qin chuckled. Though he was already in his forties, his features were still handsome.

He teased him lightly, "Well, well, finally. Ever since you came back from registering your marriage, you've changed your WeChat name eight times a day, with all that lovesickness written right into it. You just wanted to message your wife on WeChat, didn't you? Why make it so hard? One message from your wife and you're acting like Fan Jin passing the imperial exam. What did my son-in-law send you? Let Dad help you figure it out."

"No way. We're chatting on our own!" With that, Yin Zhengchuan went thundering off toward his room.

Qin Qin called after him, "Ask my son-in-law when he's coming to stay for a while, and where you two plan to settle down. Oh, and don't forget to pick your sister up from the training center at noon!"

"Got it!"

Qin Qin took a sip of tea and shook his head with a smile.

He thought, Ah, my son is great in every way, but he's such an idiot when it comes to love. Luckily, fools have their own luck, and he stumbled into marrying the person he likes. Otherwise, with how clueless he is, he'd suffer in love no matter how handsome he was.

Yin Zhengchuan ran through the Nine-Turn Covered Corridor, passed through the Plum Blossom Gate, bounded over the arched bridge in a few steps, and returned to his room, shutting the door tight. He sat down at his desk and took several deep breaths before replying with slightly trembling hands, "I was just about to message you."

Wei Zisu replied instantly, "Yeah, I saw."

Yin Zhengchuan froze for a moment, then realized the "typing" indicator at the top must have given him away. Instantly embarrassed, he rubbed a hand haphazardly over his face and typed, "I was just going to ask how you've been these past few days..."

It didn't seem right, so he deleted it and typed again, "Has filming been tiring lately?"

He hesitated again and deleted that too. He ruffled his hair in frustration, unsure what to say to his newlywed wife.

Leaning against a stone lion, Wei Zisu saw that he was falling into his old habit again and asked, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

A moment later, Yin Zhengchuan replied, "My dad asked me to ask when you can come over for a visit."

As soon as he sent it, Yin Zhengchuan immediately added, "I don't mean to rush you. I know filming is hard work. Make sure you take care of yourself on set."

After sending it, he read it over himself and slapped his forehead. "What am I even saying?"

Wei Zisu replied, "If everything goes smoothly, we'll finish filming early next month. I'll definitely visit your father in Shandong then."

Your father?

Wei Zisu thought, Isn't it a little inappropriate to address him like that when we're already married? But calling him Dad before we've even met would be even stranger. Forget it, I'll stick with that for now and change what I call him when we meet.

Overjoyed, Yin Zhengchuan hugged his phone and grinned foolishly as he counted the days.

Wei Zisu added, "It's not tiring on set. Things are pretty good. It's been hot lately, so you and your father should be careful of heatstroke."

It was the height of summer, with temperatures over thirty degrees. Whether they were growing vegetables in the fields or going out to sell them, it would be miserable. He hoped they wouldn't get heatstroke.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to pass your concern on to them."

Yin Zhengchuan felt incredibly warm inside.

He picked at his thumbnails with each other for a long while, then gritted his teeth and asked, "Can I come visit you on set?"

That sentence had used up almost all his courage.

Wei Zisu was slightly taken aback when he saw the message. After thinking it over, he replied, "It's too far. Better not."

Thinking of all the transfers Yin Zhengchuan would have to make, he felt it would be too exhausting.

Somewhat disappointed, Yin Zhengchuan tried once more. "It's not far. I happen to be heading south on business in a couple of days, and I'll be passing through Hengdian."

He quietly waited for a reply.

A few seconds later, Wei Zisu said, "All right. Let me know when you get here, and I'll send you the location."

"Yes!!!" Clutching his phone, Yin Zhengchuan bounced up and down, patting his mouth with one hand and making hooting noises.

Qin Qin could hear him from a courtyard away. He said to his husband, who had just returned, "Your son turns back into a monkey when he falls in love."

Yin Changjun smiled, walked behind his wife, and massaged his shoulders. "He can turn into a monkey all he likes, as long as he doesn't disturb the two of us."

Qin Qin gave him a playfully reproachful smile and rolled his eyes, then picked up his phone and held it before his husband's eyes. "Look, he's changed his WeChat name again."

Yin Changjun was a little farsighted. He put on his reading glasses and frowned at the large, decidedly improper words: "Hehehe hohoho."

"How disgraceful," Yin Changjun said. "That great oaf, using the national flag as his profile picture with a name like that. I'm going to teach him a lesson!"

"Zisu, it's your turn to get your makeup changed!!"

"Coming!"

Wei Zisu answered and stood, quickly replying to Yin Zhengchuan, "I have to get back to work. Bye."

Just after sending it, he noticed that Yin Zhengchuan had changed his WeChat nickname to "Patriotism, dedication, integrity, friendship."

Wei Zisu: ...

Why did those black letters look redder the longer I looked at them?

He put his phone away, gulped down a bottle of mineral water, and headed toward the makeup room.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Wei Zisu?"

An extremely affected voice came from behind him. Wei Zisu knew who it was without turning around.

Yuan Zizhen had two assistants with him, one holding a parasol and the other carrying a bag. He slowly approached with his arms folded and said, "I saw someone sitting here from a distance and thought it was a beggar. Now that I'm closer, sure enough, it really is a beggar. Hahahahaha..."