Cheng Che prepared two dishes.
One dish is small pot rice noodles. The soup base is made with pork ribs and has a layer of red oil floating on top. The rice noodles slide into the bowl and are topped with minced meat, pickled vegetables, and chives.
Another dish is fried potatoes. The potatoes are cut into strips, fried until golden brown, and sprinkled with chili powder and chopped houttuynia cordata.
Yan Ruanning sat across the table, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the bowl of rice noodles.
You can do this too?
"Everyone in Spring City knows how to do it."
Yan Ruanning picked up her chopsticks, took a mouthful of rice noodles, and put it in her mouth.
She chewed twice, nodded, and then took another bite.
"Authentic," she said. "More authentic than the Caiyun Province restaurants I've had in Capital City."
Cheng Che smiled and served himself a bowl as well.
The two sat facing each other, eating quietly.
Yan Ruanning's fingers were still wrapped in tissues, but she ate with great focus, occasionally slurping up a mouthful of rice noodles and picking up a piece of potato.
"I've made up my mind," she said suddenly.
"What?"
"I'm renting a place here." She looked up at Cheng Che. "Could you ask Qin Lie if there are any vacancies in this building?"
Cheng Che nodded.
He remembered the 85 she had seen with the True Heart Glasses last time, and he also remembered her calling " Cheche " from the kitchen.
If she really wants to move in, he doesn't seem to have any reason to refuse.
After dinner, Cheng Che drove Yan Ruanning home.
She lives in an apartment in the eastern part of the city, not far from the East Fourth Ring Road.
The car stopped at the entrance of the residential area. Yan Ruanning got out of the car and glanced back at him.
"I'll have Xiao Zhou contact Qin Lie tomorrow."
"Good."
She waved to him, then turned and walked away.
Cheng Che watched her walk into the gate of the residential area, then started the car and drove back.
I had just gotten onto the main road when my phone rang.
It's Qin Lie.
" The Hang City Marathon starts the day after tomorrow," Qin Lie said. "The organizers have confirmed your registration information. When will you be there?"
"Tomorrow."
"I'll go with you?"
"No need," Cheng Che said. "I'll take Chen Wei. I'll go back to Capital City after the marathon."
Qin Lie paused for a moment on the other end of the phone.
"Okay," he said, "Then be careful."
After hanging up the phone, Qin Lie leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
He never really understood why Cheng Che would run marathons.
He's already made enough money from TV dramas and variety shows, his endorsements are progressing steadily, and his future in tennis is incredibly bright.
There's absolutely no need for him to run another marathon; it's exhausting, harmful to his health, and the prize money isn't much.
But then I thought about it again, Cheng Che does the same thing when he plays tennis.
He could easily make a living off his looks and popularity, but he insists on playing matches one by one.
I guess I really like him.
After all, with his physical condition, running a marathon is like taking a walk for him.
The next morning, Chen Wei arrived at Cheng Che's house on time.
Cheng Che had already packed his bags: a sports bag and a suitcase, not much.
He opened the door, Chen Wei stood outside, holding a folder in her hand.
"The hotel is booked," she said. " The Four Seasons Hotel Hang City at West Lake, a five-star hotel. It's not far from the marathon starting line, and the security is excellent."
Cheng Che nodded.
Although he is now wealthy, he doesn't stay in five-star hotels for the sake of luxury.
Good hotels have more comprehensive security systems, making it harder for fans and paparazzi to sneak in.
He is well aware of his popularity.
The two went down into the underground parking garage, Cheng Che started the Volvo and drove towards the airport.
Chen Wei sat in the passenger seat, opened a folder, and began reading out the day's schedule.
"Flight at 9:40, arriving in Hang City at 11:20. This afternoon I'll go to the marathon starting line to pick up my race materials and familiarize myself with the route. I need to get up at 6:00 tomorrow morning and meet at the starting line at 6:30."
"Good."
Upon arriving at the airport, the two completed the formalities and boarded the plane.
Cheng Che put on a mask and hat, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. Chen Wei looked at her phone beside him.
Unbeknownst to Cheng Che, the internet was already abuzz with news about him.
The program team of " Walking the Flower Road Together " officially announced its guest lineup yesterday.
Six people: three regular guests and three guest stars.
Cheng Che was one of the guest stars, but the production team placed him in the center position on the promotional poster.
At the same time, the cast of " The Youth Here " was also officially announced, with Cheng Che's name listed first, followed by several talented young actors.
The production team also released a public announcement seeking a female lead and supporting actresses.
The two pieces of news, combined, propelled Cheng Che into the top three trending topics.
The fans were overjoyed.
He's finally willing to reveal himself!
[Before, I could only watch sports to satisfy my cravings, but now I can finally watch variety shows and dramas!]
[Is South Korea the first stop of " Walking the Flower Road Together "? Does that mean I can see what he looks like on the streets of South Korea?]
[The drama " The Youth Here " is an ensemble piece, and he plays a student with athletic talent—the character is so perfectly suited to him!]
However, there were also many negative reviews, mainly focusing on the TV series.
[He's playing the male lead right off the bat? Has he ever acted before?]
[Is he formally trained? Has he taken acting classes? No? Then he's just here to make money.]
[A tennis player who doesn't focus on playing tennis instead comes to acting; his behavior is disgraceful.]
[A cameo in " North Star " lasting a few minutes—that's considered good acting? That's just playing yourself.]
These negative comments were quickly refuted by fans.
Some people cut out clips of Cheng Che in " North Star " and analyzed his eyes and the rhythm of his lines frame by frame.
Some people have dug up the character introductions from " The Youth Here " and pointed out that the character of the athletic student is highly consistent with Cheng Che Himself.
Another person said directly:
He was the top scorer in the national college entrance Zhuangyuan, a student at Peking University, and he still needs an acting coach to play a sports student?
The negative comments were suppressed, but many people have begun to wait and see if Cheng Che's first TV series can live up to expectations.
Cheng Che knew nothing about any of this.
He slept on the plane, and when he woke up, the plane had already begun its descent.
After leaving the airport, Chen Wei hailed a car, and the two went directly to the hotel.
The Four Seasons Hotel is located by West Lake. The lobby is not tall, but the decoration is exquisite.
After Chen Wei helped him check in, she handed him the room key.
"Boss, you live on the sixth floor, I live on the fifth. Call me anytime if you need anything."
Cheng Che nodded.
He took the room key, went into the room, put down his luggage, and stood by the window for a glance.
Outside the window is a corner of West Lake, the water surface is gray and hazy, and a few tour boats are moored on the shore.
He took a shower, changed his clothes, and then went downstairs with Chen Wei to the marathon starting line to collect his race materials.
The event was held at the Huanglong Sports Center, where many runners were already queuing up.
Cheng Che was wearing a mask, but the staff recognized him after seeing his ID card, and their attitude became noticeably warmer.
After collecting the supplies, the two returned to the hotel.
Cheng Che ate dinner early and went to bed before 10 p. m.
The alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning.
Cheng Che got up, changed into his race uniform, pinned on his bib number, and left the room.
Chen Wei was already waiting downstairs, holding a bottle of water and an energy gel.
"There are a lot of people at the starting line, so the organizers have arranged a starting area near the front for you."
Cheng Che nodded.
The two took a car to the starting point.
It wasn't fully light yet, but the area outside the Huanglong Sports Center was already packed with people.
The number of people was tens of thousands, stretching from the starting point to several streets away.
Cheng Che got out of the car and walked towards the departure area under the guidance of the staff.
He didn't try to hide it; he just wore a hat.
The organizers knew who he was, and the staff all recognized him.
After he stood in the starting area, many runners around him looked over, some taking pictures with their phones, and others whispering among themselves.
"That's Cheng Che?"
"It seems so."
"He really came to run the marathon?"
"Didn't he run that before? He broke the record before the Tokyo Open."
"That was before the Master tournament, and now he's back."
Cheng Che ignored the noise.
He stretched his ankles and wrists, adjusted his headphones, and waited for the starting gun to fire.
At that moment, the live stream had already begun.
The Hang City Marathon is one of the largest marathons in China, attracting tens of thousands of participants every year.
This year's live broadcast was conducted simultaneously by the provincial TV station and several online platforms, with the camera panning across the crowd at the starting line, from aerial shots to ground views, from elite athletes to Volkswagen runners.
When the camera Cheng Che was, the live chat exploded.
[Wait, isn't that Cheng Che???]
[Holy crap, it really is him!!! What is he doing here???]
[He's running another marathon??? Didn't he just finish a magazine shoot and announce his variety show and drama appearances???]
Does this person have 48 hours in a day???
The number of comments multiplied several times within seconds.
The number of viewers in the live stream jumped from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, and it's still rising.
[Wait, he participated in a marathon, why didn't Qin Lie notify us???]
Where's Qin Lie? Qin Lie, come out and take your beating!
Do you even understand the entertainment industry? Why didn't you tell me beforehand that my brother was participating in a competition?
[We didn't even have time to prepare any support activities, Qin Lie, you're so unprofessional!]
[@Qin Lie, come out and explain why you didn't notify your fans?]
Qin Lie was sitting in his studio in Capital City, watching a live stream on his computer screen.
The comments scrolled by quickly, and he read them one by one, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
It wasn't that he didn't want to notify them, it was that Cheng Che wouldn't allow it.
Cheng Che said that running a marathon is his own business and there's no need to make a big fuss about it.
Qin Lie thought it made sense at the time, but now, seeing the screen full of comments criticizing him for being "unprofessional," he began to doubt his initial judgment.
He picked up his phone and sent a WeChat to Cheng Che.
[ Qin Lie: Your fans are criticizing me online for not informing you about running the marathon. You'd better deal with that.]
Cheng Che did not reply.
He is standing at the starting line, waiting for the starting gun.
A shot rang out.
Tens of thousands of people surged out of the starting line, like a tide pushing forward along the track by West Lake.
Cheng Che didn't false start; he ran with the crowd at his own pace.
His steps were steady, his breathing was light, and he overtook the runners around him one by one.
Meanwhile, the comments section was filled with criticism of Qin Lie.