\nYu Bai took Sheng Xing Ze to the villa door and hailed a taxi for them.
"Film Emperor Yu, we don't have money." Sheng Xing Ze pleaded to Yu Bai who wanted to get into the cab, "We really cannot make the driver give us a free ride, right?"
Yu Bai squeezed Sheng Xing Ze's face, "We won't."
The driver was a little impatient waiting for them. He watched the two people hailed the car but did not get in for a long time. The two people just stood by the door and kept on talking. When he finally got a good look at the people outside his car, he smiled.
"Eh, you're that...Yu Bai! Please, get in the car, get in the car, where you want to go, this uncle will take you there, it's on me!"
Yu Bai raised his chin towards Sheng Xing Ze and opened the door to let Sheng Xing Ze in.
Sheng Xing Ze did not expect to be able to hail a cab in such a remote place, and the driver was so enthusiastic about Yu Bai.
When both of them got into the car, a camera man sat in the passenger seat; the driver took out an exquisite notebook from a bag and handed it to Yu Bai, "My daughter really likes you. She talks about you every day. It will be my daughter Mu Mu's birthday. Can you please sign an autograph for her? My daughter will be very happy to see it."
Yu Bai responded with a smile to the driver, and wrote his birthday wishes to Mu Mu on the first page of the notebook and returned it to the driver.
The driver looked at the autograph on the notebook and smiled so happily that he could not close his mouth, "Where can a rough man like myself pick a gift for my daughter? I finally found such a nice notebook for her, but other passengers said that children nowadays like electronic stuff, and these notebooks are not that rare. But now, I will give my daughter an autograph, I think she will like it."
"When this episode is being broadcast, you will be on TV with Yu Bai, I bet your daughter will even be more happy then." Sheng Xing Ze said those sweet words, and the driver's smile got even wider after hearing that.
The driver opened up like a chatterbox, driving while chatting with Sheng Xing Ze, "People like us, usually have to work overtime, usually when my daughter comes home, I have to go to work, so I don't spend much time with my daughter at home. Before I know it, she has all grown up now."
"We're usually busy with work, and rarely go home to accompany our parents. Sometimes when we go home, we find that our parents have aged somewhat..."
The driver and Sheng Xing Ze talked all the way, and they quickly arrived at their destination--Li Zi Hotpot.
A girl in the hotpot restaurant uniform stood at the door early and waved at them when she saw a taxi approaching.
The driver parked the cab next to the uniform girl, and the girl peeked in from the window, "Master, I will help them pay the fare."
The driver did not want to collect the money, but Sheng Xing Ze insisted, "Uncle, get off work early after you collect the money, and go home to spend more time with your daughter."
The driver finally agreed to accept the money. Sheng Xing Ze and Yu Bai kept looking at the cab driving away before turning back to head into the hot pot restaurant.
The girl in uniform led them into the lobby. It was during lunch time and the lobby was crowded, so there were many people sitting outside holding number tag, waiting for their turn.
"Madam is in the Pear Seed Room with her friend. Young Master, you want to sit with them or in a separate room?"
"A separate room, is the Pear Skin Room vacant?"
"Yes, President Yu specifically told us to leave it open for you. Is it still the half and half hotpot style?"
Yu Bai nodded, and the girl turned to leave.
"Come with me and say hi to them?" Yu Bai asked Sheng Xing Ze, turning his head.
"Sure."
They were already at the door, so it was inappropriate not to go in and say hello to Mother Yu.
Sheng Xing Ze and Yu Bai walked to the door of the private room and looked at the huge pear seed painted on the door. Sheng Xing Ze could not help but twitch the corner of his mouth. The name of the private room was really casual.
"Mom, Auntie." Yu Bai opened the private room door. Mother Sheng and Mother Yu were eating hot pot with each other. Seeing them coming in, both mothers were a little surprised.
Seeing his mother and Mother Yu sitting together, Sheng Xing Ze was as surprised as they were, "Auntie." He smiled at his mother.
"Aren't you recording a variety show? Why did you come out to eat hot pot?" Mother Sheng was surprised.
"It's a coincidence, I just came by for a meal." Yu Bai explained.
"Then you young people enjoy your meal, we two old sisters will continue our chat without you."
Mother Yu winked at Yu Bai, and Yu Bai immediately understood the suggestion that she wanted him to be alone with Sheng Xing Ze.
Yu Bai nodded towards Mother Yu, exited the room and took Sheng Xing Ze to Pear Skin Room.
"This hot pot restaurant is opened by my sister-in-law. She and my brother were first met here. After that, our family often come here for business meetings." Yu Bai introduced the menu when he handed it to Sheng Xing Ze.
"We will leave after eating in a bit. My brother will take care of the bill when he comes to pick up my mom and auntie later. My mom will definitely tell him to let us borrow some money later, so I won't be so worried about tonight."
The director only said that today's funds are to be used however they please, but he did not say that they are not allowed to borrow money. The two of them have caught a loophole in the rule.
"President Bai, let me be your little brother!" Sheng Xing Ze bowed to Yu Bai, with three big words "please adopt me" written all over his face.
Yu Bai thought for a moment, and said solemnly, "I'm not in need of a little brother, I just want a Mrs. Bai."
Sheng Xing Ze was a little unsure about the meaning in Yu Bai's words, but Yu Bai's expression did not seem to be joking.
What is he suggesting to me?
Sheng Xing Ze really did not want to understand. He simply changed the subject and passed the menu in his hand to their fellow camera crew members, enthusiastically inviting them to eat with them.
"Camera brothers, come and eat too, warm up your body, it's quite cold out there."
Yu Bai saw that Sheng Xing Ze did not answer, his eyes flashed a tint of disappointment.
The camera crew had not eaten at noon, and they could not help but feel a little moved when looking at the dazzling array of dishes.
Several cameras were being clamped on the tripods and were fixated to ensure that every direction in the room is being filmed.
Seven or eight people gathered around the table, busily waiting for the meal.
The ordered half and half pot was quickly brought up. Half of it was of hot red oil and half was of milky white soup base. The steaming appearance was very attractive.
"The shop uses the recipe passed down from my sister-in-law's family. It tastes so good that no other hotpot chain can replicate it." Yu Bai introduced Sheng Xing Ze.
Sheng Xing Ze smiled with his eyes, "With Film Emperor Yu's recommendation, I must eat more."
The waiters arranged the dishes they ordered layer by layer on the shelves. They are all men, so the majority of the plates were filled with meat, not even a sight of vegetables.
The bright red fat cattle and mutton were placed in the red pot, and soon they were stained with the color of red pepper. The fat and tender fish were placed in the white pot, which can better show the umami taste of the fish.
The large group of people with face glowing red, enjoying the hot meal in the cold weather.
For half a month, Sheng Xing Ze banned Yu Bai from having any spicy food due to his hand injury; and now the ban finally got lifted, Yu Bai's chopsticks kept poking in the spicy soup, not wanting to let go.
Sheng Xing Ze accidentally bit a pepper, his tongue almost got all numbed.
He rolled his eyes and saw that Yu Bai liked to eat spicy hot pot, so he picked up a piece of hot cooked beef from the spicy side and secretly rolled a few peppers in the middle.
"Film Emperor Yu, have a taste of this?" Taking advantage of Yu Bai busying taking food from other plates, Sheng Xing Ze stuffed the piece of beef to Yu Bai's mouth with his own chopsticks.
Without much thinking, Yu Bai opened his mouth and took in the beef piece that Sheng Xing Ze fed him. The tingling sensation covered his entire tongue, but he swallowed it without twitching his face.
"Isn't it spicy?" Sheng Xing Ze could not help but be surprised when he saw that the other man's expression remained unchanged.
Yu Bai reached over and whispered into Sheng Xing Ze's ear, "It's not spicy, it's very sweet."
An electric current shot up to his brain from the spine, Sheng Xing Ze's mind was blank, only those two words "very sweet" were being put on repeat like a broken record.
I don't know what happened to Yu Bai recently.
Sheng Xing Ze turned his head away to ignore Yu Bai, sucked in some breath with his mouth acting like he had just eaten a chilli, concealing the fact that he was blushing, but the tips of his ears under his hair became redder.
It's...I can't stand it anymore.
Yu Bai was a fast eater, half of the dishes were not cooked in the pot, but he had already finished eating and was ready to put his chopsticks aside.
Sheng Xing Ze was the opposite. He could really eat until the last piece of food was gone. Even if there were nothing left on the plate, he would still be fishing around in the pot until he confirms that there is really nothing left, then he would put down the chopsticks contentedly.
After Yu Bai finished eating, he started to help Sheng Xing Ze pick up the vegetables. Every time the food in Sheng Xing Ze's bowl went down a bit, Yu Bai immediately picked some food to fill it up, and they were Sheng Xing Ze's favorites.
The filming crew all bowed their heads and did not dare to look at the opposite side, for fear that they might see something they should not. They all tried to make their existence as little as possible, yet they still were the third wheel, a very big third wheel.
Yu Bai was very thoughtful and considerate of Sheng Xing Ze, he was closed to use his chopsticks to feed the food directly into the younger man's mouth. It was probably because the temptation of the food was too strong, Sheng Xing Ze almost forgot that he was still being filmed. He selectively ignored it.
When he was eating vegetables, he looked up just to face the dark camera, and suddenly realized that everything Yu Bai did was being filmed by the camera.
Seeing that Yu Bai still wanted to continue to feed him, Sheng Xing Ze had no conscience to continue accepting the offer. Usually he and Yu Bai would do that in private, but in front of outsiders, it would not look good for Yu Bai.
He put down his chopsticks and pushed Yu Bai.
"Go out and buy me milk tea, less sugar and less ice."
"Get hot milk tea. Drinking ice is not good for your stomach when it's too cold." Yu Bai's tone was gentle.
Sheng Xing Ze's original purpose was not for milk tea. So it did not matter whether it was hot or cold. He just could not have Yu Bai be attentive to him on camera.
Yu Bai got up and went out. He looked back at Sheng Xing Ze before closing the door, but Sheng Xing Ze was lowering his head to concentrate on the food in the bowl and did not pay attention.
The cameramen on the opposite side did not speak, and the room suddenly became quiet.
Sheng Xing Ze added a piece of fatty beef into his bowl, when he heard a "static" sound and the lights in the room went out all at once.