The final filming for Dream Lover took place the day after the training cla.s.sā awards ceremony. Last week, Charles didnāt keep the audience in suspense while selecting between the final two celebrities. Tang Feng was still this multi-millionaireās first choice. To the audience, it was a thoroughly expected yet surprising ending.
What the audience feared the most was that Charles would throw a twist just before the conclusion. No one was capable of reading the minds of the rich. n.o.body knew whether Charles would end up selecting someone other than Tang Feng at the very end. When Charles chose to give Tang Feng the bouquet of flowers in last weekās episode, everybody sitting in front of the TV sighed in relief.
As for today, it was time for Charlesā confession.
The confession would take place outside of S City. The production crew and everyone else involved in the show took a flight from China to the verdant city of Seattle in northwest United States. Charles would be confessing his love to Tang Feng in a mansion located right beside Lake Was.h.i.+ngton.
During the day, the production crew busied themselves taking scenery shots of the rich neighborhoods around Lake Was.h.i.+ngton. While filming, they didnāt forget to gossip over which mansion belonged to the CEO of Microsoft and which belonged to a high official of Boeing. They had seen plenty of articles in fortune magazines describing how numerous high-ranking executives of well-known companies lived in this beautiful area.
Despite it being Charlesā mansion and despite that they will be holding a confession ceremony later in the day, Charles and Tang Feng were not allowed to meet and talk alone.
Like before, they had go through individual interviews with the showās host.
At the moment, it was three twenty-three in the afternoon. Tang Feng and the host sat together in a room with two walls made completely out of gla.s.s. The room faced the lakeās surface and one wall of gla.s.s could be opened up, leading to a wooden dock with a yacht anch.o.r.ed beside it.
Sitting on the couch, Tang Feng could feel a cool breeze brush over his face. Turning his head just a bit, he could see the beautiful Lake Was.h.i.+ngton. The blue surface of the lake glittered like a gemstone underneath the sunlight.
āTang Feng, none of us knew you were acquainted with Charles. Before you agreed to filmĀ Dream Lover, did you already know that Charles would be this seasonās Prince Charming?ā Audiences of the show would frequently send questions to the production crew. The host had especially selected a few among the many theyād received to ask Tang Feng today.
āFirstly, I donāt think a t.i.tle like āPrince Charmingā fits Charles at all. Heās more like a lion. Usually, he looks pretty impressive, but heās also arrogant and conceited.ā Tang Feng chuckled and raised a hand to brush back the hair that had been tousled loose by the breeze. āMost of you probably wonāt believe it, but I truly didnāt know that Charles would be partic.i.p.ating in this show. I wasnāt all that familiar with him. Iāve only come across him a couple of times because heās good friends with President Lu.ā
Despite the clear lies, Tang Fengās response was also half-true. Even though he had lived together with Charles for a month, the word āfriendsā couldnāt be used to describe their relations.h.i.+p at all.
āCharles has chosen you time after time in each episode. Many of audience members are curious, has he ever called you out for a date outside the show? Has he given you any hints?ā
Tang Feng lowered his head and smiled. He then lightly rubbed his lips with his fingers. Under the hostās suggestive gaze, he finally said, āWeāve met outside the show.ā
āIām sure many people are cheering in front of their TV right now.ā The host immediately started laughing.
āWe are friends.ā Tang Feng looked seriously at the camera. āItās exactly like the tagline for this show. What we have is friends.h.i.+p between men. Get those unclean thoughts out of your heads!ā
The interview pa.s.sed by at a leisurely pace. Tang Feng was willing to talk and had a good sense of humor. Occasionally, he would also mock himself for the things that he had done. The host and the other staff members inside the room frequently burst out into laughter at his jokes.
ā¦
Around the evening, Tang Feng stood alone on a second floor balcony while looking down at Charles. The man in question was placing candles on the dock. In previous seasons, the production crew liked to put on surprises. The Prince Charming would secretly prepare a gift for their princess and then put on a surprise that made everyone happy.
Clearly, this time the production crew decided to forgo the well-trodden path of surprises. From the beginning, Tang Feng knew Charles would be confessing to him on this day. From where he stood, he could also see Charlesā each and every move as he prepared for the big moment. Charles was currently adding petals to the collection of candles on the dock. Occasionally, he would raise his head and call out to Tang Feng.
āHey, do you really plan on not helping me at all? Are you going to watch the whole time while Iām busying about?ā Lifting his head, Charles yelled toward Tang Feng.
āThere arenāt enough petals and candles. You also need to add them to the lake.ā Not only was he not helping, Tang Feng added even more tasks for Charles to do.
Charles bent and gave him a perfect bow like a gentleman. āYour wish is my command, Miss.ā
What a foul mouth.
Tang Feng smiled and gave Charles a thumbs-down.
Gradually, the sun was setting on Seattle. It hovered like a blaze above Lake Was.h.i.+ngton and ignited the blue surface. In the far distance, someoneās yacht crossed over the lake, leaving a streak of black across the reddish-orange reflection. The scene was like a painting, and they were merely the figures inside.
Charles was partly responsible for dragging the production crew all the way to the United States for the last episode. However, Lu Tian Chen also had a say in the decision. Since Tang Feng was going to be filming in the United States, they might as well fly over early in case something occurred later on and delayed their journey.
Facing the lake and the setting sun, Tang Feng gripped the banister with both hands and breathed in deeply. This was the smell of life. The breeze that carried the warmth of the sun entered his nose and traveled deep into his chest and spun like a tiny tornado. He could smell the lake, the fish, and the suns.h.i.+ne. Faintly, he could also make out the scent of cigars and wine in the air.
Each and every smell mixed and tumbled together, strong and vivid.
When his eyelids fluttered open, the light of the setting sun shone right into the deepest reaches of his eyes; dying his eyelashes and his pupils with the fiery color of a blaze. He narrowed his eyes and gazed at the lake. The light made it difficult to see, but was that a yacht over there? And was the person standing on the deck someone he knew?
Lu Tian Chen?
āTang Feng!ā Charles suddenly yelled down below.
He looked down at the dock. Charles had already lighted all the candles. His sleeves and pants were both rolled up, appearing like a fisherman who had just come back from the lake. Only his attractive brown eyes still carried a hint of aristocratic air, s.h.i.+ning like a pair of priceless jewels.
Tang Feng had never noticed that Charlesā eyes were quite beautiful. Similarly, he had never tried to know and understand more about the man.
āI like you.ā It was a straightforward confession.
āWhat did you say? I canāt hear you.ā Tang Feng smiled. He lifted a hand to his forehead to block the piercing light.
Standing with his back to the sun, Charles seemed to have developed a reddish-orange aura. He raised his arms and smiled at Tang Feng, revealing a set of teeth that gleamed white like they were made out of mother of pearl.
āI said, jump!ā Charles yelled.
āWhat do you mean jump? Are you crazy?ā If Tang Feng jumped down from the balcony, he would be leaping right into the lake.
Charles beckoned at him and said, āCome, quickly! If youāre a man, then jump. Or are you aĀ dry duckĀ who doesnāt know how to swim? Donāt worry, after you jump into the lake, Iāll go and fish you out. Donāt you feel hot? Quickly, jump!ā
āPsychological manipulation is useless on me.ā
Tang Feng smiled and turned around to walk back. Charles was still yelling down below, but by the time those words got to him, he had no idea what Charles was yelling about.
He took another few steps forward. Just when everyone thought he would return to the room, he suddenly turned and sprinted toward the banister.
With one hand supporting him on the banister, he launched himself easily over the balcony.
A long, long time ago, he had wished that he could live carelessly like others his age and jump from a high springboard into a swimming pool or from a cliff into the ocean. He had pa.s.sed by too many things in his past life, thing he could never attempt.
With the evening light marking his silhouette, he leapt from the balcony into Seattleās setting sun.
A splash from down below and Charles jumped into the lake as well.
This was the confession between them. It was different from what the audience had in mind. In the end, they didnāt understand whether it counted as a confession or not. If it did, then did Tang Feng accept Charlesā feelings by jumping down, or did he not?
Some distance away, the man who had been standing on the yacht smiled lightly. He took a breath and then walked inside.
The petals and candles floated gently on the waters of the lake, until the moon rose high into the sky.
Was that the end of the show?
ā¦
āIām sure weāll be receiving numerous letters from the audience after we broadcast this episode.ā An ending that wasnāt an ending. As a producer of the show, w.a.n.g Nan rubbed her forehead tiredly. The show was supposed to have ended the way they had planned. After Charles confessed to Tang Feng, the actor was supposed to have made a firm decision on whether to accept or reject Charles.
It wasnāt supposed to be like this. Even in the end, they didnāt have a solid conclusion on the relations.h.i.+p between Charles and Tang Feng.
Kai shrugged and smiled. āThereās no helping it. Charles is never one to listen to others. It could also be thatā¦he doesnāt have the courage to ask for the answer.ā
āHe doesnāt have the courage? I feel like heās courageous enough to be a terrorist!ā
āEven the strongest giant will have a gentle, perhaps even weak side to him.ā