Abstract Art Award Winner

Zhou Le then realized that he was absolutely right. Saito Asuka's cooking skills could no longer be called cooking skills. Every step of the cooking process had to be strictly followed according to the video.

Of course, Zhou Le himself wasn't much better off.

Fortunately, the final product didn't taste too bad.

During the meal, the two chatted about the differences between the entertainment industries on both sides, and this part was all in English. When they encountered something they didn't know, they simply used a translator.

The key point is that after eating, Zhou Le wanted to clean up, but Saito Asuka said it wasn't necessary and that they could just ask the housekeeper to help clean up tomorrow.

But having already ridden the horse and eaten, and since there was no need to clean up the dishes, Zhou Le prepared to leave.

"Mr. Zhou Le."

"what happened?"

Are you going back already?

"Yes, we're full. Thank you for the treat."

"But it's already very late. How about I take you home tomorrow morning?"

Zhou Le was actually playing hard to get. After all, it wouldn't be good for him to stay on his own initiative, but since the other party brought it up first, it was fine.

"Okay, but I might have to get up a little earlier tomorrow morning."

"It's okay, I'm used to waking up early too."

Everyone knows what Zhou Le is going to do if he stays behind. But Zhou Le also has his own principles: it's okay for everyone to exchange feelings, but you must not get emotionally involved.

"Asuka-chan, you know I'm Chinese, and I'll definitely stay in China to develop my career, but you're Japanese, so you'll definitely stay here too."

Saito Asuka had already thought it through. Although they had only eaten and chatted over the past few days, and at most went to Disneyland yesterday, she had still thought a lot about the future.

As Zhou Le said, the two of them were bound to develop their careers in a foreign country, so developing a romantic relationship was simply impossible, but she accepted it anyway.

No matter what happens in the future, at least we can have some good memories now.

"I understand, Onii-chan. We're good friends, isn't it normal for a good friend to stay at your house for one night?"

"Of course, it's an honor."

Hearing this from the other party, Zhou Le felt relieved.

So Zhou Le stayed.

Although Saito Asuka's house wasn't big, it was fully equipped with all kinds of furniture and appliances, including a washing machine and a dryer. Zhou Le put his clothes in the dryer to wash them and then went to take a shower.

Saito Asuka was in her bedroom, looking somewhat nervous.

But there's more anticipation than anything else, because this is the first time she's been so bold.

There are handsome male celebrities in the Japanese entertainment industry, but Zhou Le is the first one she has ever met who has captured her heart.

Although they couldn't communicate in the same language, Zhou Le's mere presence made her heart pound, and the more she learned about him, the more impressive she felt this man was.

Admiring strength is a normal human trait, and in her view, Zhou Le was perfect in every way.

Not only can she compose her own songs, but she also sings very well.

He can handle all kinds of roles in movies, is humorous, handsome, and is also one of China's top race car drivers.

More importantly, when Zhou Le took off his shirt and threw it into the washing machine, she clearly saw that Zhou Le's muscles were very prominent, but not the kind that were particularly large.

She would be a little scared if it were the kind of bodybuilding physique, but every abs and pecs of Zhou Le were exactly what she looked like.

"Hehehe, how can there be such a perfect person? He's just like the male protagonist who stepped out of an otome game."

Zhou Le could roughly guess what the other person was thinking, but he didn't pay much attention to it. He just thought that the shower gel the other person was using seemed pretty good.

So after using it, I took a few more glances at it, noted down the brand, and planned to see if I could buy it when I got back.

After taking a shower, Zhou Le wrapped himself in Saito Asuka's pink bath towel and went back inside.

"Kawaii~"

Saito Asuka's eyes lit up.

With her fair skin and well-defined abs, she looked incredibly cute wrapped in a pink bath towel.

Then Zhou Le walked to the bedside table, and Saito Asuka reached out to touch Zhou Le's abs, but Zhou Le gently slapped her hand away.

"You haven't taken a shower yet."

Saito Asuka suddenly realized what was happening, then quickly got up and ran barefoot towards the bathroom.

"Slow down, don't fall."

Because she was afraid that Zhou Le would wait too long, Saito Asuka quickly washed herself, but made sure to clean thoroughly.

After a while, she came out wearing a bath towel.

"Onii-chan, do you have a favorite color?"

Saito Asuka asked.

"I prefer pink."

Saito Asuka nodded, then opened the wardrobe and selected a few outfits from it.

They are all kinds of pink clothes, some are sets, and some are personal mixes and matches.

"Is there anything you like among these?"

Zhou Le looked at them and felt they were all pretty good.

But then he thought for a moment: "Do you have a kimono that's easy to wear?"

Saito Asuka is Japanese, so naturally she owns kimonos in various colors.

When Saito Asuka stood in front of Zhou Le in a kimono, Zhou Le's eyes lit up. The clothes suited Saito Asuka quite well, and the wide collar made Saito Asuka's delicate and petite face look absolutely stunning.

"Or should I put on some makeup? That would match my outfit better."

Zhou Le thought about it and felt it was a good idea.

So he waited and waited until Saito Asuka did a simple makeup session, and she did look much cuter, but he still felt that something was missing.

"That's it, I've got it, shoes."

Saito Asuka was still wearing slippers, so she found a pair of white socks and changed into wooden clogs.

This looks much more complete.

Now Saito Asuka's mind is filled with Zhou Le, and she's even speaking English haltingly. In the end, she simply turned on the translator and placed it next to her.

"this."

"It's okay, this isn't connected to the internet."

This is what Zhou Le is afraid of, but it's okay if there's no internet connection.

At this point, there's no need to say anything more, and even if we did, there's no need to understand the meaning, because the words themselves are meaningless; just speaking is enough to provide sensory stimulation.

This was also the first time Zhou Le had ever been with a girl who was 1.58 meters tall.

It was small in every sense, but it was also quite fun. Zhou Le could even lift the other person up completely without any effort.

"No wonder so many people like Japanese girls, they really are different."

"Looks like I still need to learn Japanese."

But this does not mean that Zhou Le has put aside his national and personal grievances. Now, apart from the people in front of him, Zhou Le is thinking about when he can launch an eastern expedition to defeat Japan.

And so, Zhou Le continued studying tirelessly, from around twelve o'clock until after four o'clock.

Without going into the specific vocabulary he learned during that time, Zhou Le felt that he had indeed gained something.

At least I was able to truly appreciate the charm of cherry blossoms.

"Onii-chan, I'm so tired, but it's already past four o'clock. Do you want to rest for a while?"

"Never mind, I need to get back to the hotel around 5 or 6. But how are you?"

"I'm okay."

Zhou Le couldn't help but sigh inwardly. As expected of someone in a girl group, their stamina for singing and dancing was truly impressive. Among those around him, only Xiao Tian had such stamina; even Nazha and Li Qin couldn't match it.

"Then come again."

Time flew by, and it was already 5:30. Zhou Le carried her to take a shower, and after checking that her clothes were dry, he changed them.

"I'll give it to you."

Saito Asuka struggled to her feet, intending to get dressed and see Zhou Le off, but her legs buckled as soon as she stepped on the ground. Luckily, Zhou Le reacted quickly and caught her.

"You should rest. We'll see each other again in China. Remember to study Chinese well during this time."

"I'm sorry, I can't see you off."

"It's alright, but I'll tidy up the house later. Thank you for your hard work. I'll show you around when you come to China."

Before leaving, Zhou Le asked Saito Asuka a few more Japanese phrases she had spoken to the taxi driver.

"Onii-chan, dazed k."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Le patted the other person's head again before leaving.

Back at the hotel, Zhou Le lay down on the bed and rested for a while before falling asleep again. He didn't receive a call from Guo Fan until after 8 o'clock, who told him to get something to eat and get ready to go to the airport.

"Where are they?"

Only Zhou Le and Guo Fan were having breakfast at the hotel.

"Xiao Zhao is putting on makeup. She got up late and will buy something to eat on the way. She didn't eat dumplings because she went to see Miyazaki Hayao yesterday and talked all day. She said she didn't have much of an appetite this morning. The translator has already eaten outside, and there are other staff members over there."

After Guo Fan finished speaking, he looked at Zhou Le again: "You didn't come back all night yesterday, did you?"

"Who said that? We rode horses all day over there, had dinner, and came back."

But Guo Fan didn't believe it at all: "You can only fool kids with what you say. Do you think I believe you? Asuka-chan's eyes are practically drooling over you. Do you really think I'm like Xiao Zhao, a high school girl, or like Jiaozi, a shut-in?"

"If you didn't know that, why did you ask?"

"Just asking, I know what I'm doing. That's about enough, I won't ask any more questions. But let me tell you, last night the translator and I went to a nightclub here, it was really fun."

Guo Fan said with a smile.

"Wow, Fan-ge, you had a blast without saying a word? What did you do over there?"

"Look at what you're saying, you must have done all the fun things you wanted to do."

"It must have cost a lot of money."

"Well, it's alright. After all, we're out here, so it's okay to spend money."

After chatting for a while and finishing breakfast, the two went back to their respective rooms to pack their things.

We set off for the airport around 9:00 AM.

"Oh, right, I also contacted Zhang Ziyi. Let's have a meal together at the beginning of next month after we get back. After all, she helped you a bit here. Although you spoke up for her on the show, the award is more important. We should thank her."

"No problem, Fan, you can arrange this. We'll settle the rest later, no matter how much it costs."

"No need, why would I need to divide it? I'll just put it in the movie later."

Now that Guo Fan has secured investment and is financially powerful, he naturally doesn't care about the cost of this meal.

They first flew back to Shanghai, then Zhou Le went directly back to Ningbo to film "Like a Flowing River," while Jiaozi went back to Chengdu to continue preparing for "Ne Zha 2." Guo Fan stayed there to contact the actors and set the schedule before going to the film production base in Qingdao.

When Kong Sheng saw Zhou Le return, he immediately put down the script he was holding and gave Zhou Le a hug.

"Congratulations! Not only did you get a Best Actor nomination in the international section, but you also won Best Actor in the Chinese film section. What a winner!"

"Haha, no, no, it's all thanks to Director Kong's guidance. If it weren't for your instruction in 'Like a Flowing River,' I wouldn't have the acting skills I have now."

"Haha, that's why everyone likes you. Just because of your humility, I'll go to a hotel and host a few tables tonight so we can celebrate properly."

"No problem, but director, I'm here today..."

"Go and rest today. Running back and forth must be tiring. We'll film your scenes again in a couple of days."

"Okay, but Director, I might have to go to a race in a few days. I've already completed many races, and this is the last one."

“It’s okay. Let me tell you, when they ask for leave, I have to think about it even if it’s only for one or two days, let alone five days or a week. But when you ask for leave, I’ll approve it right away.”

"Director, you've been so kind to me. I brought back a lot of gifts from Japan this time. I'll send them to you later."

"Hey, why bring a gift? We're family, why are you speaking like that? The gift doesn't matter, the important thing is that you get some rest."

"Okay, thank you, director. I'll head back to the hotel now. Call me anytime if anything comes up, and I'll come right away."

"Well, let's go."

Watching Zhou Le's departing figure, Kong Sheng sighed. Although he was a well-known director, directing required commercial connections. He wasn't like the art-house film directors of the past who only cared about making films and didn't care about anything else.

So let alone Zhou Le asking for a week's leave, he could approve even a month's leave, because now when people talk about "Like a Flowing River", the first thing that comes to mind is Zhou Le.

The name Zhou Le alone is a golden brand.

He has both acting skills and the ability to draw crowds.

Moreover, they are usually quite capable, making it impossible for people to feel any dislike towards them.

Zhou Le had just returned to the hotel and taken a nap when his phone rang again. When he answered, he saw that it was Han Han calling.

"Le'er, you haven't been practicing driving properly lately, have you? You've been away in Japan and filming."

Zhou Le, still half asleep, heard Han Han's voice and sighed, "Young Master Han, I just landed at the hotel and fell asleep when you called me."

"Why did you stay in Japan for a couple more days? But you need to get back to racing. If you don't practice, your form will decline. You won the previous races, so you can't let yourself down in the last one."

If you can defend your title in the final race, the overall racing champion trophy is yours; this trophy is far more valuable than any race trophy.

"Okay, okay, I'll go practice driving in a few days."

"Okay, just keep it in mind. I'll recommend someone to you on WeChat later. Add him. The car has already been delivered. Contact him, and he'll arrange a practice area for you." (End of Chapter)