Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 295 The Crescent Moon
In the afternoon, they went to Tanpu Gorge for sightseeing.

At the entrance to Tanpu Gorge, the sound of flowing water suddenly becomes crisp and clear.

Every three steps there is a spring, every five steps a waterfall, every ten steps a pool, the emerald-green water layer upon layer.

In the crystal-clear pool, several small fish swam happily to and fro, adding a touch of liveliness to this tranquil place.

An Xiaoqian squatted by the water's edge, gently touching the surface with her hand. The cool stream water slipped through her fingers, creating ripples.

Hu Xiaobei quietly circled around behind her and secretly threw a stone into the water, which unsurprisingly splashed onto An Xiaoqian.

She screamed and jumped up. Without thinking for even a second, she turned and chased after Hu Xiaobei, shouting, "Hu... Xiaobei, you stop right there!"

The laughter of the two chasing each other echoed through the quiet valley, startling several small birds perched on the branches.

After a short while, they arrived at the depths of the canyon.

A waterfall cascades down from the cliff, its spray refracting a seven-colored halo in the sunlight.

An Xiaoqian looked up at the splashing water droplets, her hair and eyelashes covered with glistening droplets, and for a moment she seemed like a fairy who had descended to the mortal world.

Hu Xiaobei suddenly remembered her slightly parted fragrant lips when she was putting on makeup. Her Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. She hurriedly looked away, only to meet her beautiful eyes that were smiling as she looked back.

It turns out... in the moment of falling in love, the beautiful woman before you is more dazzling and mesmerizing than any beautiful scenery.

Before we knew it, the sun was gradually setting in the west, and the sky was tinged with orange-red sunset clouds.

Hu Xiaobei checked the time and pulled the still-wanting An Xiaoqian towards the exit of the scenic area: "If we don't go back now, we'll go hungry tonight."

An Xiaoqian looked back a few times reluctantly, muttering, "No one recognized me today, and I had so much fun. I really don't want to leave..."

As she spoke, she glanced at Hu Xiaobei, seemingly with a hidden meaning.

Hu Xiaobei kept his eyes fixed on the exit in the distance and replied casually, "Well, I'll take you out to play again next time I have time. Don't forget... we still have a lot of filming to do in Jiaozuo!"

It was getting dark when we got back to the hotel.

The two sat on the sofa in the room, reminiscing about the day's events.

An Xiaoqian suddenly leaned close to Hu Xiaobei and carefully examined the fake mole on his face: "Xiaobei, actually, you look quite good like this~"

Hu Xiaobei said nonchalantly, "If you like, I can disguise myself like this when we're together in private in the future!"

An Xiaoqian shook her head vigorously, refusing immediately: "No need, no need, you look more comfortable the way you are."

Hu Xiaobei paused, looking at An Xiaoqian with tender eyes: "On the contrary, Qianqian, no matter what you become, you will always be the cutest and most beautiful in my eyes."

An Xiaoqian's cheeks flushed, and she shyly punched him lightly, but her heart was as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

"Alright, it's time to prepare dinner." Hu Xiaobei got up and headed to the kitchen.

Seeing this, An Xiaoqian reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning against his back: "I'll do it too, Xiaobei, teach me to make a new dish."

"Okay, okay, you prepare the rice first, and I'll teach you how to stir-fry vegetables later, okay?" Hu Xiaobei reached out to support her and then walked towards the rice storage area in the living room.

The vegetables are all bought in the morning, so they just need to cook them.

By the time they finished their dinner, it was already 8:30 p.m.

Hu Xiaobei also specially prepared some delicacies and snacks, labeling them according to their shelf life and adding notes, so that she could enjoy them at her leisure.

Anyway, there's a refrigerator and microwave in the RV, and the weather's already getting cooler, so it'll be fine to leave it there for a few days.

Before parting, the two embraced in the living room, both feeling reluctant to part.

An Xiaoqian buried her face in his neck and rubbed against him, making nasal sounds from time to time, as if she wanted to melt into his body.

Whenever this happened, Hu Xiaobei would change his hugging position and hold her tighter again.

The two hugged, kissed, and gave each other words of advice, repeating this countless times without ever getting tired of it. Although they would see each other again in about a week, their reluctance to part was palpable, no less than that of couples separated by long distances.

Time passed second by second, and even if we were reluctant to part, we still had to separate.

Hu Xiaobei carried her things and saw her onto the RV. The two waved goodbye.

Watching the RV gradually disappear into the distance, Hu Xiaobei sighed. Although he had sent An Xiaoqian back early because he was worried that he might lose control of himself.

But deep down, he was also suffering.

If he had a choice, he wouldn't want to be separated from An Xiaoqian even for a single day.

Back inside, I looked at the now silent living room.

He took a deep breath; the scent of An Xiaoqian seemed to linger in the air, slowly seeping into his lungs through his nostrils.

It smelled of shampoo, sweet of hand cream, and most importantly, the unique scent of An Xiaoxi's body.

These scents intertwined, now clinging tightly to his every sense like gentle vines.

After a few breaths, An Xiaoqian's scent was completely gone from the living room, leaving only lingering fragrance in Hu Xiaobei's heart.

He slumped onto the sofa, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the edge of the armrest where she often leaned, as if he could still feel something there.

The wall clock ticked away, each tick of the minute hand feeling like it was tearing at his nerves.

Before parting, he felt that time was passing too quickly, but now he felt that every minute and every second was so long.

He got up and walked to the window, gazing at the waning moon in the sky.

The silvery light shone through the glass onto his shoulder, just like the delicate hand that An Xiaoqian had once placed on his shoulder.

The moon hung high in the dark sky, its round shape missing corners, much like his heart at that moment.

People experience sorrow and joy, separation and reunion; the moon waxes and wanes, and nothing in this world is ever perfect. May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, even from afar.

At this moment, Hu Xiaobei truly understood the meaning of the poem.

He stared blankly at the convex moon, his thoughts already drifting far away.

After an unknown amount of time, the familiar ringtone of his personal cell phone suddenly rang, instantly breaking the silence in the room.

Hu Xiaobei's lips unconsciously curled up, and he quickly pressed the answer button: "Hello, has Qianqian finished taking a shower?"

An Xiaoqian's soft, sweet voice came from the phone: "Mmm~ Xiaobei, I miss you..."

Her voice was tinged with a soft, nasal tone, as sweet and sticky as if it had been kneaded into a marshmallow, with a trembling, coquettish quality at the end.

It's obvious that she's probably closed the door right now, curled up in bed, quietly making a phone call to herself.

Hu Xiaobei felt a surge of joy, and all her previous emotions vanished.

Then, as if remembering something, he quickly reminded her, "You just finished drying your hair, don't stay in bed, won't you feel stuffy?"

Don't worry about your assistants hearing you; the RV has been specially soundproofed, so normal conversations won't be heard outside the door.

This feature was something he specifically requested to be added when he was customizing the RV.

Ahem... For some reason, I forgot to tell An Xiaoqian about this.

A rustling sound came from the phone, like An Xiaoqian quickly turning over in the blankets, making the blankets rustle.

Immediately afterwards, An Xiaoqian's heavy breathing came through the receiver. Her breath was rapid and slightly trembling, as if she had been suffocating under the covers and was finally able to breathe fresh air.

"Great, it was a bit stuffy just now!"

(End of this chapter)