Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

The next morning, Peach Blossom Village was shrouded in a thin layer of morning mist.

The distant mountains are faintly visible, like a light stroke in a traditional Chinese ink painting.

The peach trees in the yard were covered in dew, their petals wet, and they fell down with a rustling sound when the wind blew.

Li Ran was awakened by a knock on the door.

He lay there for two seconds, opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling to calm himself down, then got up and went to open the door.

Hu Lianxin stood at the door, wearing a light-colored sweatshirt and her hair tied in a neat ponytail.

She slowly said, "Xiao Chen has arrived, let's go."

Li Ran nodded, then lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead.

"Click".

The door next door opened.

Meng Ziyi poked half his head out, his eyes wide like copper bells, and his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

"Li Ran!"

She lowered her voice, but the shock in her tone was impossible to hide: "What are you doing? We're still filming a show!"

Li Ran turned her head, looked at her making a fuss, and chuckled awkwardly: "Well, just cut it."

Meng Ziyi opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she only said "Oh".

She remembered... Li Ran is now the heir of Tencent, and in this program, it really is just a matter of his word.

Hu Lianxin ignored her, went inside to help Li Ran pack his luggage, and then the two went downstairs together to the living room.

Zhang Han was already standing at the door, wearing a casual jacket. When he saw Li Ran, he nodded to him and said, "Have a safe trip."

Lai Kuanlin followed behind him. When he saw Li Ran, his eyes darted away, but he still whispered, "Goodbye, Brother Ran."

Li Ran smiled at him but didn't say anything more.

Footsteps came from the second floor, and Zhou Ye came down, still holding Taxue in his arms.

She walked over to Li Ran and naturally handed him a bag.

"Please hold this for me."

Li Ran casually took it. "Is everything packed?"

Zhou Ye nodded. "There's nothing to bring. I'll be back in a few days anyway."

Guo Qilin stood at the door of apartment number eight, craning his neck to look inside, his face full of eagerness: "Hurry up, hurry up, I'm waiting to go to your complex to look at apartments!"

Li Ran looked at him and smiled: "You're quite efficient."

……

Today, the filming of "Peach Blossom Village" will be suspended for a few days, and Li Ran's journey as a guest star will come to an end.

Assistant Xiao Chen had already parked the car at the village entrance early on.

Zhou Ye and his companion naturally went back with Li Ran, along with Guo Qilin, who insisted on moving to Li Ran's neighborhood.

The car drove out of the mountains and onto the highway.

The scenery outside the window changed from green hills and clear waters to farmland, and then from farmland to the edge of the city with towering buildings.

Sunlight streamed through the car window, warm and inviting, making one feel drowsy.

Zhou Ye slowly tilted his head and rested it on Li Ran's shoulder.

Her eyelashes drooped gently, her breathing was steady, and she was sleeping soundly without any guard. Ta Xue nestled in her arms and closed her eyes as well, her small body rising and falling gently with the bumps of the car.

Hu Lianxin looked up at the screen, but didn't say anything, and continued looking down at her phone.

Guo Qilin, sitting on the other side, saw this scene in the rearview mirror, and his expression was priceless.

He silently withdrew his gaze and mentally gave Li Ran a thumbs up.

Bro, you're awesome.

When I got back to the neighborhood, it was already past noon.

The sun was blazing, and the city streets were bustling with traffic, a stark contrast to the tranquility of Peach Blossom Village.

After getting off the bus, Li Ran said to Xiao Chen, "Take Da Linzi to see the apartment I showed Jingyi before, and have him sign a rental contract."

Xiao Chen nodded.

Upon hearing this, Guo Qilin was stunned: "Xiao Ranzi, is that your house?"

Li Ran thought for a moment and realized there was nothing to hide: "Yes, it was bought for Zhang Jingyi, but she doesn't plan to move in, so you got a good deal."

Guo Qilin was even more stunned: "No, your house? You still want me to pay rent?"

Li Ran curled her lip: "If you put Zhang Jingyi's name on it, are you planning to stay for free?"

Guo Qilin stated confidently, "It's not that it's impossible."

Hu Lianxin, who was listening nearby, suddenly spoke up: "You wrote Zhang Jingyi's name? What about the one for us?"

Li Ran smiled and said, "It's the same, we'll write your names on them all."

Zhou Ye paused for a moment, then started counting on his fingers: "Wait... how much did all of this cost? You bought it all?"

She counted: "Me and Xiao Hu, Stitch and White Eyes, if Little Black Charcoal has one too, Little Green Tea definitely has one too..."

Li Ran smiled but didn't explain.

Neither Liu Haocun nor Zhang Jingyi planned to move here, and he had bought more than just these few apartments.

Guo Qilin listened in stunned silence.

He looked at Li Ran, his eyes filled with complex emotions... shock, admiration, and a little disbelief.

"brother……"

He slowly asked, "Is it too late for me to go to Thailand now?"

Li Ran laughed and scolded, "Get lost, Xiao Chen, you're charging him six thousand in rent a month."

Guo Qilin immediately replied, "Taking money is fine, but can you provide meals?"

Li Ran ignored him and turned to walk towards her building.

Zhou Ye carried Taxue and followed behind him, and Hu Lianxin followed as well.

……

As soon as Li Ran opened the door, a rich aroma of braised pork wafted out.

He was stunned for a moment, and before he could react, Liu Haocun poked his head out of the kitchen.

She wore a floral apron, held a spatula in her hand, and smiled expectantly: "You're back! I made braised pork for you, come and try it, how does it taste..."

Before she could finish speaking, her smile froze on her face.

Behind Li Ran, Zhou Ye and Hu Lianxin stood side by side, one holding Taxue and the other carrying a bag, both eyes fixed on her.

The air was quiet for a second.

Zhou Ye opened his mouth, about to say something to her, when Ta Xue in his arms suddenly became restless.

The little guy twisted his body, his four short legs kicking wildly in the air, desperately trying to reach Liu Haocun.

Zhou Ye had no choice but to put it down.

As soon as the snow touched the ground, it darted towards Liu Haocun like a little cannonball, circling around her feet, its tail wagging like a little motor, and making pitiful whimpering noises...

Watching this scene, Zhou Ye muttered, "What an ungrateful little dog..."

Li Ran ignored them and went straight to the kitchen to see how Liu Haocun's braised pork was going.

Hu Lianxin stood there, looking at Liu Haocun who was stroking the snow, and said in an unfriendly tone, "What are you doing here?"

Liu Haocun looked up at her but didn't say anything. She picked up Taxue and followed him into the kitchen.

Zhou Ye pursed his lips and followed.

She wanted to see what this little green tea was up to.

As she approached the kitchen door, she saw Li Ran standing in front of the stove, instructing Liu Haocun on how to reduce the sauce.

The braised pork belly in the pot was bubbling away, the dark brown sauce had reduced to just the right consistency, and it was glistening with oil, making it look incredibly appetizing.

Liu Haocun tilted her head and listened attentively, nodding occasionally. Her gaze was fixed on Li Ran's face, as if she wanted to etch every expression of his into her mind.

Those eyes were so tender they could melt your heart.

Zhou Ye pursed his lips.

Hu Lianxin also leaned against the door and stood next to her.

She glanced at the two people in the kitchen and scoffed softly, "That green tea bitch is such a hypocrite, she's even putting on an act like a fairy godmother."

Zhou Ye nodded in deep agreement: "Exactly, and so is Ta Xue, that little rascal, why is he so happy to see her?"

Although the two were not talking loudly, they could still be heard clearly in the kitchen.

Liu Haocun turned his head, looked at the two people at the door, and smiled: "I made this for Li Ran, there's no share for you two."

Zhou Ye immediately retorted, "Who cares?"

Hu Lianxin chimed in, "Exactly, as if anyone can't cook."

Liu Haocun smiled, a hint of provocation in his smile: "Then you two should cook a dish for Li Ran too."

Zhou Ye paused for a moment, then stubbornly said, "Fine, I'll do it!"

She looked at Li Ran: "Li Ran, where did I put the bag I gave you?"

Li Ran turned around and pointed to the living room: "It's on the table."

Zhou Ye turned around and went to get his things.

Hu Lianxin walked to the refrigerator, opened the cabinet door, and looked at the ingredients inside: "Li Ran, I'll make you scrambled eggs with tomatoes!"

Li Ran nodded with an awkward smile: "Okay, then you guys make lunch."

He took Taxue from Liu Haocun's arms and said to her, "You can handle the rest yourself."

Liu Haocun nodded and picked up the spatula again.

Li Ran carried Taxue out of the kitchen and sat down on the sofa in the living room. The little one found a comfortable position in his arms, closed his eyes, and began to doze off.

In the kitchen, the three women were busy with their own tasks.

Liu Haocun stood in front of the stove, intently reducing the sauce for the braised pork.

Zhou Ye opened the box, inside was the Sichuan pepper chicken she had brought to Peach Blossom Village before, half of it was left, originally intended for Li Ran to cook for him.

But after Li Ran arrived, he was the one who kept cooking and didn't have a chance to go.

Hu Lianxin stood by the sink washing tomatoes, the water gurgling loudly.

Occasionally, a few lines of dialogue would drift out.

"Your meat is burnt." That was Zhou Ye's voice.

"No." Liu Haocun replied without turning his head.

"Should the tomatoes be cut into chunks or slices?" Hu Lianxin asked.

No one answered.

Li Ran leaned back on the sofa, watching the three busy figures in the kitchen, a slight smile curving his lips.

I wonder what kind of tricks they can come up with for him.

……

Not long after, Liu Haocun came out of the kitchen carrying braised pork.

She gently placed the plate on the table, looked at Li Ran with a hint of anticipation on her face, and slowly said, "You try it first."

Li Ran nodded and walked over to sit down.

Liu Haocun handed him chopsticks, which he took. He glanced down at the braised pork on the plate... It was bright red, with a thick sauce, and looked quite appealing.

He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

He chewed a couple of times, then his brow furrowed slightly.

Liu Haocun stared at him, his eyes unblinking: "How is it? Is it delicious?"

Li Ran swallowed the meat and nodded: "It's not bad, but there's too much sugar in it, it's a bit too sweet."

Liu Haocun paused for a moment, then smiled, a hint of slyness in his doe-like eyes: "Maybe it's because I'm a little too sweet?"

Li Ran chuckled to himself.

"Okay, I'll go get you a bowl of rice." Liu Haocun turned and walked briskly towards the kitchen.

As soon as she left, Hu Lianxin came out with a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

She placed the plate on the table and looked at Li Ran: "Try it, is it good?"

Li Ran picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

"It goes very well with rice."

Hu Lianxin frowned: "Hmm? Is it salty?"

She picked up the chopsticks that Li Ran had just used, took a bite herself, and tasted it.

Then... he just vomited it out.

"Never mind, don't eat it. I'll make you a new one."

She picked up the chopsticks that Li Ran had just used, took a bite herself, and tasted it.

Then... he just vomited it out.

"Never mind, don't eat it. I'll make you a new one."

After saying that, she went back into the kitchen.

Liu Haocun brought out rice and just happened to brush past Hu Lianxin.

She placed the rice in front of Li Ran and smiled smugly, "Isn't mine the best?"

The doorbell rang just as he finished speaking.

Liu Hao put down his chopsticks: "I'll go open the door."

Zhou Ye carried her Sichuan peppercorn chicken out of the kitchen and carefully placed the plate on the table: "Li Ran, try it!"

Seeing her expectant expression, Li Ran couldn't bear to refuse and picked up a piece of chicken and put it in his mouth.

Then he vomited it out.

"No, coconut..."

He frowned at her. "How long have you left this chicken out?"

Zhou Ye was stunned. The expression on his face changed from expectation to embarrassment, and finally settled on a wronged look.

Liu Haocun opened the door and found Guo Qilin standing outside.

The two had met once before at an event, so they weren't strangers.

Guo Qilin wasn't surprised to see her... He knew that Liu Haocun was also one of Li Ran's girlfriends.

"Oh, Tsukuko's here too!"

He greeted them with a smile and then went inside.

As soon as he entered, he saw a strange scene at the dining table: Li Ran looked constipated, and Zhou Ye stood beside him like a child who had done something wrong.

"What's wrong?"

Li Ran smiled and said, "It's nothing."

Liu Haocun brought Guo Qilin a bowl and chopsticks.

Guo Qilin took the table and glanced at the three dishes on it... braised pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and Sichuan peppercorn chicken.

His gaze lingered on the Sichuan peppercorn chicken.

"Why does this Sichuan peppercorn chicken look so familiar?"

Zhou Ye pursed his lips and said awkwardly, "This is the one I brought back from Peach Blossom Village..."

Guo Qilin suddenly realized, then his expression became subtle: "If I'm not mistaken, this chicken has been here for about a week, hasn't it?"

Zhou Ye pursed his lips: "Just eat yours."

Guo Qilin didn't press further, and picked up a piece of braised pork: "I think this meat looks good, I'll eat the meat instead."

He put the meat in his mouth.

I chewed it twice.

His expression began to contort... from confusion to pain, and then to forced restraint.

But he swallowed it anyway.

He managed to say with difficulty, "Li Ran, are you trying to make me sick with sweetness? Aren't you afraid of getting diabetes?"

Liu Hao, standing nearby, looked a little embarrassed: "Da Linzi... I did it."

Li Ran looked at him with a mischievous grin: "Alright, have some scrambled eggs with tomatoes to calm your nerves."

Guo Qilin looked at Liu Haocun and forced a smile: "It's okay, little sister, I just like sweets."

After saying that, he picked up a large spoonful of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and put it in his mouth.

Then he spat it directly into the bowl.

"water……"

He stood up and staggered towards the kitchen, shouting, "Water! Water! Water!"

At the dinner table, Li Ran finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Looking at Guo Qilin's disheveled figure, and then at his own plate of cloyingly sweet braised pork, Liu Haocun was at a loss for words.

Undeterred, Zhou Ye took Li Ran's chopsticks, tasted his own Sichuan peppercorn chicken, and then spat it out...

It's definitely spoiled; even a dog wouldn't eat it.