hollywood billionaire

Chapter 547 Manhattan Cohabitation Guide

Chapter 547 Manhattan Cohabitation Guide (Part 2)
An hour later, the Bentley Bentayga smoothly came to a stop at the entrance of the One57 building. Han Yi handed the car keys to a valet from the apartment property management company, Luxury Attaché, and then turned his gaze to the staff who were being directed by the concierge to move Xu Yiru's luggage into the freight elevator.

He gave a few gentle instructions to ensure everything was arranged properly. Afterwards, the two did not go upstairs. After politely declining the concierge's offer of a private car, they smiled at each other, pushed open the heavy glass door, and joined the surging crowds of Sixth Avenue in the evening.

This was an unspoken agreement reached on the way there—for the next forty-eight hours, they would deliberately stay away from the readily available luxury services, and like all ordinary couples striving to settle down in this city, measure the streets with their footsteps, feel the real temperature of the city with their heartbeats, and experience the warmth and coldness of human relationships in New York.

For this young couple, this rare opportunity to role-play was truly delightful.

Han Yi and Xu Yiru can temporarily forget reality and immerse themselves in this parallel world that only has the two of them.

They step into their own movie, where the camera captures the Manhattan skyline, a sun-drenched avenue in winter, and two people in love.

"Are you still cold?" Han Yi turned his palm up and stretched it out to Xiao Ru's side.

"No... I'm not cold!" Xiaoru instinctively wanted to reply that she wasn't cold anymore, but then she caught sight of the hand. She quickly stopped herself from speaking and instead placed her hand directly into the other person's palm.

Feeling the tenderness her boyfriend was conveying through his warmth, Xiaoru's steps became lighter.

"The weather is so nice today."

Xu Yiru looked up at the skyscrapers standing on both sides of Sixth Avenue and the clear blue sky that they cut into irregular geometric shapes.

The weather in New York today was truly beautiful, without a single cloud in the sky. Even the cold air stirred up by the roaring cars was warmed by the setting sun. Sunlight, like generous gold leaf, streamed through the gaps in the steel forest, dancing on their shoulders. Xu Yiru squinted, feeling the gentle warmth of the sunlight on her face.

"Yes, it wasn't this good a couple of days ago."

"Right?"

"Yes, it's usually sunny in the morning, then cloudy in the afternoon, and sometimes it even rains." Han Yi put Xu Yiru's hand into his trench coat pocket. "How was the business trip?"

“Go out…” Xu Yiru turned her head to look at Han Yi, blinking in confusion. But the next second, she understood Han Yi’s intention.

This man is continuing the story they started in Tetborough.

"It's just a regular real estate industry forum, nothing special." Xiaoru deliberately yawned. "I thought about you every single day of the three-day conference."

"Really?" Han Yi asked with a smile, "Do you really think about it every day?"

"Of course, I'm a hopeless romantic." Xiaoru moved even closer to Han Yi. "I can't live without my husband."

Although she was playing a character in a script, the genuine emotions revealed in those words still made Xiaoru's cheeks flush and Han Yi's heart pound.

"And you?" Xiaoru swallowed, moistening her dry throat. "Have you missed me?"

“I think about it every day too.” Passing by the Hilton Hotel, Han Yi glanced at the long line of guests waiting at the hotel reception through the glass curtain wall. “I mainly miss your cooking.”

"Can't you do it yourself?"

"My cooking isn't as good as my wife's." Han Yi paused, then touched his nose and said this somewhat shyly.

"You clingy little devil." Xiaoru teased him, but she was actually overwhelmed by the term "wife" and her boyfriend's embarrassed yet adorable expression. "Okay, what do you want to eat later? Order, and I'll cook for you."

"I want to eat salt and pepper chicken, the really spicy kind."

"it is good."

"And braised pork rice."

"no problem."

"Please also serve a dipping sauce of soy sauce and chopped chili peppers on the side. Scoop a spoonful, pour it in, and stir." Han Yi took a deep breath; he was even getting hungry just talking about it. "It's absolutely perfect."

"That's too salty."

"You know I have a strong palate."

"No! Eating too much salty food can easily lead to high blood pressure and even a stroke."

"Just this one meal, we won't eat it starting tomorrow." Han Yi squeezed Xiao Ru's hand and rubbed his head against her face. "You just got back today, let's celebrate, let's celebrate."

"Then this is the meal." Soft-hearted Xiaoru couldn't resist her boyfriend's coquettishness. "Also, if you're going to eat something this salty, then you can't drink cola. Drink green tea to balance it out."

"I want a Coke."

"Are you being disobedient?"

"listen."

"So, are you still going to drink Coke or not?"

"drink."

"Hey, are you going to misbehave?"

Bickering back and forth, Han Yi and Xiao Ru strolled leisurely south along Sixth Avenue. With the holiday approaching, Christmas trees lined both sides of the street, each draped with countless warm white lights that spiraled from base to tip, creating a magical forest of light. Behind them, colorful Christmas wreaths, woven from pine branches, hazelnuts, and golden ribbons, hung in unison on the glass facades of skyscrapers, shimmering softly in the twilight.

Nearby, a four-piece brass band was playing "Santa Claus is Coming To Town," the cheerful trombones and crisp trumpets echoing between the buildings, attracting a circle of spectators who swayed gently to the rhythm. A little further away, a Black singer who appeared to be blind was singing "Blue Christmas" in a hoarse voice, surrounded by a crowd, mostly couples like Han Yi and Xiao Ru, cuddling together.

The air is filled with a variety of enticing aromas. From the roasted nut stand on the street corner comes the sweet, warm scent of caramel and cinnamon. From the hot dog stand comes the savory aroma of onions and yellow mustard. And then there's the Middle Eastern kebab from The Halal Guys, and the beef burger from Shake Shack—these are some of the most recognizable smells in New York.

Of course, besides the aromas, the ceaseless sounds are also an indispensable element of the New York City landscape: the impatient horns of taxis, the crisp clatter of hooves from horse-drawn carriages, the shouts of street vendors, the cacophony of laughter in countless languages, and, of course, the indispensable complaint of New Yorkers who nearly get hit by cars for running red lights, their cries of "Hey! I'm walking here!" audible throughout the entire street. These seemingly contradictory yet harmonious elements intertwine to compose the unique festive symphony of Sixth Avenue.

As you approach the intersection of Radio Music Hall and Rockefeller Center, the festive atmosphere solidifies into a thick, golden honey, so rich it's almost impossible to melt away.

As dusk settles, the entire neighborhood is illuminated into a dreamlike theater that requires no tickets. In front of Rockefeller Center, the 25-meter-tall Norway spruce tree resembles a luminous giant tower, its branches adorned with 30,000 crystal-clear LED lights. At its very top, a Swarovski star sparkles against the deep blue sky, as if a real star has fallen to earth and settled here.

The famous ice rink was surrounded by layers of spectators, parents holding up their phones to capture their toddlers taking their first steps on the ice. A little girl in a red knitted hat clung tightly to a penguin-shaped skate, each step eliciting cheers from her family and friends. Meanwhile, skilled skaters darted through the crowd like fish, tracing elegant arcs, the shards of their skates gliding under the lights.

On the other side of West 50th Street, the giant neon sign of Radio City Music Hall flashed incessantly, and above the Art Deco arches, a large poster for the Rocket Girls exuded retro joy. Audiences for the "Christmas Spectacular" were entering, the line winding all the way to the corner of Sixth Avenue. The waiting audience wasn't impatient; they shared hot cocoa and chatted and laughed in the cold wind. An elderly woman in a camel coat carefully adjusted her Christmas brooch, while her husband gently brushed the snow from her shoulders. Young couples snuggled together, the girls' hair adorned with sparkling Christmas hair clips that shimmered in the night.

The crowd surged like a tide, yet formed small eddies everywhere: at the mulled wine stand, beside the carousel, and outside every brightly lit shop window. A group of Japanese students took countless selfies, trying to capture the entire Christmas tree in their frames. Backpackers from Europe passed around mulled wine, the cinnamon sticks in their cups emitting a warm aroma. Local office workers also stopped here, their ties hanging loosely, symbolizing their hearts, long since away from the office, eagerly awaiting their holidays. Vendors were busy as bees, taking money, giving change, and handing out food, their movements fluid and efficient. A black man selling balloons accidentally let go while exchanging change, and a string of colorful balloons soared into the air, tracing a vibrant arc in the night sky, eliciting gasps of surprise from the crowd.

Similar smiles radiated from faces of different skin colors, and exclamations and laughter in various languages intertwined to create the most moving melody of the night. In this warm current of people gathered together, even the chill of December seemed to soften. "Excuse me, could you please pass by?"

Holding Han Yi's hand, Xiao Ru darted through the crowd, her eyes shining with excitement. She was certain that this was the most radiant and vibrant day she had ever had in a very long time.

There is the reality we have already achieved, and even more so, the future that is within our grasp.

Nothing could be more wonderful than this.

"Yi Yi, I really love New York."

After the two had left the two landmark buildings behind and the crowds on the sidewalk were no longer making it hard for them to breathe, Xiao Ru, who was passing by a Chick-Fil-A restaurant, looked at the family of five in the restaurant window clinking chicken strips and laughing heartily, breathed a sigh of relief, and sighed softly.

“Me too. There’s a kind of warmth here that Los Angeles can’t give me… a sense of humanity, I don’t know if you can understand,” Han Yi chimed in. “Otherwise, why would I keep telling you that of all of America, this is my favorite place?”

"How about we come here to stay for a month or two every year when we have time in a couple of years?"

"Why wait two years? We can do it next summer."

"I'm going back to Taipei for summer vacation... My mom lives there alone."

"Why not just bring her to New York?"

"What, you can't wait to meet the parents?" Xiaoru looked up at him mischievously.

"It's time to meet her," Han Yi nodded matter-of-factly. "We're in a serious relationship; how can we do without her mother?"

"Mother-in-law?" The starlight in Xiaoru's pupils converged into a galaxy. "What are you going to say when you meet your mother-in-law?"

"I can say, Mom..."

"Don't call me 'Mom' so soon!" Xiaoru punched Han Yi's arm with the force of a cotton candy. Her eyes crinkled, revealing shallow dimples... she was in a good mood.

"Don't worry about it, I have my own plans." Han Yi clicked his tongue at her. "When she comes to America, I'll go with you and take her to Los Angeles, then to New York, and then I'll say to her—Mom, this house is mine, and this house is mine too. Which one do you think is suitable for Xiaoru and me as our wedding home?"

A master of the ways of the "scumbag," with an unfathomable fortune, Han Yi was brimming with confidence and completely uninhibited. He knew how to provide the most intense and irresistible emotional value. He painted a picture for Xiaoru that would make any girl incredibly happy, then gazed at her tenderly. He watched as her lips grew redder, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes reddened.

"You...you shouldn't..."

It felt like a high mountain was looming over her heart, while beside it flowed a long, ceaseless river. These two intense and complex emotions intertwined, making Xiaoru feel a lump in her throat and a tightness in her chest.

"Don't joke like that," Xiao Ru said, her head slightly lowered, her voice barely audible. "I'll take it seriously."

"I'm not joking." Han Yi squeezed Xu Yiru's hand tighter. "I'm serious."

"Is this the you in the script?"

"Me in real life."

"Reality……"

Upon hearing this answer, Xiaoru's eyes, which were already rippling with emotion, seemed to be assaulted by a sudden storm, shimmering and misty, shapeless and chaotic, yet incredibly moving.

However, the rain came and went quickly, and before long, Xiaoru's eyes returned to calm.

"Realistically speaking, you still have a lot of homework to do... We all have a lot of homework to do."

After saying that, Xiaoru, who was holding Han Yi's arm, rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder and nudged him a little.

"It looks like we've arrived, Yi Yi, look to the left."

Han Yi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a cluster of high-rise buildings that looked no different from other streets in Manhattan, with all kinds of Korean signs hanging on them.

This is Koreatown, located on West 32nd Street next to the Empire State Building, and also home to the closest Asian supermarket within walking distance of One57.

Is this the place?

"Yes."

Han Yi took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing the overly distant topics and promises, and instead focused on the small, certain happiness right in front of them.

"Xiaoru".

"Ok?"

Are you hungry?

"It's okay, what's wrong?"

"If you're hungry, we can eat here too."

"are you hungry?"

"I'm fine too."

"Really? Don't push yourself."

"I'm really not hungry."

"Then... let's go to the supermarket to buy groceries and cook at home."

Xiaoru tiptoed and wrinkled her nose at him.

What we eat doesn't matter, I just... want to be with you.