Starting from Taohuawu, kilometers away

As the rain slanted over the eaves of the black-sailed boat, Meng Ziyi's fingertips were pressing on the ribs of the oil-paper umbrella and were trembling slightly.

The accumulated water on the bluestone slabs reflected the taut line of her jaw, and the tips of her wet embroidered shoes pressed against the edge of the stone steps - this was the seventh reshoot of the farewell scene on the covered bridge.

Li Cheng's black boots made a slight sound as they rolled over the puddles, and the corner of his navy blue robe brushed against her hanging sleeves.

The water stains on the camera track reflected the shadow of his lowered brow, and his Adam's apple trembled between lines: "If you look back now, you will never walk out of this nine-fold purple."

His voice, soaked in ice water, was wrapped in hidden pain, and his bony hand was suspended half an inch above her shoulder, forming a trembling boundary.

The director held his breath behind the monitor.

Meng Ziyi suddenly turned around and the water droplets splashed on the lens glass. The edge of the oil-paper umbrella brushed against Li Cheng's nose, revealing the determination of broken ice in her eyes.

The scraping sound of the umbrella ribs mixed with the rhythm of rain hitting the banana leaves. Every step she took back was precisely placed between the mossy cracks in the stones, as if it had been measured thousands of times.

"Cut!" The stagehand was about to raise the sign, but the director suddenly raised his hand to stop him.

The two people in the monitor were still in the play - Li Cheng's curled fingers were unconsciously stroking the jade pendant on her waist, which was a detail that was not in the script; and the angle of the tilt of Meng Ziyi's umbrella just allowed the rain curtain to weave a translucent curtain wall between her and the camera.

From deep in the rain came the crisp sound of a clapperboard closing.

Veins bulged on the director's hand as he gripped the walkie-talkie, and the blue light from the monitor illuminated the corners of his mouth that were constantly drooping - this was his unique expression of approval on the set.

When Li Cheng staggered half a step and bumped into the vermilion lacquered corridor column, a suppressed sob rolled out of his throat, and the director finally leaned back heavily in his chair. The sound of the thermos cup hitting the edge of the table startled the sparrows that were taking shelter under the eaves.

The newly dyed mauve by the props team fluttered like blood in the wind. Meng Ziyi stood in the rain with her face covered by an umbrella. She didn't loosen her clenched knuckles until the executive director shouted "pass".

When Li Cheng took the towel handed to him by Xiao Wang, he caught a glimpse of a group of black umbrellas forming an arc in front of the monitor - all the department heads were waiting for the director's reaction.

After Li Cheng and Meng Ziyi finished their performance, they rushed out of the scene like two torrents and headed straight for the director.

Their steps were firm and swift, and their eyes showed unquestionable seriousness and persistence.

Their breathing was a little rapid, but their expressions were full of confidence and expectation.

The director was concentrating on replaying the performance clip just now, and the two people's superb performances came to life in the picture.

For a moment, the director's brows gradually relaxed and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously.

He raised his head, looked at the two actors in front of him with bright eyes, and nodded vigorously, as if at this moment he had found the satisfying work he had long missed.

"Very good, you guys did an excellent job!"

The director's voice was full of praise. His tone revealed not only satisfaction, but also an affirmation of art and recognition of hard work.

When Li Cheng and Meng Ziyi heard this affirmation, they looked at each other, their eyes filled with relief and emotion.

There is a warm current flowing in their hearts, which is the recognition of their hard work and the satisfaction of their artistic pursuit.

They knew that at this moment, their performance had surpassed themselves and reached a new height.

‘Papa pa pa’

Director Zeng clapped his hands, looked at everyone and said, "That's all for today. See you tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. Everyone go back and have a good rest."

"Thank you Director Zeng."

"Goodbye Director Zeng!"

"It's time to get off work!"

"It's time to get off work, it's time to get off work!"

"."

Everyone in the crew breathed a sigh of relief. Today's task was finally completed. They didn't have to stay up late to shoot, otherwise they would have been shooting until very late.

Li Cheng and Meng Ziyi put away their costumes and quietly slipped out of the filming site.

They passed through an ancient garden. The stone bridge was covered with moss and there were long echoes in the alleys, as if they could hear the footsteps of ancient people.

In this quiet place surrounded by quaint pavilions and towers, the two people's whispers were almost drowned out by the lush flowers and trees.

The other actors were busy with their own things and no one noticed that the two protagonists had quietly left the team.

They walked along the winding path, avoiding the bustling extras and supporting actors who were immersed in their roles.

At this moment, Li Cheng and Meng Ziyi seemed to be the only existence in this ancient capital. Their secret feelings grew quietly like rain marks on the bluestone slabs.

Finally, they came to a secluded corner. Meng Ziyi gently held Li Cheng's hand. They smiled at each other. The tacit understanding and secret joy filled the air.

They planned to go to a well-known restaurant in the city to enjoy a delicious meal. The dishes there were not only delicious but also had the taste of home, allowing them to find a touch of warmth in this strange land.

"No, we have such a strong secret relationship, why don't we call Kong Xueer and Xia Zhiguang?"

Li Cheng held Sister Meng's hand and played with it for a while, waiting for Xiao Wang to drive over.

Sister Meng didn't shake off Li Cheng's hand. Instead, she used her other hand to browse her phone and said, "Oh, I'm not going to tell you. I'm going to treat you to a meal today. Should I apologize to you~"

Sister Meng started to act coquettishly, and Li Cheng really couldn't resist her coquettish look, especially when they were alone together, Sister Meng really hit his soft spot.

"Hey, did Taohuawu send you a notice?"

Sister Meng thought of an important thing at this time.

Li Cheng let go of Sister Meng's hand, took out his phone, handed it over and said, "Look, it's sent, but I might be like Didi this season and won't be able to participate in the whole thing."

After reading it, Sister Meng returned the phone and asked with a puzzled and puzzled expression: "No, why?"

Li Cheng was speechless after hearing this, but he felt that it was normal for Sister Meng to do this, so he patiently explained, "You forgot, the Paris Olympics are coming up soon, and after we finish filming Nine-Layered Purple, I have to go film Night Watchman with Xiao Tian, ​​so I really don't have time, and I have to reserve time for training."

"Then isn't it the same when you practice in Taohuawu? Didn't you practice in Taohuawu before?"

Sister Meng still didn’t understand. She knew that Li Cheng was going to participate in the Olympics, but did this conflict with Li Cheng’s participation in a variety show?
"Sister, you don't want netizens to scold me to death, do you? The incident I had a few days ago has already caused a big stir. If I participate in variety shows to make money during the preparation for the Olympics, all the old scores will be settled. If my teammates and I perform well, it's fine, but if we don't, they will really kill me."

Li Cheng also feels that having traffic is not that good. Whatever you do will be on the hot search list, and there is no private space at all. Fan culture is especially discouraged in the sports circle. He himself hates fan culture very much, but some fans don’t listen!

Sister Meng nodded and thought of Guo Ailun before. After all, there was a living example in front of her, so she had to understand Li Cheng.

Then Sister Meng asked cautiously: "Are you sure you won't go back to Northeast China for the recording this time?"

Li Cheng shook his head and said, "I didn't say I won't go. I just might go for a few episodes, but I won't be participating in the recording all the time like before. I'll just be a flying guest."

After listening to this, Sister Meng nodded and understood. She just had to go, otherwise the three-season veterans would be short of people again. She didn’t know if she would have the opportunity to work with Li Cheng in the future.
-
As night falls and the lights come on, a restaurant called "Northeast Home" in Hengdian is already bustling with people.

The red lantern in front of the door swayed gracefully, as if enthusiastically attracting passers-by.

As you walk into the restaurant, you are instantly surrounded by the familiar Northeastern accent and laughter. The aroma of stew fills the air, making you feel very at home.

The rough decoration style is eye-catching, and the decorative paintings of old tractors hanging on the walls seem to tell the farming culture of the Northeast.

The wooden tables and chairs are large and sturdy, and on the tables are blue-patterned porcelain plates filled with colorful, fragrant and delicious Northeastern dishes.

The waiters were wearing red work clothes and the four big words "Northeastern People" were printed on the aprons on their chests. They were busy serving the dishes, and every step they took was filled with the boldness and enthusiasm of the Northeastern people.

On the dining table, plates of mouth-watering delicacies are everywhere: golden and crispy sweet and sour pork, spicy and delicious sauerkraut stewed meat, soft and tasty pork stewed with vermicelli, and steaming sticky rice dumplings. Every bite is the ultimate interpretation of the taste of Northeast China.

The guests sat around the table, picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork, and took a light bite. The crispy outer skin and the tender inner part blended together, and they couldn't help but exclaim in satisfaction.

"Drinking beer and eating gada", several fellow Northeasterners gathered together, playing finger-guessing games and chatting, and their laughter revealed a strong sense of nostalgia.

The children moved among the crowd, looking at everything curiously, occasionally picking up chopsticks and trying to imitate the adults' movements, tasting the taste of their hometown.

The restaurant is popular not only because of its delicious food, but also because it brings together people from Northeast China from all over the world. They find a sense of belonging here and enjoy the warmth of their hometown and the taste of their memories.

In this hustle and bustle, the enthusiasm and open-mindedness of the Northeastern people, like the halo of the red lanterns, warm and bright, sprinkled on every guest who visited the "Northeast Family". As soon as Li Cheng entered the house, he heard people drinking beer and eating gada. He was a little skeptical. Is this a Northeastern person? Isn't this what the Qingdao guy said?

Sister Meng patted Li Cheng, who was still in a daze, and said, "Let's go, stay inside, don't stand at the entrance of the hall."

"okay!"

Li Cheng came to his senses immediately and stopped looking at the table of people drinking beer and eating gada. He followed Sister Meng inside.

"Hmm? Li Cheng?"

"Where is Li Cheng?"

"Is it true? Where is Li Cheng? Why can't I see him?"

"Li Cheng? Is this true?"

"How dare he show up? Isn't he afraid of his diehard fans scolding him?"

"."

There were mostly people from Northeast China in the house. They didn't react much when they heard Li Cheng's name and just looked around.

"There! The one with the hat and hoodie!"

"I saw it! He's so handsome! But he looks much more haggard!"

"Hey, that person in front of him is Meng Ziyi, right?"

"Oh my god, are they working together on a movie?"

"Oh my god, I'm kind of looking forward to it. Even if the collaboration between them turns out to be shit, I'd still like to have a taste of it!"

"I want to go over and get an autograph!"

"."

Just as Li Cheng and Meng Ziyi were walking towards the private room, a voice interrupted their steps.

"Excuse me, are you Cheng Cheng and Sister Meng?"

Li Cheng turned around first, took a look, nodded, and said, "Hello."

"Wow! Really! Cheng Cheng, you are much more handsome than on TV!"

The girl's voice was so loud that it attracted a lot of people's attention, but the others did not come forward.

"Thank you for the compliment. You are very beautiful too."

Li Cheng gave a polite smile.

The girl looked at Sister Meng who was silent, took her hand and said, "Sister Meng, you are so beautiful."

"Thank you, thank you. You are very beautiful too."

Sister Meng was suddenly at a loss and immediately looked at Li Cheng beside her.

Li Cheng stretched out his hand to stop her and said, "Miss, I know you are very excited, but let's not do it, thank you."

"Oh, sorry, sorry, I got a little too excited."

The girl immediately let go of Sister Meng's hand and bowed to Meng Ziyi to apologize.

"It's okay, it's okay."

Meng Ziyi was really a little scared. She was a little afraid that the girl was a illegitimate child.

"Can I take a picture with you two?"

The girl shook her phone and looked at the two of them expectantly.

"I'm OK."

Li Cheng looked at Sister Meng.

Sister Meng also nodded and said, "Okay."

The girl excitedly unlocked the door and took out the front camera.

Li Cheng immediately stretched out his hand to the girl and said, "Let me do it."

"Okay, thank you Cheng Cheng."

The girl immediately handed over the phone.

Li Cheng was holding his phone and comparing it, trying his best to make Sister Meng and the girl look better. He was in the front.

‘click’

After a few voices, the photo session ended.

The girl was very satisfied with the pictures taken by Li Cheng, especially the one where Li Cheng was giving a thumbs up and smiling, while she and Sister Meng were covering their mouths and laughing behind him like best friends.

"Thank you Cheng Cheng and Sister Meng. I won't bother you any more. Bye."

"Bye-Bye!"

"Bye-Bye."

Li Cheng and Sister Meng immediately walked towards the private room, fearing that someone else would come in a while. After all, they had seen many people taking out their phones and eager to try, especially when several people were taking pictures, someone was recording a video.

The audience in the hall saw this scene and started discussing.

"These two are so easy to talk to!"

"He's easy to talk to, but the way he runs away is really funny."

"No one else is so scared?"

"Hahahahahahahahaha, the two of them ran away."

"I have to say, Li Cheng is really handsome and tall, and Sister Meng is also really pretty and has a great figure."

"Of course not. Are there any ugly children in Northeast China?"

"Hahahahaha! That's right!"

"."

Li Cheng and Sister Meng were not idle in the private room either. They took photos with the boss, his family, the chef, etc.

This was the first time that Li Cheng felt how tiring it was to be famous.

Sister Meng found Li Cheng's fake business smile very funny. It was the first time she saw Li Cheng like this.

"Today's meal is on my table! Take your time eating!"

The boss left the room without waiting for the two to reply. Why take pictures? It's to attract traffic! These two are traffic signs!

Therefore, the popularity of this restaurant is not only due to its delicious food, but also because it brings together people from Northeast China from all over the world. They have found a sense of belonging here and enjoy the warmth of their hometown and the taste of their memories.

In this hustle and bustle, the enthusiasm and open-mindedness of the people of the Northeast, like the halo of the red lanterns, warm and bright, sprinkled on every guest who visited the "Northeast Family". (End of this chapter)