The God of Wealth starts with doing whatever you want

The two departed from the airport.

The off-road vehicle sped along the winding mountain road leading to Hemu Snow Village, with endless snowfields and continuous silver mountain ranges outside the window, creating a grand and silent picture.

Inside the carriage, a warm and inviting atmosphere filled their snowy paradise, which officially began with a romantic game called "photography."

Back at the hotel where Gao Wenwen was staying.

That evening, having not seen each other for a long time, the two had an in-depth conversation in bed after dinner about the script they were going to film later.

Once they started talking, they couldn't stop until late at night, when they finally fell asleep, exhausted.

The next morning, after getting up and having breakfast, Gao Wenwen couldn't wait to drag Xu Yun to the first filming location they had planned.

A traditional snow village hidden deep in a valley.

Driven by Xu Yun, the off-road vehicle bumped along the snow-covered mountain road for nearly two hours.

Outside the window stretched a vast snowfield, the sunlight reflecting off the snow with dazzling brilliance, and occasionally a herdsman would leisurely drive his flock of sheep past.

"We're here!" Gao Wenwen told Xu Yun to park the car in front of a wooden archway.

Xu Yun got out of the car and was greeted by a village built entirely of logs.

The rooftops were covered with a thick layer of snow, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, and the air was filled with the aroma of burning pine.

Several sled dogs frolicked at the village entrance, the bells around their necks ringing crisply.

"This place hasn't been fully commercialized yet; it retains its original appearance."

Gao Wenwen took out her photography equipment from the trunk and said with a smile, "When I came to scout the location the day before yesterday, I made an appointment with an old man in the village to borrow his wooden house and sled dogs for the shoot."

As she spoke, she walked toward a wooden house at the entrance of the village.

An elderly Kazakh man, dressed in a traditional fur coat and with a wrinkled face, is sitting on the porch, basking in the sun.

Upon seeing Gao Wenwen, he stood up with a smile and greeted her in heavily accented Mandarin: "Miss Gao is here!"

"Grandpa Batel!"

Gao Wenwen jogged over, took two packets of tea from her bag, and handed them over, saying, "These are for you."

The old man declined several times before finally accepting it.

He smiled as he looked at Xu Yun approaching and asked, "Is this the person you've been waiting for?"

“Yes, my…boyfriend, Xu Yun,” Gao Wenwen introduced, her ears turning slightly red.

Grandpa Batel looked Xu Yun up and down, nodded, and smiled, "Young man, you're in good spirits. Come on, the sled is ready."

The filming began with a simple "snow village stroll".

Gao Wenwen's plot is as follows: The male protagonist (Xu Yun as the first-person perspective) is wandering alone in the snow village when he accidentally encounters the female protagonist (Gao Wenwen) feeding sled dogs. The two smile at each other.

However, numerous problems arose during actual operation.

During the first shoot, Xu Yun followed the route past the wooden house, where Gao Wenwen was squatting on the ground feeding the dog.

An overly enthusiastic sled dog suddenly lunged at Xu Yun, knocking him off balance. Off-screen, Gao Wenwen's barely suppressed laughter could be heard.

"Card!"

She laughed and shouted, "Let's do it again! But that scene was actually quite realistic, so let's save it for later."

The second time, as Xu Yungang walked to the designated spot, several children from the village curiously gathered around him.

They looked up at them and asked, "Uncle, are you filming a TV show?"

Seeing this, Gao Wenwen had no choice but to stop filming and take out candy from her bag to give to the children.

The third attempt finally went smoothly.

In the video, Xu Yun walks along a snow-covered path, while Gao Wenwen looks up with a natural, radiant smile on her face.

The sunlight shone on her eyelashes, making the frost flowers glitter.

"Perfect!"

Gao Wenwen reviewed the replay and said with satisfaction, "I would give this smile a perfect score."

After the morning's filming ended, Grandpa Batel invited them inside for milk tea.

A warm iron stove burned in the wooden house, making it as cozy as spring.

The old man served her steaming hot salty milk tea and milk curds, and Gao Wenwen chatted familiarly with him about the stories of the village.

Xu Yun quietly sipped her milk tea, listening to the old man recount the changes this snow village had undergone over the decades.

The fire crackled in the stove, and outside the window lay a silent snow scene. This moment of tranquility eased much of the fatigue from his days of travel.

"We'll be filming sled scenes this afternoon."

Gao Wenwen whispered to Xu Yun, "I spent half a day yesterday learning how to drive from Grandpa Batel, it was so exciting!"

Xu Yun raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure you won't throw us both into a snowdrift?"

Who do you think you are!

Gao Wenwen glared at him and pouted, saying, "I'm very talented."

"Ha, I don't believe it."

The afternoon's sled filming was indeed thrilling.

Gao Wenwen sat in front, driving six strong sled dogs, while Xu Yun sat in the back on the sled, holding a GoPro to film from a first-person perspective.

However, feeling a little guilty, he smiled and asked again, "Can you do it? Don't try to be brave. If you can't, I'll do it!"

"Of course I have no problem. Let's go!"

At Gao Wenwen's command, the sled dogs charged forward.

A cold wind swept over us, and the cedar trees on both sides seemed to rush past us.

Gao Wenwen's red scarf fluttered in the wind, and she occasionally turned back to smile at the camera, her eyes shining like stars.

There were a few moments when Xu Yun almost forgot they were filming, as if they really were just a couple traveling in northern Xinjiang and enjoying the fun of sledding.

However, reality soon took a sharp turn.

On a downhill slope, Gao Wenwen turned a little too slowly, and one side of the sled hit a protruding snowdrift, causing the entire sled to overturn instantly.

"what--!"

The two rolled around and fell into the thick snow.

The sled dogs stopped and looked back at them.

One of them even tilted its head, its expression seemingly saying, "What are you doing?"

Xu Yun sat up from the snowdrift and found Gao Wenwen buried next to him, with only one waving hand showing.

He quickly dug her out.

Gao Wenwen's face was covered in snow, and her eyelashes and eyebrows were white.

But she laughed so hard she almost fell over, saying, "That was...so exciting! Did you get a picture of that? The part where the car flipped over?"

"."

Xu Yun couldn't help but roll her eyes at her, then helplessly checked the GoPro in her hand and said, "It did capture the shot, but the lens is shaky."

"It's okay! It's real!"

Gao Wenwen wiped her face and laughed, "Love videos are all about these kinds of real surprises and laughter."

As she spoke, she suddenly grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at Xu Yun.

Xu Yun was caught off guard and hit on the shoulder, then retaliated.

The two started having a snowball fight in the snow, completely forgetting about filming, until Grandpa Batel came over with his sled dog and looked at them with a smile.

"It's so good to be young," the old man said.

The filming temporarily ended in the evening.

Gao Wenwen demonstrated her "newly learned skills" in the kitchen of Grandpa Batel's wooden house.

I cooked a pot of pilaf.

"I watched tutorials online and also consulted Grandpa Batel."

She scooped the rice onto a plate with a hint of pride and said, "Xu Yun, try this, it's authentic XJ flavor."

Xu Yun took a bite; the rice was cooked to the perfect consistency, and the carrots and mutton were well-seasoned.

"Not bad, you're ready to graduate."

"of course."

Gao Wenwen sat down opposite him, and the two of them ate rice with their hands while drinking salty milk tea.

As darkness fell outside the window, an oil lamp was lit inside the wooden house.

"We have enough material for today."

Gao Wenwen looked through the videos on her camera and said, "I'll edit them tonight, and tomorrow we'll go to another place. I've found a fantastic spot for shooting the starry sky."

"The starry sky?"

"Yes, the starry sky in Altay is the most beautiful I have ever seen."

Gao Wenwen's eyes lit up as she replied, "There's almost no light pollution, the Milky Way is clearly visible. I designed a scene where two people lie in the snow looking at the stars, and then..."

She suddenly stopped, and her ears turned red again.

"And then what?" Xu Yun asked.

"Then... we just chatted, what else could there be?"

Gao Wenwen lowered her head and ate her rice, saying, "Anyway, you don't need to say anything, just take pictures of your back and the starry sky."

Xu Yun glanced at her reddened earlobes and didn't press the matter further.

At night, Gao Wenwen was editing videos in the next room, while Xu Yun stood by the window on the second floor of the wooden house, letting her mind wander.

The snow village was extremely quiet; only the sound of the wind and the occasional bark of a dog could be heard.

His cell phone signal is intermittent.

After putting down his phone, Xu Yun noticed that the light in Gao Wenwen's room was still on.

He ended up following his teacher, Mr. Gao, without really understanding what he was doing, and now it seems he's found something he likes.

He was quite happy for her.

He wondered if she would repay him in the same way after his hard work during the day.

……

At five o'clock the next morning, Xu Yun was gently awakened.

When she opened her eyes, Gao Wenwen was already fully armed, carrying photography equipment.

Her eyes, however, shone brightly as she laughed and said, "Quick! The blues before sunrise are the perfect time to photograph the morning mist!"

"Aren't you tired?" Xu Yun asked, wanting to stay in bed longer. "We went to bed very late last night."

"I'm not tired, hurry up."

"."

Xu Yun glanced at the still pitch-black sky outside the window and resignedly got up.

Fifteen minutes later, the two were already walking on the mountain path leading to the viewing platform.

The headlamp cast two beams of light on the snow, and the surroundings were so quiet that you could hear your own breathing.

"When I first came to scout out the location, I almost got lost."

Gao Wenwen and Xu Yun each rode a horse, talking as they went. Their breath condensed in the cold air. Gao Wenwen laughed, "We finally found the way by following the tracks of a fox." "A fox?"

"Yes, a snow fox, it's especially beautiful, silvery-white."

She gestured as she replied, "Unfortunately, he ran too fast and I didn't get a picture."

The viewing platform is located at the top of the hillside and is a simple wooden platform.

When they arrived, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Milky white morning mist filled the valley, flowing slowly like milk, with distant snow-capped mountains appearing and disappearing in the mist.

"Set up the machine!" Gao Wenwen got to work.

Today we're shooting a series of "morning encounters" shots.

The premise is that the male and female protagonists coincidentally wake up early to watch the sunrise, meet at the observation deck, and share a hot drink.

In practice, Gao Wenwen prepared a thermos and two cups.

"I made ginger tea to ward off the cold."

Filming begins.

Xu Yun walked up to the viewing platform from one side, pretending to casually notice that there were already people there.

Gao Wenwen turned around, smiled at him, and raised the cup in her hand in a gesture of greeting.

Xu Yun walked over and took the other cup of tea that she handed him.

In the video, the two stand side by side in front of the railing, gazing at the gradually brightening sky in the distance, sipping hot tea.

There was no dialogue, only the sound of the wind and birdsong in the valley.

"OK!"

Gao Wenwen checked the playback and said happily, "The atmosphere is amazing! Look how harmonious we look standing together."

Xu Yun looked at the screen.

In the picture, the morning light outlines the silhouettes of the two people, and steam rises from the rim of the cup, with flowing morning mist and snow-capped mountains in the background.

That certainly seems to be the case.

"If you really enjoy filming these kinds of things..."

Xu Yun tentatively said, "Why don't you go to my entertainment company? I'll make you a director, and you can film whatever you want."

"Forget it."

Gao Wenwen refused, saying, "I think short videos are great; you can do whatever you want."

After sunrise, the morning mist gradually dissipates, revealing the valley's true face.

They packed up their equipment and headed down the mountain, encountering early-rising villagers along the way, exchanging simple greetings.

"I'll rest this afternoon and take pictures of the starry sky tonight."

Gao Wenwen made her plans and said, "So during the day... would you like to wander around the village, or go back to the house to sleep?"

"Let's take a walk."

Xu Yun replied with a smile, "Since we're already here..."

The days passed leisurely.

They visited traditional handicraft workshops in the village, watched the elderly weave carpets with wool; ate noodles and baked buns at a small shop at the entrance of the village; and even learned to ski with a few children.

Although Xu Yun fell three times, Gao Wenwen laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight.

"I didn't expect you to have things you're not good at." Gao Wenwen helped him stand up.

"I'm from the South."

Xu Yun brushed the snow off his clothes and said, "I don't even get to see snow often, let alone ski."

"Then when you have time, come to the North with me more often."

Gao Wenwen blurted out, "Winter in the North is beautiful and worth seeing more of."

In the afternoon, they rested in Grandpa Batel's wooden house.

The old man took out a photo album and showed them old photos of Xuecun from decades ago.

From black and white to color, from young people to the elderly, time flows quietly in the photos.

"At its peak, this village had more than 300 people, but now there are less than 50 left."

Grandpa Batel pointed to the photo and said, "The young people have all gone to the city, only we old folks are still here."

"But you have protected the village very well."

Gao Wenwen said earnestly, "I make videos so that more people can see places like this and know that they deserve to be remembered."

The old man smiled and nodded: "Okay, okay."

In the evening, Gao Wenwen began preparing for the nighttime shoot.

She checked the battery levels of all the devices, as well as extra batteries and hand warmers.

They even brought two extra-thick wool blankets.

"It might drop to minus twenty degrees Celsius tonight."

She said with some concern, "So our filming must be efficient and we can't dawdle, otherwise I'm afraid you'll catch a cold."

"fine."

Xu Yun smiled meaningfully and said, "When you come back with me, you'll work up a sweat, and that will make you feel better."

Gao Wenwen's face immediately turned red.

The location for the stargazing photos was an open snowfield outside the village.

At nine o'clock in the evening, the two of them carried their equipment and trudged there.

The night sky was incredibly clear, with the Milky Way stretching across the sky and countless stars that seemed within reach.

"Set up the tripod here."

Gao Wenwen instructed, "Lie down, yes, right here. I'll set the camera to take automatic interval shots, recording the movement of the stars while also capturing us."

Is this okay?

Xu Yun lay down on the blanket that had been laid out, as instructed.

"Ah."

Gao Wenwen set up the camera and then lay down next to him.

"The scenario is like this."

She explained, "The two of them were lying in the snow looking at the stars and chatting, and then... the girl asked the boy a question."

"What's the problem?"

"you guess."

Gao Wenwen turned her head, and under the starry sky, her eyes shone brighter than any star.

The camera started working, making a soft clicking sound.

They lay quietly, gazing at the starry sky above.

Time seemed to slow down, and the whole world consisted only of this snowfield, this starry sky, and the person beside me.

"Xu Yun".

Gao Wenwen suddenly spoke softly; these were not lines required for filming.

"Ok?"

"If... I mean if, seven years ago I confessed my feelings to you, would our relationship be different?"

Xu Yun remained silent.

The Milky Way was slowly rotating above their heads.

There are no "ifs".

Finally, Xu Yun replied, "Everyone can only walk the path they choose."

Gao Wenwen smiled.

Her smile was somewhat blurred in the starlight as she chuckled, "Yes, but can I imagine it, please?"

"Sure, think of anything."

Gao Wenwen continued, "I've imagined it many times. If I had confessed, maybe I would have been rejected and we would have become strangers. Maybe we would have been together sooner. Maybe we would be married by now. Maybe..."

She stopped.

The camera was still clicking, recording the starry sky and also the two people lying side by side in the snow.

"But this imagination doesn't include Chen Xin, your daughter, or any of your other women."

Gao Wenwen sat up, hugged her knees, and said, "So it can only be an imagination."

Xu Yun also sat up.

He wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.

"Alright, that's enough with the sentimentality."

Gao Wenwen suddenly stood up, patted the snow off her clothes, and said, "We should have enough material. Let's go back, it's freezing."

On the way back to the village, the two walked one after the other without saying a word.

As they approached the village entrance, Gao Wenwen suddenly turned around: "I'll send you the video after it's edited."

"Mm." Xu Yun.

Gao Wenwen nodded and continued walking forward.

Her figure appeared slender against the snow, yet remarkably resolute.

That evening, Xu Yun received a video of her daughter from Chen Xin while she was in the cabin.

The little guy smiled, and although it was an unconscious expression, it warmed Xu Yun's heart.

He replied, "So cute. Miss you."

After sending the message, Xu Yun went into the bedroom and saw Gao Wenwen still in front of the computer.

At 2 a.m., she was still editing videos.

Tonight, he suddenly didn't want Gao Wenwen to work so hard.

"Stop cutting it, go to sleep early."

Gao Wenwen turned around and glanced at him, then smiled and said, "Okay, but wait for me a little while, I'm going to take a shower first."

"I'll go with you to take a shower."

The next morning, Gao Wenwen was still fast asleep, too tired to get up.

Xu Yun did not wake her up.

He quietly got up and drove away from Altay.

Behind her, Gao Wenwen, who had gotten up at some point, stood at the hotel window, looking in the direction the car had gone, feeling somewhat reluctant.

There are some partings she doesn't want to face.

If she could, she would so wish Xu Yun were hers alone! (End of Chapter)