Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 56 Dudu, please don't force yourself.
Jiang Ye tightened his arms around her, and when his nose brushed against the top of her head, he smelled a familiar, faint scent of gardenias.

The girl's fragrance was lovely, mixed with the warm scent from the airport's heating system, like a gentle breeze from newly sprouting spring buds, lightly caressing the heart.

Beneath the fluffy down jacket, he could vaguely feel the softness of her body and her slender waist, making him want to hold her even tighter.

"Online, people are saying that the drama I filmed is a terrible movie, that the crew was so poor that they couldn't even afford the props, and that the plot was ridiculous and illogical... Even the actors were criticized so much that they couldn't hold their heads up."

His voice was even hoarse, his breath gently brushing against the top of her head. "Sometimes when I see those comments, I really wonder if I did something wrong... Never mind, why say these things?"

His eyes were slightly red when he let go.

Chen Duling was stunned for a moment, and her initial shyness and slight annoyance were completely overshadowed by heartache.

This guy was hugging so tightly just now because he was sad...

She raised her hand to touch his face, but pulled it back halfway through. In the end, she just awkwardly tugged at his sleeve: "Those people are just talking nonsense! I think he looks great!"

She raised her voice slightly in her haste, then quickly lowered it again, as if afraid of being overheard. "Although the production team looks a bit simple, the plot is so interesting, and the actors' performances are so natural... Look how many people are following the updates online, they just can't stand others being innovative!"

She racked her brains for a reason, speaking faster and faster, her voice carrying a hint of grievance she herself didn't realize: "Last time I recommended it to my roommates, and now they urge me to update every day, saying that you captured that absurdity so well... Really, don't take it to heart, you're really amazing in my eyes."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and patted his arm, her movements as awkward as if she were patting a large, wronged dog.

Jiang Ye almost couldn't hold back his smile when he saw her nose turning red with anxiety.

He lowered his eyes, pretending to be comforted, and softly hummed in agreement: "With your words, I feel much better."

As the airport's public address system played Christmas Eve greetings, Chen Duling glanced at the clock and suddenly felt a little lost: "It's so late... should I find a hotel to stay in first?"

“Okay,” Jiang Ye replied almost immediately, his tone sounding exceptionally cheerful. He reached for his phone and said, “I’ll book it for you. There’s a hotel near the airport with good reviews. It’s close to here and the environment is clean.”

He swiped his finger across the screen twice, as if he really wanted to place an order immediately, but then he suddenly stopped, and when he looked up, the melancholy he had just suppressed resurfaced in his eyes.

“However…” he scratched his head, his tone casual with a hint of self-deprecation, “Actually, it was quite tough for me to go back.”

Chen Duling's brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed slightly again.

Jiang Ye kept looking down at his phone, his voice so soft it was as if he didn't want to disturb anyone: "You know, on Christmas Eve, when you go back to an empty room, all you see when you close your eyes are those messy comments. You'll probably have to keep your eyes open until dawn."

He turned to look at her, forcing a smile. "Unlike you, after a long day, you can get a good night's sleep as soon as you get to the hotel."

Chen Duling: “…”

Jiang Ye was about to confirm the order when he said that, but his fingertip hovered over the screen as if he was waiting for something.

But Chen Duling just stood there staring at him blankly...

She didn't know what to say at that moment; her mind went blank.

Jiang Ye paused, as if suddenly remembering something: "Speaking of which, I think I just saw the movie schedule, there are still screenings of 'The Taking of Tiger Mountain' at night..."

"Dudu, do you want to go see it? Of course, I'm just saying. If you're tired, don't push yourself. I just think that places with lots of people might be less unbearable."

He quickly waved his hand, pretending it was just a casual remark: "Don't take it to heart, booking the hotel is the priority, I'll confirm it for you right away..."

Seeing how uncomfortable he looked, Chen Duling's thought of getting some rest suddenly froze.

She tightened her grip on her scarf and whispered, "Booking a hotel isn't urgent... How about we go see a movie? I'm not sleepy anyway, and I'd like to see this film."

Jiang Ye paused, his hand still swiping the screen. "Really? Won't that be too much of a hassle for you?" "No, it's not," Chen Duling shook her head, her voice soft. "Watching a movie is fine."

Jiang Ye immediately locked the screen, but still earnestly instructed, "If you get tired, you must say so, don't push yourself."

"If you want to see it too, I'll go with you!"

"???"

Chen Duling felt like something was off.

……

The movie theaters were packed with people on Christmas Eve, filled with lovey-dovey couples.

Besides Tsui Hark's "The Taking of Tiger Mountain," there are two other relatively popular films.

"Love on the Cloud," directed by Gu Changwei (who is currently Ou Hao's "uncle"), is a commercial comedy film starring Chen He and Angelababy, with cameos by Jiang Wu, Mao Amin, and Tong Dawei.

Another example is "Gone with the Bullets," a drama film directed by Jiang Wen, starring Jiang Wen, Ge You, and Zhou Yun.

Jiang Ye held two cups of hot drinks, his gaze sweeping over the young couple in the front row sharing a popcorn bucket, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Dudu," he nudged Chen Duling gently with his elbow, "Do you know why movie theaters are so busy on Christmas Eve?"

Chen Duling was adjusting her scarf when she heard this and looked up blankly: "Because of... the Christmas season?"

“Wrong.” Jiang Ye lowered his voice and analyzed seriously, “Look, firstly, the lighting is dim, making it easy to secretly hold hands. Secondly, the party ends late, making it a natural choice to take her home.”

He suddenly leaned close to her ear and said, "Wouldn't that classic scene of me lending you my coat come in handy when it gets cold?"

A warm breath brushed past her ear, and Chen Duling's hand trembled, almost spilling her hot drink: "What are you thinking about all day long?!"

“I’m studying marketing,” Jiang Ye said earnestly. “Look at how full the screenings of ‘The Taking of Tiger Mountain’ are; it shows that director Tsui Hark is well-versed in the holiday economy.”

Chen Duling was amused by his twisted logic and was about to refute it when she suddenly noticed that the girl in front of her was almost shrinking into her boyfriend's jacket.

Jiang Ye immediately raised an eyebrow: "Look, a real-world case study."

"You think you know so much?" She blushed and scoffed, but then suddenly remembered something and asked with a straight face.

"Did you often do this before?"

? ? ? ? ?

The lights suddenly dimmed and the screen lit up, but the two of them didn't talk anymore.

I heard a girl's soft laughter coming from the front row; she was probably amused by the plot.

Jiang Ye tapped his fingers lightly on his knees, as if he were keeping time with the rhythm, but at a certain moment, he inadvertently touched the back of her hand that was resting on the armrest.

Neither of them moved.

The snowstorm raged on the screen, but the air in the theater seemed to suddenly quiet down, with only the sound of their quietly quickening heartbeats remaining.

(End of this chapter)