Chapter 64: Chapter 64 “Why Can’t We Kiss?”…

Chapter 64

"Why can't I kiss you?"

After leaving the airport, Lu Zhishi had to change vehicles several times before finally reaching the small town where Huo Jingxing was filming.

As soon as he stepped out of the car, Lu Zhishi couldn't hold it in. He stumbled to the roadside, leaned against a tree, and threw up violently.

Despite taking motion sickness medication, he still felt awful, only managing to bring up some sour bile. After taking a few sips of water handed to him by Bodyguard Eldest Brother, Lu Zhishi's eyes welled up with tears.

"This is just terrible..."

There was still some distance to the filming location, but Lu Zhishi adamantly refused to get back in the car. He told Bodyguard Eldest Brother, "Eldest Brother, do you have anything with two wheels? I want a two-wheeled vehicle..."

For someone prone to motion sickness, an open two- or three-wheeled vehicle felt like the ultimate luxury car!

Bodyguard Eldest Brother searched nearby and actually found a three-wheeled rickshaw used for transporting people, driven by an elderly man.

The old man smiled warmly as he drove the rickshaw, bumping along a remote cement road, chatting as he went:

"You've certainly asked the right person. Everyone who comes here to film rides in my vehicle."

"Grandpa, why do people come all the way out here to film movies?"

The old man replied, "You'll understand once you get inside. Don't let these winding roads and forests fool you now—just around the bend, you'll find a beautiful place with clear waters and green mountains."

Hearing this, Lu Zhishi immediately pulled out his phone, ready to record.

After a few minutes of bouncing along in the rickshaw, they rounded a bend, and a breathtaking landscape burst into view.

Lush green mountains, clear streams, and peach blossoms in full bloom filled the scene. In the distance, wisps of smoke curled upwards, creating a dreamlike, idyllic atmosphere reminiscent of a hidden paradise.

Lu Zhishi's jaw dropped in awe as he raised his phone to record the entire scene.

After recording for a while, the rickshaw stopped at the village entrance where the film crew was located. Lu Zhishi hopped out of the back.

After thanking the old man and paying the fare, Lu Zhishi also gave him some local specialties from A City as a gift.

In return, the old man handed him a small bag of wild fruits that grew naturally in the mountains. Lu Zhishi tried one—it was very sweet.

He shared some with Bodyguard Eldest Brother and saved the rest to give to his cousin later.

The recorded scenery needed no editing or filters—it was naturally beautiful. He sent the videos to his grandparents, father, and brother, and also to Chi Chen, along with a few cheerful voice notes.

"Brother Xiao Chen, look! The scenery is so beautiful—it’s like a peach blossom paradise!"

"The air is so fresh, and it even smells like peach blossoms, so fragrant."

"It’s really cool here, a perfect summer retreat. I probably won’t even need air conditioning at night."

Lu Zhishi chattered on about many things but didn’t mention a word about his motion sickness.

It seems most people, when away from home, tend to share only the good news and downplay their hardships to avoid worrying their families. Lu Zhishi was no exception.

Putting away his phone, Lu Zhishi and the two Bodyguard Eldest Brothers wheeled their luggage into the village and found the film crew’s location.

Along the way, they only saw crew members. It was unclear whether the village was built by the crew or if they had booked out the entire place.

Upon arriving at the filming site, Lu Zhishi presented his introduction letter to the staff for registration and smoothly entered the set.

The two Bodyguard Eldest Brothers first took the luggage to a rented house nearby, while Lu Zhishi quietly sat on a small stool in the corner, watching the filming.

Huo Jingxing played the third male lead and was currently in a scene. Lu Zhishi watched with wide eyes.

It had been a long time since he last saw Huo Jingxing. Lu Zhishi noticed that he had grown a bit taller, tanned a little, and now had a buzz cut.

When he grinned, his white teeth stood out, giving him a sunny and cheerful vibe—somewhat like the "dark-skinned, rugged little wolf dog" people talked about online.

Since phones had to be handed in upon entering the set, Lu Zhishi quietly took out a photo of himself and Huo Jingxing from his pocket.

After glancing at the fair-skinned, handsome young master in the photo and then at the tanned, rugged version of his cousin filming ahead, Lu Zhishi silently tucked the photo back into his pocket.

Influenced by Lu Tingan, Lu Zhishi had some understanding of filmmaking. Based on the current filming process, it seemed like they were shooting in a single continuous shot.

A single continuous shot places high demands on an actor’s performance. If even a small part isn’t perfect, they have to start over from the beginning.

The scene was filmed in segments for about an hour and a half. From time to time, the director’s scolding could be heard, but no actors or crew members complained about the difficulty or exhaustion.

At first, Lu Zhishi was just casually observing, but as time went on, he found himself fully immersed in the process.

It wasn’t until the director yelled "Cut!" that the actors and crew snapped out of their roles, and the set gradually became lively again.

Lu Zhishi’s thoughts slowly returned to reality.

Amid the bustling crowd tidying up equipment, he looked around to find Huo Jingxing.

Not far away, Huo Jingxing was wiping his sweat with a towel while his assistant spoke to him. Suddenly, Huo Jingxing turned his head in surprise toward Lu Zhishi’s direction.

Lu Zhishi smiled and waved.

Huo Jingxing quickly walked over, frowning slightly, and asked softly, "Why did you come all the way here? Aren’t you tired?"

"Not at all! This place is beautiful—I really like it." Lu Zhishi waved a handheld fan near him to cool him down:

"Dad said you haven’t been in touch for a year, and Uncle and the others were worried, so I came to check on you."

Huo Jingxing took the fan and started fanning himself. "Wait for me a moment. I’ll go talk to the director, then take you to eat."

Lu Zhishi stood up. "I’ll go with you. Since I’m already here, it’s only polite to say hello."

The director, surnamed Wang, knew Lu Tingan and had previously collaborated with him on a film.

In his fifties, he looked somewhat disheveled, having let his appearance slide for the sake of filming.

Though he was strict and harsh when scolding, he was highly skilled and dedicated, having won numerous domestic and international awards.

"Hello, Director Wang." Lu Zhishi stood politely beside Huo Jingxing, smiling respectfully as he greeted the elder.

Director Wang took a few sips of water, nodded, and then scrutinized Lu Zhishi’s eyes.

"Young man, what’s your relationship with Song Qinian?"

Lu Zhishi pulled down his mask. "He’s my father."

"Lu Tingan’s son? You’ve grown so big already?" Director Wang looked surprised upon seeing his face. His usually stern expression softened into a smile as he patted Lu Zhishi’s shoulder. "I held you when you were a baby."

"?" Lu Zhishi tried hard to recall but couldn’t remember. It might have been during his hundred-day celebration or first birthday party.

"Of course, you wouldn’t remember. You were still very young back then." Director Wang put down his cup. "Stay and have a meal with us. Your father sank a lot of money into this film—I’d feel bad if I didn’t treat you to a meal." Lu Zhishi: "??" So his visit had instantly turned him into the investor's son?

Lu Zhishi smiled and said, "Alright, thanks, Uncle."

Director Wang laughed heartily, patted his arm, and told him to have a seat first—they would have dinner after finishing the next scene.

Huo Jingxing didn’t get any time off and looked confused and resigned as he was pulled back by the director to continue filming.

While they were still shooting, Lu Zhishi stepped off set, grabbed his phone, and had his bodyguard order dinner for the entire crew.

Chi Chen had replied to his message. Lu Zhishi opened them—there were many voice messages.

He listened to each one carefully, then took a selfie and went on chatting.

"Watching my brother and the others film—they’re killing it, everyone’s acting is amazing!"

"We’re about to have dinner soon. I’ll video chat you when I get back to the rental place~"

"First day apart, miss you, miss you so much—"

His ears feeling warm, Chi Chen set down his phone and couldn’t help but listen again.

"First day apart, miss you, miss you so much—"

Gently tracing his lover’s smiling eyes in the photo, Chi Chen’s expression softened. "Little liar…"

He’d promised to send tons of voice messages, but there were only a dozen or so, and they were sent hours apart.

He wondered how things were going over there…

Chi Chen saved the photo to his album and went back to working overtime.

Without Lu Zhishi around, going back home didn't seem worth it.

"Hah-choo!"

Lu Zhishi rubbed his nose. Who was thinking of him? Must be his baby Chi Chen!

Sitting in a corner with his chin propped in his hands, watching the filming and accidentally feeding a few mosquitoes, he snacked on goodies given by the crew members around him, occasionally munching on cheese sticks and sipping lemon tea.

He’d ordered dinner in Huo Jingxing’s name, distributed it to the crew, and stuck by Huo Jingxing.

Wherever Huo Jingxing sat to eat, he followed—curly-haired, big-eyed, and acting real sweet.

After dinner, since Huo Jingxing had no night scenes that day, he took Lu Zhishi back to the rental place to clean up.

The place was pretty basic—most of the crew’s budget went into filming, so the living conditions for actors and staff were pretty standard.

For instance, hot water for showers needed to be boiled, clothes had to be washed by hand, but at least the lights in the room were bright.

Huo Jingxing said it was to help actors read scripts at night—too dim, and it’d hurt your eyes.

"My assistant boiled the water. You go shower first, then get in the mosquito net," Huo Jingxing said, setting out his toiletries.

"The mosquitoes here bite like crazy, and there are huge flying cockroaches, plus rats the size of cats."

Lu Zhishi: "…" The more he heard about it, the more scared he got.

After nervously finishing his shower, Lu Zhishi clutched his newly bought basin and crouched by the well, scrubbing his clothes.

As he scrubbed, he kept looking around nervously. He wasn’t afraid of the awful mosquitoes, but he was terrified of the big, flying cockroaches and those cat-sized gray rats.

Who wouldn’t be scared of cockroaches and huge rats?!

Finally finished washing, about to rinse the clothes, Lu Zhishi had this weird feeling of unease.

He automatically looked down at his feet, and his gaze froze midway.

In the cracks between the bricks by the well, there seemed to be bunch after bunch of cockroaches.

Yes, moving cockroaches…

So scary!

Getting goosebumps, Lu Zhishi backed up, then another step.

Halfway retreating, he went back, snatched the hose, and started blasting water into the cracks, trying to wash them away down the drain.

Rows of cockroaches emerged, scurrying everywhere. Lu Zhishi was about to lose it.

When one took flight toward him, he almost passed out.

Doing a panicked little dance, he bolted for the house in panic, screaming, "Bro! Help—"

Instantly, Huo Jingxing—in the middle of washing his face, with facial cleanser foam all over his face, could barely see—the two bodyguards from the next yard, and actors from nearby rentals all stuck their heads out.

Huo Jingxing rushed out, asking frantically, "What’s wrong? What happened?!"

The two bodyguards ran over from next door, right hands cautiously at their waists, left hands holding baseball bats, scanning the area sharply.

Lu Zhishi was near tears. "So many cockroaches! A whole row! One just crawled on my hand! I don’t want this hand anymore!"

Huo Jingxing: "…"

The two bodyguards: "…"

Sighing in relief, they couldn’t help but smirk, turning away to secretly chuckle.

The bodyguards put away their weapons, got insect spray, sprayed it around the cracks, and went inside to light some anti-cockroach incense.

Huo Jingxing washed the foam off his face, patted his brother’s shoulder comfortingly, and said, "It’s okay, I’ll squash them for you!"

With that, he grabbed a slipper and went around smacking cockroaches. The occasional "smack" from the yard was oddly reassuring.

Once all visible cockroaches were dealt with, he saw his brother hiding in a corner, eyelashes damp, face flushed—embarrassed by his earlier reaction, or still scared of the weird cockroaches.

Poor chubby Zhishi.

"Don’t squat there—there might be a whole five-generation cockroach family."

Before he finished, Lu Zhishi leaped up, jumped high, and charged over with arms outstretched, howling.

Huo Jingxing burst out laughing.

The terrifying cockroaches, the biting mosquitoes, the still-unseen giant rats…

Lu Zhishi chose to hide inside the mosquito net, tightly closing the curtain, checking the zipper to ensure no nasty fifth-generation cockroaches could get in.

During his video call with Chi Chen that night, Lu Zhishi teared up, rubbing his eyes as he complained, "Chi Chen, a horrible cockroach flew onto my hand! I don’t want this hand anymore—it feels unclean even after disinfecting…"

Though Chi Chen didn’t understand what "cockroach" meant at first, he immediately soothed, "Don’t be afraid. Just rinse it with warm water. Disinfectant hurts the skin. The hand cream is in the suitcase with tag three—use that. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning."

Lu Zhishi was still drying his eyes when he heard this and quickly said, "Don't come, don't come. I'll be staying here for a few more days, and no need to pick me up when I go home either. I'll drive back myself."

Chi Chen’s eyes fell, "You don’t want me to come find you?"

How could Lu Zhishi bear to see his dear boyfriend like this? He immediately explained, "Of course not! I'm just worried there are too many mosquitoes, cockroaches, and rats here—you couldn't handle it."

"The flower mosquitoes here have really painful bites. You smell so good; if you came here, lots of mosquitoes would chase after you."

Afraid Chi Chen wouldn’t believe him, Lu Zhishi quickly held up his arm to the camera to show him a row of mosquito bites.

Chi Chen frowned, "You’ve been bitten so many times? There’s a special mosquito-repelling wristband and spray in the suitcase. Did you forget to use them?"

"I forgot. I'll use them tomorrow. Right now, I’m inside the mosquito net, so there aren’t any mosquitoes."

Lu Zhishi held up his phone to show Chi Chen his fully enclosed, all-in-one mosquito net tent: "No bugs can get in here."

Seeing where he was staying flash across the screen, Chi Chen’s frown deepened. He said, "I'm coming over tomorrow."

"No need to come," Lu Zhishi insisted.

"But I miss you a lot."

A direct hit.

What could Lu Zhishi say to that?

Lu Zhishi curved his lips and chuckled, feeling a little shy.

"Well... then come over. The scenery here is really nice—consider it a relaxing break."

"Okay."

The sweet moment was interrupted when Huo Jingxing came in to help light mosquito-repellent incense. He wondered who it was.

After Lu Zhishi hung up, he asked, "Are you dating someone?"

"Yeah, yeah, we’ve been together for almost two months." Lu Zhishi sent a few kissing emojis to Chi Chen: "It’s Chi Chen. You probably know him too."

Huo Jingxing certainly knew Chi Chen—they’d met several times before. But he remembered…

Wasn’t Chi Chen Lu Zhiyu’s best friend?

"Did your cousin not beat him up?" He’d swept him away just after turning eighteen. How could an overprotective brother like Lu Zhiyu not have beaten him up?

Lu Zhishi grinned brightly, "Hehe, no, because I was the one who pursued Chi Chen first."

Huo Jingxing stroked his chin. That explains it.

After calling Chi Chen, Lu Zhishi also called his dad and others on video, and finally called his uncle and them. He handed the phone to Huo Jingxing so he could talk with his family.

It was getting late. After chatting for a while, Huo Jingxing hung up and went back to his room to rest. He had to film early the next morning.

In an unfamiliar place, Lu Zhishi was a little too nervous to sleep at first.

The buzz of mosquitoes filled his ears, frogs croaked outside the window, and the sweet smell of peach blossoms filled the air.

Lu Zhishi closed his eyes, thinking about how he’d get to see Chi Chen tomorrow. Unconsciously, he felt at ease, and he gradually fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, before dawn, Huo Jingxing was already up and getting ready.

He put the pork buns delivered by the crew into the warming box, left a note for Lu Zhishi, packed his things, and headed to the set to continue filming.

Lu Zhishi slept until daybreak. After getting ready, he joined the other actors—uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters who weren’t filming—sitting on the roadside steps, eating pork buns in a neat row.

This was the scene Chi Chen saw when he arrived.

A loose-fitting shirt, baggy shorts, a pair of straw sandals, a head of messy little curls, sleepy eyes, mechanically chewing on a pork bun with puffed cheeks.

Chi Chen: "?"

It was a limited-edition rural Cheese.

Fingers itching, he suppressed the urge to take a photo and pulled his suitcase over.

So early in the morning, an unfamiliar handsome guy suddenly appeared, and everyone’s eyes turned to Chi Chen.

"A wild handsome guy!"

"He seems to be coming our way."

"A visual treat first thing in the morning?!"

"So nice to look at!"

"Whose family member is this?"

Lu Zhishi, cheeks puffed as he was chewing, heard them talking and looked up.

"Cough, cough—"

He quickly patted his chest to swallow the bun, stood up abruptly, and rushed over, stuttering, "You… how… how did you get here so fast…"

"Missed you a lot, so I came."

Lu Zhishi’s ears turned red. He said sternly, "No matter how much you miss me, you can’t fly out in the middle of the night. It’s too dangerous."

"Mm, I’ll be careful next time." Chi Chen looked down, a faint curve at his lips, his eyes soft and lingering: "Rural Cheese is very cute."

Now even his cheeks were flushed red. Lu Zhishi stuttered, unable to speak, pulled his suitcase, and under everyone’s knowing smiles, took Chi Chen by the wrist and led him to his room.

"Are you motion sick? Tired? Hungry?"

Letting him sit for a while, Lu Zhishi put away the suitcase and went out to get him two pork buns.

When he came back, he also had a wet washcloth. He stood in front of Chi Chen and wiped his face gently.

"Did you come alone? Where’s your Bodyguard Eldest Brother?"

Chi Chen closed his eyes, hands resting lightly on Lu Zhishi’s waist, tilting his head back slightly to let him wipe his face.

"Not motion sick, not tired, not hungry."

He opened his eyes, looked at Lu Zhishi, and answered one by one: "He’s shopping in the nearby town. I wanted to see you quickly, so I came in first."

Lu Zhishi pressed his lips together, his face flushed shyly, leaned down, and kissed his forehead: "I missed you too."

After saying that, as if escaping, he straightened up and pulled away from Chi Chen.

His wrist was gently pulled—not with much force, but Lu Zhishi still turned back at the tug.

"What's up?"

"Did you put on the ointment?"

"The mosquito bite cream?" Lu Zhishi scratched his face, his eyes darting away guiltily. "Not yet."

He was so hungry when he woke up this morning that he focused entirely on devouring the steamed buns and completely forgot about the ointment.

Chi Chen didn't say anything and went to open a few suitcases, pulling out a bunch of mosquito repellents.

Pulling Lu Zhishi to sit beside him, Chi Chen leaned in close and rubbed the ointment on all the mosquito bites.

Some areas Lu Zhishi couldn't see, but Chi Chen knew them well. The more he looked, the more his heart ached—red bump after red bump, the skin around them all red and inflamed, and even yesterday's bites hadn't gone down yet.

"Does it still itch?"

"It was really itchy right after I got bitten, but it doesn't itch now."

"Mm, if it itches, let me know."

"Huh?"

Chi Chen's voice was calm. "I'll press a cross into it for you."

It took Lu Zhishi a moment to realize what he meant, and then he started laughing.

After applying the ointment, Chi Chen put the mosquito repellent bracelet and necklace on him and even stuck a portable spray in his pocket...

Well, Lu Zhishi was wearing knee-length shorts without pockets to hold anything.

Lu Zhishi noticed this too and awkwardly covered his face before getting up to grab some clothes to change into.

"I didn't expect you to come so early. I haven't had time to change yet." Lu Zhishi changed into a white T-shirt and long pants. "I sleep in a dad shirt and big shorts at night—it's really comfortable."

Chi Chen nodded. "You look good in anything."

Lu Zhishi threw an arm over Chi Chen's shoulder and asked with a grin, "Is this the 'love is blind' thing?"

"It's not a filter. I'm just telling the truth."

These words warmed Lu Zhishi's heart, especially since Chi Chen was saying them so seriously, creating an unexpectedly adorable contrast.

Lu Zhishi cupped his face and gave him two quick kisses. "You're such a smooth talker—why haven't I heard you say things like this before?"

Chi Chen calmly wrapped an arm around his waist, pressed his face closer, and said softly, "Before, we weren't officially together. It wouldn’t have been appropriate—it might've come off as cheap or disrespectful."

Mentioning the past reminded Lu Zhishi of a few things.

"You used to avoid looking at me. Every time I glanced at you, you’d lower your head and pretend not to see."

"Because affection would show in my eyes," Chi Chen whispered.

Back then, Lu Zhishi was still studying, and Chi Chen was too scared to show how he felt, afraid it might distract him and affect his studies.

Lu Zhishi patted his chest. "No need to hold back now. Say whatever you want."

Chi Chen chuckled. "Okay."

"You've got so many red veins in your eyes. Have you not rested at all since last night?"

Standing close, Lu Zhishi looked down at Chi Chen's eyes, which were all red.

Their breath mixed together intimately. Chi Chen lowered his gaze, his eyes dropping to Lu Zhishi's soft, wet-looking lips, so close he couldn’t help tilting his chin up without thinking.

Lu Zhishi covered his mouth. "I'm talking to you."

Chi Chen: "..."

Lu Zhishi was waiting for him to respond when he saw Chi Chen glance at him, purse his lips, and muttered, "I brushed my teeth after I landed. We can kiss."

"?" Lu Zhishi: "Is that what you thought I asked?"