Chapter 63: Taking a Video
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Click.” The door swung open, revealing Guo’s father returning. Hearing the sounds from the kitchen, he glanced at the time and remarked, “At this hour, your mother probably hasn’t returned yet. Who’s cooking?” He then made his way toward the kitchen.
“Eh? Xiao Chao, when did you come back?” Guo’s father looked surprised as he observed Zhou Chao bustling around in the kitchen.
“Uncle, you’re back from work. I just arrived last night,” Zhou Chao replied.
“You should rest for a while. Let me handle this.”
“It’s alright, Uncle. I’m just preparing a couple of dishes. You go ahead and take a break. We can start dinner once Aunt comes back.”
Shortly, Guo’s mother returned too. As soon as she entered, she noticed Zhou Chao working busily in the kitchen and promptly went to help.
“Why is this child cooking now? And you, old man, why are you just sitting there reading the newspaper instead of lending a hand?” Guo’s father, sitting on the living room sofa, innocently bore the brunt, and Zhou Chao couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Aunt, no need to fuss. Dinner will be ready soon,” Zhou Chao assured, already transferring the last dish from the pan to a plate as he spoke.
“Time to eat, Xiaoyan.” Guo Yan, who had been fervently studying, cheerfully emerged from her room.
“Mm, the food you make, big brother, is always so delicious.”
“Oh, so you mean your mom’s cooking isn’t tasty? Well then, you should start cooking for yourself from now on.”
“Ah, spare me, Mother. Your cooking is the best.” Laughter filled the room at their playful banter.
“Alright, let’s eat,” Guo’s father, the calm and experienced one, announced.
And with that, everyone began to dig in.
“Xiao Chao, how long are you planning to stay?” Third Aunt asked.
After swallowing a mouthful of food, Zhou Chao pondered for a moment before replying, “About two days. I’ll see how things go.”
For the next few days, they chatted about their recent experiences. Only Guo Yan was absorbed in her food, seemingly determined to finish every last bit.
“Burp, that was so satisfying.” Guo Yan leaned back on the sofa, patting her round belly with a contented expression.
“Third Aunt, 1 brought some local specialties from Sunlight City this time. These black goji berries and saffron are suitable for you and Uncle. You can brew them for tea regularly.” Zhou Chao took out the items from the bag he had brought.
“Oh, and there’s this shawl. Third Aunt, try it on and see how it looks.”
“Wasting money again. You should save up to get married. Speaking of which, have you found a girlfriend? If not, I can help you find one.” Third Aunt playfully draped the shawl over herself, admiring her reflection in the mirror.
Curious, Guo Yan also watched Zhou Chao, who could only nod helplessly and say, “I just found a girlfriend, and we’ve recently confirmed our relationship. I’ll introduce her to both of you sometime.”
“Absolutely, strive to carry on the legacy of the Zhou family at the earliest opportunity,” Guo’s mother remarked with a satisfied smile as she gazed at Zhou Chao. She sensed that her child was moving forward in life.
Zhou Chao rubbed his head in exasperation, promising, “Sure, Third Aunt. I’ll aim to get married next year.”
“Brother, you’ve got this! I’m rooting for you,” Guo Yan chimed in, undaunted.
“Hahaha,” both Guo’s parents burst into laughter.
It was nearly 10 o’clock when Zhou Chao left Third Aunt’s place. They chatted about various matters, though most of the time, Third Aunt did the talking while Zhou Chao listened. Exiting the community, he flagged down a taxi and headed home. On the way, he grabbed some barbecue from a roadside vendor; after all, late-night barbecues were irresistible to anyone.
Early the next morning, Zhou Chao was awakened by a call from Lei Mingtang. “Give me a reason, or you’ll see what I’ll do to you.”
“Chao, wake up quickly. Can you help me film a video today? I thought of it last night.”
“What kind of video?”
“It’s a cross-dressing video. It’s quite straightforward -1 just need you to switch into two different outfits,” Zhou Chao reluctantly consented, noticing the enthusiasm in Lei Mingtang’s voice from the other end of the line.
After changing his clothes and freshening up, Zhou Chao left home and saw Lei Mingtang waiting in a car outside.
“Tell me about the script first,” Zhou Chao asked Lei Mingtang as he got into the car.
“It’s a transformation video where you’ll begin with a disheveled appearance and then swiftly transition into a confident CEO persona. Given your striking looks that could easily resemble the god of beauty, there’s no doubt it will be a sensation.”
Zhou Chao wanted to punch him. Even if they just filmed something casual, it would likely become popular. Why bother with dressing up like this? But now that he was in the car, there was no turning back.
They arrived at the studio quickly. It was a relatively small studio with only three rooms. Following Lei Mingtang inside, Zhou Chao noticed that there weren’t many people—just four in total.
Lei Mingtang clapped his hands, gathered the few people around, and instructed the makeup artist to do Zhou Chao’s makeup. However, when the makeup artist saw Zhou Chao sitting on the sofa, her eyes lit up. He was just too handsome.
Feeling uncomfortable under her intense gaze, Zhou Chao coughed awkwardly, and the makeup artist finally regained her composure. Zhou Chao headed to the makeup room, and in less than half an hour, his makeup was done. He emerged wearing black glasses and an old-fashioned outfit.
“Alright, let’s get started.”
Lei Mingtang dragged Zhou Chao into shooting the video five or six times before finally letting him go. Zhou Chao found this more exhausting than climbing mountains.
Zhou Chao sat in the office for almost an hour, had three cups of tea, and finally, Lei Mingtang entered with a smile on his face.
“Chao, thank you so much today. I’m confident that this video will definitely go viral.”
“Enough talk, treat me to a meal.” Zhou Chao’s stomach was growling. He got pulled into this without having breakfast, and now he needed a satisfying lunch. But Lei Mingtang took him downstairs to a noodle shop and ordered beef noodles, leaving Zhou Chao annoyed. He told the shop owner he only wanted beef, not noodles.
After finishing the noodles, Zhou Chao told Lei Mingtang he was heading home. He was eager to take a good nap, but just as he arrived home, his phone rang. It was a call from Qin Fen.
“Hey, Young Master Qin, what made you remember to call me?”
“My dear Zhou, you’ve been away for almost half a month. Do you have any interest in coming to Jingdu?”
“What’s there to do in Jingdu?”
“There’s a charity auction gala happening recently. Are you interested in attending?”
“A charity auction gala? I’m interested. When is it?”
“Next Friday, so you have five days. By the way, where are you now?”
“In Fog City. I’ll call you when I’m in Jingdu, and we can go together.”
“Alright, contact me when you’re in Jingdu.”
Zhou Chao hung up, sat on the sofa, and thought for a moment. He decided he would fly to Jingdu tomorrow afternoon; that way, he could enjoy two days in the city.
It had been over half a month since his last check-in. He figured he’d wait until he reached Jingdu to do it; maybe he could find an apartment there before his visit. It would save him from staying in hotels all the time.
He then informed Third Aunt and Lei Mingtang about his plans for the next day, explaining that he had urgent matters to attend to.
The following morning, Zhou Chao boarded the car he had booked the night before and headed to Jiangbei Airport..