Mr. Zhou Doesn’t Want to Work Hard Anymore!

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Near the film and television studio, apart from delicious egg custard, there were many roadside stalls for late-night snacks. High-end restaurants were non-existent, even the one arranged for Zhou Chenxi by the crew, which was said to be the best hotel in Z City, had a restaurant with only average food.

With everyone rushing to the set every day, they didn’t pay much attention to their meals. They managed with boxed lunches or even without them, considering it a way to lose weight. They could always have a late-night snack after finishing filming at night.

Therefore, the late-night stalls near the film and television studio thrived, and many star-themed stalls even emerged.

These star-themed stalls used celebrities as gimmicks. Whenever an actor came to eat, the owner would take photos with them and hang those pictures on the shop wall afterward, indicating “our shop is very popular.”

Zhou Chenxi used to visit many late-night stalls near the studio out of curiosity. Of course, no one asked him for a photo.

He found that most places were just mediocre, except for a crayfish stall in a deep alley behind the film and television studio. That place left an unforgettable memory for him.

Guiding Lu Ji through several twists and turns, Zhou Chenxi took him to eat crayfish.

As he walked ahead, Zhou Chenxi said to Lu Ji, “I used to come here almost whenever I had time. It was just too delicious. I devoted all the money I earned to these crayfish.”

“…” No wonder he couldn’t save any money.

Lu Ji didn’t say anything, just quietly listened and followed him.

Zhou Chenxi continued, “Thinking back, those crayfish were really my good friends. But that’s all from a past life. I wonder if that stall is still here!”

After turning a corner in the alley, the light suddenly became bright. A simple stall had set up a canopy at the street corner, with a few tables casually arranged next to it.

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The scent of crayfish filled the air.

There were only four tables and two or three customers. The owner wasn’t too busy, bringing a steaming pot of crayfish to the customers. When he turned around and saw Zhou Chenxi, he immediately smiled and said, “Chenxi, you’re here?”

Zhou Chenxi felt his eyes become a bit moist. He didn’t expect the owner to remember him.

“Have a seat,” the owner beckoned to them. “I heard a few days ago that you’ve taken on a new role directed by Director Luo. Congratulations! I was wondering if you’d come here. The weather is getting colder, and you might miss out on crayfish if you come too late!”

Zhou Chenxi invited Lu Ji to sit with him and chatted with the owner.

Lu Ji looked around. The place wasn’t big, and although it was a roadside stall, it wasn’t facing the road directly, so there wasn’t much dust. The tables, chairs, and utensils were wiped clean.

Zhou Chenxi enthusiastically said, “Boss, bring us two pounds of ‘Thirteen Spices’ and two pounds of ‘Garlic Red Braised’.”

The owner chuckled, “Aren’t you not filming later? Why eat something garlic-flavored?”

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Zhou Chenxi explained, “I’m done with work today! I brought my friend here to taste your craftsmanship.”

The owner promised, “I’ll make sure you’re satisfied.” Then he went off to prepare the order.

Taking advantage of the owner’s distraction, Zhou Chenxi whispered to Lu Ji, “The garlic-flavored ones are delicious, even better than the ‘Thirteen Spices.’ You definitely have to try them.”

He sounded like a salesman, and Lu Ji just smiled and nodded.

Lu Ji had never been to such a corner of the city before. He had lived in high-rise buildings for several lifetimes. The Lu family’s office and the ancestral Lu mansion he grew up in felt like an exquisite cage. But tonight, he deeply sensed the vibrancy of this world.

The crayfish was served, and Zhou Chenxi chatted with the owner a bit.

He was like a unique social butterfly who complemented Lu Ji. In places where Lu Ji wasn’t talkative, Zhou Chenxi could chatter endlessly. However, in formal situations like being in front of a certain audience or unfamiliar people, he would become particularly shy.

The owner had a hunch that Zhou Chenxi was going to be popular, so he asked him to sign for himself and suggested hanging the signature on the wall, saying, “Zhou Chenxi is a regular at our shop.” Zhou Chenxi replied that it wouldn’t be okay because if his name was used, the owner would have to give him a discount, and every time he visited, he would have to receive a fifty-percent discount.

The owner disagreed and walked away.

Zhou Chenxi chuckled mischievously and started putting on gloves to peel the crayfish.

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“The crayfish here are actually quite famous,” Zhou Chenxi explained while peeling, “but it’s a bit far from the film and television studio, and shooting schedules are tight. Most of the main actors are busy, sometimes working until two or three in the morning. They just want to go to sleep, so they usually send assistants during shooting breaks to buy.”

Zhou Chenxi glanced at the time on his phone and said, “See, it’s still early. Once it’s time for late-night snacks, there will be a lot of people lining up here.”

Lu Ji accompanied Zhou Chenxi in peeling the crayfish slowly, taking the opportunity to observe. Many assistant-like people hurriedly came to the owner to buy packed late-night snacks. They bought dozens of boxes at once, some even placing large orders. The owner’s nephew was sitting in a corner playing games and would occasionally help out when the owner was too busy.

Interestingly, there weren’t many people eating here, so the surroundings remained relatively quiet.

Lu Ji had never eaten crayfish before. After observing Zhou Chenxi for a while, he finally figured out how to peel them.

Crayfish was considered street food, certainly not something that would be on Lu Ji’s dining table.

Zhou Chenxi, on the other hand, was quite skilled. He peeled the crayfish with the finesse of a machine, quickly filling a plate with a colorful mound of crayfish meat.

With his gloved hands glistening with oil, Zhou Chenxi picked up a piece of uneaten crayfish meat and placed it in front of Lu Ji, saying, “Eat while it’s hot! The dipping sauce here is exceptional. This is the best way to enjoy them, using chopsticks.”

He handed the chopsticks to Lu Ji, indicating that he should take his time to eat, and then resumed peeling more crayfish.

Lu Ji was eating very delicately, as if the dish in front of him wasn’t crayfish, but some upscale delicacy. He managed to turn the street-side snack into a gourmet experience.

After a satisfying meal and with time still left, Zhou Chenxi paid the bill and bid farewell to the owner. He and Lu Ji walked along the street.

“Now we have the same taste in our mouths,” Zhou Chenxi sighed and playfully said.

Lu Ji reached into his pocket and seemingly performed a magic trick, producing two sticks of chewing gum.

Zhou Chenxi was amazed, “Are you clairvoyant?”

Lu Ji replied, “A new flavor from the Lu brand, just released this month.”

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Alright.

Taking the gum from Lu Ji, Zhou Chenxi praised him, “You really are a business genius. I’ve never seen a boss who personally promotes his products like you do. Let me taste it. If it’s good, I can endorse it for free on my Weibo.”

He had become quite the internet celebrity with millions of followers.

Zhou Chenxi shamelessly unwrapped the gum and tasted it. “…” It seemed that Lu Ji really loved strawberry flavor.

Coming out of the narrow alley, it was just after 9 PM.

A new tourist activity had been launched recently in the film and television city. A grand show would begin at 8:45 PM, and currently, it was the time when tourists were rushing to watch the performance. To coordinate with the show, the film and television city would stay open until 11 PM.

Apart from the performance, there were many other attractions in the film and television city, such as a new haunted house. It was said to be quite thrilling. Besides the theater where the performance was held, there probably weren’t many people around now. It was a perfect time to visit the haunted house. Zhou Chenxi asked Lu Ji if he wanted to go, and Lu Ji said he was fine with it.

So, the two of them headed back to the film and television city to buy tickets for the haunted house.

Actually, Zhou Chenxi didn’t have much to do back at the hotel. Who knows, Lu Ji might have other things to attend to. Since Zhou Chenxi was here for a rare visit, he wanted to spend more time with him.

To their surprise, there was quite a long queue at the entrance of the haunted house. Zhou Chenxi and Lu Ji, being tall figures, took their place at the end of the line, attracting attention.

Two girls in front noticed the newcomers behind them. Turning around, they immediately recognized Zhou Chenxi. “Hey, Zhou Chenxi! Are you here to experience the haunted house too?”

Zhou Chenxi scratched his face in embarrassment. “Yeah.”

“You’re so handsome!” one of the girls exclaimed. “Can we ask for your autograph?”

She pulled out a notebook from her backpack, and Zhou Chenxi patiently signed it.

The other girl next to her also asked for an autograph. As she reached for the notebook, she suddenly noticed Lu Ji standing next to Zhou Chenxi.

“Oh!” she exclaimed and tugged at her companion.

As Zhou Chenxi signed the notebooks, the two girls huddled together and seemed to be whispering and giggling about something. When Zhou Chenxi handed the notebooks back, one of the girls blushed and said, “Thank you, Zhou Chenxi! You and President Lu should be happy together!”

Zhou Chenxi raised an eyebrow, puzzled. It didn’t sound like a straightforward blessing.

The two girls made a cheering gesture and Lu Ji suddenly chuckled, saying, “Thank you.”

“Ah, ah, ah!” The girls let out quiet squeals, their faces turning red. They glanced at Lu Ji several times and then turned back to each other, clearly excited.

Zhou Chenxi was clueless and whispered, “President Lu, please don’t emit your charm so casually!”

Lu Ji glanced at him. “Are you jealous?”

Zhou Chenxi widened his beautiful round eyes, shook his head, and swayed side to side. “Me, jealous? What are you talking about!”

Fearless, Zhou Chenxi didn’t delve into the meaning behind those girls’ blessings just now.

Finally making their way to the front of the line, Zhou Chenxi realized that aside from those two girls in front, every other person around them seemed to be couples.

Two young men and women who appeared to be college students came behind them. The girl was holding onto the arm of the guy and nervously said, “Honey, maybe we shouldn’t go in!”

Next to them, a couple had just come out of the haunted house. The guy looked a bit shaken and said, “I almost vomited from fear.”

The girl next to him scolded him, “You’re such a wimp!”

Although she said that, the girl’s face didn’t look great either.

In front of them, another couple said, “Honey, the brochure says this is the scariest haunted house in China. I’m a bit scared…”

The guy reassured her, “Don’t be afraid. Hold onto me, I’ll protect you!”

Zhou Chenxi, who had initially been enthusiastic, started to feel a bit nervous after hearing all of this. He sneakily glanced at Lu Ji.

Lu Ji lowered his head, received his gaze, and said, “Don’t worry. Hold onto me when we get inside, and I’ll protect you.”

Zhou Chenxi: “…”

“Pfft—” The girl in front suddenly choked on her drink for some reason and started coughing softly.

Suddenly, the atmosphere didn’t feel as heavy. Zhou Chenxi and Lu Ji handed their tickets to the ticket checker at the entrance and walked inside together.

The haunted house had group entries. Zhou Chenxi and Lu Ji were in the same group with two couples, the two girls who asked for autographs, and another couple.

As they entered, the entrance sprayed dry ice twice, creating a chilling atmosphere.

Zhou Chenxi was quite accustomed to this sort of thing; they often used it for special effects on stage. Therefore, he didn’t react much to it. However, the two girls in front of them were startled when a cold mist suddenly enveloped them, and one of them let out a scream.

The two couples who entered with them seemed equally surprised and joined in the chorus of screams.

Suddenly, the door behind them closed, and the lights dimmed.

Zhou Chenxi quietly moved closer to Lu Ji.

“Don’t be afraid,” Lu Ji whispered.

The two girls and the couples in front of them quickly scattered. After entering, they encountered two separate paths. Not knowing what had scared them, they hurried forward and disappeared within the haunted house.

Zhou Chenxi felt even more nervous, his palms sweating. Feeling a sudden warmth, he realized that Lu Ji was holding his hand.

A wave of heat flowed through his palm, and Zhou Chenxi relaxed a bit, standing up straighter.

“Don’t let go,” Lu Ji reminded. “So we don’t get separated.”

Zhou Chenxi nodded, even though Lu Ji couldn’t see him, he made an affirmative sound.

One of the guys from the couple behind them asked, “Have you two been here before?”

“No,” Zhou Chenxi replied. “I read the brochure, and it said this haunted house is themed like ‘Saw,’ where there’s a maniac in a hospital who loves stealing corpses…”

“Stop! Stop!” The guy covered his ears, and he and his girlfriend shivered, huddling together.

Lu Ji: “…”

This guy was both scared and trying to scare others.

Zhou Chenxi awkwardly closed his mouth.

As they continued forward, they didn’t encounter anything particularly scary, just some mannequins, sculptures, and some noisy animatronics.

It was said that there were staff members inside dressed as “ghosts,” and there were warnings outside the haunted house to treat the staff with care and not to harm them.

Zhou Chenxi was more afraid of that. He was worried that he might involuntarily throw a Tai Chi punch if he got too scared.

They continued to walk forward, getting to a junction. One path had a dim red light, and the other was pitch-black with eerie music playing inside.

The guy from behind them asked, “Which way are you guys going?”

Zhou Chenxi was also uncertain.

Lu Ji said, “Which way are you going?”

“We’ll take the lit path,” Zhou Chenxi replied. “Sometimes, the scary stuff is where the light is.”

The couple: “…”

Lu Ji said, “Then we’ll go the other way.”

The couple thought for a moment.

“Darling,” the girl said, “let’s get out of here quickly. I’m getting really scared.”

The guy added, “Let’s go where there’s light. Maybe we can exit soon.”

In truth, both paths led to the exit at about the same distance. So, the four of them separated, with the couple going toward the light, and Zhou Chenxi and Lu Ji heading into the darkness.

As they walked, Zhou Chenxi commented, “At times like this, thinking in reverse works best. In a haunted house, you need to be brave and attentive.”

“Right,” Lu Ji said, looking at Zhou Chenxi, who had been sweating from fear just moments ago and found it somewhat amusing.

Sure enough, not long after they entered the dark path, they heard screams from the couple in the adjacent path.

Zhou Chenxi breathed a sigh of relief. “See, it’s a good thing we went this way!”

However, before he could finish speaking, the overhead light suddenly turned on with a loud “click.”

Zhou Chenxi: “…”

In the newly lit room, Zhou Chenxi realized that he and Lu Ji were standing in a scene that resembled a hospital room. The walls were painted with red paint that read “Help!!!”

The three exclamation marks were eerie and eye-catching, and there were even streaks of paint that appeared as if they were running down the walls. Then, the lights dimmed again, and laughter that sounded like “hehehe” came from outside the room.

One of the staff members said, deliberately lowering their voice, “Let me see who’s in there…”

In this setting, it was incredibly creepy, and Zhou Chenxi couldn’t help but retort, “Stop pretending to be supernatural!”

Lu Ji quickly covered his mouth. “Don’t attract attention. There’s a door over there; let’s go out.”

Zhou Chenxi nodded and followed Lu Ji out of the room. The staff member with the eerie laugh began chasing them, and Zhou Chenxi was so scared that goosebumps formed on his arms. He rubbed his arms and thought, “How does he manage to avoid getting beaten up?”

Lu Ji, with his long legs, led Zhou Chenxi, thinking they would soon find their way out. However, they unexpectedly came to another fork in the path.

Now they were faced with another difficult choice. The staff member chasing them was quickly closing in from behind. Lu Ji hesitated for a moment, planning to lose the staff member first. He pulled Zhou Chenxi into a small alcove.

This spot was just big enough for two people to squeeze in, with a fire hydrant camouflaged as a tree next to them.

“Shhh,” Lu Ji gestured for him to stay quiet.

“Will this really shake him off?” Zhou Chenxi couldn’t help but whisper.

Lu Ji had to cover his overly talkative mouth again.

The two of them huddled closely together, and they could hear each other’s breath.

Zhou Chenxi stopped talking, and Lu Ji released his hand. The staff member, laughing sinisterly, approached them and then continued on, not discovering their hiding place.

Zhou Chenxi breathed a sigh of relief, and Lu Ji hugged him tightly.

Zhou Chenxi could smell the pleasant fragrance on Lu Ji’s clothes and the identical scent of strawberries and garlic crayfish in their breath.

It’s really nice, Zhou Chenxi thought.

Because they had eaten the same things together, neither of them minded each other, and they didn’t find fault in one another.

Author’s Note: Garlic-scented and lovely, Mr. Garlic.

Thanks to “Fairy Lin Qiao” for the surprise!

Thanks to “Ah Xiang,” “Toasting Song*,” “Fairy Lin Qiao,” and “Mysterious Passerby” for the nutrients!

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ”

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ”