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

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Lujin was wearing a deep gray coat with a light-colored sweater inside, and he looked exceptionally refined.

Zhou Chen couldn’t stop turning his head to steal glances at him.

Lujin noticed his gaze and chuckled, “What’s wrong? Am I that good-looking?”

Blushing, Zhou Chen turned away, thinking, “You are good-looking, and it seems like I can’t get enough of looking at you no matter how much I look.”

The two got in the car, and Zhou Chen didn’t know where they were going. He was content as long as Lujin was with him, and it felt like he could go anywhere as long as Lujin was there.

The streets of the harbor city were filled with a festive atmosphere, with red lanterns hanging outside the shops. Zhou Chen noticed the unique scenery of this city for the first time. He had been busy with his acting career and had missed out on so much before.

Lujin had the driver take them to a tea restaurant.

It seemed like they hadn’t eaten much on the way. Lujin ordered a bowl of satay noodles based on the owner’s recommendation, while Zhou Chen ordered a glass of iced lemon tea and watched Lujin eat with his head down.

He seemed to be like this all the time, even when he was really hungry, his movements were unhurried, and he made eating look like a delightful sight.

After seeing Lujin finish most of his meal, Zhou Chen asked, “Have you resolved the issues with your company?”

Lujin swallowed what was in his mouth and then said, “Don’t worry, there’s no major problem.”

“What about those media reports saying your company is on the verge of bankruptcy? Can they be silenced now?” Zhou Chen frowned.

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Lujin smiled, “How can you silence others’ mouths? When they realize there’s nothing to talk about, they’ll naturally stop talking.”

Zhou Chen gradually relaxed his brow, thinking that he had a point.

After finishing their meal, the two of them walked on the street.

Actually, the winter in the harbor city wasn’t very cold. Zhou Chen, who had been wearing short sleeves for filming, had put on a thick hoodie after changing out of his coat, so he felt quite comfortable now.

It seemed that Zhou Chen’s fame hadn’t spread widely in the harbor city. He and Lujin strolled down the street with no one recognizing him.

Zhou Chen expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, “This won’t do.” He pointed to a shopping mall in the distance and continued, “My picture needs to be hanging there.”

Lujin chuckled, “Once your new movie is released, it will happen for sure.”

Zhou Chen blinked and said, “You didn’t quite get my point, Sugar Daddy. Maybe you should consider expanding your business a bit, put your goods out there, in this city, in country A. That way, wherever I go, I can see my own pictures!”

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Lujin was taken aback by his audacious proposal and coughed awkwardly.

The city was not without shops selling skincare products like Clear Spring, but Zhou Chen’s influence hadn’t reached this city, so his posters weren’t hanging around.

The harbor city was different from the inland, and even the entertainment industry had its own circle. It was normal for Zhou Chen to have limited popularity here, especially since he had few works in his portfolio.

Zhou Chen was just joking with Lujin, but he didn’t expect that someone would actually recognize him shortly afterward.

“Zhou Chen! Zhou Chen!” A girl shouted enthusiastically as she approached Zhou Chen, “Are you Zhou Chen?”

Zhou Chen was extremely surprised and discreetly tugged at Lujin’s sleeve.

Lujin could see his embarrassment and suppressed his laughter, standing aside quietly.

The girl joyfully exclaimed, “I spotted you in the crowd right away! You’re so tall!”

Zhou Chen humbly replied, “Thank you.”

Following the usual procedure, the girl should have asked for his autograph, and Zhou Chen was waiting for it. However, instead of that, she continued, “I got to know you from ‘The Red Carp and the Green Carp.’ That variety show is so good, and I really like Zhuang Jingle!”

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Zhuang… Zhuang Jingle?

A frozen expression crossed Zhou Chen’s face, but he managed to maintain a smile.

The girl went on without stopping, “Next comes Ren Qian. Although the movie emperor himself is quite funny, his films are really good!”

Zhou Chen twitched the corner of his mouth: It’s tiring, my mouth is going to cramp.

“And Shao Yunyi, she’s really beautiful! I always wonder if she’s even 20; she looks so young!”

Zhou Chen’s gaze had gone vacant: Who am I, where am I, and why is a girl stopping me on the street?

Lujin couldn’t contain his laughter any longer; he covered his mouth with a clenched fist and laughed softly.

“And my favorite has to be President Lu!” the girl happily said. “He’s so handsome! Why doesn’t he debut?! It’s a shame he only appeared for six episodes, and now he’s nowhere to be seen.”

The girl was very disappointed.

Friend, maybe you should turn around and look; he’s right beside you?

Zhou Chen was dumbfounded, starting to question life.

Finally, the girl asked, “Can I get your autograph?”

Although the girl had praised the guests from “Carp,” Zhou Chen hadn’t received any compliments. Nevertheless, he graciously agreed.

The girl took out a pen and paper from her bag, let Zhou Chen sign it, and left excitedly.

Zhou Chen remained in his autograph-signing pose, stiffly saying, “She’ll turn around and take another look…”

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Lujin approached, laughing, “Let it go; let’s go.”

Zhou Chen put his hand back in his hoodie pocket, trying to salvage his image, “Actually, I’m not really angry, and I’m not jealous either.”

Lujin nodded, “Yeah, not upset at all.”

“At least she recognized me in the crowd, right? That shows I left a deep impression on her.” Zhou Chen struggled.

Lujin solemnly agreed, “Yes, you’re the most eye-catching one in the crowd. Everyone else pales in comparison.”

Zhou Chen shook his head playfully, “Well, I admit, maybe she didn’t notice you, it was just a coincidence.”

Once Zhou Chen was reassured, he quickly forgot about the incident. He and Lujin continued their stroll on the street.

On New Year’s Day, the harbor city’s streets were bustling, especially in the nearby commercial district.

It was said that there would be two New Year’s Eve events on the square from tonight until early morning.

Zhou Chen couldn’t stay out until the early morning, but he could still make it to the first New Year’s Eve event.

He and Lujin found a place to have dinner first. Lujin had a light meal in the afternoon, so he just nibbled a bit.

After dinner, they arrived at the square for the New Year’s Eve event.

It was dark, and young people gathered there. As Zhou Chen listened to the conversations around him, he learned that there would be an electronic fireworks display in the evening. To avoid overcrowding at midnight, the square held an early event to disperse the crowd.

The fireworks show was set to start at eight o’clock sharp. The young people had smiles on their faces, scattered throughout the square. Some came with friends, while many others were couples.

The central area of the square was too crowded, and Zhou Chen didn’t want to attract too much attention, so he and Lujin nestled in a corner.

Surprisingly, the view from this corner was excellent. They could see the large LED screens in the distance. It was said that the electronic fireworks would revolve around several tall buildings, with multiple LED screens synchronized. Combined with the sound effects in the square, the effect was incredibly realistic.

Although it was only a little after seven, Zhou Chen felt like the New Year was just around the corner, and he was particularly excited.

People around gradually gathered, with many couples snuggling together, waiting for eight o’clock to arrive.

“It’s perfect,” Zhou Chen said joyfully. “We can watch the fireworks and then catch a ride back to the film set.”

“Yeah,” Lujin replied, his hands in his pockets, raising his head slightly to look at Zhou Chen.

To get a better view of the LED screens in the distance, Zhou Chen stood by the fountain at the back. The fountain belonged to the adjacent mall, which wasn’t running at night and had a tiered edge for people to stand on.

Zhou Chen stood on it, and the distant scenery was clearly visible, with a sea of people everywhere.

“What time is it?” Zhou Chen suddenly asked Lujin.

“It’s 7:40,” Lujin replied after checking his watch.

Zhou Chen idly looked into the distance for a while, then asked again, “What time is it now?”

Lujin checked his watch once more and said, “It’s 7:45.”

“Time is passing so slowly,” Zhou Chen impatiently remarked.

In truth, he just wanted to see the fireworks earlier, and he didn’t feel that time was passing slowly when he was with Lujin. In fact, he wished time could slow down even more when he was with Lujin.

“What time is it?” the girl next to him asked her boyfriend.

“Seven fifty,” her boyfriend looked at his phone.

“It’s almost time,” Zhou Chen nervously said and descended from the fountain’s edge.

The square was getting more and more crowded, and Lujin and Zhou Chen were being pushed around.

Zhou Chen stood next to Lujin, looking around anxiously. Lujin had been clenching the hand in his pocket, and he tightened it slightly.

“It’s 7:55!” someone next to them called out. “The fountain will start at eight o’clock. Everyone, please move to the side.”

No one wanted to move. They had struggled to secure their spots, and there were patrol officers maintaining order in the distance. Any slight movement could cause a domino effect, and if they moved too far away, they wouldn’t be able to see the fireworks.

“Ten, nine, eight…” Someone began to count down.

Zhou Chen cheerfully said, “Lujin, take a look! They’re starting the countdown. It really feels like New Year’s Eve!”

Lujin turned to look at him.

“Five, four, three, two, one!”

The fireworks shot into the sky, and the fountain behind Zhou Chen suddenly sprayed water, drenching him.

“Boom!”

The fireworks burst open, and the square instantly became a colorful spectacle, lighting up the night. Paired with the realistic sound effects of the fireworks, everyone in the square felt like they were in a dazzling world.

“Boom! Boom!”

The fireworks continued to dazzle. Someone shouted, “Happy New Year!” and all the couples around embraced and kissed.

Zhou Chen was astonished. He hadn’t expected so many couples here. He turned around and saw Lujin’s mouth moving, but it was too noisy, and he couldn’t hear what Lujin was saying.

“What did you say?” Zhou Chen yelled, “I can’t hear you!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Lujin grabbed the foolish guy and pulled him closer, his hand slipped around his waist, and he leaned down to kiss his lips.

Zhou Chen’s lips were soft, and unlike the previous shallow “acting,” Lujin was kissing for real this time. He lowered his head slightly, and his eyelashes trembled lightly. Zhou Chen could feel his warm breath at the tip of his nose.

Around them, there were continuous cheers, people were screaming and celebrating, and Zhou Chen had no idea what was going on. His attention was entirely focused on Lujin.

Perhaps Zhou Chen was too surprised, his eyes were too wide, filled with the brilliant fireworks, and the light reflected in his blank expression, making Lujin somewhat nervous.

The fountain behind them sprayed even higher, and Zhou Chen’s hoodie jacket was completely soaked.

Lujin decided to pull up Zhou Chen’s hoodie and cover his head. The oversized hood shielded his overly bright eyes and simultaneously separated both of them from the surrounding world.

Zhou Chen quietly held onto Lujin’s clothes, feeling the warmth of Lujin’s palm against his waist. His hand trembled slightly, tightened for a moment, and then relaxed.

Lujin sensed his relaxation, and he intensified the kiss, conquering the territory.

They lost track of time, and Zhou Chen found himself leaning backward, held by Lujin with both hands, until the surrounding cheers gradually subsided, and the excited emotions of the crowd began to calm down. That’s when Lujin finally released him.

As they separated, they could hear the sound of their saliva. Zhou Chen blushed, and his voice trembled as he said, “This wasn’t acting, was it?”

“Of course not,” Lujin whispered, “I’m not an actor, and I don’t need the audience to like me. As long as you like me, that’s enough.”

Zhou Chen, whom millions of viewers adored, stood there in a daze, while Lujin, who was only liked by Zhou Chen, kissed him deeply.

Author’s note: Thank you for the support! Thanks to all the readers for their encouragement and nourishment!

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 ️”