It’s worth mentioning that before he withdrew from the entertainment circle, the payment for the film he shot in the rural areas of Northwest China had not been given to him.
At that time, the one negotiating with the production team was Secretary Gao, and Pei Rong was just a signing tool, not bothering to check which account the payment was deposited into.
Perhaps the payment had already reached Jianglu Entertainment, but no one dared to pay him.
Pei Rong also didn’t dare to ask for it.
Jiang Yan jokingly said, “Isn’t charity tax-deductible? Next March, you can claim a tax refund to buy diapers.”
Pei Rong replied, “No, that’s not fun.”
Jiang Yan proposed another suggestion. “You can sell your shares in the hospital and buy a farm. But from a risk perspective, you’re exchanging high-quality assets for non-performing assets.”
Pei Rong said, “In these years, you’ve taken care of Aunt Zhao, and now you’re taking care of me. I’ve long said not to bother with those shares; keep them for yourself.”
He still didn’t buy the farm; being an entrepreneur without careful consideration might lead to debt and troubles.
The prices of the ecological estate kept dropping, reaching a rock-bottom price. Jiang Yan sharply pointed out, “The preliminary market research wasn’t done well; it’s just a piece of wasteland. But it’s genuinely cheap, so go ahead and buy it.”
Pei Rong asked, “What are you up to?”
Jiang Yan replied, “When my nephew is born, are you planning to return to the home country?”
Pei Rong confirmed, “Yes.”
Jiang Yan suggested, “I’ll go back with you. Firstly, my parents want to return to their roots, and secondly, I can’t bear to part with my nephew.”
Through the flashlight-illuminated game, Jiang Yan firmly believed that he had built a deep uncle-nephew relationship with the still unborn child.
He planned to sell 50% of the shares of the private hospital after Pei Rong gave birth and return to his home country to open a small sanatorium.
This place is nice, but before he sold his shares, he didn’t have as much capital on hand but Pei Rong did.
The two, like spendthrifts, agreed instantly and found a manager to start their venture.
Separated by the vast ocean, they applied for various qualifications, supervised the construction, and decorated... Days passed in the busy hustle and bustle.
During the coldest weather, the baby reached full term at 37 weeks, ready for surgery at any time.
Wen Zhenrui took a seven-day annual leave and flew to the Country M. In the past half year, Jiang Yan, from a general surgeon, had assisted in numerous cesarean sections and was now fully capable of assisting Wen Zhenrui.
Emergency plans were also in place; however, Jiang Yan couldn’t match Wen Zhenrui’s position in the large hospital back home, and every surgery had its risks.
The surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, and Pei Rong was admitted three days in advance. He often woke up in the middle of the night. On Monday morning, Jiang Yan brought breakfast and found Pei Rong packing his things.
“I don’t want to give birth tomorrow.”
Pei Rong, carrying a simple backpack, calmly declared.
Jiang Yan was directly stunned, about to say something, but Wen Zhenrui pressed his shoulder and said, “Okay.”
“Thank you,” Pei Rong said quietly, lowering his head, and then walked out.
Jiang Yan watched his figure, his eyes becoming red with anxiety.
Wen Zhenrui said, “Fear is normal; give him some time.”
The entire weekend was filled with heavy snowfall. By Monday morning, the snow had stopped. The city urgently cleared out drivable lanes, and the green areas were still covered with a thirty-centimeter layer of snow.
Pedestrians, bundled up in thick down jackets, were indistinguishable in gender, all looking rounded, hurrying through the cold with bent heads.
The hospital garden was sparsely populated. At this time and in this weather, there were no hospitalized patients or their families taking a stroll.
Pei Rong held his stomach, walking carefully. Finally, he stopped by a row of wooden chairs near the railing, cleared the snow off with his gloves, and sat down without fear of the cold.
Perhaps it was too late to start thinking about the “nurturing” issue at this point.
He began to fear whether his lazy self could properly nurture a life to adulthood.
The surgery was under general anesthesia, and Pei Rong wasn’t sure if he would close his eyes and never open them again.
Then, was there anything he needed to explain?
He opened his long-unused Weibo account and saw colleagues who were mutual followers. They were consistently posting endorsements, behind-the-scenes, and red carpet photos over the years. Some ascended to the top ranks, while others faced legal issues and were banned.
His direct messages were filled with many inquiries about his travel progress, expressions of missing his good looks, and reports on the popularity and post-viewing feelings of his new drama.
The drama set in the northwest was scheduled for release in spring and began its promotion during the busy winter vacation.
The last drama starring the retiring superstar might be an effective publicity stunt. Although the crew didn’t use this approach, comments were clamoring for more behind-the-scenes footage of the big star. They wanted to see the beauty behind the scenes.
The production team was invited to release some on-set photos. Pei Rong saw herself in the second and sixth pictures.
In the photo, he was leaning against a wall, smiling and looking ahead.
Following the line of sight in the photo, Pei Rong seemed to see Lu Qin standing in the woods.
Having purchased exposure from a promoted financial blogger, the analysis of the CEO of the Lu Corporation signing a significant deal in the Country M and its positive impact on the stock market appeared on the homepage. In a detailed analysis, the blogger concluded with one sentence: “Buy Lu Energy stocks.”
The accompanying picture was a sneak shot of Lu Qin’s profile in the VIP lounge at the airport. His features were cold, dressed in a sharp suit, not bundled up like Pei Rong.
This week, the temperature in the back home was expected to be more than ten degrees higher than here. Pei Rong guessed that after landing, the other would probably not need to wear an additional coat.
Perhaps he had already landed; this Weibo post from the financial blogger was dated yesterday.
Lu Qin might be standing in this snowstorm, a shadow with an indistinguishable face.
On Tuesday, there would be scattered light snow.
Before entering the operating room, Pei Rong said to Jiang Yan, “If I don’t wake up, if you’re willing, raise the child. Otherwise, give my child to Lu Qin.”
“Oh, before that, please make sure to cremate my body first. I don’t want to look too ugly.”
The beauty couldn’t stand that scene.
Jiang Yan’s face darkened.
Pei Rong suddenly had a whimsical thought, “Should I name the child first, write it on a note, and put it in the swaddle? That’s how they do it on TV.”
Jiang Yan: “You didn’t think of a name for the child during the nine months of pregnancy. What’s the use now?”
Pei Rong, with experience, said, “If you leave the child at the entrance of Lu’s house, it’s better to have a token.”
Then the steward could pick up the child while shouting, “Master, Master.”
Pei Rong took out a watch from the drawer. “Hmm, this should do.”
Jiang Yan’s forehead veins bulged. “Shut up! Don’t say anything that would make the child’s father come to the delivery room!”
Pei Rong had to shut up and obediently be pushed into the operating room.
***
At the same time, Lu Qin finished his business in the Country M.
After leaving the building, he went straight to the airport without any delay, which was the norm for Lu Qin’s business trips in the past year. The secretary wouldn’t ask things like, ‘This place is very famous. Do you want to take a look on the way?’
But today, after Lu Qin came out, he sat on a chair outside the building for a long time, long enough for snowflakes to fall on his shoulders and eyebrows. He missed the scheduled flight.
The secretary belatedly realized that Pei Rong had landed at this nearby airport and then disappeared into the crowd.
Today was unexpectedly Lu Qin’s first time coming to Country M after that incident.
***
Twenty-five minutes after the surgery, a loud cry shook off the fine snow on the branches, falling into the collar of the person under the tree.
T/N: The baby is finally here! (≧◡≦)/
