In a Relationship With the Rugged Guy Next Door - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: “This Time, Your Brother is Here.”

“Director Huo Xin?” Chen Jingming flopped back into his chair, inexplicably searching for Huo Xin’s Wikipedia profile on his laptop.

“Yes, this is Chen Jingming. Hello, Director.”

Huo Xin’s voice was hoarse; he coughed twice, though his tone was very amiable. “Hello, hello. I asked my senior for your contact information a few days ago, but I’ve been sick for a while and couldn’t call. Is now a good time?”

“It’s convenient.”

“It’s like this—through a friend in the industry, I had the honor of reading your new script. I wanted to ask, is it still available?”

Huo Xin spoke very formally. Chen Jingming scratched his head and played along, “It hasn’t been sold yet.”

“…” “…”

Huo Xin: “Uh… well, actually…”

“Why don’t you just say it straight, Director?” Chen Jingming gave a simple laugh. “We’re about the same age, no need to be so polite.”

Huo Xin: “Alright then. Man, I’m not great at small talk. Basically, I wanted to ask—if I’m willing to increase the price, can we discuss a collaboration?”

Chen Jingming didn’t hold back at all. “Of course!”

Huo Xin didn’t know that interested companies had raised their bids over the past two weeks. He was willing to match the “current” highest offer, purchasing the rights to “I’ll Tell You a Story of Happiness” for 550,000 RMB.

“My senior told me you wanted to sell quickly to get the cash. We can handle the transaction first, but I hope you’ll participate in this year’s MORE Film Festival Project Market.”

Huo Xin explained his thoughts candidly. “I’ve been a bit drained these past two years with no output, and I haven’t been active for a long time, so it’s hard to pull in investment. Scriptwriter Chen, you probably know the current industry climate; taking random investments makes it easy to lose control. Your script is excellent and will definitely get attention. By then, we’ll have more options when it comes to filming.”

Chen Jingming listened intently as Huo Xin introduced his plans. Finally, Huo Xin said, “But the Script Lab phase requires at least a week of your time. If we win any awards, that prize money belongs to you. I know it’s a hassle, but I’m very familiar with this model—it’s perfect for filmmakers like us who have nothing but talent.”

“Haha!” Chen Jingming couldn’t help but laugh, then realized it might be rude. He quickly apologized. “Director, how could you have nothing but talent?”

He paused, realizing how that sounded. “I didn’t mean you don’t have talent.”

Huo Xin laughed loudly. “Why are you so goofy?”

Chen Jingming: “Ah…”

Huo Xin: “Reading your work, I thought you were some gloomy young boy.”

Since they were peers, Huo Xin didn’t put on airs, and Chen Jingming didn’t hide either. He joked, “Literature is just my disguise. In reality, I’m a sunny cowherd.”

“For real?”

“Really. I’m actually raising cattle.”

“Aren’t you in the industry?”

“I used to be. Now that there’s no work, I have a casual job at a state-owned enterprise in my hometown, helping my family raise cows and writing scripts on the side.”

“Oh…” Huo Xin sounded puzzled. “Do you plan on coming back out to work later?”

Chen Jingming thought for a moment. “If there’s work, I’ll go out. If not, I’ll stay in my hometown and raise cows.”

They chatted about other things. When Huo Xin wasn’t filming, he traveled the world to experience life; he couldn’t stand a single day of a regular job. He figured more experiences would bring inspiration, but after two years of traveling, the inspiration hadn’t come, and his money was almost gone.

Despite living completely different lives, the two hit it off unexpectedly well. Chen Jingming verbally agreed to the collaboration, waiting for Huo Xin to return to the country next week to discuss the contract in detail.

The call lasted nearly an hour. Chu Feng had finished his meeting and come up twice to check on Chen Jingming. Seeing he was still busy, Chu Feng went downstairs to brush his shoes.

After hanging up, Chen Jingming sat by the bedroom window and dazed out for a long time.

He remembered how, when he first returned, he often sat here. Back then, his computer was broken, so he used a pen to jot down meaningless, fragmented scraps that flashed through his mind.

At that time, he didn’t know he could write a complete story, nor did he know he’d have the chance to work with Huo Xin.

The Chinese roses outside were still blooming—it was their third bloom cycle.

Chu Feng regularly pruned and fertilized them. Other than that, they didn’t need much care; with rain and sun, they grew beautifully.

In the summer, the windows were always open for air. Falling petals would drift into the room with the wind, scattering into corners that were hard to clean thoroughly.

While picking up a pen, he found a petal in the pen holder. Opening a drawer, he found two more that had somehow drifted inside.

Chen Jingming opened the notebook on his desk to look at the rough outlines he had first written. To his surprise, a white rose petal was pressed inside the notebook.

He threw the petal into the trash, but its imprint remained forever on the paper.

He looked at the fragments of inspiration he had once written stroke by stroke, thinking of what Chu Feng had said: “When you don’t know what to do, just live your life first.”

Meaning isn’t required immediately; just live. Perhaps at some future moment, the meaning will emerge, making life feel purposeful and fulfilling.

“Baby.”

“Yeah.” Chen Jingming turned his head and saw Chu Feng enter, wearing only a bath towel.

Chu Feng’s hair wasn’t dried, and little droplets of water were dripping down, landing on his shoulders and chest, sliding over his defined muscles.

He walked to the wardrobe to grab clean underwear. Just as he pulled them out, Chen Jingming gently threw himself into his arms.

“What’s wrong?” Chu Feng immediately reached out to hold him.

Chen Jingming murmured a response but said nothing else, simply holding Chu Feng and swaying slightly in place.

Seeing he wasn’t sad, Chu Feng didn’t press for answers. He held Chen Jingming and swayed with him. Even without words or actions, just holding him like this made his mood soar.

The room, which had soaked up the sun all day, was a bit stuffy. Chu Feng, fresh from his shower, carried a familiar, faint scent—he liked using Safeguard White bar soap.

His skin was cool from the water. Chen Jingming buried his head in Chu Feng’s chest, breathing him in obsessively.

“Brother, you smell so good,” Chen Jingming said.

Chu Feng chuckled. “Want to do it?”

Chen Jingming was tired, so he shook his head.

Since Chen Jingming didn’t let go, Chu Feng let him keep holding on. On the stone path outside, an occasional late-returning car passed by, startling flocks of birds that flew to the other side of the riverbank.

Before bed, Chen Jingming told Chu Feng about the collaboration with Huo Xin.

Chu Feng lay on the bed and let out a deep sigh of relief, as if a weight had finally been lifted.

“I feel so lucky,” Chen Jingming said.

Chu Feng hummed in agreement. He wanted to say something profound but ended up with: “Lucky baby.”

With the museum opening soon, Chen Jingming worked overtime for a few days. Chu Feng and Chen Lang were also busy with the pasture inspection and training new employees.

The benefits at Xishan Pasture were top-tier for the livestock industry in Changxi City, but the work was genuinely exhausting. Within a month, several employees had already left, requiring more hiring.

A busy life always passes quickly. In the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived. The pasture ordered mooncake gift boxes for employees and clients, and Chu Feng even sent a set to Xue Dongni.

After the previous phone call with his adoptive parents, they had called Chen Jingming once more. It was very late when his adoptive mother, Chen Xinyan, suddenly called to ask if he was eating well. She mentioned she wasn’t feeling well and had seen a doctor, and then said she would make his favorite oyster omelets and kueh chap when he returned.

Chen Jingming calmed her down and told her to take care of her health.

He also very seriously told her that the one who liked oyster omelets and kueh chap wasn’t him, but Chen Jiaming.

“Do you miss him?” Chen Jingming’s voice was gentle.

Chen Xinyan didn’t answer, nor did she cry. She asked, “Then what does A-Ming like to eat?”

Chen Jingming smiled and said, “I’m not a picky eater.”

Chen Xinyan was stunned.

Chen Jingming said softly, “But the one who liked oyster omelets and kueh chap was Chen Jiaming. I know.”

This time, Chen Xinyan didn’t cry or get emotional. She just sighed, as if she wanted to say something but ultimately didn’t, and quietly hung up the phone.

Two days later, Chen Jingming received a call from his aunt over there.

His aunt was his adoptive father’s younger sister, married locally. She was the one person in that large family who was truly “good” to him—not in the sense of doting on him, but because she was the only one brave enough to call out the fact that his adoptive parents were using him as a substitute for their biological son. Because of this, she and his parents had a very strained relationship during his first two years of adoption.

But big families never truly break ties, and they eventually become harmonious again. His aunt understood the moments when Chen Jingming would drift off or feel like an outsider; she pitied him, knowing his life wasn’t as perfect as it looked.

Her understanding gave Chen Jingming room to breathe.

She asked if he was doing well back home, and he said he was. She asked if he was still writing, and he said he was. She told him that was good and mentioned she often visited his brother and sister-in-law, saying they were fine and that he should be at peace.

When Mid-Autumn arrived, Changling Town became lively again.

You Jing organized another market, this time with a traditional “Ancient Style” theme. The streets were filled with boys and girls in hanfu. Although the ginkgo trees by the river hadn’t turned completely yellow yet, they were already beautiful from a distance. Photo spots were set up by the river, and Chen Jingming and Chu Feng were frequently stopped to help take photos while they were moving goods. Some kind girls even used a Polaroid to take a photo of the two of them as a gift.

Xishan Pasture still held a large stall at the market, but Chen Jingming didn’t need to watch it this time because Meng Qingyu had brought her livestreaming team. They were selling beef jerky while performing.

The college-student-turned-influencer, Li Jiawen, wore ancient clothes but still managed to show off his chest muscles while taking photos with tourists.

“Like it?” “Huh?”

Chen Jingming’s back ached from moving things. He was twisting his waist to relieve the tension while smiling at Li Jiawen’s dancing when Chu Feng caught him.

Chu Feng laughed. “If you don’t like it, why are your eyes glued to him?”

“What are you talking about!” Chen Jingming defended himself. “This is just appreciating beauty.”

Chu Feng: “Is your brother not beautiful?”

Chen Jingming: “Haven’t I been appreciating you? I praise your looks and your body every day!”

“Can’t win against you,” Chu Feng teased on purpose. “Little pervert.”

Chen Jingming punched his chest. “I am not! You’re talking nonsense!”

Chu Feng: “Brother will buy a set to wear for you, too. Want to see?”

The market was crowded; although it was noisy and no one could hear them, saying such things under the bright sun still made Chen Jingming feel embarrassed.

He stubbornly said, “No!”

Since the time Chen Jingming wore the body chain, Chu Feng had become much more open in that department and was willing to try more “patterns.”

Initially, Chen Jingming was happy about it, but he soon discovered it came with Chu Feng’s increased libido. He wanted it almost every day, and Chen Jingming couldn’t keep up.

Chen Jingming’s physical stamina wasn’t as good as Chu Feng’s. After a few consecutive days, his legs were weak and his lips were pale. This scared Chu Feng so much he didn’t dare continue, and instead, he fed him supplements every day—which ended up giving Chen Jingming heat-rash and mouth ulcers.

During those days, everyone who saw Chen Jingming outside would ask if he was sick.

Chen Jingming wanted to cry but had no tears. He certainly couldn’t say he had been “worn out.”

On October 1st, the Folk Museum opened.

Many tourists came due to the promotions. The museum wasn’t large, but the design was very avant-garde. Within a few days, many social media posts about it went viral.

With more tourists came a high demand for souvenirs. Some of the museum’s merchandise was original handmade crafts, which weren’t cheap. They expected them to be hard to sell, but the handmade items sold out almost immediately, while the cheaper, mass-produced factory items sat untouched.

Chen Jingming bought a few pieces himself, planning to bring them back to Chaoshan as gifts.

After a few busy days, Chen Jingming started his break on the 3rd. With compensatory leave, he had eight days off. He planned to visit Xue Dongni after leaving Chaoshan, as she was currently filming in the southeast region.

The earliest flight was at 10:30 AM. After waking up, Chen Jingming and Chu Feng had breakfast at home as usual, grabbed their simple luggage, and headed to the airport.

On their way out, they ran into Hu Xianyun walking her dog. She wished them a smooth trip with high spirits. At the intersection, they saw Chen Lang helping his parents haul goods; he waved a fist and told them to “march forward bravely.”

In the whole town, only those two knew the truth of the situation.

Over the past six months, many elders had asked what was going on with his relationship with the family “over there.” Both Chu Feng and Chen Jingming gave vague answers.

Initially, some busybodies suggested that while living back home was fine, he shouldn’t cut ties after so many years of “kindness.” One glare from Chu Feng was enough to silence them.

Though Chu Feng wasn’t an official in the town, he was involved in everything, and many people relied on his business for their livelihoods. If he was unhappy, no one dared bring it up again.

As the plane took off, Chen Jingming gazed out the window, feeling inevitably nervous.

“Brother, when I left back then, there were no direct flights. I remember them taking me on a plane, then transferring to a train… several transfers to get there. I missed you so much on the way; I cried so many times.”

Chen Jingming turned to look at Chu Feng and realized he was even more nervous than himself. He smiled and reached for Chu Feng’s hand.

The cabin was full of people, but Chu Feng didn’t care about the looks of others. He gripped Chen Jingming’s hand tightly.

“This time, your brother is here.”