NH chapter 032

Chapter 32: Paparazzi

“Huo Ye, are you serious?”

In front of him was a self-built house adjacent to the old Huo residence, located near the back mountain, in a very remote area. There was a small yard, surrounded by a vibrant wall of ivy, glowing with strange and brilliant colors under the warm winter sun—bright and dazzling.

If you overlook how dilapidated this house was, it might truly be considered a beautiful scene—but after Shen Tingyu wandered around the house a few times, all he wanted to do was to write a piece titled “The Ode to the Humble Room.”

Even if it wasn’t “The Ode to the Humble Room,” it would have to be the first half of “The Thatched Cottage Torn by the Autumn Wind.”

The roof was constructed from several beams, and it was unclear whether the concrete had been skimped on or not; the whole place was like a bare shell of a house.

The furniture could be said to be nearly nonexistent—just a bare wooden board bed piled high with clutter; next to the wooden bed stood a red old wardrobe, exuding a musty smell.

Huo Ye said he came too hastily and hadn’t tidied up, promising to move the junk away later and spread clean bedding.

Shen Tingyu found it hard to accept, his back looking as if it was about to shatter as he slowly turned his head, staring at Huo Ye with a lifeless expression, coldly asking him, “Is this where the old corpse of the mountain village is filmed?”

Huo Ye thought for a moment, “We can reshoot.”

Without saying a word, Shen Tingyu turned to leave: “I’m going home.”

“Don’t go, young master.” Huo Ye grabbed his hand, pulling him back with little effort, then said amiably, “You’ve already witnessed the power of the villagers; it was just my sixth uncle who didn’t recognize the goods. If someone knowledgeable sees a young master like you showing up here, they might just secretly kidnap you to sell!”

Just as Shen Tingyu was about to say something, Huo Ye suddenly pressed his lips to Shen Tingyu’s, his expression turning serious: “Shh.”

“I’m not lying; they really would dare.” He quietly enunciated.

Shen Tingyu’s heart sank as his eyes flickered.

“This village is mainly filled with poor souls who resent the rich. They themselves or their children are probably in debt. Let them think you’re a little freeloader who can’t produce even ten dollars; it’s better than them realizing you’re a wealthy second generation who throws money around. Shen Tingyu, do you understand what I mean?”

Huo Ye leaned into his ear, whispering like sharing a secret, guiding him softly, “This self-built courtyard, while shabby, is quite safe, and no one will see you. I don’t want my dad to find out you’ve come here. You have no idea; he is the worst person in the world. He would eat me alive, and he would eat you too.”

Shen Tingyu’s expression was hard to read, and he did not respond immediately.

Seeing the complex expression on his face, Huo Ye thought he had successfully scared Shen Tingyu. But after a brief moment of seriousness, he returned to his usual cool smile and attempted to pull away.

However, just as he was about to back off, Shen Tingyu unexpectedly grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him back roughly.

“…You sly fox.” Shen Tingyu squeezed Huo Ye’s neck into his embrace, “You still want to play the ‘golden house to hide beauty’ game with me?”

This was a common playful move between boys but was executed by Shen Tingyu with such force that it was hard to resist.

Huo Ye was taken by surprise and bent forward, his face pressed against Shen Tingyu’s chest.

“Ah, young master is too precious; shouldn’t he be hidden away?” Huo Ye held onto his arm, stabilizing himself without any struggle.

Shen Tingyu snorted, squinting and saying, “I’ll give you that; you have a sweet mouth.”

After some back and forth, Shen Tingyu reluctantly stayed. Well, he actually had nowhere else to go.

Regarding the reason why Huo Ye was hospitalized due to a stomach bleed that day, he was unwilling to discuss it with Shen Tingyu; likewise, regarding Shen Tingyu’s family affairs, Huo Ye naturally would not pry. The two left space for each other, not asking about the storms, only providing shoulders to rest on after the rain.

The fledgling birds, just about to grow new feathers, always long to leave the nest and sail into the vast sky alone, but they often forget that they have just learned to fly and cannot soar high; they would fall back to the tree.

In the continuous falling process, their fragile wings are gradually sharpened, and when they meet each other, they encounter another version of themselves at a new starting point, thus making a pact to go to even farther places.

Next, a “golden house to hide beauty” life that lasted only a short week, yet felt like half a century, officially began.

This village was named Shanxi, where the younger generation had mostly gone out to work, only returning during the holidays. Whenever they came back, the village became especially lively.

At four or five in the morning, before the roosters crowed, those raising pigs and selling vegetables began to rise one after another. You could hear the roar of small tricycles and tractors, even louder than motorcycles.

They passed nearby, bringing strong odors, and many times Shen Tingyu felt as though he was sleeping in a pigsty.

Huo Ye was usually busy in the mornings, needing to ride out to buy the ingredients needed for that day; despite feeling utterly exhausted, Shen Tingyu still got up early to wait at the courtyard door, insisting on following him.

As if terrified of being sold off, wherever Huo Ye went, Shen Tingyu’s gaze would follow, getting anxious if he didn’t keep his eyes on him for a day.

The journey from the village entrance to the town took about twenty minutes by vehicle, with endless fields surrounding the mountain roads, and occasionally a few free-range cows could be seen. Shen Tingyu didn’t like them very much and would complain to Huo Ye with a few sharp remarks every time.

Huo Ye thought to himself, you seem to equally loathe every living creature in this world, you don’t even like money; what do you actually like?

As it is said, cows are very spiritual creatures; who knows if they felt disrespected. Not long after, the news of the handsome yet sharp-tongued young master arriving at the cold village quickly spread in the animal kingdom. The next morning, when they went out to shop again, Shen Tingyu was chased by a large goose. Yes, chased by a large goose.

The scene at that time was quite chaotic as Shen Tingyu sat at the back of the bicycle clutching Huo Ye while turning back to face that arrogant goose.

The goose relentlessly pursued them, honking and pecking, its explosive power was comparable to a sprinter, several times narrowly missing them. Shen Tingyu, like his eyebrows on fire, directed Huo Ye with urgency, shouting: “Can you ride a bit faster? What’s wrong with this thing? Isn’t it sick? Why is it chasing me? Hurry up and shake it off! I’m really losing it…”

Huo Ye was laughing so hard he could barely control the bicycle, swerving uneasily, “Maybe it thinks you’re handsome; rural geese have never seen city folks.”

“You better stew it tonight!”

Huo Ye replied, “Okay, okay, I’ll boil water as soon as I get back.”

However, Shen Tingyu’s remark did not deter the goose, but instead attracted several dogs from the roadside. One big black dog seemed to be the leader, baring its teeth and looking menacing, barking and joining the chase. Once it took the lead, all the other dogs followed suit.

The tiger fell to the ground, bullied by dogs.

The already chaotic scene became even worse.

“Young master, how impressive, even the paparazzi are following!”

“Shut up!”