After the parent-teacher conference came the National Day holiday. On the very first day of the break, Zhou He eagerly showed up at the door, saying he wanted to take Yu Shulin out to "sweat out some youthful energy."
Liang Zhou saw them off with a dark expression, then sat on the sofa with the same gloomy face, not saying a word. He didn't even give Ling Chun a pleasant look when he arrived.
"What did I do to you this time? Giving me the stink eye as soon as I arrive." Ling Chun raised an eyebrow, feeling his friend's moods had been fluctuating a lot lately, quite different from his usual unchanging expression that could last for weeks. "I say, are you in love or something? That look of dissatisfaction is quite telling, tsk tsk."
"Dissatisfaction?" Liang Zhou's face darkened further. "Stop talking nonsense. Are all the things I asked you to prepare ready?"
"All ready. By the way, I came to ask if you wanted to go out. Zhang Qian found a nice agritourism spot. There are hot springs nearby too. How about it, want to go for a few days?" Ling Chun pointed at his chest. "Your injury is mostly healed, right? Some activity would be good. Going or not?"
Liang Zhou thought of Yu Shulin, who had just left, and nodded. "I'll go. I'll take Shulin along."
"Sure thing, the kid should relax. Studying all day, he might turn into a bookworm." Ling Chun took out his phone. "I'll call Zhang Qian then, have him arrange some things kids like to eat and play with."
Liang Zhou nodded, his expression finally improving a bit.
The three-day, two-night trip was settled just like that. Having exhausted himself for hours at the basketball gym the previous day, Yu Shulin was feeling rather listless when they set off the next morning. He kept rubbing his arms and legs, his brows furrowed, clearly uncomfortable.
"Don't go running around with Xiao He next time. He's been sturdy since he was a kid; you're different. If you want to exercise, we have a gym at home. I'll train you." Liang Zhou said calmly as he drove the car out of the villa.
"I just didn't stretch properly..." Yu Shlin tried to explain, but remembering the scene of the basketball flying around, he made a pained face, rubbed his forehead, and sighed. "Forget it, basketball isn't for me. I'll find a gentler way to exercise."
Liang Zhou nodded, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "The place we're staying at this time has hot springs. You can have a good soak."
Yu Shulin had never experienced hot springs before. Hearing this, he perked up a bit, feeling more anticipation for the holiday.
The hot spring resort Zhang Qian chose looked very reliable—tranquil environment, high-end facilities, and of course, expensive.
But no price could dampen the enthusiasm of Chinese tourists during the National Day Golden Week!
Zhang Qian spread his hands helplessly. "There are too many people, rooms are tight. Can't get one each. Liang Zhou, you and Xiao Yu share one. Zhao Zhi, you take Xiao Yun. I'll room with Ling Chun. Any problems with that arrangement?"
Zhao Yun was Zhao Zhi's precious son, nine years old and chubby. Zhao Zhi had brought him along on this trip.
Liang Zhou glanced at Yu Shulin and took the key card. "No problem."
Zhao Zhi, who had planned to share with his son anyway, naturally had no issues either. That left only Ling Chun, who stroked his chin and looked at Zhang Qian with a teasing smile.
"What's that expression? I don't want to share a room with you either, okay? There are two beds in the room, two beds!" Zhang Qian rolled his eyes, turning away from that nutcase Ling Chun, and said to Liang Zhou and Zhao Zhi, "Your rooms are king-bed rooms. No choice, those are easier to book at this resort."
Zhao Zhi and Yu Shulin nodded in understanding. However, Liang Zhou's hand holding the key card tightened slightly. A king-bed room?
With the room assignments settled, everyone took their keys and went to their respective rooms.
Yu Shulin looked around the room, then leaned out to glimpse the vaguely visible outdoor hot spring not far away, and asked happily, "Brother, when are we going to the hot springs?"
"After dinner, once we've digested a bit." Liang Zhou replied, frowning thoughtfully as he stared at the large bed in the center of the room.
"Brother, why are you staring at the bed? Do you have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds?"
Liang Zhou snapped out of it and shook his head. "It's nothing. Just thinking about what to have for dinner."
Yu Shulin was even more puzzled. "Didn't we agree on the buffet?"
"...The buffet has too many choices, so I need to think carefully."
"Oh."
Watching his younger brother happily unpacking, Liang Zhou's expression softened, and his frown finally eased. It's perfectly normal for brothers to share a bed. He was overthinking it.
To get to the hot springs earlier, everyone had an early dinner. The buffet at the resort was quite good, but due to Liang Zhou's celebrity status, they ate quickly. After letting their food settle for a bit, they headed to a small ten-person pool Zhang Qian had reserved and settled in for a comfortable soak.
"This is the life," Zhang Qian sighed, pulling over a small tray floating on the water to peel a boiled egg. "Liang Zhou, your dad really... why did he make you become an actor? It's inconvenient even when going out to have fun. Besides, you don't truly love acting. Hmm, I think business suits you better."
Yu Shulin was also peeling an egg and looked at Liang Zhou curiously upon hearing this.
Due to his bone fracture, Liang Zhou hadn't moved since entering the hot spring. He was comfortably leaning against the pool wall, resting, looking much more relaxed than usual.
"Acting is also a form of training. The entertainment industry can hone a person more than the business world. Besides, Rong Guang is an entertainment company. If I had no understanding of this industry at all, how could I manage it well?"
"You have a point." Zhang Qian nodded, pushing a glass of juice towards Yu Shulin. "Xiao Yu, try this. If you don't like the taste, we can get something else."
"Thank you." Yu Shulin took a sip, squinted his eyes happily, quite satisfied with the juice.
Ling Chun chuckled lightly; he was the only one drinking alcohol among them. "Your dad's calculations are shrewd too. First, have you roll around in the entertainment industry, only letting you inherit Rong Guang after winning Best Actor. Then he arranged for Liang Jian early on for you to practice on. He put some thought into making you capable."
"Mn, it was indeed for my own good. If I had no ability, holding onto Rong Guang would just lead to being cheated to death." Liang Zhou was a bit more talkative today. Mentioning his father, a touch of warmth flashed in his eyes. "But Uncle... well, forget it. I guess Dad never imagined things would turn out like this back then."
Zhao Zhi was sitting in a corner holding Zhao Yun, helping his son peel an egg. Hearing this, he said, "That Liang Jian is starting to make noise again. Says he wants to groom a superstar to break into Hollywood. Yang Lin seems to have secretly been in contact with Rong Hua."
Hearing this dampened everyone's good mood somewhat. Zhang Qian, especially annoyed by Yang Lin, said, "Don't talk about work when we're out having fun. It kills the mood."
Zhao Zhi knew he had brought down the atmosphere and smiled, starting to bring up other lighter topics.
However, their conversation had sparked Yu Shulin's curiosity about Liang Chi. His impression of this father was too vague. Apart from being a great director, very serious, and very talented, he knew nothing else. He shuffled closer to Liang Zhou, poked his brother's arm, and asked in a low voice, "Brother, what kind of person was Liang... uh, Dad? Was he very strict?"
Liang Zhou, who had been resting with his eyes closed, stiffened slightly. He shifted his arm where it had been poked, opened his eyes, turned his head, and looked down at Yu Shulin. His gaze swept over the other's face, flushed pink from the hot spring, and his slender shoulders. He then turned back, reached for a glass of juice, and took a sip. "Father spoke very little. He was usually very gentle and easy-going, but he could be a bit fierce when filming."
"And when he was with you?"
Liang Zhou turned his head again, looking into Yu Shulin's eyes filled with curiosity and longing. His heart suddenly softened, a bittersweet fullness swelling in his chest. He paused before speaking calmly, "He was very busy, but he tried his best to make time for me. He would scold me when I got into trouble, but he never laid a hand on me. Later, when his health declined and he had to rest at home, he became much more attentive to me. He liked taking me to the movies, analyzing the plots for me, teaching me how to portray different emotions. Father... he was stern but not harsh. He taught me many things. Yes, he was a good father."
"Then he really was good," Yu Shulin nodded, picturing a stern father figure in his mind. He smiled, bumped his head lightly against Liang Zhou's shoulder, and sighed, "He raised you so well, and now it's your turn to teach me. I'm getting the better end of the deal."
The feeling of skin contact was strange, but unexpectedly pleasant. Liang Zhou stroked his hair, his gaze softening unconsciously. "Your mother raised you well too. We're both lucky."
"Yeah," Yu Shulin broke into a wide smile. He pulled over the plate of eggs and began peeling one with deft movements. "Brother, you haven't had an egg yet, have you? Let me peel one for you."
"Alright." He gave Yu Shulin's arm a gentle squeeze, then let his hand sink back into the hot spring water, rubbing his fingers together. "You're too thin. You should eat more from now on."
Yu Shulin nodded happily.
Ling Chun sipped his wine leisurely, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the Liang Zhou brothers. His smile deepened a little.
"Hey, Chun'er, Liang Zhou and Little Yu really get along well, don't they? I'd almost think they grew up together. Tsk tsk, look at Liang Zhou's expression—he seems much more approachable than before," Zhang Qian said, holding a glass of juice as he sidled over, clearly ready for a long chat.
Ling Chun shot him a glance, set down his wine glass, draped a towel over his forehead, and closed his eyes to rest.
"...What an attitude!" Zhang Qian glared, glanced towards Liang Zhou, and ultimately didn't dare disturb them. He turned instead and sidled up to Zhao Zhi. He chattered away for a bit, but Zhao Zhi remained as immovable as a mountain, focused entirely on soaking in the hot spring while holding his chubby son.
...A whole nest of unfriendly beasts. Next time, I won't invite you guys out to play!
Zhang Qian gritted his teeth in frustration and simply changed targets. He tugged on the little chubby boy's hand. "Little Yun, how about Uncle plays with you?"
The little chubby boy's eyes widened. He stuffed the last bite of egg into his mouth with an "ah-woo," his cheeks puffing out as he chewed. Then, he pushed the small plate beside him closer to his dad and looked at Zhang Qian warily.
"..."
Why did he have to open his big mouth and invite these jerks to the hot spring! Why!
