Inside the box were two rolls of paintings. One of them was a portrait Hu Xiaoyu had painted during his time on "Legacy of Light." At the time, he hadn't decided whose face to paint, so it had been left blank.
Later, Hu Xiaoyu came up with a good idea—why not paint two portraits?
After all, both were by Yu Tan.
One was of Yu Tan standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in a suit, and the other was of him in a long robe, standing beneath an osmanthus tree. The former looked cold and distant, while the latter appeared gentle and composed.
These two paintings had originally been meant for Yu Tan. Now that there was an opportunity to give them to him, Hu Xiaoyu simply took them out.
Yu Tan had not expected Hu Xiaoyu to give him a gift.
The first painting, which he unrolled, was immediately familiar. The man in the long robe, standing like a jade tree, was clearly the same figure Hu Xiaoyu had once publicly painted on a variety show and had said was the most important person in his heart.
This sparked a rush of jealousy.
But now, looking at the face in the painting...
His fingers trembled as he opened the second painting.
It was still him.
It turned out that all his jealousy, unwillingness, and suspicions had been for nothing.
Hu Xiaoyu lay on the bed playing with his phone, seemingly indifferent to the gift he had given. But in fact, he was watching Yu Tan's reaction from the corner of his eye.
There seemed to be no reaction?
It wasn't until he heard Yu Tan's hesitant voice asking, "Why did you carry these two paintings with you?"
The filming location was so remote that other actors had to make sure to bring useful items. Hu Xiaoyu's suitcase was already small, and the box for the paintings took up a lot of space.
Hu Xiaoyu tilted his head to look at him and answered honestly, "I was afraid of losing them."
Yu Tan, clearly unsatisfied with such a vague answer, tried to hold Hu Xiaoyu's hand. "Xiaoyu, do you still have feelings for me? Will you give me another chance?"
Hu Xiaoyu: Here we go again!
He sat up. "Then where should I put them? If you want to take them to your studio, the paintings might get lost."
This was the truth—he really did worry about them getting lost.
When he had left the Yu family's mansion, he had taken nothing with him.
The lesson learned from that experience was why he had kept these two paintings with him at all times. As for other things, he didn't mind leaving them behind.
Yu Tan: Speechless.
His faint hope, which hadn't even sparked, was now completely extinguished.
He opened his mouth, and after a long pause, said, "I really like the gift. I really do."
Hu Xiaoyu simply hummed in response, making room beside him on the bed as if to give Yu Tan a place to sleep.
A few days later was Yu Tan's birthday.
Hu Xiaoyu had to shoot a scene and wouldn't be back until the afternoon.
Yu Tan spent the whole morning busy in the hotel kitchen, making a cake, cooking dishes, and cutting fruits, most of which were prepared with Hu Xiaoyu's tastes in mind.
He just wanted to sit down with Hu Xiaoyu and share a meal, without mentioning the birthday again.
The crew members privately said, "We never thought this big boss, who seems so untouchable, would have such a down-to-earth side. He's truly not what he looks like."
There were also a few people who thought about coming over to help when they saw Yu Tan working in the kitchen, perhaps with ulterior motives.
However, as soon as they got a little closer, Yu Tan's eyes, which seemed gentle when looking at fruits and vegetables, turned cold and sharp, sending great pressure to anyone who dared approach.
Hu Xiaoyu sat down and had a meal with Yu Tan.
He felt a bit awkward picking up his chopsticks, though he couldn't say why. It was just that the two of them weren't as close anymore.
But Yu Tan said, "Xiaoyu, I hope you can be with me for every birthday."
Hu Xiaoyu felt a little guilty.
He didn't respond to that, merely saying, "Happy birthday."
Yu Tan didn't get the answer he was hoping for, but just hearing "Happy birthday" seemed to overshadow all the previous mockery, disdain, and contempt.
He really had nothing worth celebrating in his life. Meeting the person in front of him, however, was probably the closest he had come to truly living.
The next day, Yu Tan left the northern town.
He told himself not to rush. At least now, Hu Xiaoyu no longer rejected the food he made.
Two days after Yu Tan left, a large shipment of supplies arrived at the small town.
Director Ren didn't hide where the supplies came from. It was clear that the influential figure from the Yu family had gone to great lengths to ensure that Xiaoyu would have a better time in the crew, which was understandable.
Thanks to these expensive supplies, the crew's quality of life suddenly improved a lot.
The crew members, who already liked Hu Xiaoyu, now practically worshipped him.
In the following months of October, November, and December, Hu Xiaoyu stayed on the crew.
Every month, Yu Tan would visit the set once, staying for three to five days each time. Hu Xiaoyu had gotten used to it and no longer tried to chase him away.
On December 20th, Hu Xiaoyu finished his scenes.
The crew threw him a wrap-up party.
Yu Tan was also there, and whenever it was time to drink, he downed his glass in one go.
Actually, no one in the crew dared to make Yu Tan drink, and as for Hu Xiaoyu, knowing that he was allergic to alcohol, he certainly wouldn't let him drink.
Yu Tan took part willingly, as if doing so would bring him closer to Hu Xiaoyu's circle, even giving him the illusion of being a family member.
Hu Xiaoyu couldn't have known how much Yu Tan had been scheming. He simply thought drinking too much was bad for his health and didn't say much. He only moved Yu Tan's glass away when he became a little tipsy.
Yu Tan continued to socialize with the others, but his attention was mostly on the person beside him.
His eyes were warm and gentle, and as if pretending not to notice, he took a sip from Hu Xiaoyu's glass, looking pleased as if he had gained a huge advantage, and couldn't help but smile.
Director Ren, watching Yu Tan, the person they couldn't afford to offend, saw the smile that resembled a clear sky after rain, his well-groomed eyebrows and handsome features—he couldn't help but sigh and then slap his leg in frustration.
"Ah, what a pity. The big boss here is always dealing in billions. He wouldn't care about my measly fee."
Otherwise, with that face and figure, if he were in the movie...
After the wrap-up party, Yu Tan followed Hu Xiaoyu out.
The snow had started to fall outside, and in the north, the snow fell heavily and suddenly, coating their heads in white within seconds.