Mr. Zhou Doesn’t Want to Work Hard Anymore!

Advertisement

“Bro, what’s going on?” Xiao Liang picked up his phone and blew off the dust.

“Hello? Chen Xi? Are you still there? Chen Xi?” His brother’s voice came through the phone, sounding somewhat nervous.

Fortunately, Chen Xi’s phone was of good quality, and there didn’t seem to be any major issues after the fall. Chen Xi took the phone from Xiao Liang and calmly replied, “I’m here. My phone accidentally fell on the ground a moment ago.”

Chen Mingxuan talked at length, but Chen Xi couldn’t understand. He wasn’t knowledgeable about the company’s operations, but in simple terms, it seemed that something was wrong with the Lu Corporation lately, causing business to stagnate and stock prices to continuously drop. Rumors were circulating that Lu Corporation might go bankrupt.

“How could they go bankrupt?” Chen Xi anxiously said, “Lu Corporation is such a big company!”

But deep down, he knew it was possible. Luo Xinghe had previously toppled Zhou Xin and Lu Corporation using certain means.

“Don’t worry; those are just rumors from outsiders,” Chen Mingxuan reassured him. “Many people just like to follow the crowd, so I called you to prevent you from overthinking.”

“From what I understand, Lu Corporation is actually undergoing a restructuring of its ownership. Many shareholders are selling their stocks during this period, and Lu Ji has recently suspended several regular businesses. That’s why there are so many rumors and speculations. I don’t think the problem is as serious as it seems. I even had someone check, and they said Lu Ji has been appearing at the company regularly.”

“But as you said, for such a big company, this kind of issue is definitely abnormal. You don’t need to worry about the specifics; I’ll look into it.”

Chen Xi calmed down and thought carefully.

This was a world from a book, and some things might not be interpreted with common sense.

Just like in his previous life, Luo Xinghe had used some means to directly bring down Zhou Xin and Lu Corporation. It may have appeared as if it were a strong and stable structure, but in reality, it could be as fragile as glass.

Advertisement

Thinking like this, Chen Xi became even more unsettled inside. He struggled to control his racing thoughts, but he didn’t want to make his brother worry. So, he forced himself to sound calm and said, “Okay, I understand.”

As if to distract him, his brother started chatting with him, “Is your phone back on? Why did you reply so late today?”

Chen Xi mustered his focus and engaged in the conversation with his brother. Xiao Liang drove them to the hotel, and only then did Chen Xi hang up the phone.

Thanking Chen Mingxuan, Chen Xi had regained his composure by the time they reached the hotel. He sent a message to Lu Ji, asking, “Are you there?”

Then, he opened a website and searched for news about Lu Ji.

The news mentioned Lu Ji less, with more focus on Lu Corporation, just as his brother had said. Lu Corporation’s stock prices were falling, and its business activities were stagnating. These details were glaring in the headlines. If it weren’t for Zhou Mingxuan proactively informing him, seeing these headlines all of a sudden might have stopped his heart.

He spent a long time browsing the web, but there wasn’t much substantial information. Even his brother didn’t know the details, so the outside world was certainly even less informed.

Chen Xi opened Weibo.

Advertisement

Weibo was different; people were more interested in gossip, and there were more discussions about Lu Ji. The media headlines were already sensational, and people’s speculations were exaggerated. Many were worried that Lu Corporation might be in trouble.

When he clicked on Lu Ji’s Weibo, the top post was still the repost of Chen Xi’s Weibo, although the original post had been deleted by Chen Xi, leaving only the reposted text behind.

Chen Xi didn’t want to disturb Lu Ji at this late hour. Regardless of whether the other party was busy or sleeping, it wasn’t appropriate.

But he genuinely cared about Lu Ji. He had been tired and just wanted to get back to the hotel and sleep, but now he was completely awake, lying in bed restlessly.

He managed to doze off for a while, but he woke up early the next day, with an important scene to shoot. Chen Xi had barely slept all night, and his dark circles were so prominent that the makeup artist didn’t need to do anything to cover them. It looked great on camera.

After struggling through the scene, he had a break, and Xiao Liang brought his phone over, saying, “Bro, Lu Ji replied.”

Chen Xi quickly took his phone back. He had asked Xiao Liang to keep an eye on his phone and notify him if there were any messages from Lu Ji.

Sure enough, about fifteen minutes ago, Lu Ji had replied: “I’m here. Why are you still awake?”

He replied late at night, following up on Chen Xi’s previous question.

However, Lu Ji didn’t say anything else.

Advertisement

Chen Xi bit his lip and sent another message: “Are you okay?”

The message seemed to vanish into thin air, and Director Cabot informed him to get into position.

Chen Xi could only put his phone down again.

The back-and-forth messages with Lu Ji felt like sending telegrams, and it was agonizing for Chen Xi.

Unfortunately, this message sent in the morning remained unanswered by Lu Ji until evening.

Chen Xi wished he could just stop shooting and fly back to H City to check on Lu Ji. However, he knew that going wouldn’t help, as he was utterly useless in this matter and couldn’t do anything to assist him.

It was already 9 o’clock in the evening when Chen Xi finally received a call from Lu Ji.

At that moment, Chen Xi had just finished shooting a scene involving a frantic chase.

Li Jiaozi had discovered clues about an international criminal organization, and the horrifying truth was slowly unfolding before his eyes. Li Jiaozi had taken a crucial photo with the phone that Li Yunzhou had given him. However, because he wasn’t very familiar with the phone, he accidentally turned on the flashlight. An awkward burst of white light exposed Li Jiaozi, and he was discovered, leading to a life-or-death pursuit by the criminal gang.

Director Cabot didn’t like using stand-ins, so after assessing Chen Xi’s physical capabilities, he allowed him to do the scene himself.

Chen Xi hadn’t even fastened a safety rope and was sprinting for his life on the rooftops of the densely packed old buildings in the harbor city. There were some places with very wide gaps, and even a minor slip could result in a serious injury. Chen Xi gritted his teeth and made it across.

“Strong athletic ability.” That was the general assessment of him from the audience after he finished filming “Koi Fish.” Only Chen Xi felt a bit regretful now that he had brushed off his brother’s advice to exercise more.

Chen Xi was panting heavily, a towel on his head, as he quickly pressed the answer button on his phone. “Hello?”

“Chen Xi?” Lu Ji’s voice came through the phone, sounding just like usual. “Why are you breathing so hard? Is today’s scene finished?”

As soon as Chen Xi heard Lu Ji’s voice, his eyes inexplicably began to feel warm. He looked up at the sky, trying to hide the moisture in his eyes before replying, “I’m… I’m fine. Just finished shooting a chase scene… a bit out of breath.”

Advertisement

Fortunately, it was this way, making the unusual tone in his voice less apparent.

“You must be exhausted,” Lu Ji said gently. “This is a good opportunity for you to get some exercise.”

“Yeah,” Chen Xi replied softly. “Not too bad, actually, it’s less physically demanding than ‘Koi Fish.'”

Lu Ji chuckled, a laugh tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Suddenly, Chen Xi didn’t dare to speak anymore.

He had experienced separation and witnessed loss. Even though this so-called separation was just a fall in the middle of the road, followed by his return to this world, he knew that many seemingly unimaginable things could happen in this world. He hadn’t personally experienced Lu Ji’s struggles, nor had he felt the same loss, but he didn’t want to see Lu Ji hurt or upset.

Chen Xi whispered, “How are you? Why didn’t you reply to my messages earlier?”

By this point, Lu Ji couldn’t continue hiding things from Chen Xi. He knew Chen Xi must have seen the news, so he replied, “Because of family matters, as you know, some problems are deeply rooted, and without addressing them at their core, it’s challenging…”

Lu Ji had initially intended to say, “It’s hard to say whether being together in the future will be affected,” but he hesitated and changed it to, “It’s hard to say whether Lu Corporation’s development will go smoothly.”

Chen Xi thought for a moment and said, “Actually, I’ve always thought that maybe Luo Xinghe isn’t as villainous as we initially thought. You see, even though it wasn’t mentioned in the book, Director Cabot told me that the Luo Xing Group had expressed interest in investing in this drama and recommended Luo Xinghe. So, if there hadn’t been any trouble with Luo Xingzhou, the male lead would still have been Luo Xinghe, barring any unexpected changes. And some of the things that happened to me before were human-made. Three parts destined, seven parts human-made, formed this world centered around Luo Xinghe.”

“Now, all we need to do is break that three-part destiny, and maybe we can have a different outcome,” Chen Xi said. “Lu Ji, we should both believe that this is achievable, right?”

“Right,” Lu Ji replied. “Of course.”

In reality, Lu Ji had been working towards that “seven parts human-made” for the past few days. He didn’t want Chen Xi to worry, so he hadn’t said much. His call was mainly to let Chen Xi know that he was okay.

Hearing Chen Xi’s voice, Lu Ji felt all the fatigue of the past few days vanish. After hanging up the phone, he immersed himself in his own busy work.

Over a month passed, and Chen Xi had accumulated many injuries.

Li Jiaozi’s youth had passed, and Chen Xi’s appearance had changed. The director had started making him gain weight, and they even hired a martial arts instructor and fitness coach to teach him some basic combat moves. Chen Xi couldn’t escape this time. His weight quickly went up, his physique became more solid than before, and his dietary quality improved, making him even more attractive than before.

Xiao Liang, as requested by Director Zhi, took a picture of Chen Xi working diligently on set. In the photo, Chen Xi had a piece of bread in his mouth and was attentively listening to Director Cabot’s instructions.

Zhi uploaded this photo to his Weibo, and his fans couldn’t contain their excitement.

“Wow! Zai Zai is sharing goodies again!”

“Is this on set? How did Zai Zai regain weight after just one month?”

“They said he lost over twenty pounds before to play the young Li Jiaozi. If he lost another twenty pounds, he’d become a stick. Fortunately, he’s gaining weight again!”

“Is this for the adult Li Jiaozi role? Wow, Zai Zai looks so handsome now, and his arms are much more muscular. I want to lie in Zai Zai’s arms!”

“Even though, carrying a piece of bread is so cute! This isn’t Li Jiaozi; this is Zhou Meow Meow!”

“Zai Zai, please eat more!”

Two days later, Director Zhi posted another Vlog on his Weibo, continuing to give his fans treats. Since learning this trick from Yuan Yike, Zhi found it particularly exciting to distribute goodies this way. It could instantly gather a large number of fans.

Zhi specifically sent an assistant who could shoot Vlogs to Chen Xi’s set.

During those days, Chen Xi was busy learning mixed martial arts with a martial arts instructor and fitness training with a coach in addition to shooting. Zhi inquired with the crew, and they agreed to film a fitness Vlog. So, the assistant spent several days at a gym in the harbor city and created a short video of Chen Xi practicing punches.

Under the bright gym lights, Chen Xi threw punches at the sandbag.

The camera angle was cleverly chosen, capturing Chen Xi’s side profile from below, looking up.

Sweat beads hung on his cheeks, and with his gloved arms swinging at the sandbag, the sweat scattered. A drop of sweat fell from his pointed chin to the ground.

In the final ending scene, Zhou Chenxi smiled slightly, removed his gloves, and walked over to cover the camera with his palm.

The assistant was quite skilled, and the clever camera work made Zhou Chenxi appear youthful and handsome in the Vlog. The Vlog was widely shared, and the comments section was filled with fans exclaiming, “Zhou Xixi looks so handsome, I want to give birth to a monkey for him!”

Time passed swiftly, and before they knew it, a month and a half had gone by.

New Year’s Day was approaching, and the entire city of Hong Kong was filled with a New Year’s atmosphere. The filming schedule here had unexpectedly been extended, and the weather had turned cold. Zhou Chenxi wore a thick coat while waiting for his scene. Xiao Liang brought him a coffee, and Zhou Chenxi picked up a latte from inside the coat pocket. He shared the rest with the crew members. Just as he took a sip, he heard his phone ringing from the coat pocket.

He picked it up and saw that it was Lu Ji.

Since the last call with Lu Ji, he had been reassured by Lu Ji not to worry. Zhou Chenxi had to put aside his concerns, but he knew that he truly missed Lu Ji.

Lu Ji was too busy, and their communication was infrequent. Zhou Chenxi had no choice but to immerse himself more in his work, business, and other unrelated matters to divert his attention.

Zhou Chenxi answered the phone and said, “Lu Ji, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year,” Lu Ji replied with a smile. “Guess where I am?”

Zhou Chenxi’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned around to see Lu Ji standing just outside the set, waving at him.

Lu Ji had really come to see him!

What he had said before was not a lie!

He really came whenever he had the time!

Zhou Chenxi was overjoyed and, in his excitement, carelessly placed the coffee on the nearby table. He ended up knocking over the coffee and even bumped into a chair as he rushed out of the set.

“Be careful, bro…” Xiao Liang followed, tidying up the mess.

Wearing a plump coat, Zhou Chenxi pounced onto Lu Ji. Lu Ji failed to catch him and staggered back a few steps.

“You’ve lost weight…” Zhou Chenxi embraced Lu Ji’s waist, feeling that there was a void beneath his coat.

Lu Ji patted him and said, “How should I answer you? Should I say you’ve gained weight?”

“But I did gain weight!” Zhou Chenxi sniffled and felt his eyes slightly moistening.

However, Lu Ji only noticed the coffee stain by his mouth and commented, “You’re all grown up, but you still get milk on your face.”

“I didn’t grow a beard!” Zhou Chenxi reached to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand.

But he didn’t completely clean it, and the water stain ended up on his face.

Lu Ji extended his thumb and gently brushed Zhou Chenxi’s face with the warm pad of his thumb.

Zhou Chenxi was momentarily stunned.

“When will you be done with your work? Do you need to wait for me?”

“I’ve already finished!” Zhou Chenxi said confidently, “The next scene doesn’t start until 9 PM, and it’s only in the afternoon. I have plenty of time!”

After saying that, he turned to the assistant director and said, “Director, I’m leaving now! I’ll be back before 9 PM!”

Then he said to Lu Ji, “Let’s go, let’s go! The fitness trainer will come to make me lift weights later!”

Lu Ji was pushed along by him and shook his head.

Just as Little Liang finished packing up, he turned around and realized that Zhou Chenxi had already disappeared.

Forget it, Little Liang thought, it’s already the New Year, can’t he allow his brother to be a little reckless in love?

The author has something to say: Thanks to “Fairy Lin Qiao” and “Ajiu” for the nutrient solution!

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ️”

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ️”