Second Take On Romance - The A-List Actor Wants Me-Chapter 297 : Six Months Later, This Time For Real

After Yan Renzhong’s condition stabilized, he and Shen Jingwei left the hospital and rented a small house nearby.

Their temporary home was located near a mountaineous area.

Every morning, they were woken up by the melodious chirping of birds and fresh, cool air.

Food was available at local diners three times a day, but they couldn’t get used to eating Western cuisines day in and day out.

In the end, Shen Jingwei decided to buy groceries twice every week and cook every day like a proper housewife.

Yan Renzhong, on the other hand, was busy lying around on the bed every day like a pampered monarch.

Dr. Kang forbade him from moving about too much, so he spent his days watching television, reading updates on Weibo, replying to messages sent by various people, and finishing the manuscript he owed Lu Shui.

From time to time, he called out to Shen Jingwei to tell him some interesting news he just found.

"Jingbao, Yaya said that Baobei almost bit her classmate when he came to visit. Apparently, the boy has poor chemistry with dogs."

Shen Jingwei chuckled as he sliced some pork sausages on a wooden cutting board.

"Is that so? Yaya is getting new friends already. We missed her first day at elementary school completely. We need to make it up to her soon."

"Yeah."

Another time...

"Jingbao, I found a detailed recipe to make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall*. Can we please try making it?"

Shen Jingwei began to cackle as he folded their dry laundry in the living room.

"I can cook, but I am not a chef. What if I just let you watch me jump over the wall?"

Another time, when Shen Jingwei was massaging Yan Renzhong’s shoulders...

"Oh. We are invited to a wedding."

"Oh? Whose?"

"Hua Xueying and Lawyer Hui’s."

Shen Jingwei immediately choked on his saliva.

"What? How come??" He asked after he regained his composure.

"Apparently, Hua Xueying was attracted to Lawyer Hui after Lawyer Hui began defending her against her ex-husband.

As soon as the divorce was finalized, they started dating."

"And when was that?"

"A month ago."

Damn, Shen Jingwei thought to himself. He could hardly believe his ears. Only one month and she was already in a hurry to get married?

It was good that her first marriage did not traumatize her for life, but one month...???

"That’s rather surprising," he commented.

Yan Renzhong smiled.

"Hua Xueying said that Lawyer Hui was the man she had been looking for her entire life. At first she thought it was me, but it turned out to be my lawyer instead."

The two lovers exchanged smiles.

"Don’t you think it’s funny how fate brought couples together..."

In a swift, playful move, Shen Jingwei brushed past Yan Renzhong’s arm and landed squarely on his lap, pulling him into a warm embrace.

"Yeah," he said.

Their days unfolded like a dream, each moment a brushstroke of tranquility, a symphony of bliss.

Every week, Shen Jingwei accompanied Yan Renzhong on a regular check-up at the hospital.

But today, Yan Renzhong unexpectedly wanted to go alone.

"Wait, why?" Shen Jingwei was understandably baffled. "Why can’t I go with you?"

"There is something I need to discuss with Dr. Kang alone," Yan Renzhong said.

"... Something I cannot know?"

"Well, I would rather you don’t know," Yan Renzhong said with a sheepish grin.

"What is there for me not to know?" Shen Jingwei argued. "At this point, I am probably as knowledgeable as you when it comes to brain tumors."

Yan Renzhong still refused to give up.

He patted his boyfriend on the back and urged him to sit on the couch.

"Jingbao, you have been taking such good care of myself every single day without a break. Consider it a day off. Do something you want to do while I am gone. I will be fine by my own, I promise."

"..."

A moment later, Yan Renzhong left on a car. Arms crossed in front of his chest, Shen Jingwei could not help but become suspicious. Just what was Yan Renzhong planning, again?

Yan Renzhong wanted Shen Jingwei to enjoy the few hours without him.

Yet, their isolated haven offered little respite from familiarity. Every cobblestone street, every quaint shop was a well-trodden path for Shen Jingwei.

He really didn’t know what else to do other than looking at random videos on Douyin, scrolling through Weibo for some updates from the entertainment industry, and looking at his contacts’ moments on WeChat.

Feng Jietang took a picture of a picturesque landscape at a fishing village and posted it on WeChat.

It was captioned with "Amazing scenery in the morning!"

Ye Lingxia took a wefie with Lin Ruoye. Both of them were dressed in similar traditional Chinese costumes, probably shooting a movie or a drama.

Shen Jingwei scrolled through the other moments until he gradually grew drowsy and fell asleep on the couch, with his phone lying right next to his head.

He did not know how long he slept, but he was jolted awake by a sudden, jarring movement.

Shen Jingwei opened his eyes to see what was going on around him, but he couldn’t see anything.

"..."

Everything was pitch black around him. On top of that, his hands and feet were tied.

"Ah... Mmphhhh!!!"

He was starting to scream when a warm hand pressed against his lips.

"Don’t scream, or I cannot guarantee your safety."

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Author’s note :

*Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a legendary Chinese dish renowned for its rich taste, luxurious ingredients, and intricate preparation. It’s considered one of the most prestigious dishes in Chinese cuisine, often served at state banquets and special occasions.

The dish gets its name from a legend about a Buddhist monk who was so tempted by the aroma of the cooking stew that he broke his vow of vegetarianism and jumped over a wall to partake in it. The name symbolizes the irresistible allure of the dish.

Key ingredients typically include shark fin, abalone, sea cucumber, dried scallops, fish maw, pork belly, mushrooms, and so on.

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