hollywood billionaire

Chapter 198 We Kissed
"Youzhen..."

The car turned sharply left at a certain corner of Fountain Avenue. Looking at the blue road sign on North Fairfax Avenue whizzing by outside the window, Han Yi, who was sitting in the passenger seat, couldn't help asking.

"Where are we... are we going?"

"eat."

Zhao Youzhen glanced at Han Yi, and replied calmly.

"Then why did you run so far?"

Han Yi propped himself up, turned his head and glanced at the way he came.From Santa Monica Boulevard, they had been sprinting for 15 minutes through the streets of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.

On the second day of the Independence Day holiday, most people were going to work and school, and the light gray road at noon seemed very empty.Youzhen didn't turn on the radio, and Han Yi didn't dare to act rashly. Apart from the slight sound of the tires running over the cracks in the car, there was only the sound of the two people's even breathing.This makes the commute even longer, as if the time in the car was frozen in place by the sun like tar, making people hot and anxious.

"I want to eat here." You Zhen replied quite concisely, as if she had returned to the stage when Han Yi just met her.

"Which one is this?"

"You'll know when it arrives."

"Then... why don't you let me drive?"

"Because I want to leave." Zhao Youzhen's posture changed from a slight glance to a sideways glance, and his tone of voice still seemed so calm.Ever since meeting Han Yi, when alone with him, Yoo Jin has never driven his own car - a silver-gray 2015 Audi A5 Cabriolet.This was a 20th birthday gift from her family last year, and it has less than 2000 miles on it so far.

When he didn't meet Han Yi, Zhao Youzhen seldom used a car, and his life was simple and boring, and he didn't need to move in a large area.Even after she became the manager of Renyu Management, she just drove the A5 from the apartment to the reserved parking space of Xinghui Building every morning, and then drove the A5 home late at night, that's all.Three miles one-way distance, 10 minutes to arrive.

But today, Zhao Youzhen didn't choose to order takeaway in the office, and also rejected Han Yi's invitation to go across the street to Xiyuan Shopping Center to find something to eat.She insisted that Han Yi get in her car and go to a restaurant quite far from Xinghui Building to have lunch with him.

We haven't had dinner together for a long time, this time, let me choose something special, okay?
Facing Yuzhen's words, Han Yi couldn't find a reason to refuse anyway.

Why do you have to—looking at this direction, you should be walking up the Hollywood Hills—to eat on the hills?
What is it that drives Youzhen to take advantage of this short one-and-a-half-hour lunch break, driving a coupe that she may not be fully familiar with yet, which can be called ninety-nine percent new, to take Han Yi to a place far away from her familiar car? A place in the circle of life?

Han Yi had countless guesses in his mind, but none of them could make him relax.

"Your house... Has your house been cleaned recently?"

If you can't find the answer, try to ease the atmosphere first.But what is frustrating is that Han Yi, who was in a mess in his mind, realized that the question "Has your family still contacted you recently?" was not conducive to improving the atmosphere between the two .Hastily stepped on the brakes on his mouth, Han Yi successfully got a helpless sigh from Yuzhen.

"You don't have to talk if you don't have anything to say."

The words in his mouth were cold, but the gradually softening eyes would not lie.Youzhen turned his face slightly, took a quick look at Han Yi's state, and then turned on the radio. The Lumineers' new single "Ophelia," released on February 2 this year, sounded. Although it wasn't the most cheerful melody in the world, it was still much better than a dead silence.

"When I was young, I didn't know the truth of life.

Feel no remorse, and neither do you.

When you get a new girlfriend, you feel like you're on top of the world.

You can't see through me who has no regrets and deliberately conceals me.

Ophelia, after the earth-shattering changes, you have always been in my heart.

Ophelia, I pray to heaven, help this fool in love. "

"Listen to the song, we'll be there soon." Zhao Youzhen uttered such a sentence with a half-smile.

I listen to a der!

Han Yi lamented loudly in his heart.

How come with these girls, the music on the car radio is all so appropriate?
Do you want to live?
"I live on a meager salary,

And you are soaring, with ambitions everywhere.

My heart is numb to the point of losing feeling,
Your heart beats only for grand schemes..."

Lead singer Wesley Schultz gradually changed from a low-pitched singing to a high-pitched roar, and then fell from a progressive peak to an emotional trough.A shocking independent folk song was played, and the Audi A5 just arrived at the destination with the two of them.

This is not far from the Chinese Theater and the Capitol Records Building, a raised hill on the southernmost section of the Hollywood Hills.

Parked the car at the door and handed it over to the Mexican parking officer who came forward with a smile on his face. Zhao Youzhen walked around the front of the car and joined Han Yi who was standing in front of this magnificent oriental-style antique building on the top of the mountain, looking up at the Chinese plaque .

"Mountain City."

Han Yi read out the words on the plaque softly.This mountain city is not a super municipality directly under the Central Government in southwest China, but is named after Yamashiro, a mountain country in the south of Kyoto Prefecture.

And that happens to be the name of this Japanese...or more accurately, Asian fusion restaurant.

In 1912, brothers Eugene and Adolf Bernheimer purchased a prestigious Hollywood hill from the Whitley family and built a summer home on it.They chose the most fashionable Chinese style at that time, and tried to spend one hundred thousand dollars to reproduce the "mansion design of the official residence of Chinese nobles".

The intention is good, but the actual landing effect is outrageous, because the final presentation of this villa is the design of Tang style in Kyoto. Although it is still "Tang style", it has Japanese characteristics in various details. .So, 104 years later, it has become the most neon-style attraction in Los Angeles, and it is logical to open a panoramic restaurant that mainly serves sushi and other Japanese dishes, supplemented by Chinese dishes.

"We drove all the way here just to eat this?"

Gourmet Han Yi has come here twice to check in. The taste is much inferior to that of Sushi Yuan in Little Tokyo. When the price is almost half as expensive, Han Yi really can’t think of any Asian who will drive here specially. Eat here.

Unless it's for the view, this hill does have one of the most unrepeatable night views in Los Angeles.

Looking out from the ancient pagoda, you can have a panoramic view of Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles.

"Well, I haven't been here yet, I want to try it."

Zhao Youzhen's eyes finally shone with joy, she gently pulled Han Yi's sleeve, and said softly.

"Let's go to the garden below first, shall we?"

"it is good."

How could Han Yi say no to such Youzhen.

"The two of us, it would be better if we have a seat by the window...Hey, I'm sorry, but we want to go and see the garden first, and we'll be seated right away, okay? Please save us a seat."

The receptionist at the front hall of the Shancheng restaurant readily agreed. In fact, more than half of the guests who come here will go for a walk in the garden outside the restaurant, some before and some after the meal.

"It's beautiful here."

Walking in front of Han Yi, Zhao Youzhen walked slowly along the wooden steps to the center of the garden, staring at the pagoda with mahogany and blue tiles not far away, and sighed.A few seconds later, she suddenly clasped her hands together in front of her forehead, and closed her eyes devoutly, as if making a wish or praying.

"What are you doing?" Han Yi looked at her and smiled, "This tower was built by Germans, and it has no mana."

"Didn't you hear?"

After the ceremony, Zhao Youzhen lowered his arms and breathed a sigh of relief.

"This tower is very spiritual. Whoever worships it will gain the sincerity of the fellow traveler. From now on, only the truth will be heard from the other party."

Han Yi naturally didn't believe this kind of rhetoric.

But he already understood the reason why Zhao Youzhen chose this place.

"Haha, won't it work if you tell me?"

Han Yi laughed twice and joked.

"What if I lie to tease you on purpose? Will lightning strike me?"

"I won't hack you."

Zhao Youzhen shook his head.

"If you are deceived, it will only come back to the wisher himself. It doesn't matter if you have bad luck or a bad disease...at least that's what I read."

After finishing speaking, Zhao Youzhen didn't give Han Yi any time to react, and showed his first bright smile of the day, hooked his hands at him, and walked back to the restaurant.

"Don't worry, it's all superstition... I'm just playing around."

"Go into the restaurant, I'm hungry."

"……it is good."

Following Yuzhen step by step, Han Yi's expression became more and more complicated and obscure.

He still doesn't believe the urban legend.

But Yu Zhen's nonchalant performance made his heart suddenly tighten a little.

Even if it's fake...is he willing to use words to cause that kind of harm to Youzhen?

What if there was a one-in-a-million chance...it was true?
Thinking wildly, Han Yi followed Zhao Youzhen to the corner seat by the right window in a daze.

"Here, the menu."

Before the waiter could speak, Zhao Youzhen pushed a menu to Han Yi.

"Look, what do you want to eat?"

"Come on." Han Yi waved his hand, with a forced smile on the corner of his mouth, "I... I'm not very hungry, I'll just hang out with you."

Hearing Han Yi's answer, Zhao Youzhen didn't show any special expression.She just nodded, opened the menu in front of her, spent a few minutes communicating with the waiter, and finally chose a few of the more famous dishes here at random.

Leaving two glasses of ice water and taking away all the menus, the waiter took two steps back and turned to leave. In this small world, only Han Yi and Zhao Youzhen were left.

"What are you thinking about?"

Staring at Han Yi who was glowing golden under the noon sun for a long time, Zhao Youzhen, with a gentle smile on his face, stretched out his hand and waved it in front of his eyes.

"I was thinking...why did you bring me here..."

Han Yi pointed to the pagoda outside the window.

"Thank you for that."

"What do you think?"

Zhao Youzhen's eyes were bent again, and he tilted his head, looking extremely pretty and charming.

"I understand."

Han Yi took a deep breath, sat up straight, and said seriously.

"bring it on."

"What?" Zhao Youzhen smiled unabated, "I'm not sure."

"To ask those questions, you have to hide from everyone we know, go to a place where we have never been, and no one would think we will be, to ask questions."

"Oh."

Zhao Youzhen lowered his eyes, playing with the wooden chopsticks with his fingertips.

"Those questions... what are the questions?"

"We could spend the day like this, but it's only an hour and a half for lunch."

Now that Yuzhen has already pulled him to this point, there is no need for him to look around.Han Yi made up his mind, right here, today, to send those unresolved emotional connections between him and Youzhen...

"I don't know exactly what your problems are, but I do know where they start."

"The source of the problem must be...why have I suddenly lost so much contact with you since I went to Europe, as if I'm deliberately ignoring you. Am I right?"

"So you know."

After a moment of silence, Youzhen's voice carried a tinge of muffled moisture.

"Do you know how long ago you chatted with me on WeChat last time?"

"I know."

"Do you know how long it's been since you last talked to me about anything other than work?"

"I know."

"Do you know how long ago it was the last time we ate together?"

"You know, you know, you know everything, so why do you do this..."

"Because I like you, Yujin."

"You and I……"

Zhao Youzhen, who hadn't fully mobilized his anger, was instantly washed away by Han Yi's words like a stormy sea.

Her mind went blank.

Zhao Youzhen carefully planned today's lunch for several days.It took a lot of energy to find a restaurant, and it took a lot of effort to come up with the rhetoric just now and perform it perfectly.

Yes, the so-called "the pagoda of the mountain city restaurant can help the wisher get the heart" is an exclusive customized version of the urban legend that the Korean girl made up by herself to ensure that Han Yi will not be evasive and hesitant to herself.

Zhao Youzhen's idea was that she would not ask some sensitive questions. After all, in her capacity, she was not ready for a complete showdown with Han Yi.Just talk about his attitude in a non-painful way, pretend to be pitiful and act like a baby, and let him stop neglecting yourself in the future.

Of course, she had to throw out a few questions that she already knew the answers to, to test her sincerity.

As long as Han Yi is willing to tell her the truth, it doesn't matter what she asked and what he answered.

As long as he is still the one who is gentle enough to know that the story is false and doesn't want to hurt her, that's fine.

In Zhao Youzhen's imagined situation, if she doesn't advance aggressively, Han Yi will stick to the boundaries.

After getting along for so long, Yuzhen feels that she has a very precise grasp of his personality and way of doing things.

Therefore, when Han Yi whispered those four words in Chinese, Zhao Youzhen, who was not good at socializing and didn't know how to react on the spot, unexpectedly crashed.

This system failure lasted for a long time, and Zhao Youzhen received the signal from the soul to the body between the crazily beating heart and the eardrum that seemed to be ringing in the ears and could not hear the surrounding sounds clearly.

How to describe this feeling?

Yujin couldn't find the right words.

Perhaps... the closest level of happiness is when she ran towards the morning sun among the field stalks in the countryside of Nanyuan when her teeth were not fully formed.

Only this time, there was someone beside her, running with her.

It turns out that only one more person is needed, and the whole world will be different.

All colors and sounds will become fuel to accelerate emotions.

The greatest happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved; to love for ourselves, or rather, to love without ourselves.

Just like Victor Hugo said, from loneliness to happiness, you only need such a person who makes you believe in being loved.

"I……"

Came back to his senses, and Zhao Youzhen, who chewed those words carefully, felt a small flame in his chest, which suddenly lit up in the chaos and darkness, and then it began to expand and heat up at an incomparable speed. Spread it all over her limbs, making her fingertips and even the ends of her hair feel warm.

"I also……"

Yuzhen gripped the wooden chopsticks tightly, as if to cheer herself up in this way.Encourage yourself to be as brave as Han Yi across the table and speak your mind.

What is there to be afraid of?If you don't say it, you've already got a response, haven't you?
"Wait a minute, Yoo Jin, don't talk yet."

To Yuzhen's surprise, Han Yi stretched out his hand solemnly, interrupting her confession.

"A mutual affection is one of the most cherished moments in life, especially the first time. I don't want to ruin your experience... I've already screwed up once." Han Yi's volume went from high to low, After muttering the last half sentence, he braced himself and cleared his throat, "So, please listen to me and finish what I have to say first."

"You are one of my closest friends, we spend a lot of time together both at work and outside of it, and I am so grateful for the bond we have formed."

You don't need to guess, you should know that when talking about this serious topic that can't be covered up with witty words, Han Yi quietly switched to English again.

"Saw you in Quarters for the first time, and to be honest, I just wanted to get as far away from you as possible...it was just too scary."

"What's so scary?" Zhao Youzhen was taken aback, trying to recall the scene of that day, "Me?"

"That's right, when you threw the photo at that... I can't remember the name of the person, he stood up and wanted to attack you, but you stood there peacefully, without blinking your eyes, I am sorry for you , only respect and... awe."

"I thought at the time, don't have anything to do with you, let alone be with you, in case something messes with you at that time—ah, I don't mean that I want to do something illegal— However, if you offend you for any reason, you also let me taste that in public..."

"You started thinking about this when we met for the first time?" Zhao Youzhen wasn't annoyed, instead a bright smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "You don't even know my name, so you're thinking about being with me?"

"Men, it's all like this. I just said it honestly." Han Yi shrugged, "Every one of us feels that we are Truman, and the world revolves around us. Every beautiful woman who appears around us , are all candidates waiting to become the heroine."

"Thank you for your honesty." Zhao Youzhen thought for a while, then nodded in agreement with Han Yi's statement, "Then what?"

"Then... I discovered that Murphy's Law is the only unchanging truth in this world. I flew three thousand miles to another coast to have dinner, and when I turned around, who do you think is there?"

"After the Quarters incident, I was feeling a little irritable, so I wanted to find a place to be alone for a few days."

"The next day I procrastinated and went downstairs to eat breakfast. I just sat down and wanted to take out my phone to take pictures of Central Park, but... guess who is there?"

"Stay in a hotel and still not let me eat?"

"After breakfast, I thought this is not okay. It would be too scary to meet again. So I deliberately lingered in the room for a long time before going to the Metropolitan Museum... I am very confident that I will never see you again this time." I met it, it would be too... OMG, why is it you again?!"

"I'm also afraid of meeting you." Zhao Youzhen was amused by Han Yi's exaggerated performance, "I was very afraid of seeing you that day, because I didn't like to meet acquaintances when I was traveling, although I didn't know them very well at that time. But at least it's someone I've met before... You're broken, and I'm more broken than you."

"So this is Murphy's Law." Han Yi breathed a sigh of relief, "From that day on, the person we don't want to see has become a daily routine."

"Yeah." Youzhen supported her chin, and her replying voice was a little sweet.

For some reason, she felt that this sentence was quite romantic.

The people I don't want to see have become a daily routine.

This sense of inescapable destiny fascinated her.

"You brought me Billy, and you have managed these artists with me since the first day. Your office is right next to mine, and you can see your face when you open the door, even if you don't see it for the first time, I I also know that you must be not far away."

"At first, I thought it was just getting used to your presence. But after that day in San Francisco... I began to re-examine our relationship. As time went on, I gradually realized that my feelings for you are not just platonic style. I care about you, in a way that even feels strange and scary to me."

"Saying 'I like you' is an understatement, I guess what I really want to say is, 'I wanna be with you'."

Han Yi, who lowered his head and finished speaking, raised his eyes to Zhao Youzhen.On the face of the other party, he saw the famous quote of the Italian poet Cesare Paves.

The only joy in the world is to start.

Han Yi's "I wanna be with you" drew a line for Zhao Youzhen, marking the starting line of a wonderful start.

When spring comes, even if it is a false one, there is no question but to find where one can live the happiest.

If there is anything human beings can faithfully reproduce this observation in Chapter 5 of Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast", it must be Zhao Youzhen's current gaze.

"Why not?"

Zhao Youzhen felt that the air inhaled and exhaled from the nasal cavity at this time carried a delightful sweet fragrance.

"You should understand...as long as you say it, I'm yours."

"Maybe I understand, maybe I don't understand, I don't know."

Han Yi shook his head and said softly.

"But I know I can't do that. Because the more beautiful a thing is, the more you want to own it, the more you should treat it with complete honesty and integrity."

"I am...a very ambitious person who wants everything. You should know this very well. It is not enough to have the world's third largest acting agency, I also want it to become the number one. Then, establish One of the world's largest music groups, one of the world's largest live performance companies, one... I don't know what else I want in the future, but no matter what I see or what I'm interested in, I want it all, and all of them Want the best."

"What's wrong with this?" Zhao Youzhen asked, "This is... a big shining point in you, I like it very much."

"Of course it's true in terms of career, and of course the winner takes all. But...what if I am emotionally involved as well?"

Han Yi stared at Zhao Youzhen who was suddenly speechless, and said word by word.

"It's hard for a person to become a person with different personalities in different aspects. If you fight for your life at the gambling table, there is a high probability that you will also play this way in your career. If you want everything in your career, then in life..."

"Here's what I want to tell you, Yujin. Our friendship means a lot to me, and our professional relationship is a big deal... What's more, I have feelings for you that go beyond friendship. I sincerely I care about you deeply, and I value what we have. In my opinion, complete honesty, integrity, and openness are the foundation of our relationship."

"So, now that we've gotten to this point, I have to make it clear to you...I feel similarly about other people."

"Grace?"

Although the fact finally confirmed from Han Yi made Zhao Youzhen's chest seem to be pressed against an Alps mountain, and she was so depressed that she couldn't breathe, but she was not surprised.

Ever since that road trip, after seeing Xu Yiru wearing the million-dollar diamond necklace, Yoo Jin has been mentally prepared for it.

But no matter how well prepared she was, it couldn't relieve the pain she was feeling right now.Zhao Youzhen could only force himself to put on a straight face, maintain a superficial composure, and then use a title he had never used before, weakening "Xu Yiru" into an English name that everyone could take.

It doesn't do much, but it still makes her feel better.

"Yes." Han Yi nodded slightly and sighed, "This is... a complicated and confusing situation, and I'm trying to figure out what's going on. I hope you understand, I tell you Your purpose in doing this is not to hurt you, or make you sad. I just don't want to keep it a secret, because the best way to respect you is to stop hiding my feelings. Especially after we understand each other's hearts. "

"You did the right thing." Zhao Youzhen's voice softly comforted Han Yi and himself, "No matter how cruel the truth is, it is better than deception."

"For me, this dilemma has been going on for a long time."

Han Yi continued talking on his own.

"In Europe, my idea is to escape. If I can't think of a way and can't make a choice, then stay away from both of you at the same time. Escape is my strategy, which is why I rarely chat with you this month. reason."

"But after I came back, something happened that was beyond my control. I know that it is impossible to pretend that nothing happened."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Youzhen frowned, and the alarm bell that sounded in her heart gave her a very bad premonition, "What happened?"

"The first day I came back, Grace came to the house."

"She told me she liked me and I told her I felt the same way."

"And then..."

"We kissed."

(End of this chapter)