Hoping for Shen Bailou's swift departure from this world, Xia Xixi's mood improved considerably.
Beside him, Li Quyin also set aside matters concerning the movie.
He got up and approached the fishing platform, took a fishing rod, and checked if the bait was still there.
The bait was still intact, showing no signs of being nibbled.
"Why aren't there any fish?" Li Quyin couldn't help but grumble.
Li Quyin rarely had such free time to nap and even less time to fish. This was his first time.
"Do you want to fish?" Xia Xixi thought they were just here to relax and nap.
After setting up the fishing rods, both of them had lain down on lounge chairs for a nap. Xia Xixi hadn't even paid attention to whether any fish had taken the bait.
"I asked them, and they said if we catch fish, they can help us cook it. I wanted to catch a fish for you to eat."
The villa provided fishing equipment. If they really caught any fish, the staff at the villa would cook it for free, letting them choose between dishes like boiled fish or pickled fish.
Hearing Li Quyin's words, Xia Xixi was startled, and his brewing sleepiness instantly vanished.
"You can't catch fish like this." Xia Xixi rolled up his sleeves, exposing his white arms, ready to help.
He looked around; the villa's fishing equipment was quite comprehensive.
He found a jar among the equipment, opened it, and sprinkled some of its contents into the water.
Before fishing, you need to use specific bait to attract the fish. Once the fish smell it and gather, you can catch them.
Li Quyin leaned over to look. The jar contained red rice with a peculiar smell, likely mixed with special seasonings.
After spreading the bait, Xia Xixi picked out various baits from the box, "There should be more grass carp in this lake, so let's catch grass carp."
With that, he selected the appropriate bait and started changing the bait on the fishing rod.
"Do you fish often?" Li Quyin watched in amazement at Xia Xixi's proficiency.
Upon hearing this, Xia Xixi paused in his actions and ambiguously replied, "I have a few friends who like to fish. I've gone with them a few times."
Talking about this made Xia Xixi a bit annoyed, his round eyes widening even more.
His friends were all a bunch of old men with white beards. Being fifty years old was considered young among them.
They spent their days either drinking tea, coffee, fishing, or playing chess. Over time, Xia Xixi also learned to do these activities quite well.
Thinking about those white-bearded old men, Xia Xixi secretly decided to stay away from them in the future. He was still young and didn't want to live like an old man.
Moreover, if Li Quyin found out that his hobbies were like those of a bunch of old grandpas, he would definitely make fun of him!
Li Quyin didn't think much of it. He took the fishing rod Xia Xixi had prepared and cast it into the water.
The sunset was already on the mountain top, and the warm yellow sunlight spread over the lake, creating a patchwork of light on the water surface with the breeze.
It looked like it would be completely dark in less than an hour.
Li Quyin set up his fishing rod, brought over a small stool, and sat beside it, no longer dozing off. He wanted to catch a fish for Xia Xixi to eat.
Seeing this, Xia Xixi also took his fishing rod, sat beside Li Quyin, and cast his line.
The two of them sat on the small stools, basking in the sunset, chatting intermittently.
During this time, Xia Xixi's phone rang several times. Without even looking, he blocked all the calls.
He was truly fed up with those people, annoyed beyond measure.
Fishing, besides requiring skill, also heavily depends on luck. It seemed their luck wasn't great today, as they didn't catch any fish until the sun set.
After the sun completely disappeared behind the mountain, they had to pack up and head back.
At night, perhaps the other side had sensed Xia Xixi's determination, and for once, didn't harass him, allowing Xia Xixi to breathe a sigh of relief. If the harassment continued, he was ready to call the police.
Early the next morning, Xia Xixi and Li Quyin set out to climb a mountain.
Near the villa was a not-too-tall but scenic mountain, a perfect place for a date.
They set out at five in the morning, reaching the summit by six. The rising sun lit up the entire world.
Li Quyin stood against the light, his tall and straight figure resembling a male model stepping off a runway. His waist and legs were so captivating that Xia Xixi couldn't take his eyes off him.
Xia Xixi took out his phone and snapped a photo of him.
Hearing the click, Li Quyin looked over, his black, clear eyes filled with slight confusion.
Being stared at, Xia Xixi suddenly felt that having a handsome boyfriend was quite nice! At least he was pleasing to the eye.
"It's nothing." Xia Xixi guiltily took a couple of pictures of the scenery nearby, not daring to tell Li Quyin that he had just taken a picture of him.
His ears felt slightly hot. If Li Quyin knew what he had just been thinking...
Pretending to take pictures here and there with his phone, Xia Xixi was in high spirits until his phone suddenly vibrated.
For a moment, Xia Xixi thought it was Shen Bailou using a new number to harass him again, but when he saw the caller ID, his growing anger subsided.
The caller was one of his friends, an energetic elderly man in his sixties or seventies.
"What's up?" Xia Xixi was straightforward as he answered the call.
Old people are just like children; the older they get, the more childlike they become. Xia Xixi understood this deeply.
The reason he got along with this group of old men was probably because they were like children, even more immature than him.
The caller didn't bother with pleasantries either, directly asking, "Did someone contact you about making a movie?"
Xia Xixi's recently improved mood darkened again. Was it Shen Bailou again?
Xia Xixi turned and gestured to Li Quyin, pointing at his phone to indicate he needed to take a call.
Li Quyin nodded, reminding him, "Don't go too far, and watch your step."
Xia Xixi walked to a nearby pavilion, only stopping when he was out of earshot of Li Quyin. His smile disappeared, "Yes, they did. What's up?"
"You refused?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"You know how much I dislike that person surnamed Shen." Xia Xixi's tone was unfriendly, "You have no idea how many numbers they've used to harass me recently, and I can't get rid of them..."
After a brief rant, Xia Xixi was puzzled, "Why are you asking?"
"They came to me this morning, asking for my help." The caller said.
Xia Xixi was surprised. He hadn't expected Shen Bailou to really stop harassing him.
"Okay, I got it." The caller said and hung up.
Xia Xixi looked at his phone, bewildered.
But he didn't think much of it. Shen Bailou's people not harassing him anymore was a great relief.
Putting away his phone, Xia Xixi returned to the mountaintop.
Li Quyin was standing in the bright sunlight, looking into the distance with deep, focused eyes. His features seemed even more defined in the sunlight.
These past few days, Xia Xixi noticed that Li Quyin wasn't one to smile often, but he was always gentle in front of him.
Xia Xixi thought that if they ever broke up, he would definitely miss him.
Just for that face, he would be reluctant to let go.
By now, the sun had fully risen, and the warm light had turned bright and intense. Standing under the sun, Xia Xixi's cheeks soon flushed.
Li Quyin handed him a bottle of water, "Hungry?"
Before they climbed the mountain, he had specially brought breakfast.
Xia Xixi touched his stomach and nodded. He was hungry.
Li Quyin led the way to a scenic, shaded spot where they sat down and ate their breakfast.
After eating and resting for a while, they headed back down the mountain.
The way down was easy, shaded by trees, so they walked slowly.
By the time they returned to the villa, it was already noon.
After lunch, Li Quyin received a call, apparently a work issue.
Not wanting to disturb him, Xia Xixi left a note and went to take a nap.
Without Shen Bailou's harassment and after a morning of hiking, Xia Xixi slept deeply and soundly.
Meanwhile, Li Quyin was not in a good mood.
Right after lunch, he received a call from his assistant saying there was a problem.
According to the plan, the company had intended to hire a very capable industry expert for guidance, but they had been consistently refused.
Yesterday, after Li Quyin suggested finding someone else, the company reached out to that expert again but still got no response.
After that, they shifted their focus to another renowned old expert.
Initially, things went smoothly, but after a phone call, the expert abruptly changed his mind and flatly refused them.
The company was baffled and called again, only to be hung up on and blocked.
The team was stunned, not understanding what went wrong.
After various attempts to contact the expert, the company decided to approach another expert directly.
This time, the company representatives visited in person, but as soon as they stated their purpose, the expert's face turned cold, and they were thrown out.
Standing outside, they were confused and didn't know what had gone wrong.
Eventually, they managed to find out that they were being boycotted by all the reputable experts in the industry. The specific reason wasn't clear, but the company had a hunch.
"It must be that first expert causing trouble. Otherwise, why would they all boycott us? And jointly, at that!" The assistant was indignant.
That expert had a really strange temper, utterly unreasonable.
Refusing to help was one thing, but sabotaging their efforts by influencing others was another.
What kind of person does that?!
"Are you sure it's him?" Li Quyin frowned.
He didn't recall offending that expert, nor did he even know who he was.
"Who else could it be?"
Li Quyin's eyes turned cold, his anger rising, "Give me his contact information."
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