novellhall Chapter 367 Off-peak New Year celebration!
Chapter 367 Off-peak New Year celebration!
Chapter 366 Off-peak New Year celebration!
Chen Xun smiled and agreed. After chatting for a couple more minutes, he hung up the phone and started packing his luggage.
The snow is still falling in New York.
He had already planned out his itinerary for the next month.
The plane landed on time at Los Angeles International Airport the following morning.
Chen Xun pushed his luggage cart out of the arrival gate and immediately saw Christine standing by the cart.
She wore a black baseball cap and sunglasses, along with a simple black hoodie and cargo pants. Leaning against the car door, even with most of her face covered, her arrogant and aloof demeanor was still undeniable.
Seeing Chen Xun come out, she took off her sunglasses, a faint smile appearing on her lips, and went forward to take the carry-on suitcase from his hand: "You're pretty punctual, no delays."
"I was afraid of keeping you waiting."
Chen Xun smiled as he put his luggage in the trunk. The moment he sat in the passenger seat, the familiar scent of cedar wafted towards him.
The smell in her car was exactly the same as when he lived in this villa.
The car drove away from the airport and headed towards Beverly Hills.
The California sunshine outside the window was perfect, a stark contrast to the damp chill of New York. It warmed me and made me feel much more relaxed.
The car stopped in front of that familiar villa with its green wall.
Chen Xun pushed open the car door, looked at the house in front of him, and was filled with emotion.
Returning after more than a year, every blade of grass and every tree here is still the same, as if he had never left.
"What are you looking at? Come in."
Christine pushed open the door, turned around and called to him, "Are you acting like it's your first time here? Still shy?"
Chen Xun smiled and followed him inside.
His slippers were still in the shoe cabinet, his favorite iced cola was neatly stacked in the refrigerator, and even his favorite Chinese food ingredients were plentiful.
"You were prepared all along."
Chen Xun opened the refrigerator door, turned around to look at her, and smiled.
Christine's ears turned slightly red as she turned and walked towards the kitchen, stubbornly changing the subject: "I just bought it on the way. I couldn't let you come over without even having a drink."
"What do you want to eat tonight? Tomato beef brisket or braised pork belly? I've been learning from my aunt for a long time, and I'm definitely not just someone who can only bake pizza anymore."
Chen Xun leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching her hurriedly tie her apron. The setting sun shone through the French windows onto her, and she suddenly exuded a homely charm.
This is quite rare for Christine.
He stepped forward, gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder: "Anything is fine, I love anything you make."
Christine's body stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. She patted his arm with her other hand, but didn't push him away, her tone slightly reproachful: "Stop fooling around, the food's going to burn."
For the next few days, the two of them stayed in the villa, living a life that couldn't be more relaxing.
During the day, Chen Xun went to Marvel headquarters to assist with the post-production dubbing of "Spider-Man," and Christine drove him there.
The two actors maintained their excellent chemistry, and even the voice director couldn't help but praise their scenes together.
When they got home in the evening, the two would either snuggle on the sofa together to watch old movies, or Chen Xun would cook Chinese food while Christine clumsily assisted him.
They might bicker occasionally, but it's full of warmth and everyday life, as if they've returned to the days when they agreed to live together and were the closest of friends.
Christine would sometimes stare at him blankly, watching his busy figure in the kitchen, watching him intently studying the script, and she felt a sense of peace in her heart.
She had always worried that once Chen Xun became a Hollywood star, he would no longer be the young man who lived in her spare bedroom and would make her scrambled eggs with tomatoes late at night. But after spending these past few days together, she realized that he had never changed.
It's already mid-December, and there are only three days left until the scheduled script reading for "12 Broke Girls".
That evening, after dinner, the two snuggled on the sofa to watch a movie. Chen Xun casually said, "I have something to tell you. I have to go stay in the West District for a few days the day after tomorrow."
Christine turned to look at him, a hint of confusion in her eyes: "What's wrong? Is something else going on with Marvel?"
"No, the writing team for '2 Broke Girls' has scheduled a script reading after the winter break, and CBS is also holding a promotional event. Both are at Warner Bros. campus in the West End, and it would be too much trouble to travel back and forth."
Chen Xun spoke with a calm expression, then picked up his phone and showed her the schedule of the reading session sent by the screenwriting team: "The production team of 'Joker' also invited me to discuss the details. It just so happens that everything is happening at the same time. I estimate I will be there for about ten days."
The schedule is real, and the meetings are real.
After the meeting and reading session, he wasn't going to the hotel, but to the Fanning sisters' home in Santa Monica.
Christine glanced at the schedule, without a hint of suspicion. She simply reached out and ruffled his hair, her voice tinged with concern: "I thought you could finally get some rest, but you're busy again. Fine, you can come stay with me then, just don't overwork yourself. Come back when you're done."
"Understood, housekeeper."
Chen Xun smiled and pinched her cheek, but felt a sense of relief.
Everything is going according to his plan.
Three days later, Chen Xun arrived on time with his suitcase to attend the script reading session for "2 Broke Girls". He spent the whole day talking with the writing team, Kate, and Beth, finalizing all the details of the script to be filmed after the winter break.
After it was over, he didn't go back to his villa in Beverly Hills, but drove straight to his seaside villa in Santa Monica.
The car had just stopped at the gate when the villa door was flung open, and Ellie burst out like a little cannonball, throwing herself into his arms and chattering excitedly, "Brother Chen Xun! You're finally here! My sister and I have been waiting for you for so long!"
Chen Xun smiled and picked up the little girl, ruffling her blonde hair: "Did you miss me?"
"I want to! I want to think about it every day!"
Ellie wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, "I have to keep watch at the door several times a day, just in case you don't come!"
"Ellie!"
Dakota followed her out, and upon hearing her sister's words, her cheeks instantly flushed red. She called out, both amused and annoyed, then looked at Chen Xun, somewhat shyly: "You must be tired from driving all the way here. Come in quickly, I've made you some hot tea, and the room has been prepared for you."
The seaside villas in Santa Monica were enveloped in the warm glow of Christmas lights, creating a festive atmosphere.
In the center of the living room stands a fir Christmas tree that is more than two meters tall, with warm white lights already wrapped around its branches. On the carpet next to it are decorative balls of all sizes, sequined ribbons, a stack of photo frames, and strange little ornaments.
Ellie couldn't contain herself any longer. She grabbed Chen Xun's arm and squatted down in front of the Christmas tree, pouring out everything from the box like a treasure.
"Brother Chen Xun, look! This little ballet pendant was a Christmas present my sister gave me when I was five! And this surfboard, we bought it last year when we went to Hawaii!"
The little girl held up the pendant and waved it around. Her blonde hair was adorned with sequins, and her eyes shone like stars on a Christmas tree.
Dakota, who was standing next to her, walked over with a smile, reached out and took the sequins off her hair, and said with a mix of helplessness and affection: "Take it slow, don't break Mom's Christmas ball. You broke two last year and Mom nagged you for a long time."
She picked up a wooden photo frame containing a picture of her and Ellie when they were children.
Two little girls, dressed in Christmas red dresses and hugging matching teddy bears, smiled innocently.
"This should be hung on the very middle branch."
Dakota raised her hand to indicate the position, then turned to look at Chen Xun with a smile in her eyes: "Hanging up photos every year is a family tradition."
Chen Xun took the picture frame, climbed the ladder, and hung it steadily in the most conspicuous position on the Christmas tree. He then picked up the star ornament next to it and handed it to Ellie: "Here, the top star is yours. It's the soul of the Christmas tree."
Ellie cheered.
Standing on a small stool, I carefully placed the star on the top of the tree.
The moment the string lights were switched on, warm light instantly filled the entire living room, flashing and reflecting the Christmas decorations throughout, instantly filling the room with the festive atmosphere.
The family's golden retriever also joined in the fun, wearing a red Christmas bow tie that Ellie had tied around its neck and a mini Santa hat on its head. It circled around Chen Xun's feet, occasionally rubbing its head against his palm, being incredibly well-behaved.
Ellie, holding her phone, squatted on the ground snapping photos incessantly, muttering, "I'm going to take a Christmas photoshoot for the dog and post it on Instagram!"
Around noon, Ellie dragged Chen Xun into the kitchen again.
The little girl had said she loved baking before. Cake flour, butter, icing sugar, and various gingerbread man molds were laid out on the counter, and even the baking tray was preheated.
"Brother Chen Xun, I learned how to make gingerbread men from my baking teacher. Today I'm going to make a whole Christmas family of gingerbread men!"
Ellie rolled up her sleeves and kneaded the dough with a serious expression, but when she raised her hand, flour got all over her nose, making Chen Xun and Dakota laugh non-stop.
Dakota stood beside Chen Xun, handing him the molds. Her fingertips would occasionally brush against the back of his hand, causing her ears to turn red, yet she couldn't bear to move away.
Watching Chen Xun skillfully draw smiley faces and scarves on the freshly baked gingerbread men with a piping bag, I could see his movements were quite practiced.
Her eyes were full of surprise: "How do you even know this?"
"I learned this while filming before, I never thought it would come in handy today."
Chen Xun smiled and handed her the gingerbread man he had drawn: "Look, doesn't this look like Ellie?"
The gingerbread man has a round face and curly blonde hair, making him a miniature version of Ellie.
Dakota laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight.
Just as he was about to speak, Ellie pounced on him and snatched the gingerbread man away. The little girl held up the gingerbread man and shouted angrily, "Brother Chen Xun!"
You drew my face too round!
The kitchen was filled with the aroma of butter and caramel, mixed with the laughter of the three people, making one's heart warm.
The table was covered with freshly baked gingerbread men and butter cookies.
Ellie picked out the best-looking ones, put them in a Christmas gift box, and said she would give them to her friends on the set.
In the evening, Steve and Joey returned from shopping, carrying loads of groceries and Christmas gifts.
Upon seeing Chen Xun, the couple greeted him with smiles. Steve, a gentle and refined man, patted Chen Xun on the shoulder and warmly invited him to sit down.
Joey, a capable yet gentle woman, accepted the gift from Chen Xun: "My two daughters have been talking about you countless times. We've finally been waiting for you to come."