As soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Yue came out of the inner room, leaning on his cane and wearing reading glasses.
This was the first time Xi Jia had met Mr. Yue in person. She had only seen him on celebrity interview programs before. The elder in front of her was much thinner and looked much less healthy than when she saw him on TV a few years ago.
She called out "Grandpa Yue" to Mo Yushen, and then introduced herself.
Mr. Yue smiled warmly and then introduced her to Mo Yushen.
Xi Jia and Mo Yushen had been married for six months, but they hadn't held a wedding ceremony. Apart from their friends and relatives, no one knew they were a couple.
Mr. Yue had been living in the mountains for almost a year and had only heard that Mo Yushen had a girlfriend, but he didn't know who she was. He thought that Xi Jia and Mo Yushen had just happened to meet in his yard.
"Grandpa Yue, Xi Jia is my wife." In front of Grandpa Yue, Mo Yushen did not use those official titles, but used a down-to-earth way of addressing him.
Mr. Yue had watched Mo Yushen grow up, and he was quite outspoken about some things, teasing Mo Yushen: "I knew it, where did you get so much motivation to come see this old man?"
With that, Mr. Yue smiled and invited them into the house.
Xi Jia glanced at Mo Yushen, who did not refute Mr. Yue's words.
Although she didn't remember the details of her relationship with Mo Yushen, she still remembered that their marriage was arranged and they had no feelings for each other. She also remembered that they had always played the role of a loving couple in front of their respective families.
Mr. Yue had already brewed the tea; the tea leaves were from the mountains and were a vibrant green.
"My conditions here are limited; I don't have the coffee that you young people like to drink, so I'll just have to make do with this."
"Thank you, Grandpa Yue." Xi Jia accepted the teacup.
The teacups are exquisite, and the tea tray is also uniquely styled.
Xi Jia had long heard about Mr. Yue's hobbies.
Besides writing, Mr. Yue always carried three things with him wherever he went: a tea tray, a Go board, and a fishing rod—all hobbies for self-cultivation.
The friendship between Mr. Yue and Mr. Mo also began with Go.
"I don't have anything fancy to offer you two, but since it's your first time here, I should at least prepare a few decent dishes," Mr. Yue said, looking at Mo Yushen. "Yushen, come fishing with me. I'll make you braised fish for lunch."
As he spoke, Mr. Yue looked at Xi Jia and asked, "Jiajia, would you like to come with us?"
Because of his relationship with Mo Yushen, he changed how he addressed Xi Jia.
Xi Jia was flattered. Mr. Yue had always been a writer and elder whom she admired, and she naturally longed for such an opportunity to spend time with him.
“Great idea, I’d love to learn how to fish from you.”
Mr. Yue got up and began to pack his fishing gear.
"Grandpa Yue, let me help you."
At this moment, Xi Jia was completely different from usual. She had shed her previous arrogance and sharpness, and her eyes and brows revealed an indescribable gentleness.
Mo Yushen took a sip of tea and looked at Xi Jia without making a sound.
I don't know if she learned to be hypocritical or to tone down her sharp edges.
However, the latter is basically impossible.
——
The fishing spot was another body of water, some distance from Mr. Yue's residence, accessible only by winding paths. The three of them walked there.
Xi Jia originally wanted to help Mr. Yue, but Mr. Yue waved his hand and said, "I'm used to walking like this, I come back several times a day. But you are walking for the first time, so watch your step."
This mountain forest is undeveloped and home to more than ten families. It is exceptionally quiet, both day and night.
Mr. Yue walked in front, followed by Xi Jia, who carried a small bucket. Mo Yushen was responsible for carrying all the fishing gear.
“Yu Shen, ah.”
Mr. Yue did not turn around, nor did he slow down.
"Grandpa Yue, please speak."
Xi Jia was between the two, but that didn't hinder their communication.
There were some things that Mr. Yue didn't hide from Xi Jia, because he thought the young couple had a good relationship.
My old friend, Mr. Mo, once mentioned: It's quite rare that, despite the arranged marriage, the two children are so in love.
Grandpa Mo has two grandsons, but the other one is not related to the Mo family by blood. Grandpa Mo places all his hopes on Mo Yushen.
Little did Old Master Mo know that this was all an act put on by Mo Yushen and Xi Jia.
In doing so, they also fooled Mr. Yue.
"Tell Grandpa, is it you who wants to produce that drama, or is it your friend who wants to produce it?" Mr. Yue asked bluntly.
Mo Yushen: "Grandpa Yue, please just assume it's my idea to take the picture."
Upon hearing this, Xi Jia understood.
The rumors my best friend had heard weren't unfounded; it turns out a film company really does want to adapt Mr. Yue's novel into a movie or TV series.
Mo Yushen's words just now have already indicated that he was not the one who took the photos, but the friend he wanted to photograph had an extraordinary relationship with him.
That's true. If they were just ordinary friends, who would bother the president of Mo's Group to personally come to the mountains to visit Mr. Yue?
From Beijing to here, no matter who you are, it's the same journey, the same mode of transportation, and the same bumpy ride. Flights only go up to the provincial capital, and after that it's all highways.
This gives a glimpse into the close relationship between Mo Yushen and that person.
“Yu Shen, it’s not that Grandpa doesn’t want to give you face, but even if your Uncle Yue asked me today, the result would be the same.”
Xi Jia snapped out of her reverie and listened attentively.
Uncle Yue, the son of Mr. Yue.
Mr. Yue continued, “You may not know this, but a couple of years ago, your Uncle Yue was also asked by a friend to do the same thing. Before he could finish speaking, I stopped him from pursuing the idea.”
Since then, his son has never mentioned it again.
Being rejected was expected, and Mo Yushen was prepared. "Grandpa Yue, I will not do anything that would put you in a difficult position."
There was a hidden meaning in his words, and Mr. Yue gestured for him, "Then tell me about it."
Mo Yushen: "The script will continue until you are satisfied. After you are satisfied, we can discuss further cooperation. If you are not satisfied with any of the scripts, at least neither you nor the film and television company will have any regrets."
"By the way, you will make the final decision on all the actors, and please be present to provide guidance during filming."
Xi Jia couldn't help but turn her head slightly and glance at Mo Yushen.
Such generous terms are a privilege few people, except perhaps Mr. Yue, could enjoy. The film and television company has really gone all out this time.
Mr. Yue walked slowly, carefully probing the path with his cane, taking each step with caution.
He remained silent in response to Mo Yushen's suggestion.
Birdsong could be heard from time to time in the mountains and forests.
Mr. Yue did not interrupt, and Mo Yushen continued, "I am acting as a go-between for Xinglan Film and Television. Xinglan's senior management has already begun a nationwide search for suitable screenwriters."
Mr. Yue has always disagreed with authorizing the film and television adaptation, because he was worried that the filmed series would ruin the original work. Mr. Yue is old and in poor health, and he doesn't have the energy to adapt the script.
Starry Sky Entertainment's motivation for creating this drama was not profit, but rather to enhance its brand influence.
Mo Yushen, representing Xinglan, showed the utmost sincerity, and Mr. Yue also conceded, saying, "You young people are really stubborn."
After sighing, he said, "However, let me make this clear from the start: if I'm not satisfied with the script adapted by the film company, no amount of pleading on your behalf will work."
Mo Yushen stated, "Grandpa Yue, I will not make things difficult for you."
As we were talking, we arrived at the fishing spot.
Let's leave that topic at that; the outcome was satisfactory.
This body of water is not as beautiful as the lake over there, but it has the advantage of having gentler riverbanks.
There is a platform by the river, which was specially built by the scenic area for Mr. Yue.
The platform is under two large trees, and there are several stone benches on it.
Mr. Yue took out his own set of fishing gear and gave the other new set to Mo Yushen. He sat on the stone bench on the south side and pointed to the north side: "You two sit over there."
Today, Mr. Yue was in a good mood. "Yu Shen, let's have a competition between grandfather and grandson to see who can catch more fish."
Mo Yushen: "Compared to you, am I not humiliating myself?"
Mr. Yue pointed at him in the air and laughed heartily.
In front of Mr. Yue, Mo Yushen and Xi Jia continued to act affectionately, and sometimes, after acting for a while, the awkwardness disappeared.
Xi Jia sat down next to Mo Yushen. Out of the corner of her eye, she measured the distance between them and Mr. Yue. If they spoke softly, Mr. Yue wouldn't be able to hear them.
She leaned closer to Mo Yushen and lowered her voice, "Is Xinglan's public call for scripts just to select a screenwriter suitable for adapting Grandpa Yue's works?"
Mo Yushen didn't respond immediately, but stared at her for a few seconds before asking, "Interested?"
Xi Jia smiled, "What do you think?"
Mo Yushen simply said, "Focus on racing your horse."
Xi Jia is a champion in equestrian sports, but a novice in screenwriting—that's Mo Yushen's assessment of her.
In fact, Xi Jia has indeed won many awards in equestrian competitions, but as for screenwriting, she doesn't seem to have any outstanding works.
Mo Yushen was puzzled. In order to find inspiration for the script that Xinglan publicly solicited, she actually sacrificed her training time before the equestrian tour and came to the deep mountains.
It's probably a pretense that he's looking for inspiration; his real purpose is to get inside information about Xinglan and make connections with Mr. Yue beforehand.
Mo Yushen reminded her, "Don't waste your time with Grandpa Yue. If you could really get the chance to adapt the script through connections, Xinglan wouldn't have gone to such lengths. Go back and focus on your training."
Xi Jia chuckled twice, ignoring him.
They actually misunderstood her and looked down on her.
Regarding Xinglan's call for scripts, she had already submitted her masterpiece and had been waiting for the results for the past few days.
After that, the two did not communicate again, and Mo Yushen focused on fishing.
The fishing rod stopped, and Xi Jia suddenly shook it.
Mo Yushen: "..."
He glanced at her sideways, and that mischievous quirk that was uniquely hers came back to life.