My Wife is a Big Star

Chapter 46 - Hamster

Zhang Fanzhi got out of the car. Seeing Chen Ran still standing there, she asked,

“What’s wrong? You’re the one who invited me, and now you’re unhappy about it?”

“No, no, I’m just a bit surprised,” Chen Ran said with an embarrassed smile.

Now that she had agreed, he couldn’t exactly say, “I was just being polite, hurry up and go home.”

Zhang Fanzhi stared at Chen Ran without a word, her expression signaling for him to lead the way.

“My place is a bit messy, don’t hold it against me later,” Chen Ran said as a preemptive warning.

Zhang Fanzhi gave an “mm.”

She had never been to a single man’s home before. Hearing him say it was messy, the scenes that popped into her head were the ones from movies.

She imagined something like a university dormitory—instant noodle cups and soda bottles everywhere, cigarette butts all over the floor, and dirty clothes and pants thrown about haphazardly.

That was the most she expected.

After all, she had heard from her father that Chen Ran often worked overtime and had very little time for rest; even if he were a diligent person, he wouldn't have much time to tidy up.

Under the streetlights, Zhang Fanzhi followed behind Chen Ran.

Chen Ran was much taller than her, and the warm breath he exhaled was quite visible under the streetlights.

She quickened her pace to walk side-by-side with him and asked, “I heard from my dad that you’re from Jia City?”

Chen Ran nodded. “Yeah, my parents are both over there.”

“Do you plan to buy a house here in the future? Given your job, it must be hard to go back, right?” Zhang Fanzhi thought for a moment, figuring Chen Ran would likely bring his parents over eventually.

Chen Ran paused and looked at her with amusement. “Why are you asking so specifically?”

Zhang Fanzhi was momentarily stunned, then said calmly:

“It’s better to be clear on these things. I’m afraid my parents will ask about your family matters and I’ll have no idea what to tell them.”

Chen Ran said, “That makes sense.”

He turned his head away, not noticing that Zhang Fanzhi’s earlobes had turned red.

“My salary is too low; buying a house is still a distant dream,” Chen Ran remarked.

Zhang Fanzhi didn’t believe him. Her father had worked at the TV station for as long as she could remember, so she was relatively familiar with TV station contracts. She didn’t know about other places, but the core creative staff at Zhaonan TV Station received quite a high share of program earnings.

The variety show Chen Ran was currently making was the most profitable kind. Chen Ran was the Chief Planner of I Love Remembering Lyrics, and since he provided the program proposal by himself, his share of the earnings would definitely be the highest in the production crew.

When they arrived at Chen Ran’s place, a hint of surprise appeared in Zhang Fanzhi’s eyes. It was different from what she had imagined; not only was it not messy, it was extremely tidy.

Although the apartment wasn't large, there was no trash inside, and everything was in perfect order.

Chen Ran didn’t eat inside, so there wasn’t much domestic waste. His clothes and pants were neatly folded, there were two potted plants on the windowsill, and a bottle of air freshener sat on the table by the window.

Not only did it not smell bad, but it also had a faint, pleasant fragrance.

“It’s a bit modest, please have a seat,” Chen Ran said as he went to pull the curtains closed.

Zhang Fanzhi took off her mask and let out a breath of relief.

Chen Ran joked, “Having a big star like you in my little apartment really makes the place shine!”

Zhang Fanzhi shot Chen Ran a glance, ignoring his teasing.

She didn’t find the place beneath her; on the contrary, it felt somewhat familiar. When she first arrived at Fanxing, she didn’t stay in the dormitory but rented a place outside, which looked much like this.

Thinking back, she really felt that time flies. Back then, she was full of yearning for the future, working hard every day and dreaming that one day many people would listen to her songs and cheer for her.

How many years had it been? She felt as though she was about to give up on her original dream!

Seeing that her spirits were low, Chen Ran picked up the guitar and said:

“After you laughed at me the other day, I took it to heart and practiced for a while. I’ll play and sing a song for you.”

Zhang Fanzhi raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to play and sing?”

Chen Ran didn’t look her in the eye and let out a cough. “I’m showing off before a master, making a fool of myself.”

Zhang Fanzhi waited with anticipation. Chen Ran lightly strummed the guitar twice; his movements looked much more practiced than last time, showing that he had indeed been practicing.

Then, Zhang Fanzhi waited for a long time, but Chen Ran didn't move.

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Fanzhi blinked.

Chen Ran scratched his head and said, "I suddenly don't know what would be best to sing."

Truly, there were many songs in his mind, but holding the guitar in his hands, he found himself at a loss for what to perform.

Zhang Fanzhi said, "Sing 'Ru Ci'."

Chen Ran thought for a moment and spread his hands. "I don't know how to sing that."

He hadn't listened to many songs in this world; there were almost none he could sing. While practicing the guitar, he hadn't thought about learning existing songs either.

Zhang Fanzhi's face stiffened slightly as she emphasized, "That is my song!"

Chen Ran said embarrassedly, "I really don't know it. I usually don't listen to music much."

"Then what are you doing with a guitar?" Zhang Fanzhi's willow-leaf brows knitted together.

"I told you, I have some melodies in my head. I'm planning to write lyrics and sing them for you," Chen Ran said.

Zhang Fanzhi was instantly speechless.

Did he think he was back in school, trying to pick up girls with this kind of move? Chen Ran didn't look like that kind of person, and he sounded perfectly serious when saying it.

In the end, Chen Ran didn't play. After all, he wasn't a star and his skin wasn't thick enough. He had summoned his courage just now, but now he couldn't bring himself to sing.

Zhang Fanzhi didn't mind. She had just come to see Chen Ran's place; since he had invited her several times, coming up to take a look was simply a matter of politeness.

Before long, she left.

Chen Ran watched her drive off before walking back inside.

“How embarrassing.”

Chen Ran thought about how he had frozen up just now and felt awkward himself. He glanced at the guitar, but picked it up and practiced some more.

……

When Chen Ran went to work the next day, the program had already started being promoted everywhere.

The station provided a wealth of promotional resources. Advertisements were added to the end of every program, and some highlights were cut from the show, which looked very effective.

Meanwhile, he had to follow through with the work for the second episode's recording—and not just the second, but the third would be recorded right after. They would record three episodes in one go to keep in reserve. The rest would depend on the broadcast and how the ratings fared.

During the days waiting for the program to premiere, Chen Ran didn't have much work and had quite a bit of rest time.

He didn't run over to Director Zhang's house every day; he commuted to work normally and occasionally chatted with Zhang Fanzhi on WeChat. Director Zhang told Chen Ran to book movie tickets, but she had no interest in going out to see them.

While resting, Chen Ran practiced the guitar in his room and felt he could finally sing fluently.

He originally wanted to open his phone to record it, but after thinking it over, he grabbed the guitar and headed to the Zhang house.

When Auntie Yun opened the door, Chen Ran saw a woman on the sofa. She was wearing pajamas, her hair was disheveled, and she was clutching snacks, stuffing them into her mouth.

Her eyes met Chen Ran's, and the atmosphere felt momentarily frozen. Her neck turned red at a visible rate. The snacks she had just stuffed in couldn't be swallowed; she could only puff out her cheeks, looking just like a hamster.

She stood up slowly and methodically. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed the pile of snacks on the table that she hadn't taken.

She slowly grabbed the snacks and then walked back to her room.

With a bang, the door was slammed shut!

"Uh..." Chen Ran looked at Auntie Yun, wondering if he had come to the wrong place.

Was that person just now... Zhang Fanzhi?

Or was it that her sister had returned?