Chapter 84: The Man Named Sun Chun

Mao Shaochong was driving to pick up Yu Rongguang at that moment.

After finishing the filming of "Myth" and returning early to Hong Kong, Yu Rongguang, once he had dealt with a few trivial matters concerning the crew, hurried back to his home in the capital.

Originally, he had planned to meet up with Chen Long, who was also in the capital, but he had not been able to get in touch, and had no idea where the other had disappeared to.

When he finally managed to contact Chen Long, he was told some news about Liu Qingshan, so early this morning, he called to suggest a get-together.

By the time he met with Liu Qingshan, it was already past three in the afternoon.

“Brother Chun, I should have visited you first—there have been too many things these past few days, I just haven’t managed yet!”

Surprisingly, Sun Chun came along with Yu Rongguang. It was Sun Chun who had helped find Jin Xishan’s current engagements, so Liu Qingshan really wanted to see him before leaving.

“I’ll just call you Shan then! You really have been busy these days—have you seen today’s papers? Many of the entertainment headlines are all about you.”

Just as he imagined, tall and handsome, with a striking presence in both manner and speech.

And Sun Chun’s admirable character left an even deeper impression on Liu Qingshan, especially his faithful love for his wife, Fu Lili.

Fu Lili had been his university classmate; they married just after graduating. She had been stunning in her youth, and during the difficult years of her husband’s career, she was the sole breadwinner.

Her acting career had been much smoother than Sun Chun’s; she had won both Baihui and Golden Rooster award nominations and was once tremendously popular.

But fate is unpredictable—she was struck by serious illness and left the entertainment industry to focus on recovery, never to return to acting, leaving Sun Chun to shoulder the family’s burdens.

Illness did not shake their bond; throughout her ordeal, Sun Chun took care of her, and to this day, their love endures.

Photos of them together had surfaced; though Fu Lili’s looks had faded after years of medication, Sun Chun still gazed at her with devotion.

Due to her health, they had never had children, but their love rivaled that of any romance drama—unchanged for decades—something Liu Qingshan envied deeply.

So, Sun Chun made an excellent impression on Liu Qingshan: “Come on, Brother Chun, since you’re here, let me show you the gifts I’ve prepared for you and Sister Lili.”

He had indeed set aside some gifts for them, all from India—carpets, shawls, tea sets, and the like.

“Hey, you didn’t think of your brother? When you first joined the ‘Myth’ crew, it was me who watched over you.”

Yu Rongguang expressed his dissatisfaction without reservation.

Compared to Sun Chun, his relationship with the other two was much more casual, with playful banter and even a bit of roughhousing from time to time.

“Come off it, when we were in India, were you ever short of gifts? What don’t you have from what I brought back?”

“I don’t care about the rest, but you have to set aside a box of those special cigars for your brother!”

Yu Rongguang was quite a smoker and had been eyeing Liu Qingshan’s cigars for a while.

Klam was no spendthrift; those special cigars, costing thousands apiece, were not given out lightly.

“A whole box is out of the question—a pack, maybe!”

On their way to the warehouse, the two kept exchanging barbs.

Most of the gifts had already been moved home; what was left was reserved for repaying favors.

True to his hearty nature, Sun Chun accepted the gifts with undisguised delight. “They say Kashmir’s shawls and carpets are world-famous—look at this 100% silk carpet, this feather-light cashmere shawl—truly living up to their reputation!”

“Tell Sister-in-law when you get back, the shawl I’m giving her is Shatoosh—extremely rare and very valuable,” Yu Rongguang reminded from the side.

“Shatoosh? Is that a place or a brand?”

“Ever heard of Himalayan mountain goats? The Tibetan antelope we know—shawls woven from its down are called Shatoosh. It’s something only princesses in Indian palaces and high society ladies in Europe and America can own, a real rarity!”

“So precious? Shan, I feel guilty just holding it!”

Liu Qingshan laughed, “No matter how precious, a gift is still a gift—if I don’t give it to you, I’ll have to give it to someone else, and by then you might not get another chance.”

He deliberately made it sound casual, so Sun Chun wouldn’t be too formal.

Sure enough, Sun Chun was straightforward: “Then I’ll make sure to hurry home and hide it. Alright, I’ll thank you on behalf of your sister-in-law!”

Mao Shaochong, loyal as ever, was on hand to help move things. Sun Chun was a superstar and a performing artist, always an idol in his mind.

He was due at the set tomorrow, and since both guests were present, Liu Qingshan decided to host the formal welcome dinner that night.

In a nearby hotel, he invited all the guests who had come from India—over twenty people in all—and everyone drank and reveled heartily.

Yu Rongguang took on the role of half-host, spending hours circulating among the guests with a wineglass in hand.

Liu Qingshan hadn’t expected Sun Chun to be such a formidable drinker, and his English was impressively fluent.

With those two stirring things up, the atmosphere at dinner was lively—even Jawahar, who normally never touched alcohol, drank several glasses.

During the evening, Liu Qingshan received several calls—from Jin Xishan, Zhang the Bearded, Zhu Yanping, Yang Wancheng, and Ma Mandi.

Close to ten o’clock, he got a call from Chen Long.

“Did Boss Yang call you?”

“I haven’t had a chance to report yet—Uncle Yang asked me for Park Hye-jin’s number.”

“I hear that Korean beauty really is quite stunning?”

“She’s married though, surely that can’t be your aim?”

“Don’t talk nonsense! I’m not as much of a womanizer as the papers say—don’t go thinking I’m interested in every woman! Enough small talk, tell me your plans. I mean for the National TV program—Park Hye-jin didn’t mention before that she’d have to do an interview besides singing, did she?”

“That wasn’t my idea either—I only just heard about it from Uncle Yang! But I think it’s a good move, since it’ll help the box office.”

“The interview’s fine, but the problem is I’ve got a hanger-on with me—Chen Zuming!”

“Ming? He’s your own son—how’s he become your burden?”

“He may be my son, but what he’s interested in isn’t his old man, but that beautiful Korean lady!”

“Ah, I get it—does Ming have his eye on Jang Seo-hee or Woo Hee-jin?”

“Probably both!” Chen Long sounded like he was smiling wryly. “You know what he’s like—the boy’s picked up a bit of a playboy streak.”

Liu Qingshan struggled to keep from laughing. “But what’s that got to do with your interview? You’re worried he’ll tag along? Since you’re performing, he’ll go whether there’s an interview or not!”