On the morning of the eleventh.
Except for Chen Qi, Li Wenhua, Gong Xue, and Li Lianjie, everyone else was heading back. Dressed in matching tracksuits, they each carried gifts Chen Qi had purchased out of his own pocket under Great Wall's name.
After all, mainland customs conducted inspections: if you had no Hong Kong dollars on you, how could you have bought all these things?
"You did great this time. Rest up well when you get back!"
Chen Qi hugged Wang Qun, looking for all the world like an unscrupulous capitalist handing out red envelopes at the company entrance after the Lunar New Year holiday—yet everyone was genuinely touched.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Coach! We'll definitely meet again!"
"You take care of yourself too!"
Yu Hai and Yu Chenghui were his elders. Looking at him, they saw him as both their boss and a nephew, which stirred up a rich blend of emotions.
"Brother Qi, I want to work with you. The wushu team let me go, so I won't have anything to do back home."
"Don't you still have to shoot *The Shaolin Temple*? Come find me in Beijing after you wrap up."
"Right, right! I'll definitely come!"
Ji Chunhua was overjoyed and gave him a fierce bear hug.
Chen Qi saw them through security one by one. Everyone felt rather sentimental, like comrades-in-arms who had fought side by side: some had to depart first, while the rest were bound for a new battlefield.
With his generous, charismatic bearing, Chen Qi practically seemed bathed in a golden aura stamped with the words "Personal Magnetism."
Even Li Lianjie was visibly moved.
Having seen off the brothers, the remaining group continued waiting at the airport. An hour later, a flight touched down: China Film's Fang Yurong and Fu Jingong, director of *Return of the Swallows*, arrived in Hong Kong.
Traveling to Berlin required a transit through Hong Kong.
"Director Fu! Comrade Yurong! Welcome to Hong Kong."
Fu Chi stepped forward to greet them; this fell under his duties.
"Hello, hello! Sorry for the trouble!"
Fu Jingong was in his fifties, a veteran director from the Shanghai Film Studio without any notable masterpieces to his name. It was his first time in Hong Kong, and he was exceedingly tense, glancing left and right with obvious caution.
After exchanging pleasantries, Fang Yurong leaned in and asked with a smile, "How did things go for you in Hong Kong? Did *Tai Chi* perform well?"
"Alas, I can only say progress was maintained amidst stability, supply and demand both rose, the flaws were apparent, and audience feedback was objective and grounded in truth. We showcased the style and spirit of our mainland cultural and arts workers—our comrades still need to keep striving."
"Progress is good. Take it step by step," Fang Yurong consoled him, then asked, "Say, do you have any relevant newspapers? Let me take a look."
"Yes, plenty! Let's get in the car first. Our flight is tonight and we'll be flying overnight, so the two of you should catch up on some sleep first—health is the capital of revolution, after all."
Chen Qi ushered the two into the car and headed straight for the hotel.
Worn out from traveling, Fang Yurong and Fu Jingong indeed wished to rest, and their settling in needs no further mention.
***
Inside the hotel room.
Chen Qi was exhausted as well. In these few hours before takeoff, he was finally free with nothing left to worry about. He had intended to lie down on the bed for a bit, only to drift off to sleep before he knew it.
Li Wenhua watched him in silence, suddenly feeling a twinge of heartache.
Ever since setting foot in Hong Kong, Li Wenhua had felt like a fool who understood nothing and could handle nothing, relying entirely on Chen Qi's hustle. This kid's extraordinary talent in certain areas often made people forget his age.
He was only twenty-one!
He hadn't even reached the legal marriage age.
As one of Wang Yang's trusted confidants, Li Wenhua had some idea of the purpose behind this trip—good grief, it was earning foreign currency! Having such a heavy burden placed upon a young man made Li Wenhua feel he had lived all his years in vain.
Li Wenhua watched him for a long while, let out a sigh, and tiptoed out the door to find Li Lianjie to play chess and pass the time.
Who knew how long passed before Chen Qi woke up in a daze. Seeing the sky outside darkening, he hurriedly checked his imported Swiss watch—four o'clock. He breathed a sigh of relief.
The flight was at seven that evening.
The trip to Berlin would take over a dozen hours, arriving tomorrow morning.
He washed his face. His luggage had long been packed. Pacing around with nothing to do, he simply went next door and knocked.
"Who is it?"
"Sister, it's me!"
Silence lingered inside for a second, as if she were utterly struck dumb by his shamelessness. After a moment, Gong Xue pulled the door open.
"What are you doing?"
"Watching TV. Nothing else to do."
"Is it convenient for me to come in?"
"No, it's not!"
"Oh!"
Chen Qi squeezed inside and shut the door behind him. Ge Chunyan had already left, leaving Gong Xue alone.
"What are you watching? *The Shell Game II*? Ah, I've been watching that too. It's a great show. Look at that guy—that's Chow Yun-fat. That one's Patrick Tse. That one's Liza Wang. And the screenwriter is Wong Jing..."
He sat down on a chair of his own accord and patted his thigh.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting affectionate!"
Chen Qi pulled her over in one smooth motion, sitting her on his lap. Gong Xue gasped in shock and hurried to struggle, but her petite frame was held firmly by two large hands, leaving her unable to budge—and even her mouth was sealed up.
"Mmph... mmph..."
"Xiao Chen... Xiao Chen... have you lost your mind again..."
She dodged with all her might. Barely catching a breath, she snapped in exasperation, "What kind of place do you think this is? Don't think you can fool around just because everyone else has left!"
"I've just been busy for so many days, I missed you a little..."
Chen Qi buried his head into her shoulder, looking completely exhausted. Gong Xue froze, and the events of the past few days flashed through her mind. He had been managing everything, to the point where the two of them hadn't even had time to share a whisper.
"Didn't you take a nap to rest up? You've still got an overnight flight ahead of you."
Her heart softened for this younger man again, and she reached out, taking the initiative to wrap her arms around him.
"I did sleep. I came to find you the moment I woke up. Sigh, just thinking about having another round in Berlin gives me a headache. I'd love to have a proper rest too."
"Unfortunately, I don't understand any of it. I can't help you."
"Sure you can. What I need right now is to recharge my energy..."
Chen Qi lifted his head and smiled. "Are you going to let me kiss you or not?"
"You!"
Gong Xue looked at him, feeling helpless yet indulgent. Her face flushing, she said, "You talk in circles just for this. We're in Hong Kong, and we're alone in a room. Think of how bad it would look if someone saw us."
"Hong Kong couldn't care less about that. Capitalism is very open-minded..."
With that, Chen Qi leaned in again to kiss her.
Gong Xue had no choice but to close her eyes, letting him have his way. But as the kiss went on, she felt a tongue trying to probe its way inside. This time she didn't dodge, but clenched her silvery teeth to keep him out.
Chen Qi was an old hand at this. His right arm tightened around her waist while his left hand crept up to her chest. A soft whimper escaped her lips in his embrace; her entire body turned hot and limp. The jade gate instantly yielded, allowing him to slip inside and tangle intimately with her tongue.
"Mmph!"
A familiar sensation surged through his entire body. What kind of kiss was it if there was no tongue?
Gong Xue tilted her head slightly, her mind in complete disarray. She was wrapped tightly in a sensation she had never experienced before, yet it felt wondrously good.
Suddenly she felt a coolness at her neck and realized a button of her blouse had been undone. Panic seized her, and she hurriedly raised her hands to block him, pushing outward. "Xiao Chen... Xiao Chen... no... we can't..."
"Let me go... I'm getting angry..."
Only then did Chen Qi release her, displaying none of the contriteness of someone caught in the wrong, still grinning cheekily.
"You're still smiling!"
"You're not allowed to take things this far. I'm really mad!"
Both annoyed and mortified, Gong Xue pushed him aside and got to her feet, only for a knock at the door to startle the strength from her legs, sending her tumbling right back into his arms.
"Xiao Gong, are you packed? It's time to head out."
"O-okay... almost done! I'll be down in a moment!"
"Have you seen Xiao Chen?"
"No! He probably went downstairs already!"
As the footsteps faded into the distance, she sprang up and urged, "Get going, quickly... Oh, hurry up and leave..."
Hauling him to his feet, she pushed him toward the door. She cracked it open to peek outside first, then shoved him again. Chen Qi dug his heels in, smiling playfully. "Give me a kiss and I'll go."
"Tsk!"
At her wit's end, Gong Xue had no choice but to give him a peck before finally shoving the scoundrel out.
The door clicked shut. Her heart was still hammering wildly against her ribs. Touching her cheeks, still burning hot, she felt a lingering pang of fright. "Almost... I almost committed an error."
Chen Qi returned to his room, picked up his bags, and headed downstairs.
*Sigh, didn't even get to use the condoms... Ah well, there wasn't enough time anyway. At my pace, I'd need at least four, five, six, seven, or eight hours!*
Chapter 155