madnovel Chapter 48] Take Everything You Want
Chapter 48] Take Everything You Want
In the blink of an eye, filming for "Love O2O" has been underway for more than two weeks.
In March, the weather in Shanghai is like a child's mood, changing in an instant.
Yesterday it was freezing cold, but today, as soon as the sun came out, the wind carried a soft, warm feeling.
When Gao Huan and Nazha left the hotel, they both changed cars.
Naza was driving her white BMW. Gao Huan was sitting in the passenger seat, wearing a mask and with his hoodie pulled up, only his eyes were visible.
Naza also wore a mask, but not sunglasses. She said that driving with sunglasses on makes her look like a female spy, which is not attractive.
"Have you set up the navigation?" Nazha gripped the steering wheel with both hands, leaned forward slightly, and stared at the road ahead, like a cat that had just learned to drive but wasn't quite proficient yet.
"It's done."
Gao Huan propped his phone up on the air vent, and the screen displayed the route to Gubei No. 1.
"Are you sure you'll be okay even if you get photographed?"
Gao Huan turned his head and glanced at her.
"If we get photographed, we'll say we're looking at wedding homes."
Naza's fingers tightened on the steering wheel, her ears turned a little red, but the corners of her mouth were upturned.
"What wedding room? That's Bei Weiwei and Xiao Nai's wedding room."
"Yes," Gao Huan's lips curled slightly, "so it's for publicity."
Naza didn't reply, but she loosened her grip on the steering wheel a little.
As the car turned onto the Yan'an Road Elevated Highway, Shanghai in March unfolded under the sunlight. The glass curtain walls of office buildings reflected the sunlight, shining brightly in patches, as if someone had scattered a handful of gold dust from the sky.
Gubei No. 1 is located on Hongsong East Road in the MH District, right next to the border between Gubei and Xuhui.
In Shanghai's luxury housing market in 2015, Tomson Riviera was an established luxury property, while Gubei No. 1 was a new luxury property.
The opening price starts at 120,000 yuan per square meter, with the smallest unit being 300 square meters. Those who can afford to buy a house in this area are either wealthy individuals or celebrities.
When the car turned onto Hongsong East Road, the plane trees on both sides of the road had not yet sprouted. Their bare branches outlined dense lines against the gray-blue sky, like an uncolored sketch.
The gate of the residential complex was unassuming, unlike that of a luxury home—gray stone walls, black wrought iron gates, no gold lettering, no exaggerated sculptures, and two young security guards in dark blue uniforms stood at the entrance, their backs ramrod straight.
Gao Huan had made an appointment with the agency in advance.
A woman in her early thirties, dressed in a well-fitting black business suit, with her hair up, had fine lines around her eyes when she smiled, but she looked very capable.
Her surname is Lin, and Gao Huan calls her Sister Lin.
Sister Lin led them in through the side gate, where they swiped their cards, passed through the turnstile, and entered the residential area.
The landscaping inside is very well done. Although it's only March, the lawn is already green, and several magnolia trees are in bloom. The white petals sway gently in the wind, like butterflies that have stopped there to rest.
"Mr. Gao, Ms. Nazha, this apartment is in Building 5, on a high floor. It's 320 square meters, with four bedrooms, two living rooms, and four bathrooms. It faces the central garden of the community and has a particularly good view."
As she walked, Sister Lin introduced the client, speaking at a moderate pace, clearly indicating that this wasn't her first time serving celebrity clients.
Gao Huan walked next to Nazha, the two of them less than a fist's distance apart.
Naza wore a beige trench coat today, with her hair down. When the wind blew, strands of her hair would fall onto Gao Huan's shoulders.
Stepping into the lobby of Building 5, you'll see a crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, and the floor is made of light gray marble that shines like a mirror.
The elevators are independent, one elevator per household, and you swipe a card to access your floor, ensuring excellent privacy.
As the elevator ascended, Nazha looked at the two shadows reflected on the elevator doors and suddenly whispered, "This elevator is so fast."
"All the elevators in the high-rise area are like this," Gao Huan said.
The elevator arrived, the doors opened, revealing a short corridor with a dark wooden door at the end.
Sister Lin swiped her card, pushed open the door, and stepped aside to let the two people go in first.
The living room is large, with floor-to-ceiling windows that extend from the ceiling to the floor, allowing sunlight to stream in without obstruction and illuminating the entire room.
The floors are light oak, the walls are covered in warm gray wallpaper, the kitchen is open-plan, the island is white marble, the Chinese and Western kitchens are separated, and all appliances are built-in, making it look clean and tidy.
Naza walked in, her steps unconsciously slowing down.
She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and glanced outside. The central garden stretched out before her, with lawns, a pond, several magnolia trees in full bloom, and the distant horizon shimmering in the sunlight.
"Is it pretty?" Gao Huan walked over to her.
Naza nodded without saying anything, but she tapped her finger lightly on the glass, as if to confirm whether what she was seeing was real.
Sister Lin stood next to the kitchen island, wisely refraining from following them. She simply introduced the apartment layout and renovation standards from a distance, speaking softly so as not to disturb their viewing.
Gao Huan walked around the house.
The master bedroom faces south and includes a walk-in closet and a bathroom. The bathroom has a double sink and a bathtub, which is by the window, so you can see the garden outside while taking a bath.
There are two secondary bedrooms, both facing south, and a study facing north, with windows overlooking the interior of the complex. Each room has excellent natural light and a comfortable, spacious feel, without feeling cramped.
When he walked back to the living room, Nazha was still standing in front of the French windows, but her posture had changed.
She put her hands behind her back and stood on tiptoe slightly, making her look as if she were standing on a deck looking at the sea, rather than in a house.
"Do you like it?" Gao Huan asked.
Naza turned around, looked at him, and had a very complicated emotion in her eyes.
Surprise, emotion, and a sense of unreality, like "Is this really happening?"
"Are you serious?" she asked.
Gao Huan walked up to her and looked at her.
"I brought the contract with me, what do you say?"
Naza's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but her throat seemed to be blocked by something.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the tears welling up, then reached out and gently punched his chest. The force wasn't strong, but it carried a hint of "Why didn't you say so sooner?" in her playful tone.
When did you make that decision?
"last month."
"Last month?" Nazha was taken aback. "Back then, I was still arguing with you, you womanizer."
Gao Huan looked at her, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"Arguments are arguments, but the new house is the new baby."
Naza's eyes reddened, but she didn't cry.
She turned to face the window, took a deep breath, and then said in a very soft voice, "Gao Huan, are you sick?"
Gao Huan didn't say anything, walked to her side, and the two stood side by side in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Sunlight streamed in from outside, casting the shadows of the two people on the floor, one tall and one short, very close together, like two plants growing in the same flowerpot.
Sister Lin walked over from the kitchen island, holding a contract in her hand, and placed it on the coffee table in the living room.
Her movements were very gentle, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.
"Mr. Gao, the contract is ready. Please take a look."
Gao Huan walked over, sat down on the sofa, and picked up the contract to start flipping through it.
Naza followed him over and sat down next to him. She leaned in to look at him, her hair brushing against his shoulder, like a kitten snuggling up to its owner.
Gao Huan and Yangyang Jin had already gone through the core terms of the contract several times in advance; today's main task was to sign the contract and pay the deposit.
He looked at it very carefully, turning the pages one by one, not in a hurry to move on.
Naza watched quietly from the side, without urging him.
But she noticed a detail—in the buyer's section of the contract, it didn't list two names, only hers.
Her fingers stopped.
"Gao Huan," she called him, her voice trembling slightly, "only my name is written on this."
Gao Huan turned to the next page without even looking up. "Hmm."
Why?
"Because this house was bought for you."
Nazha was stunned.
She looked at Gao Huan, her mouth slightly open, the light in her eyes changing from doubt to confirmation, and then from confirmation to something indescribable.
Several emotions mingled together, appearing alternately on her face like ripples on the water.
"Are you crazy?" she said, her voice soft but trembling. "This house costs tens of millions."
Gao Huan finally raised his head and looked at her.
"So I paid a deposit and will pay the full amount when the profits from 'The Coffin in the Mountain' arrive."
Naza opened her mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back.
She lowered her head, her fingers gripping the fabric on her knees, her knuckles turning white. Several seconds passed before she spoke, her voice muffled, as if squeezed from her throat.
"I do not want."
Gao Huan looked at her.
"You don't want it?"
"I don't want to." Nazha raised her head, her eyes red, but her expression was very serious.
"You've already spent two million on my dad's medical treatment."
You help me get roles, negotiate endorsements, and fight for parts.
Now you want to buy me a house.
Gao Huan, I am not a burden to you.
The living room fell silent for a moment.
Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on the floor and illuminating the area between the two people.
Dust particles floated slowly in the beams of light, as if in a dream.
Gao Huan reached out and tucked a strand of hair that was hanging down beside her face behind her ear.
The movement was very light; his fingertips brushed against her earlobe, and the warmth transferred to her ear, causing it to turn slightly red.
"You are not a burden," he said in a flat tone, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.
"You're my girlfriend. It's only right that my girlfriend lives in comfortable accommodations."
Naza finally couldn't hold back her tears and they fell.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, but the more she wiped, the more tears she shed. In the end, she simply stopped wiping and just looked at him, tears falling one by one.
"Gao Huan," she said, her voice a little hoarse, "you're going to spoil me."
Gao Huan smiled slightly and took a tissue from the coffee table, handing it to her.
"Even if they're spoiled, it's still my fault."
Naza took the tissue, covered her face, and her shoulders trembled.
After a dozen seconds, she took the tissue off her face, took a deep breath, her eyes were red, but the corners of her mouth were turned up.
"Then should I sign it?" She looked at the contract and then at Gao Huan.
"Sign it."
Naza picked up a pen and signed her name on the contract.
Her hands trembled slightly, and her handwriting wasn't as neat as usual, but she wrote very carefully, each stroke like a vow.
After signing the last piece of paper, she put down her pen, leaned back on the sofa, and let out a long sigh.
"I own a house now?" She turned her head to look at Gao Huan, her expression carrying a childlike pride.
"You own a house now," Gao Huan said.
Naza laughed, her eyes curving into two crescent moons, and she sprang up from the sofa back, rushing over to hug him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, and mumbled, "Thank you, Gao Huan."
Gao Huan placed his hand on her waist without saying a word.
Sister Lin stood beside the kitchen island, watching this scene. The corners of her mouth curved slightly, and then she lowered her head, pretending to look at a certain clause in the contract.
She has worked in the real estate brokerage industry for almost ten years and has seen countless wealthy people buying houses, but this is a rare sight.
By the time the signing, money transfer, and deposit payment were completed, it was almost 11 o'clock.
Sister Lin carefully put away the contract, said goodbye to them, and told Nazha that she would follow up on the subsequent procedures and that she could rest assured.
The two people came out of Building 5 and walked slowly in the community.
The sun rose higher, the wind wasn't so cold anymore, and the fragrance of magnolia blossoms wafted faintly in the air, like someone whispering in your ear and then running away. When you turn back to look for them, only the wind remains.
Naza walked beside him, her steps lighter than usual.
Her hands hung at her sides, her fingers slightly curled. Occasionally, she would touch the back of Gao Huan's hand, then pull back, like a butterfly that wanted to get close but dared not.
After walking a few steps, she reached out her hand and hooked her little finger with his.
Gao Huan glanced down, said nothing, and didn't shrink back.
The two of them walked slowly through the neighborhood, their little fingers intertwined, like two high school students in love, clumsy and cautious.
When Gao Huan reached the central garden of the community, he saw someone in the distance.
The person was wearing a dark blue hoodie, a mask, and the hood was not pulled up. Their hair was a bit messy, and they looked somewhat sloppy.
He stood on the path beside the garden, head down, as if searching for something, or perhaps hesitating about something.
Gao Huan looked at it for another second and recognized it.
Hu Yanbin.
His impression of Hu Yanbin mostly came from news reports from his previous life: a musical prodigy, a good songwriter, who had dated Zheng Shuang and was heavily criticized.
Later, when Zheng Shuang got into trouble, he released a song called "Take Everything You Want," which included the line "Leave our dog behind," which was dug up and repeatedly interpreted by netizens.
Hu Yanbin also saw Gao Huan. The two knew each other, though they were only nodding acquaintances.
He looked up, his gaze lingered on Gao Huan's face for a moment, then moved down to see Gao Huan and Nazha's intertwined fingers, before returning to Gao Huan's face.
"Gao Huan?" Hu Yanbin took off his mask, his voice a little hoarse.
Gao Huan also took off his mask and nodded.
"Brother Bin."
Hu Yanbin walked over, looking somewhat anxious, but he held back when he saw Nazha beside him.
He nodded to Nazha as a greeting, then turned to Gao Huan.
"You live here too?"
"Just bought it, haven't moved in yet," Gao Huan said. "Brother Bin, you live here too?"
Hu Yanbin nodded.
"I've been living here for a while now."
The three people stood on the path by the garden. The wind blew and blew a few magnolia petals off. The white petals fell on the stone path like scraps of paper scattered on the ground.
Hu Yanbin's expression wasn't good; his lips were pursed into a thin line, and he had heavy eye bags, as if he hadn't slept well last night.
He hesitated for a moment, but then spoke.
"Gao Huan, have you... seen Zheng Shuang?"
Gao Huan looked at him but didn't reply.
Hu Yanbin rubbed his hands together, as if organizing his thoughts or encouraging himself.
"She just left my place. She didn't take her phone, and I can't reach her. She might come here; we used to take walks here often..."
His tone was as calm as possible, but Gao Huan could hear the underlying emotion in his voice: anxiety, worry, and a weariness that said, "I'm used to it, but I just couldn't hold back today."
"No," Gao Huan said. "I just went downstairs and didn't see her."
Hu Yanbin's shoulders slumped slightly, as if a string that had been stretched for a long time had finally been released.
"Then I'll look elsewhere." He put his mask back on and nodded to Gao Huan.
He turned and left.
Their steps were quick, as if they were in a hurry, or perhaps trying to escape something.
After walking a few steps, he stopped and turned around.
"If you see her, please give me a call. You have my WeChat."
"Okay," Gao Huan said.
Hu Yanbin waved his hand, turned around and left.
This time, he didn't look back. The dark blue hoodie went further and further away on the path, finally turning a corner and disappearing around the corner of a building.
Naza stood next to Gao Huan, looking thoughtfully in the direction where Hu Yanbin had disappeared.
"Is he... Hu Yanbin?" she asked.
"Um."
"Is he looking for Zheng Shuang?"
"Um."
Nazha was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Isn't Zheng Shuang his girlfriend? How come we can't get in touch with her?"
Gao Huan put the business card in his pocket and said in a low voice, "They're probably breaking up."
But deep down, she thought: If he weren't in this world, Nazha and Hu Yanbin would still be kindred spirits, albeit indirectly.
He pulled Nazha along, and the two walked along the main road of the community, past the pond in the central garden, past the children's playground, and past a row of roadside trees. As they approached the garbage collection station, Gao Huan heard a voice.
It was very light, like the buzzing of a mosquito, or the wailing of a small animal.
He stopped.
Naza also stopped and turned her head to look at him.
"What's wrong?"
Gao Huan didn't answer, but listened intently. The sound came again, a little louder than before, but still very soft.
It's confirmed, it's a dog barking.
That weak, feeble wail, as if squeezed out of the throat.
Naza heard it too.
She frowned and turned her head to look in the direction from which the sound came.
The sound came from the direction of the trash can.
Gao Huan walked over, and Nazha followed behind him, her high heels making a crisp sound on the stone pavement.
Next to the trash can were several cardboard boxes and bags, all containing miscellaneous items thrown away by the residents.
Gao Huan glanced around and his gaze settled on a shoebox at the very back.
The shoebox wasn't big, it was light pink, and it had a luxury brand logo printed on it.
The lid was on, but not tightly; there was a gap.
The sound came from that crack, a faint, intermittent wail, like someone crying until they were exhausted, but still sobbing.
Gao Huan squatted down and reached out to lift the lid of the box.
A small teddy bear is curled up in a shoebox.
It was very small, not much bigger than his palm.
Its fur was brown and curly, but dirty and matted together, making it unrecognizable.
Its eyes were half-closed, with discharge around them, its nose was dry, and its whole body was curled up in a ball, trembling slightly. Its front legs were curled at an unnatural angle, as if they were injured and dared not straighten out.
Its mouth was slightly open, emitting a faint, weak cry.
Naza squatted down, glanced at the little teddy bear, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"Oh my god..." Her voice trembled slightly. She reached out to touch it, but then pulled back, afraid of hurting it.
"How did it get here?"
Gao Huan remained silent.
He completely opened the box and carefully examined the puppy's condition.
Dull coat, dry nose, and purulent discharge around the eyes—these are symptoms of illness, and it's been going on for more than just a day or two. The awkward posture of the forelegs could indicate a fracture or a joint problem.
A thought flashed through his mind.
Hu Yanbin and Zheng Shuang both owned dogs. During their relationship, they jointly owned a Teddy bear.
After they broke up, the ownership of that dog became an unclear and ambiguous matter.
In his song "Take Everything You Want," Hu Yanbin wrote the line "Leave our dog behind." The lyrics have been interpreted repeatedly by fans. Some say it was written for Zheng Shuang, while others say it was a metaphor for people through the dog.
Gao Huan didn't know if this puppy was the same one.
But he knew one thing: the puppy had been put into a shoebox and thrown next to a trash can.
He stood up and looked around.
The garbage collection station is tucked away in a corner of the neighborhood, a secluded spot where no one would intentionally come. But if it's someone from the neighborhood throwing away their trash, why would they choose to do it here? There are garbage bins downstairs, closer and more convenient. They throw it here because they don't want anyone to see it, and they don't want anyone to know who threw it there.
Gao Huan glanced at the logo on the shoebox.
Luxury brands, and they come with hefty prices.
People who can afford this brand of shoes live in this neighborhood and are not short of money. They are not short of money, but they think medical treatment is too expensive, so they abandoned their dogs.
The image of Hu Yanbin's expression flashed through his mind—anxious, worried, exhausted, and with that helpless feeling of "I'm used to it, but I just couldn't hold back today."
He wasn't looking for a person, but for the dog he and Zheng Shuang raised.
Gao Huan suppressed the thought and didn't say it aloud.
But Nazha wasn't stupid. She looked at Gao Huan's expression, then at the puppy in the shoebox, her brows furrowed slightly, then slowly relaxed.
Her gaze shifted from doubt to confirmation, and then from confirmation to a complex mix of emotions: sympathy, anger, and a sense of helplessness and surprise at how this could have happened.
She looked up at Gao Huan and asked, "These are...they're raising them?"
Gao Huan looked at her and said, "That's probably it. I guess it was Zheng Shuang who threw it."
Naza was silent for two seconds, then lowered her head and looked at the puppy.
The puppy whimpered again from inside the shoebox, its voice weaker than before, like a string about to snap.
Naza's eyes reddened even more, but she didn't cry.
She took a deep breath, then looked up at Gao Huan with a serious expression.
"Gao Huan," she said, her voice soft but each word clear, "I'm willing to keep it. Let's take it with us."
Gao Huan looked at her, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"it is good."
Naza lowered her head, extended her index finger, and gently touched the top of the puppy's head.
The force was very light, as if afraid of breaking it. The puppy's ears twitched, and its half-closed eyes opened a crack, glanced at her, and then closed again.
There was fear, pain, and a hint of grievance in his eyes, as if saying, "You've finally come."
Naza's tears finally fell, one by one, onto the edge of the shoebox, leaving dark spots on the cardboard.
"Gao Huan," her voice was a little hoarse, but very firm, "let's keep it."
Gao Huan squatted down and sat next to her next to the trash can.
He looked at the puppy in the shoebox, then at Nazha's red eyes, and reached out to wipe away the tear that had fallen on her cheek.
"Okay," he said, "raise it."
Naza sniffed and smiled.
That smile contained tears, light, and a certainty that said, "I knew you would agree."