novelnext Chapter 400 Want a Child?
Chapter 400 Want a Child?
Chapter 399 Want a Child?
Paul Walker was the last to arrive.
He led his daughter, Meiduo, in by the hand and slowly walked in.
Meadow and Ellie were about the same age. The two girls' eyes lit up the moment they met, and they huddled together, chattering away.
Within two minutes, they were holding hands and running to the poolside lounge chairs, sharing the fun things on their phones.
Paul watched his daughter's retreating figure, smiled helplessly, and bumped fists with Chen Xun: "I knew from the time of 'Fast & Furious' that you would eventually stand at the top of Hollywood, and now it has indeed come true."
Although the two had not seen each other for a long time, their relationship remained good.
Chen Xun is also Mei Duo's godfather.
"Thank you for your kind words."
Chen Xun smiled and handed him a bottle of ice-cold beer: "Sit down, we've been waiting for you."
Following Paul in were two young people with Asian faces, Xin Zhilei and Zhao Jinmai, who were signed by Chen Xun's company.
The two girls were incredibly nervous as soon as they entered this private party filled with Hollywood A-list celebrities, not knowing what to do with their hands.
Xin Zhilei had previously filmed "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" with Chen Xun, but she was still a little nervous.
Looking at the people in the yard, only one thought kept running through my mind: "My God, Thor, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker—am I dreaming?"
Zhao Jinmai was young and completely bewildered. She obediently followed behind Xin Zhilei, her little head turning back and forth following the figures of the celebrities.
Chen Xun noticed the two girls' awkwardness at a glance, smiled and walked over to them, leading them to the crowd and introducing them one by one: "Let me introduce you, these are two actresses signed by my company, Xin Zhilei and Zhao Jinmai, who came to Hollywood specifically to study."
He then turned to the two girls and introduced them: "This is Chris Hemsworth, you should all know him, Thor. This is Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, the old partner of the Fast and Furious franchise."
The two girls quickly bowed and greeted her, their voices tinged with nervousness.
Chris Hemsworth waved casually and said "Hello" in his newly learned Chinese, which made the two girls laugh instantly and their tension dissipate.
"Master, thank you for bringing us here."
Xin Zhilei composed herself and looked at Chen Xun: "We've all seen the box office success of 'Joker' in China. It's truly amazing. You are a role model for all Chinese actors."
Zhao Jinmai nodded quickly, "Teacher Chen Xun, I especially love your movies, from 'La La Land' to 'Spider-Man' and 'Joker,' I've watched them so many times!"
Chen Xun smiled and waved his hand: "Don't be nervous, everyone here is a friend. Just come here to have fun. Help yourself to whatever you want to eat or drink. Don't be shy."
He pointed out the direction of the dining table to the two girls, then greeted Christine and asked her to take good care of the two girls before turning back to the barbecue grill.
Ellie spotted Zhao Jinmai immediately, rushed over, and grabbed Zhao Jinmai's hand, refusing to let go.
When she was in China, Zhao Jinmai treated her very well, and now it's her turn to reciprocate as the host.
Ellie, being a lively person, immediately pulled Xin Zhilei over as well.
As the sun slowly sank below the horizon, the string lights by the pool lit up, casting a warm yellow glow over the entire backyard.
The group sat around a long table, clinking glasses and chatting, from amusing anecdotes on Hollywood sets to thrilling experiences during filming, and their thoughts on the new script.
The atmosphere was lively and relaxed.
After a few rounds of drinks, everyone started talking non-stop.
Paul Walker took a sip of beer, looked at Chen Xun sitting across from him, then glanced at Christine and Dakota sitting on either side of him, and dropped a bombshell: "Bro, the box office is a hit, you've got an Oscar nomination, your career is at its peak, shouldn't you start thinking about marriage?"
"When are you planning to get married and have a child?"
The room fell silent the moment those words were spoken.
This immediately sparked a burst of laughter.
Chris Hemsworth immediately chimed in, letting out a loud whistle: "Paul's right! You're a winner in life now, with both career and love going well. It's time to start thinking about the next generation!"
Vin Diesel nodded in agreement, adding seriously, "The family needs fresh blood."
Chen Xun shook his head, both amused and exasperated. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Paul's gaze, which was deliberately glancing at Christine and Dakota beside him. The meaning couldn't be clearer.
You're in luck, kid!
But who to have the child with is a problem.
Christine's face instantly turned red. She glared at Paul and retorted sharply, "Paul, mind your own business and mind your own business."
【Marriage and having kids? — If he really wants to, I'm not incapable — Wait, there's Dakota, what am I thinking? Let her have the baby, I'll get a free child, hahaha —】
On the other side, Dakota's face was even redder than Christine's, the tips of her ears were so red they were almost bleeding. She lowered her head and held the wine glass in her hand. She glanced at Chen Xun secretly, then quickly lowered her head again, not daring to even breathe.
Even so, she didn't get up and leave. She simply moved closer to Chen Xun, silently expressing her feelings.
[Dakota Fanning's favorability +0.5, current favorability: 99]
It's gone up again?
Does Dakota like this kind of thing?
Chen Xun had no time to be happy.
Looking at the two girls whose faces were flushed to the roots of their necks, and then at Paul with a mischievous grin, he deliberately sighed: "Paul, what kind of joke is this? This is still far from settled."
"What do you mean, not even a hint?" Paul laughed even harder. "I think those two strokes are almost a complete circle. Don't play dumb, kid."
Christine couldn't sit still any longer. She tugged at Dakota next to her and gave her a wink.
Dakota paused for a moment, then instantly understood what she meant.
The two girls exchanged a glance, stood up in unison, and walked over to Meadow and Ellie.
"Meiduo, shall I take you inside to see the jewelry design sketches I just brought?"
Christine bent down and smiled gently at Meadow.
Dakota nodded in agreement and said softly, "And Ellie, haven't you been wanting to see my new script? Let's go upstairs together and see it, instead of hanging out with those old men who're making all sorts of silly jokes."
Meadow and Ellie had no idea that this was their two older sisters' "revenge plan," and happily followed them into the house.
Paul's smile froze instantly, and he quickly called out, "Hey? Meadow, where are you going?"
Christine turned around, raised an eyebrow at him, and gave him a "what can you do about it?" look: "You're joking with us, so we'll just kidnap your precious daughter. Time's running, Mr. Paul."
The audience burst into laughter again, with Chris Hemsworth laughing so hard he was doubled over, patting Paul on the shoulder and saying, "Serves you right!"
"Serves you right for joking around like that! Now your daughter's been kidnapped!"
Paul shook his head, both amused and exasperated, and shrugged at Chen Xun: "She's still your daughter, so be careful~"
After a while, the two girls finally came out of the house with Meadow and Ellie. Meadow was still holding the necklace Christine had given her, and her eyes were so narrowed with laughter that she had completely switched sides to her two older sisters. She made a face at Paul, which made everyone laugh again.
As night deepened, the atmosphere of the gathering grew stronger.
Chen Xun, holding a wine glass, walked to the railing by the pool.
He drank quite a bit today, but unusually, he didn't feel dizzy.
Looks like he's been drinking with Christine every day lately and got into shape.
Dakota walked over with a small plate of mango mochi and handed it to him: "I noticed you haven't eaten much. I made this myself this morning. You've said before that you like this."
Chen Xun took the plate, picked up a piece, and took a bite. It was soft, sweet, and fragrant, with just the right amount of sweetness for him.
He turned to Dakota: "Thank you for coming all the way back from Atlanta and for arranging all this."
""
"You're welcome."
Dakota looked at him and said, "You've achieved so much, of course I had to come back to celebrate with you."
The evening breeze ruffled her long hair, a few strands clinging to her cheeks. Chen Xun instinctively reached out and tucked the stray hairs behind her ears.
His fingers accidentally touched her skin, and Dakota's body trembled slightly, her face turning even redder, but she didn't pull away. She just looked up at him, her gaze fixed on him.
After a while, Christine came out to find the two of them.
Chen Xun then went back with Dakota.
Back at the long table, everyone raised their glasses once more.
Chris Hemsworth stood up, raised his glass, and shouted, "To Chen Xun! To the legend of film history! To next year's Oscar winner!"
"Respectfully, Chen Xun!"
Everyone stood up, their glasses clinked together, and cheers and laughter echoed through the courtyard.
The celebration banquet lasted from noon until evening, starting with champagne toasts and later featuring whiskey and craft beer.
Everyone present was a familiar old friend, and no one was being polite to Chen Xun.
The toasts went on and on.
Chris Hemsworth, the Australian beer enthusiast, took the lead in making a fuss, and Paul and Vin Diesel joined in the fun. Even Xin Zhilei and Zhao Jinmai blushed and raised their juice glasses to Chen Xun twice to congratulate him on his box office success and Oscar nomination.
Chen Xun's alcohol tolerance had improved considerably, but he couldn't withstand the relentless pressure from the crowd to drink.
By the time the party ended, he was already quite drunk. He leaned back in his chair, stretched out his long legs casually, and looked dazed.
"Alright, alright, if you keep drinking, Chen Xun won't wake up tomorrow."
Paul smiled and waved his hand, then stood up first and patted Meadow on the head: "We should leave too, so as not to keep you from resting."
Chris Hemsworth also stood up, went over and gave Chen Xun a big hug, shouting in a thick tongue, "Chen! The Oscar for Best Actor must be yours, and then we'll drink for three days and three nights!"
Vin Diesel nodded in agreement, reiterated the classic phrase "family," and then turned and left with his entourage.
Rob had already sent a car to wait at the restaurant entrance.
Xin Zhilei and Zhao Jinmai said goodbye to Chen Xun. The girls blushed as they looked at the drunken Chen Xun and the two Hollywood actresses on his left and right. They didn't dare to stay any longer and obediently got into the car.
Ellie and Meadow had been chatting away all afternoon, and when they heard they were going to Chen Xun's company, they cheered and jumped into the car. Paul wasn't worried at all; he just smiled and waved to Chen Xun.
At Chen Xun's company, Mei Duo was treated like a princess. No one dared to offend her, and no one would even utter a harsh word against her.
In just over ten minutes, the once bustling restaurant private room was left with only Chen Xun, Christine, and Dakota.