novellhall Chapter 369 Celebrating the New Year at Zhang's Hometown
Chapter 369 Celebrating the New Year at Zhang's Hometown
Chapter 368 Returning to My Hometown for the New Year
Jennifer has recently started frequently messaging Chen Xun to ask about his schedule.
She was worried that Chen Xun would stand her up.
"My mom has already tidied up your room and is just waiting for you to come over."
Just then, the Joker production team sent me an email, scheduling an online script reading before Christmas, as well as a final coordination meeting with Warner Bros. regarding the film's project approval. The timing was perfect, falling within these two days.
Chen Xun took this opportunity to tell the Dakota family that he was leaving early.
At the dinner table.
The moment Ellie uttered the words "leave," the fork in her hand stopped abruptly.
The little girl pouted, looking at Chen Xun with pleading eyes, her golden eyelashes drooping, filled with reluctance: "Ah? Brother Chen Xun, are you leaving? But it's not Christmas yet, and it's not New Year's Eve yet—you haven't taught me the new coin trick you promised to teach me."
"I'm sorry, Ellie, my brother has some work to take care of and has to go."
Seeing the little girl's aggrieved look, Chen Xun's heart softened. He reached out and ruffled her blonde hair. "I'll definitely teach you magic tricks when I get back, and I'll bring you some special Kentucky gifts. I'll come back to see you as soon as I'm done with work."
Dakota's fingers tightened slightly as she held the water glass, her eyes filled with regret, but she still smiled sensibly and smoothed things over for him: "Alright, Ellie, stop teasing your brother Chen Xun. He's really busy. Have you forgotten that he's a big star now and has many movies to film?"
That's what she said, but the disappointment in her eyes when she looked at Chen Xun was still undeniable.
These past few days have been the happiest days for her in the past six months. Every day she opens her eyes to see him, and he helps Ellie decorate the Christmas tree.
We baked biscuits, and in the evening, the whole family sat together to watch a movie, just like a real family.
But the time they spent together was always too short, and he eventually had to leave.
Steve and Joey also tried to persuade him to stay, with Joey laughing and saying, "Can't we wait until after Christmas? The turkey is already ordered, and a big family gathering is what makes a holiday. No matter how busy you are with work, a few more days won't make a difference."
"I'm so sorry, Uncle and Aunt, the meeting time was set by Warner and can't be changed."
Chen Xun smiled apologetically: "I'll definitely come to visit again after I'm done with this busy period, and then I'll take Uncle Steve surfing at the beach."
Having said all that, the family couldn't persuade them to stay any longer.
The next morning, Chen Xun packed his luggage.
Ellie clung to his arm and walked him all the way to the garage. Before leaving, she made a pinky promise with him, promising to teach him the coin trick when he returned and to bring him a gift.
Dakota stood by the car, waiting for Ellie to run back into the house before gently hugging him. His voice was low and a little aggrieved: "Be careful on the road. Message me when you get there. Ellie and I are waiting for you to come back."
"it is good."
Chen Xun tightened his arms around her, whispered an apology in her ear, and then opened the car door and got in.
As the car drove away from the seaside villa, Dakota's figure grew smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror until it disappeared around the corner.
Chen Xun took out his phone and called Jennifer.
The phone was answered after just one ring, and a loud, boisterous voice came from the other end: "Chen Xun? You've finally come to your senses?"
I thought you were going to stay in Los Angeles until New Year's Eve!
"I was just worried you'd be getting impatient," Chen Xun said with a smile, leaning back in his chair. "Where are you? Still in Los Angeles?"
"I'm here! I just finished the Los Angeles premiere of Passengers, I'm exhausted. These media outlets kept asking the same few questions over and over, my face was stiff from smiling."
Jennifer complained for a moment, then her tone instantly became excited: "I booked a flight to Louisville for noon, and I booked one for you too. It's economy class, don't mind. I never fly first class when I go back to my hometown, it's too conspicuous."
"Hurry to the airport, let's go together!"
"Okay, I'll head to the airport now, I'll be there in half an hour."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun instructed the driver to change course and head straight for Los Angeles International Airport.
More than half an hour later, he pushed his luggage cart into the terminal and immediately spotted Jennifer in the corner.
She had absolutely no airs of an Oscar-winning actress. She was wearing a faded gray sweatshirt, ripped jeans, and a Kentucky Bengals baseball cap backwards. Her face was bare, and she wasn't even wearing sunglasses.
Five or six bulging luggage bags were piled at his feet, and he was munching on a hamburger. When he saw Chen Xun approaching, he waved the hamburger in his hand and shouted with a smile, "You're finally here! I would have been boarding the plane if I had been any later!"
"Are you moving your whole family back to Kentucky?"
Chen Xun looked at the pile of luggage at her feet and couldn't help but laugh.
"These are all gifts for my family, and Christmas gift boxes for the neighbor's children."
Jennifer finished her burger in a few bites, wiped her hands, and patted her duffel bag: "After being in Hollywood for so long, I just want to go back home. You have no idea, I had to wear a haute couture gown and ten-centimeter heels to the premiere, it was so uncomfortable!"
"It's still better to go back to my hometown. I can just put on my pajamas, lie on the sofa, and eat potato chips. My parents don't care if I'm an Oscar winner or not; they'll still scold me for being lazy."
She speaks directly and frankly, without any beating around the bush, and her cheerful personality makes people feel particularly comfortable.
Chen Xun felt very relaxed around her.
There's no need to hide anything from Christine like you do in front of her, nor to be constantly on guard against being exposed like you are at the Dakota's house. You can just be yourself.
The two passed through security smoothly and boarded a flight to Louisville.
On the plane, Jennifer chattered on and on about her hometown.
Her mother is a huge holiday fanatic; every Christmas she decorates the house with colorful lights and wreaths, and plays Christmas music from morning till night.
Her father owns a construction company. He looks serious, but he's actually very childish. Every Christmas, he fights with her two younger brothers for Christmas presents.
My two younger brothers, one in high school and the other just starting college, spend all their time playing video games at home. When they heard that Chen Xun was coming, they were excited for days and insisted on learning Spider-Man's moves from him.
"By the way, my mom has already decided on the menu for Christmas dinner."
Jennifer counted on her fingers as she told him, "Roasted ham, creamy green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, pumpkin pie, apple pie—all traditional Kentucky dishes. And my best cornbread and chocolate chip cookies. I'll make them for you to try. Let me tell you, nobody in all of Louisville makes better cornbread than me."
Chen Xun listened to her with a smile, and seeing the nostalgic look in her eyes, his heart was filled with anticipation.
When the plane landed in Louisville, Jennifer's father was already waiting at the airport entrance in a pickup truck.
Seeing the two emerge, Gary greeted them with a smile, giving Jennifer a big hug. He then shook hands with Chen Xun, his hand strong and his tone exceptionally warm: "Chen Xun, right? Jennifer's been talking about you every day. Welcome to Kentucky!"
"The car's over there, let's go home!"
After driving for more than half an hour, we arrived at Jennifer's house.
It wasn't a luxurious villa, just a cozy detached house in a small town. The yard was already decorated with Christmas lights, and there were two glowing Christmas snowmen at the door. You could feel the festive atmosphere from a distance.
As soon as Chen Xun opened the car door, Jennifer's mother, Kane, came out to greet him. Wearing a red Christmas sweater and apron, with a gentle smile on her face, she gave Chen Xun a warm hug: "Welcome, Chen Xun! We've been waiting for you! Jennifer tells us every day how amazing you are. Come on in, it's cold outside!"
The house was warm and cozy, with Christmas music playing softly. In the center of the living room stood a crooked fir tree. Although it wasn't straight, it was covered with all sorts of souvenirs: drawings Jennifer had made as a child, handicrafts by her two younger brothers, and family Christmas photos from over the years. Warm white string lights were wrapped around its branches, making it incredibly cozy.
"This tree has been used for five years, and it's so crooked it's about to fall over, but my mom just can't bear to throw it away, saying it's full of memories."
Jennifer whispered a complaint in Chen Xun's ear, but Kane turned around and glared at her, then slapped her with a laugh: "You talk too much! Hurry up and take Chen Xun to the room to put down his luggage and wash his hands. The cookies are freshly baked and in the kitchen."
Chen Xun's two younger brothers, Blaine and Ben, had already jumped up from the sofa and surrounded him, their eyes shining like stars.
High school student Blaine was a bit bolder, scratching his head as he asked, "Brother Chen Xun, are you really Spider-Man? Can you teach me the gesture for shooting webs? My classmates don't believe I could meet you!"
Chen Xun smiled and taught him the gestures. His two younger brothers learned them very well and kept chattering around him with questions.
From the fun anecdotes during filming to the behind-the-scenes stories of Marvel, they never treated him like a big star, but rather like a new older brother.
Over the next few days, Chen Xun completely unloaded all his work and worries, and spent the most relaxing days in this small town in Kentucky.
I got up in the morning and helped Kane decorate the Christmas tree.
Hang the little ornaments on the branches one by one, and listen to her tell the story behind each ornament.
Jennifer then teased them, saying which keychain she had broken and secretly glued back together when she was a child, and which one she had broken and deformed during a fight with her brother, making the whole family laugh non-stop.
I spent the afternoon in the kitchen learning to make cornbread and chocolate chip cookies with Jennifer.
She kept saying her cooking skills were the best in the world, but when she was cracking eggs, she got flour all over herself. Chen Xun laughed at her for a long time, and she got angry and smeared flour all over his face. The two of them were making a ruckus in the kitchen, while Kane leaned against the door watching, laughing from ear to ear.
The Christmas Eve dinner was especially lively.
The long dining table was laden with dishes: glistening, caramelized roasted ham, creamy green bean casserole with rich, milky flavor, sweet and sticky sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and freshly baked pumpkin pie and apple pie, the aroma filling the entire house.
The family sat around the dining table, clinking glasses.
"Merry Christmas!"
Kane kept putting food on Chen Xun's plate, urging him to eat more.
Gary chatted with him, asking about his life and filming experiences in China, without any awkwardness.
After dinner, the family snuggled up on the sofa in the living room and turned on the TV to watch the NFL Christmas Eve Bengals game.
Gary and his two brothers were thrilled and shouted encouragement at the top of their lungs.
Jennifer, wrapped in a thick blanket, leaned against the sofa, occasionally joining in the criticism of the referee's calls, and jumping up and cheering whenever the Bengals scored a touchdown.
She doesn't look like an Oscar-winning actress at all; she's just a die-hard fan.
Chen Xun sat beside her, looking at the lively family, his heart filled with warmth.
Having traveled through time for so many years, he was either filming on set or busy with his career. He had never had a moment like this before, where he didn't have to think about scripts, schedules, or deal with the media and social obligations. He could just sit quietly on the sofa and feel the purest warmth of family life.
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