Category: Reborn to Stew Soup (GL)

Chapter 49: Nan Tian p1

“My hand slipped, it slipped…” Jiang Lingling, startled, tried to compose herself as she fumbled for her phone.

“Can you reach it? Should we pull over?” Ji Junxin asked, concerned.

“I can… reach it…” Jiang Lingling mumbled as she continued searching for her phone. “The Nan Tian you mentioned… is it the hot pot restaurant on Jinhe Road?” Talking with her head down was difficult.

“Yes.” Ji Junxin’s mood dampened as she thought about what she was about to face.

Jiang Lingling, busy searching, couldn’t see her expression. Her poor phone had rolled into some hidden corner, taking her a while to find. She picked it up, wiped off the dust, and her startled expression returned to normal.

“If you’re going to Nan Tian, it’s on our way, we can drop you off. Are you going now?” Jiang Lingling looked at the time and turned to Ji Junxin. “It’s only a little past three, isn’t it a bit early for hot pot?”

Ji Junxin fiddled with the corner of her clothes and replied, “Then I’ll trouble you, we can go now. I have an appointment, it’s not just for dinner.”

Oh… what a coincidence… Jiang Lingling quickly glanced at Mi Hongdou, their eyes meeting, a shared understanding passing between them. The detective agency had informed Jiang Lingling about Lu Gaoshi’s dinner appointment with Jiang Dingyi at Nan Tian, and they would naturally also inform the person who had requested the investigation on Lu Gaoshi. It seemed that even if Ji Junxin wasn’t that person, she must be related to them.

But Ji Junxin didn’t seem like the type to be so resourceful and scheming… Both Jiang Lingling and Mi Hongdou thought of the same person who could be looking out for Ji Junxin. However, although their guesses were the same, their feelings were completely different.

Qiao Rubai had prompted Ji Junxin to go to Nan Tian, which meant she was planning to expose the relationship between Lu Gaoshi, Jiang Duo, and Jiang Dingyi. With Qiao Rubai taking action, would Lu Gaoshi’s dismissal be far behind? Mi Hongdou, somewhat confident in Qiao Rubai, breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a subtle sense of disappointment. It seemed that, in both her previous and current lives, Qiao Rubai was the big boss protecting Ji Junxin… Although she felt reassured, she also felt a twinge of jealousy, a strange emotion.

Compared to Mi Hongdou’s mixed feelings of relief and disappointment, Jiang Lingling’s mood was much simpler. Purely unhappy! With Qiao Rubai taking action, what was left for her to do? Just watch the show? What about the favor she was supposed to do for Mi Hongdou?

Jiang Lingling’s frustration was written all over her face, practically overflowing. Ji Junxin, with her head lowered, didn’t see it, but Mi Hongdou did.

What was she so frustrated about? Mi Hongdou was puzzled. Just as she looked at Jiang Lingling, the latter turned back to face forward, her frustration still evident.

So what happened? Before Mi Hongdou could figure it out, her phone chirped.

Ji Junxin glanced at her.

Jiang Lingling also looked back at her.

Mi Hongdou felt a sense of inexplicable nervousness. Had she done something strange? She hadn’t participated in their conversation at all… Mi Hongdou slowly opened the message.

Sender: Jiang Lingling. [It seems someone else tipped her off, we did all that work for nothing. Are you still making egg fried rice for my godfather? I’ll get you lots of braised pig’s feet… (pitiful face)] This was the first time she received a message from Jiang Lingling with an emoji. Mi Hongdou could imagine her mood, probably so frustrated and upset that even biting a handkerchief wouldn’t be enough to vent her anger.

[I’ll make it. And chicken and corn soup, stir-fried pomfret, braised beef brisket with potatoes, and silver carp and tofu soup. I still want to go to Nan Tian later, of course, without Ji Junxin knowing. Are you still going?] Although she knew Qiao Rubai was taking action, Mi Hongdou still wanted to see it.

Jiang Lingling silently read the list of dishes twice, her mood improving considerably. [Yes, even if they don’t need us, we can still watch the show. Don’t worry, I’ll arrange it. I guarantee you’ll have a good view without being discovered.] They were in Jiang City now, and Jinhe Road was only a ten-minute drive away. Each with their own thoughts, they rode in silence, without even exchanging messages. They soon arrived at Nan Tian.

The car stopped at the main entrance of Nan Tian. Ji Junxin was about to get out when Jiang Lingling called out to her.

“How are you getting back to the set tomorrow? Want me to pick you up?” Jiang Lingling thought that after seeing today’s drama unfold, Ji Junxin probably wouldn’t keep Lu Gaoshi around anymore. From what she had observed these past few days, it seemed that Lu Gaoshi was the only person Ji Junxin relied on. Even if she had other assistants, they were all left on set today. She would be a good person and offer Ji Junxin a ride.

Ji Junxin thought for a moment. She wasn’t close enough to Jiang Lingling to impose on her for a five-hour drive each way, so she politely declined, “It’s okay, the company will send a car for me tomorrow.” She paused and looked at Mi Hongdou. “How are you getting there tomorrow? Want to go with me?”

Jiang Lingling covered her eyes and turned away. She felt like she was about to be blinded.

Mi Hongdou hesitated. Emotionally, she definitely wanted to go with Ji Junxin. She wanted to be with her goddess every minute of every day! But rationally, even if Ji Junxin wanted her to go with her now, she might not want to see her tomorrow. If Qiao Rubai completely exposed Lu Gaoshi today, Ji Junxin’s mood would probably be terrible tomorrow… Five hours, would she want to be alone?

As for how taking or not taking Jiang Lingling’s car would affect her mood, well, Mi Hongdou hadn’t considered it. Single dogs were indeed invisible.

Just as Mi Hongdou was torn between her usual principle of maximizing her time with her goddess and not being a burden when her goddess was unhappy, Jiang Lingling spoke: “Mi Hongdou will definitely take your car. A chauffeured car is so spacious and comfortable.”

She felt like she deserved a thousand likes even if she went blind!

Mi Hongdou nodded, “I’ll go with you.” In her previous life, when Ji Junxin was very unhappy, she would either eat or be alone. She hoped it would be the former tomorrow…

Ji Junxin asked Mi Hongdou for her address, agreed on a time to meet the next day, thanked Jiang Lingling and her assistant, and got out of the car.

Hmm, the neighborhood looked a bit old… Mi Hongdou, after giving her address, felt a little embarrassed. But if she knew that the alarm that would wake her up the next day would be from Ji Junxin, it wouldn’t just be embarrassment.

The three of them watched Ji Junxin enter Nan Tian.

The first to speak was the assistant, who had been silent the entire time. She looked at Jiang Lingling excitedly, her voice a little shaky, “Where to next?”

Jiang Lingling glanced at her assistant and said calmly but cruelly, “Definitely not to buy braised pig’s feet.”

The stars in the assistant’s eyes instantly fell.

CP fans hurt me a thousand times, and I can only hurt my assistant… Jiang Lingling guiltily looked away. “We’ll drive around. Find a parking lot at a big shopping mall. Somewhere convenient, where we can walk to the east entrance of Nan Tian without being seen.”

“We’re also going to Nan Tian?” The assistant glanced at the main entrance of Nan Tian, which was right there. Just because it faced south, they couldn’t enter through it? What kind of discrimination was this? …

Jiang Lingling, sensing the assistant’s hesitation, confusion, and surprise, touched her nose without explaining. She was too foolish, not someone from their world, they couldn’t enjoy the show together. Looking at the calm Mi Hongdou in the back, sigh, what a good companion for watching dramas, it was a pity that she was on the CP side, too dazzling, she couldn’t handle it too often. So, her destined CP, hopefully, was already born, and she wouldn’t have to wait too long…

Although the assistant couldn’t understand, fortunately, she was a good follower. Jinhe Road was a typical commercial street, bustling with activity, with various parking lots hidden beneath. The assistant drove around Nan Tian a few times and quickly found a place that met Jiang Lingling’s requirements. She parked the car and led them towards the east entrance of Nan Tian.

Nan Tian was a truly magical hot pot restaurant.

The delicious broth, the fresh ingredients, the variety of sauces, the excellent service, these were all a given for a good hot pot restaurant. The magic lay in its entrances.

The normal entrances, like the south-facing main entrance that Ji Junxin used, the north-facing kitchen entrance, the staff entrance, and the storage entrance, a normal restaurant had them all. On the east and west sides, Nan Tian, only five stories high, was sandwiched between two much taller commercial buildings, making it look short and stout, very conspicuous. The five floors on the east and west sides shared walls with the neighboring buildings. So, on the east and west sides of Nan Tian, each floor had a door connecting to the adjacent building, some floors even had more than one. If you drew a 3D diagram, Nan Tian’s entrances would look like the holes in a sieve.

In a prime location like this commercial street, Nan Tian occupied more than double the area of an ordinary restaurant and was five stories high, but the actual seating capacity wasn’t that large. As a hot pot restaurant, Nan Tian only had private rooms, no main dining hall. There were several elevators leading to different locations on different floors. The layout was quite complicated, rumored to be designed by a feng shui master. Getting lost without a staff member guiding you was common. To minimize guests getting lost, Nan Tian thoughtfully installed restrooms in every private room. With such a complex layout, the number of private rooms was naturally limited. Therefore, the prices at Nan Tian were also much higher than those of ordinary hot pot restaurants.

When Nan Tian first opened, food critics commented that, putting aside the food, the numerous entrances, private rooms, and winding corridors provided excellent privacy, making it a perfect place for secret rendezvous and discussions. So, the question was, when these conditions were all met, when everyone knew about it, when everyone thought this way, was it still a place for secret meetings?

The answer was, yes.

Precisely because everyone knew that Nan Tian was a place for secret meetings, it became even more alluring, appealing to people’s hidden desires. Everyone knew, yet they still dared to come. And if they came, they wouldn’t be caught, because it was secure enough.

That was probably the psychology behind it. Naturally, Nan Tian’s guidance service was also a key element of its security.

Jiang Lingling and her companions parked in a shopping mall three doors down from the one adjacent to Nan Tian on the east side, then walked through the underground parking lot, across the connecting bridge, into the shopping mall next to Nan Tian, and randomly chose a floor, entering Nan Tian through a door on that floor.

Chapter 48: Reconciliation

After the assistant and Jiang Lingling finished their discussion about braised pig’s feet, the car fell silent.

Jiang Lingling wanted to say something to lighten the mood, but seeing the two in the back, their expressions serious and sitting upright in silence, she swallowed her words. Sigh, she shouldn’t have offered Ji Junxin a ride. She didn’t even have the chance to gossip with Mi Hongdou about the story of Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi, how boring.

Actors usually had to wake up before dawn to get their makeup and costumes done if they had morning scenes. Lack of sleep made them drowsy when they finally had a chance to relax. No one spoke in the car. Even the assistant was focused on driving, motivated by the promise of braised pig’s feet. Jiang Lingling, looking left and right, quickly became bored and drowsy.

The person in the passenger seat nodded off, her head drooping, and soon fell asleep. Ji Junxin glanced at Mi Hongdou from the corner of her eye, her fingers tracing patterns on her phone. She wanted to ask about her stomach.

At the same time, Mi Hongdou also wanted to talk to Ji Junxin. Of course, not about her stomach, but about road safety. But the words caught in her throat, and she no longer had the courage she had when slapping Zhang Zijing’s hand away. Her earlier words about acting and friendship had upset Ji Junxin, and she didn’t know if she was still angry… Anxious, Mi Hongdou didn’t even dare to glance at Ji Junxin.

Regretting something so much that your guts turned green, that was probably Mi Hongdou’s current state.

There were four people in the car, and she didn’t even have a chance to apologize to Ji Junxin. But even if she had the chance, she probably wouldn’t know what to say. What nonsense had she said earlier! Mi Hongdou sighed silently and strained her ears, listening to the breathing beside her. Was it light or heavy? Was she still angry? They were sitting so close, she could almost smell Ji Junxin’s scent, yet they felt so far apart, as if Ji Junxin had gone to a place she couldn’t reach.

After a while, Ji Junxin couldn’t take it anymore and started typing a message to Mi Hongdou.

Mi Hongdou’s phone was on, and the message notification was a series of chirps. She used to find it cute, but now, the sudden chirping in the quiet car made her jump.

Who is it? … Mi Hongdou was actually a little afraid that this sudden sound would break the delicate balance of awkwardness between them. Although it was awkward, it was better than almost having a falling out… This conflicted and avoidant mentality, along with her inner complaints, vanished when she saw the sender.

[Is your stomach okay?]

Instantly, the knot of anxiety in her heart was gently untied, a bittersweet warmth spreading through her.

Eight characters, including punctuation. Mi Hongdou read the message over and over again, then looked at the sender again. Yes… it was Ji Junxin.

A small flower bloomed in her heart. Mi Hongdou clutched her phone, still not daring to look at Ji Junxin.

[I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things earlier, please don’t be angry, okay?] [I didn’t mean it that way…] [I know you’re not that kind of person, it’s my fault, I spoke carelessly… I’m sorry…] Mi Hongdou slowly typed one sentence after another, then slowly deleted them word by word. There were countless ways to apologize, but none of them seemed adequate.

At that moment, because she cared too much, she was too anxious, and she had spoken carelessly. Perhaps, she was just afraid of losing… no, perhaps, she was just afraid of never having had it in the first place. Mi Hongdou couldn’t express these feelings to Ji Junxin, she instinctively felt that Ji Junxin shouldn’t know. And these feelings were indeed not an excuse to hurt someone with her words.

So, any further explanation would just sound like an excuse.

[I’m sorry…]

Ji Junxin’s phone finally received a message, just three words, from Mi Hongdou.

Her heart… ached. Ji Junxin couldn’t quite describe this feeling. Was this the legendary feeling of reconciling with a friend after a misunderstanding? Having only had one friend her whole life, and never having been betrayed, Ji Junxin wasn’t sure.

But in any case, she wanted to reconcile. She had realized this when Mi Hongdou unhesitatingly snatched the can of peaches and ate them all. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to take Jiang Lingling’s car.

Now, Mi Hongdou’s apology was like a bridge between them. Ji Junxin knew she should cross it, and she wanted to. But there was still a lingering worry in her heart. What if those words were Mi Hongdou’s true feelings? Did she really doubt her? Did she really not trust her? … What kind of person did she think she was? She inexplicably cared very much.

Now, it was Ji Junxin’s turn not knowing how to reply.

[I don’t analyze everyone and then pretend to be someone they like to befriend them…] Not everyone, so it could still be a large portion of people? No… delete.

[I didn’t analyze you and then pretend to be someone you like to befriend you…] Was it too specific? A little embarrassing… delete.

[Actually, I don’t have many friends, and I don’t act to make friends. With Jiang Lingling, I just wanted to resolve the situation smoothly, it wasn’t about making friends. I… I’m not very good at handling interpersonal relationships, especially those that might involve conflict. Someone taught me that if I encounter a problem I’m not good at handling, but have to deal with, I should pretend to be someone else. Whether it’s a character I’ve played or a persona I’ve seen, there’s always one suitable for solving that problem. If I can act, if I can immerse myself in the role, then I become that person, the person who can solve the problem. Using different masks to deal with different situations can be very effective. I rarely have difficult situations that I have to handle myself. Today was one of them. I haven’t used this method with you…] Ji Junxin looked at the screen full of words she had typed, hesitated for a long time, deleted the last sentence [I haven’t used this method with you…], and pressed send.

Ji Junxin had a feeling that Mi Hongdou’s earlier question, “Before you become friends with someone, do you always analyze their personality and then act out a role that’s more likely to befriend them?” although seemingly a general question about how she treated people, was probably specifically about how she treated her. However, it was just a guess, and Ji Junxin didn’t want to make it explicit. If Mi Hongdou didn’t believe her explanation, then any further words would be superfluous.

Mi Hongdou’s heart pounded as she heard the tapping sounds from the person next to her.

It sounded like a long message. What did she write? Was she rejecting her apology? Was she criticizing her for eating the canned peaches? But if she hadn’t eaten them, Ji Junxin would have! She couldn’t just let her eat expired food! Wait, the tapping stopped, but she didn’t receive a message. Could it be that that long message wasn’t for her! No! This couldn’t be happening! Her heart was pounding. Wasn’t it for her? Wait, the tapping started again. Was this one for her? But… it was just a few taps, such a short message… the content would be hard to guess.

Mi Hongdou’s mood, following the rhythm of Ji Junxin’s typing, was like a rollercoaster, up and down, twisting and turning. In just a few minutes, she was exhausted. Then, her phone finally rang.

She had never found birdsong so pleasant! She would use it as her alarm from now on!

Her excitement upon receiving the reply gradually calmed down as she read the message word by word. Such a sincere and heartfelt explanation filled Mi Hongdou with shame.

Wasn’t she her goddess’s die-hard fan? Hadn’t she been her fan from her previous life to this one? She had come such a long way to get closer to her, and what did she do when she finally arrived?

She was supposed to be a loyal and devoted fan, without regrets…

Mi Hongdou’s eyes stung, but she didn’t dare to cry. It turned out that people were truly greedy. When they couldn’t reach someone, they wanted to get closer. After getting closer, they wanted to become intimate. And after becoming intimate, they started to doubt whether the feelings were genuine. Why did she forget that at the beginning, she just liked her, wanted to make her happy, and that was why she tried to get closer?

After a long while, Mi Hongdou finally calmed down. Her phone was imprinted with her fingerprints.

[Actually, I’ve been your fan for a long time… Having this opportunity to get along with my idol like this is like a dream, so happy that it feels unreal, that’s why I said those careless words earlier. I shouldn’t have misunderstood you, it’s all my fault… I’m sorry…] It really was like a dream, not just getting along with Ji Junxin like this, but also being reborn ten years in the past. It was too good, so good that it was scary. After typing the message, Mi Hongdou blushed slightly, looking at the words “I’ve been your fan for a long time.” The words she hadn’t said in her previous life were now displayed on the screen, it was a little embarrassing.

But… after saying it, she felt relieved. Although she wanted to replace “idol” with “goddess” and add, “It’s because I like you so much that I care too much, so much that I overthink things,” she still didn’t have the courage to be so direct. She was used to being a hidden fan, it was in her nature to be shy. Mi Hongdou pressed send and waited.

Ji Junxin was surprised by Mi Hongdou’s words. She never knew that Mi Hongdou was her fan… and her words were also a bit too sweet.

Uh… Ji Junxin recalled their interactions these past few days. She had eaten so much of Mi Hongdou’s food, often cleaning her plate. She would sleep in when she didn’t have morning scenes and would wander around the room in her pajamas. She had even overeaten once and gotten up in the middle of the night to look for medicine, without even finding it! So, what kind of image did Mi Hongdou have of her as an idol? … Ji Junxin felt the weight of her idol image and straightened up involuntarily.

[It’s okay, let’s make up.] An idol should be magnanimous and take the initiative. Ji Junxin smoothed her hair. Since she had already explained, and she wasn’t so angry anymore, being cared about felt quite nice.

Forgiven! Mi Hongdou’s heart almost leaped out of her chest after reading the message.

Oh, poor little heart.

Mi Hongdou clutched her phone, carefully and slowly turning her head slightly, glancing at Ji Junxin from the corner of her eye. Ji Junxin, noticing her small movement, smiled gently.

Instantly, it was as if the ice had melted and spring had arrived…

Mi Hongdou took a deep breath and smiled back. It was probably a rather distorted smile… Ji Junxin paused, then continued typing.

Chirp, chirp, chirp~

[Is your stomach okay?]

Mi Hongdou touched her stomach. [It’s fine, didn’t you say the canned peaches were only two days past their expiration date? It’s fine.] Mi Hongdou thought for a moment and continued typing, [The peaches were tender, smooth, and juicy, sweet and sour, refreshing and appetizing. They tasted perfectly fine, don’t worry.] Mi Hongdou, feeling that her description was clear and would reassure Ji Junxin, happily pressed send.

Ji Junxin, after reading the message, looked at Mi Hongdou, then back at the message… and silently gulped. With such a detailed description, could they still be friends!

Putting aside Ji Junxin’s slight resentment, they exchanged messages, no longer mentioning their earlier disagreement, chatting about filming and life, the atmosphere gradually becoming harmonious again. Mi Hongdou even subtly slipped in some road safety tips.

So, when Jiang Lingling woke up from her nap, she saw the two in the back seat, their eyes curved into smiles, engrossed in their phones.

A single dog really couldn’t understand the world of couples… Jiang Lingling rubbed her face and put on a melancholic, 45-degree angle face towards the window.

Then, her vibrating phone pulled her out of her melodramatic world.

Seeing that the sender was Mi Hongdou, Jiang Lingling raised an eyebrow. As expected! She was right, Mi Hongdou also found Ji Junxin bothersome and wanted to gossip with her. How could she be the only one burning with the spirit of gossip!

Jiang Lingling excitedly opened the message.

[Huang Ji’s Braised Pork Ribs, secret recipe pig’s feet, can I also have two pounds?] Hmm, something seemed off. Well, it didn’t matter, if they couldn’t gossip, they could talk about food. It was boring not talking on the road. Jiang Lingling quickly replied, [Sure, after I get it, let’s go eat at the restaurant together.] [Can you… pack it to go?]

Jiang Lingling narrowed her eyes, something felt even more off. [It’s so much better fresh, why pack it?] [Then… can we take Ji Junxin with us? I’ll make your godfather egg fried rice and chicken and sweet corn soup. Or does he prefer silver carp and tofu soup?] After reading the message, Jiang Lingling turned off her phone. She knew it! It had been so difficult to get egg fried rice before, but with Ji Junxin involved, not only did she offer to make it, but she even offered soup, and she could even choose what kind of soup! How could she be friends with someone so disloyal!

Deep breaths, don’t be angry… Jiang Lingling didn’t reply for a while, and another message from Mi Hongdou arrived. [Egg fried rice, chicken and sweet corn soup, stir-fried pomfret, and braised beef brisket with potatoes?] [And a silver carp and tofu soup.] Jiang Lingling replied through gritted teeth.

[Okay, deal~] Mi Hongdou ended the conversation, satisfied.

Jiang Lingling’s phone didn’t ring again. She thought she probably knew why the two in the back were now smiling at their phones.

Who could understand the loneliness of being single…

Outside the pavilion, by the ancient road, loneliness stretches endlessly…

Jiang Lingling wallowed in self-pity for a while, checked the time, and sighed. If everything went smoothly, they would arrive in Jiang City in a little over two hours. She might as well sleep. Just as Jiang Lingling, giving up and feeling sorry for herself, closed her eyes, ready to battle the Sandman, her phone rang again.

Without much expectation, tired and lazy, Jiang Lingling slowly took out her phone, and then her eyes lit up. Hmph, it didn’t matter if no one chatted with her, there would be a good show to watch soon.

The two in the back were engrossed in their phones, oblivious to their surroundings. Jiang Lingling, making arrangements, was beaming. Even the assistant, motivated by the braised pig’s feet, was driving with extra enthusiasm. The atmosphere in the car was unprecedentedly harmonious and remained so all the way to Jiang City.

After entering the city, they had to drop Ji Junxin off. Otherwise, how could they watch the show with Lu Gaoshi? Ji Junxin had her own business in the city, so Jiang Lingling wasn’t worried that she would follow them. She was more concerned that the person who was supposed to watch the show with her would be taken away.

“Ji Junxin, where are you going? We can drop you off.” Jiang Lingling asked as she quickly sent a message to Mi Hongdou, [We agreed to catch them, if you leave with her, no pig’s feet for you!] Hearing Jiang Lingling’s question, Mi Hongdou realized that they had chatted all the way without discussing their destinations…

“I’m going to Nan Tian, are you going that way? If not, just drop me off anywhere, and I’ll take a taxi.”

As soon as Ji Junxin finished speaking, Jiang Lingling’s phone slipped from her hand and fell under the seat.

Chapter 47: Back to the City

At first, Jiang Lingling thought Mi Hongdou was stunned by the sudden braking and was about to tease her about her cowardice when she saw her angrily open the car door and run out.

Jiang Lingling, who hadn’t even been glanced at by Mi Hongdou, slowly poked her head out of the open door and looked in the direction Mi Hongdou was running.

Oh, tsk tsk, Jiang Lingling touched her nose. She totally didn’t see this drama on purpose.

That being said, she quickly got out of the car.

Not far ahead, Zhang Zijing was tightly gripping Ji Junxin’s arm, his face full of concern. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he and Ji Junxin were the main couple. Ji Junxin, her face slightly pale, was letting him hold her arm. No wonder Mi Hongdou was furious. Jiang Lingling leaned against the car, watching and commenting silently, feeling like something was missing. What was it? … Oh, a bag of five-spice butter-flavored sunflower seeds! Crunch, crunch. Unlike Jiang Lingling, who was enjoying the show, Mi Hongdou’s mood was terrible.

Although she was in the back seat and her view was obstructed, she could still recognize the familiar figure who had suddenly appeared in front of the car. Fortunately, fortunately, the brakes were applied in time… Mi Hongdou couldn’t believe that Ji Junxin had darted out from somewhere and almost been hit by the car.

The sudden lurch from the braking hadn’t harmed her physically, but Mi Hongdou’s heart had leaped out of her chest. Was Ji Junxin an idiot? Did she know what road safety was? Look at the road, look at the cars, didn’t her kindergarten teacher tell her that! Did Qiao Rubai buy her kindergarten diploma! The initial chill was followed by a surge of anger. This anger intensified after seeing Zhang Zijing, who had also appeared out of nowhere.

You didn’t grab her when she was in danger, and now you’re grabbing her when there’s no problem? She’d chop off his hands, believe it!

Zhang Zijing was also a bit unlucky. He was walking along the road when he saw Ji Junxin alone up ahead, pacing and kicking pebbles. The long, wide road, a man and a woman, wasn’t this a god-given opportunity to strike up a conversation? Although they had many scenes together in the drama, they barely spoke outside of filming. Zhang Zijing was someone who knew how to seize opportunities. Ji Junxin had a good personality and a strong background. Chatting with her and getting to know her would definitely be beneficial. Dajin Entertainment was doing well, but Qiong Yu, backed by the Qiao Corporation, had far greater resources and connections. Befriending Ji Junxin meant the possibility of a shortcut, how could he not be tempted?

Thinking this, Zhang Zijing quickened his pace. But he wasn’t fast enough. A car was faster. A car sped past him, and Zhang Zijing watched as Ji Junxin, who had been kicking pebbles by the roadside, suddenly darted into the middle of the road. Zhang Zijing’s heart skipped a beat. Was he about to become a witness to a car accident and make headlines? … He didn’t want to be in the news for this kind of thing!

After the screech of brakes, Ji Junxin was still standing safely in front of the car. Zhang Zijing, clutching his chest, ran over and grabbed Ji Junxin, pretending to have rushed out to save her but being just a little too late.

“Are you okay!” Zhang Zijing panted, feigning concern.

Ji Junxin had only hesitated slightly about whether to stop Jiang Lingling’s car, but the car was almost past her. Without thinking, she took two steps forward and almost stepped under the wheels. This was something Ji Junxin hadn’t expected. Although it was her own fault, she was also quite startled. She didn’t even see who grabbed her, just instinctively replied, “I’m fine…” As soon as she finished speaking, the back door opened, and Mi Hongdou stormed out, her face dark.

Eh, an angry expression?

Both Ji Junxin and Zhang Zijing felt that something was off…

They froze, until Mi Hongdou, her face dark, slapped Zhang Zijing’s hand away from Ji Junxin’s arm.

Zhang Zijing’s face also darkened.

After all, Zhang Zijing was a popular actor being promoted by Dajin Entertainment. Of course, his status couldn’t compare to Ji Junxin, who was backed by Qiong Yu, but compared to Mi Hongdou, an untrained newcomer from Mengguan, he was definitely superior. But Mi Hongdou was even harder to deal with than Ji Junxin. Ji Junxin would at least exchange a few words with him outside of filming, but Mi Hongdou would change her expression faster than flipping a page as soon as the director called cut. Not to mention their first scene together, the wedding night scene. There were many scenes between the emperor and empress later, and no matter how much admiration and affection the young empress showed the emperor in the drama, as soon as the director called cut, Mi Hongdou would immediately drop the persona and leave the set with an expressionless face, not saying a word to Zhang Zijing. Sometimes, as soon as “cut” was called, while Zhang Zijing was still immersed in the role, the dignified and gentle young empress beside him would suddenly turn cold, making it difficult for him to detach from the character.

Mi Hongdou’s aloofness towards Zhang Zijing, at first, he thought it was shyness. He had initiated conversations several times, but was met with Mi Hongdou’s cold indifference, and he knew that she truly disliked him. But what annoyed him the most was that he had no idea why! He was a normal man, good-looking, polite, and even humorous on set. His career was also on the rise. Why did this little newcomer dislike him from the start! So, Zhang Zijing also stopped trying to talk to Mi Hongdou. He was also unhappy. Dajin and Qiong Yu were collaborating, and he had hoped to get closer to Ji Junxin, not necessarily to create rumors, but at least to build a relationship for future collaborations. But because Mi Hongdou was close to Ji Junxin, he didn’t have many opportunities to talk to her. So, he disliked Mi Hongdou even more.

The discord between them was obvious to everyone in the crew, and Ji Junxin naturally knew about it. Although she had asked Mi Hongdou and knew that there was no real conflict between them, just mutual dislike, Ji Junxin still intentionally or unintentionally avoided interacting too much with Zhang Zijing. That’s what friends did, she wouldn’t get too close to someone her friend disliked.

Now, Mi Hongdou slapping Zhang Zijing’s hand away from Ji Junxin’s arm stunned both of them.

Zhang Zijing was surprised that their mutual dislike had escalated to physical contact without a word. And Ji Junxin hadn’t expected the person grabbing her to be Zhang Zijing… It was really unfortunate. She had originally planned to hitch a ride with Jiang Lingling back to Jiang City so she could keep an eye on Mi Hongdou on the way. She hadn’t even figured out how to ask for a ride when Zhang Zijing, whom Mi Hongdou disliked, grabbed her arm…

Mi Hongdou was angry, but she still had some sense of propriety. She didn’t use much force, just acted quickly. After slapping his hand away, she pulled Ji Junxin to her side, half-shielding her from Zhang Zijing. Having separated them, Mi Hongdou’s anger subsided slightly, and she felt that she should say something about the current situation. She opened her mouth, then realized that there was really nothing to say to Zhang Zijing.

“…” Mi Hongdou turned to Ji Junxin, not wanting to lecture her about road safety in front of Zhang Zijing. She hesitated for a moment before saying, “Let’s go.”

Zhang Zijing almost cursed. She struggled for so long and only managed to say those two words! Was he just air in her eyes! As an actor, he still cared about his image. Zhang Zijing suppressed his anger and looked at Ji Junxin with a gentlemanly expression.

Ji Junxin, living up to Zhang Zijing’s expectations, didn’t treat him like air and gave him a forced smile: “We’ll be going now.”

Good job! One more word! Zhang Zijing waved his hand, the smile on his face almost cracking. Seeing Jiang Lingling leaning against the car door, excitedly watching the show, Zhang Zijing finally snapped. Were there any normal people in this crew!

It was just a short distance from the front of the car to the door. Before Ji Junxin could figure out how to ask for a ride, Jiang Lingling, looking at the small bag Ji Junxin was carrying, asked, “Are you going back to Jiang City? Let’s go together.”

Ji Junxin could only nod.

Mi Hongdou was a little surprised but was quickly ushered into the back seat by Jiang Lingling, followed by Ji Junxin.

Jiang Lingling, sitting in the passenger seat, felt very pleased with herself today.

“Let’s go.” Jiang Lingling patted the assistant.

The assistant turned around, her face streaked with tears.

“Aiya, what’s wrong? Why are you crying…” Jiang Lingling shuddered and handed the assistant a tissue. Seeing a crying face suddenly was startling.

“Waaah… waaaah… I almost hit someone…” The assistant sobbed.

Ji Junxin’s face flushed. The driver had been driving perfectly well, and her actions had made her cry…

Jiang Lingling, catching sight of the mortified Ji Junxin in the rearview mirror, who looked like she wanted to jump out of the car and run, quickly handed more tissues to the assistant. “Don’t cry, you’re a good driver, you wouldn’t hit anyone.”

“Waaah…”

Ji Junxin’s face was burning, and she instinctively reached for the door handle.

Jiang Lingling saw that she was about to run and quickly used her trump card, patting the assistant. “Don’t cry! You braked well! I’ll give you a raise!”

The assistant sniffled, and the crying stopped. Ji Junxin’s hand stopped two centimeters from the door handle.

Jiang Lingling breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, let’s go, I’ll take you to eat braised pig’s feet later.”

“Can we have Huang Ji’s Braised Pork Ribs?” the assistant asked, sniffling.

“Sure…”

“Can I have a piece of the master chef’s braised pig’s feet? The kind where the sauce has seeped in, soft, tender, and melts in your mouth, so fragrant that you don’t want to open your mouth and let any of the flavor escape…” The assistant wiped her face with a tissue and held up a finger pitifully. “The kind you got for Director Pan, just one piece, is that okay?”

“Okay…” Jiang Lingling facepalmed, slightly regretting having described so vividly how she bribed Director Pan with the pig’s feet earlier.

Although she felt it was a bit inappropriate, Ji Junxin still couldn’t help but gulp slightly.

Fireworks exploded in the assistant’s sad heart, colorful braised pig’s feet appearing before her eyes. The world suddenly brightened. She wiped her face and started the car.

Zhang Zijing watched Ji Junxin and the others get into the car, but the car didn’t move. He was thinking about whether to be chivalrous and ask if they needed any help when the car suddenly sped past him, leaving him in a cloud of dust.

These people! They were so annoying!

Zhang Zijing’s bad mood persisted until he reached the set. But as soon as he arrived, he was summoned by Director Pan, along with Jiang Duo from his company.

Zhang Zijing’s scenes were originally scheduled for the afternoon, so he was called in early. He was mentally prepared to film additional scenes later, but he hadn’t expected that from morning to afternoon, all his scenes would be with Jiang Duo. He didn’t know they had so many scenes together! Even their chance encounter in the garden needed a separate scene? That scene was just a distant shot, shouldn’t it be filmed incidentally while filming other scenes?

Director Pan patiently arranged several scenes for Zhang Zijing and Jiang Duo, big or small. At first, Zhang Zijing couldn’t understand what Director Pan was doing. Then, it clicked. He thought of Jiang Lingling’s car. Could it be that he had arranged something else for those three and was now using him and Jiang Duo as replacements? The more Zhang Zijing thought about it, the more convinced he became, and his face darkened even more.

Jiang Duo’s expression was also unpleasant. She wasn’t dissatisfied with the intensive filming, but she really had something to do today! Jiang Duo tried to interrupt Director Pan several times, but was deterred by his stern gaze. Finally, after Director Pan finished speaking, Jiang Duo tried to ask for time off, but was silenced by Director Pan’s concluding remarks: “Today’s scenes are very important. You have to film, whether you have something to do or not, whether you’re happy or not. If you don’t want to film, you can leave now and don’t come back.”

Director Pan’s gaze swept over the two of them. Zhang Zijing was the first to react, forcing a smile: “It’s okay, it’s okay, we’ll follow your arrangements, Director Pan.” He didn’t mention why Mi Hongdou and the other two had left. The perceptive Zhang Zijing also tugged at Jiang Duo. Director Pan’s attitude was very clear. Dajin wasn’t Qiong Yu. Even if Dajin one day surpassed Qiong Yu, they would still have to be polite to Director Pan.

Zhang Zijing didn’t want to offend Director Pan. Offending a renowned director was extremely unwise. He could see that Jiang Duo seemed to want to object. They were both from Dajin, so out of camaraderie, he should try to stop her.

“…” Jiang Duo glanced at Zhang Zijing. He winked at her, and Jiang Duo clenched her phone, taking a deep breath. “Yes, we’ll follow your arrangements, Director Pan.”

“Okay.” Director Pan hummed in satisfaction and patted Zhang Zijing’s shoulder. Anyway, Qiao Rubai’s intention was to keep Jiang Duo filming all day. With the other three gone, Zhang Zijing had the most scenes with Jiang Duo. His cooperation was the best outcome.

Actually, Director Pan also couldn’t quite understand why Qiao Rubai had called to ask for leave for Ji Junxin, and specifically asked him to keep Jiang Duo on set, just when the other three asked for time off. But judging by her serious tone, it must be something important. Qiong Yu was the major investor, and if she didn’t care about the potential losses from changing the filming schedule, why should he worry? And the scenes Jiang Lingling had circled on the script were all Jiang Duo’s scenes. Director Pan didn’t bother figuring out their intentions. Since he had to change the schedule and keep Jiang Duo anyway, he might as well let Mi Hongdou and Jiang Lingling go. Of course, it was mostly because of the braised pig’s feet, but he wouldn’t admit that.

After arranging Jiang Duo and Zhang Zijing’s scenes, Director Pan touched the phone in his pocket. It seemed it was time to discuss the weight of the pig’s feet with Jiang Lingling.

At the same time, Ji Junxin, on her way back to Jiang City, was also fiddling with her phone.

Chapter 46: The Canned Peaches

After the initial shock came unconcealed hurt.

Ji Junxin’s shift from shock to sadness was like a sharp blade slowly twisting into Mi Hongdou’s heart, making it hard to breathe.

Mi Hongdou, already feeling lost, couldn’t bear the sudden pain and stumbled back half a step.

To Ji Junxin, that half step back was a subconscious distancing after Mi Hongdou’s disapproval of her actions. She had drawn a line between them, leaving Ji Junxin on one side, while she… went to the other…

Had she done something wrong? At least at this moment, Ji Junxin still felt that she hadn’t.

Regardless of whether Jiang Lingling considered her strength an advantage or a disadvantage, judging by her reaction after putting them down, she minded others knowing about it. Mi Hongdou’s abrupt change of topic, and Jiang Lingling’s continued silence and blush, suggested that Mi Hongdou’s attempt to pretend nothing had happened was silently rejected. Ji Junxin guessed that Jiang Lingling wanted a clear assurance that they wouldn’t reveal her secret, and her silence was perhaps a way of waiting for them to offer that assurance.

If it were just Ji Junxin, it wouldn’t matter whether she gave an assurance or just left. After all, she had Qiong Yu’s backing and a stable position in the industry. Even if Jiang Lingling minded, she wouldn’t be able to do anything to her. But Mi Hongdou was different. She was a complete newcomer, and Mengguan wasn’t well-established yet. Even on the set of the drama next door, which was Mengguan’s own production, some people were jealous and hostile towards her. If today’s incident couldn’t completely reassure Jiang Lingling, even if she couldn’t do anything to Ji Junxin, she could definitely target Mi Hongdou. Even if they just considered her strength a minor oddity, given the difference in their backgrounds, before Mi Hongdou became famous, any petty action from Jiang Lingling could cause her significant trouble. Ji Junxin could protect Mi Hongdou on this set, but she couldn’t be in every drama with her.

Ji Junxin knew that neither she nor Mi Hongdou would expose someone’s secrets. Giving an assurance wasn’t a big deal. But the problem was, in Ji Junxin’s view, they weren’t close to Jiang Lingling. So far, their interactions had only revolved around a bowl of egg fried rice. They didn’t know each other, let alone have any real connection. So, would Jiang Lingling believe a simple assurance? Would she still have doubts? Would it become a source of resentment later? After weighing the pros and cons, Ji Junxin decided to turn on “acting mode,” break the awkward silence, create a persona that Jiang Lingling would like, lower her guard, gain her favor and trust, and smoothly resolve the situation in a friendly manner.

Because it was an impromptu performance, Ji Junxin couldn’t discuss it with Mi Hongdou beforehand. She had to carry the whole act herself. However, her main goal was to prevent Jiang Lingling from harboring any resentment towards Mi Hongdou, so she mostly used “we” instead of “I,” including Mi Hongdou in the final assurance of keeping the secret. She hoped that this subtle hint would convey goodwill from Mi Hongdou to Jiang Lingling.

And indeed, Ji Junxin successfully lowered Jiang Lingling’s guard and gained her favor and trust. It wasn’t until Jiang Lingling’s expression returned to normal, even with a hint of happiness, as she went to change, that Ji Junxin felt the matter was truly resolved.

But Ji Junxin didn’t expect that this was just the beginning.

When Mi Hongdou asked about the incident, Ji Junxin told her everything except for her intention to protect her. She had intended to do a good deed without leaving any trace, but she never expected that Mi Hongdou would not only speak up for Jiang Lingling but also question her sincerity in making friends. No, or rather, Mi Hongdou was questioning her, Ji Junxin, as a person.

Now, it would be a lie to say that Ji Junxin wasn’t angry.

Angry, but she didn’t know how to explain. What was there to explain? She had only known Mi Hongdou for a little over a month. Although she had always thought highly of Mi Hongdou and felt an inexplicable connection, it seemed that in Mi Hongdou’s eyes, they weren’t that close yet. It felt a bit one-sided, Ji Junxin thought, and her heart didn’t ache as much, but it felt empty. The sadness on her face subsided, and when she looked at Mi Hongdou again, there was an unintentional distance in her gaze.

Mi Hongdou, who had always paid close attention to Ji Junxin in both her lives, naturally noticed this subtle change. Ji Junxin had a good temper, but she wasn’t someone who was easy to get close to. This past month, their interactions had been even more relaxed and pleasant than the four years in her previous life, making Mi Hongdou feel like she was walking on air, filled with joy but lacking a sense of security. This slightly greedy and uncertain feeling led to her seemingly thoughtless question earlier.

I wasn’t questioning you, I was just suddenly so afraid of falling from the clouds…

Mi Hongdou couldn’t say these somewhat sentimental words to Ji Junxin. Ji Junxin’s silence and the growing coldness in her expression said it all. Perhaps the friendship and trust they had built over the past month was about to crumble. Mi Hongdou almost heard the shattering of glass, the coldness from earlier gone. To be precise, she felt like a tormented and helpless soul, her body no longer present.

They stood facing each other in silence, neither leaving.

Jiang Lingling, having quickly changed her clothes, saw two familiar figures in palace costumes standing in the distance and couldn’t believe how slow they were.

I know that efficient and capable girls like me are rare, but I’m not asking you to be as fast as me in changing and removing your makeup, at least finish one of them! And you, Mi Hongdou, we agreed to watch the show together, at this rate, we’ll only see the leftover sunflower seed shells!

Jiang Lingling took a deep breath, patted her face, and pushed away the memory of the time she arrived late to a movie screening in the village and could only see the discarded fruit peels and shells. Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, they were going to be friends, watching the show and eating fried rice together!

Having changed and no longer needing to feign illness, Jiang Lingling walked briskly, reaching them in a few strides.

“Why aren’t you two ready yet? Director Pan might change his mind and not let us go.” Jiang Lingling said as she approached, then noticed the strange atmosphere between them. “Um… Ji Junxin, your manager left this morning. If no one is driving you back, do you want to take my car?” Could they be having a fight? Jiang Lingling had a good impression of Ji Junxin, who had just praised her. Hmph, she was in a good mood today, so she would help them out. Jiang Lingling put on a friendly face.

Ji Junxin didn’t speak. Mi Hongdou looked at Jiang Lingling, her lips moving slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but even with Jiang Lingling straining her ears, she couldn’t hear anything.

The three just stood there in silence.

This mysterious silence, it felt familiar… Jiang Lingling rubbed her sleeves, looked at Ji Junxin, then at Mi Hongdou, then back at Ji Junxin, her gaze landing on Ji Junxin’s hand.

“Why haven’t you eaten the canned peaches yet? You have to eat it quickly after opening it, or it won’t be fresh.” Jiang Lingling thought she had found the right topic to break the ice and said to Ji Junxin, “Why don’t you eat a little before removing your makeup?” Although she didn’t know why they both looked unhappy, she had heard that Ji Junxin was a foodie and hoped that food could cheer her up. As for Mi Hongdou, it was fine, as long as Ji Junxin was happy, she should also be happy. So, although eating canned peaches was a bit of a waste of time, it seemed that some sacrifices were necessary.

Jiang Lingling had stumbled upon the right topic. Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou instantly snapped back to reality.

How could they eat expired canned peaches?

“No…” Mi Hongdou subconsciously wanted to say that there were no spoons and they would eat later. But Jiang Lingling ran off and came back holding a plastic spoon, which looked like it was from KFC…

“Here, a spoon.” Jiang Lingling handed the spoon to Ji Junxin.

Ji Junxin took it.

Mi Hongdou snatched the spoon.

Mi Hongdou also snatched the can.

Mi Hongdou ate all the peaches.

Not a single drop of peach juice was left.

“She’s not hungry, I am.” Mi Hongdou wiped her mouth, her expression sincere.

Who was the one who just criticized my acting! Who! Ji Junxin looked at the nonchalant Mi Hongdou with a complicated expression, then at her stomach, which was completely hidden by her costume. Did this person even know that it would take five hours to drive back to Jiang City? Eating a whole can of expired peaches, was she an idiot?

“I’m going to remove my makeup.” Mi Hongdou didn’t dare to look at Ji Junxin and ran away with the empty can.

Something felt strange… Jiang Lingling, despite successfully breaking the ice, didn’t feel any sense of accomplishment. And Mi Hongdou, if she could change and remove her makeup half as fast as she ate those peaches, she wouldn’t have to worry about time!

Things went much smoother after that. Jiang Lingling watched Mi Hongdou change and remove her makeup, which was quickly done. The assistant drove, and Jiang Lingling and Mi Hongdou sat in the back. Just as Jiang Lingling was about to ask Mi Hongdou what had happened between her and Ji Junxin earlier, the assistant slammed on the brakes, and the two lurched forward.

Fortunately, they had just left the parking lot and hadn’t picked up speed yet. The sudden braking only startled them, they weren’t injured. The assistant was a decent driver, what was she doing before even getting on the road? …

She should wear a seatbelt in the back seat from now on! Jiang Lingling patted her chest and turned to ask Mi Hongdou if she was okay. She saw Mi Hongdou sitting there, stunned, looking like an idiot.

Wow, she was really bad at handling surprises!

Chapter 45: Acting

“Director Pan…” Jiang Lingling, glancing at the foolish Ji Junxin, held out the crumpled script with a pitiful expression.

Director Pan didn’t take it.

Jiang Lingling felt her heart breaking.

The wrinkled, circled, and dirty script swayed forlornly in the wind.

“You can go, I have other arrangements for today’s scenes.” Director Pan waved his hand resignedly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Lingling straightened up, threw out a “Thank you, Director Pan!”, grabbed Mi Hongdou’s hand, and left. It didn’t matter what his arrangements were, leaving quickly before he changed his mind was the right thing to do. After taking a step, she noticed Ji Junxin, who seemed to have something to say. Jiang Lingling’s heart skipped a beat, and she reached out with her other hand, pulling Ji Junxin along as well.

Ji Junxin didn’t budge and looked at Jiang Lingling questioningly. Where was the unspoken understanding between people! Jiang Lingling choked, suddenly feeling annoyed. She put her arm around Ji Junxin’s waist, lifted her up, and, without further ado, lifted Mi Hongdou with her other hand and quickly retreated.

Carrying one person in each hand, Jiang Lingling felt a little tired. But if she had a third hand, she would definitely use it to cover Ji Junxin’s mouth.

Jiang Lingling had grown up in the mountains and fields until she was over ten years old. Chopping trees, catching fish, climbing mountains, swimming in rivers, she had done it all. Life was hard, and she had developed considerable strength. Later, after being taken in by Dong Yuannan, she was pampered, but the strength she had developed earlier would probably last her two lifetimes. Now, Jiang Lingling was afraid that Ji Junxin would say something that would make Director Pan change his mind, so she forgot all about Dong Yuannan’s advice to hide her strength.

It felt good not having to pretend to be weak. What was a heavy costume? What was a single dog? A single dog could lift both of them at once, hmph! Jiang Lingling, fueled by a strange energy, carried the two all the way back to the backstage area. Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin, experiencing being carried for the first time, were stunned and didn’t even say goodbye to Director Pan before being taken away by Jiang Lingling.

The two looked at each other over Jiang Lingling’s head, then at Jiang Lingling, who was carrying them without any sign of effort, and both recalled a song: “Rouge and powder on her face, a chicken in her left hand, a duck in her right, and a fat baby on her back…”

What the hell… Put me down! But if she spoke now, would she be punched in the head? Mi Hongdou, afraid of scaring Ji Junxin, tried to maintain a calm expression, but her inner thoughts were racing.

Fortunately, as Jiang Lingling’s energy waned, her reason returned. Reaching a deserted area near the backstage, Jiang Lingling slowly put them down with a slightly awkward smile.

Ji Junxin still seemed a little dazed. Mi Hongdou awkwardly twitched the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile in return.

The three just stood there, an awkward silence descending.

Jiang Lingling had just wanted to quickly get away from Director Pan and, in a moment of impulse… had carried them away like piglets. While carrying them, she had felt a thrill of a single dog breaking up a couple, but now that she had put them down, and no one was speaking, she felt embarrassed. They were all delicate and beautiful girls, and she, only she, was the strangely strong one… Jiang Lingling, who was usually so proud, now felt embarrassed and annoyed, mortified! Where was her little princess image? She didn’t want to catch adulterers anymore, she wanted to find her godfather and cry!

“Hehe… um, shall we go remove our makeup?” Mi Hongdou, who knew more about Jiang Lingling’s background, recovered more quickly. But she had never heard of this strange strength, even in her previous life! It was better not to mention it, it was too awkward. She might be silenced. Mi Hongdou glanced at Jiang Lingling, whose face was slightly flushed. She seemed to be on the verge of exploding from embarrassment.

They didn’t even ask her, didn’t even listen to her explanation! She didn’t want this strength either! How could she ask them to keep it a secret if they didn’t even ask! Jiang Lingling’s heart was flooded with tears. She should have maintained her aloofness, why did she try to befriend Mi Hongdou? A moment of carelessness, and now she regretted it deeply.

After suggesting removing their makeup, Mi Hongdou started walking towards the backstage area. But after taking two steps, she realized that the other two hadn’t moved.

Hey, let’s go, it’s awkward for Jiang Lingling to just stand here, she might hit you later, Mi Hongdou winked at Ji Junxin.

Ji Junxin pretended not to receive the message.

Mi Hongdou could only turn to the other person, “Um, Jiang Lingling, let’s go, remove our makeup…”

A blushing, mysterious silence.

It was impossible to be friends with them anymore! Had she lost her memory? Was she the one who had just carried two people and run? Why were they ignoring her! Why! Mi Hongdou looked at the pensive Ji Junxin and the blushing Jiang Lingling, feeling frustrated.

Just then, Ji Junxin started to move, slowly shuffling from Jiang Lingling’s side to face her, and then said with utmost seriousness: “Jiang Lingling, we have a can of peaches in our locker, and we can’t open it. Can you help us?”

Compared to Mi Hongdou, who felt like she had been hit by a meteorite, this sentence made Jiang Lingling feel the force of ten thousand alpacas trampling over her.

Her slightly flushed face turned crimson. Jiang Lingling heard herself say, “O… kay…” Each word felt like it had been trampled flat by ten thousand alpacas before floating out of her mouth.

Mi Hongdou quickly stepped forward, seemingly casually, and separated the two. “Let’s remove our makeup…” This was the nth time she had said it! Pay attention to her, would they? Were they still friends!

“Great, can we ask you to open any cans we can’t open in the future?” Ji Junxin’s eyes lit up, and she looked at Jiang Lingling with a bright smile, speaking seriously, seemingly oblivious to the other person’s mortification.

“Sure.” This time, it was Jiang Lingling who trampled the words, along with the ten thousand alpacas. Having said this much, she was no longer embarrassed, but rather angry. So, delicate little girl, you’re making fun of me! Aren’t you, aren’t you!

Ji Junxin’s eyes curved into a smile: “Jiang Lingling, you’re such a good person. Let me tell you, that can is really stubborn. My assistant asked everyone in the crew, and no one could open it. We thought you could definitely do it. But let’s open it quietly later, we can’t let those men see, it might hurt their pride.” Ji Junxin nodded to herself, as if confirming her own words. “And they might also ask you to move those props they can’t move. We definitely can’t let anyone know. Right?”

Ji Junxin looked at Mi Hongdou.

“Right…” In Mi Hongdou’s eyes, whatever her goddess said was right.

Jiang Lingling’s expression gradually improved as Ji Junxin spoke. Although she felt that something was off about Ji Junxin’s words, at least they had reached a consensus and wouldn’t reveal her secret strength. Jiang Lingling breathed a sigh of relief and waved her hand, “Let’s go open the can!”

Ji Junxin followed.

Mi Hongdou, feeling ignored and abandoned, trailed behind and heard Jiang Lingling’s voice: “Ji Junxin, you should eat more, your waist is so thin.”

Waist! Right! She had just put her arm around Ji Junxin’s waist! Mi Hongdou gritted her teeth. Damn it, she hadn’t even hugged her goddess’s waist yet! And she dared to mention it!

“Really? I feel like my waist has gotten a little thicker recently from eating too much.” Ji Junxin replied.

Oh my god… her goddess was discussing her waist with someone else! How annoying! Mi Hongdou silently followed behind them, listening to their cheerful chatter, grinding her teeth all the way.

There was a large locker in the backstage area where they could store things they didn’t want to carry around. Backstage, Ji Junxin took out a can of peaches from the locker, and Jiang Lingling easily opened it. Her goddess rewarded her with countless admiring glances and a basketful of compliments. Jiang Lingling, her face beaming, went to change her clothes, urging the still-rooted Mi Hongdou to do the same.

Now you can see me, but I can no longer see you, hmph! Mi Hongdou didn’t move. After Jiang Lingling went to the changing room, she pulled Ji Junxin, who was still holding the can of peaches, to a secluded corner.

“Jiang Lingling was clearly embarrassed that we saw her strength, her face was all red, didn’t you see? And you even brought it up specifically…” Mi Hongdou felt that even if Ji Junxin was a foodie, she shouldn’t be so clueless.

Ji Junxin slowly closed the lid of the peach can: “I brought it up precisely because I saw it. Judging by Jiang Lingling’s reaction, she probably considers her strength a big secret. She must be very anxious now that we know. Qiao Rubai also said that this industry is complicated, and many people’s secrets are exposed by those closest to them. We don’t think having great strength is a big deal, we were just a little surprised, to be honest, I think it’s quite cute. But Jiang Lingling wants to be in the entertainment industry, we don’t know how much she minds it. This past month, those who offended her didn’t end well. Although we didn’t pry the secret out of her, we still know it. What if she minds it very much…”

“Then why did you ask her to open the can…” Mi Hongdou didn’t understand.

“We already know, pretending not to know is useless. But Jiang Lingling, although she appears arrogant, probably needs validation from others. I remember a character I played in a previous drama, arrogant and capricious, but it was all a facade.” Ji Junxin suddenly thought of Jiang Lingling’s indescribable hurt expression when she was about to return the KFC bag earlier. She paused before continuing, “That character’s arrogance and capriciousness were a facade, her hurting others was also a facade. What she truly wanted was validation from others. Of course, admiration would make her even happier. Naive people who need her and admire her can easily become her friends. That’s how it was written in the script, and I think it’s quite reasonable. So, just now, I acted like someone who could make that character let down her guard and even feel happy. Someone naive, who needs her and admires her.”

“Wait, you’re saying, you were acting a persona?” Mi Hongdou was confused at first, but now it clicked, followed by a sudden realization.

Ji Junxin nodded innocently: “Yes.”

“You mean, you were acting just now?” Mi Hongdou blurted out, then quickly added, “Which part?”

“Every part…”

“Every part?”

“Every part.”

Ji Junxin’s confirmation made Mi Hongdou gasp.

From the moment Jiang Lingling put them down, Mi Hongdou had been worried, confused, angry, even strangely jealous, but she never thought that from the beginning, every word Ji Junxin said was an act. To create a persona of someone naive, who needed Jiang Lingling and posed no threat, someone admiring and harmless. Mi Hongdou finally understood what Ji Junxin had been thinking about before speaking.

“Don’t worry, I’ve thought about it. In that situation just now, we were a unit. The impression I gave her will also apply to you. Don’t worry, if she targets you, I’ll protect you.” Ji Junxin thought that Mi Hongdou’s current expression was due to fear of Jiang Lingling and reassured her, “Actually, we don’t need to be afraid of her retaliation. I just wanted to avoid trouble. Now it seems like it’s fine.” Ji Junxin touched the peach can in her hand.

“So… wanting to eat canned peaches was also part of the act?” Mi Hongdou felt a chill.

“Pfft…” Ji Junxin held the can up to Mi Hongdou’s face. “It expired a few days ago.”

Mi Hongdou gasped. A chill ran down her spine. She didn’t quite understand why she felt cold, she just felt that the person in front of her seemed… somewhat unfamiliar.

“Actually, Jiang Lingling isn’t that complicated. Even if we didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t do anything to us.” Mi Hongdou felt a little helpless. Jiang Lingling was vengeful, but she wasn’t someone who went around making enemies. She knew this, but it was normal for Ji Junxin not to. This kind of self-preservation through acting wasn’t wrong, but something still felt off. Her acting was so realistic, she hadn’t noticed anything… It didn’t seem like acting at all, just like the fake stomachache earlier, hadn’t she easily believed it too?

Ji Junxin hadn’t expected Mi Hongdou to speak up for Jiang Lingling. She lowered her head and rubbed the glass can, remaining silent for a while.

This conversation made Mi Hongdou feel cold, as if the sweat from earlier, when she was worried about Ji Junxin’s stomachache, had turned to ice inside her clothes.

“Before you become friends with someone, do you always analyze their personality and then act out a role that’s more likely to befriend them?” Mi Hongdou heard herself ask this question, such a cold and distant question, it was unbelievable. No, that wasn’t what she really wanted to say. Why did she say such a thing…

Ji Junxin abruptly looked up, her eyes full of shock.

Chapter 44: No Friends for Fools

“It hurts…” Ji Junxin gripped Mi Hongdou’s hand tighter, her watery eyes blinking, tears threatening to spill.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, don’t be afraid, we’ll go to the hospital right away, right away!” Mi Hongdou panicked, carefully supporting Ji Junxin, unsure whether to call for help, take her back to the backstage area and call an ambulance, or drive her to the hospital herself. But where was the nearest hospital?

Just as Mi Hongdou was about to burst into tears from anxiety, Jiang Lingling, dragging her heavy skirt and an equally heavy heart, finally reached them.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Lingling saw Mi Hongdou’s distressed face, muttering incomprehensible words, looking anxious and helpless. Ji Junxin, however, was being supported by Mi Hongdou with a smile on her face.

Yes, a smile.

“It’s nothing.” Seeing Jiang Lingling approach, Ji Junxin immediately straightened up, no longer feigning a stomachache.

What the hell! How could she suddenly recover like that! Was she trying to appear strong in front of others? Mi Hongdou felt her own anxiety and heartache intensify, her heart almost stopping. Compared to saving face, her health was clearly more important, and she didn’t even need to care about someone like Jiang Lingling! At this moment, with her attention solely on Ji Junxin, Jiang Lingling was no different from a pebble on the side of the road. How could she be concerned about her and forget about Ji Junxin’s stomachache? “You…” Mi Hongdou pulled Ji Junxin, wanting to take her to the hospital. But just as she spoke, Ji Junxin pinched her arm, not too hard, not too gently.

Mi Hongdou looked at Ji Junxin questioningly. Ji Junxin winked at her with a smile, as if trying to convey a message. However, the anxious Mi Hongdou couldn’t receive it!

Jiang Lingling, watching the two, one smiling politely, the other hesitating to speak, exchanging glances and silent messages right in front of her, felt a little irritated. “You two talk, I’ll go take care of things with Director Pan.” Jiang Lingling showed Mi Hongdou the circled script and tactfully left.

“How are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere else besides your stomach? Can you walk? I’ll help you back to the backstage area and see if any of the crew members know where the nearest hospital is… or should we call an ambulance…” Mi Hongdou had long forgotten about their plan to catch the adulterers. Fortunately, Jiang Lingling’s interruption had brought her back to her senses, allowing her to think and plan properly. But once again, Ji Junxin interrupted her.

“Um… heh… I’m fine…” Ji Junxin gave an awkward smile and released Mi Hongdou’s hand. “I just… wanted to ask Director Pan for some time off. I was trying to see if I could convincingly fake a stomachache…” Ji Junxin was a little embarrassed. She had originally intended to use Mi Hongdou as a gauge for her acting, and she was a little amused when she saw the little empress being fooled. But seeing how worried and anxious Mi Hongdou became, she felt guilty.

“So your stomach doesn’t hurt?” Mi Hongdou’s mind, which had been racing with how to get Ji Junxin to the hospital as quickly as possible, couldn’t process these words for a moment, and she didn’t even retract her hand.

“It doesn’t hurt…” Ji Junxin felt guilty.

“…” Mi Hongdou breathed a long sigh of relief. “That’s good, that’s good.” She awkwardly withdrew her hand and realized that her palms were sweaty, and her back seemed damp as well.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The usual harmonious atmosphere was gone, replaced by an indescribable awkwardness.

Finally, Mi Hongdou spoke, “You want to ask for time off? What for? And you even had to fake a stomachache for Director Pan?”

“Um… I have something to do back in Jiang City.” Ji Junxin replied vaguely. Although her friendship with the little empress had grown rapidly this past month, she couldn’t just tell her about Qiao Rubai’s suspicion that Lu Gaoshi was having an affair with Jiang Duo’s father and was helping Jiang Duo gain her favor without any proof. But if she saw it with her own eyes this time, then…

This explanation naturally didn’t dispel Mi Hongdou’s doubts, but she was always considerate of Ji Junxin’s feelings and didn’t press further.

But… “Oh no!” Mi Hongdou suddenly thought of Jiang Lingling, who had gone to see Director Pan a while ago.

“Hmm?” Ji Junxin didn’t understand.

Mi Hongdou also had something she couldn’t tell Ji Junxin right now. One of them had just gone in complaining about a stomachache, and the other couldn’t use the same excuse to ask for time off. Mi Hongdou smiled wryly. “That… Jiang Lingling, she also seems to have a stomachache and wants Director Pan to adjust today’s schedule so she can go back to Jiang City to get her medicine.”

“Ah… she also has a stomachache? No, she has a stomachache.” Ji Junxin guiltily removed the word “also.”

“Wait, I’ll go check.” Mi Hongdou quickened her pace and walked towards the set.

However, no matter how fast she walked, she couldn’t be faster than Jiang Lingling, who was eager to watch the show. Seeing Jiang Lingling squatting next to the director’s chair, saying something, and Director Pan smiling, Mi Hongdou knew that the “pig’s feet strategy” had succeeded.

As expected, Director Pan looked up, saw Mi Hongdou hesitating, and waved her over. She could only brace herself and walk over.

“Xiaomi, we’re adjusting today’s schedule, moving the afternoon scenes forward. We’ll start filming soon, is that okay with you?” Director Pan said, flipping through the script and pointing to the afternoon scenes.

The familiar script, the familiar handwriting and circles… Mi Hongdou glanced at the crew members who were changing the set, then at the smug Jiang Lingling, and shook her head silently.

Jiang Lingling, clutching her stomach and squatting next to the director’s chair, winked at Mi Hongdou, looking a little smug. Director Pan saw it all. This child, still acting, her acting was so bad. Who would have such uncontainable joy and excitement when having a stomachache? She looked like a high school senior who had just been given a two-day weekend with unlimited access to shopping, movies, and amusement parks. If it weren’t for the braised pig’s feet… hmph, Director Pan snorted softly.

Ji Junxin’s skill in speed-walking while dragging her skirt clearly wasn’t proficient enough. By the time she arrived, everything was almost settled. Director Pan repeated what he had just said to Mi Hongdou. Although many of the afternoon scenes involved Jiang Duo, she was just a supporting character, and several of those scenes were with Ji Junxin. If that was the case, Jiang Duo couldn’t leave, but neither could Ji Junxin.

“I… I have something to do this afternoon, I want to go back to Jiang City.” Ji Junxin remembered the message Qiao Rubai had sent her more than ten minutes ago, just when Jiang Lingling called Mi Hongdou away. Qiao Rubai had asked her to watch a show that night, to gain a true and complete understanding of Lu Gaoshi. After being warned, how could Ji Junxin not see through Lu Gaoshi’s petty tricks these past few days? But she still couldn’t let go of the years of friendship between them. However, Lu Gaoshi’s actions had become increasingly excessive recently, and Ji Junxin knew that she needed to face the truth.

Director Pan frowned, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Lingling and Ji Junxin, then at Mi Hongdou. He spoke slowly, “Then, is Xiaomi free this afternoon?”

“No! The little empress is going back to Jiang City with me this afternoon.” Jiang Lingling quickly answered, either not seeing the meaning in Director Pan’s eyes or having maxed out her “fearless” attribute.

You’re everywhere! Director Pan glared at Jiang Lingling. All three of them wanted to leave this afternoon, no one would believe it wasn’t planned. “If you all leave this afternoon, then who will act? How are we supposed to film?” Director Pan was getting angry.

Now, everyone could see Director Pan’s displeasure. Jiang Lingling glared at Ji Junxin. She and Mi Hongdou were helping her catch the adulterers, and after finally bribing Director Pan with the braised pig’s feet, what was Ji Junxin doing throwing a wrench in the works?

Mi Hongdou felt that the best solution was for her to stay, and let the other two do whatever they wanted. But before she could say anything, Director Pan went off to take a call with a dark expression.

“What are you going back to Jiang City for this afternoon?” Jiang Lingling, whose hard-won leave had been ruined, was a little blunt with Ji Junxin.

“…” Ji Junxin pursed her lips and didn’t answer.

“How about I stay this afternoon?” Mi Hongdou thought that the whole “catching them in the act” plan was foolish. Wouldn’t it be better to just record it?

Jiang Lingling was even more unhappy and said something only Mi Hongdou could understand: “I won’t let you see the recording.”

“Then are you still making the fried rice?” Mi Hongdou knew how to hit where it hurt too.

Jiang Lingling’s eyes widened. “Hey, you already promised me, you can’t go back on your word. If you do, I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” Mi Hongdou rarely confronted anyone like this.

I’ll tell Ji Junxin that you have a crush on her. Even though you might not realize it yourself, you’re secretly in love with her! Jiang Lingling was always invincible in direct confrontations. Now, provoked by Mi Hongdou, she lost some of her reason and was about to blurt out something she shouldn’t have. Just then, Director Pan returned after his call.

His expression was no longer dark, but his gaze towards the three of them was ambiguous.

“Alright, the three of you can leave now. You don’t have any scenes today. Be back at the set before noon tomorrow.” Director Pan said, slapping the circled script back into Jiang Lingling’s hand.

“Why? What about today’s scenes?” Ji Junxin blurted out subconsciously.

Director Pan, who was about to leave, stopped, turned around, looked at the three of them, and snorted.

Jiang Lingling was speechless. He had just given them permission to leave, why was she still asking? It was like the last second of winter break, the teacher was almost out the door, and a student asked why there was no winter homework. How could she be friends with someone so foolish!

Chapter 43: Stomach Ache

When people want to share secrets, they often choose narrow, secluded places with obstacles, even places that are difficult to reach. Such environments seem to provide a sense of security. However, whether in movies, TV shows, or novels, conversations in such locations are often overheard by someone hiding behind a tree, on the other side of a wall, or concealed by surrounding clutter.

So, Jiang Lingling, who had just eavesdropped on Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin’s whispered conversation behind the wall, wouldn’t make the same mistake. Confidently, she led Mi Hongdou out of the backstage area, walking quite a distance until they reached a wide, open, almost desolate area. Jiang Lingling looked around. The surrounding buildings and trees were some distance away, and there was no clutter nearby.

“Look…” Jiang Lingling gestured at the surroundings. “See, this kind of open, unobstructed environment is perfect for chatting. The place where you and Ji Junxin were talking earlier was too easy to be overheard.” She mentally praised her own intelligence.

Mi Hongdou glanced at Jiang Lingling, whose slightly upturned lips betrayed her smugness. Recalling Ji Junxin mentioning that she had overheard Jiang Lingling and her assistant talking about sending her four KFC meals a day, she really didn’t understand where Jiang Lingling’s strange sense of pride came from…

Having not experienced much yet, her growth was limited. Looking at the arrogant yet still somewhat naive Jiang Lingling, Mi Hongdou secretly clenched her fists to suppress her laughter.

“I investigated Lu Gaoshi and found that someone else had also investigated her. Was it you?” Jiang Lingling, quite satisfied with the chatting environment, got straight to the point.

Mi Hongdou was stunned for a moment and shook her head. But someone else… could it be Qiao Rubai?

Although Mi Hongdou denied it, her thoughtful expression didn’t escape Jiang Lingling’s notice. Even if it wasn’t Mi Hongdou, it was probably someone she knew. But it didn’t matter. Jiang Lingling wanted to build a friendly relationship with Mi Hongdou, not create conflict. She wasn’t interested in how complicated the situation was or how many people were involved. The key was to share the news she had just received with Mi Hongdou first, so she wouldn’t be a step behind and waste her efforts for nothing.

Jiang Lingling summarized the information she found in the file and shared it with Mi Hongdou. Then she took out her phone, checked something, and added, “The latest news is that Lu Gaoshi was embarrassed by Ji Junxin this morning and is now angrily on her way back to Jiang City. She has a dinner appointment with Jiang Dingyi tonight.”

Mi Hongdou was still frowning, amused by the possible affair between Lu Gaoshi and a married man, when Jiang Lingling’s next sentence stunned her. Jiang Lingling narrowed her eyes, “How about we catch them in the act tonight?”

“Catch them in the act? Wait… why should we catch them in the act? … And how do you know we can catch them just because they’re having dinner tonight? They’re just eating, not going to a hotel.” Jiang Lingling’s train of thought was too fast, and Mi Hongdou felt a little lost, unable to keep up. And even if they went to a hotel, what business was it of theirs to catch them?

Jiang Lingling looked at Mi Hongdou, whose face was starting to turn red, and deeply understood the feeling of being speechless. “What are you even thinking!” Jiang Lingling took a deep breath. “Jiang Dingyi is married. Lu Gaoshi hasn’t met him often before, and Jiang Duo was always present, but not this time. So they will definitely discuss some deeper topics, whether it’s about their feelings or about Ji Junxin. As long as we record it and play it in front of Ji Junxin, hehe, we won’t have to see Lu Gaoshi on set anymore. Even if Ji Junxin softens, it’s okay, I’ve already thought about it. We’ll find someone to edit the recording and post it online, then hire some internet trolls, hehe, even if Ji Junxin softens, Qiong Yu will still deal with Lu Gaoshi.”

Why “we”? Something seemed off… Mi Hongdou rubbed her face, which was stiff from the repeated surprises. “Didn’t you say the audio in the videos you found earlier was unclear?”

“It’s clear now. They installed listening devices.” Jiang Lingling casually rolled her eyes at Mi Hongdou. “Otherwise, how do you think I found out the time and place of their meeting tonight so quickly?”

“Then why do we still need to catch them in the act? … I mean, since we can record it, there’s no need for us to be there. And, although Jiang Duo is on set now, what if she goes back to Jiang City later? She only has one scene this afternoon, right?” She should have known that this kind of tactic was nothing to Jiang Lingling. Mi Hongdou fiddled with the hem of her costume, suddenly feeling a sense of incongruity, two women in ancient costumes talking about listening devices.

“No.” Jiang Lingling took out the script from her bag, pulled out a pen from somewhere, and started circling things as she spoke. “Do you know Huang Ji’s Braised Pork Ribs in Jiang City?”

“That restaurant that only sells braised pork ribs and has a daily limit? Is that where they’re meeting tonight?” Mi Hongdou adjusted the hairpin that was slipping from her hair. “Although the food there is delicious, the portions are limited, and the restaurant is small, just a main hall with three or four tables. It doesn’t seem like a suitable place for a secret rendezvous.”

“They’re meeting at Nan Tian. It seems you know quite a bit about Huang Ji. Then you should know that they sell fifty pounds each of regular pork bones, fan bones, chicken wings, and pig’s feet every day, and they usually sell out within one or two hours. Then there’s the secret recipe braised pork ribs made by their oldest chef, which is only available once a month, twenty pounds each time, just one variety, and the specific type each month is random, depending on his mood.” Jiang Lingling continued circling the script without looking up.

Mi Hongdou interrupted her, “So you’re going back to catch them in the act just to eat the braised pork ribs?” Based on Jiang Lingling’s disjointed explanation, Mi Hongdou could only come to this conclusion.

The pen circling the script stopped, and Jiang Lingling looked up, stunned: “Because I’ve been asking you to make me egg fried rice, did you misunderstand something… No! I’m not a foodie like Ji Junxin!”

“…Why are you criticizing Ji Junxin?”

“Hehe, okay, I won’t criticize her anymore.”

“…” Mi Hongdou was speechless. “Then why did you suddenly mention Huang Ji?”

Jiang Lingling finished circling the last two items on the script and slapped it into Mi Hongdou’s hand: “We can record tonight’s meeting, but I want to see it live. They say reality is more exciting than drama, and I haven’t seen a real-life affair, scheming, and conspiracy yet. And Huang Ji’s secret recipe braised pork ribs is only available once a month, twenty pounds each time. I heard that their old chef hasn’t been well this past year, so the ten pounds they offer each month are mostly easy-to-prepare pork bones, like regular bones, fan bones, and short ribs. They haven’t made more complicated dishes like pig’s feet or chicken wings. Director Pan’s wife loves their secret recipe braised pig’s feet, but even when the old chef was healthy, Director Pan could barely get his hands on it once a year, let alone in the past year. It’s almost time for the monthly special again, and if I can get the pig’s feet, Jiang Duo won’t be able to leave the set today.”

The information about Director Pan, his wife, and the braised pig’s feet was all investigated by Dong Yuannan and shared with Jiang Lingling. He had also investigated the preferences of many other people, just so Jiang Lingling could use the information when needed. Later, Jiang Lingling did use it, but mostly for revenge.

Jiang Lingling had explained everything, waiting for Mi Hongdou to ask her how she knew so much, giving her a chance to show off her godfather’s thoughtfulness and power. But Mi Hongdou didn’t ask anything and just quietly looked at the script.

Jiang Lingling had circled the scenes that involved only Jiang Duo, not the two of them. It seemed that she was determined to use the pig’s feet to keep Jiang Duo on set. Having seen Jiang Lingling in her later years in her previous life, Mi Hongdou was quite accepting of her current actions and naturally didn’t ask any questions, leaving Jiang Lingling speechless.

“We still have a few scenes today, all scheduled. Even if the pig’s feet can keep Jiang Duo here, they might not let us go.” Mi Hongdou was thinking more deeply. And there was also Ji Junxin waiting for her backstage, how should she explain this?

As soon as Mi Hongdou finished speaking, Jiang Lingling clutched her stomach and bent over: “Ahh… my stomach hurts… ahhh! Ahhh! … ahhh!”

“…”

“…Why aren’t you even showing any concern!” Jiang Lingling shouted a few times, but Mi Hongdou didn’t respond. She looked up and saw the helpless expression on her face.

“Does your godfather know how fake your acting is?” Mi Hongdou really couldn’t help but comment. No matter how she got into the crew, as an actress, her acting was incredibly bad.

Jiang Lingling straightened up, flung her hand, and said angrily, “Fine, you do it then!”

“No, I don’t want to be sent to the hospital in an ambulance.” Mi Hongdou’s helplessness was evident. “Don’t you think, even if I had a stomachache, wouldn’t there be hospitals near Shudian? Don’t I have an assistant? Would I need you to drive five hours to take me back to Jiang City for a stomachache? If my stomach really hurt that much, I would have died on the way, okay?”

“Then what should we do?” Wasn’t it better to be straightforward? Why think so much? … Jiang Lingling scratched her head, messing up her hair ornaments and ruining her concubine image.

Mi Hongdou sighed and flipped through the script. “You still have one scene without me today, and the rest of our scenes are together. Use the pig’s feet to have Director Pan film all our scenes together now. If the takes go smoothly, we should be finished a little after noon. The reason, just say your stomach hurts, and you left the medicine prescribed by your doctor in Jiang City. You need to finish filming quickly so you can go back to Jiang City and take your medicine. As for me, I’ll tag along with your scenes and finish filming my parts, then I’ll go back to Jiang City for something and hitch a ride with you.”

“Why does it always end up with a stomachache, and it’s always me who’s in pain…” Jiang Lingling didn’t understand Mi Hongdou’s contradictory logic.

“Heh.” Mi Hongdou smiled faintly. “Because your aunt Flo is visiting you today.”

“No! Are you really going to tell Director Pan that?” Jiang Lingling was shocked.

“Then do you still want to catch them in the act? I’m fine with just the recording.”

“Why can’t it be you who has a stomachache!” Jiang Lingling’s face turned pale with anger.

“Because I’m living with Ji Junxin. As soon as I give a reason, she’ll know I’m lying.” Mi Hongdou smiled happily. “Your expression right now is perfect, your face is pale, keep it up, let’s go back.”

Mi Hongdou pulled Jiang Lingling along.

Jiang Lingling hesitantly followed Mi Hongdou, torn between catching the adulterers and staying to film and not embarrass herself. However, she didn’t have to struggle for long.

When they returned to the backstage area, they saw Ji Junxin anxiously pacing outside.

“Should I start acting now?” Jiang Lingling instantly overcame her indecision. She didn’t really care about embarrassing herself, watching the show was more interesting.

“Whatever.” Anyway, her acting was mediocre. It was just an excuse to leave in front of Director Pan. The main event was the pig’s feet. Mi Hongdou knew this clearly, so her attention wasn’t on Jiang Lingling, who was trying to act as if she had a stomachache. It was the anxiety on Ji Junxin’s face that concerned her. She quickly released Jiang Lingling’s hand.

Jiang Lingling, pretending to have a stomachache and deliberately walking slowly, was decisively abandoned by Mi Hongdou, who was quickly walking towards Ji Junxin. Watching Mi Hongdou, despite her cumbersome costume, practically running towards Ji Junxin, Jiang Lingling suddenly felt a pang of loneliness as a single dog.

Mi Hongdou reached Ji Junxin’s side. Before she could ask what was wrong, Ji Junxin grabbed her arm.

“I… my stomach hurts…” As soon as Ji Junxin grabbed Mi Hongdou, it was as if she had found her support. Her lips trembled, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, and she clutched her stomach, slightly trembling. Her pitiful appearance melted Mi Hongdou’s heart.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we’ll go to the hospital, right now. It’s okay, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid…” Mi Hongdou’s heart ached, and she quickly reached out to support Ji Junxin, carefully as if holding a piece of tofu, not daring to use too much force.

Chapter 42: Dirt

Jiang Lingling, wanting to seize the opportunity and gain favor with Mi Hongdou, specifically asked a private investigator she had worked with before, who also had connections with Dong Yuannan, to investigate Lu Gaoshi. Unexpectedly, in just over ten minutes, she received a multi-gigabyte compressed file in her email.

If it wasn’t fake or a virus, then it meant that someone else had also used this detective agency to investigate Lu Gaoshi. Jiang Lingling frowned and asked her assistant to take out her laptop and unzip the file. Although it saved investigation time, Lu Gaoshi was just a small-time manager. It was strange that someone else, besides her, would investigate her. The image of Mi Hongdou flashed through Jiang Lingling’s mind. If it was her, wouldn’t her own actions be redundant?

The compressed file was large. Before it finished unzipping, Jiang Lingling’s next scene was about to begin. Being a supporting actress with a lot of scenes wasn’t easy. Fortunately, after the script revision, the character’s personality was much closer to her own. Otherwise, it would be difficult for her to play a delicate concubine, especially as a newcomer. Thinking of this, she no longer felt that the increased workload after the revision was a bad thing. Jiang Lingling told her assistant that the file being unzipped was very important, that she should watch the computer closely until it was finished, and absolutely not let anyone else see it. Then, lifting her heavy skirt, she went back to the set.

Recently, Jiang Lingling had been at the center of attention in the crew, using her “take no prisoners” attitude to deter those who tried to give her a hard time. On the surface, things had calmed down, but there were still many people plotting revenge in secret. Now, after showing how much she valued the file on her computer, Jiang Lingling went to film, leaving her poor assistant alone, nervously watching the computer, feeling all the gazes in the room focused on her, her grip on the laptop so tight that her knuckles turned white.

Jiang Lingling was always straightforward. Even if she suffered a setback, she would retaliate immediately. Now, so mysteriously and repeatedly emphasizing the importance of watching the computer, the assistant couldn’t help but imagine what the file contained. Could it be that someone else was about to be targeted?

Unknowingly, the assistant was close to the truth.

As the nervous assistant, while complaining about Jiang Lingling having too many enemies and wondering what secret information she was looking at in such a public place, stared intently at the progress bar, something suddenly hit her back.

The impact wasn’t strong, even light. However, for the overly tense assistant, it was like a sudden clap of thunder.

Pan Xiang, holding two sheets of paper, watched as the assistant, who had been squatting in front of the computer, jumped up like a startled rabbit after being lightly tapped on the back with the papers. Before jumping, she even swiftly closed the laptop and clutched it tightly. Pan Xiang was dumbfounded. She had just wanted to deliver the newly revised script, there was no need to react as if she had been robbed.

The assistant turned around and saw that it was Pan Xiang who had tapped her. However, she didn’t let go of the laptop, still looking shaken.

“Are you okay?” Pan Xiang waved her hand in front of the assistant’s face. “I’m sorry, did I scare you?” Was she watching a horror movie? Horror pictures? Reading a horror novel?

“No…” The assistant recovered slightly, shook her head, and took a deep breath before asking, “Are you looking for Miss Jiang? She’s filming.”

“Oh, I’m not looking for her, I just came to deliver the new script. This is the final revised part for her character.” Pan Xiang handed the two sheets of paper to the assistant.

Unexpectedly, the assistant, still clutching the laptop, quickly stepped back, and the papers in Pan Xiang’s hand almost fell to the ground.

“Okay, okay…” The assistant realized her overreaction and quickly reached out with one hand to take the papers.

Pan Xiang frowned. This wasn’t her first time interacting with this assistant, she hadn’t noticed her being so jumpy before. Tsk, well, whatever. She was Jiang Lingling’s assistant, being strange was probably normal.

Pan Xiang’s impression of Jiang Lingling wasn’t very good, especially after her arrogant attempt to snatch the egg fried rice. So, after Jiang Lingling replaced the actress playing the concubine and joined the crew, Pan Xiang disliked her even more. Especially since she had to revise the script for this supporting concubine because of Jiang Lingling. Although it was Qiao Rubai’s request, firstly, Pan Xiang didn’t like Jiang Lingling, and secondly, according to Qiao Rubai, the revisions had to be based on Jiang Lingling’s personality, which meant changing not only this concubine’s scenes but also the overall plot.

This was different from the previous major revision, which changed the second half of the script from palace intrigue to estate life, redefining the empress’s character. That time, Pan Xiang had discarded someone else’s script and written her own. Now, she was being asked to rewrite her own script, and for Jiang Lingling, which made her even more unwilling. But Qiao Rubai was insistent, even explicitly saying that Jiang Lingling’s acting was poor, and rather than having her ruin the drama with an awkward performance, it was better to revise the script to suit her acting style, making both her performance and the drama better. So, Pan Xiang could only grit her teeth and agree. Her impression of Jiang Lingling plummeted even further, almost to the point of gnashing her teeth.

However, after Pan Xiang received the information about Jiang Lingling from Qiao Rubai, from her astrological sign and blood type to her background, her resentment gradually dissipated.

The information was provided by Dong Yuannan without Jiang Lingling’s knowledge, and it was written by him personally. Perhaps to help Pan Xiang understand Jiang Lingling better and portray her character more effectively, Dong Yuannan’s information was very detailed. The hardships of life in a remote mountain village, the days of exploitation without family, her resilient yet kind heart, her diligence and eagerness to learn after being taken in, her obedience and filial piety… The simple language conveyed a loving father’s compassion and care for his adopted daughter, moving Pan Xiang to tears.

So, she no longer resisted and spent several sleepless nights drastically revising the character Jiang Lingling was going to play, adding scenes and details, without a single complaint even with her tired, bloodshot eyes. She continued to refine the script, striving to make the character more vivid and compelling within the limited screen time.

Perhaps too deeply influenced by Jiang Lingling’s real-life story, she unconsciously projected more of her own emotions into the character. Even after completing the revisions, due to the limitations of the role and its positioning, this character wasn’t the most outstanding, but it was the one Pan Xiang had invested the most emotion in. Even her impression of Jiang Lingling had improved considerably. If it was negative one hundred before reading the information, then after revising the script, it had become at least positive eighty.

This was already a somewhat dangerous number, but Pan Xiang wasn’t aware of it yet.

When Jiang Lingling joined the crew, Pan Xiang happened to have something to attend to at school and hadn’t been back to the set for a month. Now that she was back, the first thing she did was to deliver the final revised script to Jiang Lingling. Although she was mentally complaining about how following the unpredictable Jiang Lingling had even made her assistant strange, her teasing was full of good intentions.

After filming a scene, when Jiang Lingling returned backstage, Pan Xiang was already gone, leaving only the assistant, guarding the computer like a mother hen protecting her eggs.

Jiang Lingling took the laptop, placed it on her lap, and glanced at her pale assistant. “What’s wrong? You look so pale, do you need to use the bathroom?”

You need to go, you need to go, you’re the one who needs to go! The assistant rubbed her numb face and handed over the script Pan Xiang left: “This is the final script.”

“Okay.” Jiang Lingling casually took it and placed it on the table, then quickly opened the unzipped file on her computer.

There wasn’t much text data, mainly just Lu Gaoshi’s personal information and some basic information about her close relatives and friends. What took up most of the space were photos and videos. Jiang Lingling looked through a few photos. A small portion were of Lu Gaoshi alone or with Ji Junxin. Most were of Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Duo, and a few were of Lu Gaoshi, Jiang Duo, and a middle-aged man. According to the report, the man should be Jiang Duo’s father, Jiang Dingyi, Lu Gaoshi’s senior in high school. It seemed that they had some ambiguous feelings for each other back in high school, but it was a long time ago, and it hadn’t been thoroughly verified yet.

There were still many people backstage, so Jiang Lingling turned off the sound before opening the videos. Several videos were of Lu Gaoshi being followed, capturing her meetings with Jiang Duo, with Jiang Dingyi appearing once or twice. But later, there were also several videos of Jiang Dingyi being followed. Jiang Lingling thought for a moment, asked her assistant for earphones, turned on the sound, and replayed a few videos of Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Duo meeting in relatively quiet environments. The background noise was too loud to hear what they were saying clearly.

Jiang Lingling looked through the information again. Besides her incompetence, there wasn’t any real dirt on Lu Gaoshi. She had been married and divorced years ago, and there was no new relationship. Although the file was large, the only substantial information was that Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi hadn’t been in contact for many years, until they reconnected six months ago. And Jiang Dingyi and Jiang Duo’s mother were still married.

It didn’t seem like there was anything going on between Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi. They never met alone, Jiang Duo was always present. But if Lu Gaoshi was helping Jiang Duo gain Ji Junxin’s favor just as a favor to an old friend, she seemed a bit too eager.

Jiang Lingling couldn’t figure it out and felt that the huge file, after taking so long to unzip, was useless, which was a bit frustrating. Where was the dirt! She was unhappy!

Right, she should ask Mi Hongdou if she had also used this private investigator to investigate Lu Gaoshi. Jiang Lingling closed the video and looked up, seeing Mi Hongdou sitting next to Ji Junxin, whispering something, both of them smiling.

Hmph, she was working hard looking through the information, while they were having fun. Jiang Lingling snorted and walked towards them.

Just as she took a step, her phone dinged. Jiang Lingling picked it up, her frustration instantly gone. She paused, and her steps towards Mi Hongdou became lighter.

“Come, I need to talk to you about something.” Jiang Lingling interrupted the two without hesitation and dragged Mi Hongdou, who was telling Ji Junxin recipes and gaining favor, away.

Chapter 41: Secret Admirer

The two were whispering secrets when a sudden cold snort startled them, especially Ji Junxin, who rarely gossiped, making her jump.

Fortunately, the person who snorted, “Hmph, you see things clearly,” emerged from behind the wall.

Ji Junxin breathed a sigh of relief. It was better for Jiang Lingling, the subject of their conversation, to overhear them than for some unrelated person to spread rumors. But… being caught gossiping was still very embarrassing. Wait, this wasn’t the first time. Ji Junxin recalled the clay pot rice incident, when she and Qiao Rubai were discussing whether Mi Hongdou had a boyfriend and were overheard. Gossiping was indeed risky.

“Um…” Ji Junxin was very embarrassed, not knowing how much Jiang Lingling had heard. She had just told Mi Hongdou about accidentally overhearing Jiang Lingling’s conversation with her assistant. If Jiang Lingling had heard that too, they wouldn’t have the right to criticize her for eavesdropping.

Mi Hongdou, however, quickly recovered from her embarrassment after seeing that it was Jiang Lingling. This girl always spoke in this tone, but she wasn’t a bad person. She would avenge wrongs and repay kindness. Even if she overheard them gossiping, she probably wouldn’t mind.

As expected, Jiang Lingling didn’t mention their gossiping at all and continued, “Some people, you may know their face but not their heart. The closer you get, the less you understand. In the end, it’s the onlookers who see things clearly.” Jiang Lingling’s gaze was fixed on Ji Junxin as she said this, a rare act of kindness. As for whether Ji Junxin understood, Jiang Lingling didn’t care.

From Qiao Rubai to Jiang Lingling, even though Ji Junxin had a hunch, she still felt her face burning. So, so many people had seen through her manager’s little scheme. Well, at least Mi Hongdou hadn’t said anything.

Speak of the devil, just seconds after Jiang Lingling finished speaking, Mi Hongdou waved her hand, “That ‘we’ doesn’t include me.” She quickly glanced at Ji Junxin.

Mi Hongdou’s eagerness to distance herself amused and irritated Jiang Lingling. “So you don’t see through it?”

“…” Not seeing through it was a matter of IQ. Mi Hongdou choked, “I mean, I wasn’t watching the show.”

Ji Junxin was even more frustrated. So, so many people had seen through Lu Gaoshi’s little scheme. Actually, Ji Junxin didn’t understand either. Although her career had been going well these past two years, because she needed time to detach from her roles after each project, she only had nodding acquaintances in the industry. Her only real connection was Qiao Rubai. People in the industry cared about face. Logically, after being repeatedly rejected by Ji Junxin, Jiang Duo should have given up. Even if she wanted to continue climbing the social ladder, she should have changed her target. This relentless pursuit was puzzling. And Lu Gaoshi, why was she so devoted to an outsider, even after she had expressed her disapproval?

Naturally, it was puzzling. Jiang Duo did want to change her target, but the one who was relentlessly trying to connect her with Ji Junxin had shifted from Jiang Duo herself to Lu Gaoshi.

Ji Junxin, feeling awkward and dispirited, wasn’t in the mood to join their discussion and tugged at Mi Hongdou listlessly, “I’ll go ahead, your scene is coming up soon, go get your makeup done.” She pulled Mi Hongdou to leave.

Just as they took a step, a white figure flashed past, and Ji Junxin’s hand was empty. She looked closely and saw that Mi Hongdou, whom she had been loosely holding, was now being held by Jiang Lingling.

“Her scene is still two takes away. I have something to talk to her about. I’ll have her go get her makeup done soon, there’s enough time.” Although she was keeping Mi Hongdou to talk, Jiang Lingling’s gaze was fixed on Ji Junxin, even addressing her directly.

She wouldn’t let Mi Hongdou be alone with this arrogant girl! She only knew how to ask for fried rice, what if she kidnapped her? Okay, Ji Junxin wouldn’t admit that she was worried that Jiang Lingling would continue to badmouth Lu Gaoshi, making her lose even more face in front of Mi Hongdou.

“But…” Ji Junxin racked her brains for a way to take Mi Hongdou with her.

“It’s okay, I’ll be back soon.” Mi Hongdou spoke up, and Ji Junxin, unable to come up with a reason, could only leave, even more frustrated.

With Ji Junxin gone, the two remaining people looked at each other, neither speaking for a while. Mi Hongdou looked at Jiang Lingling, whose arrogant expression clearly said, “Ask me, ask me what I want to talk about,” and sighed, “My scenes for the other production are almost finished. After today’s filming here, I’ll make you fried rice.”

As expected, upon hearing this, Jiang Lingling’s expression softened considerably, her eyes conveying the message, “You’re quite sensible.”

“Um…” Mi Hongdou hesitated. “Actually, I’m not very close to Lu Gaoshi.”

Jiang Lingling raised an eyebrow: “So?”

Couldn’t she just get the hint? Mi Hongdou slowly paced around, seemingly casually but actually carefully checking all the corners and walls where someone could be hiding, before speaking again: “I mean, you don’t have to let the person who slandered you off the hook just because I made you a meal.” Mi Hongdou had witnessed Lu Gaoshi’s betrayal of Ji Junxin in her previous life. Now it seemed that Qiao Rubai had given Ji Junxin some warning, and things weren’t progressing smoothly between Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Duo this time. However, Ji Junxin’s protectiveness towards Lu Gaoshi was still very obvious. Mi Hongdou was starting to understand why Qiao Rubai hadn’t immediately replaced Lu Gaoshi after her rebirth. In Mi Hongdou’s opinion, Qiao Rubai’s gradual approach was certainly considering Ji Junxin’s acceptance, but it was still better to cut ties with a teammate like Lu Gaoshi sooner rather than later. Mi Hongdou didn’t have enough influence at this time. If Jiang Lingling could take action, it would be perfect.

“You’re really straightforward.” Jiang Lingling adjusted her hair ornament and smiled faintly. “But I like that. Since you’re making the food, I’ll listen to you, of course.”

Jiang Lingling wasn’t bad-looking, it was just that she was usually inexplicably arrogant, with no one else in her eyes. Now, suddenly being so amiable and smiling, she looked much better. It was just that her costume, coupled with her slightly teasing expression and the words “I’ll listen to you,” sounded a bit off. Wasn’t that a line from Jiang Lingling’s character flirting with the emperor? … Looking at Jiang Lingling, whose demeanor had suddenly changed, Mi Hongdou shivered for some reason. Okay, it seemed that not leaving with Ji Junxin wasn’t the right decision.

“And… don’t tell Ji Junxin what I said.” Mi Hongdou lowered her voice.

“Aiya, I know, I know.” Jiang Lingling resumed her impatient demeanor and waved her hand at Mi Hongdou. “You should go change your clothes too.”

One moment keeping her, the next moment shooing her away, did her attitude have to change so quickly? … Having said this much, she should investigate Lu Gaoshi, right? Mi Hongdou hesitantly glanced at Jiang Lingling and, after repeating her request not to tell Ji Junxin, left, worried.

This past month, besides dealing with those annoying people who kept provoking her, Jiang Lingling had also spent a lot of time figuring out how to get that bowl of egg fried rice that Dong Yuannan had craved. Recently, Mi Hongdou spent most of her time on the other set, but whenever she came here, besides filming, she mostly spent her time talking to Ji Junxin. Previously, Jiang Lingling, wanting to get egg fried rice from Mi Hongdou, had naturally paid close attention to her. And this attention led to an extraordinary discovery. Heh, the gentle yet intense gaze Mi Hongdou directed at Ji Junxin, could that be the look of a friend of just one month? But judging by their interactions, they were just ordinary friends. It was quite interesting. “This strange aura, should it be called a secret admiration that the person herself hasn’t realized yet?” Jiang Lingling muttered to herself, watching Mi Hongdou’s retreating figure, her smile deepening. As expected, there were many closeted people in the industry. But fortunately, Mi Hongdou had given in quickly. Actually, she had kept her behind to say, “If you don’t make me fried rice, I’ll tell Ji Junxin that you like her.” But since Mi Hongdou had agreed, she didn’t need to say it.

Mi Hongdou, who had already walked quite far, seemed to hear someone talking behind her. She turned around and saw Jiang Lingling still standing there. Seeing her turn back, Jiang Lingling waved her hand impatiently again. Okay, it must be a hallucination…

Tsk, thinking about it, filming every day was quite boring. Observing this secret admiration that even Mi Hongdou herself hadn’t realized was quite interesting. But since she had agreed to make fried rice, after she had enough of watching the show, she could give her a little hint. Jiang Lingling waved her hand and, without any hesitation, mentally lit a candle for Mi Hongdou.

Poor Mi Hongdou, without even a chance to defend herself, was labeled a foolish secret admirer by Jiang Lingling.

However, even if she had a chance to defend herself, it would probably be difficult to convince the experienced and imaginative Jiang Lingling.

Most importantly, Mi Hongdou, who considered herself just a die-hard fan of Ji Junxin, had only grazed the edge of the truth before rolling away.

Jiang Lingling, having finally secured the egg fried rice she had been craving for a month, was in a great mood. The first thing she did after returning to the makeup room, her skirt swirling, was to pick up her phone and start typing.

“Miss Jiang… the next scene is about to start filming, the director is calling for you.” Jiang Lingling’s assistant softly called out to the person who was suddenly immersed in the world of her phone.

“Okay.” Jiang Lingling quickly typed the last few words, pressed send, and then got up and left. Treat others with respect, and they will treat you with respect in return. As a trustworthy rich person, Jiang Lingling was still very efficient. She just hadn’t expected the private investigator to be so efficient too.

The scene went very smoothly. From sending the message to finishing filming, it took less than half an hour. Picking up her phone again, she saw a reply saying that the information she requested had been sent to her email. Looking at the time, the email was sent ten minutes ago. Which meant that they had found the information she wanted in just over ten minutes…

Wasn’t that… a bit too exaggerated… This was a reputable investigator she had a long-term cooperation with, she hoped they hadn’t just sent a few lines. Jiang Lingling frowned and opened her email, then… she was stunned by the huge compressed file inside.

Chapter 40: Breakfast Again

Ji Junxin’s reaction clearly didn’t match the assistant’s expectations. It took her a while to retract her outstretched hand. Jiang Lingling’s expression was still aloof, but her complexion had improved considerably. Perhaps a little embarrassed by her momentary loss of composure, Jiang Lingling didn’t say anything more to Ji Junxin, just hummed in acknowledgment, slightly raised her chin, and walked away with her assistant, as proud as a peacock with bright plumage.

She seemed to have glimpsed something extraordinary earlier. What was that pitiful little chick under the peacock feathers? Ji Junxin watched Jiang Lingling and her assistant walk away, then looked down at the large, slightly heavy bag in her hand. Well, it seemed that this person wasn’t so annoying after all.

After a moment, Ji Junxin carried the bag back to the makeup room. As soon as she entered, she felt a gaze from Jiang Lingling’s direction, filled with unknown meaning. When Ji Junxin looked back, she only saw Jiang Lingling’s profile. It didn’t seem like the source of the gaze, but the large, swinging earrings on Jiang Lingling’s ears betrayed her completely.

Why did she think that if she sent KFC four times a day, she would help her persuade Mi Hongdou to make her fried rice? … Ji Junxin hadn’t heard the story of Jiang Lingling and Dong Yuannan yet, so based on the few words she overheard, she couldn’t guess the details. What she could discern was that KFC was, to Jiang Lingling, the most delicious food. Offering her most cherished food in exchange for other food, although a bit childish, wasn’t incomprehensible. But the question was, why did Jiang Lingling think that her pleading would make Mi Hongdou cook for her? … Ji Junxin couldn’t understand Jiang Lingling’s logic. Did she think the power of a roommate was that strong? …

As Ji Junxin pondered, the gaze from Jiang Lingling’s direction intensified. Recalling Jiang Lingling’s quickly masked expression when she refused earlier, Ji Junxin, already full from the sandwiches, silently opened the KFC bag. Although she had accepted the food, she could choose not to eat it, or share it with others, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. So, despite not being hungry at all, Ji Junxin wisely reached for something in the bag – congee.

KFC’s congee bowls were opaque, so Ji Junxin couldn’t see clearly. She picked one that she thought might be preserved egg and lean meat congee. Looking down through the lid, it looked dark, so it should be preserved egg, right? Imagination was beautiful, reality was cruel. Pickled vegetable congee… It was her least favorite pickled vegetable congee… It must be because she arrived late, and pickled vegetable congee was the only kind left. Ji Junxin pouted and instinctively wanted to take out another bowl of congee from the bag. If she was careful, Jiang Lingling wouldn’t see, right? After all, opening it and then putting it back uneaten would be a sign of disdain for the food she bought. Ji Junxin carefully picked up the lid she had just opened, and just as she was about to close it, Lu Gaoshi’s voice came from afar, interrupting her plan.

“Aiya, why are you eating this again? It’s so oily to eat this early in the morning! Unhealthy!” Seeing the KFC bag from afar, Lu Gaoshi said as she quickly walked towards Ji Junxin, holding a large thermos.

Ji Junxin frowned, stopped closing the lid, and replied in a low voice, “It’s just congee, how is it oily?” With so many people in the makeup room, Lu Gaoshi wouldn’t normally be so indiscreet as to shout from afar. Perhaps Qiao Rubai was right, some ulterior motives, once formed, were hard to retract.

Lu Gaoshi now saw that it was indeed an opened bowl of congee in front of Ji Junxin, but she still felt a little dissatisfied and continued, “You see this KFC congee, who knows how much MSG and additives are in it. It’s not as good as homemade congee. And look, those KFC burgers, pancakes, fried dough sticks, they’re all oily and greasy. Eating them will make your waist bigger, and you won’t be able to fit into your costume. And you bought so much…” As she spoke, Lu Gaoshi rummaged through the plastic bag with a disgusted expression, showing no signs of stopping.

Ji Junxin’s frown deepened. Just as she was about to interrupt, someone spoke up from behind her.

“What’s wrong with KFC?” Jiang Lingling, her face dark, was standing behind Ji Junxin. “KFC has chains all over the country. If you say that about them, they can bury you with chicken nuggets, do you believe it?” Jiang Lingling unceremoniously plucked Lu Gaoshi’s hand out of the bag with two fingers and then took a tissue from Ji Junxin’s dressing table to wipe her fingers where she had touched Lu Gaoshi’s hand.

“You!” If Jiang Lingling’s harsh words had just offended Lu Gaoshi, then her subsequent action was basically a slap in the face. Who was Lu Gaoshi? With Ji Junxin being so famous, as her manager, she practically ruled the set. Everyone addressed her respectfully as “Sister Lu.” Jiang Lingling had been ostracized by the crew before, but she hadn’t confronted anyone directly like this. Why was she making such a fuss over KFC! Lu Gaoshi couldn’t understand Jiang Lingling’s thoughts, but that didn’t stop her from retaliating quickly: “I’m talking to my artist, what are you butting in for? Go serve your sugar daddy!” Lu Gaoshi raised her voice, loud enough for everyone in the makeup room to hear.

Lu Gaoshi’s emphasis was very clear. If Jiang Lingling still couldn’t understand, then she would be truly stupid. “Say that again?” Jiang Lingling’s voice was icy, her expression darkening, her gaze sharp as knives.

Jiang Lingling’s assistant trembled beside her, secretly watching Jiang Lingling’s right hand slowly clenching at her side. Was she going to throw a punch or play rock-paper-scissors… Was she really going to hit someone? Although she had heard that her employer had a bad temper before accepting the job, she wouldn’t just hit someone, right? This was on set, what would the media write about it? … The assistant trembled and, risking her life, slowly reached for Jiang Lingling’s wrist.

“I’m sorry… my manager doesn’t always speak appropriately. I apologize on her behalf.” Seeing that the two were about to start fighting, Ji Junxin quickly stepped in to mediate. “She’s been with me for a long time, she was just nagging out of habit. Please, for my sake, don’t hold it against her.”

With the mediator arriving, the assistant quickly retracted her hand.

“Why should I…” Why should she apologize to her? She was just a small-time actress with no fame, relying on her godfather. Lu Gaoshi, her face full of displeasure, was about to continue when Ji Junxin quickly grabbed her arm, not gently. Ji Junxin had never done this before. Lu Gaoshi was stunned and didn’t say anything more.

Seeing that Jiang Lingling’s expression was still dark, her gaze towards Lu Gaoshi still unfriendly, Ji Junxin’s heart skipped a beat. The ruthlessness that flashed in Jiang Lingling’s eyes when Lu Gaoshi insulted her relationship with her godfather was genuine. Perhaps she wouldn’t slap Lu Gaoshi right now, but Ji Junxin was certain that if this matter wasn’t resolved peacefully, Jiang Lingling wouldn’t let Lu Gaoshi off the hook. Impulsive people weren’t scary, smart, patient, and ruthless people were. When Lu Gaoshi suffered later, she probably wouldn’t even realize it was because of her words today. Dong Yuannan was in real estate. Having established himself in this industry, he had connections to the underworld. Lu Gaoshi had just said those words so loudly in front of so many people, Jiang Lingling’s anger probably couldn’t be appeased with a simple apology. Moreover, it wasn’t even a sincere apology from Lu Gaoshi herself. But Ji Junxin couldn’t scold Lu Gaoshi now. She didn’t even ask for an apology, she just hoped she would stop talking! Thinking this, Ji Junxin tightened her grip on Lu Gaoshi’s hand, hoping to stop her from provoking Jiang Lingling further.

“By the way, Mi Hongdou will probably be here soon. I don’t know if she’s had breakfast yet. If she hasn’t, can I share some of this breakfast you brought with her?” Ji Junxin tried to smooth things over.

This KFC was Jiang Lingling’s breakfast? First Mi Hongdou, now Jiang Lingling, why were these people so troublesome? Hindered by Ji Junxin’s increasingly tight grip and the implied warning to keep quiet, Lu Gaoshi could only hold the thermos and maintain an unhappy silence.

Jiang Lingling naturally saw Lu Gaoshi’s expression. But Ji Junxin was clearly protecting Lu Gaoshi, even going against her usual aloofness. This made Jiang Lingling postpone her plan to deal with Lu Gaoshi. “Of course, if it’s not enough, I’ll ask my assistant to buy more.” Jiang Lingling looked away from Lu Gaoshi and softened her expression when looking at Ji Junxin. “I heard that Mi Hongdou has almost finished filming her scenes for the other production?”

“Yes, since she has more scenes here, they filmed her scenes for the other production all together. I heard that the indoor scenes are almost done, and they might film some outdoor scenes later.” Seeing that Jiang Lingling was no longer fixated on Lu Gaoshi, Ji Junxin relaxed a little and chatted casually. However, she quickly realized why Jiang Lingling was letting it go when she saw the obvious anticipation on her face. “I’ll ask about the egg fried rice you mentioned before…” Ji Junxin finally said what Jiang Lingling wanted to hear.

It was easy to talk to smart people.

Jiang Lingling nodded, thanked her, didn’t even glance at Lu Gaoshi, turned around, and went back to her seat to continue with her makeup.

“Don’t provoke her again in the future, or I won’t be able to help you.” Ji Junxin released Lu Gaoshi’s hand and sat back down, looking tired.

“What are you talking about…” Ji Junxin had a good temper and had never said such things to Lu Gaoshi. Lu Gaoshi looked a little embarrassed and lowered her voice, but she still seemed to want to complain.

Ji Junxin looked at Lu Gaoshi and said, “I’m being serious.” She really was. In the past month, Ji Junxin had clearly seen Jiang Lingling’s personality: vengeful and unforgiving, willing to harm herself to hurt her enemies, unwilling to swallow any insults. Plus, she was exceptionally talented in revenge, smart, patient, and with unusual logic. She was definitely not someone Lu Gaoshi should provoke. The fact that she was letting it go now for the sake of Dong Yuannan’s egg fried rice further proved his importance to her. So, those who slandered her relationship with Dong Yuannan were probably even more infuriating to her than those who targeted her personally in the crew. This time, she could use the egg fried rice to smooth things over. Next time Lu Gaoshi offended Jiang Lingling, what would she use to resolve it?

Lu Gaoshi wasn’t a very capable manager. Her arrogance was completely based on Ji Junxin’s affection for her. Seeing Ji Junxin like this, she didn’t dare to say anything more about Jiang Lingling. She just gently moved the KFC bag on Ji Junxin’s dressing table aside and placed the thermos in front of her, opening it. “Haven’t had breakfast, right? Eat some of this, I made it myself, it’s safe.” This time, she didn’t shout.

The thermos had two layers. The top layer contained four kinds of dim sum: shumai, shrimp dumplings, radish cake, and char siu bao, one of each. Taking off the top layer, the bottom was filled with congee, and she could vaguely see scallops and pork ribs. The delicate shumai, plump shrimp dumplings, glistening radish cake, and fluffy char siu bao, along with the fragrant scallop and pork rib congee, were much more appealing than the KFC takeout.

Ji Junxin looked at the food, then pushed Lu Gaoshi’s hand away when she offered her chopsticks. “I’ve already eaten some this morning, I’ll just have a little of this light congee. You eat the rest.” Ji Junxin said, getting up, reaching past the thermos, and taking the opened KFC pickled vegetable congee back. She didn’t bother looking for the preserved egg and lean meat congee in the bag. It couldn’t compare to the obviously carefully prepared scallop and pork rib congee in front of her. But… it was a gesture. This time, not towards Jiang Lingling, but towards Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Duo.

“Aiya, that pickled vegetable congee, how can it compare to this scallop and pork rib congee? The ones sold outside are full of additives!” Lu Gaoshi reached out to take the bowl from Ji Junxin’s hand, but she dodged.

“It’s quite delicious.” This was actually true. After all the commotion, the light and refreshing pickled vegetable congee was strangely comforting.

Lu Gaoshi didn’t give up and pushed the dim sum towards Ji Junxin. “Then have some dim sum, they’re all your favorites.”

Ji Junxin put down the congee bowl and sighed, “Where did the congee and dim sum come from?” She really had to be blunt.

“…” Lu Gaoshi paused, seeming hesitant, but finally started her earnest persuasion. “Jiang Duo just wants to be friends with you. She put in a lot of effort to cater to your tastes. Besides, you ate the food from that Mi Hongdou and that Jiang Lingling, why can’t you eat Jiang Duo’s? She’s trying to befriend you, you can’t just push her away…”

“Why not?” Ji Junxin, tired of being pushed around all morning, interrupted Lu Gaoshi. “If I don’t want to eat it, are you going to force me? It’s just work. Even if she didn’t give me food, I wouldn’t make things difficult for her. Whether we can be friends depends on fate, not food. I already said last time, I don’t want to accept her things. If you accept them, you eat them.” Perhaps influenced by Jiang Lingling, Ji Junxin’s tone was a bit harsh, unlike her usual gentleness. But after saying that, she felt a sense of relief. She had indeed been holding back.

When filming on location, Lu Gaoshi usually took care of Ji Junxin’s daily life. Half a month ago, Lu Gaoshi had brought her different kinds of dim sum for afternoon tea for several days in a row. A few days later, Lu Gaoshi told her that the dim sum was all made by Jiang Duo in her spare time, how much effort she had put in. They were both actresses. Although their fame was different, their profession was the same, there was no high or low. Lu Gaoshi kept emphasizing Jiang Duo’s efforts, and Ji Junxin, unknowingly, had eaten quite a bit. Coupled with Qiao Rubai’s words, she felt a little manipulated. So, she naturally stopped eating the dim sum and even asked her assistant, Shen Zhu, to buy several times the amount in gift certificates from a famous cake shop and give them to Jiang Duo as a way of returning the favor. Finally, Ji Junxin talked to Lu Gaoshi and hinted that she shouldn’t bring Jiang Duo’s food anymore. What was the meaning of only her having it when no one else did? Unexpectedly, after half a month of peace, Lu Gaoshi started again. Now, Ji Junxin was really curious why Lu Gaoshi was so eager to push Jiang Duo towards her, even more eager than Jiang Duo herself.

Lu Gaoshi wanted to continue, but Ji Junxin didn’t want to listen. “If there’s nothing else, you should go back to Jiang City, Qiao Rubai has something for you to do.”

“What is it?” Mentioning Qiao Rubai, Lu Gaoshi quieted down, her expression turning serious.

“Just go now.” Ji Junxin didn’t want to say more. She had a lot of scenes this morning and needed to adjust her mood. Right, after Lu Gaoshi left, she had to remember to send a message to Qiao Rubai, coordinate their stories, and ask her to find something to keep Lu Gaoshi in Jiang City for a few more days. It was time for her to calm down and think about the issue with Lu Gaoshi.

Lu Gaoshi returned to Jiang City, and Qiao Rubai’s reply confirmed that she would arrange Lu Gaoshi’s work in Jiang City for the next stage. Ji Junxin finally felt a little more relaxed.

After filming three or four takes in the morning, Mi Hongdou came over from the other set. Mi Hongdou’s arrival made Ji Junxin feel Jiang Lingling’s intense gaze again.

“Did you… see the note I left on the coffee table when you passed by the living room this morning…” Mi Hongdou, upon arriving backstage, was stunned by the huge KFC plastic bag on Ji Junxin’s dressing table. After the shock, came heartbreak. Had her lovingly prepared breakfast been ignored? She had specifically woken up early to make it to celebrate their one-month anniversary. Well, the point wasn’t the breakfast, the point was the note, the little note she had nervously written… although after writing it, she didn’t know why she was so nervous about a small note.

“I ate it, I ate all the sandwiches…” Ji Junxin lowered her voice, a little embarrassed. “Come with me.”

Taking Mi Hongdou out of the makeup room and finding a quiet place with fewer people, Ji Junxin recounted what had happened that morning, omitting the part about Jiang Duo’s breakfast.

“So, that’s what happened… I’m worried that Jiang Lingling cares a lot about her adoptive father. After what Sister Lu said, she must be very angry. Jiang Lingling definitely won’t take this lying down. I saw her earlier, she looked like she might hit Sister Lu. So, I agreed to ask you if you have time to make her some egg fried rice… I hope she won’t be so angry…” Ji Junxin’s voice trailed off, embarrassed. She had just eaten Mi Hongdou’s breakfast and was now asking her to cook for someone else. It was really inconsiderate.

So that was where the KFC came from… Just making a meal for Jiang Lingling. Her scenes for the other production were almost finished, so she shouldn’t be so busy anymore. Making fried rice, she definitely had time. And Jiang Lingling asking Ji Junxin to be the messenger was quite clever. Mi Hongdou smiled and reassured her, “I don’t think Jiang Lingling will actually hit Sister Lu. Sister Lu slandered her relationship with Dong Yuannan. What Jiang Lingling is most likely to do is give her a taste of her own medicine.”

“What do you mean, a taste of her own medicine? Spread rumors about her too?” Ji Junxin didn’t understand.

Mi Hongdou shook her head. “Perhaps without even needing to spread rumors.” Saying this, Mi Hongdou suddenly didn’t want to cook for Jiang Lingling anymore. That way, Jiang Lingling would continue to be angry with Lu Gaoshi. If she really investigated Lu Gaoshi, she might actually find something, like the shady dealings between Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Duo. It would be nice if someone exposed them.

“Hmph, you see things clearly.”

As they were whispering, a sudden cold snort from behind the wall startled them.