Chapter 55: Fried Mantou Slices with Egg p2
So, Ji Junxin, full and satisfied, happily signed five notebooks and a poster for five of Mi Hongdou’s “classmates” and one “daughter of Mi’s mother’s colleague.”
Of course, there were some complications. Ji Junxin said that since they were Mi Hongdou’s classmates, she could write a message besides the autograph, something like, “Wishing you all the best, may you be happy every day.” Mi Hongdou said that a message was fine, but no names. Although she found it strange, Ji Junxin followed Mi Hongdou’s instructions and wrote the messages and her signature.
Watching Ji Junxin write the last word, Mi Hongdou’s feelings were complicated. Although the five notebooks were all for her own collection, Ji Junxin didn’t know that. Those messages, hmph, Ji Junxin wasn’t thinking of her when she wrote them.
For some reason, Mi Hongdou felt jealous.
“I…” Ji Junxin, after signing, gently nudged the dazed Mi Hongdou. “Didn’t you say… you’re my fan… why don’t you want my autograph?” It was a little embarrassing to ask, but she really minded whether Mi Hongdou’s words in the car earlier were just to appease her.
Eh? Mi Hongdou, suffering from memory loss due to lack of sleep, suddenly remembered that she had confessed to Ji Junxin in the car yesterday… and she had also said that she had been her fan for a long time. Oh my god, she was so embarrassed. Her face heated up, and she could almost imagine it turning sausage-colored again.
Why was she always thinking about food? It must be from spending too much time with a foodie.
Ji Junxin had mustered a lot of courage to ask. But Mi Hongdou’s reaction was to blush… So, her words in the car were just to appease her? Although whether Mi Hongdou was her fan or not wouldn’t change her desire to be friends with her, she still felt disappointed… She had thought Mi Hongdou really liked her, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“Um, when are we leaving for Shudian?” Ji Junxin abruptly changed the subject.
Mi Hongdou noticed the change in her expression. It wasn’t hard to guess what Ji Junxin was thinking.
No… there couldn’t be a misunderstanding at this time. Ji Junxin had just been hurt by Lu Gaoshi yesterday, Mi Hongdou wanted to protect her, how could she let her misunderstand or be disappointed in her?
What was embarrassment compared to her desire to protect Ji Junxin? Mi Hongdou quickly figured this out and laid the five notebooks out on the table in front of Ji Junxin.
“This is for me…” Mi Hongdou’s hand trembled slightly as she pointed at the first notebook.
Ji Junxin looked at Mi Hongdou blankly, seemingly unable to process it.
“This one is also for me…” Mi Hongdou pointed at the second notebook, her hand steadier now.
“This one is still for me…” Mi Hongdou’s hand slowly landed on the third notebook.
“This one, and this one, they’re all for me…” Mi Hongdou’s face was still red, but her hand firmly pointed at the fourth and fifth notebooks.
By the second notebook, Ji Junxin understood. But she was speechless. She was happy to confirm that Mi Hongdou was her fan. But as Mi Hongdou pointed to more and more notebooks, Ji Junxin’s heart started to race. An inexplicable panic born from happiness.
There were always many fans online expressing their admiration, and fan groups often organized events and visited her on set. So many fans, so much love, it was touching. But it never made her feel this flustered, as if… she had suddenly encountered a depth of affection she hadn’t expected, a happiness that made her nervous.
Why was this? Was it because Mi Hongdou was also an actress? No… she had other fans who were actors too. Or was it because she already considered Mi Hongdou a friend? That didn’t seem right either… Ji Junxin was a little confused.
Ji Junxin remained silent. Mi Hongdou looked at her worriedly. That pensive expression, did she not understand? Or did she not believe her? Or… was it not enough?
Facing Ji Junxin like this, Mi Hongdou suddenly realized that she might have been too casual in her words and actions today. She had to consider the fact that Ji Junxin had been betrayed and hurt by someone she trusted yesterday.
Anxious and mistakenly feeling a crisis of trust, Mi Hongdou, after the confession with the five notebooks, continued to pour out her heart: “It’s true, these five notebooks, I wanted you to sign them for me as a keepsake. But… cough… I was a little embarrassed, so I used other people’s names. See… the messages I asked you to write, they contain my name.”
Embarrassment had been thrown to the wind. All Mi Hongdou wanted now was for Ji Junxin to believe her. She opened the five notebooks one by one, showing Ji Junxin the first page where she had written the messages and signed, even rearranging a few of them.
So.
The first one read: [Prosperous business, booming success! — Ji Junxin]
The second one read: [You reap what you sow! — Ji Junxin]
The third one read: [A gentleman’s friendship is light like water! — Ji Junxin]
The fourth one read: [Happy and successful! — Ji Junxin]
The fifth one read: [May our friendship last forever! — Ji Junxin]
The order wasn’t what Mi Hongdou had originally dictated. Now, rearranged and explained by Mi Hongdou, Ji Junxin, who wasn’t stupid, saw not only Mi Hongdou’s name but also her own.
“Cough… um, some characters weren’t easy to form phrases with, so I used homophones…” Mi Hongdou said, her gaze shifting to the words on the fifth notebook. Why was the embarrassment she had just discarded returning?
Two notebooks for each name, and the remaining fifth one… Ji Junxin’s heart warmed. But… something still felt off… why were they, at their age, acting like elementary school students when making friends… so formal, so nervous, so shy…
“I believe you.” Ji Junxin’s face felt a little hot. She secretly glanced at the blushing Mi Hongdou, wondering if her face was also that color.
Why did making friends have to be so embarrassing!
Mi Hongdou rubbed her slightly blurry eyes from lack of sleep and carefully studied Ji Junxin’s expression. Okay, it seemed she truly believed her.
The trust crisis averted, Mi Hongdou gave herself a hundred points for her quick thinking.
Ji Junxin stopped Mi Hongdou from putting away the notebooks.
Was she going to confiscate the spoils of war after exposing the deception? No… her idol couldn’t be so petty! Mi Hongdou hesitantly retracted her hand. Then she watched as Ji Junxin neatly stacked the notebooks, placed her hand on them, and pointed at the remaining poster with her other hand. “So who is this poster signed for? Really for your mother’s colleague’s daughter?”
“…” Her mother was still home, Mi Hongdou didn’t dare to sell her out, but she also didn’t want to lie to Ji Junxin. Well, although it was her mother who lied to Ji Junxin, in this life, Ji Junxin wasn’t supposed to know anything.
“What’s your mother’s colleague’s daughter’s name?”
“Wang Erya…” That’s what her mother said. Mi Hongdou looked away, pretending not to see Ji Junxin’s surprised expression.
Ji Junxin picked up the marker and twirled it effortlessly. “Then I’ll add a salutation, ‘To my dear Wang Erya,’ she’ll be very happy.”
“No, no, no…” Mi Hongdou quickly stopped Ji Junxin’s hand. She didn’t want to be killed by her mother when she returned the poster. She still had to cook for her goddess for many years…
Mi Hongdou’s reaction was completely within Ji Junxin’s expectations. Hmph, still Wang Erya, she couldn’t even come up with a proper fake name. She wouldn’t let her get away with… collecting her posters. For some reason, with the five notebooks as a foundation, although Ji Junxin felt a little nervous and flustered, the warmth from knowing that Mi Hongdou was truly her fan was immense… so immense that it was slowly filling the void in her heart left by yesterday’s events. Ji Junxin mischievously wanted to confirm that the poster was for Mi Hongdou’s collection. Just a few words, and Mi Hongdou couldn’t keep up the pretense. Ji Junxin felt a little smug.
“This… this might… probably, okay, I mean, maybe… it’s for my mom’s poster.” Mi Hongdou couldn’t let the name Wang Erya appear on the poster, so she unhesitatingly sold out her mother.
Ji Junxin’s expression became very complicated, if described with an emoticon, it would probably be (^_^;)…
Mi’s mother, unaware that she had been exposed as a hidden fan by her own daughter, happily put away the autographed poster.
After breakfast and the autograph session, by the time Mi Hongdou finished getting ready, it was almost ten o’clock. It would be afternoon by the time they drove back to Shudian. And Qiong Yu’s car was waiting downstairs, they couldn’t delay any longer.
As Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were about to leave, Mi’s mother saw them off, looking at both of them, a little reluctant to part.
Of course, in the eyes of Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin, Mi’s mother’s reluctance… was clearly only directed at the latter.
Mi Hongdou, who had been treated like a background prop by her mother earlier, no longer believed that she could receive her mother’s love while standing next to Ji Junxin, hmph!
Ji Junxin, although a little surprised that Mi’s mother collected her posters, thought that she was a very good mother, warmly inviting her for breakfast and spending so much time making delicious congee…
“Auntie, you don’t have to see us off. Next time we come back to Jiang City, we’ll bring you some Shudian specialties. There’s a shop there that sells fried meatballs, they’re delicious.” Ji Junxin said with a smile.
Mi’s mother beamed: “Okay, come visit again next time. This time it was just morning, and I only made porridge, it was too simple. Next time you come for lunch or dinner, I’ll cook more dishes.”
So, the meatballs she brought back from Shudian last time, wasn’t it her mother who ate them? And the fried mantou slices she made this morning, wasn’t it her mother who ate them? Ji Junxin and Mi’s mother happily said their goodbyes. Mi Hongdou angrily scuffed her feet on the ground, these two heartless women.
Mi Hongdou suddenly remembered a forum post she had seen a few days ago: “My wife is always clinging to my mother, what should I do? Help, urgent, waiting online…” She had only read the title then, hmph, it seemed she needed to read the content next time. Wait, something seemed off. Well, perhaps the methods in that post could also be applied to her current situation: “My idol is always clinging to my mother, and I’ve become invisible.”
But it was okay. After they left the apartment, Ji Junxin was hers again.
Qiong Yu’s chauffeured car was much more comfortable than Jiang Lingling’s. But it was too comfortable, and soon after they started driving, Mi Hongdou started yawning. After all, so much had happened in the past two days, and she had only slept for a little over five hours. It was normal to be tired.
But she still wanted to chat with her goddess. Mi Hongdou tried to stay awake. And ever since they left the apartment, she felt like she had forgotten something… what was it?
“If you’re tired, just recline your seat and take a nap, we’ll be there soon.” Ji Junxin, also yawning, said, “When we get back to the set, Director Pan might start filming our scenes right away. It’s good to be well-rested.”
Eh? Mi Hongdou remembered.
“We don’t have to rush back to the set before noon, does that apply to Jiang Lingling too?” Mi Hongdou finally remembered what she had forgotten… a whole person.
Ji Junxin paused and nodded. “Qiao Rubai said that Director Pan, after hearing that we’re going back in the afternoon, decided to continue filming Zhang Zijing and Jiang Duo’s scenes.”
Ji Junxin seemed a little uncomfortable when mentioning Jiang Duo’s name, but quickly recovered.
“I… seem to have forgotten to tell Jiang Lingling…” Ji Junxin only realized after saying that she should have informed Jiang Lingling. She had been so focused on breakfast this morning…
Mi Hongdou, who had also been completely focused on Ji Junxin this morning, glanced at the time on her phone and said reassuringly, “It’s okay, she should be arriving soon anyway…”
On the highway, in a speeding car, Jiang Lingling, urging her assistant to drive faster, to be back on set before noon, sneezed three times.
Would anyone even think of a single dog?
The answer was… yes.
While Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were talking about Jiang Lingling, Director Pan on set was also thinking about Jiang Lingling. Well, not exactly, he was thinking about Jiang Lingling’s braised pig’s feet.
Director Pan’s wife was also in Shudian with him at this time. When Jiang Lingling’s pig’s feet arrived, his wife could finally have her favorite dish. Just thinking about it made him excited and full of energy!
“Cut!” Director Pan frowned, called cut, and gestured for the two actors to come over.
“Yesterday it was Jiang Duo who kept NGing, today it’s your turn.” Director Pan pointed at Jiang Duo, then at Zhang Zijing. “We filmed for most of yesterday, and it’s almost noon today. How many scenes have you completed?”
Zhang Zijing’s expression darkened, his lips moving slightly as if he wanted to argue, but he swallowed his words. His displeasure, however, didn’t escape Director Pan’s notice.
“Is this scene so difficult? It’s just a conversation between the emperor and a concubine. Can’t you even remember your lines, Zhang Zijing? And look at your expression, is that how you look at a concubine you’re interested in, a look of desire and affection? That’s clearly an expression of dissatisfaction, like you’re about to throw a tantrum. You can’t remember your lines, and you’ve lost your sense of character? Do you even understand what this scene is about?” Director Pan was truly angry. They had filmed for almost a whole day, and only completed a few scenes. The efficiency was abysmal. If it weren’t for Jiang Lingling’s pig’s feet, he would have stormed off long ago.
He hadn’t seen these two being so incompetent before. Their earlier scenes with Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were fine. Why were they like this now that they were filming together? Director Pan couldn’t understand.
Zhang Zijing, scolded by Director Pan, couldn’t hold back anymore: “The filming schedule wasn’t arranged like this before. I haven’t had time to familiarize myself with the later parts of the script.” Although his words weren’t sharp, his tone was full of barely suppressed anger.
Heh, he really was throwing a tantrum. Director Pan sneered. Was he forcing him to unleash his full sarcasm?
Before Director Pan could speak, Jiang Duo grabbed Zhang Zijing’s sleeve. “It’s our fault, we’re sorry, Director Pan… please give us another chance, we’ll definitely get this scene right.” She also gave Zhang Zijing a warning look.
Heh… this time, it wasn’t Director Pan who sneered. Zhang Zijing didn’t appreciate Jiang Duo speaking up for him and, with a dark expression, pulled his sleeve away from her hand. Although his movement wasn’t fast, even a little slow, Jiang Duo still felt slapped in the face.
Both from Dajin Entertainment, Jiang Duo and Zhang Zijing had interacted quite a bit on and off screen, especially recently, when Jiang Duo could sense Zhang Zijing’s romantic interest in her. However, since he hadn’t officially pursued her, she had pretended not to notice, maintaining a slight ambiguity between them.
That was why, seeing that Zhang Zijing was about to confront Director Pan, Jiang Duo, who usually stayed out of such matters, had spoken up, hoping to resolve the conflict before it escalated.
She was helping him, what did he mean by this?
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