Chapter 4 Part2 (2/2)
Through the fluttering, light snow flurries, only a vague glimpse of his face could be seen, yet his gaze seemed so tangible that a brief stupor came over Jia He.
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Without really being aware of the pa.s.sage of time, everyone had endured all the way until work wrapped up for the day. The main and supporting actors and actresses, as well as the directors and producers, all got into the motorhome. When they spotted the hot pot, they evidently received quite the shock, and loud, elated cheers of ”Who was so thoughtful?” over and over rang out. Pressing forward together, they took the bowls and chopsticks that Xiao Ou had prepared, and without even taking off their winter coats, they all crowded around the steaming hot pot.
After an entire day of bitter cold, a hot pot had suddenly descended from heaven. Who would care now whether you were a man or a woman, big star or not? Everybody was simply crazily delighted. Around that rectangular, six-person table were crammed more than ten people on both sides, and there were still quite a few people standing. Because Jia He was slender, she was squished into the corner near the window. It so happened that opposite her was Yi Wenze.
”You really like spicy foods?” When everyone's mouths were open wide because of the burning spiciness, he seemed very much to be enjoying it, leisurely eating away.
Nodding, Jia He buried her head down and ate her wood ear mushroom.
She had personally mixed the condiments for Yi Wenze's dipping sauce, but she wasn't certain whether they suited his tastes… Well, no point in thinking too much about it. If worst came to worst, there was still the soup base to hold down the fort. This particular flavour should be pretty good. While she was still musing on this, someone called out, ”The shrimp are ready!” At once, numerous pairs of chopsticks all reached towards the pot. Jia He was wedged around until she could not even see the pot and could only sit there and salivate enviously. Right as she was feeling glum, out of nowhere, someone placed a shrimp into her bowl.
The cooked river shrimp was already a pink hue to begin with, and then with the chili oil coating it and dripping from it, it looked even more flushed and especially tasty.
As she lifted her head in surprise, she was in time to see Yi Wenze pulling his chopsticks back. In his bowl, though, there was not even the shadow of half a shrimp.
Was this considered… a fan benefit?
Lowering her head, Jia He took a bite, carefully using her teeth to pull away that thin layer of sh.e.l.l. All she could sense was that sour and spicy flavour gradually permeating from her mouth all the way to her stomach… And then, in an instant, crimson flooded her cheeks. The people surrounding them were all utterly focused on that hot pot and busy s.n.a.t.c.hing food for themselves. No one had noticed this little corner near the window or what had just occurred.
”Screenwriter, it turns out you actually can't take spicy foods?” Her bowl cupped in one hand, Xiao Ou pointed at Jia He with her chopsticks and announced in seriousness, ”We ran around to a bunch of places this afternoon to buy the soup base, so I thought you're really able to take spiciness.”
Tears from the spicy heat had long sprung into a.s.sistant Director Cheng Hao's eyes. He at last knew who the true culprit was. ”Jia He, are you getting revenge on me for making you take a little, supporting role? You should have said something earlier. I guarantee, next time I'll give you the lead actress role.”
As these two played off one another, everyone eventually noticed that Jia He's face was redder than a cooked shrimp, and they all echoed their mirthful agreement, saying that Jia He wasn't here to reward everybody; she was basically taking this chance to exact her revenge. But despite the gripes coming from their lips, they were still each more rushed and eager than the next, and in the blink of an eye, the food, which had actually been double the portion for their numbers, was completely demolished.
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After they had eaten until they were basically full, their bodies also felt warmer. This group that during the day had longed to wrap up work and head back to their rooms to sleep, now actually grew animated. Cheng Hao had recently become obsessed with Sanguosha[3], and grinning, he pulled out a set of the cards from his pocket. Straightaway, the people in the vehicle all gathered around him. Jia He did not know how to play and could only watch from the sidelines. When she became tired from watching, she stepped out of the motorhome, wanting to stand beside it and take in some fresh air.
The ruckus inside the vehicle faded further and further. The light around her also became dimmer and dimmer.
Without even noticing, she had actually strolled quite far. She remembered that she should go back to keep working, so she turned around, thinking that she would first admire the footprints she had made. To her surprise, she saw Yi Wenze standing not far from her, cloaked in the shroud of night.
He had one hand in his pocket while pinched between the fingers of his right hand was a cigarette, which was giving off a faint, flickering glow. He merely tranquilly watched her, not uttering anything.
Because everything was blanketed in white, their surroundings appeared especially vast and empty.
It was as if, in this s.p.a.ce between heaven and earth, there were only the two of them, gazing at one another.
What flashed across her mind in that instant was how foolish she must have looked earlier when she was stepping in the snow. Terribly embarra.s.sed, Jia He self-consciously asked, ”Teacher Yi, how come you came out, too?”
”I saw that you kept walking towards where it's dark, so I followed along just to keep an eye on things.” Smiling, Yi Wenze stubbed out the cigarette. ”It's about time to go back now. Work will be starting up very early tomorrow.”
With this simple sentence from him, Jia He very quickly remembered the reason work needed to start early tomorrow.
What kind of reason would it have to be in order for anyone to choose to forsake such a man?
Jia He's heart suddenly twinged. Back when she first found out about Gu Yu's betrayal, she had only been able to use ”not good enough” to comfort herself. She had been working for three, four years but was still only a little reporter who had to run around everywhere while he was already soaring up the ladder in his career and rising rapidly to success. But now, as she looked at Yi Wenze, she simply could not imagine why such a man would also be betrayed and forsaken.
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[1] Yanpi dumplings, also known as pork skin dumplings, are a snack food originating from Fuzhou. The yanpi is the ”skin” of the dumpling. Lean pork that has been pounded into a paste and mixed with tapioca flour or glutinous rice flour is formed into thin slices, which serve as a wrapper for the dumpling filling.
[2] Qiao Qiao changed this from 人非草木 ”man is unlike the gra.s.s and the trees.” Man is unlike the gra.s.s and trees, which feel nothing and hold no emotions. Here, Qiao Qiao is jesting that horses have feelings, too, and what they feel is that they like the good-looking people.
[3] 三国杀. A role playing card game based on the cla.s.sic story, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This card game is known in English by various names, including Sanguosha, Killers of the Three Kingdoms, Legend of the Three Kingdoms, and Three Kingdoms Kill.
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Completed:
1 of 1 Prologue
11 of 58 Chapter segments
0 of 4 Epilogues
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