Old mother
Jing Dan glanced up at her, didn’t respond, and continued eating her own food.
Seeing her ungrateful appearance, He Ying slightly gritted her teeth, thinking that the next time she made food for her, she could add a few more chili peppers to see if she dared to remain so ungrateful.
However, seeing her eating so deliciously, a slight smile unconsciously appeared on He Ying’s lips, and she suddenly felt a sense of accomplishment.
“Have some soup,” He Ying said as she ladled a bowl of it and placed it in front of her.
Jing Dan acknowledged with a sound, put down her chopsticks, and began to drink the soup seriously. In the slightly chilly early autumn, drinking a bowl of steaming hot soup felt like the warmth started from deep inside the bones.
After having lunch with Jing Dan, and as they were cleaning up, looking at the almost empty plates, He Ying couldn’t help but feel impressed once more; Jing Dan looked slim and delicate, but she could really eat a lot.
Perhaps because of the saying “one who eats from others’ hands speaks little,” this time Jing Dan seemed too embarrassed to just eat and run, so she knew to come forward and help clean up the trash. Although her cleaning seemed more like making trouble for He Ying, He Ying didn’t say anything and silently redid the parts that Jing Dan didn’t clean up well.
“Um, is there more for dinner?” Jing Dan asked in a quiet voice.
He Ying: “…”
It was one thing to treat her like a shrimp peeling tool, but now also to expect her to act like a cooking mother?!
Seeing her not speaking, the originally bright eyes of Jing Dan dimmed slightly, she pursed her lips, and her spirit seemed to lower.
He Ying: “…”
Why is this person putting on such a pitiful expression?! Does she think by doing this I’ll just agree to what she wants!
“Fine.”
Tsk! He Ying felt like slapping herself; why did her mouth respond so quickly! Didn’t she think it through at all?!
However, upon seeing the sudden brightening in Jing Dan’s eyes, and the hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth, she felt that this was rather nice. If preparing a few more meals would make her happier, then her efforts wouldn’t be in vain.
“What would you like for dinner?” He Ying asked her, this time giving her the right to choose from the menu herself.
“I’ll eat whatever you make,” Jing Dan finally seemed to understand some social etiquette, knowing that someone who only eats without contributing does not have the right to be picky.
He Ying glanced at her and said, “Then come to my house directly after work.”
Jing Dan replied, “Okay!”
After tidying up, He Ying didn’t rush to leave. Instead, she sat down and chatted with Jing Dan for a while.
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“Do you really not need me to do anything?” He Ying asked. For this program, according to Jing Dan, all she needed to do was attend the recording, and she didn’t need to participate in any of the promotions.
Normally, He Ying would be glad not to participate in the promotions if it were anyone else, but with Jing Dan, she felt that not being involved meant missing out on an opportunity for exposure.
Although her own promotional influence wasn’t particularly significant, a little bit could still count for something, right?
“No need,” Jing Dan shook her head, “We have also invited Jiang Yan to participate, and there will be follow-up promotions. You don’t need to worry too much about the popularity aspect.”
Jiang Yan, the youngest winner of the Three Major Film Awards and someone who never participates in variety shows. Just the fact that this was her variety show debut was enough to ignite a sensation.
“Jiang Yan?!” He Ying exclaimed in surprise, “You actually managed to get her to come!”
Everyone knew Jiang Yan was famous for being a film fanatic; she devoted all her energy to acting. As an actor praised by everyone, numerous people wanted to invite her to variety shows, but without exception, she had turned them all down.
This also meant her variety show debut would have extremely high commercial value.
Jing Dan explained, “It wasn’t us who invited her; it was Qiu Shuhuai who got her to come.”
Of course, they didn’t have the clout to invite Jiang Yan to participate now; after all, Jiang Yan wasn’t short of money—financial incentives wouldn’t sway her. Initially, their invitation list didn’t even include Jiang Yan; it was Qiu Shuhuai who found her and said that he had invited Jiang Yan, asking them if they wanted her.
Asking them if they wanted her? How could they not want her! They weren’t fools!
He Ying herself had watched many of Jiang Yan’s movies and could be considered half a casual fan. If Jiang Yan could come to participate, it would be an honor for the show!
He Ying fell silent, looking at Jing Dan’s face and said in a low voice, “Maybe, your program is really going to be a hit.”
She didn’t know whether to attribute it to good luck or not, but having such an achievement for their first program, how could they worry about not being able to succeed in the future?
Jing Dan nodded and said with restrained pride, “I think so too.”
He Ying: “…”
She couldn’t be humble even after receiving just one compliment.
Upon hearing that she had come over, Hu Tu hurried over, only to see the two of them sitting opposite each other and talking.
Hu Tu: “???”
“Where’s the food?”
She came specifically because she heard that someone would bring food to Jing Dan, intent on joining for a meal!
The two people by the sofa simultaneously looked up at her, both wearing somewhat speechless expressions.
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“We finished it,” Jing Dan said impassively.
“The trash is over there,” He Ying pointed to the trash can nearby.
Hu Tu: “…”
How infuriating!
“What’s wrong with you two! How can you lack such revolutionary friendship, not even calling me when there’s food!”
She approached and pounced with the intent to pinch Jing Dan’s neck.
“Hey hey hey, what are you two doing!”
The scene shifted, with Hu Tu being pressed down on the sofa, two women firmly pinning her down, her messy hair covering her face.
She didn’t just fail to pinch Jing Dan’s neck, but also got ambushed by He Ying!
“Well, you two, when did you start conspiring behind my back!” Hu Tu thought angrily. Without her, how would these two have known each other?! And now they even teamed up to go against her!
Is this how friends behave!
“Your choice of words is not accurate; it’s not ‘conspiring,’ that sounds too unpleasant,” Jing Dan said seriously.
Hu Tu: “…”
Even more infuriated.
In the end, the three of them sat in a circle, with Hu Tu holding her criticism meeting, sternly denouncing the two for their unprincipled behavior.
After talking for so long that her mouth was dry, Jing Dan timely handed her a cup of water.
She snorted lightly and gave Jing Dan a sidelong glance, “At least you have a conscience.”
With the criticism meeting concluded, Hu Tu also remembered her pressing matters. She looked at He Ying with a serious expression and asked, “That woman you had dinner with, who is she?”
Damn it, she had been suppressed for so long and still didn’t know the woman’s name! It was like capsizing in a gutter—when had Hu Tu ever suffered such humiliation! The more she thought about it, the angrier she got!
“Hm? Do you know her?” He Ying now looked at her seriously, and then something clicked, she scrutinized her from head to toe, and spoke with a somewhat profound tone, “That time I called you, the person with you, was it her?”
Hu Tu also had a playful nature, and that person was likewise a social butterfly. Hu Tu’s appearance forced her to think along those lines.
Hu Tu: “…”
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How does this woman He Ying have such a sharp sixth sense? How can she be so accurate!
She didn’t speak, but her silence was tantamount to acknowledgment.
He Ying fell silent for a moment before stating a name: “Xu Yu.”
For the first time, she marveled at how small the world really was, to have such an encounter.
Jing Dan, who was beside them, listened to their conversation but could not understand what they were saying. She only felt that they were playing some kind of guessing game.
A guessing game that still excluded her.
She gently furrowed her brows, feeling somewhat displeased in her heart.
The author has something to say:
Jing Xiaodan: What are they talking about? Is there something they are trying to sneakily keep from me?
