Chapter 35: Cooking 02
Chapter 35
In the Yun Tian Building in Kyoto at this moment, a man stood expressionless, holding a tablet and reading the message handed to him by his assistant.
"General Ye, the woman from last night is an actress named Shen Shuyao," said the cautious assistant, Liu Yi, standing by his side.
Ye Jingzhan raised his gaze, his eyes cold as he looked over. He had an indifferent expression, emanating an icy aura, as he calmly asked, "Have they found the person who drugged me?"
Liu Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling embarrassed. It wasn't pleasant to have the boss angry at him. He replied, "Not yet."
Ye Jingzhan lightly tapped his fingers on the desk and said coldly, "Continue the investigation."
Liu Yi nodded and replied, "Okay."
"This actress..." Ye Jingzhan's eyes darkened as he stared at the photo on the tablet. She was brimming with a smile, her face innocent and unaware of the ways of the world.
"The person who drugged you must be aware of your aversion to women. But it's strange, this actress..." Liu Yi's face wore a serious expression.
Ye Jingzhan furrowed his brows. He disliked women, to the point where even their touch made him uncomfortable. If he had too strong of a repulsion towards this woman, it could even trigger a shock, a psychological condition.
But it was strange. He had spent a night with this woman, yet his body had reacted normally, without any abnormalities.
"We have an entertainment company under our umbrella. Go and negotiate with them to sign her," Ye Jingzhan said with a hint of interest, raising an eyebrow.
Liu Yi's eyes widened in surprise. After a moment of hesitation, he replied, "Alright."
"How did she end up in my room yesterday?" Ye Jingzhan asked.
"I found out that Shen Shuyao's agent sent her to attend a dinner party. She was probably drugged and ended up in the wrong room accidentally," Liu Yi confirmed, well aware of the workings of the entertainment industry. When they mentioned a dinner party, everyone understood the underlying meaning.
"What about the surveillance footage?"
"We checked the surveillance footage, and it indeed happened as described. This woman shouldn't have been sent by the person who drugged you," Liu Yi solemnly answered.
"Good. Go and make the arrangements," Ye Jingzhan handed the tablet to him, his expression unchanged.
---
Meanwhile, at Ji Nian's place, she was busy in the kitchen. It was already 4:30 in the afternoon, and Shen Shuyao was still fast asleep.
But she had already woken up and gone out to buy groceries, preparing to make a heartfelt dinner for the female lead.
The vegetables in this urban area were quite expensive, twice the price compared to her suburban neighborhood. However, for the sake of the female lead, she gritted her teeth and bought them anyway.
She planned to make chicken soup, stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, and blanched shrimp. It would be more than enough for the two of them.
The weather was quite hot, but fortunately, the female lead's apartment was a small single-bedroom unit, well-furnished and not too small. There was air conditioning in the room, so even in the kitchen, she didn't feel the heat.
While cutting tomatoes, Ji Nian marveled at the stark contrast between this apartment and her own rundown shack.
"Xiao Nian, what are you doing?" Shen Shuyao stood at the kitchen doorway, her eyes still sleepy, and asked in a dazed manner.
Ji Nian looked up, her eyes filled with surprise, and said, "You're awake? I bought groceries and I'm cooking dinner. I thought it would be more hygienic to eat at home than going out."
Shen Shuyao approached Ji Nian, catching a whiff of a fragrance that moved her. With gratitude in her eyes, she said, "Xiao Nian, thank you."
Ji Nian smiled and replied, "Silly, we're good friends. No need to be polite. I made some chicken soup and planned to prepare your favorite steamed shrimp and tomato scrambled eggs."
Shen Shuyao obediently nodded and said, "I'll eat whatever you cook."
Playfully winking, Ji Nian said, "Don't worry, my cooking skills are decent."
Shen Shuyao returned a smile and asked, "Do you need any help?"
"No, you can wait for me outside. It'll be ready soon," Ji Nian answered.
Shen Shuyao shook her head and said, "Then I'll watch you from inside."
"Alright, just sit and play with your phone while you wait," Ji Nian nodded and said with a smile.
Listening attentively, Shen Shuyao silently fetched a chair from outside and watched the busy figure of the woman.
With her phone in hand, she boredly opened Weibo and miraculously discovered that she was trending?
"Oh? I'm trending?" Shen Shuyao froze, surprised.
Ji Nian turned her head and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? What does the trending say?"
Shen Shuyao clicked on it and found a video of the character she played, a princess who was depicted as delicate and prone to crying in the drama. Underneath were comments from netizens.
"This crybaby is so adorable, like she stepped out of a novel."
"Hilarious! The crybaby and the cold-faced general, their chemistry is so strong."
"The character is fragile and cries a lot, but her smile is so lively."
Shen Shuyao scrolled through the positive comments and felt inexplicably excited. She curled her lips, happily saying to the woman who was still cooking, "Finally, someone has noticed the character I played! Xiao Nian, I feel so happy."
Ji Nian smiled in response and said, "I told you that you would make it. Remember what we said last time? There's always a character that the audience will fall in love with."
Shen Shuyao's inner gloom dissipated to some extent. Although she had inexplicably given herself to a man on that first night, she thought it was fine. As an adult, she couldn't undo what had happened and could only look forward.
Now that she saw progress in her career and that the audience liked the character she played, it was a good thing. She believed that things would only get better in the future.
With these thoughts in mind, Shen Shuyao's mood instantly brightened. She happily watched the trending video and secretly used a secondary account to like the comments praising her.
She noticed the second trending topic, a song called "Ordinary Road." She clicked on it to listen.
Yet her attention was captivated by the background in the video. It was a particularly shabby room. Shen Shuyao looked up and saw the woman's delicate face, which exuded an extraordinary air even without makeup.
Wearing an apron, the woman was earnestly cooking. Shen Shuyao felt a pang in her heart and asked, "Why do you live in such a place?"
Ji Nian had just finished cooking the tomato scrambled eggs and turned her head in confusion, asking, "Huh? What place?"
Shen Shuyao stared into her eyes and asked, "Where do you live?"
Ji Nian was taken aback when she heard a song playing from her phone. It was "The Ordinary Road." She realized that the female lead had come across her video.
"Well, I'm in debt, so I have to prioritize saving," Ji Nian replied with a smile.
Shen Shuyao lowered her head and ended the video call. She asked, "How much do you still owe?"
Ji Nian thought for a moment. The original owner of her company terminated the contract, leaving her with a debt of 4 million yuan. Plus, Cheng Liran's 2.77 million yuan, the total amounted to 6.77 million yuan. After deducting the 5 million yuan from Luo Bai, there wouldn't be much left.
"I still owe 1.77 million yuan," Ji Nian answered.
Shen Shuyao was taken aback. She suddenly remembered that the woman had owed 10 million yuan not long ago, and now she had paid back so much already. She asked, "You still owe 1.77 million yuan. I have some with me. Do you want..."
"No!" Ji Nian quickly interrupted before she could finish her sentence. "You don't need to worry about that. I can handle it myself."
Shen Shuyao hesitated for a moment. A look of embarrassment appeared on her face as she whispered, "Actually, I've just debuted, so I don't have much money either, but I do have a little..."
"Thank you for your kind offer," Ji Nian felt a bit touched. They had only known each other for a short time, and yet the female lead was willing to lend her money.
Shen Shuyao raised her head and said, "Actually, you're already amazing. You've paid back so much already."
Ji Nian smiled and said, "It's just luck. Let's not talk about it anymore. Let's have our meal. Come on, bring out the dishes. I'll serve the rice."