Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 98: Front Desk Oda and Shito's First Broadcast

Jiang Ye pushed open the office door, still holding the documents from the meeting in his hand. When he looked up, he saw two familiar figures sitting on the sofa.

Lin Xiaoman was munching on grapes from the fruit plate on his table when she saw him come in. She immediately waved with a grin and said, "Brother! Surprised? Unexpected!"

Beside her, Tian Xi sat up straight, her hands obediently placed on her knees. When she saw him looking over, she immediately flashed an incredibly sweet smile: "Brother Jiang Ye!"

Jiang Ye: "..."

His lower back suddenly started to ache.

It's very likely that he was traumatized by this girl during the Chinese New Year...

"Why are you here?" Jiang Ye rubbed his temples and walked to his desk, putting down the documents.

"It's summer vacation!" Lin Xiaoman said matter-of-factly.

"Have you discussed this with your father?"

"No."

Jiang Ye frowned: "Then why didn't you tell me in advance? I could have picked you up."

Lin Xiaoman gave him a disdainful look: "Brother, I'm not a child anymore. If I told you, how would I come?"

Jiang Ye: "..."

He turned to look at Tian Xiwei: "And you? Did you sneak here too?"

Tian Xiwei immediately shook her head: "No, no! I've already talked to my family!"

Jiang Ye looked up at the two of them: "You came to Yanjing during your summer vacation just to have fun?"

Lin Xiaoman popped the last grape into her mouth, waving her hand indistinctly, "What else can we do? We can't just let it mold at home! We're going to... going to..."

She forgot her lines and her gaze drifted towards Tian Xiwei.

Tian Xiwei quickly pulled a pink notebook out of her canvas backpack and handed it over with both hands.

Lin Xiaoman took the book, flipped through a couple of pages, her eyes lit up, and she cleared her throat to read aloud: "First stop: fried liver with steamed buns at Gulou, then off to Nanluoguxiang for cheese and pea flour cake! In the afternoon, go to Huguosi Street for donkey rolls, and head straight to Guijie for crayfish in the evening! The next morning, queue up for sugar-coated fried dough, lunch for mutton hotpot, and dinner... I haven't decided yet, but my options are door nail meat pies and tripe!"

She read with great enthusiasm, and Tian Xiwei listened attentively, nodding along with anticipation on her little face.

Jiang Ye listened in a daze, and after Lin Xiaoman finished reading, he naturally stretched out his hand: "Let me see the notebook."

Tian Xiwei's expectant expression hadn't faded when she heard this. Like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, she suddenly leaned forward, frantically trying to grab it: "Ah... no need, Brother Jiang Ye! It's just something I wrote casually, nothing interesting!"

The moment her fingertips touched the edge of the notebook, Jiang Ye had already deftly pulled them away.

In a flash, Tian Xiwei's cheeks turned bright red, the blush spreading from her ears all the way down her neck, even her earlobes turned pink.

She nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, her eyes darting around, not daring to look at Jiang Ye flipping through the notebook, muttering under her breath, "It's a mess... don't look at it..."

As she spoke, her fingers unconsciously twirled the strap of her schoolbag, like a child afraid of having her little secret discovered. Even Lin Xiaoman, who was sitting next to her, couldn't help but nudge her with her elbow, her shoulders shaking from trying not to laugh.

The title page contains a map and guide to the best restaurants in Jiang Ye's city...

Turning to the first page, the most striking thing is not the store name or the route, but a round pig's head drawn right in the center.

It's pink, and the words "Jiang Ye" are written on the side...

Countless colorful lines extend from around the pig's head like rays of sunlight, with each line ending at a restaurant.

The red line leads to "Old Town Braised Offal," next to which is a picture of a steaming pot of braised offal, labeled "Must-order large intestine + baked bun, Jiang Ye can take it to eat tonight."

A blue line connects to the "corner candy shop," depicting golden, crispy candy cakes. Next to it, written in fluorescent pen, is the message: "Open before 7 a.m., so Jiang Ye can get up early and queue up!"

The green line points to "Alleyway Hot Pot Restaurant," depicting a bubbling red broth base, with the note "Mildly spicy is fine, otherwise Jiang Ye, this fake mountain city dweller, won't be able to handle it."

There's even a purple line that winds around three times, ending with a small ice cream cone, next to which is written, "Hidden Gem! The ice cream shop downstairs from Jiangye Company, the least crowded time is around 3 PM."

Next to each shop name, the address and opening hours are densely written, and there are even "must-order menus" and "queueing guides" marked in red pen. Between the lines are simple line drawings of small cakes and meat buns. The "Jiang Ye Boar Head" shop, which is surrounded by food routes, has a cute little red dot drawn on the tip of its nose, making it look like it is drooling from the temptation of countless delicious foods.

Jiang Ye threw down his notebook, turned around, and left, as if he had made up his mind...

"Hey! Brother... Brother!" Lin Xiaoman reacted the fastest, rushing over to grab his arm, and Tian Xiwei also quickly jumped up from the sofa and grabbed his other arm.

The two of them, one on each side, shook his arm affectionately.

"Let go."

"Don't give it up..."

Jiang Ye was at his wits' end with these two. He sighed, shook off their hands, and walked back to his desk. He picked up the documents and said in a muffled voice without looking up, "Fine, have fun then. Remember to go home early and don't worry your families."

"Okay, big pot!"

As soon as Lin Xiaoman finished speaking, Tian Xiwei suddenly grabbed her arm hard from the other end of the sofa, her eyes darting around anxiously, trying to give her a secret signal.

She then belatedly realized what was happening and slapped her thigh: "Oh right! Brother, you have to come with us!"

Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow: "Why?"

Lin Xiaoman said matter-of-factly, "If you don't go, who will pay the bill?"

Jiang Ye: "???"

Seeing her teammate's idiotic reaction, Tian Xiwei quickly waved her hand and added, "No, no! Xiaoman was just joking!"

"We mean... it's our first time in Yanjing, and we're unfamiliar with the city. We're afraid to walk alone at night..."

"Jiang Ye is definitely worried too, right?"

"Scared?" Jiang Ye looked at her chubby little face, but his mind was uncontrollably flashing back to the video that Lin Xiaoman had secretly shown him last time.

Tian Xiwei is practically the leader among the girls at Tongling High School...

The video shows her fighting with other girls, and it's incredibly intense...

Of course, Xiaoman also told him what happened; some girls at school like to bully others.

They usually swallow their anger, but they ran into a brick wall and met Tian Xiwei.

This girl wasn't scared at all; she took off her shoes and got to work.

As expected of the Sichuan-Chongqing Little Tyrannosaurus Rex...

Don't be fooled by her sweet demeanor now; it's all an act...

Jiang Ye understood perfectly, because his mother was...

He took a deep breath and decided to address the most practical question first: "Where are you staying tonight? Have you booked a hotel?"

Lin Xiaoman blinked: "Why book a hotel? Of course I'll stay at your place!"

Tian Xi added in a soft voice, "Or... the company dormitory would be fine too..."

Jiang Ye: "..."

Where does his company get dormitories?

Lin Xiaoman suddenly leaned over and put her arm around his shoulder: "Brother, Tiantian said she can be your temporary secretary, no salary required!"

Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow: "No salary?" Tian Xiwei immediately nodded: "Yes, yes! No salary!"

"However, Brother Jiangye, could you please settle the payment for the local specialties from last time?"

"Didn't you say you didn't want a salary?"

"Yes, I don't want the salary, but the money for the local specialties is something I owed before."

Jiang Ye: "..."

He finally understood that this girl had come to collect a debt.

"I don't have money for local specialties, but I can do summer jobs! I don't want a secretary, how about a receptionist?"

"Huh? Brother Jiangye, I'm going to be a big star in the future, aren't there any other good positions?"

"Meals and lodging included, 200 yuan a day!"

"I'll do it, I'll do it..."

……

At 6:30 p.m., a faint aroma of soy sauce wafted through the rented room in Tianhe District of Guangzhou.

Lin Xiaowen brought the last plate of blanched bok choy to the table and took off her apron, which was still damp with water: "Hurry up and wash your hands and eat! The steamed fish today is very fresh; the market lady said it was just caught!"

On the living room sofa, Su Qing was typing on her laptop. Without looking up, she said, "Wait five more minutes. The client is pressing for the proposal. We can't afford to lose to the efficiency of people from Guangdong!"

She works in operations at an e-commerce company, and the computer screen is still displaying the event data for the "818 Shopping Festival".

Zhang Li poked her head out of the restroom, clutching her newly changed saleswoman uniform: "I closed two more deals at the Yanjing Road counter today. I'll pay for the extra dishes tonight!"

She sells skincare products at a department store, and speaks with a sweet, gentle tone that she's developed from working at the counter.

The three sat around a small dining table, enjoying white porridge with salted fish and eggplant, steamed fish with perilla leaves, and a plate full of chilled lychees.

Su Qing took a bite of rice and suddenly said, "Nobody's going to fight me for the remote tonight. The finale of 'The Journey of Flower' is coming up soon."

"Yingbao's gaze was absolutely captivating; I was crying my eyes out last week!"

"Pshaw, watch 'Nirvana in Fire'!" Zhang Li immediately retorted, picking up a piece of fish. "Hu Ge's portrayal of Mei Changsu is absolutely amazing! I've liked him since 'Chinese Paladin.' No one can play this kind of reserved yet intelligent strategist better than him."

"It's airing on Hunan TV tonight during prime time!" Su Qing snatched the remote. "I've been waiting a week for Xiao Gu and Bai Zihua's heart-wrenching love story!"

"The plot of 'Nirvana in Fire' on Shanghai TV is much more intense!" Zhang Li reached out to grab it. "Look at their political intrigue, it's all interconnected, much better than those melodramatic misunderstandings!"

The two were arguing heatedly when Lin Xiaowen, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly said, "Hey, how about watching 'Si Teng'? We wore cheongsams and took photos together at Wanda Golden Street last week."

Su Qing paused, "Let's forget it, it's Jing Tian's acting..."

Zhang Li curled her lips: "She's just a resource-backed actress. In the recently aired 'The Legend of Da Yu'er,' and a few years ago in 'The Warring States,' her acting was really a bit awkward. Her eyes didn't express anything; all she could do was pose."

“Yes,” Lin Xiaowen nodded while eating her porridge, “She’s clearly the female lead, but she can’t carry the role. It feels like such a good production was wasted.”

The three of them took turns criticizing Jing Tian's several dramas.

The two TV channels were still looping the previews when Su Qing suddenly laughed out loud: "But I already posted on my WeChat Moments last week about wearing a cheongsam and taking photos. It's a Si Teng themed event, so why not take a look, take a screenshot, and post it on WeChat Moments to wrap things up? That way, it'll be a proper ending!"

"Besides, that show is airing on Tencent Video. Should I bring my laptop over?"

Zhang Li raised an eyebrow: "Sure, watching this will give me more material to make fun of!"

Lin Xiaowen picked up her phone and flipped through her photo album: "After you take the screenshots, remember to use our group photo in cheongsams as the background, and Photoshop a Siteng girl sticker on it. It'll be full of ceremony!"

At 8 p.m., the three girls sat around the coffee table. Su Qing opened her laptop, and the Penguin Video interface popped up, with the cover of "Si Teng" prominently displayed.

Jing Tian wore a dark red cheongsam, her eyes were cold, and vines were wrapped around her.

"Come on, let's begin!" Lin Xiaowen popped a lychee into her mouth and sat cross-legged.

They planned to take a quick look and take some photos before going to see Hua Qiangu.

The opening scene is packed with high-energy moments!

The first episode of Jiang Ye was edited using a dual-narrative approach.

First, there's the neon-lit streets of Shanghai in 1939.

On a rainy night in the alleyways of Shanghai, the bluestone pavement reflects a dim light. Jing Tian, ​​who plays Si Teng, is wearing a dark green embroidered cheongsam and holding an oil-paper umbrella as he walks to the alley entrance.

After saving a child from falling from a building, she went alone into the warehouse of Huamei Textile Factory.

The camera follows her swaying figure as she moves forward. Suddenly, a mysterious woman wrapped in a cloak leaps out from the shadows, piercing Si Teng's chest with a sharp spike. Outside the window, the horrified gaze of the coachman Jia San (played by Bai Lu) is captured in the frame by the vines.

"Holy crap? They're already unleashing a killer move right at the start?" Zhang Li nearly dropped the potato chips in her hand, her eyes wide with disbelief. "The female lead has only been on screen for less than five minutes, and she's already been stabbed? This pace is way too fast!"

Su Qing leaned forward, staring at the dark green cheongsam with bloodstains on the screen: "No way? I just thought the cheongsam was beautiful, and then the person was gone? This screenwriter isn't following the script!"

Lin Xiaowen clung to the back of the sofa, looking utterly incredulous: "It's only the first episode! The female lead just appeared and then she's gone? What's going to happen next? Is this a flashback? But can a dead female lead really come back to life?"

The three looked at each other, still excited by the stunning cheongsam look, when they were suddenly hit with this unexpected death plot. Su Qing couldn't help but mutter, "I should have known better than to criticize Jing Tian first. I just thought she had style, and then she just disappeared? How is this show going to act?!"

The timeline jumps to the modern era.

The scene shows the deep mountains of Yunnan, with a primeval forest shrouded in mist.

The camera slowly zooms in, and the vines wriggle like living things, crushing a wild rabbit, its juices seeping into the soil.

"Wow, the special effects are amazing!" Zhang Li exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Are web dramas made like this now?"

The scene changes to a tour bus in motion.

A science program was playing on the bus.

According to the Records of Prehistoric Tales, in 1914 BC, the eighth year of the Xia Dynasty, there was a strange phenomenon in the sky, with a flash of light falling to earth. After that, strange objects often appeared in many places and caused trouble for people.

Those organisms that mutated from plants were collectively called the Kama tribe.

Among humans, a sect emerged dedicated to eliminating other races, known as the "Suspended Gate."

This provides an initial overview of the world-building surrounding the Yi tribe and the Suspended Gate in the drama...

Li Xian plays Qin Fang, the male lead, who sits by the window wearing a gray trench coat, while An Man clings to him and feeds him oranges.

He turned his head away, saying, "I'll do it myself."

"what……"

Three female voices exclaimed in unison.

"The male lead is so handsome!"

"This guy's looks are way better than Jing Tian's. I could watch three episodes just based on his face!"

"Not bad, not bad, the male lead is alright!"

The three girls became a little interested...

(End of this chapter)