Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

Zhuang Huai'an has always believed that

A real man should be like a hyena, tearing at his food with big bites; that's what makes him powerful.

So he felt rather constrained during the meal.

But there's nothing you can do about it; you can't criticize someone's manners just because they eat slowly.

Just as he stopped drinking and putting down his chopsticks, hesitant to eat, Aunt Liu noticed his unusual behavior and asked, "Director Zhuang, is the food not to your liking?"

"Auntie, you can just call me Huai'an."

Zhuang Huai'an could only lie: "The food was quite delicious, but I've been traveling around a lot lately, so my appetite has been inconsistent."

Aunt Liu nodded thoughtfully. "That might be due to a change in environment. In that case, you could try some familiar local cuisine. Huai'an, where are you from?"

My hometown is in Jiangxi Province.

"From Jiangxi Province?" Aunt Liu looked at the table full of Sichuan dishes with some confusion. Although she was from Northeast China, she had lived in Hubei Province for more than ten years, so her taste was naturally more spicy. Therefore, she subconsciously chose a Sichuan restaurant.

And Jiangxi Province, which is also a province of the same ethnicity, seems to have an even stronger appetite for spicy food, right?

"Xixi, isn't the food spicy?" Aunt Liu asked her daughter.

"Hmm, it's not spicy. I think it's just okay."

The little girl's face was flushed and her forehead was sweating, but she still stubbornly insisted on her point, which made Zhuang Huai'an laugh.

Liu Yifei wrinkled her nose at him in dissatisfaction and gave a soft snort.

"Child, eat less spicy food." Aunt Liu slapped her daughter's arm reproachfully, afraid that she would get a stomachache.

The little girl's hearty eating made Zhuang Huai'an's appetite increase, but he had already said what he wanted to say, and it would be too awkward to pick up his chopsticks now.

Men have pride!

So he decided to go out for a smoke.

As soon as I opened the door to the private room, a familiar face walked towards me.

"Hey, what a coincidence, you're eating here too, bro?"

"Who is it?" Jiang Wen seemed a little drunk, and it took him a while to react. "Brother Huai'an, what a coincidence! Wait a minute, let me wash my face and run some water, shall we go together?"

Zhuang Huai'an readily accepted the invitation from Jiang Wen, who was a man.

"Let's go!"

After washing his face and letting off the remaining alcohol, Jiang Wen felt a bit more awake, and Zhuang Huai'an handed him a cigarette to light.

"Hey bro, who are you having dinner with?"

"Hey, you don't know him?" Jiang Wen exhaled a puff of smoke, her brows furrowed with annoyance. "It's about that matter from before. I've arranged to meet with a few friends to see if we can smooth things over."

He didn't explain it clearly, but Zhuang Huai'an understood. He thought to himself, "As expected of you, Jiang Wen. This friendship is truly profound."

What a tragic couple!

Zhuang Huai'an gave him a thumbs up.

Jiang Wen waved her hand with a wry smile and asked, "Who are you with?"

"A mother and daughter you don't even know."

Seeing Jiang Wen looking at him with a surprised expression, Zhuang Huai'an spat at him, "Don't taint my pure heart with your filthy thoughts. She's just a friend. I helped her out a little before. She's a minor girl, and her mother was with her."

"Oh, oh, oh, friend, hello friend," Jiang Wen immediately became serious when faced with someone protected by a protective spell. He felt that his little brother didn't seem like someone who was going to get electrocuted.

But what if?

Jiang Wen's eyes darted around, and an idea popped into her head. She asked, "Have you been drinking?"

No.

"That's perfect. My party's over, and I've had a bit too much to drink. How about I come over to your place for the night?"

Jiang Wen had visited Zhuang Huai'an's courtyard house before, and as a local, she naturally knew it wasn't far from here.

"Okay, wait for me a moment, I'll go in and say hello." Zhuang Huai'an didn't suspect anything.

"Let's go together then, otherwise people will think you're going to run away halfway, which is impolite."

Jiang Wen's words did make some sense, and Zhuang Huai'an nodded as the two entered the private room.

"Auntie, this is my good brother Jiang Wen. He happens to be eating here too."

Jiang Wen's reputation was so great that Aunt Liu quickly stood up to greet her, "Hello, Director Jiang, my name is Liu Xiaoli, and this is my daughter Liu Yifei. Qianqian, greet her."

The young girl put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, stood up, and greeted, "Hello, Director Jiang."

"Oh," Jiang Wen said with a smile, "Greetings, you two. I'm an unwelcome guest who has come uninvited. I apologize for disturbing you."

"You're too kind, you're a distinguished guest."

Aunt Liu smiled broadly and acted with grace. "Director Jiang, please have a seat. I'll go ask the waiter to bring you a bowl and chopsticks."

"Oh, then I'll take my leave."

Having heard Zhuang Huai'an mention something about a mother and daughter, and that they were minors, Jiang Wen thought he should come in and see what was going on. If things weren't going well, he would pull his younger brother away. It's not that he was being paranoid; there are just too many things in this industry to be wary of. As a good older brother, he felt it was necessary to keep Zhuang Huai'an in check and prevent him from going astray too early.

At this moment, he felt relieved. After all, a person's demeanor doesn't lie. The mother and daughter were both very poised and elegant, with one having a dazed and innocent look in their eyes. They didn't seem like strange people at all.

But since we're already here, it's not very polite to just leave.

Before long, Aunt Liu returned with a set of bowls and chopsticks, followed by a waiter carrying a large bowl.

"Director Jiang, I saw there was some hangover soup here, so I had them make you a bowl. Try it and let it help you get rid of the effects of alcohol."

Jiang Wen was somewhat surprised and quickly said, "Oh, thank you for your trouble, Ms. Liu."

As expected of Aunt Liu, her manners and interactions with others are so graceful and poised that it's impossible to find a single fault with her.

Zhuang Huai'an gave her a thumbs up in his heart. He later heard that she even cooked at home to entertain Liu Yifei's fans. How could anyone say that she was narrow-minded?

As Jiang Wen drank the hangover soup, he noticed the awkward atmosphere. Even with his thick skin, he felt a little embarrassed. "If you're drunk, just go home and sleep. Why do you have to cause trouble?"

He could only force a conversation by asking, "How old is the little girl?"

"Director Jiang, I'm 15 years old this year." The little girl wasn't shy at all, and looked at him with her big, dark eyes full of curiosity.

"15 years old, seven years older than my daughter," Jiang Wen swallowed a mouthful of hangover soup with difficulty, and asked, "Is she in high school?"

Aunt Liu smiled and continued, "This child went to high school in the US. He graduated after earning enough credits. He applied to the Beijing Film Academy in March and is now just waiting for the start of the semester."

Jiang Wen nodded: "That's good. You like performing?"

"I like it. I want to be an actress like Audrey Hepburn," the little girl replied crisply and forcefully.

"Very good, very energetic!" Jiang Wen praised.

"Then you'd better work hard," Aunt Liu teased her daughter subtly. "You can't even figure things out when you're acting in a TV series, otherwise you wouldn't have been scolded by the director to the point of tears."

Jiang Wen raised an eyebrow and chimed in, "Is that so?"

After giving Liu Xiaoli a meaningful look, Zhuang Huai'an briefly recounted the story of the Noble Family to Jiang Wen.

"Damn it, he's gone too far!"

Whether genuine or feigned, Jiang Wen slammed her bowl on the table and roared, "Back in my day, even when I was so arrogant, I wouldn't dare call the director a nobody. Who does Chen Kun think he is? Get him!"

Zhuang Huai'an rolled his eyes. You didn't mention the director's cats and dogs, but you went straight for Zhang Yimou. By 2025, Mo Yan will still be making you pay for his thermos.

Aunt Liu glanced discreetly at the people in the room, then looked down at the table. The little girl stared at her blankly, while Jiang Wen, who had been hiding under the table, suddenly tugged at her trouser leg.

Zhuang Huai'an was deeply moved:

They're all veteran actors!