Uneasy daily life

Sakurajima Mai turned around and stepped on Bai Ying's right foot, then grabbed a cushion from the sofa and swung it around, slapping it at Bai Ying. A look of embarrassment and anger appeared on her fair face, her deep eyes shimmering, and a hint of annoyance flickered at the corner of her mouth, as if she wanted to grab Bai Ying and chew him up.

"Your pillow is advantageous, but my pillow is not disadvantageous either!"

Bai Ying was hit on the head by several pillows. While her foot was being stepped on, she struggled to grab another pillow and, accompanied by the clanging sound of swords clashing, retaliated with a backhand blow.

The two exchanged blows with the cushions for a while. The white-clad figure grew more and more aggressive, groaning and yelling. Mai Sakurajima vented some of her emotions and barely regained some composure. Remembering that the others were still waiting at the door, she quickly threw the cushion onto the sofa.

You boyfriend!

Sakurajima Mai, still embarrassed and angry, stomped on the white figure twice, glared at the white figure holding the pillow, turned around and strode out of the room, glancing at the three people by the door.

Uesugi Taro stroked his beard as if in deep thought, while Angelina blinked obediently and remained silent. Mikawa looked around, then hesitated before saying, "Um..."

"Ahem." Mai Sakurajima said calmly, "Director, he has finished writing the script. Let's prepare for filming."

"Oh, okay, I'll go check out the script!"

Mikawaki quickly entered the room.

Mai Sakurajima's eye twitched.

"Hmph, I'd like to see what this kid can write."

Uesugi Taro explained and followed him inside.

Mai Sakurajima's eye twitched again.

Sakurajima Mai and Angelina looked at each other in silence. Suppressing her embarrassment, she asked, "Is Anshin-in here to see Black Fan-kun?"

"Ah? No, no!" Angelina quickly waved her hands. "I just happened to be passing by and this restaurant looked familiar. When I came over, I realized it was a film set, and then the director asked me if I was interested in playing a role or something!"

Role?

Mai Sakurajima looked at Angelina suspiciously, comparing her to the female character in the script.

She hesitated for a moment, then calmed down and asked, "You... are you too?"

"Really?" Angelina was stunned for a moment, then immediately jumped up and down, "Hey hey—no, no! I didn't mess around with men and women!"

"?"

Sakurajima Mai was taken aback, then, remembering what had just happened, quickly explained, "That was just the hater talking nonsense!"

"I...I...I..." Angelina took a step back, her words tumbling out in a jumble of emotions. She had a premonition that her reputation was being harmed, and her face was filled with panic. "I mean, it's too early for that kind of thing!"

"It's not too early—I mean it's absolutely impossible!"

Mai Sakurajima was utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend how she had come to be perceived in the other person's eyes.

"stop!"

Angelina crossed her hands, temporarily halting their nonsensical conversation. She took a deep breath, intending to speak loudly, but remembering there were outsiders present, she quickly lowered her voice furtively: "Bai Ying and I are not boyfriend and girlfriend!"

"?" Sakurajima Mai was stunned, incredulous. "I-Is that so?"

Angelina clutched her head, even more incredulous: "Why...is it true?"

"Well, how should I put it..." Mai Sakurajima said in a strange tone, "You and Black Fan are both espers, and both from the Crimson Troupe, right?"

"correct."

"Were you there when the hater was shouting 'I like you'?"

"You should avoid going out that day."

"When the play is performed, you are Princess Kaguya's maid, so you have a role, right?"

"I've been dragged into acting by Bai Ying several times, it's an experience I don't want to recall."

"so……"

Mai Sakurajima replied with an unfinished question, leaving everything unsaid—"You still say you have no special relationship with the hater?"

What... what kind of ultimate case of reputation being unfairly maligned?!

I've never been in a relationship, and suddenly I'm one of my scumbag boss's girlfriends?!

Angelina immediately emphasized, "Really, really, absolutely not!"

“Okay.” Mai Sakurajima nodded slightly.

What does "good" even mean?!

"Sakurajima-senpai, aren't you being too sensitive?" Angelina patted her cheek, speechless. "If you're going to say that, then theoretically every girl would be Shirokage's girlfriend, right? Besides, why are you being so... uh... um..."

“Because it’s a relationship, the good and the bad will gradually emerge as the relationship grows closer.” Mai Sakurajima crossed her arms, chuckled, and said, “Whether or not Black Fan can live up to his claim of liking someone, feelings need time to manifest. Feelings and time are both finite and can’t be faked… Yukino is a troublesome and awkward person, and so am I? I’m wondering who Black Fan will develop feelings for, how many, and what those feelings will be like.”

Mai Sakurajima shook her head and said, "I usually like to plan for the future, but I still can't plan for this messy relationship. I wonder where the future will lead."

Angelina scratched her head and said, "Does that sound like you're troubled?"

"No, not really. After all, feelings don't lie..." Mai Sakurajima pondered. "Anticipation? Waiting? Focusing on my career while enjoying romance? Who can blame me for being so persistent in matters of the heart... What are Angelina's feelings?"

Oh, she seems a bit different from Yukinoshita? Yukinoshita has started to be wary of Chitanda, like a cat guarding its food, looking around cautiously. Sakurajima-senpai seems to have thought about the future very seriously. Should we say she's mature and calm or just persistent?

Angelina took a couple of bites of the melon, then realized the topic had been brought back to the present, and quickly tried to deny it again.

"Great! This is the script! Excellent! No wonder you're screenwriter Bai!"

Mikawaki's excited voice approached the door: "I've also found an actor for you, and I heard he even knows you!"

"Actor? Does the director mean it's too long to read?"

Bai Ying walked out of the room, quite solemnly: "So you actually came to perform on your own initiative this time? You really do have the ambition to study hard and become a full member of the Scarlet Troupe—good, good! How can a subordinate without ambition be obedient? 9527, get ready for your performance!"

"I reject."

Angelina, with a sullen face, complained, "I was just passing by and this restaurant looked familiar, so I came over to take a look and then I was called over..."

"Huh? Really, why don't you give it a try?" Mikawaki quickly said, "Your image is perfect for this role!"

Angelina exclaimed warily, "No!"

It's bad enough that her reputation at school is damaged, but if she gets a cameo role in a TV series and then Bai Ying causes some trouble... Ugh!

"Director, have you gotten stupid?" Bai Ying said casually. "Just give us more money, right? Pretty clothes, delicious snacks, and we can even be on TV..."

Angelina was intrigued. If it was a TV series, she had watched a few episodes of "Night Food" written by Bai Ying before. Apart from the malicious plot, there was nothing strange about it.

"Uh, but I'm a minor, these kinds of things should be done by my parents..."

“Then let’s treat the director as an elder and give you, the junior, a red envelope.” Bai Ying said casually. “Besides, you’re just an extra, a freelancer, so you don’t need to sign a contract or anything. Just perform on stage like before.”

Mikawa was a little surprised: "Anxinyuan has acting experience? That's even better! Actually, the filming isn't as exaggerated or unbelievable as you think. Just act like you normally do."

"Well……"

Angelina was even more tempted.

"Don't all young people these days idolize celebrities?" Uesugi Taro chimed in. "Is this the type of girl who doesn't usually pay much attention to the entertainment industry?"

“Ah, no, that’s not it,” Angelina said casually. “I know celebrities mainly through building collapses and scandals… uh.”

Bai Ying nodded and said, "What a coincidence, I'm also a bystander."

Angelina retorted, "You're not just a bystander, you're the one who grows the melons!"

Mai Sakurajima further persuaded, "After all, this drama has a food-themed part. The director has secured a lot of fresh and delicious ingredients to sponsor it, so you can openly eat some rare dishes."

"Hmm, I'll give it a try, but it might not work!"

Earning extra pocket money, eating delicious food, appearing on TV...

Angelina nodded earnestly, though a little nervously.

Chapter 145 The Taste of Heartbreak

"Oh, the sausages are finally done."

"Uh-huh!"

The father and daughter were already seated at the dining table, cutlery in hand, ready to dig in, their eyes scanning the various sausage dishes on the table.

Some sausages are sliced ​​directly after being cleaned, the dark red lean meat and white fat contrasting beautifully on the cut surface, clearly indicating that the filling is finely ground and won't get stuck in your teeth even when eaten raw; other sausage slices are boiled before slicing, appearing even brighter after a hot bath, and you can almost taste their crisp and tender texture just by looking at them; still others are lightly pan-fried, giving them a crispy, oily sheen and an even richer aroma, perfect for eating with the accompanying bread slices...

The father instinctively reached for his fork, only to be stopped by his daughter's glare: "Wait for Mom!"

The father chuckled awkwardly, put away his fork, and called out, "Darling! Come and eat!"

"Here they come, the big glutton and the little glutton."

The mother came out of the kitchen and brought out a bowl of vegetable and sausage soup.

"Finally, we can eat... Oh right! I almost forgot about the TV!"

The father got up, turned on the TV, changed the channel, and chuckled, "Dinner time is for watching food programs!"

"That doesn't really qualify as a food show, does it?" the mother complained. "After watching it last time, I lost my appetite and kept asking for sausages from my hometown. I even went to the trouble of sending spices across borders."

"It's all the fault of that screenwriter, Shirokage. Weren't the episodes written by screenwriter Uesugi quite good? They featured delicious food and had a heartwarming story, perfect for watching with the family during dinner."

My father is a huge fan of the TV series "Night Diner" and also a hater of the screenwriter Bai Zihao, but the two are not contradictory.

The daughter looked a little stiff and helpless: "Uh... there's nothing much to see, is there? Should we change the channel?"

"Don't you really enjoy watching this show?" the father asked, puzzled.

"Hmm?" The mother narrowed her eyes and said meaningfully, "Is An'an hiding something from us? Could it be that she can't fit into last year's clothes anymore? That's actually quite normal; girls develop quickly at this age..."

"No, that's not it! Well, how should I put it, it's kind of like a part-time job?"

The daughter stammered a few words, then raised her hands to cover her face, letting out a small, mournful cry: "I wanted to tell you all..."

The father and mother looked puzzled, but their attention was immediately drawn to the opening theme song playing on the television.

"What?! An'an is on TV?!"

"That toxic screenwriter?!"

……

……

The late-night restaurants standing on the street are bathed in the gentle afternoon sunlight.

"Eggs...free...pork...beef...broth..."

The proprietress was taking stock of the stored ingredients and preparing for the opening of the shop.

Jingle Bell.

The wind chimes jingled as they swayed.

The two young guests looked around at the clean, quiet, and empty environment and suddenly felt uneasy.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" the boy called out.

"Here you are, two students? Today isn't a school day, is it?"

The proprietress came out of the kitchen and glanced at the two customers. They were wearing the same dark-colored school uniform. The girl was wearing a blazer and pleated skirt with knee-high socks and white sneakers, while the boy was wearing a blazer and casual pants with black sneakers. Both of them had school bags slung over their shoulders and looked like they had just finished school.

The girl seemed a bit reserved and not used to talking to people, while the man laughed cheerfully, "The adults have to work overtime, and we have to attend extra tutoring classes. We just finished class—madam, are you... not open yet?"

"It's open now." The proprietress tied on her apron. "Just order whatever you like, it's all fine."

The girl blinked: "I want to eat ramen, do you have any here?"

"Of course we have them. What flavor do you want?"

"Uh……"

The girl instinctively looked at the boy.

The boy said, "Then let's have two classic tonkotsu ramen."

The proprietress asked, "Are you busy? If not, I can make it by hand. If you are busy, I will use noodles that have been prepared in advance."

"This one……"

The boy seemed somewhat hesitant.

"I'm not busy," the girl said.

The boy chimed in, "Yeah, no rush. Boss lady, please prepare something delicious."

"Okay, please wait a moment."