Chapter 4

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

A few days ago, Ye Chen had come to the morning market to check out the scene. As soon as he arrived, he quickly laid out the plastic sheeting to claim a spot, arranged several types of vegetables neatly, and used chalk to write the prices on a few pieces of cardboard, placing them in front.

These vegetables not only looked good and tasted good but also contained spiritual energy, which was very beneficial to the body. Ye Chen thought that selling them for a bit more wouldn’t be considered unethical. So, he set the price at two yuan higher than the market price per catty, patiently waiting for someone to recognize the potential of his high-quality produce.

*1 catty = 600 grams

Actually, according to the plot of a Shuangwen novel, even if these spiritually infused crops were priced ten yuan higher per catty, there would still be elderly folks daring enough to come and taste them. Then, they would be so delighted by the deliciousness that they would lose their minds on the spot, slap their thighs, grit their teeth, and buy buy buy. They would even bring their friends and family to collectively give money… 

*shuangwen – gratifying kind of story where the protagonist has everything go his way and easily makes accomplishments and has the proverbial golden finger.

However, the reality was cruel: the elderly folks who came and went were all shrewd and thrifty, analyzing the vegetable prices as if they were Wall Street elites. Not to mention swarming to buy, they didn’t even bother to ask.

Twenty minutes passed without anyone showing interest. Finally, an old man squatted down in front of the stall, pursing his lips as he rummaged through the vegetables. “Why are your vegetables so expensive? Are they made of gold?”

“These are all grown in my own backyard, pesticide-free, and they taste exceptionally good!” Ye Chen tightened his bowstring-like nerves and quickly broke off half a cucumber to offer it, “Give it a try. My vegetables are really different from those of others. They’re particularly juicy, with a strong flavor, and they have good effects too. This variety of cucumber is especially effective at lowering blood lipids…”

Amid Ye Chen’s chatter, the old man leisurely tasted the cucumber. After eating half of it, he wiped his mouth and said, “I’ll buy some if you lower the price by two yuan per catty.”

“No, I can’t lower it any further. These vegetables are…” Before Ye Chen could finish, the old man patted his butt and walked away, leaving behind half a cucumber.

Ye Chen’s heart tightened with pain! 

As time passed, the situation didn’t improve. Ye Chen couldn’t afford to waste time with the elderly folks; he needed to rush to the shooting location. He wiped off the chalked prices on the cardboard with his sleeve and changed them to one yuan cheaper per catty. After a while, he wiped them off again, making it five mao cheaper per catty… In the end, all his ambitious dreams of building an agricultural empire were crushed to dust. With a crestfallen expression, Ye Chen reluctantly crossed off even the last five mao he had insisted on, selling thirty catties of vegetables at market price, totaling one hundred and three yuan and fifty mao.

*1 yuan = 10 mao/jiao

With such a life, Ye Chen thought anxiously as he went to the butcher shop and bought four chicken drumsticks, ready to cook for the divine beast cubs when he finished filming. After buying the chicken legs, Ye Chen felt the coins, totaling eight mao, bulging in his wallet, and his mindset expanded accordingly. He then bought a catty of chicken breast and a catty of mushrooms, planning to cook mushroom chicken noodles for the cubs when he got home. If he’s going to cook meat, he might as well go all out!

After selling the vegetables and returning home, Ye Chen unloaded the basket and massaged his sore shoulders, deeply realizing the necessity of saving up to buy a small three-wheeled vehicle. Carrying thirty catties of vegetables to the morning market on foot was manageable for his physical strength, but his figure couldn’t bear it. If the vegetable basket crushed him, it would be counterproductive.

The divine beast cubs gradually woke up. The most obedient Hou Cub volunteered to carry a basin of water and a towel to the backyard to help Pulu Cub wash its face. When Qiongqi Cub finished washing up, Xuanwu Cub was still slowly squeezing out toothpaste. Impatient, Qiongqi Cub snatched Xuanwu Cub’s toothbrush and said, “Open your mouth.”

“Ah…” Xuanwu Cub slowly opened its mouth, revealing its tender milk teeth. Qiongqi Cub raised its hand and vigorously brushed its teeth like a storm, venting its frustration. Just half a month ago, Ye Chen still needed to teach the cubs how to brush their teeth and wash their faces step by step. In such a short time, the cubs not only learned to take care of themselves but also had the capacity to take care of others. Truly, the children of the poor mature early.

Ye Chen hid the chicken legs to prevent Qiongqi Cub from stealing raw meat – this little rascal had a criminal record. He then cooked a large pot of mushroom chicken noodles and served four big bowls for breakfast. After preparing breakfast, Ye Chen quickly cooked rice, stir-fried a large plate of garlic bok choy, and made fish-flavored eggplant strips, covering them with dustproof covers for the cubs’ lunch. After finishing the housework, Ye Chen took a quick shower with well water, dried his hair, put on his best clothes stored at the bottom of the box, straightened his back, lifted his chin, adjusted his expression, and used his acting skills to switch his temperament to a businesslike state. The beautiful young man reflected in the corner mirror stood tall with a slightly raised chin, a slightly proud expression, and delicate eyelashes trembling slightly with the movement of his eyes, exuding a fragile beauty akin to butterfly wings.

No matter how vivid one’s imagination is, it would be hard to associate him with the vegetable-selling boy wearing a tank top. At nine o’clock, Ye Chen arrived at the set on time. As soon as he got out of the car, a luxurious mobile fortress-like RV parked closely behind the nanny car that brought him there. Assistant Xiao Gao, noticing Ye Chen’s distracted state, quickly intercepted him and whispered, “Teacher Shen has arrived.”

From Xiao Gao’s mouth, Teacher Shen is the ultra A-list actor Shen Mofeng, who won the Best Actor award last year. Shen Mofeng, 25 years old this year, is rumored to be the heir of a major corporation, with a proud and domineering temperament. He dislikes business but loves acting. He entered the entertainment industry by flatly refusing to inherit the family business, allowing him to experience the sentiments of the people. Shen Mofeng’s appearance is impeccable, and worthy of being called a humanoid hormone dispenser. Although he didn’t come from a professional background, he was willing to work hard. Coupled with his talent and resources, he successfully won the Best Actor award within a few years of his debut.

The only thing to criticize about this perfect male god is his temper: with his family background and extensive connections, he is not afraid to offend anyone in the industry. Confronting the media, haters, or peers is just common practice for him.

It is rumored that during the filming of a certain TV series, a young traffic flower who acted opposite him didn’t memorize her lines in advance. Instead, she recited tongue twisters to Shen Mofeng, who showed no mercy and scolded her mercilessly, causing the actress to lose control of her emotions and cry uncontrollably. This incident caused a huge uproar online. The crew initially wanted to settle the matter quietly, but Shen Mofeng demanded a replacement with a strong attitude, stating that he refused to work with actors who could only recite tongue twisters. Despite the crew’s efforts to appease him, they couldn’t persuade this “demonic deity,” and they had no choice but to replace the actress.

Rumors abound in the entertainment industry, and it’s hard to distinguish truth from fiction. With the media and haters adding fuel to the fire, Shen Mofeng’s image as a demonic deity has become deeply ingrained in people’s minds. Small artists without a foundation in the industry behave like obedient grandchildren in front of him. From ordinary grandchildren to filial grandchildren to learning to be good grandchildren, there was a variety of grandchildren.

Ye Chen was intercepted by Xiao Gao, paused, and turned around, intending to greet his senior. He wasn’t afraid of Shen Mofeng, but was acting purely out of politeness as a junior. Except for meeting at the press conference two years ago, he happened to have had one private encounter with Shen Mofeng, feeling that this person might have a bad temper but should have a good character.

Thinking of that private encounter… Ye Chen’s eyebrows twitched nervously, thinking that Shen Mofeng must have forgotten all about it.

At this moment, Shen Mofeng stepped out of the RV. He was wearing a shirt today, with the buttons on the collar casually undone. His striking handsomeness exuded a hint of laziness. Even with the gaze of an old-fashioned loyalist, it was hard not to be attracted to his two prominent collarbones and his muscular, well-defined chest.

“Shen Ge,” Ye Chen stepped aside, calling him respectfully, with a demeanor that made people want to pinch his cheek.

Shen Mofeng smiled lazily, his tone inexplicably familiar, “Do well, little friend, don’t disappoint me.”

This tone… Ye Chen was slightly taken aback. He quickly steadied his expression and walked with Shen Mofeng towards the dressing room, while casually saying some courteous words like he would definitely work hard and seek more guidance from his senior. After the usual pleasantries, Ye Chen cautiously threw out a probe, “I really admire your work. I’ve watched your 《Hidden City》 five times.”

Complimenting someone’s work like this couldn’t be faulted. People in the industry often exchange praise, and it’s just a matter of routine. Either they casually thank you or reciprocate with an “I also really admire your work.”

Unexpectedly, Shen Mofeng didn’t follow the usual script. Instead, he turned his head slightly towards Ye Chen and gave him a probing glance, half-smiling as he said, “Aren’t you particularly fond of 《Empty Clouds》?”

Ye Chen was startled, “…”

How did the movie star… remember?

“I’ve watched 《Empty Clouds》 so many times that I’ve lost count…” Ye Chen had been on full alert, prepared for his response, so his inner shock didn’t show on his face. He quickly added with surprise in his eyes, as if he had just realized, “Uh, how did you know I liked 《Empty Clouds》?”

Just in case it was a coincidence… Ye Chen prayed without much hope.

Shen Mofeng chuckled, took a cigarette and looked around. Seeing that his assistant was a few meters away, he whispered, “Didn’t you follow my car…? You’re young, but your memory isn’t that great.”

The tone of his last eight words was purely teasing, not a genuine complaint about Ye Chen’s forgetfulness, but rather a certainty that Ye Chen hadn’t forgotten, just playing along.

“I haven’t forgotten!” Ye Chen’s heart suddenly tightened, fearing that he might slip up. He quickly adopted a tone of being pleasantly surprised and stammered, “I, I thought you must have forgotten, so I didn’t dare to mention it…”

Shen Mofeng gave a lazy nod, accepting this explanation.

“You… you actually remember me, I’m really… I’m honored. I’m so excited to be acting with you this time.” With things having reached this point, Ye Chen could only pluck up his courage and go with the flow. He clenched his fist and quickly discarded the airs of an actor, instead adopting the excited demeanor of a little fan facing his idol. “Really, it’s been like a dream for me lately. I woke up at four in the morning today, and then I couldn’t sleep again…”

Because he went to the morning market to sell vegetables!

But he couldn’t say that…

The mutual praise between artists might not be reliable, but Ye Chen’s admiration was genuine… Shen Mofeng was like a big cat being stroked, the smile at the corner of his lips was casual, but he tacitly accepted Ye Chen’s flattery until they reached the door of the dressing room. Only then did he interrupt Ye Chen’s fan speech, saying, “I’m going to get ready.”

“Ah,” Ye Chen was so immersed in his role as a fan that his emotions almost got the better of him. Upon hearing this, he quickly said, “Sorry, Shen Ge, for bothering you for so long… I’ll go now too.”

Shen Mofeng nodded and entered the dressing room, closing the door behind him. Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, Shen Mofeng remembering that incident wasn’t harmful to Ye Chen. It just meant that Ye Chen had to be careful about maintaining his image in the future and couldn’t afford to slip up.

That incident happened two years ago—

The author has something to say:

Ye Qiongqiong’s account book today:

Today’s expenses: 4 chicken legs for 15 yuan + mushrooms for 3 yuan + chicken breast for 9 yuan = 27 yuan

Today’s income: Cucumbers 5 yuan/catty * 6 catties + tomatoes 3 yuan/catty * 5 catties + bok choy 2 yuan/catty * 4 catties + eggplant 4 yuan/catty * 7 catties + scallions 2.5 yuan/catty * 3 catties + green beans 3 yuan/catty * 5 catties = 103.5 yuan

Balance: 10 yuan in the bottom of the box + 103.5 yuan – 27 yuan = 86.50 yuan

Ye Qiongqiong: Soon to be a hundred-yuan household! ╰(*°▽°*)╯

Shen Mofeng: Little fan, entering the entertainment circle is all for me.

I know some buddies might be worried, so here’s a little reassurance [doge]: The movie emperor may have an unrestrained appearance and temperament, but his behavior isn’t unrestrained. Not only is he not unrestrained, but he’s even a bit pure (stupid) at times… (。