020

The entertainment industry, so lifeless, when was the last time there was such a big scoop to feast on all at once?

Two paparazzi, due to a live streaming accident, spilled a lot of inside secrets from the industry. Even TV dramas couldn’t have such dramatic plots!

That night’s trending topics were like firecrackers going off, with a string of explosive words falling at the end of the entries, and even halfway through, the platform crashed for half an hour.

【Carbs My God: Right now, ^[1]“I feel like a rat in a melon field, not knowing where to start eating” is a metaphor describing a situation where someone is overwhelmed by an abundance of choices or opportunities, … Continue readingI feel like a rat in a melon field, not knowing where to start eating.】

【Senior Sister Tangtang: Damn, is this the ecology of your circle? Step on the weak, bully old actors, revenge ex-wives, use your own artists to pave the way for others… Who watches this without saying ‘respect’?】

【Lovely Moon: I knew it, my XX was blacked for no reason, pulling out an old interview and taking it out of context, all because they booked a budget hotel for the paparazzi… Dog company, get out and die, I won’t spare you!】

【Give Me Shaved Ice: My brother isn’t like that, don’t listen to the paparazzi, they have no credibility… And my brother has already released a statement, 【image】, please ^[2]“eat melons” (吃瓜, chī guā) means to passively watch or follow gossip, scandals, or dramatic events, typically involving celebrities or public figures. It is akin to saying … Continue readingeat melons rationally and stop spreading rumors.】

【Fried Rice with Spicy Sticks: Stop it, this isn’t how you whitewash, your statement was so weak it didn’t even have an official stamp, while that old actor sent a lawyer’s letter, going after the water army company and your brother’s company, it’s clear who’s right and who’s wrong.】

【Steamed Crab: Did XXX and XX divorce because XX was photographed holding hands with a woman at a hotel?】

【Eating Melon Tomorrow Take a Leave: Absolutely! What a scumbag, XXX didn’t tear him apart for the sake of the kid, and this scumbag still has the nerve to slander XXX.】

【Gentle South Mountain: Look! XXX has released a statement! She fiercely criticizes XX for cheating during marriage, domestic violence, with pictures and the truth!】

【Deadline Tomato: Damn, scumbag, scum to a new level.】

The chain reaction from the scandal brought many people from the industry down, with statements, lawyer letters, and small articles all flooding in. One night, back and forth, it kept the office workers up late, torturing them before their next workday.

“I still have to work tomorrow! Those paparazzi with no professional ethics, can’t you save the news for Friday!”

That’s what he said, but who could resist? So many scandals came out all at once. The entertainment industry’s earthquake wasn’t just talk.

In the field of melons, Lin You’s scandal seemed less dramatic compared to those big scenes. The last bit of gossip from the paparazzi was still muffled, leaving the mystery of why Lin You’s manager would use her own artist to help others, still unresolved.

After most of the melons had been consumed, people began to focus on this ordinary scoop.

【Martin Kruse: I used to think Lin You was just making trouble, but now I think her controversy wasn’t as serious as it seemed.】

【Sleeping at Twelve (Today Breaking Rules): Exactly, I’ve always wanted to say, it’s a bit unfair to say she should leave the entertainment industry. As we all know, variety show scripts are ridiculously detailed, Lin You’s acting is good, and she’s good-looking. She was about to rise as a popular star, but because of a variety show, they ruthlessly slapped her with the label of bullying others… I don’t believe no one pushed her, but I didn’t expect it to be her manager. Too harsh.】

【Going to Bed Hungry is the Start of Becoming Beautiful: So, isn’t anyone curious? What did Lin You’s manager smoke to push her own artist out of the industry? What’s the relationship between her manager and Mu Qingqing?】

【Momo’s Notebook: This has nothing to do with our Qingqing! They’re not even in the same company! Besides, it’s a fact that she stole resources from our Qingqing. You can’t just talk about the variety show and not mention how she deliberately targeted our Qingqing later.】

【Ordinary Worker: Please, your Qingqing only became popular in the last few months. Before that, she wasn’t as famous as Lin You. You can’t twist the timeline like that. Lin You was more famous than your sister back then, if we’re talking about resource stealing, it was her stealing from Lin You.】

【Want to Open a Zoo: So, are you really not curious about the relationship between Mu Qingqing and Lin You’s manager? I smell a big scoop coming.】

【Qingqing’s Little Angel: What big scoop, it has nothing to do with our Qingqing! A person who’s leaving the industry is still doing this kind of hype, how annoying.】

Although Mu Qingqing’s fans were still in denial, the public was clearly no longer just supporting her. Plus, Lin You’s recent live streams had indeed gained her some good will.

From her first live stream farming, to later making egg cakes and cookies, Lin You didn’t sell anything, didn’t use yellow cars, and there were even rumors within the industry that Lin You had truly retired, and not just retired but no one knew where she had gone.

Thinking about it, Lin You was truly pitiful. She ended up with a manager who didn’t seem to know what he was doing. Her career was ruined, no wonder she went back to the countryside to farm, perhaps even to recuperate mentally.

As always, the public is sympathetic to the weak, and Lin You gained a lot of love from the public.

Late at night, Zhang Kai was woken up by Xiao Zhuo and faced this overwhelming barrage of opinions.

Zhang Kai’s veins bulged, his eyes nearly popping out, and he almost stared a hole through the phone screen.

“Brother Kai, you’d better think of a way. The company’s administration said the general manager and the head of the management department are on their way to the office. They want you there in half an hour.”

Xiao Zhuo’s voice sounded bitter. After this incident, she, who had previously been Lin You’s assistant and is now Zhang Kai’s, was definitely going to be fired.

To put it more seriously, as someone who knew everything from start to finish, she would probably never find work in the industry again.

She thought back to when she worked with Lin You. Every time Lin You came to confide in her, she would relay it to Zhang Kai. Although she comforted herself by thinking it was for Lin You’s good, deep down she knew she had betrayed Lin You.

Now that everything was out in the open, she had received the punishment she deserved.

Zhang Kai hung up the phone in a daze, and after a long pause, he realized what had happened. Like a madman, he called the PR company he had hired.

What a worthless company, claiming to be the best in the industry!

Such a simple matter, how could it have led to such a huge mistake?

What should he do now?!

Zhang Kai dialed again and again, but the line was always busy.

The PR company was also overwhelmed. Their work was half in the open, half underground, with the public-facing side handling marketing for various management teams, while behind the scenes, they had no problem taking on morally dubious tasks.

Now that things had been exposed, there could be legal implications, and the PR company was in a panic, unable to spare any attention to Zhang Kai.

Zhang Kai had only one thought in his mind.

It was all over. He could never stand by Mu Qingqing’s side again.

Around four o’clock in the morning, the city lights still hadn’t dimmed. Though the sun hadn’t risen yet, a faint glow was already creeping over the horizon. Because he lived in a high building, Zhang Kai could clearly see the slight lightening of the sky at the edge of the skyline.

Zhang Kai felt deflated. What was the point of going to the office now?

Even if he went, all he would do was recount everything he had done, and the company wouldn’t show him any mercy.

He had completely lost his value in the industry.

So why hold on to this last bit of time?

Zhang Kai drove out of the city. He knew that Mu Qingqing had a photoshoot today and was going to use a park outside the Fifth Ring Road for an outdoor scene.

Zhang Kai couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself. It was like this, he knew everything about Mu Qingqing, even her schedule.

He parked outside the park and stood with a group of fans who had obviously been waiting for a while, waiting for Mu Qingqing by the fence at the entrance.

Listening to the young fans encouraging each other, they had all seen the online discussions and came because they were worried that Mu Qingqing would be surrounded by reporters. They just wanted to let her know that her fans would always believe in her.

Zhang Kai felt a bit lost, pushed along by the fans.

A white van drove up, and Mu Qingqing, dressed in a white dress, carefully made up, her makeup flawless and beautiful, made Zhang Kai’s heart skip a beat.

But Mu Qingqing quickly walked past the fans, her figure disappearing into the park in an instant.

The excitement, awe, longing, and hesitation in Zhang Kai’s eyes all faded into calm in an instant.

Mu Qingqing’s assistant quickly caught up to her: “Sister Qingqing, why didn’t you greet the fans?”

Mu Qingqing’s eyes flickered with a hint of disgust: “Forget it, I don’t want to make them worry.”

Thinking about Zhang Kai who had been foolishly standing at the door earlier, Mu Qingqing felt a surge of anger inside.

“Let’s go, today’s shoot is important.”

Someone without value naturally didn’t need much attention.

The online disputes were unknown to Lin You. She had gotten busy, while Yao Jiu went to visit relatives in the mountains, so she had stopped her live broadcasts for these few days. She was focusing on taking care of her land. The little cabbage there had grown unusually thick, the tomato seedlings were growing rapidly, and even the newly planted vegetable seedlings quickly sprouted tender buds. The lettuce, too, was growing quickly, following in the footsteps of the little cabbage, spreading out in a large patch. If not harvested soon, it would spoil.

Such a strange sight quickly spread throughout the village.

Aunt Wang came to ask for the secret: “Youyou, how do you grow your vegetables? How do they grow so well?”

Lin You really didn’t know how to answer. She hadn’t used any fertilizer, except for Bo Chuan occasionally using cow manure for fertilization. Also, that increasingly chubby raccoon cat often rolled around in the field. On a few occasions, Lin You even saw it licking the soil, which made her feel so sorry for it, thinking it must be hungry.

“…Maybe it’s because the soil in this field is good?”

Otherwise, how could anything planted here grow so well? It must be the soil.

Lin You: “Well, if you like, you can dig some soil from my field and take it back to try.”

She had planted a few more vegetables these past few days, set up bean trellises and pumpkin racks, and planned to use some nearby land for sweet potatoes, though she hadn’t started planting them yet. Sweet potatoes didn’t require high-quality soil, so Lin You simply offered to let anyone who wanted to swap some soil.

Aunt Wang: “Alright then, I won’t be polite. I’ll have your uncle carry two baskets, and we’ll fill in the rest with our own soil.”

Lin You waved her hand, not minding at all.

Since she agreed, the villagers really did go. Those with greenhouses were even more enthusiastic, and after collecting two baskets, they proactively watered Lin You’s field.

Although the results wouldn’t be visible immediately, Lin You’s popularity in the village increased. Even the families she wasn’t very familiar with now could chat with her.

After being busy for two days, Lin You received a call from Xiao Zhuo.

“Sister Youyou, the company asked me to tell you that the payment owed to you should be settled next month.”

Lin You: “…Why?”

Xiao Zhuo: “Sister Youyou, you don’t know… Forget it, you can check online later. Anyway, Brother Kai has resigned, and I’ll officially leave tomorrow too.”

“Sister Youyou, I’ve done a lot of things that have hurt you before, and now that I’m leaving, I really want to say I’m sorry.”

Lin You hung up the phone, feeling confused.

It was as if she had spent so much effort preparing everything, ready to break through the enemy’s fortress, only to have the enemy suddenly abandon the city and run away.

She still hadn’t even saved enough money to hire a lawyer!

Lin You absently unlocked her phone and rubbed her forehead after reading the news.

Wait, is this book really that dramatic?

The paparazzi forgot to turn off the live-streaming equipment, leading to a major expose that dragged half of the entertainment industry down with it. It also caused Zhang Kai’s downfall, and he resigned. The fourth male lead of this book, who had been a great help to the female lead, just disappeared?

The company, perhaps considering the massive negative impact caused by Zhang Kai, fired him quickly and issued a statement, saying he had been removed and that they were welcoming Lin You back to her old company.

Lin You really did receive a call from a manager at the company, who persuaded her to return, promising that they would arrange everything for her and ensure that Zhang Kai’s situation wouldn’t happen again.

Lin You politely declined, saying she had indeed retired from the industry.

Once the payment came through, she would continue living this way.

The old company saw that they couldn’t retain her, so it was over.

Yao Jiu, who had just returned from visiting relatives, was holding a bowl of rice but didn’t even have time to eat the noodles. “What’s wrong with your manager? Why is he treating you like this?”

What a terrible person, even withholding Lin You’s money.

Lin You: “It’s all in the past. It’s strange though, lately it seems like I’ve been really lucky. The vegetables I planted are growing well, and now this big happy thing happens.”

It seems that the master’s fortune-telling wasn’t very accurate. He had said she’d face some worries recently.

Bo Chuan remained silent, his head lowered, staring at a talisman that had turned to ash in his palm.

Hmm, this original talisman was actually quite useful.

An original talisman was meant to accelerate karmic retribution. In simple terms, if someone had done wrong, this talisman could speed up their punishment. “Original Talisman, clearing the roots,” was meant to resolve the consequences quickly. He used this talisman to alter Lin You’s luck. He had actually noticed when they first met that Lin You seemed to be somewhat affected by bad people, and her finances weren’t very prosperous.

At this opportunity when someone came knocking, a single original talisman was enough to keep the bad luck at bay.

But he didn’t expect that the two men’s debts were too much, and things escalated into something big.

But in a way, it worked out. Lin You’s problems were resolved, and it could be seen as him fulfilling his promise to the little mountain god.

With things going smoothly, Lin You happily announced two things.

“First, I won’t be doing regular live streams anymore. Xiao Jiu, thank you for all your help during this time.”

The reason she had asked Yao Jiu to help was because there had been too many haters, and no one could keep an eye on things. But now, with fewer haters, Lin You would be able to handle her own live streams.

Now that the money was in place, she felt less financial pressure. The live stream was a hobby and a job, but she could relax more.

Yao Jiu was dissatisfied: “What, are you firing me?”

Please don’t tell me Lin You is going to stop caring for her?

Yao Jiu: “I still need to be a house manager anyway.”

Lin You smiled and agreed.

“Second, tonight we’re having hotpot!”

Good times deserve a hotpot.

With a bright red broth, Lin You had prepared a whole table of ingredients for the hotpot.

The broth was made from chicken bones, along with chili and various spices. The table was set up in the yard, and ingredients were added to the bubbling pot.

Lin You’s favorite thing was to add sweet potato balls to the hotpot.

Sweet potato mash was rolled into balls, fried in oil until golden and crispy on the outside, soft and chewy inside, with a hint of sweetness. They tasted great on their own.

But when the balls were put into the pot, the sweet, chewy taste combined with the spicy broth, creating a sweet-spicy flavor with a chewy texture. It was delicious without needing any dipping sauce.

Occasionally, a few would fall behind and break apart in the pot, and even the hotpot broth would have a bit of sweetness.

There were also freshly picked lettuce leaves from the field, perfect for dipping in the hotpot. Dipped in sesame paste, the spicy flavor was wrapped up in the rich taste of the sesame, making it even more satisfying.

Lin You brought out cola and made a fried fresh milk dish. She mixed milk with starch, froze it into chunks, coated them with breadcrumbs, and fried them. The fried milk looked normal on the outside, but when bitten into, the soft, flowing milk filling was revealed. Sweet but not overly greasy.

Hotpot was a dish meant to be eaten while dipping, and it lasted all the way until the moon rose, before finally coming to an end.

But when it was time for bed that night, Lin You felt like she had forgotten something.

What had she forgotten?

“Meow meow meow meow!”

Lin You suddenly remembered and hurriedly got up.

“Sorry, sorry, I forgot about you.”

They had had hotpot today, and since cats can’t eat spicy food, she had forgotten to save some food for her furry companion.

She took out the leftover sweet potato balls and some fried milk chunks.

The raccoon cat gobbled them down, but instead of running off like before, it started licking its fur, and then, to Lin You’s surprise, it grabbed something from somewhere and dropped it in front of her.

Lin You thought it was some toy ball and picked it up to take a closer look.

The object was a round stone, which, while round, didn’t seem anything special.

“Did you find this? It’s really pretty.”

Being kind to the cat, Lin You complimented it a little.

The raccoon cat puffed out its chest, like it had done something significant, its four legs waddling with joy. It turned and wandered out of the door in a zigzagging manner.

Lin You was used to the cat only coming for food and not staying for sleep, so she closed the door.

As for the stone, Lin You placed it in a bowl of water, planning to clean it in the morning. After all, the cat had given it to her, so she intended to take good care of it.

But the next morning, when Lin You woke up, she noticed something strange. The half-bowl of water she had left in the bowl was now gone.

And the stone’s outer shell had chipped off in places, revealing a faint glow from inside.

“…This stone’s really heavy, it even broke my bowl.”

Lin You placed the stone inside and shrugged off the matter, letting it slip from her mind.

Du Xun drove his car, bringing his wife, mother, and child with him as they headed up the mountain.

“Honey, are you sure this is the right place? Does Lin You really live here?”

Du Xun replied, “This is the place. If it weren’t for what happened, we wouldn’t have been able to find out where she was. I heard from the PR company that their boss originally hired someone to cause trouble for Lin You, but before they found her, the live stream incident happened.”

His wife responded, “Well, they deserved it.”

“How come we’re not there yet?”

“Almost, almost. We’ll stay in Fangping Town for the night, then I’ll ask around more carefully.”

The hotpot with sweet potato balls and dumpling wrappers—only those who eat it would know. If it’s not tasty, come and hit me!