“Sorry, my phone ran out of battery.” Su Yaya said, avoiding Zhou Peiyun’s gaze. She didn’t dare reveal the real reason and settled for a vague excuse, hoping to move on quickly.

Zhou Peiyun gave her a long, scrutinizing look, suppressing the urge to sigh. When she couldn’t reach her earlier, she had worried that Su Yaya was about to give up and quit again.

“Do you know you’re scheduled for a makeup photo shoot tomorrow?” Zhou Peiyun asked pointedly.

Su Yaya froze. As much as she hated to admit it, she had no idea.

The moment Zhou Peiyun saw her reaction, she knew the answer. With a sigh, she told Su Yaya the time and location for the shoot.

“Got it. I’ll make a note of it.” Su Yaya said hurriedly.

Zhou Peiyun continued, “In two days, you’ll be joining the cast and starting filming. You’ll be staying in S City for a few months. I won’t be able to follow you every day, so the company has arranged an assistant for you. They’ll start tomorrow. The assistant’s salary will be covered by the company—this is the boss’s decision.”

She emphasized “the boss’s decision,” making it clear this arrangement was only happening because of Shen Xiuqi. Without his support, there was no way Su Yaya would have landed the role of the second female lead in such a major production. The company certainly wouldn’t have gone as far as assigning her an assistant either.

“I understand. Thank you, Sister Zhou.” Su Yaya said sincerely.

Having addressed everything, Zhou Peiyun finally felt a sense of relief. Only she knew how frantic she had been earlier when she couldn’t get hold of Su Yaya. She had feared yet another delay or mistake. After all, tomorrow’s makeup photo shoot was crucial.

“What’s that smell?” Zhou Peiyun asked as her sharp nose picked up the scent of food once she had calmed down.

“It’s tomato and egg noodles,” Su Yaya replied.

“Perfect timing! I haven’t eaten lunch yet because I was too busy trying to find you. Can I have this?” Zhou Peiyun quickly made her way to the dining table, drawn by the tempting aroma. She could feel her mouth watering as she eyed the noodles.

The noodles had been sitting for a while, so they weren’t as fresh as when they were first cooked. Su Yaya nodded and said, “Go ahead. I’ll cook another bowl for myself.”

Zhou Peiyun looked at her in surprise. “Since when do you know how to cook? How come I never knew this?”

Su Yaya blinked innocently and replied. “I’ve always known how. You just never asked.”

“Really?” Zhou Peiyun thought for a moment. Had she really never asked? Her busy schedule made it hard to remember details like that, but she couldn’t recall ever asking if Su Yaya could cook.

Meanwhile, Su Yaya went into the kitchen to prepare another bowl of noodles. Zhou Peiyun took a bite of the tomato and egg noodles in front of her, and her eyes lit up. The flavor was incredible. She couldn’t tell if it was just her hunger playing tricks on her or if it truly tasted like the noodles her mother used to make when she was a child.

She took another two bites, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her. There was no mistake—it really was just like her mother’s cooking. Overcome with emotion, she felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.

Bite after bite, Zhou Peiyun kept eating. She hadn’t felt all that hungry at first, but the more she ate, the more her appetite grew. She couldn’t stop herself—she just wanted more.

Su Yaya finished cooking another bowl of noodles and brought it out just as Zhou Peiyun was almost done with hers. Zhou Peiyun looked up and said, “Your noodles are amazing. I want another bowl.”

“Sister Zhou…” Su Yaya looked at her helplessly. She hadn’t eaten yet and was starving!

“Never mind,” Zhou Peiyun said with a wave of her hand, unable to resist Su Yaya’s pitiful gaze. She gave up on the idea and focused on finishing the noodles in her bowl.

Su Yaya sat across from her with her own bowl of noodles, eating slowly and gracefully. The scene looked like it had been plucked straight out of a painting—elegant and serene. Despite her rising fame, she still knew how to cook for herself.

For a moment, Zhou Peiyun was moved. She couldn’t resist snapping a photo of Su Yaya, followed by one of her empty bowl. After applying a few filters, she uploaded the pictures to Weibo.

Manager Zhou Peiyun: “Tomato and egg noodles made by Yaya herself—delicious and nutritious! [Su Yaya eating elegantly.jpg] [Empty bowl.jpg]”

These days, big and small celebrities alike loved posting food pictures on social media, cultivating an image of being food lovers.

In reality, though, most of it was for show. To maintain their figures, many celebrities were careful about their diets. No matter how slim they were, they always wanted to be slimmer.

Some even went to extremes, claiming they hadn’t eaten a full meal in years to stay in shape. They counted grains of rice, avoided meat entirely, and cooked vegetables in plain water, refusing to add even a pinch of salt. Their lives were devoid of flavor, making the foodie image they portrayed feel like a facade.

That’s why it was rare to see someone like Su Yaya finish an entire, hearty bowl of noodles.

Zhou Peiyun’s post of Su Yaya eating noodles on Weibo quickly caught people’s attention. The pictures didn’t feel staged or overly polished—Su Yaya was genuinely enjoying the noodles. The sight of the tomato and egg noodles made viewers’ mouths water, and her authenticity stood out compared to the carefully curated images of other celebrities pretending to be food lovers.

Because it felt real, people found her relatable and likable. Within a short time, Zhou Peiyun’s post had garnered hundreds of comments and thousands of shares. The buzz continued to grow, and before long, the post had skyrocketed to the hot search list!

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