WS - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The house with collapsed walls and blocked debris seemed impossible to tackle at first glance, but it turned out to be sorted out faster than Wang Mancang imagined. As if he hadn't even warmed up yet, everything had unconsciously fallen back into place.

But...

Half an hour later, Wang Mancang, standing by the kitchen sink washing lettuce leaves at Yu Nianbing's place, felt somewhat dazed.

Earlier he and Song Shiyue had roughly sorted out the mess over there, even clearing the collapsed wall into a pile, looking much better than the chaotic scene when they'd first arrived. Only because it was getting late, the person they'd contacted to repair the wall would come the next morning.

Originally, he should have taken Song Shiyue to find a hotel to rest for the night.

How had it ended up...

Wang Mancang shook off the water droplets on the lettuce leaves and looked back at the table, which was full of partially prepared meat dishes.

Some of them were taken out by Yu Nianbing from the refrigerator; more of them were StarNet deliveries that had arrived a few minutes ago.

Even if Wang Mancang could digest the difference between the rumors about Yu Nianbing and reality, and accept her persona of a good host... he still couldn't figure out how, after he had reported all the things Song Shiyue had eaten in the car one by one, Yu Nianbing could continue this friendly invitation without changing her expression.

Moreover, with this seemingly unenthusiastic demeanor, was she really being hospitable...

Wang Mancang glanced back again and saw Yu Nianbing sitting at the table placing meat slices onto the electric grill, earnest and focused.

Clearly just an ordinary, calm appearance, yet carrying an aura of 'keep away if you're not close'... Wang Mancang couldn't help but lean back toward the sink.

However, while some keep their distance obediently, there are those who seem utterly oblivious to Yu Nianbing's aura...

"All done." Song Shiyue came over from the direction of Yu Nianbing's bedroom carrying a large stainless-steel basin, the basin filled to the brim... with chicken.

"So fast?" Wang Mancang looked up from the pile of lettuce, and upon seeing the familiar large stainless-steel basin full of chicken, his expression turned awkward. "Why did you use this..."

"Only this one could hold it all. I washed it over there." Song Shiyue looked at Yu Nianbing. "Do you mind?"

Yu Nianbing shook her head: "You've been a huge help, thank you so much."

Wang Mancang: "..."

Yu Nianbing glanced at Wang Mancang: "Mm... thank you too."

Wang Mancang hastily said no thanks, then buried his head in washing the vegetables. That sack of old hens had been bought during a brief stop on another planet on the spaceship's way back to Beichen Planet. Originally meant to bring back to nourish Song Shiyue, but when Wang Mancang went to the hospital and found that Yu Nianbing still hadn't left, he naturally offered them as a thank-you gift. However, he'd overlooked something... he hadn't expected Yu Nianbing to live alone. This sack of live hens almost became a burden. But luckily, he had brought Song Shiyue along. Oh, of course, the chickens were all killed by Song Shiyue in the kitchen over there, none of his business... He hadn't expected that this delicate young girl would have the skill to kill chickens, but the basin she used was a bit too casual.

Just as Wang Mancang was inwardly muttering that he'd need to give Song Shiyue a few pointers later, he heard Yu Nianbing speak again from behind.

"This basin is heaping over; it'll be hard to handle when we're preparing later. You still have a few more basins over there — bring them and use them as well." Yu Nianbing said lightly.

Song Shiyue nodded repeatedly and went off.

Such a natural discussion — if Wang Mancang hadn't seen these charcoal-burning basins before, he probably wouldn't have found anything odd. But now, he could only sigh inwardly and continue washing the vegetables.

Having struggled for seven years in the apocalypse, Song Shiyue had seen countless tragic situations, so she naturally had no qualms.

And Yu Nianbing's nonchalance toward these charcoal basins was because Song Shiyue, since waking up, didn't seem like someone who had once harbored suicidal intent and walked onto a dead-end path, leaving nothing to be avoided.

But then again, if Yu Nianbing hadn't witnessed the wall collapse and personally rescued Song Shiyue, she would find it hard to believe that such a girl had once resolutely sought death...

Even now, when facing Song Shiyue, Yu Nianbing occasionally felt a sense of trance, unable to match her with an image of someone who had given up on life.

Clearly, she was so full of vitality...

In the kitchen: washing vegetables, grilling meat, breaking down chicken... breaking down chicken.

Amidst the bustling activity, the backdrop was remarkably quiet, with the three each occupied by their own distinct thoughts.

When the aroma wafted out, the meat slices slightly curled, the spice fragrance rose up, eager chopsticks circled among the plates but did not immediately dive toward their targets.

Yu Nianbing flipped the meat slices, catching Song Shiyue's hesitant chopsticks from the corner of her eye. She suddenly felt a bit of delight, like when she was five or six, going to her grandmother's house, carrying a basin of dog food to the backyard to watch those little puppies.

Unfortunately, those puppies ate too little.

Just a few handfuls of kibble and their bellies were round and full, leaving one a bit unsatisfied.

A few pieces of fragrant, steaming hot grilled meat landed in Song Shiyue's plate, and a few others were nudged by Yu Nianbing to the side of the grill near Wang Mancang.

Perhaps, this time she could be satisfied.

Watching the meat rapidly disappear from Song Shiyue's plate, Yu Nianbing lightly put more onto the grill.

How much could she eat?

And how much strength did she really have?

Song Shiyue seemed to have many interesting facets. But Yu Nianbing didn't plan to ask.

Interesting things — it's best to just play with them once. Any more, and you'll get addicted.

These were the words her mother taught her when Yu Nianbing was five or six, after feeding the puppies in her grandmother's garden.

Then, she never saw those adorable puppies again.

She still remembered: one black-and-white, two cream-yellow, and one cute cream-white...

Now, Yu Nianbing could choose her own life, yet some habits seemed to have persisted.

For example, toward interesting things, she always maintained the attitude of 'after this meeting, comes parting.' Perhaps, in many people's eyes, this was seen as coldness.

Halfway through the feast, Wang Mancang couldn't help but speak up to urge Song Shiyue to restrain herself.

With an appetite originally like a little bird's, how could a single suicide attempt transform her into a big eater? This forced Wang Mancang to suspect whether Song Shiyue had never given up on suicidal thoughts... only changing the method, intending to eat herself to death.

Song Shiyue felt she could still eat, but seeing Wang Mancang's worried gaze, she put down her chopsticks.

Such a pity; the meat Yu Nianbing grilled was truly delicious. Especially those that seemed to be plated on household dishes, perfectly seasoned, paired with Yu Nianbing's grilling skill, one had to be very careful not to gnaw the chopsticks along with the meat. Even those semi-prepared meats in disposable boxes gained extra tenderness and fresh fragrance after being turned over in Yu Nianbing's hands, making one hungrier the more they ate, plates empty, gaze deeply transfixed on the electric grill, unable to look away.

Yu Nianbing glanced at Song Shiyue, who had put down her chopsticks but still couldn't tear her eyes away from the grill, and naturally knew that Song Shiyue still wanted to eat.

Unlike Wang Mancang, and unlike earlier at Ciming Hospital, Yu Nianbing now believed that Song Shiyue truly could still eat.

After all, for someone like Song Shiyue, who could casually handle a metal table so heavy she couldn't lift it even a bit as if it were a pair of chopsticks, eating a lot more wasn't surprising.

No, she shouldn't think deeper. Yu Nianbing put down the grilling tongs, habitually stopping herself from further exploring this interesting thing.

"A couple of days ago "Yu Xian" wrapped up filming. Director Feng Rushan is starting his next drama. I heard it's an urban workplace drama with many amusement park scenes, backed by investment from Amusement Planet. They'll start casting in the next week or two." Yu Nianbing touched the edge of her plate and looked at Wang Mancang.

This barbecue had been eaten in great silence, only the sizzling of the grill since the start. Now Yu Nianbing suddenly spoke, her gaze as if calling on him specifically, leaving Wang Mancang a bit slow to react, only returning a stunned look.

"..." Yu Nianbing looked at Song Shiyue.

Song Shiyue was stealthily reaching out a friendly paw toward a plate of grilled flatbread at the table.

Wang Mancang, who hadn't yet grasped the meaning of those words, followed Yu Nianbing's gaze and couldn't help but darken his expression and cough.

Yu Nianbing could imagine how Song Shiyue would quickly retract her hand and look back like a startled little animal — probably just like that time in the hospital when she realized Song Shiyue was awake and called her out. Like a frightened deer, round-eyed and innocent.

Of course, Yu Nianbing was wrong.

Almost as soon as Wang Mancang's meaningful heavy cough sounded, Song Shiyue, as if by conditioned reflex, reached out even faster, grabbed a piece of flatbread, and was about to...

Yu Nianbing, quick of eye and hand, seized Song Shiyue's wrist.

Three pairs of eyes met, and Wang Mancang was the first to concede defeat.

"You... you... If you want to eat, just eat! As long as you don't feel too stuffed to bear it!" Wang Mancang stretched out a trembling hand, took the flatbread from Song Shiyue's hand, which was about to stuff it into her bosom, and placed it onto her plate.

Heavens above, what kind of agent was he? He was practically a feudal landlord from the old star system, seeing his long-term laborer so starved and frightened that she was about to stash the flatbread into her clothes and run...

No one wanted to bring up such an awkward gag again.

"Cough... Just now, about Director Feng..." Wang Mancang tried hard to pick up Yu Nianbing's previous topic.

Yu Nianbing also pretended she hadn't seen anything, released Song Shiyue's wrist, and nodded cooperatively: "Director Feng's new drama has investment from Amusement Planet, the pay should be quite good. You can give it a try."

"Oh, oh." Wang Mancang caught on.

It was no wonder Wang Mancang was slow to react; after all, The Wilderness Journey was set to start filming in a week, and Yu Nianbing mentioned Director Feng's casting within a week or two, so he hadn't thought of Song Shiyue in that context.

Yu Nianbing was really someone you wouldn't know until you interacted with her, and after interacting, you'd find... she was truly a good person.

Wang Mancang sighed inwardly.

But...

"Didn't you receive the poster shoot notice from The Wilderness Journey production team just now?" Wang Mancang pointed at the StarNet client on his wrist, asking questioningly.

"Didn't look. What about it?" Yu Nianbing furrowed her brow slightly.

Wang Mancang laughed: "No wonder. Haha, it's like this: Yao Mingzhu from our company, who was originally going to participate in this, is pregnant. So for this The Wilderness Journey, Song Shiyue will replace Yao Mingzhu. It just so happens to conflict with Director Feng's schedule — what a pity."

The Wilderness Journey...

Yu Nianbing looked at Song Shiyue, who was eating the flatbread in small bites, and opened her StarNet port, lifting the communication block.

On the screen suspended in midair, message notifications flashed like a scrolling screen for a while before stopping.

Yu Nianbing ignored the messages from company people, let her gaze pause briefly on the dozen or so messages from Ouyang Hui, then accurately clicked open the message from The Wilderness Journey production team.

Sure enough, where Yao Mingzhu's name had been, it was now replaced by Song Shiyue.

After closing StarNet, when Yu Nianbing looked at Wang Mancang again, she couldn't help but bring a bit of scrutiny.

It wasn't that Yu Nianbing was overthinking; given that Song Shiyue only had a currently airing sitcom where she wasn't even the female lead, it was unlikely she could join The Wilderness Journey program.

Could it be... they also knew about her strength?

Was this a good thing for Song Shiyue?

Yu Nianbing thought a bit more, and her expression inevitably grew heavier.

"That, I didn't make her do anything. It's just, well, I actually have some old ties with the higher-ups in the company. This time I had no choice, so I shamelessly asked for this spot." Wang Mancang misunderstood Yu Nianbing, thinking her expression meant she suspected Song Shiyue had pulled some strings. He had no choice but to explain vaguely.

Then, Yu Nianbing's brows immediately relaxed, and she resumed her previous cool, detached appearance.

"The Wilderness Journey is... not an easy show to film. This kind of program's purpose is probably just to mess with the artists and get a laugh from the audience. And making it a livestream this time will likely be even tougher." Yu Nianbing looked at Song Shiyue, who had finished the flatbread. "And more than ten days of filming; whether you can eat your fill each day is uncertain."

"But the money is good."

"Well, the money is good."

Wang Mancang and Song Shiyue almost blurted it out at the same time.

Yu Nianbing nodded. Money was indeed a problem Song Shiyue needed to solve.

"What about you? Since you know this show isn't easy to film, why did you agree?" Song Shiyue asked curiously.

Wang Mancang turned his head and glared at Song Shiyue. This brat just asked about everything.

"Because the money is good. I'm preparing to terminate my contract with Senxin Entertainment. Right now they push me toward whichever project has the most money." Yu Nianbing said indifferently, her fingers lightly brushing over the StarNet client on her wrist.

"But, given your situation, doesn't your contract with the company have a veto right?" This time it was Wang Mancang who couldn't help but ask.

One fat, one thin, one old, one young — the two faces looking over bore the same curiosity.

"No. I signed a contract that, as long as it doesn't violate laws or ethics, has no veto right." Yu Nianbing said calmly.

"Huh? You were tricked, right?" Wang Mancang couldn't help but slap the table. "Are you kidding? Even Song Shiyue's new contract renewal had a veto right, okay? No, no, hurry up and terminate the contract. Or consider signing with me; I'll give you a bunch of veto rights."

The last sentence only made Wang Mancang feel a bit embarrassed after he said it. It was just a moment's impulse; his company was indeed bigger than Senxin, ha ha ha, but the problem was that he himself was just a bottom-level agent... Saying such a thing would surely make him a laughingstock. Wang Mancang hurriedly grabbed a piece of grilled meat to calm his nerves.

Yu Nianbing lowered her eyes and fiddled with the chopsticks on her plate. "Once things here are settled, I'll consider it."

Wang Mancang took this as Yu Nianbing giving him a way out at the table, so he quickly laughed it off and let the matter slide.

After the meal, Song Shiyue didn't want to go to a hotel.

The collapsed wall in the master bedroom didn't affect sleep. If nothing else, there was the guest bedroom.

Song Shiyue had finally waited for a time when she was alone and always wanted to sort out the original host's affairs properly; being here made it more convenient.

Regarding Song Shiyue's decision, Yu Nianbing indicated she was unaffected.

Wang Mancang asked a couple more times, and seeing that Song Shiyue had made up her mind, he stopped urging and left first, agreeing to come back tomorrow when the wall was being repaired. Compared to the minor trouble of Song Shiyue's current wall, he had more important things to do.

For example, finding someone to confront Song Shiyue's biological father, who owed a massive debt and had gone into hiding.

Having eaten someone's grilled meat, Song Shiyue took the initiative to shoulder the heavy task of cleaning the kitchen.

As for Yu Nianbing, she rolled up her sleeves, but before she could help, she heard the StarNet client's call ring.

Her fingertip slid on the client; behind the flashing name of Ouyang Hui were a dozen missed and unread messages.

Yu Nianbing sighed softly and chose to answer.

"Should all this chicken go in the freezer, or..." Song Shiyue poked her head out from the kitchen.

"Put it all in the freezer." Yu Nianbing had no desire to handle that huge basin of chicken herself before Auntie Wang's vacation ended.

Song Shiyue nodded and shrank back into the kitchen.

Yu Nianbing looked at the StarNet port; it was silent.

In the end, the other party spoke first.

"Nianbing?" A somewhat hesitant female voice, yet carrying a hint of familiarity.

"Mm." Yu Nianbing responded.

"That just now was...?" The female voice seemed somewhat cautious, yet carried more probing.

Yu Nianbing picked up the glass of water from the table, raised it to her lips, didn't drink, and put it down: "Qiu Yishan contacted you? So she's gone from being my agent to a professional snitch? Even dragging in a pregnant woman about to give birth, not even thinking about the child in your belly. Senxin is really something else."

"Are you really going to terminate your contract with Senxin? Have you thought about me? Have you thought about the child in my womb?" On the other end of StarNet, Ouyang Hui leaned against the bed, her palm stroking her belly, large as a ball, her tone tinged with some bitterness.

"That's Shi Senxin's child, not mine." Yu Nianbing's lips curved slightly as if she had thought of something. "In any case, after a trip to Wilderness Planet this time, I can terminate the contract when I'm back."

"Why... have you forgotten..." Ouyang Hui hadn't expected Yu Nianbing to say such words; she felt a bit dizzy, and when she spoke again, it was somewhat halting.

"Alright, let's not say more. Take care of your pregnancy, and listen less to the nonsense from people like Qiu Yishan. Senxin has plenty of artists without me." After saying this, Yu Nianbing didn't wait for a response and proactively cut the communication.

If not for the fact that Ouyang Hui was about to give birth, Yu Nianbing wouldn't have even wanted to take this call.

Had she forgotten?

Ha.

Yu Nianbing's eyes deepened, and her hand gripping the cup slowly tightened, her knuckles turning from pink to pale, clearly defined.

"Does that cup need to be washed?" Song Shiyue's head poked out from the kitchen again.

Yu Nianbing slowly turned her head, and her hand holding the cup gradually loosened a bit...

Get instant access to all chapters now.

Previous Table of Contents Next