12 Duck Necks
When Qi Baijia handed the cigarette over, Jiang Yin didn’t want to take it. Smoking was harmful to health, and he had finally obtained a new life and a healthy body. He didn’t want to engage in anything that could harm his health. Moreover, the original host didn’t smoke either. Chen Dan believed that it was because of him that the original host abandoned his studies and entered the entertainment industry.
Since he brought the person out, he had the responsibility to take care of him. Therefore, he firmly forbade smoking or going to bars before the original host reached adulthood. The original host also wanted to become famous and didn’t want to leave any dark history behind. He restrained himself and didn’t smoke, not even after reaching adulthood. But humans, they often have a curiosity that leads them to self-destruction.
Newton discovered universal gravitation out of curiosity, Watt invented the steam engine out of curiosity, the Wright brothers invented the airplane out of curiosity, and Jiang Yin, out of curiosity, smoked a cigarette.
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Tl fwpv oydvle vs tkhl kv y vau, fwpv sdl vypvl. Rv nswzed’v rsppkczu nywpl nydnla yqvla pxsjkdt fwpv sdl nktyalvvl, aktbv?
Tsolhla, yp pssd yp bl zkv kv yde vssj y vldvyvkhl rwqq, clqsal bl nswze lhld vypvl kv, vbl essa sq vbl lxlatldnu ryppytl oyp jknjle srld okvb y zswe cydt, pvyavzkdt bkx yde nywpkdt bkx vs nswtb wdnsdvaszzyczu.
Ebld bl pyo obs kv oyp, bkp smutld-elrakhle caykd clnyxl y zkvvzl nsdqwple. “Hbys… nswtb, nswtb… Ubykaxyd Hbys…”
Dkys Zw oyp vbl qkapv vs alynv yde alyzkgle vbyv vblka nsdhlapyvksd bye clld xkpwdelapvsse. Tl iwknjzu lmrzykdle, “Ubykaxyd Hbys xkpwdelapvsse. Ck-tl kp kd y cye xsse yde tsv eawdj, bl’p fwpv qsszkdt yaswde. Rv’p dsv obyv usw vbkdj.”
Qi Baijia, in his drunken state, blew a smoke ring at Jiang Yin and chuckled while holding onto the railing. “Feels good! A smoke after the fact, better than being an immortal.”
Jiang Yin: “…”
Xiao Yu: “…”
It was already difficult enough to explain the gathering to smoke, and now they were being misunderstood as engaging in illicit activities. It was mentally exhausting.
The assistant looked suspiciously at the smoke swirling in the air, as well as Qi Baijia and Xiao Yu with their rumpled clothes from their previous struggle and their incessant coughing…
Wait, wasn’t this the young star who had directly approached the boss before, asking for support?
Zhao Yansen glanced at the three of them, pausing for two seconds on Jiang Yin’s tearful face. He then sternly said, with a serious expression, “Come with me.”
Jiang Yin instantly felt like a student caught skipping class by the principal. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and reflexively, he turned his hand over and extinguished the cigarette, discreetly slipping it into his pocket.
“We were just venting our frustrations by drinking and smoking, absolutely nothing illegal or inappropriate,” Jiang Yin explained.
Zhao Yansen furrowed his brows. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
The assistant immediately pushed the door and made a gesture of invitation with a smile that left no room for doubt.
Jiang Yin felt helpless. He was just a small star, while the other was a big boss. He could only comply. He gave a signal to Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu went to support Qi Baijia but failed to pull him up.
Jiang Yin reached out and pulled him up. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” Qi Baijia, with drunken eyes, didn’t want to get up.
“To get some fresh air,” Jiang Yin replied.
Qi Baijia immediately let go of the railing and excitedly stood up. “Let’s go!”
Jiang Yin: “…”
The two intoxicated individuals followed Zhao Yansen out of the emergency passage.
“Our rooms are downstairs,” Jiang Yin gently reminded.
Zhao Yansen didn’t turn around. He walked a few steps and stopped in front of a door. The assistant took out a card and swiped it, and the door opened.
Jiang Yin: “…”
“Come in,” Zhao Yansen entered first.
The assistant smiled and gestured at the door, indicating for them to enter. “Please—”
Jiang Yin felt helpless and pulled Qi Baijia inside.
Xiao Yu’s heart was collapsing. He would never make fun of Assistant Xiao Liu, who worked for the Little Princess, for being timid anymore. The Big Demon King was truly terrifying. He wished he could shake his silly smiling artist awake and make him sober up a bit!
Once inside the room, Jiang Yin couldn’t help but admire the interior decor. It truly lived up to its reputation as a top-floor suite and was much more luxurious than where they were staying.
Although the crew covered their accommodation and meals, there was still a budget to consider. These luxurious suites were typically reserved for lead actors and special guests. Having a separate room was already considered good for supporting roles like them, let alone anything better.
While modern consciousness advocated equality for all, Jiang Yin had come to realize that social hierarchy and class distinctions still existed in every profession, including the entertainment industry and even among pets.
After entering the room, Zhao Yansen took off his suit jacket and hung it up, turned on the central air conditioning, and sat down on the sofa, crossing his long legs. “Have a seat.”
Jiang Yin guided Qi Baijia to sit down as instructed.
“Don’t be nervous. I’m not here to blame you,” Zhao Yansen said in a tone that conveyed he was trying to reason with them. However, his serious expression was a bit intimidating. “Have you ever thought about the consequences if it wasn’t me who passed by but someone else? What if that person had ulterior motives and recorded everything you said? What would be the outcome?”
Jiang Yin remembered their earlier conversation, and his face slightly changed. This industry was known for its tolerance, where even cheating or infidelity could be overlooked, allowing individuals to make comebacks or continue to thrive with shamelessness because there would always be fans who would overlook these things. However, there was one thing that was absolutely unacceptable: breaking the law, especially involving drugs. This was related to the historical context of the industry. Once involved in such matters, the best choice was to leave the industry. Not even die-hard fans could save someone in that situation.
If their earlier conversation had been maliciously recorded and spread, it would undoubtedly have a significant impact on their careers. Even if they voluntarily went to the police station to clarify, their public image would still be greatly damaged. Especially since they were not yet famous, they wouldn’t have loyal fans to help explain the situation. Not everyone would bother to look at the clarification. Once people were left with the impression of drug use, it would be difficult to reverse it in the short term.
In more serious cases, it could even involve the production crew, and whether they could continue filming would become a question mark.
Xiao Yu’s face turned pale, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
“Thank you,” Jiang Yin sincerely thanked Zhao Yansen. “I’m sorry. We were careless.”
He had been enjoying too much comfort and relaxation these days, forgetting that even if it wasn’t the imperial palace, there were still conflicts and dangers.
Xiao Yu quickly followed suit and expressed his gratitude.
Qi Baijia, not understanding the situation, simply echoed their words with a silly smile.
Zhao Yansen waved his hand. “You don’t need to apologize to me. It’s a lesson learned. Remember to think twice before you act in the future.”
Jiang Yin shook his head, still apologetic. “We made a mistake, and we should apologize.”
“The Legend of Empress Lu” was Bai Xiang’s major investment for the beginning of the year. If this incident were to be exposed, it might affect the entire production crew, not to mention Zhao Pengpeng. It was reasonable for Zhao Yansen to be angry, both in public and private. Instead of getting angry with them, he sat down and patiently explained the reasoning. One could say he was very kind.
Putting himself in Zhao Yansen’s shoes, Jiang Yin realized that if it were him, he probably wouldn’t be so forgiving. In fact, he had a bit of a temper, as someone who had been sick for a long time. However, he was currently exploring and adapting to this world, everything was still fresh to him, and nothing had triggered his anger yet. Moreover, he was no longer an emperor and needed to learn to restrain himself.
“Also, thank you for the reminder. I will be more cautious in the future.”
At that moment, he mentally labeled Zhao Yansen as a genuinely good person. No wonder no one in the industry who had pursued Zhao Yansen one after another had ever spoken ill of him.
However, the next moment, he regretted his judgment.
Zhao Yansen said, “If you’re willing to listen, I’ll say a few more words. Since you’re pursuing the path of a popular idol, you have a responsibility to set a good example. Many of your fans are young teenagers, and as an idol, you should provide them with positive guidance. Although I don’t oppose smoking as a personal preference, which falls within one’s personal rights, I still hope you can be more cautious, at least refrain from smoking in public to avoid being photographed.”
“Furthermore, I believe you’re well aware of the dangers of smoking. Even from a health standpoint, quitting smoking is the best choice, and the sooner, the better.”
“Of course, this is just my suggestion. If you’re willing to listen, that would be best. If not, it’s okay too.”
Jiang Yin thought to himself, “This is not a suggestion, it’s clearly an education.”
Seeing that Jiang Yin remained silent, Zhao Yansen felt a little disappointed. Perhaps it was because Jiang Yin had voluntarily admitted his mistake and shown awakening, which made Zhao Yansen appreciate his willingness to learn. He couldn’t help but want to offer some guidance. But now it seemed that he had overthought the situation.
Jiang Yin was not ungrateful. He could understand Zhao Yansen’s good intentions. Actually, he didn’t feel repulsed by Zhao Yansen’s advice, just a bit uncomfortable. The last person who would speak to him like this was the Grand Tutor who had been provoked and resigned from his position. However, the Grand Tutor was already advanced in age, while Zhao Yansen hadn’t reached his thirties and looked young for a modern person. It was difficult for Jiang Yin to regard him as an elder.
“Thank you, Mr. Zhao. I understand your good intentions. In fact, I don’t usually smoke. Today was just out of curiosity and experimentation. I won’t do it again in the future.”
Zhao Yansen felt relieved.
Xiao Yu immediately chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right. Qi Ge and I don’t usually smoke either. It was purely due to our bad mood today, it was accidental, truly accidental.”
Qi Baijia… Qi Baijia fell asleep.
Jiang Yin: “…”
He felt the need to seriously consider whether to continue maintaining this friendship.
Feeling heartbroken, Jiang Yin took the snacks from Xiao Yu’s hand on the way back, as he couldn’t hold Qi Baijia and carry the snacks at the same time.
When he opened the package, it turned out to be a box of duck necks.
Beer and duck necks, just as expected from Qi Baijia. Even in the midst of heartbreak, he still paid attention to his snacks.
Qi Baijia must have been too focused on drinking and didn’t eat many. There was still more than half of the box left. The duck necks were spicy and had a hint of sweetness in the first bite, which gradually turned spicy with subsequent bites. Although the amount of meat on the duck necks was limited, the texture was firm, and the flavor of spiciness was deeply infused, becoming more and more fragrant with each bite.
Jiang Yin wasn’t a big fan of spicy food, but unconsciously, he finished more than half of the box.
Then he quickly disposed of the evidence to prevent Chen Dan from finding out.
He had a good night’s sleep.
The next morning, when he saw Qi Baijia, he had apparently lost his memory and didn’t remember what had happened after he got drunk.
“I heard that we were reprimanded by Mr. Zhao?” Qi Baijia ran over with an innocent look, seeking confirmation.
Jiang Yin once again considered the possibility of ending their friendship. But before he could think too much, Qi Baijia finished shooting his scenes that day.
“Don’t be so sad. We will see each other again, and we can hang out sometime.” Qi Baijia hugged Jiang Yin with a touched expression and teary eyes.
Jiang Yin replied, “No, I’m just not over the fact that you ‘died’ yet.”
They had just finished shooting the scene where Liu Ruyi was poisoned.
Qi Baijia: “…”
Although his heart was “hurt,” before leaving, he gently and kindly reminded Jiang Yin about Han Lingran.
“Be careful. He won’t let it go easily.”
“I know.” Jiang Yin squinted his eyes.
And within a week after Qi Baijia wrapped up filming, it was Jiang Yin’s turn for his final scene.
***
Poor Jiang Yin, destined to be lectured by Zhao Yansen 😂 But they indeed got off lightly.
Thank you for the translation 💕