I Want to Become the King of the Silver Screen [Entertainment Industry] Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Pig’s Trotters

Jiang Yin glanced down at the name on his phone, confirming that it wasn’t Zhao Yansen. He then double-checked the door number; it matched the address.

“Jiang Yin?” Zhao Yansen seemed equally surprised, his gaze lingering on Jiang Yin’s eyes and brows visible outside the mask for a couple of seconds. “Are you… recording a show?” He glanced behind, seemingly searching for a camera.

“No, I’m not. I didn’t. You’ve mistaken me for someone else,” Jiang Yin denied without missing a beat.

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Plprkvl bkp byv yde vktbvzu osad xypj, bso eke vbkp rlapsd alnstdkgl bkx?

“Xb, alyzzu?” Hbys Zydpld aykple yd lulcaso kd y iwlpvksdkdt xyddla, rzyukdt yzsdt. “Yu yrszstklp, R xwpv byhl xkpvyjld usw.”

Kkydt Zkd, vyjkdt alqwtl kd bkp elzkhlau twu rlapsdy wdela vbl xypj, nsdqkeldvzu bydele shla vbl qsse kd bkp bydep. “Ls osaaklp. Vzlypl vyjl uswa xlyz. R okpb usw yd ldfsuyczl ekdkdt lmrlakldnl. Ikdezu zlyhl y qkhl-pvya alhklo kq usw’al pyvkpqkle. Mbydj usw.”

Hbys Zydpld vssj vbl rynjytl, y bkdv sq y pxkzl qzknjlakdt kd bkp lulp. “Fwal.”

“Wait a moment.” He halted Jiang Yin, who was about to turn around, and took out a bottle of ice-cold cola from the bag. “Here, for you. You’ve had a tough time on the road.”

“No, no, no. It’s not troublesome,” Jiang Yin firmly declined with a slight motion. “This is our professional duty, something we should do. I can’t just accept things from customers casually. If you’re satisfied, a five-star review is enough.”

The mirth in Zhao Yansen’s eyes was becoming harder to hide. The youth was already wearing a yellow short-sleeved shirt with a yellow cap, and now, he was draped in a yellow raincoat. He looked like a little minion, especially his earnest insistence on being a delivery guy, which was genuinely amusing.

His gaze paused for a moment. He handed the food back to Jiang Yin. “Wait for me.”

Jiang Yin blinked in slight confusion, watching Zhao Yansen open a cabinet beside the entrance, then take out… a towel?

“For wiping,” he took the food and handed Jiang Yin the towel. “Don’t worry, it’s clean, never used.”

Jiang Yin hesitated for a moment, looking at the towel in his hand, then up at Zhao Yansen. With sincere gratitude, he said, “Thank you.”

Throughout the noon, he had delivered so many orders, and Zhao Yansen was the first to notice him in the rain and offer him a towel. Although it was because he recognized him, the warmth and happiness he felt didn’t diminish.

In this moment, he had to admit that there was a reason Zhao Yansen was so popular.

Just as he was closing the door, Zhao Yansen unexpectedly asked, “Do you still keep in touch with Peng Peng?”

“Yeah, well, no…” Jiang Yin reflexively responded, only realizing he had fallen for it after he spoke. He quickly corrected himself, “No, I don’t know anyone named Zhao Pengpeng!”

Their eyes locked, and the air quieted for a couple of seconds.

Amusement flickered in Zhao Yansen’s eyes. He politely nodded and closed the door, “Take care on the road.”

Jiang Yin: “…”

It wasn’t without reason why Zhao Yansen, the young master, had been single all this time.

·

“What’s wrong? Is the delivery not right?”

A friend leaned over the railing from the second floor, inquiring.

“No,” Zhao Yansen carried the pizza box as he ascended the spiral staircase, “I ran into someone I know.”

“Someone you know? The delivery guy?” The friend teased, “No way, tsk tsk, impressive. Our Chairman Zhao’s connections have expanded to even include delivery guys.”

Zhao Yansen explained, “Not an actual delivery guy. He’s a celebrity. Probably experiencing life for a role.”

“A celebrity?” The friend was amazed, “Are there still people so dedicated nowadays?”

Zhao Yansen hadn’t expected Jiang Yin’s transformation to be this significant. Last time, it was already good enough that he acknowledged his mistake and apologized. People who could admit their errors were few and far between. Now, to see him put aside his pride and genuinely work hard was truly commendable. It gave Zhao Yansen a sense of gratification and contentment, as if he was witnessing someone’s sincere effort to change for the better.

Seeing his expression, the friend grew curious, “Which celebrity? What’s their name? Do I know them?”

Recalling his friend’s flirtatious nature, Zhao Yansen firmly declined, “You don’t know them. It’s none of your business.”

The kid had just turned over a new leaf. He couldn’t let this guy tempt him into straying again.

The friend didn’t press further, but curiosity brewed within.

·

The chance encounter with Zhao Yansen didn’t affect Jiang Yin’s work. As the week-long experience came to an end, he felt as if he had shed a layer of skin, completely transformed.

Originally, his exceptionally fair skin had been tanned a whole shade darker by the intense summer sun. Yet, he had always been fairer than the average person. In the past, his complexion was so fair that it outshone even actresses wearing makeup. Now, his skin tone was just like that of an ordinary person.

However, the most significant change wasn’t external; it was within.

Both Jiang Yin and his original self had grown up in luxury without experiencing any hardship, except for the occasional illness. His original self could at least manage some household chores, knew how to travel and interact. Jiang Yin, on the other hand, had never touched any kind of manual labor, always issuing commands to palace servants no matter where he went or what he did.

Before transmigrating, he hadn’t even participated in a single financial transaction involving gold or silver.

This time, his experience with delivering food had been his first time putting in physical labor, his first taste of the hardships faced by common people. In just a week, he was filled with emotions.

In the modern world, which was already so wonderful, the lives of ordinary people were still so difficult. In the vast Zhou Dynasty where even basic sustenance couldn’t be guaranteed, weren’t the common folk enduring even greater hardships?

Whenever he thought of these things, Jiang Yin felt deep shame. In his past life, he only thought about his own difficulties, resenting his own circumstances, but he had never truly considered the common people. Those lofty ambitions and goals he had previously held seemed so laughable now.

Only after personally experiencing hardships did he realize that the little misfortunes he had encountered before were nothing at all.

After the experience was over, Jiang Yin’s entire demeanor had matured considerably. If his previous maturity was shaped by his environment, this was genuine maturity.

Chen Dan and Jiang Ai watched his transformation with a mixture of heartache and immense satisfaction.

“So, we need to cherish what we have now and live earnestly,” Chen Dan offered some inspirational words he remembered, trying to comfort him. “Only by working hard now can we have a better future.”

Jiang Ai was more straightforward, lacking any delicacy in her words. “Didn’t I tell you before? Don’t be ungrateful. Look at Xiao Yu, then look at you. You haven’t put in an ounce of effort, yet you feel like the heavens are blind for not recognizing a hero and making you successful. Who do you think you are?”

Jiang Yin pondered for a moment. “Maybe because I’m handsome?”

Jiang Ai: “…”

The next second, she grabbed a nearby cushion and threw it at him.

Another round of sibling “brawling” began as usual.

Chen Dan massaged his forehead.

The sibling warfare came to an end amidst the aroma wafting from the kitchen—the pig’s trotters had been stewed to perfection.

Zhao Qianjin was the one stewing the pig’s trotters. He claimed that he thought Jiang Yin had been working hard these past few days, so he wanted to treat him. Jiang Yin was half-believing, but he hadn’t expected the dish to turn out so well.

A large pot of pig’s trotters had been stewed, and because they were braised, they carried a rich soy aroma. Even before they were fully cooked, the fragrance had spread throughout the living room.

Without any formalities at home, everyone dug in directly. Jiang Yin randomly picked one up, feeling its soft and bouncy texture in his fingers. He brought it to his mouth and lightly sucked; the whole piece of meat slid into his mouth. It was tender and glutinous, melting as soon as it touched his tongue. The delicate cartilage could be easily bitten off with a slight force, and it was both crisp and chewy when eaten.

The taste was on par with Ning Jie’s culinary skills, if not better.

“Hey, this broth is really something else,” Chen Dan said with a satisfied expression.

“Indeed, the old broth has a deeper flavor,” Jiang Ai agreed.

Zhao Qianjin grinned, “I saved some of that broth in the fridge. Next time, we can use it to stew chicken, ribs, or even vegetables. Mushrooms, wood ear fungus, greens, potatoes—whatever you like.”

As he spoke, the three of them were already eyeing the pot, although they were eating from the bowl.

Wait a minute. Old broth?

Suddenly, Jiang Yin caught onto a crucial detail, “The old broth is flavorful, so what about the new broth? Have you guys already eaten a serving?”

Jiang Ai and Chen Dan exchanged a glance and simultaneously said, “No.”

Jiang Yin pressed on, “Confession leads to leniency; resistance leads to strictness.”

Jiang Ai coughed twice, “Alright, fine, we did…”

“Besides the pig’s trotters, what else?” Zhao Qianjin’s culinary skills were so impressive, how could he have only cooked pig’s trotters? He worked so hard all day long, and they were here feasting at home?

“Only pig’s trotters…” Jiang Ai mumbled nervously, “Ahem, stir-fried vegetables, rice, and desserts.”

Chen Dan recounted, “Eggplant casserole, shrimp cakes, lion’s head meatballs, braised ribs, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, sticky rice dumplings, fruit, cake…”

Jiang Yin: “…”

He was beyond furious.

The outcome of Jiang Yin’s angry protest was that he finally ended his “grazing” phase. Zhao Qianjin arranged his meals based on nutrition and calories, and they came to realize that Zhao Qianjin had actually studied nutrition in the past. It felt like they had struck gold.

They also introduced additional meals, three times a week, with the stipulation that the extra calories had to be balanced out with exercise.

Jiang Yin accepted it willingly.

On the fourth day after concluding his delivery experience, the filming for his new drama officially began. Jiang Yin, as the male lead, attended the opening ceremony.

This wasn’t the original self’s first time attending such an event, but it was the first time standing in the spotlight as the male lead. Although it was an unknown web drama, there was a fair amount of media presence due to Fang Xiao’s involvement.

After receiving the script, Jiang Yin had planned to visit Fang Xiao. However, Chen Dan contacted her manager, who revealed she was in France for a magazine shoot and would only be back on the day of the ceremony. So, he had to give up on the idea, but they exchanged a few messages on WeChat.

It was actually Qi Baijia who somehow managed to find out about the situation. He said that this web drama was specifically tailored for Zhang Heting by Fang Xiao. She and the director were classmates, and they were about to sign the contract. However, Zhang Heting suddenly backed out, leading to a conflict between them.

If even Qi Baijia could get hold of this information, it was naturally known to the entertainment reporters as well.

“What’s your take on the rumors that you’re dating Zhang Heting?” one of them asked Fang Xiao, pointing the microphone directly at her.

Fang Xiao maintained her standard smile. “You said it’s a rumor. What do you think?”

“Do you know about Zhang Heting having dinner with Qi Ting?”

Fang Xiao turned to look at a poster behind her and joked, “This is a new drama’s press conference. Let’s not get off-topic, or Director Wang might get upset.”

Director Wang played along, pretending to look frustrated, which drew laughter from the crowd.

Jiang Yin, watching from the sidelines, was thoroughly entertained and also learned a few tricks. Suddenly, a microphone was thrust in his direction, and he received it with curiosity, “It’s said that the male lead for this drama was initially supposed to be Zhang Heting. Did you know about that?”

Jiang Yin feigned surprise, “Really? I didn’t know. There was such a thing? Wait a moment, let me ask the director, Director Wang?”

Director Wang picked up on the cue, smiling, “Where are you all getting this information from? I initially invited Jiang Yin for the role. His image aligns perfectly with my vision for the male lead. It was Fang Xiao who personally recommended him to me.”

Fang Xiao nodded with a smile, “That’s right. After reading the script, the first person I thought of was Jiang Yin.”

With just a few words, they seamlessly replaced Zhang Heting with Jiang Yin.

The reporters realized they couldn’t extract much more, so they had to redirect their focus and change the topic.

Perhaps because it was a web drama, and all the main creators were young, the press conference was simple, lasting less than an hour from start to finish.

During the event, Jiang Yin went to the restroom. When he came out and passed by the backstage, he saw Fang Xiao standing in a corner, seemingly talking on the phone to someone. Her emotions seemed to oscillate between suppressed excitement and anger. But soon, she appeared to end the call, her anger subsided abruptly. Clutching her phone, her fingers trembling, she seemed quite upset. Suddenly, she lowered her head and covered her face, crouching down.

After hesitating for two seconds, Jiang Yin walked over.

Author’s Note:

Fang Xiao: Men are all big pig’s trotters!

*****

Translator’s note: I changed the name of the web drama to “Fateful Encounter.”

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