Chapter 20 Mei Ruoguo's First Encounter
"Then tell me, when was the first time you met me?"
Mei Ruoguo raised her eyes, looking directly at Su Yingxue. "Actually, the first time I met you was four years ago on the set of 'Meteor Shower.' The same set as Liu Yingdi's film."
Su Yingxue's fingers tightened slightly as she gently stirred the soup in the bowl with the spoon. Of course, she remembered that film—it was her first important opportunity to act alongside a Best Actor. She clearly remembered the 21st "crack," the director's furious shout, and her trembling hands. But she had never mentioned to anyone that the film didn't end as smoothly as Ye Feifei's; instead, the role she had worked so hard to secure was quietly replaced the night before filming began.
As for who replaced her, so much time had passed that she couldn't remember. Only now, hearing Mei Ruoguo's words, did she suddenly recall that someone in the crew seemed to have mentioned replacing her with a younger actress... Could it be Mei Ruoguo?
This thought sent a strange feeling through Su Yingxue's heart. It wasn't so much embarrassment as a sense of absurdity, a feeling of being tricked by fate.
Mei Ruoguo seemed to notice Su Yingxue's distraction. She gently touched the ginger cola that Su Yingxue had just handed her, and said in a slightly lower voice, "Seeing you like this now makes me a little unhappy."
"What's bothering you?" Su Yingxue looked up at her, trying to read more emotions from Mei Ruoguo's eyes.
"I don't know, I'm just a little unhappy." Mei Ruoguo lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow on her cheek. "I'm leaving tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you on set again someday."
Su Yingxue opened her mouth, unsure what to say. Finally, she simply nodded, then, as if suddenly remembering something, added, "Okay, I'll make you a lunchbox next time."
Mei Ruoguo paused for a moment, then smiled, a smile with a brightness that Su Yingxue hadn't seen in a long time: "Can you stop thinking about making boxed lunches all the time? Where did the Su Yingxue who used to stay up for days on end to memorize lines for filming go?"
"Sigh..." Su Yingxue sighed, her gaze drifting unconsciously into the distance. "I've already terminated my contract, but I also signed a new one. I'm not going to act anymore. Making boxed lunches is fine for me now."
She quickly looked away and continued serving soup to everyone. Deep down, she knew the real reason she had given up her acting career was to raise money for her grandmother's medical treatment. Making boxed lunches, though seemingly restrictive, at least gave her peace of mind and helped her grandmother recover. She really couldn't think about anything else.
"Sister Su, what are you two talking about?" Ye Feifei suddenly popped out from the crowd, curiously looking at Mei Ruoguo and Su Yingxue. "What are you chatting about, so engrossed?"
"It's nothing," Su Yingxue replied with a smile, smoothly changing the subject, "Could you add some more meat?"
She turned back to the main hot pot area and found that Ye Lu had already drunk several glasses of baijiu. He hadn't had such a lively time in a long time, and his face was as red as a ripe apple. He Qianyu's eyes were still sparkling, staring intently at the bubbling beef brisket in the pot, looking like a hungry cat.
Xu Guoqing and Xu Qingqing had almost finished eating and were enthusiastically taking out playing cards to play Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game). They quickly became engrossed in the game, and before long, their faces were covered in white cards, their comical appearance making Su Yingxue burst into laughter. In this warm, homey atmosphere, the complex emotions about the past seemed to slowly dissipate with the steam from the hot pot.
After eating a low-fat diet for several days, Shen Yu finally lost some weight. Not only that, but she also felt much more energetic and energetic than before, instead of feeling weak from hunger.
She changed into the dress she wore last time. An elegant transformation; not only did it accentuate her figure, but it also exuded a youthful yet mature womanly charm.
Stylist Manda praised her again this morning, and she felt embarrassed.
Putting on this glittering battle robe and looking at herself in the mirror, Shen Yu thought to herself, "I have to give Su Yingxue a big red envelope when I get back." But more than anything, she was looking forward to getting back to the film set and having another boxed lunch.
Damn it, these past few days some people in the crew have been saying behind her back that she's become unsociable, especially arrogant, and she doesn't even eat with them anymore.
They subtly implied that she was being arrogant. Heaven knows, she resisted the temptation of delicious food like beef dumplings, beef hot pot, and beef noodles.
I've only lost a little weight by eating low-fat meals and doing aerobics every day.
As she thought about it, she couldn't help but feel hungry again. She took out the low-fat meal that Su Yingxue had packed for her early that morning and looked at the dazzling array of dishes.
The perfectly seared beef slices have an enticing caramel brown exterior with a slight sheen of oil, while the inside remains a tender rose-red with a hint of pinkish-white at the edges. The fat is evenly distributed, making them look both thoroughly cooked and juicy.
Blanched asparagus displays a bright emerald green color, with the buds at the top tinged with a slight pale yellow. Quickly chilling it after blanching preserves the vegetable's freshest color, while stir-fried asparagus takes on a light golden-brown hue, complemented by the caramelized aroma of minced garlic.
The roasted vegetable platter features broccoli that has turned a deep emerald green with slightly browned edges, as if kissed by the sun; the bell peppers have lost their rawness after roasting, turning into honey orange, soft rose red, and amber yellow; and the cherry tomatoes have burst out with ruby-like juice, their skins slightly wrinkled from roasting, exuding a sweet caramel aroma.
The mixed grain rice is a brownish-red color in varying shades, with plump grains, a milky white from the oats and a matte texture from the brown rice.
The brown beef, bright green asparagus, red and orange roasted vegetables, and brown mixed grain rice, garnished with a touch of bright green cilantro or mint leaves, make this low-fat meal look like an autumn oil painting. It has the richness of meat and the freshness of vegetables, with bright colors that are not cluttered.
This is not just a weight-loss meal, but a double treat for both the eyes and the palate—healthy, but not monotonous; low-calorie, but never bland.
But she still wants to eat a steaming hot pot of beef, a low-fat meal that even dogs won't eat. She'll eat it, even if the dog won't.
Shen Yu took another bite of the apple, still feeling indignant. "We can eat it later. We can only eat it at noon..."
Shen Yu forced herself to endure her hunger and carelessly shoved the plastic lunchbox containing Su Yingxue's specially prepared low-fat meal into a corner of the dressing room, not even bothering to close the lid properly. Her mind was completely focused on the upcoming shoot; she didn't care about the lunchbox's safety.
The shoot was very long, and the location for the brand she was endorsing was right inside the building where the shoot was being held.
No one was supposed to come in. But unfortunately...
"The time has been changed, the photographer will be here soon," the stagehand rushed in to inform them.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yu quickly straightened her skirt and strode towards the filming area in her high heels. She didn't notice at all that the lunchbox she had casually tossed in the corner was lying there quietly, emitting a faint aroma—the charred scent of fried beef, the sweet aroma of roasted vegetables, and the grain aroma of mixed grain rice, all mixed together, making it exceptionally tempting.
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