Chapter 5 The director agreed
"So fragrant!!!" She picked up another piece of braised pork belly. The fatty yet not greasy pork belly made even the fat she hated melt in her mouth, filling her mouth with the aroma of melted butter. The lean meat was tender and juicy, with distinct strands and a rich, savory sauce. The preserved mustard greens at the bottom had absorbed the essence of the meat juices, savory and sweet, chewy and delicious. Every bite of the preserved mustard greens was coated with a rich meaty aroma, even tastier than the meat itself.
She took a bite of meat, a bite of preserved mustard greens, and then a bite of rice steamed to the perfect softness. The fresh and sweet flavors exploded in her mouth, making her unable to stop eating until the plate was empty.
Even the soup residue in the plate wasn't wasted; it was all coated in rice, and combined with the refreshing and smooth taste of the family-style soup, the flavor was simply divine.
Before she knew it, she had finished her entire boxed lunch, leaving it clean. She watched Su Yingxue still busily serving food, her mind still preoccupied with the braised pork with preserved vegetables.
"I think I just had a piece of meat; I haven't eaten for two days. How about another piece?"
Just as she was about to line up to get more food, Zhu Xiaoxiao came running over quickly.
"Sister, I was just on the phone with my agent, and you've already finished eating!" Zhu Xiaoxiao said in surprise.
Shen Yu stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed, as there wasn't a single grain of rice left in the plastic lunchbox in her hand.
"It's delicious, why don't you try it too?" Shen Yu said to Zhu Xiaoxiao with a smile.
Zhu Xiaoxiao stopped Shen Yu from ordering another boxed lunch and turned to Su Yingxue, saying, "I want two meals!"
Su Yingxue nodded and continued to steadily get her food!
Shen Yu watched Zhu Xiaoxiao's actions with sparkling eyes, and then said, "Xiaoxiao, you're so kind!!! You'll share your meal with me, right!"
Zhu Xiaoxiao smiled and shook her head, "No! Sis! You're overthinking it. Both of these lunch boxes are mine. You ate too much today, so you don't mind adding half an hour of exercise tomorrow, right?"
Shen Yu immediately deflated, still struggling with Zhu Xiaoxiao.
"It smells so good! I'll have another bowl of takeout!"
"It's so delicious! The soup is so flavorful!"
"Delicious! I wish I could eat this every day!"
"Compared to before, what I was eating was like pig swill!"
When Xu Qingqing heard this, her hand, which was scooping rice, trembled. She immediately lowered her head and thought to herself: Okay, she admits that she didn't put enough salt in the rice a few days ago.
Seeing Xu Qingqing like this, Su Yingxue didn't say anything, but patted Xu Qingqing again to encourage her.
Xu Guoqing was adding food to the table when he suddenly shouted, "Who said it was pig swill? Let him have nothing to eat later!" He had just placed a large bowl of braised pork on the small table when he yelled, "Who said it was pig swill? Let him have nothing to eat later!"
The surrounding crowd laughed and chattered.
"Old Xu, we were wrong, we were wrong, please give me another piece of meat!"
"Old Xu, the soup is so delicious today! You've worked hard!"
"Keep up the good work tomorrow! Hahahaha!"
Old Xu's expression calmed down a bit, and he didn't say anything. He then spoke to Su Yingxue, "I'll go get another bucket of rice!"
Su Yingxue agreed, her mood instantly improving. Seeing so many people enjoying their meal, and receiving praise from several others, she felt very satisfied, even better than when the drama aired.
Just then, she saw Director Ye Lu coming over.
Ye Lu had only made a routine trip to the filming location when he caught a whiff of an irresistible aroma from afar. The scent was like an invisible hand, forcefully pulling him away from the monitor. Following the fragrance, he saw a long queue in front of the small kitchen, with even the most demanding actors obediently waiting in line. This scene made him squint.
"This is..." Ye Lu had only taken two steps closer when he saw Shen Yu squatting in the corner, holding an empty lunchbox, with a little bit of dried plum vegetable oil stain on the corner of her mouth. She looked just like a kitten that had stolen a fish, not even noticing him approaching.
"Director Ye!" Su Yingxue, with her sharp eyes, recognized the renowned director at a glance and greeted him with a smile, "Would you like to try some?"
Before Ye Lu could answer, Shen Yu jumped to her feet, frantically wiping her mouth. She had been so focused on eating that she hadn't noticed the director had arrived. To make matters worse, she caught a glimpse of Ye Lu staring at her empty lunchbox, not a single grain of rice left.
"Director Ye!" Shen Yu's voice rose eight octaves, "This food..." She paused, her eyes darting around, "I mean..." She suddenly straightened up, "The presentation of this lunchbox is quite unique!"
Ye Lu raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting between Shen Yu's greasy lips and the empty lunchbox. He turned to Su Yingxue: "Little Su, your cooking skills..."
"Yingxue is my senior!" Shen Yu suddenly interjected, pointing at Su Yingxue, her eyes shining like stars. "Director Ye, she's my senior from university! We even acted in a play together!"
Ye Lu glanced at Shen Yu, then at Su Yingxue, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two. He noticed the dried plum vegetable oil stains still on the corner of Shen Yu's mouth, and the lunchbox in her hand that had been licked clean.
"This food..." Ye Lu hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "How does it taste?" He then took the lunchbox from Su Yingxue with a serious expression.
Su Yingxue blinked, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense: "Director Ye, would you like to give it a try?" She was a little uneasy, wondering how this picky director would react.
Before Ye Lu could answer, the extras had already noticed him. With half a piece of braised pork still in their mouths, they looked up and mumbled, "Director Ye! This food... is amazing!" As they spoke, they quickly stuffed the last bite of food into their mouths, as if afraid Ye Lu would snatch it away.
Ye Lu looked at the group of extras who were usually all smiles and jokes, but now they were guarding their lunchboxes like little animals protecting their food, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.
"Cough cough..." Shen Yu finally swallowed, patted her chest, and looked at Ye Lu with bright eyes, "Director Ye, this food... is really delicious!" Her voice was full of sincerity, completely without her usual pickiness.
Looking at Shen Yu's satisfied expression after wolfing down her food, and then at the happy expressions on the faces of the extras around her, Ye Lu suddenly felt that he had discovered something incredible.
He picked up the lunchbox Su Yingxue handed him, his face stern, and said, "Let me make this clear first: if it's not good, you'll have to pack your things and leave later. Go to the finance department and they'll settle your wages for today!"
Su Yingxue picked up the conversation, smiling, and said, "Director Ye, don't worry, if I don't suit your taste, I'll leave immediately. But..." she blinked, "if I do suit your taste, could you consider a long-term contract?"
Ye Lu opened the lunchbox, and the aroma of braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens wafted out. The glistening pork belly and clear broth looked especially tempting in the plastic lunchbox. He hesitated for a moment, but finally picked up a piece of pork belly and put it in his mouth.
The moment the fatty yet not greasy pork belly melted in his mouth, Ye Lu's eyes visibly lit up. He calmly took another sip of the soup, the delicious flavor bursting on his tongue.
Shen Yu stared nervously at Ye Lu's expression, even her breathing becoming soft. Zhu Xiaoxiao muttered softly beside her, "If Director Ye says no, I'll just have to go back and eat instant noodles!"
Ye Lu chewed slowly, his expression gradually relaxing, finally revealing a satisfied smile. He looked at Su Yingxue, his tone calm yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of approval: "Hmm, not bad. Starting tomorrow, you'll be in charge of the crew's meals."
Su Yingxue nodded with delight, "Thank you, Director Ye! Don't worry, I'll make sure everyone enjoys the meal!"
Shen Yu breathed a sigh of relief and secretly made a victory sign. The surrounding extras, upon hearing this news, erupted in cheers.
"Great! Now we can eat such delicious food every day!"
"Long live Director Ye!"
"Senior is the best!"
Ye Lu watched this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips. He suddenly felt that perhaps the filming of "Chang'an Banquet" would be made extraordinary by this meal.
Just as I was thinking this, my assistant suddenly rushed over, shouting, "Something's wrong! The male lead, He Qianyu, has fainted!"
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