Chapter 27
"Click. This one passed."
At Yuan Chengyin's command, the staff who were keen on the sense of ceremony fired the fireworks, and with a bang, colorful ribbons filled the sky.
The filming of "The Sound of Falling Leaves" in Ducheng has finally been completed, and the crew has reached the end of the stage.
The holiday was waving to them, and they started playing a game where whoever was too happy and laughed out loud first would buy them milk tea.
Qiu An was infected by the atmosphere of the young crew. He pretended that he couldn't hold back his laughter for even a second and asked Xixi to buy milk tea for everyone.
The schedules of several supporting actors were difficult to coordinate, and the producer did not force them. He just gathered the members who were still in the group and planned to hold a small-scale informal dinner.
They booked a terrace restaurant facing the river and decided to hold a barbecue party there.
When this news reached Sister Hou and Ranlong, they quickly caught two key words.
One is "informal" and the other is "barbecue".
These two words put together can easily lead people to mistakenly think that it is a private dinner party among friends, where whoever has the thickest face powder is the most shameless.
So on that day, Ranlong only wore the black T-shirt and ripped jeans that the crew distributed, put on some light makeup, and went to the appointment without washing her hair.
The reason is simple.
Barbecue, what a smell! She didn't want her clothes to stink! Who would wear heavy makeup while eating barbecue? Halfway through the meal, her face would be smudged, and she would have to run to the bathroom to touch up her makeup. What a hassle.
As for my hair, I’ll have to wash it again when I get back anyway.
When the car arrived at the agreed restaurant, Ranlong discovered that this so-called "Riverside" was actually facing the Xinfan River, the most prosperous, most prominent and tourist-filled area in Ducheng!
As night fell, the river water was reflected by the warm yellow lights of the hotels on the shore. The floating golden light was so dazzling that it almost blinded Ran Long's eyes.
The so-called "barbecue" is roasting a whole lamb!
Two lamb racks, their skin golden and crispy, were placed on the charcoal fire, spinning in circles without any desire. Occasionally, the grill would make a few sizzling sounds, whether it was the resin left in the dead wood or the fat from the dead lambs.
Ranlong really wanted to kick the producer whose head was kicked by a sheep's hoof. Why call it a "barbecue banquet" for no reason? Why not call it a "whole lamb banquet"?
Is she really dressed like a beggar passing by?
Qiu An arrived even later than Ran Long. As soon as she arrived, everyone's attention was drawn to her. Qiu An was wearing a slim-fitting black fishtail dress, with her long hair tied up in a bun and a silver hairpin in the shape of a whale's tail.
The wind was strong by the river, blowing against her exposed back.
She's freezing to death.
Qiu An put on full makeup. I won’t judge whether it looks good or not, but the makeup is very heavy. If you put it under charcoal fire, it might fall off your whole face.
At that time, there will be two faces by the river, one is Qiu An's, and the other is the one Qiu An doesn't want.
Ranlong didn't want to stand with her, but Qiu An looked around for a long time before finding Ranlong, who was not very noticeable in the crowd. She walked over with a little effort, her steps restricted by her skirt.
Of course, the idea that she was struggling was just Ranlong's imagination.
In fact, she walked quite comfortably.
Before Qiu An could speak, Ran Long spoke first: "Why are you dressed like this for a barbecue? Do you want to jump into the river and become a siren? Sing a song and see if your voice is up to par."
Qiu An ignored her teasing and asked with concern, "Xiao Ran, do you want to change your clothes? I'll ask Xixi to bring you something."
"Come on! I don't want to be like you, walking with your left foot stepping on your right foot, pretending to be dead! Leave me alone and be your Siren!"
Ranlong actually wanted to change. If Yuan Chengyin or Sister Hou had suggested it, she would have agreed. But with Qiu An, she just wanted to be tough.
She may not be as beautiful as Qiu An, but at least she looks better than her, right?
Anyway, it was a private gathering and no media was present.
If the master pretends, the subordinates will pretend too.
Ranlong saw Xixi, who had also dressed up like Qiu An. Perhaps to avoid Qiu An's flamboyant beauty, she wore a handsome suit and a thick layer of makeup.
Xixi followed Qiu An closely, making it seem like they were the heroines of the film.
Ranlong avoided the crowd and found a secluded small sofa to sit down. Sister Hou was also covered in dust and sat silently beside her, looking like a concubine and maid abandoned in the cold palace.
Confused, Hou asked Ranlong, "Why are Qiu An and Xixi dressing up so beautifully? Will there be media filming today?"
Ranlong was unhappy: "Aren't you my agent? If you ask me, who should I ask?"
"How about I order a dress for you to be delivered quickly? Hmm... can dresses be delivered quickly?"
"...Forget it, everyone's going to be here soon and it's time to eat. I want to see how they eat the roasted whole lamb in these clothes."
Qiu An took Xixi around to socialize and greet the crew members, and those who usually came to say hello to Ranlong and Sister Hou didn't seem to realize that they were there.
It seems that he is too unkempt.
Forget it, Ranlong doesn’t want to deal with this group of snobs who look down on people based on their clothes.
Yuan Chengyin arrived with the producer. Ranlong thought Yuan Chengyin was at least on her level, but she discovered that this woman, who usually wouldn't even wear lipstick, actually had a layer of powder on her face! It was like she was going to hold a press conference.
It's baffling! There aren't any big shots coming, and there aren't any reporters watching. Why all the fuss? Just for two roasted whole lambs?
This is nonsense!
Are they showing the most basic respect for roasted whole lamb by dressing like this?!
Yuan Chengyin was stunned for a moment when he saw Ranlong's outfit from afar. Then he thought about it for a while, and without saying anything, he invited everyone to take a seat.
Ranlong had miscalculated. She didn't know that in Ducheng, when eating roasted whole lamb, one had to wear gloves, tear off a piece, and devour it with relish, their mouths dripping with oil.
But, but... the restaurant waiter cuts the roasted whole lamb into small pieces, garnishes it with some lightening vegetables, and places it on a plate. Then, each person is served a plate, and they eat it with a fork.
After you finish a dish, the waiter will come over and ask you if you want more. If you do, they will help you repeat the above process.
What are you pretending to be?
Roasted whole lamb is authentic only when you eat it until you feel sick!
However, no matter how refined the restaurant and its people were, the red wine in the goblet was still wine. After three rounds of drinking, the wine could no longer wrap around her feet.
She grabbed the waiter who was about to serve her the dish and yelled, "I don't want you to help me divide it. How can a group of people who are serving food eat the roasted whole lamb? Give me the gloves, I want to tear it myself!"
The waiter took a look at her clothes and thought she was a drunk clerk making trouble. He stood there for a long time without daring to move.
"Take her there as she requested." Qiu An said.
The waitress didn't recognize the drunk Ranlong, but she certainly recognized the glittering Qiu An. Naturally, she wouldn't refuse the big star's order and took Ranlong with her to look for gloves.
After Ranlong made such a commotion, the people at the table felt a little uneasy looking at the plates in front of them.
Yuan Chengyin laughed dryly and apologized on Ranlong's behalf: "I'm sorry, Xiaoran is like this when he drinks too much. He's disrespectful. Please be more tolerant."
Everyone said that it was okay, but in their hearts they were complaining that this guy was so disrespectful even when he wasn't drinking. It seemed that his family had fallen on hard times and his character had declined as well.
Ranlong had been gone for a long time and had not returned. Qiu An stood up and looked around. From a distance, he saw Ranlong squatting in front of the grill without moving, while the waiter stood beside her, looking a little embarrassed.
Seeing that she looked drunk, Qiu An felt uneasy, so he said hello to Yuan Chengyin, got up from his seat and walked towards Ranlong.
"Xiao Ran?" Qiu An walked to her side, bent down and patted her shoulder.
"Hmm?" Ranlong closed his eyes and uttered a question lazily through his nose.
"What are you doing squatting here? Grab what you want to eat and come back with me."
"The barbecue is so hot, I'm waiting for it to cool down."
Miscalculated.
Although Ranlong possessed a bold personality, her body was that of a pampered, wealthy daughter. Even during her two years of low self-esteem, she'd never done any heavy work. The saying "her hands were like the whites of scallions" also meant they would burn easily when fried.
"Let me help you tear it."
When the waiter heard Qiu An's words, he was shocked and took a step back, not daring to breathe.
While Ranlong was squatting there waiting for the meat to cool, she racked her brains but couldn't figure out the name of this giant Buddha. Finally, she came to a conclusion: Qiu An was kind-hearted and indulged the unreasonable behavior of one of his employees.
But now it seems that Qiu An's consideration for her has long exceeded the friendship between superiors and subordinates.
The waiter didn't know much about the entertainment industry, but he knew that Qiu An had some homosexual scandals in the early days.
Could it be that the person involved in the same-sex scandal is this unmannered lady?
Although this person doesn't know how to dress, he's pretty good-looking. On the surface, he doesn't look like a good match for Qiu An, but if you really want to match them, then he's a good match.
Like discovering a new world, the waitress quietly tucked the incident away in her inner gossip folder, titled "The Shocking Stories I Tasted During My Years as a Waitress at the Most Luxurious Restaurant in Ducheng." One day, she would publish a piece of bizarre literature disguised as a literary novel on a certain forum, gaining fame and transcending social classes.
Qiu An did not ask the waiter to get her another glove. Instead, she grabbed Ranlong's hand which was resting on his knees, put her five fingers into the opening of the glove, pressed against Ranlong's palm, and probed upwards little by little.
Ranlong pulled her hand away, but she wasn't angry. It was obvious that she had been drinking and was in a good mood.
She chuckled twice and said, "No, it's itchy."
"Everyone is waiting for you." Qiu An coaxed her.
"What are you waiting for me for?"
"You are the heroine. If not you, who should I wait for?"
"Shh!"
Ranlong covered Qiu An's mouth with her gloved hand. She glared at the waiter nervously, and the waiter turned his head away silently.
"There are other people here. This is a confidential matter. Don't talk about it."
"Okay, okay." Qiu An smiled bitterly, thinking that she was drunk and talking nonsense.
The gloves were stained with Qiu An's lipstick. Qiu An had no choice but to ask the waiter to bring a new pair.
"Which one do you want to eat?" Qiu An asked her.
"I want to eat the legs."
Joan tore off some of the hind leg meat, being careful not to get the seasoning and gravy on her dress.
Even though you are dressed so beautifully, you still have to tear the lamb with gloves in the end?
Ranlong looked at Qiu An and smiled foolishly, but a bad idea came to her mind. She thought, Qiu An must have thought she was very drunk by taking care of her like this? In fact, she was only a little drunk.
"I want the front legs too."
Qiu An had no choice but to tear off a few more pieces from the front legs.
"Give me some on the waist too."
"And the one on the neck."
"I won't embarrass you. Just help me pick a lamb chop at the end."
I tore it back and forth for a long time, and after I finished tearing it, I looked it up and down and it was still clean.
Dyeing is not a pleasant experience.
She followed Qiu An back with the plate in hand. As soon as she sat down, she grabbed a handful of mutton and enthusiastically pushed it in front of Qiu An: "Sister Qiu An helped me tear the mutton. Sister Qiu An, try it first. It's definitely better than the one you put on the plate!"
As he said this, he was about to stuff the handful of meat in his hand into Qiu An's mouth.
Yuan Chengyin was stunned. She knew Ranlong's alcohol tolerance was average, and his drinking habits weren't great, but she hadn't expected him to be this bad. The filming had barely made it past the halfway point, and their relationship seemed to have improved considerably. Why was there another incident?
Yuan Chengyin didn't have time to stop him, but fortunately Qiu An reached out in time and grabbed Ranlong's offending wrist.
The atmosphere was tense, and the people at the table stared at the scene in amazement, not knowing what Ranlong was up to.
If Sister Hou hadn't also been drunk and was leaning on Xixi's shoulder at this moment, she would definitely shout in her heart, "Ranlong, if you want to die, don't take me with you."
Xixi's mind was all on the drunk Sister Hou, and she didn't bother to care what was happening over there.
As for dyeing, it's not her turn to take care of it.
As for Qiu An, I can't control her even if I want to.
Just when everyone thought Qiu An would refuse sternly, Yuan Chengyin, who was sitting closest to him, saw Qiu An lower his head, obviously wanting to eat the meat in Ranlong's hand.
The hairs behind Yuan Chengyin's ears stood up.
Who's going to take care of them? This isn't a no-man's land!
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