Chapter 18 My Part-Time Job Diary: "Do you really have to bring a bodyguard to work...?"
Who is this?
"Is he a celebrity? I don't think he's listed among the cast members announced by the production team."
"But she's so pretty, her skin is so nice! She looks more like a rich heiress, is she also here to visit An Chen on set?"
"What? Sharing a strong economic power always breaks my defenses!"
The crowd whispered amongst themselves, some disappointed, but mostly curious.
Lan Jia felt like a monkey in a zoo, being discussed and stared at, and she avoided eye contact uncomfortably.
"Excuse me, please don't take pictures, and please delete them!" A hand reached out and blocked her way. "Miss, please come this way."
Zuo Tai, who was over 190 cm tall, stood like a mountain, blocking the crowd for her. Lan Jia adjusted her sunglasses and quickly slipped away through the gaps.
The voices behind her were sparse, some of them complaining, but they reached her ears.
"She goes out with bodyguards; she must be a real heiress."
"That driver is so fierce, he looks like a monster, what's with the attitude!"
"Stay away, don't mess with that rich girl, or you might get a lawyer's letter."
After communicating with the production crew, Lan Jia slipped into the building.
"Wait a minute, why was she allowed in?"
"Privileges? Money power? This is so unfair..."
Finally, I can't hear it anymore.
Lan Jia breathed a sigh of relief and pulled off her sunglasses.
There was another wall in front of me.
She looked up, her neck straining uncomfortably.
Why did you follow me again?
Zuo Tai clasped his hands together respectfully and said, "Miss, I am your bodyguard and driver. From today onwards, I will protect your safety closely."
"Who sent you?" Lan Jia suddenly asked, her face darkening.
He kept his mouth shut and didn't say a word.
"Was it Meng Cenjun? He sent you to spy on me?"
No wonder he ignored her; he had a plan all along. In the end, he couldn't allow her to escape his control.
“Miss, you’ve misunderstood. The gentleman is just worried about your safety.”
"I don't care, from now on you're not allowed to follow me!"
The two stood arguing in the ground floor hallway. Every now and then, staff members carrying boxes would pass by, glance at them, and whisper, "Who are these people? They caused such a commotion just now."
"I don't know her. I heard she's a new assistant in the clothing department."
Someone scoffed and shook their head: "What's this? A princess experiencing commoner life?"
"Alright, enough talk, let's get to work."
Seeing this, Lan Jia immediately retreated to a corner and lowered her voice: "How much does he pay you? I'll pay double. Don't stay by my side, it's too embarrassing."
“I’m sorry, Miss, this is my duty.” Zuo Tai remained unmoved.
Lan Jia gritted her teeth, "Do you believe I can get him to fire you!"
He didn't even blink, standing like a gatekeeper blocking her way.
Lan Jia couldn't shake him; there was nothing she could do.
As long as Meng Cenjun doesn't budge, once Zuo Tai leaves, another You Tai might just appear.
She sighed and temporarily conceded: "You can stay here, but don't interfere with my work."
"yes."
"Now, go and park the car further away, in a less conspicuous place."
He listened to her commands, looked around, and after confirming there was no threat, he complied.
It would be a lie to say I didn't take those idle gossips to heart.
When you're out doing business, there are always many setbacks, but she believes she can handle them.
Lan Jia cheered herself up and went up to the third floor.
The film crew rented four rooms on this floor. Apart from those needed for filming, the rest were used as logistics departments to store equipment and supplies, and to provide a place for actors to put on makeup and rest.
She found the sign outside the door, opened one of the rooms, and found that the living room, which was not large to begin with, was even more cramped because it was occupied by cardboard boxes and haphazardly placed clothes racks. Two people were running around in this small patch of ruins, taking clothes out of the boxes, hanging them on the racks and ironing them, busy as spinning tops.
Seeing that no one had time to pay attention to her, Lan Jia looked around and saw a small room that was still open. She knocked on the door, stood still, and said, "Hello, I'm the new assistant, here to report for duty."
The short-haired woman working on the computer looked up and scanned her from head to toe. "Yi Lanjia?"
She nodded.
It flew in an arc through the air and was caught by her in a flurry of activity.
"Here's your employee ID."
"Oh, oh."
"You already know about the task assignments?"
"Uh-huh."
"There's nothing more to tell you. You don't need any special skills to work here. Just listen more, observe more, learn more, and be able to endure hardship. That's all."
Lan Jia was stunned. As a newcomer, reality was quite different from her expectations.
"Is there anything else?" Team leader Xu Xinwen glanced at her again. "Or do you want me to find a safe to lock up your limited edition Kelly doll?"
Lan Jia shook her head, somewhat embarrassed, and hid the bag behind her back. Aunt Ming had picked it out for her casually that morning; she hadn't even noticed it.
With the truck still unloading, Lan Jia walked out of the house somewhat dejectedly and went downstairs to move some things.
The cardboard box was large and heavy, and it also blocked her view. Lan Jia had never done anything like this before, and at this moment she had no choice but to accept her fate, carrying the box step by step, like an ant climbing Mount Everest. The old-fashioned stairs were narrow, and the two of them stumbled as they passed. A girl was in a hurry to come down and stepped on Lan Jia, causing her to cry out in pain.
"Excuse me, could you please move aside?"
An insincere apology, and then they disappeared in a flash.
Lan Jia turned her head and looked at the person with a surprised expression.
Unexpectedly, someone else came down in a hurry carrying a large wooden box. In the process of jostling and bumping, Lan Jia lost her balance, leaned back, and fell uncontrollably to the ground.
Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes widened—it was all over!
I stumbled and slid down a few steps, then stopped, my back hitting something solid – thank goodness.
She breathed a sigh of relief, just as she heard an annoyed voice behind her: "Xiao Li, watch your step, you bumped into someone."
The large box was moved aside, and Xiao Li, with his squinty eyes, saw her clearly. He smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, miss, I'm in a hurry."
Lan Jia was still flustered and nodded without understanding what was going on.
"It's alright now, you can try to stand up straight." A gentle voice said.
She finally snapped out of it, stood still, turned around, and met a pair of handsome, smiling eyes.
He was a boy with tanned skin, thick eyebrows and eyes, and a dimple on his right cheek when he smiled; he was very charming.
In the heat of the moment, he didn't touch her, but instead used one arm to brace her back with great restraint.
"Thanks to you." Lan Jia smiled at him, her gaze shifting downwards to see his name on his name tag.
Clothing Department, Song Qingqu.
What a coincidence.
"Is this the last box? I'll help you."
Without a second thought, he took the heavy object from her hand and carried it upstairs.
Lan Jia thanked him and followed behind him.
"You're an assistant too?"
"Yeah, summer internship, I'm a junior. And you? Coming here to experience life, princess?"
Hearing his joke, even if it meant no harm, Lan Jia still felt annoyed.
Why doesn't anyone believe that she genuinely wants to come and work hard?
Why is it that no matter what she does, she can never escape her family or Meng Cenjun?
After carrying the boxes upstairs, Song Qingqu said, "Wait for me at the door for a while." He turned around, went inside to put the things away, and came out again not long after.
Seeing Lan Jia's droopy eyes, he smiled and said, "So you're already so devastated?"
"No."
"You want to fit in here?"
She nodded.
"I'll help you."
She stood at attention, listening attentively to workplace tips like a good student.
Song Qingqu looked her up and down, then said thoughtfully, “First of all, clothes make the man, and you don’t look like someone who’s here to work.”
Lan Jia looked down at her outfit. Aunt Ming had put together the look for her.
"Here, these are T-shirts for the crew. You can change into them later."
He glanced at her again and said, "Your hair won't do; you have to tie it up."
She nodded, immediately took a hair tie from her bag, and quickly tied her hair into a ponytail.
Keep watching.
"Take off the necklace too, it's inconvenient to work, and it would be a shame to lose it."
"oh oh."
Lan Jia immediately took it off and casually stuffed it into her bag. Come to think of it, this was one of the many gifts Meng Cenjun had given her.
"Any other questions? I'm free now."
Zuo Tai, who had been sent to park the car earlier, returned. He stood there like a wall, glancing sideways at Song Qingqu with an unapproachable expression.
Lan Jia gave an awkward smile, "My family hired him, I had no choice." In reality, she was seething with resentment, having already hated Meng Cenjun a thousand times over.
Their eyes met, and Song Qingqu helplessly spread his hands, turned around, and went inside.
Lan Jia stood with her hands on her hips, clearly annoyed, pointing her finger at Zuo Tai. "If you insist on coming along, then stand at the door. Don't interfere with everyone's work, and don't interfere with mine either."
"Yes, Miss." Zuo Tai replied without looking to the side, maintaining a solemn posture.
"I'm entrusting my bag to you for safekeeping."
"Yes, Miss."
Lan Jia went in as well, changed into a simple black T-shirt, and began to organize the costumes of each character according to the task assignments, number them, and create costume files.
Under the blazing sun, the old-fashioned air conditioner in the room was malfunctioning. Lan Jia was so busy that she was drenched in sweat, unaware that she had already become famous on set.
Zuo Tai stood guard at the door, and anyone who came by couldn't help but take a look. He was a big guy in a sharp suit, with a cold and menacing face. The only thing that stood out was the cute crossbody bag he was carrying, with a plush pink octopus pendant.
People were talking about Lan Jia in private, speculating about her identity and background. After searching extensively on various search engines without success, they became even more curious and fabricated all sorts of versions.
Lan Jia was still completely unaware of what was happening. She had just finished her work when she heard cheers and screams from downstairs. The person in charge of the earlier misunderstanding had probably arrived.
She paid no attention to anything else, tucked her sweaty hair behind her ear, and rubbed her aching back before a bottle of ice water was handed to her.
"That's enough, take a break." Song Qingqu smiled. "I'll teach you the most important lesson in the workplace."
Lan Jia pressed the mineral water bottle against her burning cheek and listened attentively.
He leaned closer and whispered, word by word, "Learn to touch fish!"
Lan Jia was stunned for a moment, then laughed along with him.
"You seem very experienced?" Even though they were about the same age.
"Forced by the necessities of life." Song Qingqu raised an eyebrow.
"Then starting today, will you be my teacher? There are still many things I don't understand, can you give me some pointers?" Lan Jia took the initiative, her clear eyes filled with longing.
"Okay, then you have to treat me to a meal."
Lan Jia smiled and agreed.
Before we could even rest for a moment, the actors arrived and came over for makeup and styling.
Today's scene is being filmed indoors, and the costume department mainly serves several important characters.
Lan Jia was assigned the role of the "father" in the patricide case, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. However, the actor himself was actually quite amiable in real life, which was quite different from the character he played in the script, who was a gambler and womanizer.
The director wanted to see the costume photos, so Lan Jia put together four or five outfits for the uncle, had him try them on one by one, and then took photos to send to the director for review.
The bearded director looked at it, frowned, and said with a stern face, "No, this won't do. Young lady, pay more attention to your work and think it over again."
Lan Jia also watched it and found that the costumes and the actors did not match. She had only focused on making the characters look like street thugs, which was too rigid and did not consider the compatibility between the costumes and the actors themselves.
She slunk back to rebuild, and Song Qingqu, passing by, stood beside her, deep in thought.
"Something's still missing."
"?"
"That's not sleazy enough."
Lan Jia was troubled. How was she supposed to know how to act sleazy? She didn't have anyone around her to observe. Was she supposed to kneel down and beg the actor, "Uncle, could you be any more sleazy? You don't look like a middle-aged, greasy man who's a womanizer and gambler at all!"
She couldn't possibly question the casting choices made by the directing team, could she? That would only make her seem incompetent and lacking in skill.
Song Qingqu pondered for a moment and then suggested, "Try aging the clothes first. Choose ordinary, inconspicuous clothes that suit the actors."
Lan Jia had a bit of a breakthrough, so she decided to do some more work, adding tea stains and oil stains to create a sense of a sweaty, grimy lifestyle.
She clasped her hands in thanks to Song Qingqu, only to hear a commotion in the small room inside, with voices scolding someone.
"What are you wearing? It's so tacky! We're an urban suspense drama, not a rural period drama! We've entrusted you with the female lead's costumes, can't you be a little more attentive to your work?"
There were soon dissenting voices, which were then silenced and replaced by faint sobs and choked breaths.
After observing for a moment, she asked, "Is Sister Xinwen throwing a tantrum again?"
"Yes, Xiao Zhang just came back after being scolded by the director."
Lan Jia secretly rejoiced, thankfully she hadn't been scolded too badly just now. She was just a nobody on the film set, always adhering to a cautious and timid way of survival.
Song Qingqu added, "But you should also understand that it's a special time for Sister Xinwen."
Just as she was about to ask what period it was, the door opened the next second, and Xiao Zhang walked out with red eyes. Lan Jia took a closer look and realized that this was the girl who had stepped on her foot earlier. She pursed her lips and didn't say anything. Then, the group leader, Xu Xinwen, who was wearing a pinafore dress, also came out. When Lan Jia saw her round belly, she understood and couldn't help but feel that she was really working hard. She secretly decided that she would never make her angry again.
"Alright, get back to work, don't delay the afternoon's filming schedule." Xu Xinwen's sharp gaze swept over, and Lan Jia immediately lowered her head, not daring to meet her eyes.
After a busy morning, she finally passed the director's test. At lunchtime, Song Qingqu came to find her and said, "Want to eat together? Two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, and I heard there are chicken legs too."
Lan Jia was already starving, so she immediately agreed and went downstairs with him to get their boxed lunches.
Before she could even get her food, a familiar car pulled into the residential area. A well-maintained, gentle-looking middle-aged woman got out, carrying a tall metal insulated lunchbox. After searching through the crowd, her eyes locked onto Lan Jia, and she exclaimed with delight, "Miss!"
Lan Jia was in line when she heard voices, turned around, and said embarrassedly, "Aunt Ming, why did you come all this way?"
Aunt Ming glanced at the food provided by the crew and frowned: "Of course we're bringing you food. You're a picky eater, and the food outside is too oily and salty, it's not healthy, and we're afraid you won't be used to it."
The staff members in front of them, with their sharp ears, turned around in unison and sized up the two of them with strange looks.
Lan Jia was immediately embarrassed, her ears burning. She lowered her voice and said, "Aunt Ming, I can take care of my own meals. Please don't bring them next time, okay?"
"How can that be?" Aunt Ming hesitated. "Besides, the master has already given instructions..."
Don't mention him!
He still wants to interfere in her affairs! Lan Jia immediately became furious.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about it." Aunt Ming smiled, looking at her like she was a rebellious teenager, and handed her the heavy thermos. "I got up early this morning and simmered ginseng chicken soup for three hours. Be sure to drink it."
"Okay, go back now." Lan Jia waved her hand. "Just remember not to send any more!" It's too embarrassing to make an exception for everyone.
Turning around, Song Qingqu was holding a boxed lunch, smiling, but his eyes clearly looked at a traitor.
Lan Jia chuckled, feeling she needed to make her decision clear. "Wait for me," she said, before queuing up again to get a boxed lunch.
Zuo Tai also came down and stayed by her side the whole time. When Lan Jia saw this, she handed him the thermos in her hand, saying, "It's up to you to handle this."
"Miss, this is inappropriate." Zuo Tai was at a loss for words and quickly refused.
"Take it if I give it to you, or I'll fire you!"
To be honest, he didn't take her light threat seriously, but he still reluctantly accepted it. The master had instructed him that, apart from protecting her safety, everything else should be based on the young lady's wishes.
Lan Jia and Song Qingqu each held a boxed lunch and sat down on the stone bench downstairs to eat. The table was a chess table made of wooden planks, which had been exposed to the wind and sun for many years and was so simple that it was crumbling.
She looked at the juicy braised pork, the glistening celery and pork strips, and the slightly yellowed stir-fried vegetables in front of her, swallowed, and suddenly felt her appetite diminish.
Song Qingqu picked up two pieces of food with his chopsticks and put them in his mouth. He asked her why she wasn't eating. Lan Jia shoveled some rice into her mouth and twitched the corner of her mouth: "The chopsticks are prickly."
"This is a one-time use item, give it to me."
Song Qingqu took the chopsticks, removed the burrs, and rubbed the two chopsticks together for a while. "All done."
Lan Jia exclaimed, "It really does look much smoother!"
"Eat quickly, you still need to keep an eye on the filming location this afternoon, so make sure you have enough energy."
"Oh." She picked up a piece of juicy meat, struggling to mentally prepare herself.
Encouraged by Song Qingqu's gaze, Lan Jia felt a little embarrassed. Not wanting to be seen as spoiled and unable to endure hardship, she simply closed her eyes, steeled her resolve, and swallowed it all in one gulp.
Lan Jia ate the meal with her face contorted in pain.
At that moment, Meng Cenjun, who was at the company, had just finished her work. She rang the bell, and Zhou Zhu quickly brought in lunch, opening the insulated container and neatly placing it on the table. The four dishes and soup, freshly prepared by Huaiyuan Private Kitchen, were still steaming hot and delicious.
Meng Cenjun took out ebony chopsticks from the lunchbox and asked, "How is she doing over there?"
Zhou Zhu quickly found the photos sent by the production team, and he directly handled Zuo Tai's work matters.
The background of the photo was cluttered, and the crew members were scattered, standing and sitting, waiting for lunch. He spotted Lan Jia at a glance. Under the blazing sun, she shielded her forehead with her hands, standing in a long line, her neck covered in sticky strands of sweat.
Meng Cenjun looked at it for a while, her face darkening: "Is this all she eats? Where are her family members? Didn't they bring her anything?"
Author's Note: Even though we argued, seeing my sister eating takeout outside still made me feel sorry for her. [Pity]
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