Starlet Taotie Chapter 15
Chapter 15 Trending
The recording for the second episode of 'Our Village' came to an end
The first episode would officially air on Sweet Orange Network that Friday.
The production team had been building hype on Weibo and Sweet Orange Network the entire time, but the response had been lukewarm at best.
Then on Tuesday, the production team released the trailer for the first episode. Unexpectedly, it shot straight onto the trending searches.
Trending topic:
#SheepKneeltoJiangTao#
Curious netizens who had no idea what was going on clicked into it, only to discover it was actually the trailer for 'Our Village'.
【This show is still airing? I thought it got canceled ages ago】
【What did Jiang Tao stir up this time?】
【What kind of trending topic is this? The paid promotion is so awkward】
The trailer for this episode radiated pure low-budget energy.
The six guests stood in front of a run-down house looking completely bewildered.
Then the camera cut.
The background music instantly turned passionate and intense.
Dong Xianhong and Sheng Xibai stood on ladders, drenched in sweat as they repaired the roof.
Yang Zhen, Le Hui, and Tang Yuxia were inside a chicken coop, being chased around miserably by a flock of free-range chickens.
Up to this point, everything still seemed fairly normal.
Then suddenly, the entire tone shifted. The music abruptly turned lazy and carefree.
Jiang Tao stood atop a lush green hillside.
An off-screen voice asked, “Xiao Jiang, do you want to learn some sheep-herding techniques first?”
Jiang Tao replied, “No need to waste time. The sooner we finish, the sooner we eat!”
Then she turned toward the flock of sheep.
The sheep instantly dropped to their knees with a loud plop.
Netizens: ???
【WTF HAPPENED?! Jiang jie, what did you do to those sheep?!】
【This has to be photoshopped, right?! There’s no way this is real!!】
【Isn’t this supposed to be a fking rural reality show? Did the editing team go train with Approaching Science* or something?!】
(TLN: Approaching Science (走近科学) was a documentary series that covered biology, archaeology, psychology, and similar topics. The program received praise for making science engaging and debunking supernatural claims for a broad audience, but was criticized (and meme-ed) for exaggerating scary atmospheres.)
【Hurry up and air it already!! Don’t force me to kneel down and beg you】
【Is the production team seriously chickening out? Release the rest of the behind-the-scenes clips already!】
【tbh with Jiang Tao around, I feel like anything is possible…】
With the help of the netizens, not only did the trending topic rocket straight to number one, but even on Sweet Orange Network, 'Our Village'—which had originally ranked dead last in anticipation among the upcoming variety shows—suddenly shot upward like a rocket and surged into the top ranks, with its engagement still climbing rapidly.
When Director Zou heard the news, he was completely dumbfounded.
He had expected the trailer to blow up, but he never imagined it would explode to this extent!
Watching the real-time trending rankings continue to rise, he pinched himself hard.
Ouch!
It wasn't a dream!
Thinking of the person responsible for all of this, Director Zou excitedly tried to call Jiang Tao, only to discover her phone was unreachable because she was on a flight.
Unable to contain his gratitude, he simply called the logistics team instead. “Upgrade the food for the production crew by another level!!”
…
After returning from Qingxi Town, Jiang Tao rested for only one day before Tong Tong dragged her onto another plane and headed to Shanyang Film Studio to shoot Tang Haisheng’s ‘Divine Chef’.
'Divine Chef' tells the story of Song Chengzhou, who travels to Shanghai to seek refuge with a distant uncle. Under the guidance of his imperial-chef uncle, he gradually grows from a street hooligan into a legendary master chef.
The character Jiang Tao played, Yu Youxiang, was a refined young lady from a wealthy family. She had studied abroad and possessed exceptional cultural refinement. She regularly contributed articles to magazines and newspapers, and because of her sharp palate and even sharper tongue, her food columns became extremely popular, eventually making her the most famous food critic in Shanghai.
Her role didn’t have many scenes, but all of them were with the protagonist.
On top of that, Tang Haisheng wanted to strike while the iron was hot and trick Shi Wenqing into joining the production as soon as possible, so he simply rearranged the shooting schedule and moved Jiang Tao’s scenes forward.
Ordinarily, treatment like this was reserved for actors with extremely high status in the industry. Yet Jiang Tao was nothing more than a bottom-tier nobody covered in scandals, which naturally sparked endless gossip throughout the production crew.
The actor playing the protagonist Song Chengzhou was named Huang Hao.
He was a recently popular young actor, professionally trained, handsome, and highly skilled in acting, making him a favorite among both investors and directors.
'Divine Chef' was the very first drama in which he served as the lead actor, so he took it extremely seriously. He had never expected that midway through filming, the schedule would suddenly be rearranged to accommodate some insignificant supporting actress whose billing rank was probably nonexistent. Naturally, he was displeased.
He had already finished getting his makeup done and should’ve gone out to rehearse his scenes, yet he stayed sulking in the dressing room instead.
His manager spent a long time persuading him before finally dragging him out.
However, Tang Haisheng seemed not to notice him at all and was instead enthusiastically chatting beside an elderly man.
Huang Hao didn’t recognize Shi Wenqing and assumed he was just another investor, so he quickly lost interest and looked away.
After scanning the area, he still couldn’t spot Jiang Tao anywhere, and his anger instantly flared up. “You’re making me accommodate some extra, and she’s late on top of that?”
At that moment, the sharp click of high heels sounded from behind him.
Huang Hao turned around, and a flash of amazement crossed his eyes.
The fitted qipao accentuated her perfectly proportioned figure. Her slender, fair arms rested lightly against the dark velvet fabric, their pale skin almost dazzling to look at.
Her delicate face was barely the size of a palm. Her hair had been styled into elegant European-style curls, and beneath her long willow-like brows were clear, watery eyes that seemed to shimmer with life. Her vivid red lips formed a striking contrast against her dark hair, giving her an icy young-lady elegance on top of her natural purity.
Jiang Tao was struggling to maintain control of the high heels beneath her feet.
If Tong Tong hadn’t promised to take her to an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet after filming, she would never have suffered through this torture!
Huang Hao had seen photos of Jiang Tao before. She had been beautiful, certainly, but in a stiff and lifeless sort of way.
He had not expected that seeing her in person would astonish him so.
Even in an industry overflowing with beauties, Jiang Tao could still rank among the very top.
Humans were always a little more forgiving toward beauty.
Huang Hao’s irritation eased somewhat as he waited for her to greet him.
Unexpectedly, she didn’t even turn her head his way and simply walked right past him.
Huang Hao: “!!!”
The moment Shi Wenqing saw Jiang Tao arrive, he instantly tossed Tang Haisheng aside. “Xiao Jiang! You finally made it!”
His enthusiasm practically overflowed, completely unlike the perfunctory attitude he had shown toward Tang Haisheng earlier.
Tang Haisheng: “...”
Not far away, Huang Hao witnessed the scene and immediately understood everything. He shot Jiang Tao a look filled with disgust.
No wonder the entire production crew was accommodating her. So she’d latched onto a sugar daddy.
Huang Hao completely lost any favorable impression he had of Jiang Tao.
When they later rehearsed their lines together, he abandoned his usual gentle demeanor and acted extremely cold toward her.
To his surprise, Jiang Tao couldn’t have cared less. In fact, she seemed even more distracted than he was.
Huang Hao: ...
So irritating!!
Jiang Tao only had two major scenes in total.
The first was when the protagonist Song Chengzhou had just opened his restaurant and invited famous figures from all across Shanghai to sample his dishes. Yu Youxiang publicly criticized every single dish he made in front of everyone present before turning around and leaving arrogantly.
Once all the staff members were in position, filming finally began.
“Divine Chef, Scene Thirty-Eight, Take One—Action!”
…
“Cut! Xiao Jiang! Don’t eat all the props!!”
“Cut! Xiao Jiang! Say your lines! Stop staring at the food!!”
Huang Hao let out a cold laugh as he adjusted his sleeves.
Just as expected of an actress who climbed her way up through casting couch tactics. She didn’t have a shred of professionalism.
The next scene was the two of them acting opposite each other. He was definitely going to use his acting skills to teach her a proper lesson!
Tang Haisheng wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Xiao Jiang, in the next scene, you taste the dishes Song Chengzhou made, but you’re extremely disappointed and mercilessly point out all his flaws...”
Jiang Tao nodded, half understanding.
After thinking for a moment, Tang Haisheng added, “Just use the same energy you had when criticizing Master Shi’s cooking last time.”
Shi Wenqing: “???”
“'Divine Chef', Scene Forty-One, Take One—Action!”
After so many days of filming, Huang Hao had already become completely familiar with his character.
Wearing a confident smile, he walked up to Jiang Tao. “Miss Yu, please come this way to sample the dishes.”
Jiang Tao lifted her eyes.
In that instant alone, Huang Hao suddenly felt as though the person before him had completely changed.
She didn’t spare him even the slightest bit of attention. Every ounce of her focus was fixed entirely on the dishes laid out on the table.
Her gaze burned with intensity, yet remained restrained.
In the script, Yu Youxiang loved and revered fine cuisine. Every harsh criticism she delivered toward Song Chengzhou came sincerely from the bottom of her heart. It was precisely because of that honesty that she awakened the overly impatient Song Chengzhou and pushed him to truly devote himself to mastering the culinary arts.
At that moment, Jiang Tao slipped into that state.
Her slender, fair fingers picked up the chopsticks and lifted a piece of fish. The tender flesh, so delicate it seemed ready to fall apart, was held steady between the chopsticks.
With just that one motion, her character was fully established.
Huang Hao had originally intended to use his acting skills to suppress her, but he suddenly realized that he was the one being suppressed by her presence instead.
It felt as if he had been pulled into Song Chengzhou’s body, nervously watching as that piece of fish entered her mouth.
Jiang Tao closed her eyes and chewed gently a few times, then slightly furrowed her brows.
Everyone’s hearts tightened along with that expression.
She opened her eyes again and finally shifted her gaze away from the dish to Huang Hao.
Huang Hao froze.
That gaze was filled with anger and regret, even carrying a hint of you really should know better.
“This claypot fish head tofu clearly has issues with heat control. The fish could be more tender, the soup is wanting in richness, and even the tofu still gives off a raw, beany fragrance. This is the level of craftsmanship you’re using to deceive customers…”
Huang Hao tried to pick up his line, but was immediately silenced by a glare from Jiang Tao.
That fierce, predatory gaze made survival instincts kick in, forcing him to shut his mouth and slowly lower his head.
But as he listened, something started to feel off. “S–Shouldn’t that be—”
“Shut up!” Jiang Tao shot him a cold glare. “You still think you’re in the right after cooking something like this?!”
Huang Hao swallowed the words ‘my lines’.
“…Yes, I was wrong!”
Only when Tang Haisheng called “Cut!” did Jiang Tao finally stop.
Huang Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Then it suddenly hit him.
He had just been completely suppressed by an untrained actor?!
Tang Haisheng looked satisfied as he watched the monitor. “That take was excellent. Xiao Jiang’s emotional outburst was very strong.”
“And Xiao Hao was also very steady. The contrast in emotional shifts between the two of you felt very natural…”
“Xiao Hao, what do you think?”
Huang Hao stared at the playback of himself being utterly crushed by Jiang Tao.
He felt as if his face had been slapped numb.
With the last shred of hope, he asked Tang Haisheng, “Director Tang, is she really not a professional actress?”
Tang Haisheng replied, “Nope.”
Huang Hao: “I believe… I might need to consider changing careers…”
He choked up slightly.
“Being an actor is too hard…”
Tang Haisheng: “???”
TL Note:
