Starlet Taotie Chapter 29
Chapter 29 Ungrateful Little Thing
Shao Zemo had to be helped out of the set as his legs had gone weak.
After sitting down and drinking a few sips of the warm water his assistant handed him, Shao Zemo finally recovered his senses.
He had always considered himself a brave person. Whenever he went to immersive escape rooms with his friends, he was always the one who took the lead. But compared to Jiang Tao, those immersive escape rooms were nothing!
He looked at Zhou Zhilan with an aggrieved expression. “Director Zhou, exactly which assassin organization did you recruit her from?”
“Nonsense!” Zhou Zhilan snapped. “Our Xiao Jiang is a proper signed artist from a legitimate entertainment company…”
Shao Zemo looked at him suspiciously.
Zhou Zhilan couldn’t help remembering the fear incited by Jiang Tao during her audition, along with the poor dog that had been so frightened by her that it had fled with its tail between its legs.
His gaze drifted slightly as he uncertainly added, “…I think.”
Shao Zemo: “…”
‘I think’, huh?
Zhou Zhilan spread his hands and said dismissively, “Alright, enough chat. If you’ve rested enough, then get back to filming.”
Shao Zemo: “Director Zhou, you’re so cruel!”
Zhou Zhilan coughed. “Whatever you want to say, tell Xiao Jiang yourself. After all, you were the one who volunteered to give her pointers.”
Shao Zemo: “…”
He braced himself and went to find Jiang Tao. After a moment of hesitation, he tentatively asked, “S-Senior Jiang, could we maybe discuss something?”
Jiang Tao nodded innocently.
Shao Zemo: “…”
You usually look so harmless, so how do you become so terrifying during shooting?!
Suppressing his fear, he discussed with Jiang Tao and asked her to rein in her aura a little during the next take.
Jiang Tao looked puzzled. “Weren’t you the one who told me to be as fierce as possible?”
Shao Zemo: “…”
He wished he could go back in time and slap himself.
Why did he have to run his mouth like that?! Why did he have to add that last sentence?!
He was utterly desperate.
He remembered the moment he had turned around and met Jiang Tao’s eyes.
Cold. Merciless.
That overwhelming, crushing pressure.
It was the kind of suppression that came from a natural predator.
His mind had gone completely blank, leaving behind nothing but fear.
It was the kind of feeling that no one who had never experienced it could possibly understand.
He absolutely did not want to experience it a second time!!
Shao Zemo was practically on the verge of tears. “Senior Jiang, Jiang jie, I’m begging you. This show is going to air on television. If we scare the kids and some parents report us, it might get pulled! Could you please be a little gentler? Once we’re done filming, I’ll treat you to a meal and properly thank y—”
“Okay.”
Shao Zemo: “…?”
…
With Jiang Tao cooperating, the rest of the scenes went smoothly.
Director Zhou was pleasantly surprised. He patted the two of them on the shoulders. “Not bad, not bad. Very few NGs today. Keep it up tomorrow!”
Shao Zemo gave a weak smile.
There may have been very few NGs today, but his heart was exhausted!
He felt as though he had just spent two consecutive all-nighters filming. His body and mind were completely drained.
But he still had to take Jiang Tao out for a meal.
After going back to change his clothes, he ran into Shen Zhiyan as soon as he stepped outside.
Shen Zhiyan was wearing a coat and looked like he was heading out as well.
When he saw Shao Zemo, he smiled and greeted him. “Have you eaten?”
Shao Zemo never expected someone as godlike as Shen Zhiyan to use such a down-to-earth greeting. He honestly replied, “Not yet. I’m going to take Senior Jiang out for dinner in a bit.”
A flicker passed through Shen Zhiyan’s eyes. “Perfect. I was going out to eat too. I’ll treat you two.”
“How could I let you do that?” Shao Zemo was both flattered and flustered.
Though Shao Zemo had started out as a child actor and entered the industry early, everyone in this circle was still a junior compared to Shen Zhiyan. How could he possibly let Shen Zhiyan treat him to dinner?
So after some pushing and begging, Shao Zemo finally managed to secure the right to pay and invited Shen Zhiyan to come along.
Shen Zhiyan smiled. “Then I’ll accept your kind invitation.”
Shao Zemo remembered the restaurant he had chosen for tonight and felt a little embarrassed. “We’re having crayfish tonight. I hope that’s all right with you, Senior Shen?”
Shen Zhiyan: “I’m a guest, so I’ll follow the host’s arrangements. You decide. Don’t worry about me.”
Shao Zemo secretly marveled, Senior Shen is so kind!
Du Chong, who had watched the whole exchange from the side: How naive! You definitely wouldn’t have guessed that Shen Zhiyan changed his clothes ages ago and has been waiting right here for you!
The collective took the elevator downstairs and met up with Jiang Tao in the lobby.
The moment Jiang Tao heard that Shen Zhiyan was tagging along, she immediately gave him a hostile look.
When it came to people trying to steal her food, she had never been polite!
Shen Zhiyan: “…”
She had been perfectly nice to him yesterday. And now, after just one night, she had already turned on him.
What an ungrateful little thing…
He froze for a moment. A faint sense of familiarity passed through his mind; it seemed that he had once said the same thing to someone.
A scene flashed through his mind: a girl in red bit down on his finger with an “awuu!” He helplessly pulled his finger free and sighed at the saliva left on it.
But the feeling vanished too quickly for him to grasp it.
On the other side, Jiang Tao had already grabbed Tong Tong and Shao Zemo and was charging ahead with her head down, trying to shake him off through sheer speed.
Shen Zhiyan: “…”
…
When they arrived at the restaurant, Shao Zemo deliberately ordered some alcohol and soft drinks as well.
After all, crayfish had to be peeled before you could eat them, so it was a slow meal. Everyone could chat while they ate.
He could use the opportunity to get a little closer to Jiang Tao. After all, they still had several days of filming ahead of them, and he really didn’t want to spend every day hovering on the brink of life and death.
And then there was Shen Zhiyan.
Which male actor in the industry didn’t want to become another Shen Zhiyan?
It was just that he had heard Shen Zhiyan suffered from an eating disorder, so he generally didn’t participate in this sort of group meal or social gathering.
Shao Zemo decided he absolutely had to take advantage of this rare opportunity to get closer to Shen Zhiyan. He could even ask him for some advice about acting.
The more Shao Zemo thought about it, the more clever he felt.
Once two steaming basins of crayfish were brought out, Shao Zemo raised his glass. “Senior Shen, Senior Jiang, I’m really happy that I get to work with both of you this time. We’re going to spend the next three months together on set… Man, how many three-month stretches does a person really get in their life…”
The more he spoke, the more emotional he became, completely lost in his own world. “…So this toast is to the two of you. I hope we’ll have a pleasant time working together!
“I’ll drink first!”
He tipped his head back and drained the entire glass.
When he looked up again, the smile on his face froze.
Everyone was wiping their mouths. The table was spotless, with only a few scattered crayfish shells remaining.
Where had his crayfish gone?
His two enormous basins of crayfish?!
Shao Zemo stared blankly at the empty table, then at the glass in his hand.
Had just one glass of alcohol made him black out?!
TL Note: I never had crawfish until I moved back to China. So I’m guessing most people haven’t either, and to those who want to know, this video shows how to eat crawfish. It’s tedious work xD but it seems both Jiang Tao and Shen Zhiyan have got it down pat.
