The Film Queen Is Cold and Ruthless, Only Sends Money - Chapter 27.1

“We can resist the urge.”

Just as Su Yun uttered these words, Jiang Zhi happened to return with a bucket of water.

This unexpected twist caused some of the water in her bucket to spill out.

Lin Yan, who had been struggling to pull her foot out of the mud, sank even deeper with a squelch.

If not for her decent sense of balance, she might have ended up face-first in the dirt because of this mishap.

One second ago, her heart had been as light as the clouds in the sky. The next, it plummeted from the heights and shattered into countless pieces with a resounding “smack.”

[Su Yun sounded so sincere earlier, I really thought she’d lend it to Director Lin, hahaha!!]

[Director Lin: Forget about saving face! I’d rather dig a hole and disappear right now!]

[Learned something new. This Thursday, I’m going to tell my friend: “I couldn’t resist wanting to send you 50 bucks though it’s not much, just enough for a simple fried chicken meal. But luckily, I held back!”]

The previously dejected director was now more excited than anyone. The show needed guests like Su Yun, who stuck to their principles!

As for Lin Yan.

She had a lot of questions for Su Yun right now. She wanted to know who had taught her to speak like that, with twists and turns so sharp they could give someone whiplash.

But no matter how much buildup Su Yun had given, she had never actually promised to lend the hoe.

So, there really wasn’t much Lin Yan could say about it now.

The others were doubled over laughing at the sudden turn of events. Su Xue put down the half-cut hose in her hand and deliberately teased Lin Yan with a grin, “Director Lin, what brings you to our plot?”

To get to Su Yun’s area, one had to pass through Su Xue’s group’s land. Given Lin Yan’s struggle to take even a single step without sinking, it was nothing short of an arduous journey and she had just reached their spot.

Lin Yan coughed twice, her gaze darting around as she tried to maintain her composure. “I’m just here to admire the scenery. Look at how tall the mountains are, how clear the river is, and how neatly we’ve tilled the land.”

Jing Zhaozhao: “We’re only a few meters apart. How different can the scenery be?”

“You just don’t get it, do you?” Lin Yan put on her director’s demeanor, stubbornly clinging to her façade of calm. “The view changes drastically depending on the angle!”

Hearing this, Su Yun waved and generously offered, “Director Lin, would you like to come over here and take a look?”

Liu Yangran chimed in, “Director, come check out the view from our angle too!”

Lin Yan, whose feet were still stuck in the mud: “No, I’d better get back to farming!”

Watching Lin Yan’s struggling retreat, Su Yun turned to Jiang Zhi with a smile. “I think there’s a phrase that perfectly describes Director Lin right now.”

Jiang Zhi blinked, her long lashes fluttering as curiosity and amusement sparkled in her eyes. “What phrase?”

Lin Yan, still trudging laboriously back to her own plot, overheard Su Yun’s question.

Instinctively, she straightened her back she couldn’t afford to show weakness now!

Su Yun: “Every time she leaves, she pretends it’s effortless.”

Lin Yan stumbled.

–

The process of planting wasn’t complicated: dig holes at the right distance and depth, water them, drop in the seeds, and finally cover them with soil.

Su Yun and Jiang Zhi, with their complete set of tools, worked the fastest among everyone. It was no surprise they finished first.

However, the rain-soaked ground had indeed increased the difficulty. The damp soil required more precision when digging to control the depth.

Even with good shoes, they occasionally couldn’t avoid sinking into the mud.

By the time they finished hoeing, their calves were completely covered in dirt. Su Yun planted the last seed and straightened her back, casually wiping her face with her hand only to meet Jiang Zhi’s smiling gaze.

“What’s so funny?” Su Yun blinked.

Jiang Zhi raised a finger and pointed at her cheek. “You just smeared mud on your face.”

Hearing this, Su Yun instinctively touched her cheek.

But since her hands were already dirty, she only ended up spreading the mud further, turning her face into a proper mess.

Unaware, Su Yun tilted her face toward Jiang Zhi and asked, “Is it clean now?”

Jiang Zhi looked at Su Yun’s current state and chuckled softly. “It’s even dirtier now. Let me wipe it for you.”

Somehow, she resembled a mischievous cat returning home after causing trouble.

“Okay!” Su Yun stayed in position, completely free of any idol inhibitions, unconcerned about how this might look on the livestream.

Only when Jiang Zhi raised her hand did Su Yun realize her own hands were also muddy from planting seeds. “I’ll go fetch another bucket of water.”

Without a mirror, Su Yun had no idea what she looked like, but the water source was quite far away it wasn’t worth the trip just for this. “No need, it’s fine. I’ll wash up after we finish the task.”

“It won’t take long to fetch a bucket of water,” Jiang Zhi naturally replied.

“But it’s still tiring. Just rest for a bit.” Su Yun pulled Jiang Zhi down to sit on the ridge, stopping her from getting up.

Noticing Jiang Zhi’s persistent smile, Su Yun asked curiously, “What shape is the mud on my face? Is it really that funny?”

To think it could make the usually cool and composed Best Actress Jiang Zhi this happy.

Jiang Zhi’s gaze lingered on Su Yun’s cheek. Her fair skin made the mud stand out starkly.

After Su Yun smeared it further, paired with her bright, dark eyes, she looked like a kitten with newly grown whiskers.

Compared to usual, she seemed a little less sharp.

Jiang Zhi’s voice was laced with amusement. “Not funny, just adorable. You look different from usual.”

“Less intelligent than before.” Su Yun puffed her cheeks and narrowed her eyes at Jiang Zhi. “Is that what you really wanted to say?”

Judging by the other’s expression, she guessed right.

Jiang Zhi had indeed thought so, but she still had to deny it.

Before she could speak, however, she felt a cool touch on her own cheek and met Su Yun’s sparkling gaze.

Su Yun hid her mischievous hand behind her back. “There! Now you’re just as smart as I am!”

The key was, Jiang Zhi didn’t learn her lesson she instinctively touched the cool spot on her cheek with her hand.

Now, both of them were officially “equally smart.”

They didn’t need a mirror to know.

[Hahahahahaha!! Now I see two little mud-cats!]

[Gotta admit, Best Actress Jiang wasn’t wrong! Su Yun really does look a bit less sharp right now [dog.jpg]]

[This is the first time I’ve seen Best Actress Jiang like this ahhh!! So cute!]

【Su Yun really doesn’t spare even her own teammates, hahaha!! The way these two lovebirds chat is just hilarious!】

After they finished hoeing the ground and planting the seeds, the other teams were still hard at work, each having found their own suitable farming methods.

Lin Yan’s magic wand was eventually set aside to serve as a cheerleading prop. Fortunately, they managed to get a gourd ladle in the second round of the game.

Lin Yan used it to dig holes, and her speed was about the same as Su Xue’s, who was using half of a plastic pipe.

Liu Yangran’s team had already finished digging their holes with their shovel and were now holding spoons, looking around for something to use as a water container.

At this point, it was hard to tell which of the three teams was leading.

Jing Zhaozhao was the first to notice Su Yun and Jiang Zhi sitting on the ridge, resting. She asked, “Have you two already finished planting your seeds?”

“Yep!” Su Yun replied. “Does anyone need our tools?”

Their hoe and the bucket for carrying water were lying idle at their feet, undoubtedly a huge temptation for everyone.

But given the earlier incident with someone who was supposedly “admiring the scenery,” they were all a bit skeptical, afraid that Su Yun might pull another unexpected twist.

Lin Yan, in particular, kept her head down, slowly digging with her gourd ladle as if completely unfazed.

Though inwardly, she wished she could turn her ears into antennas so she wouldn’t miss a single word Su Yun said.

Liu Yangran and Ye Ying, unable to find anything to water with, finally spoke up: “Can we borrow your bucket?”

Su Yun smiled brightly. “Of course! Just come and take it.”

Since their task was done, they had no use for the tools anymore, and lending them to the other guests wouldn’t cost them anything.

This time, she was genuinely sincere!

Hearing Su Yun’s response, Liu Yangran and Ye Ying hurried over to grab the bucket.

Only when they got closer did they notice the mud on Su Yun and Jiang Zhi’s faces. “What happened to your faces?”

Su Yun didn’t explain. Instead, she said, “Why don’t you touch your own faces?”

Liu Yangran and Ye Ying reached up to feel their cheeks before belatedly realizing what had happened.

Ye Ying: “Don’t tell me we’ve got mud on our faces too?”

She turned to Liu Yangran, and sure enough, their eyes met with mutual confirmation.

Su Yun blinked. “Congratulations, you guessed right.”

Liu Yangran, Ye Ying: “…”

【I told you guys to keep your wits about you when talking to Su Yun, hahaha!! How do you always get tricked within two sentences?!】

【Su Yun: I just look a little low on wisdom, that’s all.】

【The kittens on your show are multiplying like crazy, hahaha!! There were only one at first, and now there are four!】

With the bucket in hand, Liu Yangran and Ye Ying could finally fetch water and complete their planting task.

Su Yun’s timely assistance moved them deeply.

Before heading to the well, Liu Yangran and Ye Ying said to them, “Thanks for the bucket. If you need help with tomorrow’s task, we can team up!”

Of course, any benefits from the alliance would naturally go to Su Yun and Jiang Zhi.

Hearing this, Su Yun recalled Liu Yangran and Ye Ying’s track record in previous games and hesitated. “Can I trust you two?”

With just her and Jiang Zhi, their chances of winning or losing were unpredictable.

But if they added Liu Yangran and Ye Ying to the mix, the probability of losing would probably shoot up to 80%, right?

Liu Yangran: “That kind of makes sense,” she said, though she wasn’t entirely sure.

“But if you run into difficulties with future tasks, both you and Jiang Yinghou can come to us,” Ye Ying added. “We’ll help however we can.”

Having drawn a grand promise no, rather, having solemnly pledged to Su Yun and Jiang Zhi, they quickly ran off to fetch water.

The remaining teams, Su Xue’s group and Lin Yan’s group, seeing how easily the others had obtained their buckets, immediately shouted in unison: “Su Yun, we want the hoe!”

Both teams lacked tools for tilling the soil, so naturally, their target was the hoe.

After shouting, Su Xue and Lin Yan exchanged glances, their eyes filled with fierce determination.

Hearing their pleas, Su Yun found herself in a rare dilemma.

Lin Yan took the initiative to appeal to Su Yun: “I know emotionally, you were already inclined to lend it to our team earlier. I’ll come over and take it now!”

Not to be outdone, Su Xue countered: “Su Yun, our relationship is definitely closer than yours with Director Lin, right? You’ll lend the hoe to us, won’t you?”

Listening to their arguments, Su Yun grew even more conflicted and simply turned to Jiang Zhi: “Who should we lend it to?”

Jiang Zhi: “How about we let them come and take it themselves? Let’s see who’s more capable.”

“That sounds fair,” Su Yun agreed. “That way, I won’t feel bad if I can’t help them.”

[Su Yun before the task: Even if you don’t have tools, I can hold back, no lending, no discussion.
Su Yun after the task: So worried about not being able to help them, now feeling sad.]

[Hahahahaha!! Who was it that said Su Yun’s acting was bad?!]

[Jiang Zhi: I’ll just quietly watch you perform.]

Su Yun: “Both teams, come and get it. Whoever reaches it first gets it that should be fair, right?”

Lin Yan and Su Xue both agreed to this arrangement. They even deliberately stood at the same starting point to ensure equal footing.

As they positioned themselves, Lin Yan glanced at Su Xue: “I’m good at running. If you give up now, you won’t have wasted your effort.”

She was very confident in her sprinting skills.

“Then let’s just compete,” Su Xue said, stretching her arms and legs. “A few years ago, I was the champion in my school’s track and field sprinting event.”

The director watched this bizarre turn of events with amusement, wondering how a farming game had turned into a footrace.

After working in the muddy fields all morning, their calves and feet were caked in dirt. Standing there, they looked as if they had sprouted straight from the earth, blending in seamlessly.

Jing Zhaozhao and Xu Zhi cheered them on from the sidelines, while the director took on the role of race starter.

“Are both of you ready?”

“Countdown: 3, 2, 1.”

When the director reached “1,” Su Yun instinctively closed her eyes.

After all, in most sprinting competitions, the athletes would bolt forward like arrows.

But after three seconds, Su Yun still didn’t hear the sound of running. She slowly opened her eyes and realized.

Su Xue and Lin Yan had only managed to move a single meter from the starting line!

So fast.

What happened to the running prowess and championship skills?

To be fair, it wasn’t entirely Lin Yan and Su Xue’s fault. On flat ground, strength and technique determined the winner.

But on the muddy ground, their techniques were useless. The harder they tried, the deeper they sank completely opposite to what they had imagined!

So Su Yun propped her chin on her hand and watched as the two of them inched forward step by step, their arms swinging wildly nonetheless.

In the end, Lin Yan proved more skilled and was the first to reach the hoe.

Su Yun and Jiang Zhi clapped to congratulate her. “Any acceptance speech for your victory?”

Lin Yan gazed at Su Yun with deep emotion. “First and foremost, I have to thank you for this win!”

Su Yun was flattered. “You had the skill to get the hoe first, no need to thank me.”

Lin Yan shook her head. If she hadn’t walked over to Su Yun and back earlier, training herself to move freely in the mud, Su Xue might have been the one to grab the hoe just now.

“If your team ever faces any difficulties in the future, you can always come to me!” Lin Yan’s words echoed exactly what Liu Yangran had said earlier.

Though Su Xue hadn’t gotten the hoe, she was equally grateful to Su Yun for lending it to them. “In future tasks, our team will never stand against yours!”

Su Yun was once again bombarded with unexpected promises.

But noticing that only Su Xue’s team lacked tools, she whispered to Su Xue as she was about to leave, “Liu Yangran’s team is still fetching water they haven’t returned yet.”

[Hahahahaha!!! The promises they’re making are so grand and convincing, even I’m starting to believe them!]

[Su Yun: Production team, no need to prepare lunch or dinner for me and Jiang Zhi today, we’re already stuffed.]

[Curious, what did Su Yun mean by that comment to Su Xue?]

[I get it! Liu Yangran’s team has the shovel, right? Since they haven’t returned yet, Su Xue can borrow it without them noticing!]

Upon hearing Su Yun’s words, Su Xue immediately understood her meaning. She hurried back to her plot and “borrowed” Liu Yangran’s shovel from Jing Zhaozhao in a friendly manner.

And so,

When Liu Yangran and Ye Ying returned carrying buckets of water, they saw Su Xue’s team using their shovel to dig holes at an astonishing speed.

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