The Film Queen Is Cold and Ruthless, Only Sends Money - Chapter 32.1

Su Xue and Jing Chaochao left the fastest, but Su Yun and Jiang Zhi weren’t far behind.

Neither of them waited for their agents to pick them up, heading straight for the cars driven by their family chauffeurs.

Once inside the car, Jiang Zhi noticed Su Yun exhale deeply and couldn’t help but chuckle, asking, “Are you that happy to be done with filming?”

With no live broadcast or audience around, Su Yun naturally spoke her mind.

Her eyes curved into crescents as she nodded, her voice brimming with unconcealed joy. “Of course! Even though Herong County was fun, waking up early every day and doing tasks was exhausting. Nothing beats being at home!”

Jiang Zhi recalled how relaxed Su Yun had been at home before and nodded. “Once we’re back, I’ll have Aunt Liu make you some extra delicious dishes.”

She didn’t even realize that before the variety show, she had only seen the place Su Yun lived in as just another property.

But now, she subconsciously regarded the villa as “home” without a second thought.

Even after filming ended, she didn’t just tell the driver to drop her off at the nearest hotel. Instead, she proactively informed Wen Yun that she and Su Yun would be going back together today.

“Aunt Liu’s cooking is seriously amazing!” Just thinking about the home-cooked meals, Su Yun felt her taste buds, dormant for a week, spring back to life. “I bet I can wolf down two big bowls of rice as soon as we get back!”

Jiang Zhi laughed. “With you cheering her on like that, Aunt Liu will be thrilled.”

After the director announced the end of filming, their phones were returned to them.

So while chatting, Su Yun and Jiang Zhi pulled out their phones to send Aunt Liu their dinner requests including several of Jiang Zhi’s favorites: cola chicken wings, braised prawns, sweet and sour ribs.

She handed the finalized menu to Jiang Zhi. “Take a look, anything else you want to add?”

Jiang Zhi’s gaze lingered on the high-calorie, high-protein dishes. After a brief hesitation, she said, “Maybe add a salad.”

She had a feeling that if their agents were in the car right now, they’d probably kick them both out.

Su Yun blinked at the mention of salad. “You’re still eating salad at night?”

“If I’m about to start filming for a drama, I need to watch my diet beforehand,” Jiang Zhi admitted honestly.

Su Yun understood the reasoning but still pressed, “But you’re not starting any projects in the next two weeks, right?”

Jiang Zhi had a vague feeling she shouldn’t answer this question.

But under Su Yun’s expectant gaze, she paused before nodding slightly. “No, not in the next two weeks.”

Su Yun continued, her tone almost coaxing, “Since you’re not filming anytime soon, and we just finished this variety show, shouldn’t we treat ourselves to something nice as a reward? One indulgent meal won’t hurt, right?”

It was a solid argument, one that was hard to refuse. A little indulgence probably wouldn’t be a big deal.

Jiang Zhi tended to think long-term, but the idea of sitting there with a plate of greens while Su Yun happily devoured prawns and chicken wings made her reconsider. Regretting it later would be even more embarrassing.

Jiang Zhi: “Then skip the salad. Let’s add spicy tofu instead.”

Combined with the other dishes, it would be more than enough for the three of them Su Yun, Jiang Zhi, and Aunt Liu.

Su Yun sent the finalized menu to Aunt Liu, only realizing a few seconds later. “Wait, is spicy tofu the same dish Liu Yangran’s team made earlier?”

This dish left an even deeper impression on her than the steamed fish she and Jiang Zhi had made together.

For no other reason than it was truly awful!

Jiang Zhi: “Yes, I’d like to taste red oil tofu with a normal flavor for once.”

The dish made by Liu Yangran’s team was so shockingly bad that she could no longer remember what it was supposed to taste like.

Su Yun couldn’t hold back her laughter: “I think you should let Liu Yangran and Ye Ying hear that, it might motivate them to make something slightly more edible next time.”

Seeing the smile on Su Yun’s face, Jiang Zhi couldn’t help but curve her lips as well: “In that case, I’d rather there not be a next time.”

–

The journey back from Herong County wasn’t long, and by the time they arrived home, Aunt Liu had just finished preparing dinner.

The aroma of the food greeted them the moment they stepped inside. After putting down their luggage and washing their hands, Su Yun and Jiang Zhi immediately took their seats at the table.

Aunt Liu turned around and saw the two of them, instantly envisioning two eager pets waiting to be fed. “You’ve worked hard, dig in!”

Warm light spilled over the table, casting a soft glow over the dishes, making them look as delicious as they smelled. Su Yun quickly snapped a photo before picking up her chopsticks.

“Aunt Liu, you’ve made so many delicious dishes you’ve worked hard too!” Su Yun took a bite of the familiar flavors and nearly teared up.

Jiang Zhi, though not as dramatic, was visibly relaxed as well: “Aunt Liu, join us for dinner.”

The two of them had been away for work so often that it was only in recent months that they had started coming home more frequently.

For Aunt Liu, who took great pride in her cooking, nothing made her happier than seeing Su Yun and Jiang Zhi return to enjoy her meals, so she didn’t refuse.

As they ate and chatted, Su Yun couldn’t help but laugh again at the memory of the director’s stumbling steps: “The director’s probably going to need a long break, right? Does this count as an occupational injury?”

Jiang Zhi: “Not sure about occupational injury, but the director must be pretty traumatized.”

A major career setback!

Whether it was the show’s guests or its audience, nothing seemed to go smoothly for her.

As they joked about it, they didn’t expect Aunt Liu to chime in with a gentle smile: “Judging by the director’s condition, she’ll probably need at least a week to recover.”

Jiang Zhi paused slightly before asking, “Aunt Liu, have you been watching our show?”

“Of course! You two were wonderful on it,” Aunt Liu replied curiously. “When does the next episode air?”

If it had been just a typical dating show, the audience would mostly consist of younger viewers, and someone Aunt Liu’s age likely wouldn’t have tuned in.

But Dear Them wasn’t just about romance, it focused more on the fun and hilarious moments during the couples’ travels.

No matter the age, it was hard to resist joy and laughter, which was exactly why Dear Them had become a top-rated variety show.

If the director had been there, she would’ve happily explained all this to Aunt Liu in detail.

But unfortunately, sitting at the table were Su Yun and Jiang Zhi.

The moment they thought about their struggles on the show getting lost, desperately foraging for wild vegetables, covered in dirt from farming and digging pits.

They instantly felt as though their most embarrassing moments had been exposed, especially in front of someone so familiar. The urge to dig a hole and disappear out of sheer awkwardness was overwhelming.

Su Yun replied, “The next episode should air in about two weeks.”

Her face remained serious in response, but inwardly, she was crying bitter tears.

Silently, she thought to herself that two weeks shouldn’t be considered a short time. If she could find another variety show for Aunt Liu to watch, surely the older woman would forget about this one.

“Two weeks? That’s so long,” Aunt Liu sighed regretfully after hearing the answer. “Well, I’ll just watch the edited version for these two weeks then.”

Su Yun: “…”

She had forgotten that Dear Them also had an edited version. Could she contact the director now and ask them to cut out all her scenes?!

–

After dinner, she even saw Aunt Liu pick up her phone and follow the official account of Dear Them’s video team.

Afraid that the older woman might start playing clips from the show at any moment, Su Yun quickly dragged Jiang Zhi upstairs. Only after entering the room did she manage to calm down slightly. “I never expected Aunt Liu to watch variety shows!”

Jiang Zhi: “I didn’t either.”

Aunt Liu had watched the movies she starred in before.

But she had never been this enthusiastic about asking when the next episode would air. It almost seemed like she was a genuine fan of the show.

Su Yun closed her eyes, feeling as though her future was bleak. “I don’t even dare to think about what I did on that show now.”

“We should be fine,” Jiang Zhi said, comforting Su Yun and herself. “Compared to the others, we were relatively normal.”

At least their tasks hadn’t been as disastrous as some.

Thinking about the other guests, whose families might also be watching, Su Yun finally stopped mentally cringing so hard she could dig a castle with her toes.

There was comfort in comparison. With that thought, Su Yun suddenly regained her confidence. “Maybe Aunt Liu will even think we were clever!”

Jiang Zhi was always amazed by Su Yun’s self-assurance. “Should we ask Aunt Liu tomorrow?”

Su Yun: “On second thought, let’s not!”

Okay, maybe she wasn’t that confident!

–

Washing up and going to bed followed the same routine as the day before, but being at home made Su Yun feel incredibly relaxed.

After stepping out of the bathroom, she noticed Jiang Zhi reading a book and leaned over to peek at the title. “Poetry?”

It was a collection by a renowned poet, though Su Yun could only recall a line or two, the rest had long been forgotten since school.

“Mm, just something light before bed.” Jiang Zhi set the book aside, making room for Su Yun on the bed more than half of it, in fact.

Su Yun climbed in without hesitation. From before the show to now, what had once felt awkward had become second nature, her movements smooth and familiar.

But once she settled under the covers, a sudden thought struck her: the original reason they had started sharing a room was to prepare for the variety show.

Worried about slipping up on camera, they had agreed to sleep together beforehand to adapt to various situations.

But at the time, they hadn’t discussed when this “adaptation” would end or what exactly they were adapting to.

“Ready to sleep?” Jiang Zhi asked, about to turn off the light, but her gaze met Su Yun’s, who was already looking at her.

After a moment of thought, Jiang Zhi couldn’t pinpoint what might have been different from usual aside from the poetry book.

Unable to figure it out, she simply asked, “What’s wrong?”

The soothing voice snapped Su Yun out of her thoughts. She blinked, then shook her head. “Nothing. Just thinking our bed is way more comfortable than the one on the show!”

In that brief moment, she had already made a decision she would at least wait until the end of this season’s show before bringing it up. Otherwise, all their efforts to adapt would be for nothing!

Besides, sleeping with Jiang Zhi was just that sleeping. There was no chance of anything unexpected happening, so there was even less reason to worry!

Su Yun’s response perfectly matched her behavior since returning from the show, so Jiang Zhi didn’t suspect anything. “Then I’ll turn off the light?”

“Go ahead, let’s sleep!” Su Yun nodded.

Jiang Zhi closed her eyes, and darkness enveloped her.

Right after the light went out, she could still hear faint rustling sounds from Su Yun’s side.

But within seconds, the noise abruptly stopped, and everything fell into complete silence, as if Su Yun had instantly fallen asleep.

This was a bit unusual, Jiang Zhi thought silently.

They had been roommates, albeit at a slight distance for quite some time now, and she was familiar with each other’s sleeping habits.

Su Yun usually slept soundly, without any restless movements or snoring, but even then, her breathing wouldn’t become this quiet.

Jiang Zhi mentally listed the oddities before opening her eyes and turning over.

The person who had been lying perfectly still just moments ago was now completely hidden under the covers, bundled up tightly.

After a brief hesitation, unable to figure out what Su Yun was up to, she softly called out her name: “Su Yun?”

At first, Su Yun thought the faint voice was just her imagination. She glanced around again, the blanket was sealed tight, ensuring no light would leak out and disturb Jiang Zhi.

Only when she heard her name a second time did Su Yun slowly emerge from under the covers, meeting Jiang Zhi’s gaze.

Surprised, she asked, “You’re not asleep yet?”

“No,” Jiang Zhi replied, relieved to see that Su Yun seemed fine, just a bit more alert than usual.

“Did I wake you up?” Su Yun asked, feeling guilty at the thought.

“No,” Jiang Zhi denied. She hadn’t been asleep to begin with just curious. “What were you doing just now?”

The question itself was normal; the odd one was Su Yun, who had been acting so sneakily.

Now, Su Yun was racking her brain for an explanation. But the situation was too straightforward, leaving no room for embellishment. So, she had no choice but to tell the truth:

“Playing with my phone.”

Back in school, she’d been caught sneaking her phone in class by the teacher. At work, she’d been caught by her boss.

Su Yun never imagined that now, even at night, she’d be caught playing with her phone by Jiang Zhi, of all people.

Jiang Zhi paused for a moment before repeating, “Playing with your phone?”

“Yeah, playing with my phone.” Su Yun pulled her phone out from under the blanket. “I was worried the light would bother you, so I hid under the covers.”

Everything made sense now.

The initial rustling had been Su Yun grabbing her phone from the nightstand and burrowing under the blanket.

Once she was fully under, Jiang Zhi naturally couldn’t hear her breathing anymore.

Jiang Zhi also recalled that during their time filming the show, Su Yun had been unusually energetic at night, mentioning she liked playing with her phone before bed.

Understanding now, Jiang Zhi chuckled softly. “If you want to use your phone, you can turn on the nightlight next to you. Playing under the covers isn’t good for your eyes.”

Su Yun’s eyes widened slightly. She had thought Jiang Zhi would just tell her to go to bed early.

To her surprise, the other woman was actually helping her brainstorm solutions. “Won’t this disturb you?”

“No,” Jiang Zhi shook her head gently. Ever since Su Yun had been by her side, her sleep quality had improved significantly compared to before. “Feel free to play whenever you want. There’s no need to be so restrained at home.”

“Okay!” Su Yun marveled inwardly truly her bodhisattva, so considerate and kind!

After clearing up the misunderstanding, Su Yun turned on the bedside lamp, adjusting it to a comfortable brightness.

Then she went back to reading her favorite novel!

Of course, this time, there was definitely no cannon-fodder character sharing her name in the story!

Midway through, Su Yun heard the steady rhythm of breathing beside her.

She turned her head and saw Jiang Zhi’s peaceful sleeping face, devoid of her usual cool detachment, making her beauty all the more striking, a true sleeping beauty.

Su Yun blinked, staring for who knows how many minutes before finally pulling her gaze away.

Somehow, it was even more captivating than the novel!

–

Unlike Su Yun, Jiang Zhi couldn’t completely step away from work even during her break. Aside from the variety show, she still needed to maintain a certain level of public exposure.

So when Su Yun woke up, Jiang Zhi was nowhere to be seen.

After asking Aunt Liu, she learned that Wen Yun had come to pick Jiang Zhi up in the morning apparently, they had gone to the company.

Just as Su Yun finished breakfast, reveling in the fact that she had no work and could rest properly, her phone rang, it was her manager.

“Congratulations on wrapping up the first episode of the show,” Li Xinyi said on the other end of the line.

Originally, she was supposed to go to Herong County yesterday to pick up her artist from the production team.

But Jiang Zhi’s manager had called her, saying the two would return on their own, so the congratulations had to wait until this morning.

“Thank you, Sister Li!” Su Yun replied with a laugh. “But I’m really happy the first episode is over!”

It wasn’t so much the end of the first episode as it was a brief escape from purgatory.

Though her manager was busy with work, she had still watched a fair amount of the livestream.

At first, she had been worried Su Yun might do something unexpected on the show, anxiously keeping an eye out, ready for crisis PR while mentally preparing apologies for Jiang Zhi’s manager and team.

But on the first day of the livestream, she was first stunned by how quickly Su Yun and Jiang Zhi found the markers, then doubled over laughing at their charades-style guessing game.

At that point, she knew there was nothing to worry about.

Perhaps waking up in the hospital had given Su Yun a newfound clarity her performance on the show had attracted a lot of fans, and her popularity remained high.

Hearing Su Yun’s response, Li Xinyi naturally understood the reason for her joy and chuckled. “Then take this time to rest properly.”

Su Yun agreed and then asked over the phone, “Sister Li, calling so early is there something you need?”

Surely it wasn’t just to congratulate her.

“I wanted to discuss the theme song from last time,” the manager said, getting down to business. “The recording has been sent to the producer, and they’ve suggested a few revisions. So, we’ll need you to come to the company again.”

The completion of a theme song often required multiple rounds of adjustments.

If they encountered a serious production team, they might even scrap and redo the entire song for the sake of the TV drama’s overall effect.

So, when her manager mentioned it, Su Yun quickly agreed: “I’ll be there soon. No need to pick me up, Li Jie, I can go on my own.”

Support