Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 102 Little Ears' Sudden Fame and Yun Nan's Gratitude

At the end of August, the sun in Xiamen was still scorching, and the chirping of cicadas echoed among the treetops.

Summer vacation is coming to an end, but the heat has not yet dissipated.

Inside the supermarket, the air conditioning was on full blast. Chen Duling pushed a shopping cart, following behind her mother, Lin Hongying.

She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and light blue jeans, her hair was casually tied in a ponytail, and her clean face was only covered with a little lip balm.

Lin Hongying was looking down at the fruit, picked up a peach, squeezed it, and turned to ask her, "How is this one? Is it sweet?"

Chen Duling leaned over to take a look and nodded: "It should be quite sweet."

Just then, a young man wearing a hoodie suddenly exclaimed "Hey!" and peeked out from behind the shelf, his eyes shining brightly.

He strode over, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "You, you're Chen Duling, right? I'm not mistaken, am I? You're Little Ear from 'Left Ear'!"

Chen Duling was startled by the sudden enthusiasm and instinctively hid behind Lin Hongying, her fingers gripping the metal handle of the shopping cart tightly until her knuckles turned slightly white.

She's usually a homebody and spent the entire summer vacation at home.

Today was a rare occasion for me to accompany my mother shopping, and I didn't expect to be recognized so quickly.

The boy got more and more excited as he spoke, "I absolutely love your portrayal of Little Ears! Can I take a picture with you?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Duling caught a glimpse of several girls shopping together peeking over the shelf not far away.

They were whispering to each other, their fingers vaguely pointing in her direction. One of them had already taken out her phone and was gesturing in her direction, slowly moving her feet towards her, as if she was about to surround them.

Lin Hongying reacted quickly, smiling and waving her hand: "You've mistaken me for someone else."

After saying that, she gently tugged at her daughter's arm, signaling her to leave quickly.

The two hurriedly paid and left. As they stepped out of the supermarket, the humid and hot air of Xiamen hit them in the face.

Chen Duling lowered her head and quickly followed behind her mother. Only after they had walked quite a distance did she whisper, "Mom, from now on, when we go out... do we have to wear masks and hats?"

Lin Hongying sighed, "Yes, it seems you're in for some trouble from now on..."

As they approached the corner of the Xiamen University staff quarters, three men suddenly emerged from the side. The one in the lead, dressed in a casual suit, greeted them with a fawning smile: "Hello, Ms. Chen Duling!"

Chen Duling paused, somewhat at a loss.

Lin Hongying frowned and stepped in front of her daughter: "Who are you?"

“We are from Xinghui Media and would like to discuss cooperation with Ms. Chen.”

The man handed over his business card, speaking in a warm tone, "After 'The Left Ear,' you've become very popular. Our company has excellent resources that can help you with your career planning..."

Lin Hongying didn't take the business card and interrupted directly: "I'm sorry, we don't have any plans to sign a contract at the moment."

Undeterred, the man continued to persuade her: "Ms. Chen, now is the best time for you to develop your career. It would be a shame to miss it! We can guarantee..."

"unnecessary."

Lin Hongying spoke resolutely, then pulled her daughter around them and quickly left.

After walking a distance, Chen Duling asked softly, "Mom, how did they find our way home?"

Lin Hongying's expression was not good: "They probably found out you're from Xiamen University and were staking out the place. Be careful when you go home in the future, don't walk alone."

The two went up to the third floor, and as soon as they opened the door, they heard the excited voice of the commentator on the TV: "Goal! Evergrande leads 2-0!"

Professor Chen sat on the sofa, a beer in his hand, staring intently at the screen.

In August, the Chinese Super League was in full swing, and Guangdong Evergrande was vying for the AFC Champions League title. He watched every single game without missing a single one.

Lin Hongying slammed the shopping bag down on the table, frowning as she said, "Old Chen, can't you care about something important? All you do is watch that stupid ball game!"

Professor Chen didn't even turn his head: "Isn't that what I'm watching? If Evergrande wins this game, their victory is assured..."

"Dad!" Chen Duling called out to him, "Come here for a moment, I have something I want to discuss with you."

Professor Chen reluctantly pressed the pause button, walked over and sat down: "What's wrong?"

Chen Duling took a deep breath, her fingers unconsciously twisting together.

During this period, the popularity of "The Left Ear" far exceeded her expectations.

My Weibo followers skyrocketed from a few dozen to 120 million. People started taking pictures of me when I was walking around school, and just now I was even cornered at my home by people from my agency.

She could no longer be just an ordinary student like before.

Of course, none of these are the most important things...

“I want to… enter the entertainment industry,” she said softly.

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Professor Chen frowned: "The entertainment industry? Aren't you doing just fine now? Why don't you finish your studies and find a job at a research institute?"

“Old Chen!” Lin Hongying interrupted him, “Now is not the time to talk about this.”

She turned to her daughter, "Are you really sure?"

Chen Duling nodded, but Jiang Ye's smile appeared in her mind.

She pursed her lips and said firmly, "I want to try."

Lin Hongying was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Are you thinking of signing with that company surnamed Jiang?"

Chen Duling was taken aback, not expecting her mother to guess so easily.

Lin Hongying understood immediately from her daughter's expression, and her face darkened instantly: "No! I won't agree!"

That blond-haired guy, he started touching her daughter inappropriately as soon as he saw her; he's definitely not a good person.

If my own daughter signs this contract, isn't that like a lamb being led to the slaughter, or like being delivered to the door?
"Dudu, the entertainment industry is complicated. Those who run companies are all bloodsuckers, not a single one of them is good!"

"Mom!" Chen Duling blushed. "Jiang Ye isn't that kind of person..."

"How long have you known him? Do you really know him?"

Lin Hongying said excitedly, "How much information have I researched during this time? How many things do female celebrities have to deal with? Socializing, drinking with clients, unspoken rules... With your personality, you wouldn't even know you've been sold out!"

Professor Chen was initially calm and collected, his mind preoccupied with football.

Upon hearing this, his expression changed: "It's that complicated? Then we definitely can't go!"

"And who is this Jiang?"

No one paid attention to him...

“But…” Chen Duling bit her lip, “wouldn’t we be even more worried if we signed with another company?”

Lin Hongying suddenly sat up straight, as if she had made up her mind: "How about this, let's open our own studio! I'll quit my job and manage it for you."

Chen Duling was stunned: "Mom, we don't understand anything about the entertainment industry..."

“If you don’t understand, you can learn!” Lin Hongying said firmly. “It’s better than handing you over to someone else!”

Looking at her mother's determined eyes, Chen Duling was momentarily speechless.

She knew her mother was worried about her, but... was it really feasible for her to open her own studio?
We still need to find a way to go to Jiangying Media!

This was the first time her heart had been so resolute!
Outside the window, the night in Xiamen gradually deepened, but the cicadas continued to chirp.

This summer, she stood at a crossroads in her life...

Jiangying Media
At the front desk, Tian Xiwei was secretly hiding her phone behind a folder, her fingertips rapidly tapping the screen.

Her phone was playing Miyazaki Hayao's "Princess Mononoke," and her eyes lit up, even the tips of her ears seemed to be twitching with excitement. She was muttering to herself, "Shan was so cool riding the wolf god out there," completely unaware of the person who came in through the door.

It wasn't until the man in the lead tapped lightly on the front desk twice that she jerked her head up, frantically shoving her phone into the drawer, her face instantly turning red: "Ah! Hello, hello! Do you have an appointment?"

His eyes darted around as he spoke, avoiding eye contact; his adorable flustered appearance made the middle-aged men laugh.

“We are from the Yunnan Tourism Bureau and would like to pay a visit to General Manager Jiang,” the leading man explained gently.

Just as Tian Xiwei fumbled for the internal phone, Lin Xiaoman came bounding out of the break room with a bag of potato chips in her hand: "Looking for Jiang Ye? He's revising the script in his office! I'll take you there!"

Lin Xiaoman led them toward Jiang Ye's office, enthusiastically introducing the company along the way: "Our company is amazing! Have you seen the drama 'Si Teng' that we recently filmed? It was directed by Jiang Ye!"

The group nodded, beaming: "We watched it, we came here because we watched it! After Si Teng aired, tourism in Yunnan became a hit, and we came here specifically to thank President Jiang!"

Lin Xiaoman proudly raised her chin: "Of course, my brother is amazing!"

The group was taken aback; it turned out to be a family business.
Reaching the office door, Lin Xiaoman didn't even knock, but pushed the door open and entered: "Brother! Someone's looking for you!"

Jiang Ye was looking down at the documents when the sudden sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts. He looked up, wanting to curse, but when he saw Lin Xiaoman's smiling face, he swallowed his anger.

You can't scold him; if you do, he cries and tells his mother...

Then, noticing the several unfamiliar faces behind her, he forced a businesslike smile and said, "...Please come in."

The leaders of the Yunnan Tourism Bureau warmly shook Jiang Ye's hand: "President Jiang! Thank you so much! Since the broadcast of 'Sito,' the number of tourists to Yunnan has increased several times, and the homestays and restaurants have all become very popular!"

Jiang Ye smiled modestly: "Of course, the scenery in Yunnan is beautiful, so the photos will naturally look good."

After exchanging pleasantries, the group even presented Yunnan specialties as gifts.

Pu'er tea, fresh flower cakes, Xuanwei ham, tamarind cakes...

There's also a beautifully packaged box of... *Botrytis cinerea*.

"President Jiang, these are wild mushrooms, a specialty of Yunnan. They're very rare and have a delicious flavor, but..."

Just as the leader was about to explain the precautions for consumption, Jiang Ye's phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the caller ID; it was Meng Ziyi. He smiled apologetically and said, "Excuse me, I need to take this call."

The leader had no choice but to turn to Lin Xiaoman and earnestly instruct her: "Young lady, these mushrooms must be cooked for a long time, until they are fully cooked before eating, otherwise they can easily cause poisoning. It must be cooked for at least 15 minutes!"

Lin Xiaoman nodded perfunctorily: "Okay, okay!"

After the tourism bureau staff left, Lin Xiaoman clung to the box of local specialties, refusing to let go: "Brother! Want to come over for dinner tonight? It's Chef Xiaotian's turn today!"

"Tian Xiwei can cook?"

Lin Xiaoman nodded vigorously: "It's so delicious! Come on, please..."

Jiang Ye thought for a moment. He had nowhere to go that night, so going there for a free meal wouldn't be a bad idea. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go after get off work."

These two girls are staying at Bailu's house...

Ever since Hehe arrived, Bailu has kept her word and decided to take care of her!

I rented a two-bedroom apartment for 2300 yuan a month.

What a coincidence! So Jiang Ye put his younger sister and Xiao Tian in the room together, so the two of them could share a room.

He doesn't rent a house himself, since there are dormitories at the school.

Besides, there's Sister Meng's apartment, isn't there? For him, renting a place would be a complete waste.

Meng Ziyi is already planning to buy a villa, and Jiang Ye feels that his standard of living can be raised to another level...

Lin Xiaoman returned to the rest area carrying local specialties. Tian Xiwei saw her come back and immediately went over to her: "What are these?"

"Yunnan sent them!" Lin Xiaoman excitedly opened the package and stuffed the flower cakes and pastries into her bag. "We'll keep these and give the rest to Sister Bailu so she can distribute them."

Tian Xi nodded slightly, then suddenly noticed the box of Bodhi seeds and asked curiously, "What's this?"

Lin Xiaoman lowered her voice mysteriously: "The 'Jian Shou Qing' is something that bald-headed leader just said is extremely rare!"

What is "见手青"?

"It looks like a kind of vegetable; I heard it's especially delicious!"

Tian Xi's eyes lit up: "Then shall we try it tonight?"

Lin Xiaoman chuckled: "Absolutely!"

As it was time to leave work, Bailu walked to the front desk with Hehe and waved to Lin Xiaoman and Tian Xi: "Let's go home!"

The four of them went down to the underground parking garage together. Bai Lu skillfully pressed the car key, and the headlights of a Baojun car flashed.

Looking at the van, Tian Xiwei felt a sudden surge of responsibility as the lady of the house.

After getting into the passenger seat, she thoughtfully adjusted the seat and said, "Sister Bailu, aren't you about to join the crew? Does that mean we won't need this car?"

Bai Lu was taken aback: "Huh? Yes..."

Tian Xi sighed softly, "If only I knew how to drive."

This is my own car, why do I always let strangers drive it?

Hehe chuckled to himself in the back row and whispered in Lin Xiaoman's ear, "Does Xiaotian think of herself as the boss's wife?"

Lin Xiaoman suppressed a laugh: "Shh, don't expose her!"

As the car started, Tian Xiwei was still seriously planning: "When the company makes money in the future, I'll have to get a better car."

Bai Lu couldn't help but tease her: "What kind of car are you getting?"

Tian Xiwei said seriously, "It should at least be a Mercedes, right? Otherwise, it wouldn't be worthy of Brother Jiang Ye's status."

Lin Xiaoman finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into laughter: "Xiao Tian, ​​it's still daytime, stop dreaming!"

Tian Xiwei stubbornly replied, "I'm doing this for the company's sake!"

The van was filled with laughter and chatter as it slowly drove out of the garage and headed home.

After the four of them arrived home, Lin Xiaoman tossed the local specialties onto the coffee table and announced, "My brother is coming over for dinner in a bit!"

Bai Lu was changing into her slippers when she heard this, and without even looking up, she said, "Oh."

She was already used to it; Jiang Ye would come over for meals every few days, ostensibly to "inspect the living conditions of the employees."

"I'm going to take a shower first." Bailu carried her change of clothes towards the bathroom, glancing at the kitchen as she passed. "You guys... are you okay?"

"Of course, no problem!" Tian Xi confidently tied on her apron. "Cooking is so easy, isn't it? Xiaoman, come and help!"

He looked at the two of them suspiciously: "You really don't need my help?"

"No need, no need!" Lin Xiaoman pushed Hehe out of the kitchen. "Just wait for the feast!"

In the kitchen, Tian Xiwei opened the refrigerator and fell into deep thought.

She really can't cook.

But as girls from Sichuan and Chongqing, they all have a very magical skill.

(End of this chapter)