The Nutrition is Too Good - Chap 1

At the end of the year, Zhong Yi received a drama with two male leads.

Among the scripts of the same period, it was considered outstanding, and the roles were also very good. However, in recent years, there has been a high risk in having two male leads, especially when the other male lead has not been finalized. Naturally, the team was hesitant to take it on.

Taking advantage of the team’s contemplation, Zhong Yi secretly read the script and then contacted the director late at night to personally accept the role.

The next day, his agent was furious and pinched him. Zhong Yi explained reasonably, “Look, I’ve played a blind character and a foolish character, but I’ve never played a character with a limp throughout the entire drama.”

“This role is great,” he said. “While others are exhausted from shooting action scenes hanging from wires, I just have to sit and watch. It’s so comfortable.”

After the main cast was confirmed and announced, half a month before filming began, the director, Liu Yuanfeng, arranged a gathering and treated the lead actors to a private Sichuan cuisine meal.

At the end of February, the festive atmosphere was strong, and red chili pepper strings were hung on the door frame of the private room. There were also a few beaming guppies swimming in the aquarium.

Except for one veteran actor who didn’t show up, Zhong Yi was considered the most prominent figure at the table. Coupled with his recent award win at the end of the year, the conversation naturally revolved around him.

Zhong Yi felt a bit overwhelmed.

He was drooling over the hot and spicy pot of Maoxuewang1 in front of him, and just by engaging in the conversation, half an hour had passed without him even getting a bite of warm rice.

So, in the end, he decided to change the topic and shifted the focus to Liu Yuanfeng’s youngest daughter.

Liu Yuanfeng doted on his six-year-old precious daughter and couldn’t resist talking about her. He happily touched his round belly and started talking about how his daughter recently started primary school at an international school and learned some curry-flavored English from an Indian foreign teacher.

Zhong Yi finally got what he wanted and placed his chopsticks on the Maoxuewang in front of him.
However, the first bite he picked up was cold bean sprouts. Zhong Yi had to call the waiter to relight the fire underneath the small pot.

Ten minutes later, after a few bites of hot duck blood, amidst the swirling smoke, Zhong Yi finally looked up and glanced at the young boy who had been sitting quietly across from him for two hours.

He was the other male lead of this drama, a young boy with an unfamiliar face.

He had soft black hair, a pointed chin, and long eyelashes. His slender and fair neck was revealed outside his oversized sweater.

He did indeed suit his role this time. Unlike the police officer Zhong Yi was about to portray, this boy’s character was a cold high school student who needed a clean face to portray.

However, it was unclear whether this boy had immersed himself in the role a month in advance or if he was just too young, as the coldness on his face was unwilling to be concealed.

From the moment he entered this private room, apart from the initial self-introduction and greetings, the young boy named Rong Mian never opened his mouth to say even a single word.

It wasn’t that they were intentionally belittling the young boy, but rather it seemed to be his own doing. He had never attempted to integrate into the conversations of everyone else.

He slightly lowered his eyelashes, his fingers curled up in the wide cuffs of his sweater. He seemed somewhat shy and yet very cautious, sitting stiff and restrained the whole time.

Even the dishes on the table, he didn’t touch a single chopstick.

Occasionally, he would turn his head towards the nearby aquarium during everyone’s conversation, staring intently at the swimming fish inside.

“This Rong Mian, I heard he’s a young internet celebrity who gained popularity last year. He has only filmed one web drama so far.”

Shen Yan sneaked a comment to Zhong Yi, “But this time, for his role, I heard that others didn’t even get a chance to audition. It seems like he’s a friend of Liu Yuanfeng or something, and he was directly given the role.”

“Regardless of his acting skills, his face is rarely lively and truly delicate.”

She rinsed the spicy oil in the duck blood with water, feeling regretful. “But if he continues with this kind of arrogant attitude, he probably won’t be able to seize any opportunities in the future…”

“Sister Yan.”
Zhong Yi said, “If the duck blood is rinsed too many times, it will fall apart. So let it go.”

For a full two hours, She continuously rinsed off the red oil from each dish with plain water. Shen Yan’s wrist was already so sore.

“What can I do?”

She frowned and tapped the edge of the bowl with her chopsticks. “All these dishes smell delicious, but my face can’t handle the spiciness. Hey, didn’t you come here before? Can’t you recommend something that I can eat?”

Zhong Yi smiled and squinted his eyes. “Boiled cabbage in hot water.”

Shen Yan and Zhong Yi had acted together in two or three dramas, and they had always had a good relationship. So Shen Yan didn’t hold back and kicked him directly on his leg.

Zhong Yi calmly moved his body aside.

“Their brown sugar rice cakes are pretty good.”

He stopped joking and calmly continued, “The rice cakes are crispy on the outside and sticky on the inside, but the best part is the warm and thick hot brown sugar syrup. It’s fragrant even when drunk alone and tastes delicious when dipped with shrimp.”

His description was vivid and enticing, capturing the attention of everyone at the table.

Shen Yan, being a girl in her late twenties with a sweet tooth, immediately called the waiter over and added the dish to their order.

Even Rong Mian, sitting across from them, couldn’t help but look up and glance over.

Zhong Yi didn’t avoid it and met his gaze directly. Rong Mian paused for a moment, then quickly averted his eyes.

Zhong Yi seemed lost in thought.

Soon, the brown sugar rice cakes were served.

Whether it was because everyone couldn’t handle the spiciness anymore or because Zhong Yi’s description was too enticing, this dessert turned out to be the most popular dish of the day.

The rice cakes were fried to a golden crisp, and dipping them in the sauce doubled the taste sensation. Almost everyone had two or three pieces and the plate quickly emptied.

When Liu Yuanfeng finally put down his chopsticks, he still seemed unsatisfied. He continued to pick up the plate of peanuts and said, while stuffing them into his mouth, “The brown sugar syrup is really good. Zhong Yi, don’t say anything, but if there were shrimp, I would really want to try it.”

Everyone at the table laughed and agreed, but Zhong Yi remained silent.

Even Shen Yan, a female celebrity who usually pays the most attention to her figure, couldn’t help but eat three pieces. The boy named Rong Mian, just glanced at the green porcelain plate containing the brown sugar syrup a few more times when the food was served.

It seemed that he didn’t have even the slightest appetite stirred within him. He simply averted his gaze, continuing to stare into the fish tank.

When the guppies swirled its tail among the emerald green algae, his eyelashes would tremble slightly in response.

After having had their fill of food and drink, when the conversation became lively, they pulled open the curtains and closed the door. None of the actors in the room could resist, and they all started smoking.

As the smell of smoke filled the air, Shen Yan didn’t mind it, but Zhong Yi was having a hard time.

Zhong Yi was someone who found fault with many things, other than human infants who cried loudly, the smell of smoke was the second thing he couldn’t stand.

He knew that everyone in the room usually kept their habits hidden, and it was rare for them to have a chance to relax. Zhong Yi didn’t want to spoil their mood, so he found an excuse to make a phone call and left the private room.

First, Zhong Yi replied to his agent’s message.

Then he ordered a bright red down jacket for his mother. It was almost Chinese New Year, and he wanted his mother to continue being the most dazzling Queen in the square dance community in the coming year.

Zhong Yi checked the time and felt it was about time to go back.
But just as he lifted his leg to turn back, the door of a nearby private room was opened, and someone walked out.

Zhong Yi stood in the dark corner of the corridor, conveniently hidden behind a tall potted plant. When Rong Mian turned around to close the door, she didn’t notice him. Zhong Yi was taken aback and instinctively took two steps back, returning behind the potted plant.

After Rong Mian closed the door, he took a couple of steps forward.

Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he stopped in his tracks and turned around, returning to the entrance of the private room.

Zhong Yi watched as the boy stopped, tilted his face upwards, and started staring at the chili pepper decorations hanging on the door frame.

The so-called chili pepper decorations were actually made of low-quality foam plastic, with a cluster of red tassels tied with cheap gold thread underneath, probably to add a festive touch.

Rong Mian continued to gaze at the chili pepper decorations for a while.

Then, he suddenly tiptoed, raised his hand, and gently tapped the bottom of the tassels.

— And the whole chili pepper decoration began to sway slightly.

He lowered his hand, continued to gaze at the swaying tassels with his face tilted upwards for a moment, then slowly turned his body and continued walking forward.

Perhaps because the boy was really thin, even though he was walking on tiled ground, his footsteps were so light that Zhong Yi could hardly hear any sound.

Through the fine gaps between the leaves of the potted plant, Zhong Yi watched as Rong Mian approached the cutlery cabinet next to the entrance of the private room.

The boy pursed his lips and opened the drawer, staring at the row of cutlery inside for a while. Then, he reached out and carefully picked up a spoon.

Zhong Yi was a bit puzzled.
If he remembered correctly, not to mention eating, this person hadn’t even taken a sip of tea throughout the entire day. The cutlery was probably still in its original packaging, and now he was taking this spoon for…

However, before Zhong Yi could react, he watched helplessly as Rong Mian held the white porcelain spoon, turned around, and walked straight into the men’s restroom behind him.

Author’s Note:
Rong Mian: It’s time to eat.
Zhong Yi: ….?
Happy New Year, everyone~

Footnotes
Mao Xue Wang is popular cuisine in Yunnan and Sichuan, the ingredients are tripe, duck blood curd, ham, and chicken gizzard and so on. Adding bean sprouts, chili, Sichuan peppercorn, and sesame, spices to season them well.