The Nutrition is Too Good - Chap 2

Rong Mian was really hungry.

He thought he could hold on until the end of the meal, but coincidentally, there was a large aquarium in the private room with many fish swimming inside, and one of them was really fat and big.

It was very lively.

Its scales were a fiery orange-red color, and its tail was long and powerful, like a flame burning in the water. Rong Mian knew that its flesh must be fresh and chewy.

He imagined the moment his teeth pierced into the fish’s tail, and how the tender juice would burst in his mouth, causing his stomach to spasming uncontrollably.

Rong Mian was very hungry. He wanted to catch the fish, and even more so, he wanted to eat it.

He has learned how to socialize and live as a human being, and he just wants to play his role well in the entertainment industry, a place where humans are intrigued by intrigues, and do his job safely.

But until now, adapting to human food was always the most difficult challenge for him.

Rong Mian had cravings, but now, he could only force himself to swallow two pieces of vegetables, or even eat a cooked potato, because it wasn’t the food itself that was unappetizing, but rather the way humans seasoned it.

For example, in today’s meal, chili peppers were added to all the dishes.

Fortunately, Rong Mian had made some preparations for himself before the meal.

While the people in the private room were laughing and talking, Rong Mian secretly took out a can from his bag and hid it in the spacious pocket of his sweater.

He casually grabbed a spoon at the entrance and sneaked into the restroom.

Rong Mian didn’t care about where he ate as long as he wasn’t discovered.

So, once inside the restroom, he stood beside the sink and clumsily hooked his index finger around the pull tab of the can, opening it.

The edge of the aluminium can’s pull tab was a bit sharp, and Rong Mian furrowed his brow, curling his finger a bit.

Then he used the spoon to scoop up a small bite of fish meat, put it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

It was a familiar and delicious taste of tuna.

Rong Mian felt a little happy.
He continued to devour it for several spoonful, the fish meat was cold, but Rong Mian enjoyed it because the can happened to be his favourite tuna and shrimp mixed flavour.

Occasionally, he would come across some chewy shrimp meat, and Rong Mian squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

However, in that moment when he bit down on the spoon and looked up, Rong Mian made eye contact with the man standing behind him through the mirror.

Zhong Yi was truly dumbfounded this time.

Actually, using a spoon and going to the restroom were just two ordinary actions in daily life. If looked at separately, neither seemed to be a big issue.

But when these two things coincidentally collided – taking a spoon to the restroom – Zhong Yi couldn’t think of a second possibility for a moment.

Zhong Yi mentally prepared himself for a while at the entrance.

Fortunately, as soon as he pushed the door open, he directly saw a figure next to the sink. Zhong Yi was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but upon closer inspection, he realized he had relaxed too early.

This boy was still eating, but what he was eating was-
Zhong Yi’s gaze fell on his palm.

A brownish-yellow aluminium can with a blue and white paper label wrapped around it, depicting a fluffy, snow-white cat with a row of small letters below it.

[Special canned tuna for pets.]

Zhong Yi fell silent.

Upon hearing the commotion behind him, the young boy in front seemed to be instantly on edge.

He hastily concealed the canned food in his hands and swiftly turned around, glaring at Zhong Yi with undisguised hostility and caution.

Zhong Yi was known in the circle for his high emotional intelligence. While he could be sharp-tongued, he always knew how to strike the right balance with his jokes. As a result, he had a good popularity and he was adept at handling various situations, big or small situations.

However, these situations did not include encountering a special situation of discovering that the co-actor whom he was about to work with hiding in the bathroom eating canned cat food.

The two of them stood there in silence, facing each other for a while.

“I have many friends around me.”

After pondering for a moment, Zhong Yi said, “They are in the same situation as you, so it’s okay.”

The boy’s pupils seemed to shrink slightly.

Zhong Yi already had a rough idea in his mind.

Maybe, It’s an eating disorder.

He thought.

In the acting industry, everyone appears glamorous and successful on the surface, but behind the scenes, there are many young people whose bodies have already deteriorated significantly.

Those celebrities who promote themselves in vlogs as food enthusiasts, claiming to eat excessively without gaining weight, actually most of them refrain from eating even a bite of rice on the set.

Excessive dieting, overwhelming pressure, or the need to lose weight for a role often lead to methods like inducing vomiting or taking medication.

Zhong Yi has encountered people who struggle with loss of appetite or binge eating, but he had never come across someone who would refuse a proper meal and secretly hide to eat canned cat food.

However, he had heard of conditions similar to pica1, which seemed to be more related to mental and metabolic issues, but Zhong Yi wasn’t very familiar with the specifics.

He understood that everyone has their own hidden struggles, but as he looked at the young boy’s slim profile, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

So young, he thought.

The boy appeared fierce and intimidating like a threatened little beast, but the slight timidity and innocence hidden in his round eyes were clearly visible to Zhong Yi.

However, Zhong Yi’s words left Rong Mian completely confused.

“…What do you mean?”
Rong Mian widened his eyes slightly and said, “You mentioned your friend—”

He paused, perhaps unsure of how to describe his own situation, and finally managed to utter, “Do you really know what I am…”

Zhong Yi’s gaze fell on the boy’s left hand holding the can.

It was a fair, slim hand with beautiful lines, but at the moment, it was unconsciously gripping the can with great force. The sharp metal edge seemed like it could embed itself into the flesh at any moment.

It was evident that he was nervous.

“Yes,” Zhong Yi replied.

Taking two steps forward, Zhong Yi leaned down slightly and naturally took the can from Rong Mian’s hand. He then examined the label on it for a moment.

“I have a friend who also likes this brand,” Zhong Yi said, trying to make his words more convincing. He looked directly into Rong Mian’s eyes and calmly added, “You even have the same taste preference in what you like to eat.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhong Yi felt a tinge of regret.

Because only then did he remember that pica isn’t just about eating canned cat food. Those people in movies could eat paper, soil, or even screws.

He didn’t get it.

Zhong Yi thought, if he had known earlier, he should have said that he had a friend who liked to eat live earthworms.

But Rong Mian seemed to have truly believed it.

At first, he stared at Zhong Yi blankly for a while, and after a long time, he lowered his eyes and whispered, “Because the meat here is very good, there is shrimp inside, very sweet, many of us… like it very much.”

He described the taste in great detail, and it seemed like there was some kind of organization involved. Zhong Yi hesitated to speak, paused for a moment, and then just said, “I understand that everyone has a hard time.”

Rong Mian stared at Zhong Yi again for a while.
“Then, can you give the canned food back to me?”
Rong Mian said, “I’m very hungry.”

Zhong Yi remained silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and placed the canned food back in his palm.

Rong Mian picked up the spoon and quietly resumed eating.

Zhong Yi looked and felt genuinely distressed.

He didn’t know if canned cat food tasted fishy or not, and he didn’t know why he was still standing here watching, but he just couldn’t inexplicably move his feet.

He hesitated, wanting to advise this young man whom he had only known for less than two hours not to hide his problems and consider seeing a psychologist, as there would be no harm in it. However, as he looked at the boy’s slightly swollen profile, he ultimately swallowed his words.

In the end, Zhong Yi stared at the watery contents of the pet food can, and the only thought remaining in his mind was, “Can this thing really be so delicious?”

Rong Mian ate with great concentration.

The can was almost empty, so he tilted it slightly, carefully scooped out the remaining fish meat from the corners with a spoon, stuffed it into his mouth, tilted his head, and slowly savoured this soulful bite.

Rong Mian then washed his hands carefully, threw away the empty can, and even took a few tissue papers to cover the empty can in the trash can with caution.

Then Rong Mian turned back around.
“How can you help me keep this secret?” he asked.

Zhong Yi raised an eyebrow in response.

“It’s okay,”
He said, “I’ll just forget about this matter and focus on shooting the drama properly.”
“——I’m not familiar with you, and I’m not your friend.”

However, Rong Mian insisted, “I don’t believe you.”

Zhong Yi felt a splitting headache.

He felt both angry and amused, not knowing what was wrong with the kids in the entertainment industry these days. They were all so straightforward, quick to offend people with their blunt remarks.

The filming hadn’t even started yet, and Zhong Yi didn’t want any conflicts to arise at this point. So, after pondering for a moment, he found a good way out for Rong Mian.

“Do you have any unique talents?” Zhong Yi sighed and continued, “Just perform something for me casually.”

However, Rong Mian’s expression suddenly became a bit stiff.

Zhong Yi patiently stood in place for two seconds, while the person in front of him remained silent and motionless. He finally realized that something seemed off.

“Singing, dancing, reciting poetry…” Zhong Yi hesitated, “Or maybe you can improvise a short scene for me. Do you have any talents that you’re good at?”

“I do,” Rong Mian interrupted him, not too pleased.

Zhong Yi found the child’s temperament quite straightforward and amusing. He nodded, signalling for Rong Mian to continue his performance.

Rong Mian pursed his lips and lowered his gaze, contemplating for a while.

“Forget it…” He glanced at Zhong Yi and said vaguely, “Anyway, you already know.”

Zhong Yi didn’t immediately grasp the meaning behind Rong Mian’s words, but Rong Mian seemed to have made a firm decision. He raised his eyes, looked at Zhong Yi intently, then lowered his head, extended his hand, and slowly unzipped his pants.

Author’s note:
Zhong Yi: Wait a moment…

Footnotes
Pica is an eating disorder in which a person eats things not usually considered food. It is classified as an eating disorder but can also be the result of an existing mental disorder.
Definition source : Wikipedia