CHAPTER 72: CHAPTER 72: BROTHER CHENG WAS TRULY AMAZING BACK THEN

Li Yang was met with disdainful looks from everyone, and he sheepishly turned back to his food.

Some shows are really relaxing for artists, at least that’s the case when it comes to eating. He was already eating his second high-calorie pumpkin pie, with two small pieces of marinated pig trotters in his bowl.

Shu Ran couldn’t help but comment on his indulgent behavior, "Li Yang, you eat quite a lot, aren’t you afraid your manager will scold you?"

Li Yang had already embraced the mindset of a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, "From the moment I picked up my chopsticks, my manager should be keeping a close eye on me. I’ve given up, eating is the biggest thing now. At worst, I’ll just spend a few days in the gym when I get back."

Shu Ran admired his positive attitude. Her bowl only had a little bit of rice, which she barely touched, having only drunk the soup and taken a couple of bites of vegetables and meat, the types she could count on one hand.

Sitting in this spot was truly a mistake. On one side was a straight man who didn’t want to talk, and on the other was the surrendered Li Yang. Across from her were Guan Yu and Mu Qiu, eating with much gusto.

Especially Mu Qiu, who could make eating look so appetizing!

Mu Qiu thought the chef who made this dinner was quite talented. The simple home-cooked dishes tasted like five-star steak. The sweet pepper shredded pork, even as she tried to control herself, she’d already taken it four times in twenty minutes.

When she wanted to reach for it the fifth time, she struggled internally for a long time before deciding to restrain herself.

But just as she made this painful decision, the dish rotated in front of her and became the sweet pepper shredded pork.

Mu Qiu looked up in surprise and met Cheng Zhirang’s gaze.

"You seem to like this a lot. Is it good?"

Mu Qiu bit her lip and nodded, "It’s delicious, as good as that small sandwich last time."

Cheng Zhirang choked.

He didn’t understand why she suddenly mentioned the sandwich from last time. Besides, that sandwich was just a casual snack for Chengcheng, just some ham and vegetables.

He politely smiled, deciding not to speak with this strangely bold author.

By the time Mu Qiu and Guan Yu finished eating and drinking, the others had already put down their chopsticks and chatted for a while, laughing and feeling relaxed.

Guan Yu glanced at Shi Yuhuai’s bowl, then at Mu Qiu’s stomach, and asked her in a low voice, "Did you have two bowls?"

Mu Qiu thought she was comparing who ate more between the two and said, "Didn’t you have two bowls too?"

"But I’m bloated!" Guan Yu pointed at her stomach, where a layer of faux mink fur had been lifted to reveal the two layers of flesh beneath due to relaxation.

"..." Mu Qiu quickly pressed her hand down and covered the fur back, "It’s not that bad, sis, you don’t have to do that."

Guan Yu flicked her hand away and quickly poked her waist with a finger, startling Mu Qiu to twist to the side.

"You eat like this usually too, don’t you? How come you don’t have a belly?"

Mu Qiu was innocent, "Can’t help it, I can’t put on weight."

"...Mu Qiuqiu!"

Hearing their whispered conversation, Li Yang leaned in, "What are you two doing, sis?"

Guan Yu lay back listlessly, "This person next to you eats as much as I do, yet doesn’t gain weight. Let me tell you, being in the celebrity circle with a body that doesn’t gain weight is truly lucky, Mu Qiu, you could be an artist."

Li Yang looked at Mu Qiu, "Not gaining weight is really lucky, unlike me, if I eat a bit more, I’d be forced to the gym to sweat it out, or else within half a day the gossip ’Li Yang got fat and ugly’ would start spreading."

Guan Yu seemed interested in the topic of being an artist, she lowered her voice and asked again, "Do you have plans to develop in the entertainment industry? You have a good figure, eat a lot without gaining weight, and you’re prettier than many makeup-wearing artists."

Mu Qiu didn’t hesitate, shaking her head.

"No such plans, I’m not suitable."

"Why not? I think you look quite good in front of the camera."

They seemed to be simply asking, without any other intentions.

Mu Qiu thought for a moment and said, "I’m just a storyteller. When I have inspiration, I sit quietly in a corner and write or draw, suitable for a quiet and free lifestyle, not one where I’m constantly watched and scrutinized. I know my aspirations well."

Li Yang’s mouth turned downwards, hesitating, "Actually, I initially just wanted to make a living by dancing and singing."

But the team became popular, and external attention and evaluation rolled in like a snowballing storm.

Guan Yu wasn’t in the same situation, "I chose what I liked and am living the life I like, so my mindset’s not too bad."

"Sis, you’re amazing. There was a time when I couldn’t see a way out," Li Yang said.

"That’s nothing, I haven’t experienced the life of an instant hit like you, so I’m not qualified to compare. If anyone’s really amazing, it’s Brother Cheng."

"Brother Cheng?"

Mu Qiu and Li Yang discreetly shifted their gazes to Cheng Zhirang, who was still talking with Shi Yuhuai. Sitting upright and elegant, even just speaking, he carried an air of refined conversation.

Mu Qiu curiously asked, "What’s with Brother Cheng?"

Guan Yu lowered her voice, "When Brother Cheng debuted, he was incredibly popular. That face of his, it was my first real understanding of how extraordinary the word ’handsome’ could be.

But after becoming popular, as you’d expect, the paparazzi were like they smelled meat, frantically digging up any dirt on Brother Cheng. When they found nothing, they viciously tried to dig up dirt on his friends and classmates and dragged him into it.

Later, a classmate they barely knew ended up in a car accident on the highway because of the paparazzi’s pursuit and investigation, directly ending up on the brink of death.

When this news came out, everyone started to slander Brother Cheng, and there were even incoherent family members demanding that Brother Cheng kneel and apologize."

Mu Qiu suddenly tightened her brows and looked at Cheng Zhirang’s profile again, only to hear the word ’kneel’ made her internal fury suddenly flare up.

How can there be people so clueless? It clearly wasn’t his fault, yet ’I did not kill Boren, but Boren died because of me’ kind of thing - if Cheng Zhirang had any instability in his mental state, it would be a lifelong shadow.

Now he’s still in the entertainment circle but rarely seen; that’s already a really good state.

Li Yang also heard about this for the first time, quickly asking, "What happened next? Brother Cheng definitely didn’t, right?"

"Of course not," Guan Yu gave him a side-eye, "But he compensated money, and then the newly rising Cheng Zhi fans fiercely took the paparazzi and related people to court."

"Were the Buddhist Cheng Zhi fans this fierce back then?"

"Back then, the Cheng Zhi fans already had several top law firms’ lawyers among them, and crucially they also had paparazzi who turned fans, who exposed the entire paparazzi incident directly.

Don’t be fooled by today’s Cheng Zhi fans who eat, drink, and watch shows all day. Back then, they were notorious for their ferocity in fan circles, but so far, no newbies have dared to provoke them."

Newbie* Li Yang: "But once the show airs, there might be a lot more trouble. Let me say, my fans wouldn’t do that."

When he goes back, he’ll tell his fan leader this legendary story.