CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24: EXPOSURE

Tong Yan never knew that Qin Yikuo could actually cook?

She used to be the one busy taking care of him, and now he has his moment. Just thinking about them makes her nauseous, so she couldn’t be bothered with them for now. Of course, she hasn’t let them off the hook; these two scumbags will be dealt with sooner or later. She decides to let them jump around while she occasionally adds to their troubles, which is enough to keep them busy.

"Reckless Youth" is nearing its end, and Yang Wen informs Tong Yan to shoot the final scene. Although she repeatedly assures Gu Feng she can handle it, Gu Feng insists on accompanying her.

Tong Yan made several bags of cookies and snacks for the crew, and as soon as Jiang Yu sees her, she excitedly rushes over, "Sister Yanyan, I’ve missed you so much!"

Tong Yan hands her the cookies and snacks, "Alright, I know what you’re thinking. Here, these are yours. You’ve visibly lost weight these days; you need to replenish well."

Jiang Yu happily takes them, and in front of Sister Wang, she starts eating.

Sister Wang is in a daze in the wind, and after finally losing some weight, it seems she will gain it back.

Gu Feng looks at her sympathetically.

Tong Yan goes over to greet Yang Wen and chat for a while before leaving. The last scene won’t be shot until the next day.

Early the following morning, Tong Yan gets up for makeup. Because of the large time span depicted, the makeup steps are complicated—aging, wrinkles, everything needs to be done, which is quite time-consuming.

Hours later, Tong Yan turns into an old lady. She specifically studied the walking style of old ladies; if others didn’t know she was Tong Yan, they’d think she’s a real elderly woman.

The final scene officially begins: Wang Xiaocui and Li Chunjuan wait year after year at a spot in the county town, rain or shine, from their youthful days to their elderly years.

Just as they despair, an old granny slowly walks up to them, limping slowly with an odd expression—excited yet incredulous. Before she can speak, Wang Xiaocui and Li Chunjuan start crying, and the three embrace each other.

The end.

Applause erupts, and whether it’s the cameraman, the script supervisor, or the staff, everyone’s face beams with joy. The completion of the show signals their chance to return home.

Yang Wen, who had been tense-faced, finally smiles, "I’m treating tonight, let’s have hotpot together."

Everyone cheers, and Tong Yan and Jiang Yu are thrilled, eager to go. Yang Wen, remembering their previous appetites, feels heartache, knowing they’ll certainly bankrupt him tonight with their eating.

Sure enough, at night their eating shocked everyone; they must have been starved as they devoured platter after platter of meat. It’s said the crew gave them a nickname: the Food Gods.

These two girls, upon learning of this, were surprisingly proud, especially Jiang Yu, who boasted everywhere.

With "Reckless Youth" fully filmed, post-production no longer requires her involvement, and for the final promotion, they wait for Yang Wen’s notice.

A month later, a scandal erupts from the filming of "The King’s Beloved Consort," as director Jin Liang is caught doing drugs on set, and everyone present is taken to the police station for questioning, including Tang Tian.

Tong Yan reads the news while eating croquettes, and in her happiness, she consumes five cola pops and a slice of cake...

Various newspapers and online media are covering the story, with photos of director Jin Liang being taken away dominating front pages, making the news widely known. Jin Liang’s drug use on set is a significant issue, with many reports subtly indicating whether the actors were affected. Everyone is buzzing about it; forums and Weibo are ablaze.

Since Tong Yan and Tang Tian were believed to be good friends, and Tang Tian is involved, Tong Yan is also implicated. On Weibo, people speculate if she’s doing drugs too. With Tang Tian in trouble with drugs, how could Tong Yan, her friend, not be involved?

Of course, many of her loyal fans continue to support her. After Gu Feng hears about it, he advises her to continue tweeting as usual and not be affected. Doing anything now would only invite suspicion, and there’s no telling what the media would write.