Chapter 29
As the foil to the Long Aotian, Zong Mo didn’t have many scenes left. The next live stream happened to coincide with a day off for the entire crew.
Naturally, it was CEO Ruan who gave everyone the day off. Then he instructed him, “Go cook. There are plenty of ingredients in the fridge.”
Zong Mo: ?
What?
He knew it. How could CEO Ruan have been so accommodating as to agree to change locations?
He hadn’t been in the kitchen for over a month. He had almost forgotten that he also had a part-time job of cooking.
Ruan Chi was fiddling with his phone at the dining table, propped up high, so it could capture not only himself but also Zong Mo preparing food in the open-plan kitchen.
“Are you starting the live stream now, CEO Ruan?” Zong Mo asked, puzzled.
“Mm, you cook,” Ruan Chi said. “Maybe it can change the fans’ image of you.”
Zong Mo immediately perked up.
The Dyeing Vat CP Super Topic was in a state of explosion every day. The screenshots and recordings from one live stream could provide material for hundreds of meals.
They hadn’t expected today’s live stream to start so abruptly and ahead of schedule, and it was even the main character himself cooking.
Really cooking.
What a pity. It was the clean kind.
The bullet comments asked: [CEO Ruan, is that Mo Mo behind you?]
Ruan Chi moved aside slightly to let the camera capture Zong Mo in the background and said, “Mm, he’s cooking.”
[What, Mo Mo actually knows how to cook?]
[Is this really not another staged photo, hahaha]
Ruan Chi timely relayed the bullet comments to the person behind him, saying, “A bullet comment says you’re putting on a show.”
Zong Mo: ?
The kitchen knife almost chopped his hand. Even with his fingers intact, it was enough to make one gasp. Ruan Chi, on the screen, noticed his reaction and came over to take a look.
He deliberately said, “Really starting to put on a show?”
Zong Mo: …
He really wanted to beat up CEO Ruan in front of tens of thousands of viewers. It would be very exciting. He didn’t believe anyone could still not believe he was a Big Fierce 1.
In the end, he didn’t dare to hit him. To establish a new public image, he even asked considerately, “Is Chinese food okay, Ruan… ge?”
He had let the address “CEO Ruan” slip once. If it slipped a few more times, and with more and more fans, their relationship would never escape the fans’ sharp eyes.
Ruan Chi was quite satisfied with this “ge” and said, “Mm, it’s fine.”
Ruan Chi had never watched Zong Mo cook before and wasn’t afraid of him playing any tricks. This time, he wasn’t staring directly either, but he could see him through the phone screen. Even though it was far and not very clear, Zong Mo was extremely nervous.
Like a resentful male servant with a guilty conscience, wanting to poison his master in front of him.
He lowered his head and seriously chopped the meat. Suddenly, a shadow fell over him, startling him.
Zong Mo: ?
Ruan Chi said, “Your sleeve. Roll it up.”
Zong Mo was stunned. Ruan Chi, who never cooked, shouldn’t be able to notice such small details of cooking. It must have been the bullet comment army that told him.
Ruan Chi continued, “It’s dirty.”
Zong Mo: “I forgot…”
But he was cutting raw meat, and his hands were dirty. If he rolled up his sleeves, the sleeves would get dirty too.
He boldly tested the waters, “Ruan-ge, can you help me roll them up?”
Ruan Chi was clearly disgusted by the meat juices on his hands. He frowned reluctantly and rolled them up for him. Because he was afraid of getting anything dirty on himself, he rolled them up particularly slowly.
Perhaps he was used to wearing formal attire and rolling up shirt sleeves. Ruan Chi didn’t just crudely push up the sweatshirt sleeves, but folded them up layer by layer, very neatly.
Zong Mo clicked his tongue in his mind.
In his next life, when he becomes successful, he must make CEO Ruan work for him for once.
Ruan Chi went back to look at the bullet comments of the CP fans frantically eating sugar. He noticed one of them, stood up again, a little impatient.
Zong Mo: ?
“Apron,” Ruan Chi said concisely.
“…I forgot that too,” Zong Mo said honestly. “My hands are still dirty, Ruan-ge?”
Ruan Chi, uncomplaining, found an apron and went behind him to tie the strings.
How was this even more exciting than tying a bathrobe belt in front of him?
Mainly, seeing CEO Ruan being ordered around was so satisfying.
Ruan Chi sat back down in his chair, unwilling to move again.
A bold and fearless bullet comment scrolled by: [Mo Mo seems to be sweating. CEO Ruan, can you wipe it for him?]
With this resolution, this distance, you can still see if Zong Mo is sweating?
Ruan Chi turned his head and asked, “Are you hot, Zong Mo?”
Cooking did tend to make one hot. The moment the stove was on, it was heat on top of heat. So Zong Mo said, “A little.”
Ruan Chi: ?
Wearing a single sweatshirt in March, and he’s still hot?
Ruan Chi walked over, not quite believing it, and wiped Zong Mo’s face with the back of his hand.
Zong Mo was slightly startled. With a guilty conscience, he first glanced at the phone in the distance, then remembered that wiping sweat wasn’t anything out of line.
After the inspection, Ruan Chi said unhappily, “You’re not sweating.”
Zong Mo said in a low voice, “The clothes are a bit thick. My body is hot.”
The hand Ruan Chi had used for the inspection then moved to his back. A moment later, it slipped under the hem of his sweatshirt and circled his sensitive lower back.
Zong Mo: …
He tried his best not to look at the phone.
Ruan Chi finished his inspection again, confirming that he wasn’t colluding with the bullet comments from a distance. Only then did he turn and leave, going to turn off the heating.
When stir-frying Chinese food, as soon as the ingredients hit the wok, a rich aroma quickly spreads, making the neighbor’s kids cry with hunger.
Ruan Chi smelled the aroma, stood up with his phone, switched to the rear camera, and took a close-up of the delicious food in the wok and the nimble hands flipping it.
Suddenly, a toss of the wok, and red and green pieces flipped in the air, like heavenly flowers scattered, falling back into the wok.
Very cool, if not for the one piece that fell onto the countertop, which Zong Mo quickly picked up and stuffed into his mouth.
Ruan Chi: “…Are you acting?”
Zong Mo: ?
His CEO Ruan didn’t know how to cook and usually didn’t watch how he handsomely conquered the kitchen. Now, a small mistake, and he actually suspected him of acting!
“Because this is a flat-bottomed pan. It’s not good for tossing,” Zong Mo said.
Ruan Chi let out a “mm.” After Zong Mo had plated the dish, the camera moved up for a close-up of his face.
Zong Mo stole another bite and was caught in the act.
And he had even picked it up from the plate with his hand, very unclean.
Zong Mo: ?
The moment he saw the camera sweep over, he immediately froze, a bulge still in his cheek.
Ruan Chi looked at the screen and felt he looked a bit silly.
“There are also bullet comments saying this dish looks very fragrant.”
“Isn’t it fragrant?” Zong Mo took the opportunity to chew the food in his mouth a few times. “Want to try some?”
Ruan Chi continued to look at the bullet comments.
As long as a celebrity showed a down-to-earth, relatable side, their public image could immediately become fuller, especially for an artist with a lot of negative press. Turning haters into fans could happen in an instant.
[I also want to eat my husband’s cooking, ahhh]
[Husband, feed me!!]
Ruan Chi: ?
He quickly switched the camera back to the front-facing one to film his own face. Mm, very handsome.
Then he picked up some food with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly in front of the camera, tasting it for everyone. After several bites, when the eagerly waiting bullet comments were starving like crazy, he finally said slowly:
“Not bad.”
After all the dishes were on the table, and he had shown them to the fans to whet their appetites, Ruan Chi turned off the live stream and focused on eating.
Zong Mo stole a glance at the quietly chewing Ruan Chi opposite him and asked again, “Is it delicious, CEO Ruan?”
“Mm.”
Speaking of which, the “not bad” he had said in the live stream was the highest praise Ruan Chi had given after eating so many meals. Usually, at most, it was “mm,” “edible,” “okay.”
But if he didn’t think it was delicious, why would he force him to cook for several months!
Sooner or later, he would let CEO Ruan know what face-slapping was, what “true fragrance” was! What it meant to regret beyond measure!!
Before the last few episodes of Conquering the Entertainment Industry aired, the two of them live-streamed as usual. If they had time during the day, they would stream while cooking. If not, they would stream after dinner until nine o’clock, ending on time.
At first, some fans complained that the stream ended too early, that the nightlife had just begun. Later, they got used to it and showered him with flattery: CEO Ruan, you’re busy. Go to bed early for your health. Remember to take the kids to school tomorrow morning.
Zong Mo: …
Only he knew that Ruan Chi didn’t really need much sleep, and whether he let him go to sleep also depended on his mood.
Because he had shown off his undeniable cooking skills in the live stream, Zong Mo’s image on the internet had improved a lot.
From an unclean wife, he had transformed into a 24-filial-pieties good wife.
Capable in the hall, and in the bed.
In the end, it all boiled down to one sentence: CEO Ruan is so lucky!
Zong Mo: …Fine.
By the seventh episode, the popularity of Conquering the Entertainment Industry had far exceeded expectations, reaching the level of a small hit. The crew wrapped up efficiently, with only the final episode left to air.
Ruan Chi was too lazy to do another live stream promotion, but he suggested going back to the villa.
Zong Mo asked, “Why, CEO Ruan?”
“It’s not convenient to work here,” Ruan Chi said.
Zong Mo: …
He had been working and promoting during this period and had almost forgotten that CEO Ruan, who casually topped the trending list, was only doing this part-time.
Returning to the villa, Ruan Chi suddenly asked, “You don’t like living here?”
Zong Mo denied it at once, “No!”
Ruan Chi: “Hmm?”
“The house is too big…” Under Ruan Chi’s gaze, Zong Mo could only confess honestly, “It’s very boring to be at home alone.”
Like a resentful wife.
A beauty kept in a golden house, yet daring to express dissatisfaction. He was really getting bold.
But Ruan Chi didn’t get angry. He even asked, “Haven’t you been to the basement?”
Zong Mo: ?
Can a rich person’s basement be entered casually?
What if he saw something he shouldn’t and was silenced?
“CEO Ruan, you didn’t say I could go…?”
Ruan Chi just laughed and said, “Come with me.”
Sitting in the enclosed elevator going down to the basement, Zong Mo felt more and more uneasy.
And it seemed they had gone down more than one floor, maybe two or three.
The elevator doors opened. The windowless basement was as bright as day. Yes, the words “waste” and “environmental protection and saving” did not exist in CEO Ruan’s dictionary.
It turned out it wasn’t some dark and damp place suitable for confinement. Zong Mo was slightly relieved.
And then, what is this?
Not quite sure, Zong Mo squinted and looked carefully.
First, a billiard room. In the huge space, a billiard table was placed in the center, still very spacious. The seats and empty space next to it could accommodate dozens of spectators.
It seemed very suitable for some strange play.
Zong Mo: …Wait.
Ruan Chi was really introducing it to him, taking him on a tour of the gym, swimming pool, spa room, home theater, and massage room, one by one.
Zong Mo: ?
He usually worked out in the gym upstairs. He hadn’t expected there was another one in the basement, even with a sauna.
There was also a large outdoor swimming pool in the courtyard, with a diving board. But before, the weather was too cold. Later, Zong Mo guessed it might be exclusively for Tuantuan, so he had never tried it.
Indeed, how could a dignified CEO let himself freeze outdoors in the middle of winter?
He had even booked out a hot spring for swimming. What was digging a swimming pool in the basement!?
“It’s always been maintained and cleaned. It’s clean,” Ruan Chi said.
Zong Mo: …He was a little speechless.
He felt like a country bumpkin in the city, looking around blankly, at a loss.
“Still feel bored?” Ruan Chi asked again.
Swimming and watching movies alone, and not even in a lively public place but in an empty basement, this couldn’t be calculated on a loneliness scale. It was directly maxed out.
Zong Mo said, “Mm… by myself?”
“Is the person in front of you not a person?”
But Ruan Chi had to work. He had been told to prepare three meals a day, but most of the time it was only breakfast and dinner, and dinner often dragged on to become a late-night snack.
When he came home too late, Ruan Chi would let him eat first. Zong Mo didn’t have the habit of eating at a fixed time and would still try to wait for Ruan Chi to come back to eat together.
During the filming of Conquering the Entertainment Industry, Ruan Chi had naturally fallen behind on a lot of work and was home even less during the day.
Alone, Zong Mo had no interest in enjoying the basement.
On the night Conquering the Entertainment Industry aired, Ruan Chi came home early. The two of them happened to watch it directly in the home theater in the basement.
The home theater was very high-end. The lighting was just right, not too strong or too weak. The sound system was all-around surround sound, which elevated the quality of this shabby little drama quite a bit.
In the final shot, Ruan Chi stood by the glass window of a skyscraper, his leather shoes shining, looking down at the city below him with that usual look of contempt for trash.
He took a light sip of red wine.
Below him was not only the entertainment industry he had conquered but also his business empire.
So satisfying!
Zong Mo also wanted to film this kind of great male protagonist cool drama, but he absolutely didn’t want to rely on his sponsor to feed him. He wanted to build a world with his own two hands!!
What Zong Mo didn’t expect was that the following events would actually start to follow the original novel’s script again.
When he received the call from An Lan, he repeated in a daze, “Uh, because of my cooking live stream, they want me to participate in a farming variety show?”
Wasn’t this the kind of variety show the original Zong Mo was best at?
The main shou, with his warm little sun persona, especially good at acting cute, could gain a crazy number of fans every time he participated in this kind of slow variety show.
An Lan said, “Mm, it’s called Field Diary. The first season starts filming next month. They’re inviting you and CEO Ruan together, but CEO Ruan’s work email left online is unreachable, so I’ll just send the relevant documents over directly. You can look at them together and ask his opinion in person.”
Zong Mo: …
The following events started to follow the script, but not completely.
They actually invited an overbearing CEO to go farming with him?
