Chapter 82: She Is So Easy To Coax

This translation was originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

The dining table was placed inside a bamboo shed at the center of the courtyard. They called it a shed, but it was just four pillars and a roof, slightly better than being completely open.

Geese and Dragon Li Cats strutted through here as if it were a deserted place.

Shen Qingzhi and Gu Jinrong arrived last. Huang Yuanxi promptly invited them to sit down, "Everyone's here, let's all try the specialties of our little shed together."

On the rectangular wooden table were garlic-roasted fish, homemade cured meat, spicy sautéed bamboo shoots, tomato eggs, and a few seasonal vegetables.

Most were ordinary dishes, yet because they were the fruits of everyone's labor, they easily aroused everyone's appetites.

Shen Qingzhi and Yu Kexin, being the two youngest juniors, initially thought about how to be reserved and polite. However, they were the first to reveal their true selves.

"Wow, this grilled fish mixed with garlic is truly amazing! I feel like my taste buds don't belong to me anymore. No wonder everyone calls Teacher Huang the 'God Chef of the Little Shed.'"

Shen Qingzhi scooped some fish and rice and didn't miss the chance to praise extravagantly.

Huang Yuanxi was the only guest here with children. With a bit of maternal instinct, she liked watching young people enjoy their meals.

Seeing Shen Qingzhi relishing the food, she smiled with much kindness.

"Hey, that's just a nickname given by friends in the industry as a joke."

"If you really like this grilled fish, you've missed praising someone. All this garlic seasoning was prepared solely by Jinrong, and I just did the final grilling."

Following Huang Yuanxi's words, Shen Qingzhi looked at Gu Jinrong and noticed Gu Jinrong looking back at her. Those eyes, full of charm, sparkled as if anticipating something.

Caught by that kind of gaze, Shen Qingzhi inexplicably felt a sense of embarrassment, as if publicly flirting and being caught in the act.

She pretended to focus on scooping her food, realizing that not responding might seem impolite.

"Oh, I didn't expect that Senior Gu is not only great at acting, but also has great cooking skills. It's really impressive.”

She expressed surprise and admiration with a calm tone.

Gu Jinrong:...

Shen Qingzhi's behavior seemed a bit odd, but no one present chose to delve deeper into it.

As the hostess, Huang Yuanxi took the initiative to introduce the surroundings of the small shed to the other guests and inquired if they were adjusting well to their first visit.

Everyone went into chatting mode with each other.

Of the five guests here, only Gu Jinrong knew all the other four before participating in the variety show, so the topic naturally fell on her.

Huang Yuanxi glanced at Gu Jinrong, who had not said a word since serving the table and sighed.

"Speaking of which, I had another collaboration with Jinrong in M Country seven years ago. You were much more naive at that time than you are now, but you were just as quiet.”

This translation was originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

Oh, young and naive Black Heart.

Shen Qingzhi slowed down the speed of eating and quietly pricked up her ears.

"Mm, I remember back then I portrayed a depressed girl in 'The Last Life' and you played my mother," Gu Jinrong recalled accurately, helping to elaborate.

"Yes," Huang Yuanxi nodded as he recalled, "At that time, you really startled me. Before that, I hadn't had much contact with the depressed community. However, when I acted alongside you, initially, I found myself completely influenced by your emotions."

Huang Yuanxi, now highly respected in the entertainment industry, dared to speak her mind freely.

"Even I, without spending at least half a year observing and understanding that community, would find it challenging to perform to that extent."

"You had only five minutes of screen time in that movie, but many people privately praised you."

"So, I saw your extraordinary potential back then and wanted to recruit you to develop in the Chinese entertainment industry. But you refused, luckily now, after going around in circles, you finally returned to the country."

Facing such straightforward praise from her senior, Gu Jinrong appeared humble and composed.

"Teacher Huang, you've been very kind. Back then, I was young and mainly relied on my instincts for acting. There was one time I almost couldn't get into the character, and it was you who helped me out."

Among the other three people at the table, only Yu Kexin listened to the story with great interest, while Shen Qingzhi and Wen Qi seemed pensive.

Perhaps sensing the atmosphere had become somewhat serious, Huang Yuanxi changed the topic, shifting the conversation to Wen Qi.

"I remember often seeing Jinrong replying to messages on her phone after filming. I even thought she had someone very important to her in M Country that she was reluctant to leave."

"Oh, Wen Qi, it seems you knew Jinrong when you were in M Country, did you know there was such a person?" 

Huang Yuanxi teased a bit while saying this. There's a lot of banter and gossip in variety shows to spice up the atmosphere, and entertainers in the entertainment industry have countless ways to respond to such situations.

Wen Qi had appeared on several variety shows before, and Huang Yuanxi trusted her ability to respond to banter. However…

"Seven years ago, I was the only person in M Country who was closest to Jinrong.”

“At that time, I had to suspend school due to some accidents, so I was usually very attached to her. She is like this, she always puts me first in everything.”

Wen Qi said this casually, but the four people in the seat seemed to be petrified for a second, but they had different thoughts.

Yu Kexin was shocked by the unexpected big melon. Huang Yuanxi didn't expect Wen Qi to be so sincere. Gu Jinrong was busy trying hard to find a hundred ways to coax her wife in her mind. While Shen Qingzhi's silent face showed no emotion.

"I'm done eating. Carry on chatting; I'll go wash the dishes first."

Shen Qingzhi stuffed the last piece of vegetable into her mouth, gulped it down, stacked the three empty plates and bowls together in one breath, and was about to leave.

"Hey, there are a few more dishes left. Let's finish eating together and then wash them," Huang Yuanxi snapped back to reality, and stopped her from leaving.

"You guys eat slowly; no rush. I'll wash these few first and then take care of the rest."

Shen Qingzhi was resolute, carrying the empty plates and heading to the kitchen with hurried steps.

"Hey, this kid is so hard-working." Huang Yuanxi commented as she failed to stop Shen Qingzhi, and then she turned to address the others.

Shen Qingzhi was now alone in the kitchen, gathering leftovers into a plastic bag, placing the three plates and bowl in the sink, letting the water flow, and rinse them vigorously.

It wouldn't take much time to wash these dishes, but she didn't want to go out at all right now, listening to Gu Jinrong and Wen Qi's past.

I already know the plot framework, and the details aren't that important.

She consoled herself in her mind. Taking a dishcloth, she wiped the plates leisurely.

"If you keep scrubbing like that, the plates will lose their skin." 

At some point, Gu Jinrong appeared at the kitchen door, holding the remaining dishes, reminding Shen Qingzhi as she cleaned the same spot on the dish for the tenth time.

"Gu...Senior Gu." Shen Qingzhi came back to her senses from her wandering mind and hurriedly tightened the faucet. Looking at Gu Jinrong who suddenly appeared, she almost lost her voice.

"Why you?"

Generally, in this kind of variety show, everyone divides labor and cooperates, and the person who cooks does not wash the dishes.

Gu Jinrong looked at Shen Qingzhi's obviously wilting appearance at this moment, sighed in her heart, and replied.

"Teacher Huang and the others are going to check the terrain for plowing tomorrow, so I'm here to wash the dishes with you."

It explained the whereabouts of the others but did not explain why the personnel were distributed in this way.

"Oh." Shen Qingzhi didn't delve further. After drying the already scrubbed sparkling dishes, she placed them beside the sink and reached out towards Gu Jinrong.

"Bring them all to me, I'll just wash them together."

The implication: I don’t want to be with you right now.

Gu Jinrong didn't argue with her. After clearing the residue from the dishes in her hands, she placed them all in the sink and considerately adjusted the faucet to warm water.

Shen Qingzhi held the dishcloth, repeating the previous actions with a blank expression.

Gu Jinrong stood beside her and stared at her silently for a while as if she had no intention of leaving.

"Why are you still here?" Shen Qingzhi poured out the water from the dishes. Noticing the person hadn't left, this time a hint of unrestrained impatience leaked out in her tone.

She didn't want to vent her frustration on Gu Jinrong, but she was just not happy right now.

"Let me help you." Gu Jinrong's voice was as gentle as water, a demeanor reserved only for her little girl.

Shen Qingzhi:...

What's the use of helping me wash the dishes?

At this moment, she couldn't directly drive someone away in front of the camera, so she could only swiftly focus on her work, responding in silence.

To demonstrate her earnestness in assisting, Gu Jinrong squeezed a drop of dishwashing liquid into the center of each dish.

Her fingers were slender and fair, even while holding the dish soap bottle, it seemed like she was spraying perfume.

Shen Qingzhi paused for a moment, wiped away the dish soap with a cloth, and swiftly cleaned off all the grease in a few strokes. She wanted to delay the task, but it didn't work.

Seeing the situation, Gu Jinrong timely turned off the faucet, took a dry cloth, and helped with drying the dishes. Then, she took out hand cream from her pocket, cupped Shen Qingzhi's hands, and gently applied it inside and out.

Gu Jinrong's palms were slightly cool but not enough to feel cold. The milky-white hand cream, spread by her fingers, brought a warm and comforting sensation.

Shen Qingzhi was standing on a higher step, which gave her a rare opportunity to look down at Gu Jinrong, who was applying hand cream for her.

Her smooth forehead appeared poreless, a few strands of unrestrained black hair casually framing her temple, adding a touch of coquettishness.

This person actually had quite a bewitching appearance. However, the coldness or gentleness in her expression often made people overlook the alluring aura she possessed.

Shen Qingzhi's gaze shifted downward, landing on the gracefully arched nose and meticulously painted red lips. Even though they met every day, she still found them stunning.

This wonderful person is my wife, and she'll only stay by my side from now on.

With this thought, Shen Qingzhi suddenly felt less depressed.

She is so easy to coax.

Gu Jinrong applied hand cream on Shen Qingzhi. Since she was in front of the camera, she couldn't explain clearly what happened on the table, so she could only say cautiously: "Qingqing, what do you want to do later?

No matter what, she had to find a reason to stick around.

"I'll go to that fat cat in the yard, do you want to come with me?" Shen Qingzhi, who was no longer sulky, even her voice carried a hint of rising in her tone.

"Okay." Gu Jinrong agreed quickly, fearing that she might change her mind.

However, she couldn't help but wonder in her heart: What's going on? I haven't even started to coax her yet.