Exchange of Movie Queens - Chapter 7

Xi Mo first went to the hospital cafeteria.

Looking around, she saw family members of patients coming and going to buy meals, the place noisy and chaotic. She even spotted several patients with thick arm casts standing in line, delicate as flowers, as if the slightest bump might break them.

Startled and deeply skeptical about the taste of the hospital cafeteria food, Xi Mo decided to head to the street outside the hospital instead.

Over the years, she had never gone out alone to buy meals like this—now, thanks to Ruan Yesheng, it was her first time. In the past, whatever she wanted was handed to her. The company practically treated her like a cash cow, catering to her every need. When she went out to film, there were special meals prepared just for her, with the staff practically falling over themselves to serve her—they might as well have spoon-fed her. And if Xi Mo had wanted it, her assistants would have gladly done so.

Unfamiliar with the street and unsure where to find good food, driven by both her fastidiousness and picky palate, she hailed a taxi and went to a restaurant she had visited a few times before, one that wasn’t too far from the hospital.

By the time she returned with such meticulous effort, it was already dark.

Ruan Yesheng, leaning weakly against the edge of the hospital bed, watched as Xi Mo walked in with both hands full of takeout containers. She sighed faintly, “Were you buying dinner or going on a pilgrimage?”

Xi Mo ignored her, unpacking the takeout boxes and placing them on the table. After washing her hands, she sat down and began eating quietly.

Ruan Yesheng washed her hands too and sat across from her.

With a casual glance, she noted that despite being packed in takeout containers rather than elegant dishes, the food inside was refined and abundant, complete with a thermos of hot soup.

Ruan Yesheng reached for one of the containers, but Xi Mo lifted her cold gaze and pulled it closer to herself.

Then she pushed another container toward Ruan Yesheng.

Opening it, Ruan Yesheng found plain congee inside.

Ruan Yesheng: “…”

“Eat,” Xi Mo said flatly.

Ruan Yesheng stared at the congee. “Just this?”

“Just this.”

Ruan Yesheng protested, “Don’t you think this is completely inhumane?”

Xi Mo replied coolly, “I have an upcoming role with strict body requirements. Lu Qingming wants me to maintain my figure. Since you’re using my body now, you’d better follow the rules—only congee at night.”

Ruan Yesheng gripped her spoon, unmoving, her expression gloomy.

Xi Mo ate with perfect poise, chewing slowly and swallowing before asking leisurely, “What happened to the actor’s self-discipline you promised me earlier? Did a dog eat it?”

Ruan Yesheng: “…”

Your humanity was eaten by a dog too.

But she was starving by now, and figuring some congee was better than nothing, she lowered her head and began eating. After a few spoonfuls, she glanced up at Xi Mo. It had to be said—Xi Mo’s dining etiquette was impeccable, every movement exuding natural elegance. Unless raised with strict discipline from childhood, most people couldn’t fake it.

For a while, the table was silent.

After some time, Xi Mo said, “Think about Shen Qingbie, who can only chew a few leaves of greens every night while drooling over food pics on Weibo. You should be grateful.”

Was that supposed to be comforting? And if it was, did she have to say it with that same lofty attitude?

“I’m quite satisfied, so much so that I could kneel in gratitude.” Ruan Yesheng cast a sidelong glance at Xi Mo: “But I’m also curious—how did you know Shen Qingbie only eats a few lettuce leaves every night?”

Xi Mo sneered: “She posts food blogs every night. Barbecue, cheese, cake, steak, all kinds of cuisines—whatever has the highest calories, that’s what she posts. Her fans cry in the comments, saying how she stays so slim despite eating so much, praising her as their goddess with hearts and kisses.”

Ruan Yesheng: “…”

Only you could make “mwah mwah” sound colder than an ice-cold joke.

I’ll never look at “mwah mwah” the same way again.

When talking about Shen Qingbie, Xi Mo seemed shrouded in an aura of resentment and continued: “With such high-calorie meals, it’s a miracle she stays so thin—flat-chested and flat-bottomed. Could you believe it if it were you?”

To think she’d go on such a resentful rant—a rare sight, like the sun rising in the west. Ruan Yesheng decided to humor her: “Of course I wouldn’t believe it.”

Though Xi Mo’s expression remained indifferent, a faint light flickered in her eyes, making them unusually lively: “She just takes pictures of the food—can’t eat a bite of it. All she can do is nibble on lettuce to keep her figure. At this rate, she might as well just drink plain water while staring at the photos. She drools over them, but that’s all she can do.”

Ruan Yesheng: “…”

Who knew that besides being pretentious, you’re also the queen of wild assumptions? Shen Qingbie would probably cry her eyes out if she knew.

Then again, this kind of behavior is all too common in the entertainment industry.

Countless actresses avoid eating to stay slim and beautiful, but their social media is never short of food bragging—even if it’s just a staged shot of them barely touching their food before putting it down immediately. To them, food is nothing but a tormenting little demon, especially high-calorie delicacies.

Truth be told, Ruan Yesheng had done the same thing long ago.

Back when her career was still on the rise, she was filming a movie with strict body requirements. Exhausted and craving flavor, she impulsively wanted to try skewers to stimulate her taste buds. Her assistant nervously bought her one, and she posed for a selfie with it. After smelling it, she convinced herself she’d already eaten it and let her assistant have it instead.

Xi Mo suddenly fixed her with a penetrating stare: “You’ve never done this?”

Ruan Yesheng flushed at the memory and stiffly replied: “Why would I? I eat whatever I want.”

“Oh really?” Xi Mo gave her another glance, smirking faintly.

Ruan Yesheng thought, Here comes the queen of assumptions again, just as Xi Mo silently resumed eating.

After sipping the bland, tasteless porridge for a while, Ruan Yesheng eyed the luxurious array of meal boxes beside them and asked indignantly: “Are you really going to eat all of these?”

Xi Mo blinked innocently: “I thought you were too thin, so I’m helping you out by eating more. Consider it nourishment.”

Heh, it’s not like I’m the one gaining weight.

Ruan Yesheng: “…”

Xi Mo spoke indifferently: “To switch our bodies back as soon as possible, I naturally have many things to do on my end. It’s mentally and physically exhausting, requiring constant energy replenishment. So for the sake of the future, I’ve decided to eat four bowls of rice per meal from now on.”

Ruan Yesheng: “…”

“Plus an extra chicken drumstick and a fried egg—the egg should be medium-well.” Xi Mo glanced at the meal box. “Your body isn’t allergic to chicken or eggs, is it?”

Ruan Yesheng nearly snapped her spoon while drinking porridge.

Hmph, I want seafood.

I absolutely must eat seafood.

Swallowing a mouthful of porridge, Ruan Yesheng smiled sweetly: “I’ll be expending a lot of energy too. Aren’t you scheduled to film later? It’ll be me doing it. So I should eat more as well—whatever amount you eat, I’ll match it. I prefer my eggs well-done, my chicken drumsticks crispy, and chocolate makes for a nice dessert.”

Xi Mo gave her a silent look, her expression inscrutable.

That look sent an uneasy shiver down Ruan Yesheng’s spine.

With perfect calm, Xi Mo said: “Lu Qingming won’t allow it. If you don’t watch your diet, you’ll soon witness his true capabilities.”

Ruan Yesheng: “…”

She’d forgotten about Lu Qingming—that vampire of a top-tier agent.

Naturally, Ruan Yesheng knew all about Lu Qingming. As the company’s golden agent, he appeared to be a serious, capable workaholic, but in reality, he micromanaged every aspect of Xi Mo’s life. Exceptionally competent, he attended to every minute detail like an overbearing mother hen.

Within acceptable bounds, he was the picture of courtesy, willingly accommodating even Xi Mo’s most unreasonable demands. But should someone oversleep and delay schedules, or gain even a fraction of weight from overeating, he’d instantly switch into mother-hen mode—using polite, gentle words to nag incessantly until the other party surrendered in defeat.

Thus, the industry had bestowed upon him the nickname: The Truly Courteous·Lu Tang Monk the legendary long-winded monk from Journey to the West.

A chill ran down Ruan Yesheng’s spine, leaving her no choice but to silently lower her head and continue drinking porridge.

Midway through, Xi Mo pushed the untouched meal box toward her and stood up from the table.

Ruan Yesheng froze, then laughed: “What’s this sudden humanitarian gesture? Aren’t you afraid I’ll ruin your figure?”

Xi Mo turned back, meeting her gaze: “If you’re not afraid of ruining your own figure, go ahead and try.”