The Green Tea Actress Has Too Much After-Show Drama - Chapter 27

“Cut! That’s a wrap!” Yuan Chengyin called out.

The crew members, ever enthusiastic about ceremonial moments, set off confetti cannons with a loud pop, showering the set in colorful streamers.

Filming for The Sound of Falling Leaves in Crossing City had finally concluded, marking a milestone for the production team.

The prospect of vacation beckoned, and the cast and crew began a playful game: whoever laughed first from sheer happiness had to treat everyone to bubble tea.

Qiu An, caught up in the youthful energy of the crew, pretended she couldn’t suppress her laughter for even a second and had Xi Xi buy bubble tea for everyone.

Due to scheduling conflicts with several supporting actors, the producer opted for a small, informal gathering with the remaining crew members instead of a formal wrap party.

They reserved a riverside terrace restaurant and planned a barbecue feast.

When news of this reached Sister Hou and Ran Long, they quickly picked up on two key terms: “informal” and “barbecue.”

Combined, these words easily led to the misinterpretation that this was a private gathering among friends—the kind where everyone tries to outdo each other with the thickest makeup and shameless behavior.

So, on the appointed day, Ran Long wore only the black crew T-shirt, ripped jeans, light makeup, and unwashed hair as she strolled to the rendezvous.

Her reasoning was simple:

Barbecue? The smell would be overwhelming! She didn’t want her clothes to reek. Who wears heavy makeup to a barbecue anyway? It would just melt halfway through, forcing her to constantly run to the restroom for touch-ups—what a hassle!

As for her hair, she’d have to wash it again when she got back anyway.

As the car pulled up to the agreed-upon restaurant, Ran Long realized that this so-called “riverside” location was actually overlooking the New Fanjiang River—the most bustling, upscale, and tourist-heavy district in Crossing City!

As night fell, the river shimmered with the warm yellow lights of the riverside hotels, the glittering reflections so dazzling they nearly blinded Ran Long.

And the “barbecue”? It was a whole roasted lamb!

Two golden-brown, crispy-skinned lambs were skewered over the charcoal fire, rotating in endless, hopeless circles. The grill occasionally crackled and popped, whether from residual resin in the dead wood or fat dripping from the dead sheep.

Ran Long desperately wanted to kick the producer—the one who’d clearly been kicked in the head by a sheep’s hoof. Why call it a “barbecue feast”? Even “whole lamb banquet” would have been more accurate!

Did she really have to dress like a beggar passing by?

Qiu An arrived even later than Ran Long. The moment she appeared, all eyes turned to her. She wore a figure-hugging black mermaid gown, her long hair styled in an updo secured with a silver hairpin shaped like a whale’s tail.

The river wind whipped fiercely, slapping against her exposed back.

Not that she’d feel the cold.

Qiu An was wearing full makeup. Ran Long refrained from judging its quality, but it was undeniably heavy. Under the heat of the charcoal grill, it looked like her entire face might melt off.

By then, there’d be two faces by the river: Qiu An’s, and the one she’d discarded.

Ran Long didn’t want to stand near her, but Qiu An scanned the crowd until she spotted Ran Long, who was trying to blend in. She walked over with slightly labored steps, her movements restricted by the tight skirt.

Of course, her labored gait was just Ran Long’s imagination.

In reality, Qiu An moved quite freely.

Before Qiu An could speak, Ran Long preemptively snapped, “Dressed like that for a barbecue? What, trying to jump into the river and become a siren? Sing us a song and let’s see if your voice is up to par.”

Qiu An ignored her teasing and asked with concern, “Xiao Ran, do you want to change? I’ll have Xi Xi bring you something.”

“Forget it! I don’t want to be like you, tripping over my own feet trying to act all refined! Just leave me alone and go be your siren self!”

Ran Long secretly wanted to change. If Yuan Chengyin or Sister Hou had suggested it, she would have agreed. But with Qiu An, she just had to be stubborn.

I can’t compete with Qiu An’s beauty, but at least I can show her I’m not trying too hard, right?

After all, it was just a private gathering with no media present.

If the boss is putting on airs, the subordinates will follow suit.

Ran Long glanced over and saw Xi Xi, who had also dressed up to match Qiu An. Perhaps to avoid being overshadowed by Qiu An’s radiance, she wore a sharp, masculine blazer and had applied a thick layer of makeup.

Xi Xi trailed Qiu An like a shadow, making it seem as if the two of them were the true stars of the evening.

Ran Long retreated from the crowd to a secluded sofa. Sister Hou, looking equally disheveled, sat quietly beside her, resembling abandoned concubines and their maids in a forgotten palace.

Sister Hou asked Ran Long, puzzled, “Why did Sister Qiu’an and Xi Xi dress up so elaborately? Are the media coming to film today?”

Ran Long frowned. “Aren’t you the manager? If you’re asking me, who am I supposed to ask?”

“Maybe I could get a dress delivered urgently? Hmm… can dresses even be delivered urgently?”

“…Forget it. Everyone’s about to arrive and we’ll start eating soon. I want to see how they’ll manage to eat roast whole lamb in those outfits.”

Qiu An led Xi Xi around, socializing and exchanging pleasantries with the crew. Normally, people would come over to greet Ran Long and Sister Hou, but today, no one seemed to notice they were even there.

Guess we’ve gone too far with the disheveled look.

Whatever. I don’t want to deal with these superficial people who judge others by their clothes anyway.

Yuan Chengyin arrived with the producer. Ran Long had hoped at least Yuan Chengyin would treat her as an equal, but even this woman, who usually never wore lipstick, had a layer of foundation on her face! It was as if they were preparing for a press conference.

Ridiculous! There are no VIPs coming, no reporters around. Why all this fuss just for two roast whole lambs?

It’s absurd!

Are they even showing the slightest respect for the roast whole lamb dressed like this?!

Yuan Chengyin spotted Ran Long’s attire from afar, paused briefly, and then, after a moment’s contemplation, said nothing further. He simply gestured for everyone to take their seats.

Ran Long had miscalculated. She hadn’t realized that eating roasted whole lamb in Crossing City wasn’t about wearing gloves, tearing off chunks, and devouring them with greasy abandon.

Instead, instead… the restaurant staff carved the lamb into small, bite-sized pieces, arranged them artfully on plates garnished with refreshing vegetables, and served each guest a plate to eat with a fork.

Once a plate was finished, a server would ask if you wanted more, repeating the process if requested.

What’s with all this pretense?

Authentic roasted whole lamb is supposed to be eaten until you’re nauseated!

Yet, no matter how refined the restaurant and its patrons were, the red wine in the stemmed glasses remained wine. After a few rounds, Ran Long could no longer contain herself.

She grabbed the server who was about to plate her portion and shouted, “I don’t want you to portion it out! Do you people even know how to eat roasted whole lamb? Give me the gloves! I’ll tear it apart myself!”

The waiter sized up Ran Long’s attire, mistaking her for some drunken, rowdy office worker. He hesitated, stammering, “Uh…” for a long moment, too afraid to move.

“Just take her where she wants to go,” Qiu An instructed.

The waiter didn’t recognize the drunken, dyed-haired woman, but he certainly knew the radiant Qiu An. Naturally, he couldn’t refuse the superstar’s command and led Ran Long away to find her gloves.

Ran Long’s outburst left the “pretenders” at the table feeling awkward as they stared at their plates.

Yuan Chengyin chuckled dryly and apologized for Ran Long’s behavior. “Sorry about that. Xiao Ran gets like this when she’s drunk—no manners at all. Please forgive her.”

Everyone murmured polite assurances, but inwardly they grumbled that she was just as rude sober. It seemed her family’s decline had dragged her manners down with it.

Ran Long was gone for so long that Qiu An stood up to look around. She spotted Ran Long squatting motionless by the grill, with the waiter standing awkwardly beside her.

Worried about Ran Long’s drunken stupor, Qiu An excused herself from the table and walked over to her.

“Xiao Ran?” Qiu An walked over to her, bent down, and patted her shoulder.

“Hmm?” Ran Long murmured lazily, her eyes still closed.

“What are you doing squatting here? Grab what you want to eat and come back with me.”

“The grilled meat is too hot. I’m waiting for it to cool.”

I miscalculated.

Ran Long’s personality might be bold and forthright, but her body still belonged to a pampered heiress. Even during the past two years of hardship, she hadn’t done any strenuous labor. Saying her hands were as delicate as scallions carried a double meaning: they would burn easily if exposed to heat.

“I’ll help you tear it apart.”

The waiter, hearing Qiu An’s words, startled and took a half-step back, holding his breath.

While Ran Long squatted, waiting for the meat to cool, she racked her brains trying to remember the name of this imposing figure. She finally concluded that Qiu An was simply kind-hearted, indulging the whims of a troublesome employee.

But seeing Qiu An’s tenderness toward her now, it was clear their relationship went far beyond the boundaries of a superior-subordinate dynamic.

The waiter wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about the entertainment industry, but he knew Qiu An had been rumored to have had same-s3x affairs in the past.

Could this impolite woman be the same person Qiu An was rumored to be dating?

Though she wasn’t dressed up, she was still quite attractive. On the surface, she didn’t seem to match Qiu An, but if they had to be together, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

As if discovering a new continent, the waitress silently tucked this revelation into her mental gossip folder, labeled “The Shocking Scandals I Witnessed During My Years as a Waitress at Crossing City’s Most Luxurious Restaurant.” One day, she would publish a piece of sensationalized literature on Douban, disguised as intellectual writing, and rise to fame, finally transcending her social class.

Qiu An didn’t ask the waitress for another glove. Instead, she took Ran Long’s hand, which was resting on her knee, and gently slid her fingers into the glove’s opening, pressing against Ran Long’s palm as she slowly worked her way up.

Ran Long withdrew her hand, but she wasn’t angry. It was clear she was in a good mood after drinking.

She giggled twice and said, “No, it tickles!”

“Everyone’s waiting for you,” Qiu An coaxed.

“Why are they waiting for me?”

“You’re the main character. Who else would we wait for?”

“Shh!”

Ran Long covered Qiu An’s mouth with her gloved hand, glaring nervously at the waiter, who silently turned away.

“There are other people here. This is a secret—don’t blurt it out.”

“Alright, alright,” Qiu An said with a wry smile, dismissing it as drunken rambling.

The glove smeared Qiu An’s lipstick. With no choice, she asked the waiter for a fresh pair.

“Which piece do you want?” Qiu An asked.

“I want the leg.”

Qiu An tore off some meat from the hind leg, carefully avoiding getting any sauce or juices on her gown.

All dressed up so beautifully, and here she is tearing apart lamb with gloves on?

Ran Long grinned foolishly at Qiu An, a mischievous idea forming in her mind. Qiu An’s being so attentive because she thinks I’m completely drunk, right? Actually, I’m only a little tipsy.

“I want some from the front leg too.”

Qiu An reluctantly tore off a few more pieces from the front leg.

“And a bit from the loin.”

“And the neck too.”

“I won’t trouble you anymore. Just help me tear off one last lamb chop.”

After tearing the meat back and forth for what felt like ages, Ran Long looked herself up and down. She was still perfectly clean.

Ran Long was annoyed.

Carrying her plate, she followed Qiu An back to their seats. As soon as they sat down, she grabbed a handful of lamb and enthusiastically shoved it toward Qiu An. “Sister Qiu’an tore this lamb for me! Sister Qiu’an, you have to try it first! It’s definitely tastier than what you arranged on your plate!”

With that, she tried to stuff the meat into Qiu An’s mouth.

Yuan Chengyin watched in stunned silence. She knew Ran Long’s alcohol tolerance was low and her behavior worsened when drunk, but she never imagined it could be this bad. They had barely made it halfway through filming, and the two women’s relationship seemed to have improved. Why was this drama erupting now?

Yuan Chengyin didn’t have time to intervene. Fortunately, Qiu An reacted swiftly, seizing Ran Long’s offending wrist.

The atmosphere froze. The people at the table stared in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them, utterly bewildered by Ran Long’s latest stunt.

If Sister Hou hadn’t been too drunk to notice, currently slumped against Xi Xi’s shoulder in a drunken stupor, she would have been mentally screaming, “Ran Long, if you’re going to die, don’t drag me down with you!”

Xi Xi’s attention was entirely focused on the tipsy Sister Hou, leaving her uninterested in the commotion.

Ran Long? It wasn’t her place to interfere.

Qiu An? Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t.

Just when everyone expected Qiu An to reject Ran Long’s offer sternly, Yuan Chengyin, sitting closest, saw Qiu An lower her head, clearly about to eat the meat from Ran Long’s hand.

The hairs on the back of Yuan Chengyin’s neck stood on end.

Someone stop them! This isn’t some deserted island!