The Movie Queen’s Secret Stand-In Lover [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 10

At nine o’clock in the evening, the city center of A City was ablaze with lights, and the endless stream of traffic resembled a colossal, vibrant dragon just awakening from slumber.

Yuan Zhi sat on the balcony of her penthouse, gazing at the bustling, noisy city outside. That indescribable sense of loneliness crept into her heart once again.

The media and her fans knew she was a homebody—that when she wasn’t working, she usually stayed at home.

But few knew that she wasn’t truly the type who enjoyed solitude or a reclusive life.

Her seclusion was forced upon her. No matter where she went in the country, she would be recognized. Abroad, there were plenty of places where no one knew her, but who could accompany her there? Since entering the industry, she hadn’t made a single genuine friend. The few old friends she occasionally kept in touch with were from her school days. But they were either married or busy with work, making it impossible to spare time to stay with her abroad for weeks or even months.

As for the only family she had left in this world—her beloved mother—she had long since started a new family of her own. Busy taking care of her stepsister in her final year of high school, she rarely even had time to visit Yuan Zhi in A City, let alone travel abroad for leisure.

Fortunately, Yuan Zhi spent most of her time traveling, so she wasn’t home often. And when she did return, at least she had Kiki to keep her company.

Sadly, before her trip abroad, Kiki had fallen ill and was sent to the veterinary hospital. Though recovered now, the pet hadn’t been brought home yet. Yuan Zhi couldn’t easily go pick Kiki up herself, and her staff, having just accompanied her through a hectic schedule, also needed rest.

She shouldn’t have bought such a big house—it felt too empty. Sigh. Might as well sleep early. Once she drifted off, the loneliness wouldn’t weigh on her anymore.

Yuan Zhi rubbed her growling stomach. There was no way she could sleep on an empty stomach.

The massive refrigerator held only frozen meals that could be boiled and eaten, or instant foods that just needed soaking. Since she was rarely home, perishables like fruits and vegetables were out of the question. Besides, her culinary skills were limited to boiling things. And with her frequent absences, hiring a live-in cook wasn’t necessary either.

People only knew the glamorous version of her out in the world. Who would’ve guessed that at home, she was just scraping by?

Yuan Zhi was about to settle for a cup of instant noodles when her gaze was drawn to three small jars, each the size of a fist. They were homemade sauces and pickles Zhou Ning had given her… The lone jar of sauce looked murky and unappetizing, but the other two small containers of pickled vegetables appeared crisp and delicious.

She took out one of the pickle jars and twisted it open effortlessly. Using chopsticks, she picked out a small bamboo shoot tip to taste.

Wow!

Yuan Zhi was amazed. Though pickled, the flavor wasn’t overly salty or sour. Instead, it carried a subtle sweetness and just the right amount of spiciness, while the natural freshness of the bamboo shoot tips remained perfectly intact.

She set the rice to cook, and while waiting, she cradled the jar and ate more. The jars were far too small—before she could even satisfy her craving, nearly all the pickles, including the chili peppers used for seasoning, were gone. By the time the rice was ready, she realized she had nothing left to pair with it.

Still, the unexpectedly delicious pickles raised her expectations for the remaining jar of sauce.

She ladled a spoonful of the oily, spring-infused Chinese Mahogany Paste over the steaming hot rice, then used the last two chili peppers from the pickle jar to cut through the richness.

A particularly simple meal, yet Yuan Zhi tasted a long-lost flavor of happiness in it.

Zhou Ning was diligently watching Sugar Daddy’s filmography when her new phone suddenly buzzed with a notification.

“Sister Zhi—Thank you, the paste and pickled vegetables were delicious.” Below the message was a photo of two empty jars.

Sugar Daddy praised her homemade Chinese Mahogany Paste and pickled vegetables!!! And even finished all the pickles!!!

How could she not jump at this opportunity? She’d been desperately looking for a way to make amends!

Originally, the great actress Yuan Zhi had spent five million just to occasionally reminisce about her white moonlight. Zhou Ning should’ve just stayed quietly as a decorative vase, yet she somehow managed to mess things up.

Every time she remembered Sugar Daddy’s look of utter disappointment, her heart ached! She felt guilty! Remorseful! A whirlwind of emotions made her wish she could turn back time to before that haircut!

Zhou Ning turned off the TV and excitedly opened Taobao. The glass jars she’d previously used for pickles, bought from the supermarket, were only 180ml. Since Sugar Daddy liked them so much, she’d make more this time.

Let’s start with 5L jars!

Zhou Ning ordered two enormous pickle jars on Taobao.

With the jars settled and seasonings already at home, all that remained were the ingredients. The ingredients were most crucial—her pickles had a light flavor specifically to highlight the natural taste of the vegetables.

I wonder if I can still contact that little girl? Or should I go check that roadside stall tomorrow? If the girl isn’t there, buying from other homegrown vegetable sellers should be fine too.

Zhou Ning opened the payment records to find the seller’s contact, explained her purpose in detail, and left her phone number.

The next morning, just as Zhou Ning planned to go grocery shopping and check the roadside stalls for fresh produce…

A text arrived. The little girl listed the vegetables currently available at home, saying they could deliver if Zhou Ning needed anything.

A sick mother and a young child still in school?

Zhou Ning imagined the little girl struggling to carry heavy produce, and her heart shattered into pieces.

How about I come with a truck? That way we can also check if other families have suitable vegetables.

They agreed to meet at 5 p.m. Elementary school let out at 4.

Zhou Ning rented a small truck, put on a hat, and cheerfully greeted the driver as she climbed into the passenger seat.

“Stocking up?” The talkative driver laughed heartily. “This timing—must be for a restaurant, right? But that village you mentioned only has small-scale growers. I drive this route often—tell me what you need, and I’ll recommend a reliable place.”

Zhou Ning smiled. “I won’t need much.”

“Fair enough,” the driver nodded. “This truck’s small—only carries three or four tons, nothing like those hauling dozens. Restaurants don’t need that much anyway. Business folks these days are getting craftier. Last month at my daughter’s wedding, the hotel served a banquet costing thousands per table, and people still left hungry. Not that I’m saying your family’s crafty—just lamenting how things are these days.”

Three or four tons? Zhou Ning suddenly felt renting a truck might be overkill for making just ten-some liters of pickles. A shared bike might’ve sufficed.

The village sat right on the city’s edge, so they arrived in no time.

The little girl was waiting for her at the intersection. Upon spotting the license plate number Zhou Ning had provided earlier, she stretched out her arm and waved vigorously.

The car couldn’t drive into the narrow path. Zhou Ning jumped out and asked the girl with a smile, “What’s your name, little sister?”

“He Songyin. ‘He’ as in ‘how,’ ‘Song’ as in ‘pine tree,’ and ‘Yin’ as in ‘music,’” the girl replied cheerfully, grinning. “And you, sister?”

Zhou Ning, accompanied by the driver she had prearranged to help carry the goods at an agreed price, followed He Songyin along the path. “I’m Zhou Ning. ‘Zhou’ as in ‘Duke of Zhou,’ and ‘Ning’ as in ‘lemon.’”

He Songyin glanced at Zhou Ning with a bright smile. “Sister Zhou Ning. Our family’s fields are scattered, and the paths aren’t easy to walk. If you need any vegetables, you can buy them from nearby neighbors. But don’t buy from the fields by the roadside—they’re heavily polluted and eating them isn’t good for your health.”

“It’s alright, I don’t need much. I’ll just buy from your family. This uncle and I can help pick the vegetables too,” Zhou Ning said gently, taking the girl’s hand. “By the way, has your mother’s condition improved?”

The lively He Songyin suddenly lowered her head and fell silent. Only when they passed a Chinese toon tree did she lift her face and force a smile to ask Zhou Ning, “Sister, do you still want Chinese toon? Once the season passes, you won’t be able to eat it anymore.”

Zhou Ning’s heart ached as she nodded. “Yes. I’ll take as much as you have.”

“Okay! I’ll go pick some later.”

“Do you need to climb the tree?” Zhou Ning eyed the towering Chinese toon tree with awe and tightened her grip on He Songyin’s hand. “How about you teach me how to pick it? I’ll handle this while you take the uncle to pick other vegetables. That’ll save time.”

He Songyin shook her head. “It’s dangerous if you don’t know how to climb trees.”

Zhou Ning declared confidently, “I can do it. When I was little, I climbed trees and even tore off roof tiles in the village.” This wasn’t entirely a lie—the original owner of this body had indeed climbed trees in her childhood. But in her past life, Zhou Ning had been sicklied from birth; forget climbing trees, even getting onto a heated brick bed was a struggle.

By the time all the vegetables were loaded into the car, it was nearly dark.

After paying, Zhou Ning wanted to visit He Songyin’s home to see her sick mother but hesitated to keep the driver waiting too long, so she reluctantly gave up the idea.

“I’ll come back to buy more once I finish these,” Zhou Ning said, waving at He Songyin before hopping lightly into the passenger seat.

As the car entered the city and neared her home, Zhou Ning received a message from He Songyin.

Sister Ning. The red bag contains Wild Boar Meat cured by my grandmother. It’s especially fragrant—I hope you’ll like it.

Zhou Ning stared at her phone screen, her eyes growing slightly warm.

The pickling jars arrived just in time, and Zhou Ning finished making the Pickled Vegetables the next day. This kind of pickle could be eaten overnight but leaving it too long would make it sour.

Gazing at the enormous glass jar filled with various Pickled Vegetables on the dining table, Zhou Ning pondered how to deliver this behemoth to her Sugar Daddy.

First, she didn’t know where he lived. Even if she did, she wouldn’t dare go—what if someone took photos and exposed their relationship?

Second, she felt awkward asking Yuan Xiaoyuan for help. While her Sugar Daddy had said she could reach out to Xiao Yuan if needed, he’d also advised against bothering her with trivial matters. It made sense—an assistant to a popular celebrity must have a busy and exhausting job.

“Si Tian, if I wanted to send a gift to a celebrity, what are the usual channels?” At her wit’s end, Zhou Ning thought of Cai Sitian again.

Cai Sitian replied quickly. “There are plenty of channels. If you want to deliver it personally, you can wait at events or meet them at the airport. If you just want the gift to reach them, you can ask fan site admins to help pass it along or mail it directly to their company. Ningning, which celebrity are you sending a gift to? Zhizhi?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh right, you’re in City A now. Zhizhi’s studio and home are both in City A—I don’t know where her home is, but the studio address is public. What are you planning to send? Handmade stuff?”

Handmade stuff… “Sort of.”

To avoid a wasted trip, Zhou Ning contacted Yuan Xiaoyuan before heading to Yuan Zhi’s studio. “Xiao Yuan, I have something I’d like to send to Zhizhi at the studio. Is she still in City A?”

“She is. Are you coming to the studio? Should I come pick it up for Zhizhi?” Yuan Xiaoyuan’s voice carried a hint of panic.

“Don’t worry,” Zhou Ning laughed. “I bought a delivery rider’s uniform—I won’t cause any trouble for Zhizhi. You’re busy with work, and the stuff is pretty heavy anyway.”

Only then did Yuan Xiaoyuan relax. “Call me when you arrive, and I’ll come out to get it.”

The studio was in a row of townhouses. Yuan Zhi had bought the entire first and second floors, including the garden.

The villa wasn’t easy to enter. Outside the main gate, clusters of young fans loitered, likely Yuan Zhi’s admirers.

The guard took a call, then nodded at Zhou Ning. “Go on in. Just drop off the food and come right back out.”

“Got it.” Clutching a jar of pickled vegetables with its own handle in one hand and most of the smoked wild boar meat He Songyin had given her in the other, Zhou Ning—dressed in her delivery gear—walked through the villa gates under the envious gazes of the fans.

Yuan Xiaoyuan had already come out to meet her. She had planned to just take the items inside herself—if Zhou Ning could carry them, surely, she could too. But after attempting to lift the pickled vegetable jar wrapped in blue cloth, she wisely accepted the wild boar meat instead and looked at Zhou Ning with admiration. “Ningning, you’re really strong. You might have to take this inside yourself.”

“Is it okay if I go in?” Zhou Ning hesitated.

Yuan Xiaoyuan nodded. “It’s fine. Just don’t say anything, pretend you’re a delivery rider dropping off an order, and leave as quickly as possible. Zhizhi’s office is on the second floor.”

Yuan Zhi had just finished a meeting and was reviewing last month’s studio reports when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” she said without looking up.

“Zhizhi,” Yuan Xiaoyuan said cautiously, peeking in. “Your delivery is here.”

“Mm.” Yuan Zhi set the reports aside to make space for her meal. But when she finally glanced up, she froze. Zhou Ning? “What are you doing here?”

“Just bringing you something.” Zhou Ning grinned sheepishly, set the pickled vegetables and cured meat on the floor, then quickly dashed back downstairs.

Yuan Zhi remained seated behind her desk, frowning at the cylindrical object tightly wrapped in blue floral cloth on the floor. “What is this?”

Yuan Xiaoyuan bent down to untie the cloth. “Pickled vegetables,” she said with a smile, then pointed at the bag in her hand. “Ningning said this is smoked wild boar meat for you to try.” Zhou Ning had even given her a separate piece, along with a small jar of pickled vegetables.

Yuan Zhi stared at the rustic glass jar with a red plastic lid on the floor, unable to snap out of her daze for a long time. This jar had to be at least 5 liters, right? Was Zhou Ning trying to feed her like a pig?

Yet beyond the shock, she couldn’t help feeling a little moved.