After Being Hopeless at Singing and Dancing, I Exploded in Popularity Due to My Appetite - Chapter 30

As Lin Qianman walked with Wu Xuan towards the meeting room for guests, Tao Nian was sitting among the director, producer, and assistant director, with a plate of walnuts in front of her.

There was clearly a nutcracker on the table for her, but she wasn’t using it.

Perhaps she didn’t know how to use it, or for some other reason, she simply picked up a walnut and crushed it with a squeeze. Walnut shell fragments stuck to her fingers, and some sharp little pieces even dug into her skin.

Tao Nian casually discarded the shells, ignoring the small wounds, and continued to crush them.

The assistant director and producer next to her watched, wanting to say something but hesitating.

They wanted to tell her she could use the cracker, but then they remembered that she had initially just put the walnuts directly into her mouth and eaten them, shell and all, so they felt this way wasn’t too bad.

When Wu Xuan pushed open the door and entered, Tao Nian was struggling to crack a walnut and was attempting to bite it with her teeth.

Her tooth had just fallen out half a month ago, and the producer didn’t dare let her be so reckless. He practically lunged forward, trying to snatch the walnut away: “Use the cracker, use the cracker.”

But it was too late. Tao Nian had already bitten open the walnut. As she put the walnut meat into her mouth, she looked at the producer, completely confused by his behavior.

Wu Xuan looked at Tao Nian’s teeth, paused, and instinctively wanted to take a step back.

He was pushed in by Lin Qianman.

As usual, the meeting began with pleasantries between the production team and the investors.

Tao Nian sat to the side, cracking walnuts by herself. The once delicious and sweet walnuts now tasted bland.

Although she often smelled Lin Qianman’s scent, and had also smelled Wu Xuan’s scent, when they were together.

But today, these two were together! She was in the same room as these two!

Lin Qianman sat next to Wu Xuan, listening to him and the producer discuss everything from the show’s current status to future prospects, then praising Wu Xuan’s promising youth – it was very boring, not nearly as interesting as Tao Nian’s subtle expressions in the corner.

She watched Tao Nian sitting alone in the corner. On the table in front of her was a pile of walnuts and another pile of walnut shells. She overlapped her two thumbs, crushed a walnut, then picked out the walnut meat from the shell and put it into her mouth. If some meat remained in the shell, she would crush the shell further. Shell fragments would get embedded in her flesh; she would chew the walnut meat while picking out the fragments.

Then, every now and then, she would glance over, sometimes at Wu Xuan, but more often at Lin Qianman herself.

She would stare for a while, her eyes unfocused, wondering what she was thinking. After a moment, she would realize she had zoned out, then lower her head to look at the walnut in her hand, concentrating on cracking it.

Soon after, she would inevitably look over again, eagerly.

Lin Qianman was amused, feeling that Tao Nian’s current predicament was like a very hungry person seeing roast chicken and braised pork on the same table—she clearly wanted both, but couldn’t have either.

She looked so pitiful that it made Lin Qianman want to pinch her.

If she weren’t the “braised pork,” she might have already done so.

Tao Nian cracked a walnut, put it in her mouth, and her gaze uncontrollably drifted towards Lin Qianman.

Although both of them smelled fragrant, when they were together, there was a comparison, and Lin Qianman still smelled a bit more fragrant!

Lin Qianman’s scent was very clean, sweet, and delicate. She smelled more fragrant than that person, and most importantly! Lin Qianman’s horns had little balls on them!

Fragrant, round, little balls that just made one want to pinch them!

Tao Nian looked down at the walnut she was holding, unable to help but recall the little ball she had bitten before.

At that time, the Qilin was tiny, with a tiny head, tiny horns, and even tinier little balls on her horns! They seemed to be the size of wild fruits on a mountain, just like the walnut in her hand now.

Thinking this, she couldn’t help but look up at Lin Qianman again.

Today was just for simple daily filming, so Lin Qianman had only lightly filled in her eyebrows and applied lipstick. The scar on her forehead was clearly visible.

Tao Nian’s hand, holding the walnut, couldn’t help but rub the walnut’s surface. It was rough, with an uneven texture. It should feel similar to that little ball, right?

Then, would that little ball also shatter with a squeeze like this?

It probably would, right?

The Qilin looked small, anyway she was small back then, and even now as a human she’s still thin, she should get a bit fatter! Then the little balls would turn into big balls.

As Tao Nian was touching it, she applied a little force, and the walnut shattered in her hand.

…

Unexpectedly, the walnut would break. She unhappily picked out the meat and ate it. When she looked up again, she met Lin Qianman’s smiling gaze.

Lin Qianman had been watching Tao Nian for a while, seeing her lost in thought, smiling and frowning, seemingly unhappy even while eating walnuts.

Because when her tooth had fallen out before, Lin Qianman often gave her such a smile. Now, Tao Nian automatically translated this smile as mockery.

She thought Lin Qianman was still mocking her teeth, so she glared angrily at Lin Qianman and continued to crack walnuts.

Hmph, if you won’t let me eat it, then I can crush it, right?

One in each hand, squeeze, rub, the little balls are still fragrant, and you can even lick them…

Just as Tao Nian was lost in thought about the sensation of the little balls on Lin Qianman’s horns, Wu Xuan finally mentioned her name: “Last time, I accidentally bumped…”

The honest and simple Xuanwu originally wanted to say, “accidentally knocked out Tao Nian’s tooth,” but quickly remembered Lin Qianman telling him not to mention the tooth loss in front of Tao Nian, saying it would explode every time.

So, he quickly changed his words: “accidentally injured contestant Tao Nian. I came here this time to apologize. I was truly sorry last time; a project suddenly had an issue, so I had to leave. Now I’ve come to see her.”

The production team watched their biggest financial backer humbly, amiably, and solicitously bow to Tao Nian, then, as if by magic, pull out a large box of Tao Nian’s favorite handmade pastries from under his seat, a box of calcium tablets shaped like pretty candies, and an unlimited shopping card for his chain of supermarkets.

And that wasn’t all. He also took out a small black velvet box, handed it to Lin Qianman first, asking Lin Qianman to give it to Tao Nian.

“I heard the jade that Feng Jun (Phoenix Lord) gave you also broke. That… that kind of jade, I don’t have the ability to find. I bought a new piece. If you don’t mind, please wear it.”

Everyone in the room looked at Tao Nian.

Tao Nian was still cracking walnuts, her eyes looking at Wu Xuan but occasionally drifting towards the box of pastries Wu Xuan had just brought. On the surface, she was nodding, looking very agreeable.

Visibly perfunctory.

But Wu Xuan didn’t seem to be angry or dissatisfied at all.

Production team: “…”

What’s this person’s background?

The assistant director considered himself quite knowledgeable about Tao Nian.

So many seasons of the audition show had been held that entertainment agencies truly had no good trainee prospects left. The contestants in the current show were all handpicked from agencies; they first selected the better new talents, then brought back some who had debuted before but hadn’t gained much traction for a second attempt. If they truly couldn’t find anyone, they would look for small influencers at influencer agencies.

Tao Nian wasn’t a trainee; she was recommended by an influencer agency.

The strange thing was, that agency had clearly rejected the production team before, but at the last minute still recommended someone—an ordinary person, with no foundation, no traffic, a completely new face, but with stunning looks that could lead to a debut based on beauty alone.

However, ordinary people without background like her usually just run alongside the main cast in this type of show, signing non-debut contracts.

Just when the contract was about to be given to Tao Nian, Lin Qianman suddenly said she wanted to be a mentor, but specifically requested Tao Nian’s contract and changed it to a debut contract for her.

And now, not only was the mentor here for Tao Nian, but even the financial backer seemed to have an extraordinary relationship with her…

Actually, this financial backer hadn’t initially planned to be a sponsor. He only came to sponsor after Lin Qianman confirmed she would be a mentor.

So, could it be that both of them came for Tao Nian?

But Tao Nian seemed quiet, usually very obedient, and trained very hard, right? It was truly perplexing.

Since the show was still being recorded, the production team couldn’t keep watching Tao Nian and Wu Xuan talk. Everyone left, and finally, only Lin Qianman, Tao Nian, and Wu Xuan remained in the meeting room.

Tao Nian finally finished eating the walnuts, clapped the shells off her hands, and began pondering when she could taste the little balls on Lin Qianman’s horns.

Lin Qianman thought that even with her missing tooth, Tao Nian would still try to bite her every day, being insatiably persistent. Now that she saw Wu Xuan, the culprit who caused her tooth loss, she should be even more unable to resist biting him.

She bites him, and another tooth falls out.

Then Lin Qianman could pretend to be powerful and teach Tao Nian not to bite people indiscriminately, because divine beasts’ scales and shells are very hard, and biting them would cause her teeth to chip. If Tao Nian learned to feel the pain, she probably wouldn’t bite anymore.

Lin Qianman waited and waited with this beautiful wish, until Wu Xuan and Tao Nian had talked for a while. Tao Nian promised to forgive Wu Xuan and not tell Feng Jun about these matters. Even if Feng Jun accidentally found out, Tao Nian would persuade Feng Jun not to be angry or seek revenge on Wu Xuan. Wu Xuan was very grateful to Tao Nian and decided to send her delicious food every day. Once she debuted, he would make her the endorser for his company and book all the LED screens in the city to play her advertisements on loop for a week.

Tao Nian, who had no idea what LED screens were, grandly waved her hand: “Okay!”

After talking for a while, Wu Xuan was about to leave, and Tao Nian showed no sign of wanting to bite him.

Lin Qianman couldn’t help but feel a little confused.

What’s wrong?

Has she changed her ways?

Could it be that seeing Wu Xuan reminded her of her lost tooth, so she didn’t dare to bite?

Lin Qianman, full of questions, saw Wu Xuan out.

By the time she walked from the parking lot to the building, someone had quietly followed behind her.

Tao Nian had hidden around the corner at some point, and when Lin Qianman passed, she followed. She extended her index finger and poked, poked, poked Lin Qianman’s shoulder blade.

She didn’t speak, just followed behind her, poking. One step, one poke, gently and accurately poking the same spot, with a hint of resentment.

Lin Qianman didn’t know which TV show she had watched or which contestant she had seen playing pranks with friends to learn this behavior. She found it a bit cute, so she didn’t stop her. But since she didn’t know what Tao Nian wanted, she also remained silent, waiting for Tao Nian to speak first.

Tao Nian poked for a while, feeling her finger hurt, but Lin Qianman still didn’t speak.

So she gave up on that method and instead strode in front of Lin Qianman, poking the scar on her forehead that she had bitten.

Lin Qianman remained motionless, only her eyeballs stiffly rolled, looking at the finger on her forehead, feeling a little panicked inside.

Tao Nian had recently learned a saying: “When you eat someone’s food, your mouth softens” (meaning you become indebted and less likely to criticize). Under Lin Qianman’s gaze, she extended her other hand, first with the back of her hand facing up, then deftly flipped it over, revealing her palm, where a whole walnut kernel lay.

Lin Qianman looked at the small wounds and red marks on her fingers from cracking walnuts, then slowly looked at her face.

Tao Nian smiled a little shyly, looking modest and reserved, and offered the walnut in her palm closer to Lin Qianman’s mouth: “You try it.”

Because she was close and Tao Nian was feeling guilty, she spoke in a low voice, making it sound soft and somewhat like teasing.

Lin Qianman’s heart also couldn’t help but soften. She relaxed, and even did something she had wanted to do for a long time: she reached out and stroked Tao Nian’s head: “You eat it, I won’t.”

Perhaps the little Taotie was really starting to change. Before, she wouldn’t even give others beef jerky when they asked, but now she was willing to proactively offer walnut kernels.

Truly amazing! She could give her some rewards as appropriate! The books say this would make children more willing to share!

Tao Nian saw Lin Qianman wasn’t eating, so she reached out and practically put the walnut kernel to Lin Qianman’s mouth.

Lin Qianman could only pick it up and eat it. After eating, she praised Tao Nian again: “So good!”

She got praised!

Tao Nian was delighted. The finger on Lin Qianman’s forehead uncontrollably rubbed it a bit, and she confidently put forward her request: “Then… can I touch the little ball?”

Lin Qianman felt a bit despairing, feeling that all her tenderness had gone to waste.

She slapped Tao Nian’s hand away and continued walking forward without a word.

Tao Nian relentlessly followed, poking her shoulder blade again, thinking Lin Qianman didn’t understand her meaning. So she described it to her: “Just, the little ball on your horn, I won’t eat it. You taught me not to bite people, I won’t bite now, I’ll just touch it.”

“No,”

Lin Qianman flatly refused: “I did teach you not to bite people, but you still bit my hand a few days ago.”

“I didn’t bite!”

Tao Nian felt she had suffered a great injustice: “I just used my teeth to grind and lick! I didn’t bite!”

Lin Qianman: “That’s also not allowed! That counts as biting!”

Tao Nian watched Lin Qianman walk faster and faster, trotting to keep up. Unable to win with reason, she resorted to throwing a tantrum and exploiting favors: “I don’t care, you just ate my walnuts, so you have to give me the little ball! You ate my things, so you have to agree to my demands!”

Lin Qianman heard Tao Nian stomping her feet behind her. While she found it amusing, she was also afraid that Tao Nian would lose control and bite her directly, so she could only start trotting too. Incidentally, she told her a cruel truth: “But the walnuts you ate are the ones I asked Fang Wen to buy for you. It was my money! Those aren’t your walnuts; they’re my walnuts. What you just gave me to eat was my walnut.”

Tao Nian: “…”

Tao Nian immediately stopped in her tracks.

Lin Qianman heard the footsteps behind her stop, so she also stopped, turned around to look at Tao Nian, a smile in her eyes: “You ate my things. You should be the one to agree to my demands.”

Tao Nian also realized this, and her mouth turned down as she began to feel hopeless.

It’s over, the one whose mouth softened from eating others’ food is me.

Author’s Note:

Lin Qianman: Daily back-and-forth between “Tao Nian is kinda cute” and “Ahhh, I’m so scared.”