After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Alpha, I Ended Up with the Movie Queen - Chapter 24

[Why do I feel like that posture and those words are so green-tea?]

[I feel that way too. Don’t argue with me. If you argue, then you’re right.]

[Ruirui just feels very guilty. Although she looks like a mature, cool beauty on the outside, she’s actually very fragile inside, so that’s why she acts like this. Don’t randomly speculate!]

[Green tea my ass! Do you people never forget things? Is expressing an apology green-tea now?]

[We’re just saying a guess, and you Bai Rui fans come up cursing people right away. Isn’t that too much?]

[If her heart is so fragile, why come earn this money? (doge)]

Gu Nan did not even look at the tears gathering in Bai Rui’s eyes, as if they would fall if anyone spoke too loudly to her. She directly asked, “Do you still remember what time it was then?”

When Bai Rui heard Gu Nan’s question, the tears slid down her face.

She sobbed beautifully, wiped away her tears, then gave an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, I… I don’t remember.”

Fine.

Gu Nan looked speechlessly at Bai Rui’s behavior. Just as she turned her head and was about to say something, she saw Lu Xuehai and Tang Ling looking at Bai Rui with pity. They had already put the daily necessities they were holding onto the ground and stepped forward to comfort her.

???

Think about our food first, okay!

Then she looked at Shen Zhibei and Peng Yushu’s perfectly normal expressions and finally felt that she was still normal.

She said to the two who had not been affected by Bai Rui’s state at all, “I’ll go to the kitchen and take a look. If the pumpkin is done steaming, I’ll bring it over for everyone.”

“I’ll go with you. You probably can’t bring back that much by yourself.” Shen Zhibei handed the daily necessities she had been helping Peng Yushu carry back to him. “Sorry, Teacher Peng. I originally wanted to help you carry them to your room.”

“It’s just a few steps. Hurry and go with Gu Nan.” Peng Yushu accepted his pile of daily necessities with some difficulty.

“All right. Then Zhibei, you carry the lamp. I’ll bring a few more thermos bottles. That way, it’ll be convenient for everyone to use hot water tonight.”

As Gu Nan spoke, she picked up four thermos bottles from the ground.

[This style is half romance under the moonlight, half discussion of difficult living conditions.]

[I thought Gu Nan would join the army comforting Bai Rui. But in the end… I won’t criticize her as a little princess anymore.]

[Comfort her my ass. If they keep comforting her, they won’t even have pumpkin left to eat!]

[Is comforting someone who’s sad not allowed anymore? Are you the Pacific Ocean police? Why are you managing so much?]

[Sorry, I just feel like her acting is really fake. She still maintained her image pretty well while crying.]

[That just means Ruirui looks better than you even when she cries! Jealous?]

[You’re all so annoying. I just want to quietly watch a show, not watch you argue. I’m leaving. Switching screens to watch the Nanbei CP solo view.]

Gu Nan and Shen Zhibei returned to the kitchen again.

At this moment, the entire kitchen was filled with smoke.

“It didn’t boil dry, did it?” Gu Nan hurriedly put the thermos bottles on the ground and went to lift the lid to check the water inside.

“How is it? Did it boil dry?” Shen Zhibei had also hung the lamp up. She scooped up a ladle of water, ready to pour it in quickly if Gu Nan said it had boiled dry.

“No, there’s still some left.”

Shen Zhibei poured the water back, then went to the cabinet and took out six pairs of chopsticks and four large plates, handing them to Gu Nan.

Gu Nan pulled out a pair of chopsticks and poked the pumpkin with them. “The pumpkin’s cooked too. We can take it out.”

Together, the two of them picked all the pumpkin pieces into the plates. In order to carry everything away in one trip, every plate was piled high.

“There isn’t enough water to fill four thermoses anymore.” Shen Zhibei observed the remaining amount of water. “And what are we supposed to use to pour the water in?”

“A ladle?” Gu Nan said.

“There’s oil in the iron pot. The ladle will get oil on it too, right? Is that okay?” Shen Zhibei hesitated.

She had never lived in the countryside either, so she was not very familiar with these things.

“Then… should we use a wide-mouthed bowl and slowly scoop it in?” Gu Nan suggested again.

Shen Zhibei thought about it and kept feeling that something was off, but since she could not think of any other good method, she nodded in agreement.

So the two of them each took a wide-mouthed bowl and began scooping water from the iron pot into the thermos bottles.

[Help, help, I simply can’t bear to watch. Sister’s style has been completely led astray.]

[The countryside isn’t that particular. Just use the ladle to scoop the water. Please stop using bowls. Covering face.]

[How am I supposed to look directly at cool, aloof, mature-beauty Sister from now on? Damn.]

[This is sugar, sisters! We don’t even have to dig for sugar through cracks like with other CPs. The two sisters are personally handing it out. Hurry and raise the Nanbei CP banner!]

[Yes, it’s sugar, hahahaha. Sister abandons her image for love and uses a bowl to scoop water!]

[Stop talking. Sister’s reaction images are out: “Picked up by Gu Nan and loses color in shock.jpg,” “I’m going to kill someone.jpg,” “Tabby cat face.jpg,” and “Silly bowl-scooping water.jpg.” Not even a day has passed and I already have so many. Lighting cigarette.]

[I’m dumbfounded. This is the legendary entertainment-circle little princess? Isn’t she some silly roe deer from a landlord’s family?]

Although the scooping was a little hot on their hands, they soon filled one and a half bottles.

There was no water left in the iron pot now, but the firewood in the stove was still burning.

“Since they aren’t full anyway, let’s boil some more water. Perfect timing.”

As Gu Nan spoke, she used the ladle to add water into the pot. “This time, we have to remember the time, right?”

“I’ll remember.” Shen Zhibei looked at the water in the pot and said very seriously.

Gu Nan quickly glanced at Shen Zhibei, then bent down and hooked the full thermos bottle onto her arm before going to take the hurricane lamp hanging on the wall.

Shen Zhibei felt that glance had been full of distrust toward her. She immediately narrowed her eyes and asked Gu Nan, “What was that look?”

“Nothing. I was just very surprised that you took over this difficult mental labor.”

Difficult mental labor?

That wording made Shen Zhibei feel even more strongly that Gu Nan was mocking her.

“Say it to the camera. Were you mocking my memory?”

Gu Nan faced the camera with an innocent expression. “I wasn’t, I’m not, how could I possibly mock you? I don’t even have enough time to love you.”

I’m just used to being mouthy with people I’m familiar with, she silently added in her heart.

Besides, Bai Rui already fell on this exact thing, and you still dare say you’ll remember? What a warrior.

Shen Zhibei curled the corner of her mouth, completely disbelieving Gu Nan’s deceptive mouth.

Saying she loved her?

She could not see even the slightest love in Gu Nan’s eyes.

Although she thought this, for the sake of Gu Nan answering fairly well in front of the camera, she still said, “Then I’ll believe you this once. Let’s hurry and go. Teacher Peng must be getting anxious.”

Gu Nan had no objections. She only asked worriedly, “The two of us will carry two plates each? Will your hand be okay?”

“No problem. You’re already carrying so much. I’m only carrying two plates, of course I can do it.”

Shen Zhibei did not want Gu Nan to help her again. If she always let Gu Nan help her, then later when she argued with Gu Nan, she would not even have enough confidence.

She had already mentally prepared herself. Even if it hurt later, she planned to endure it.

If Gu Nan knew Shen Zhibei’s inner thoughts, she would definitely risk making Shen Zhibei embarrassed and angry to say: suffering because you care too much about face.

Now, she was merely worried and believed Shen Zhibei had underestimated the problem. No matter how one carried plates, especially when one plate was so heavy, wouldn’t the palm still need to exert force?

But since Shen Zhibei had already said that, Gu Nan did not refute her. She only made up her mind to pay attention to Shen Zhibei’s condition. If Shen Zhibei showed pain later, she would quickly go help.

Although the two of them had different thoughts, they strangely maintained peace at this moment.

“Then shall we set off?” Gu Nan asked.

Shen Zhibei did not speak. She simply picked up the plates and walked forward.

Gu Nan followed beside her, looking at her current expression with confusion.

The plates were indeed being carried steadily, but it was just carrying plates. Was there a need to look so determined?

Surely not. Her hand probably hurt and she still wanted to persist.

Gu Nan hurriedly used the edge of her own plate to help support Shen Zhibei’s plate a little.

“It’s fine. I’m not hurting. I don’t need help.”

Shen Zhibei stubbornly still wanted to hold on by herself. Although her hand really hurt badly, her acting skills still allowed her to smile and refuse Gu Nan.

She quickened her steps. First, she wanted to shake off Gu Nan. Second, she wanted to return to the small building faster and put down the plates in her hands.

“I want to help.” Gu Nan caught up in two steps and again used the edge of her plate to support the plate in Shen Zhibei’s injured hand. “I’m volunteering, okay?”

“No.” Shen Zhibei sped up again. “I refuse.”

“Don’t refuse. The way you carry everything yourself when something happens makes my heart ache with pity,” Gu Nan said.

Heart ache with pity my foot!

Shen Zhibei felt a breath stuck in her throat, neither going up nor down, making her extremely uncomfortable. Then she walked even faster.

She fled, Gu Nan chased. The two of them walked faster and faster, almost like they were race-walking.

Gu Nan was still slightly more skilled and perfectly continued acting as a support point to make things easier for Shen Zhibei.

[Although I know one doesn’t want the other to get more tired, and the other wants to help, why is this scene so funny?]

[I’m laughing so loudly. Clearly, my focus should be on Sister’s hand probably hurting a lot, yet she’s still considerate toward Gu Nan, who has a lamp hooked on her left hand, a thermos hanging from her right, and is carrying two plates. But I’m still laughing at how these two look right now.]

[It’s silly and hilarious. The famous scenes are too densely packed, okay?]

[At first, I thought I was watching a countryside slow variety show. Later, I thought I was watching a transformation reality show. Now I finally know I’m watching a comedy show, hahahaha.]

Once they entered the small building and reached the side of the stairs, Shen Zhibei angrily glanced at Gu Nan, whom she had failed to shake off the entire way.

“Try supporting me like that when I’m going upstairs!”

The staircase in the small building was narrow and could only fit one person walking at a time. Walking side by side would be very difficult, not to mention they would need to leave space for the two plates between them.

Convinced that Gu Nan could no longer help, Shen Zhibei restored her usual elegant style and lifted her foot to go up the stairs.

Gu Nan, however, did not panic at all. She simply watched Shen Zhibei begin climbing the stairs.

The moment Shen Zhibei went up one step alone, Gu Nan smiled faintly, gathered her breath in her dantian, and shouted, “Teacher Peng! Brother Xuehai! Tang Ling!”

Following Gu Nan’s shout, the sound of quick footsteps thumping across the floor rapidly came closer from far away.

Judging by the speed of the three people’s steps, they were much faster than Shen Zhibei.

Soon, the three of them appeared in front of Shen Zhibei.

The moment Shen Zhibei saw them, before she could speak, Gu Nan had already spoken first. “Zhibei kept saying not to call you and insisted on carrying them herself. But I was too worried about Zhibei’s injured hand, so I called you over anyway.”

“Aiya, how could you not call us for something like this? Look at the two of you, carrying so much back.” As Peng Yushu spoke, he snatched the two plates from Shen Zhibei’s hands. “Zhibei, your hand is injured. How can you carry so much? You should have come back and called us.”

“Exactly, Sister Zhibei. You and Sister Nan—uh.” Tang Ling remembered that Gu Nan was even younger than Bai Rui and quickly corrected himself. “Gu Nan should have come back to call us for help.”

As he spoke, he also hurriedly took the plates from Gu Nan’s hands.

“Exactly. Thank you so much, you and Gu Nan,” Lu Xuehai also said.

Shen Zhibei’s face was full of astonishment, not knowing what to say. She could only watch helplessly as the plates in her hands were taken away by Peng Yushu.

After thanking them, Lu Xuehai wanted to help but was one step too slow. The plates in both people’s hands had already been taken.

He paused, looked around for something else he could help carry, then directly took the thermos hanging on Gu Nan’s arm.

Gu Nan did not resist either, letting them take everything that could be carried. She only held the hurricane lamp for lighting.

“The remaining water after steaming the pumpkin could only fill one and a half bottles, so we only brought one bottle back. But the kitchen is still boiling water. Once it’s ready, I’ll go get it again later.”

“I’ll go. You wife-wives must be exhausted today,” Lu Xuehai hurriedly said.

“Then I’ll trouble you.” Gu Nan thanked him. “Usually, water boils quickly in a pot. You might need to go check soon.”

“No trouble.” Lu Xuehai hurriedly waved his hand. “I’ll go wait there after I put down the thermos.”

Peng Yushu saw that everything that needed to be taken had been taken, and everything that needed to be said had been said, so he said, “Let’s go. Let’s take these to my room first. There are tables and chairs there, so we can eat. Xiao Ling, after you put down the plates, go call Bai Rui.”

“Okay,” Tang Ling replied crisply.

The three of them had come quickly and left quickly too. In less than five minutes, they swiftly headed back to put down the plates.

On the staircase, only Shen Zhibei, still in shock, and Gu Nan, waiting for her to recover, were left.

Gu Nan leisurely stepped forward and passed by Shen Zhibei. As she walked, she said, “Sister, now neither of us has anything to do. If you really want to do something…”

She pretended to think for a moment, then raised the hurricane lamp in her hand. “Do you want to carry the lamp? I still have a lamp here for you to carry.”

When Shen Zhibei recovered, she was so angry at Gu Nan’s behavior that her teeth itched.

She directly jogged a couple of steps, and just as she was about to pass Gu Nan, she pretended to lose her footing and fiercely stepped on Gu Nan’s foot.

“Aiya, sorry. I stepped on you.” Shen Zhibei looked as if she had accidentally stepped on Gu Nan and felt very guilty.

Originally, Gu Nan actually did not feel much pain, but seeing Shen Zhibei pretending like that, her own drama-queen spirit immediately possessed her, and she began pretending that she had been stepped on painfully.

“Ow, ow, ow!”

She pretended to hop from pain, making the whole staircase start to shake.

Shen Zhibei disdained Gu Nan’s clumsy acting, but seeing her hop until the whole staircase began shaking, she got a little scared. She hurriedly held onto the railing and said, “Stop jumping.”

“You stepped on me and hurt me, and now you won’t even let me hop a little?” Although Gu Nan said this, she still stopped.

Their eyes met. Sparks flew where their gazes crossed.

Only after a moment did the two finally reach a truce. Their gazes moved away separately, and one after the other, they quietly went upstairs to the mahjong room for dinner.

[Is this what people call flirting? Lighting cigarette.]

[With a mouth like Gu Nan’s, no wonder Shen Zhibei wants to hit her. She really belongs in the “even Mom wants to hit you” series.]

[The sour stench of love is coming right at me. It makes my hands itch. I want to burn, burn, burn.]

[I was originally worried Sister had been forced to marry Gu Nan, but after watching this long, if she were forced, Sister wouldn’t dare be this bold, right? She even stepped on Gu Nan.]

[Mouthy younger little wolfdog. Every time she gets mouthy, she gets cleaned up by the beautiful older sister. I really love this scene.]

[The two of them acting at each other is making me laugh to death. But Gu Nan’s acting skills really show that she isn’t suited for acting, especially compared against Shen Zhibei’s natural acting. She should just participate in more variety shows. As long as she doesn’t act and hurt my eyes, I can turn from anti to fan.]

[I’ve already turned from anti to fan of comedian Gu Nan.]

[They’re definitely real. I’m the fake one. My CP must be real!]

When they arrived at the mahjong room, the other four guests were all waiting for them.

“Hurry over. We’re just waiting for you.”

At Peng Yushu’s greeting, the two sat in the seats left for them.

“All right, everyone’s here. Our first meal in A Poetic Life officially begins!”

Following Peng Yushu’s passionate voice, everyone sitting around the table gave him face and began clapping.

Although placed in front of them were only four plates of steamed pumpkin.

Lu Xuehai ate a piece as a gesture, then said, “I’ll go to the kitchen and see whether the water has boiled, then fill the thermoses.”

“Brother Xuehai, I’ll go with you.”

Tang Ling was clearly starving. He had been continuously stuffing pumpkin into his mouth, then quickly chewing and swallowing.

At this moment, he was still holding a piece of pumpkin, speaking unclearly while eating.

“No need. You eat.”

Seeing Tang Ling eating so happily, Lu Xuehai refused.

Following Shen Zhibei’s earlier steps, he lit a hurricane lamp and went alone to the kitchen.

After the others had eaten more or less enough, they began chatting while waiting for Lu Xuehai to return. In the end, after waiting for a long time, they still did not hear Lu Xuehai’s voice.

“It’s been so long. Why hasn’t Brother Xuehai come back yet?” Gu Nan looked toward the doorway and asked in confusion.

“Why don’t we go take a look?” Shen Zhibei also suggested doubtfully.

Just then, a voice came from the production team’s walkie-talkie.

“Kitchen area, send more staff over. Over.”

“Got it. Coming right away. Over.”

Kitchen?

Lu Xuehai should be there right now, right? Did something happen?

The group was puzzled and ran toward the kitchen along with the production team.