Chen Yao looked at the flour balls everywhere, the soup dumplings they wrapped were indescribable, and he couldn’t think of any comforting words, so he said, "It’s the participation that counts."
Upon hearing this, Wang Sirui shot him a resentful glance.
"Ahem, I’ll go call Mr. Pei and Sister Yun down for breakfast." Yang Leqi stifled a laugh and left the kitchen.
When Yang Leqi reached the room, Qin Yun was already awake, feeling a bit dazed.
But she wasn’t awake on her own; Yuanyuan’s call woke her up.
Because she had just run into Pei Yan’s agent at the door, who said he would send the two of them back. Yuanyuan wasn’t sure if it was true, so she called to ask.
Qin Yun remembered that Pei Yan had indeed said last night that his agent would come to pick them up today, but she was so engrossed in the script that she forgot to tell Yuanyuan.
"Sister Yun, you’re awake? Just in time for breakfast. I’ve learned a new dish, three-flavor dumplings! Quite a few are made by me!" Yang Leqi said enthusiastically.
"Ugh, I’ll wash my face... didn’t sleep much last night, feel a bit groggy." Qin Yun got up, swaying a little.
"Sister Yun, what time did you stay up last night?" Yang Leqi vaguely remembered Qin Yun saying she wanted to stay up, but she was too sleepy then.
"I think it was around 5 a.m. today?" Qin Yun yawned and started brushing her teeth.
"I’ve already told my agent. The crew will probably contact you for an audition."
"Okay," Qin Yun responded softly.
Qin Yun finished freshening up and called Pei Yan; they went downstairs just in time.
Because it took some time to boil water, they went down just right when it was done.
Although Wang Sirui’s dumplings were a mess, they still steamed them.
"Doesn’t anyone want to try the ones I made?" Wang Sirui cried out pitifully, seeing all the ugly soup dumplings left untouched.
"My stomach isn’t that strong, you go ahead," Qin Yun glanced at them and decisively refused.
"Mr. Pei..." Wang Sirui immediately turned to him with a pitiful look.
"Ahem, I’m full." Pei Yan had just finished the last dumpling, responding calmly.
Wang Sirui: "..."
"I’ll try one," Chen Yao, unable to resist, picked one up.
As a result, he took a bite and found it undercooked... the flour was still raw...
He quietly spit it out again.
Fortunately, the filling was made by Qin Hao, or else who knows what strange taste it would have had.
Because the bottom was too thick and wrapped up, the cooking time was different from usual thin-skinned soup dumplings.
"...Sirui, you should probably stay out of the kitchen in the future," Chen Yao sighed.
Pei Yan gave Qin Yun a look, and the two quickly left this dreadful place.
"I’m full. My agent is here to pick me up, so I’m leaving now." Yang Leqi stuffed the last two dumplings into her mouth in one go and bolted.
The others fled the kitchen one by one.
"I’m done too." Qin Hao swiftly put down his plate and prepared to leave.
But Wang Sirui blocked his path, holding a plate, smiling brightly as they walked towards him, "You see how hard I worked on these. Won’t you try just one?"
Qin Hao trembled, retreating step by step.
Suddenly, he turned and ran the other way, "I won’t try, you enjoy them."
"Qin Hao!!!" Wang Sirui roared from behind.
...
Everyone grabbed their luggage, ready to go back.
Yang Leqi didn’t see Qin Yun’s staff arriving, planning to let Qin Yun take her car so they could go back together, but turned to find Qin Yun had gotten into Pei Yan’s car??
Yang Leqi watched Pei Yan’s car leave with a bewildered look.
If she wasn’t mistaken, Pei Yan’s agent was also in the car?
"Why aren’t you leaving, what are you looking at?" Wang Sirui, having been left out, was the last to come out, saw Yang Leqi staring blankly in one direction, and asked.
"Nothing, let’s go." With that, she got into the car and left.
"Weird," Wang Sirui murmured, also glancing in that direction but seeing nothing.
In the car.
Qin Yun glanced at Pei Yan’s agent, who was staring at her, and asked Pei Yan, "Are we heading straight to your place now when we return?"
"Yeah," Pei Yan replied, then asked, "Or do you want to go back first?"
"No, just asking," she shook her head. Going back seemed unnecessary, just to drop off luggage.
"Can I ask, how did you two end up together right under my nose?" Pei Yan’s agent couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked.
"..."
Why did it sound like they were having an affair from Pei Yan’s agent’s words?
"Ask him," Qin Yun decisively pushed the question to Pei Yan.
The agent knew it wouldn’t be easy to get the truth from Pei Yan and, worried they wouldn’t explain well, quickly said, "I need to know early, so when it’s exposed, I can prepare a PR strategy!!"
Pei Yan: "Just think of it as love at first sight."
Agent: "..."
Pei Yan patted the petrified agent, sighing, "Make up a story, and we’ll coordinate without conditions."
"What do you mean? You two are married, and you want me to just think of a story?? That’s even less reliable than love at first sight!!" The agent exploded.
"I tell you, ever since I found out you got married, I’ve been staying at the top floor with the PR department, haven’t come down, I’m still young, don’t play me like this!!" Pei Yan’s agent said, even pretending to wipe non-existent tears from his eyes.
But though the actions were fake, the concern in his words was real.
After all, Pei Yan’s fan base was huge, not just fans of his looks, but mostly movie and drama fans focusing more on his works now.
But for someone who had just won dual Best Actor awards, it really wasn’t the best time to go public.
Fans would undoubtedly say he became arrogant after the awards and wasn’t focusing on acting anymore.
Adding to that, the fans’ perceptions of Qin Yun were quite negative. Though recent live streams slightly softened their views, that was only because Pei Yan and Qin Yun hadn’t been exposed yet.
If their marriage were to be exposed, it would stir up a storm in the entertainment industry!!
"Ahem, well, our marriage really had its reasons. You come up with a romance story, and we’ll stick to it." Qin Yun realized she might be giving Pei Yan’s agent a hard time, awkwardly said.
"Being an agent is really challenging!!" The agent grumpily said.
Throughout, even up on the plane, Pei Yan’s agent didn’t speak again, probably still a bit upset, knowing his own artist got married, and he was the last to know. And even the story, they wanted him to make one up, clearly indicating a marriage of convenience, not a romantic one.
He had always been watching, yet Pei Yan somehow managed to date a girl and even got married right under his nose, only for him to find out!!