Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

”I just think, having a baby is so hard on a woman, so how could anyone do something so beastly? No matter how out of control you get, you should never do something like that. When we get married, I’ll be a great dad. I’ll never hit or scold our kids, much less throw them to their deaths...”

Sang Yuan seized the chance to declare his devotion, but the more Ni Bingyan listened, the more something felt off. She turned to look at him and saw that his mouth was fiery red from the spice, and the napkin in his hand was stained with freshly wiped chili oil.

’So he was crying from the spice?’

’I really underestimated your tear threshold!’

Ni Bingyan shot him a sidelong glance. ”Didn’t you make this spicy beef jerky for me?”

Seeing that only a few strips were left, Ni Bingyan quickly snatched the plate away.

Sang Yuan immediately shot to his feet. ”There’s more in the pot! I just got too engrossed in the show! I ate this much without even realizing it. Wait here, I’ll go downstairs and get you some more.”

The show was reaching a pivotal moment, so Ni Bingyan didn’t waste words on him. She just chewed on the last few strips of beef jerky and studied the veteran actors’ performances.

When the episode ended and the commercials began to play, she realized Sang Yuan still hadn’t returned.

Her host had vanished, and she was starting to feel a little awkward sitting there by herself. Just as she was about to stand up, Sang Yuan walked in carrying two plates.

One was piled with bright red beef jerky sprinkled with sesame seeds, the other with glistening golden cantaloupe and a small fruit fork.

”Hey, this beef jerky is way too spicy. It’d be a tragedy if you broke out after eating it. Have some melon to cool your palate.”

Ni Bingyan stood to take the plates. She thanked him earnestly before picking up a fork and digging in.

”Ah, my future father-in-law is such an amazing cook, creating something this delicious! And wow, he was even willing to teach me a secret family recipe like this. He really must like me!”

Ni Bingyan tilted her head. It was true her dad liked him an awful lot, but...

”My dad said that no matter how down and out you get, you’ll never make a living selling beef jerky. That’s why there was basically no risk in teaching you. He figured if you wanted to learn, you could just learn!”

Then she couldn’t help but laugh. ”Anyway, you went out of your way to learn it for your mom. That’s very filial of you, and my dad has a soft spot for filial kids, so he stopped caring whether it was a secret recipe or not.”

He’d long known she was a master of sarcasm, so Sang Yuan pretended not to hear her. ”Wow, my skills are just too good!”

Ni Bingyan paid him no mind. The commercials ended and the second episode began, so she went back to focusing on the TV.

’Still, compared to her dad’s, the only thing slightly off about this beef jerky was the cooking; everything else was excellent.’

’Most importantly, it was the thought that counted.’

The two of them ate and chatted, and before they knew it, another episode was over.

The story was utterly depressing. Ni Bingyan had felt the oppressive weight of it while filming, but seeing the final edited version, the feeling was even more intense.

It was like a wad of cotton was stuck in her chest—she couldn’t cough it up or swallow it down. The feeling was just so stifling!

A glance at the clock showed it was almost ten. Thinking about how she had a new show to film in a few days and should probably review the script again, Ni Bingyan got up to take her leave.

Sang Yuan didn’t try to make her stay, simply smiling as he walked her home.

’In his mind, respecting his wife’s wishes was paramount.’

The two of them left through the main gate of the Sang residence, one after the other. Just as they were heading toward Ni Bingyan’s house, they saw Granny Liao carrying a small basket. Inside was a lively Boston lobster. Its two large claws were bound, but it was still wriggling to and fro, refusing to give up.

”Oh? Bingbing? There you are! I just stopped by your place but no one was home. This is perfect! Your uncle brought back a few too many lobsters yesterday, and we can’t possibly eat them all. I was bringing one over for you.”

Ni Bingyan didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted the basket directly. ”Thank you, Aunt Liao!”

She always preferred to use younger-sounding titles for people. Granny Liao chuckled and waved it off. ”Think nothing of it! So much fruit has ripened in your yard lately, and we’ve been picking some every day. We feel a little guilty, honestly, so we were just hoping you’d come back soon so we could return the favor!”

They were all people of refinement; no one was truly in need of such small gifts. But when faced with kindness, they always returned kindness.

Ni Bingyan felt very comfortable around them. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left her yard gate open for them to come and go as they pleased.

”I’ve been shooting a TV series, and next week another one starts filming at the same time. My schedule’s about to get even tighter, so I’ll probably just stay near the set. It’s too much of a hassle to come all the way home.”

”Oh? What’s it about? When does it air?”

They had only heard her mention she was busy with work lately and hadn’t had a chance to ask for details.

The girl was never online. No matter how lively the discussions got in their group chat, she never chimed in. Since it was rare to catch her with a free moment, Granny Liao asked casually.

Every time Ni Bingyan had a new movie come out, they would organize a trip to the theater to support her at the box office. The last one was *Breakup* back on Valentine’s Day. It was early June now; the girl was such a hard worker, she was bound to have something new coming out soon.