Medical and Martial God

Ye Xiu had often heard actors talk about getting their ”lunchbox,” but he had never actually eaten—or even seen—a boxed meal from a film set.

”Line up, everyone, line up! We’re about to start shooting!”

Ye Xiu arrived at the meal distribution area to see a production assistant with a megaphone directing the film crew, bodyguards, and security staff into a line. The art department was busy touching up makeup, while the camera and sound teams bustled about their duties. With the directors already in position, it looked like shooting was about to begin.

”Aren’t we supposed to be eating? What’s all this about?” Ye Xiu was confused but impressed.

At that moment, Ye Lin’er, Chen Yang, and Li Ran walked over. Ye Lin’er leaned close to Ye Xiu and whispered, ”The purpose of this reality show is to depict the actors’ lives off-camera. Before the official shooting starts, the Director wants to film a behind-the-scenes clip of the cast and crew eating the same meal to give the audience the impression that the actors are down-to-earth.”

Ye Xiu was speechless. You even have to act while eating a meal? What kind of performance can that possibly be? With the airs Li Ran and the others put on, would they even be able to stomach a boxed meal?

”Stop dawdling! Hurry up and get in line,” the assistant director yelled at Ye Xiu and the others.

Ye Lin’er and her group were about to run over and get in line.

Just then, the Director said coldly, ”You there, Ye Lin’er’s bodyguard. You joined the team suddenly, so the crew didn’t prepare a meal for you. You don’t need to line up. From now on, you’ll have to take care of your own food and drink.”

Damn it! They won’t even give me a boxed meal? Ye Xiu was furious.

Ye Lin’er and Chen Yang also looked angry. They hadn’t expected the Director to be so petty as to publicly make things difficult for Ye Xiu.

Li Ran came over and said sarcastically, ”Aren’t there lots of wild fruits and game in the mountains? You’re from the mountains, so just go find something for yourself.”

Tajiguli added mockingly, ”Mountain people are physically strong. You can go home to eat and come back when you’re done.”

Zong Rui didn’t say anything in front of Ye Lin’er, but he shot Ye Xiu a threatening glare. The message was clear: get out of the film crew, or he’d have his bodyguards beat him up again.

”Big Brother, what should we do?” Ye Lin’er asked, her cheeks puffed with anger.

Chen Yang said, ”I’m not hungry. I can give my meal to the Young Master.”

Ye Xiu chuckled. ”You don’t have to worry about me. I have something to eat.”

Ye Lin’er and Chen Yang exchanged a glance. The Director already said the crew didn’t prepare a meal for Ye Xiu, so what is he going to eat? Puzzled, they went to line up.

Ye Xiu narrowed his eyes, pondering how to get back at the Director, Li Ran, Tajiguli, and Zong Rui. Just then, he saw a crew member carrying a tray with several disposable bowls on it, apparently taking food to the Director. The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift into a cunning arc.

”Director, your dinner,” the crew member said, walking over with the tray.

”Just put it on the table,” the Director said without so much as a glance.

”Okay!” The crew member put the tray down and left.

While waiting for the preparations to be finalized, the Director decided to eat first, but then something bizarre happened. Every time he used his chopsticks to lift vegetables or rice to his mouth, his hand would tremble midway, and the food would fall to the ground. After more than a dozen attempts, the Director stared at his hand in shock.

What’s going on? Am I really getting Parkinson’s this young?

”Ahem...” Noticing the dubious looks from the people on either side of him, the Director gave an awkward laugh and explained, ”I fell yesterday and hurt my arm a bit. Never mind, I’m not hungry anyway. I’ll eat later when I’m hungry.”

Ye Xiu almost burst out laughing. When you get hungry, I won’t let you have a single bite either. You dare deprive me of food? Let’s see who can last longer!

At that moment, everything was ready. ”Action!” the Director shouted.

Immediately, the cameras started rolling as the chefs emerged from a tent carrying large metal buckets filled with rice and dishes. Ye Lin’er, the other actors, and the crew members instantly got into character, chatting and laughing as they lined up for food. To make herself look good, Li Ran even deliberately let Ye Lin’er get in line ahead of her, putting on an act of a caring senior looking out for a rookie.

”You three, come here!”

Seeing the three bodyguards from his tent get their food, Ye Xiu waved them over. The three men quickly ran over with their meals. The one who had received the text message earlier wisely said, ”Bro, I’m not hungry. You eat!”

”Smart kid,” Ye Xiu said, taking the meal and squatting down to eat.

The other two bodyguards started piling the meat from their plates onto Ye Xiu’s. ”I’ve been dieting recently, so I’m not eating meat. Bro, you can have it for me,” one said.

”I’ve been a vegetarian since I was a kid. Bro, if you’d be so kind as to help me out, you can have mine too,” said the other.

Everyone on set stared at this scene, completely dumbfounded. Zong Rui, in particular, was utterly baffled. What is going on? My three bodyguards just beat this mountain hick up, so why are they suddenly calling him ’Bro’ and giving him their food?

Li Ran and Tajiguli looked as though they had just eaten dog crap. They were incredibly displeased. They had expected to see Ye Xiu humiliated, but instead, he had turned into some kind of big shot.

Ye Lin’er and Chen Yang almost burst out laughing. So this is what he meant by having something to eat!

The Director gasped in fury. He had publicly embarrassed Ye Xiu by denying him food to settle a petty score, only for the guy to end up snatching food from the bodyguards. The thought that he hadn’t eaten a single bite while Ye Xiu was feasting happily filled him with unventable rage. Yet, he was powerless. Trying to stop Ye Xiu from eating now would just make him look vindictive. Besides, with the cameras rolling, it wasn’t the time to cause a scene. So, he could only swallow his anger for now.

At that moment, Li Ran began to invent her own lines, as there was originally no script for this dining scene. ”The food on this film set tastes really good, huh,” she said aloud.

”It really is. The Director must have hired a great chef. He really takes good care of us and the crew,” Tajiguli added with a smile.

The other three actors—Zong Rui, Su Mu, and Shi Hexuan—also began making up their own lines with the sole purpose of stealing the spotlight.

Only Ye Lin’er kept her head down and ate earnestly. She was genuinely starving.

Li Ran and the others shot her a disdainful look. She doesn’t even know how to steal a scene. She’ll never make it big.

”Putting on quite the convincing act,” Ye Xiu mumbled, looking up with a cold smirk.

The three bodyguards then watched as Ye Xiu flicked his finger. Three sharp cries rang out, and the bodyguards were shocked to see the meal trays belonging to Li Ran, Tajiguli, and Zong Rui clatter to the ground.

The three bodyguards gasped and stared at Ye Xiu in shock. So all those times Li Ran and the others fell on the way here... it was this ’Bro’ who did it?

”Bro, are you a Martial Artist?” the bodyguard who had received the text whispered.

The other two bodyguards looked at Ye Xiu with expectant eyes. To ordinary people, Martial Artists were incredibly mysterious figures. They had heard legends about them, but very few had ever actually met one.

”Some things are better left unsaid,” Ye Xiu replied with an air of mystique.

He’s admitting it! The three bodyguards’ eyes began to burn with fervor. Their faces flushed with excitement, and their breathing grew as rapid as if they had just run a marathon. They had actually met a real Martial Artist!

”Bro, um, could you take me as your apprentice?” the bodyguard who had received the text asked, a pleading look on his face.