But Yu Yaoyao was very generous with her son. “It’s okay, baby, you can eat it, it’s already prepared and dished up. Next time, we just won’t order any.” She pulled the plate back to Little Bun. “Eat. Don’t let them waste their moments in this world. Taste it and let them rest in peace. We’ll never eat it again.”

Little Bun looked at his father. Then, he looked at his mother again. He nodded his head. “Okay, Mommy.”

The corners of Shen Yichong’s mouth twitched.

Zhao Yu was stroking his eyebrows in frustration, wondering if this part should be cut or broadcasted. Was this considered a righteous act to protect animals, or an evil act?

Yu Yaoyao then went on to say that fur coats and bags made from crocodile skin and snake skins were also cruel. She pulled her neck down between her shoulders, almost like she could feel the pain and fear of her skin being ripped off.

Shen Yichong immediately agreed, “You’re right. I will tell our housekeeper to never buy them again in the future. No one in our house should wear these either.”

Little Bun also agreed.

In the end, Shen Yichong kept his promise and bought dinner for each of the show crew.

Chen Qiao, who had been watching the whole time, couldn’t focus on his own meal. Any of the tasty, expensive food he put into his mouth felt like a mouthful of glass. And when he swallowed, it felt like it was cutting his organs to shreds.

He was so absent-minded the entire time that he barely heard, or understood, what the manager of Wansheng was saying.

Once the filming was over, he watched as the family left.

Zhao Yu noticed him and greeted him.

Chen Qiao could only put on an awkward smile.

Yu Yaoyao hadn’t even glanced at him as she’d walked out.

***

Two more episodes of ‘Youth’ were released on Friday. The good reviews were piling up and Douban’s score rose to 8.

The heroine, played by Yu Yaoyao, was very attractive. She was always skipping her classes and getting into fights. She could be called a bad girl, but she never bullied the weak. Instead, she challenged the boys who did bad things.

During these episodes, the plot followed an interesting twist. Qian Duoduo, the character she played, met an old chef who made an impression on her after she skipped school and failed the exam.

In one scene, she broke a table full of noodle soup while she was fighting a girl bully. As compensation, the old chef asked her to work for him for a month.

At the end of her workday, he cooked her a bowl of scallion noodles. When he set it down in front of her, the steam rising from the bowl of clear soup, decorated with spring onions, momentarily obscured her eyes. And when she tasted it, she started crying.

The taste of the cooking reminded her of the way her mother used to cook.

From then on, the plot changed. She decided to learn from the old chef. Per his requirements, she was asked to work hard and get admittance to university. And so, she started working extra hard.

The plot was very old-fashioned and tacky. But even so, the episode rating rose.

Many netizens praised it and some even said they resonated with the plot:

The part when she decided to learn from the old chef made me cry. Although the plot was lame, Yaoyao’s expression when she first tasted the noodles persuaded me to carry on watching. The mouthful of delicate white noodles and clear noodle soup were like a soft touch of warmth on her broken soul!

Facts have proven that some dramas failed, not because of the plot, but because of the skill of the actors and the directors! I really admire the shooting of the noodle-eating scene, as well as the scene where Qian Duoduo decided to learn from the old chef. If I were Qian Duoduo, I would also want to learn from him, especially because of that bowl of noodles…What she needed wasn’t the cooking skill or a teacher. All she wanted was to feel the care and love her family once gave her, as well as to find the warmth of concern she’d been lacking.

Yu Yaoyao touched me with her acting!

To be honest, I have never been interested in Dayaoyao’s acting skills in the past. It’s probably because of the generation gap. But seeing how she prepared for her college entrance examination really touched me as a high school student! Qian Duoduo is so much like me. I recite English vocabulary on the way to school, practice listening on the way home, and do my practice questions at night. I always finish a handful of pens every few days!

***

Chen Qiao was also among the people who were watching the drama.

He was currently watching the scene where she had her noodles. First, her eyes were foggy as she choked down a mouthful of noodles, then her eyes turned red, until finally, her tears started to fall when she took a spoonful of soup.

In the end, she quickly finished her noodles and buried her tear-stained face into her bowl.

He was moved by the scene.

Her performance carried a strong sense of empathy, whether she was crying or laughing.

After she had finished her noodles and wiped her tears with her school uniform, she jumped up and bowed in front of the chef, saying, “Coach, I want you to teach me how to cook noodles like that!” This made the viewers laugh out loud.

Then there were the scenes about her working hard, chanting slogans, staying up late to do practice questions, waking up to find herself sleeping at her desk… All these shots were filled with a type of power. Everyone could see how successful she was just by reading the comments.

Before he finished watching, Manager Chen of the Wansheng Investment Department called. “You said there was a chance that Yu Yaoyao would play the heroine in ‘Emergency Moment’. Do you think you can persuade her?” he asked

Obviously, Yu Yaoyao’s Qian Duoduo character had once again demonstrated her strong acting ability, allowing investors to see of what great value she was.

It didn’t matter if Wansheng was at odds with Guangxin, they still wanted her as their leading role in order to increase the value of their investment.

Chen Qiao smiled bitterly. “I will try again.”

The chances were slim, but… He couldn’t help but grit his teeth in agreement when he looked at the attractive girl on the screen in front of him.

He was also more motivated because he so desperately to act with her.