Early in the morning, Ge Yan was awakened by what sounded like renovation noises from next door.
She opened the door and saw several workers moving things into the other empty rooms.
Song Ruan was also roused by the commotion. Both of them poked their heads out at the same time and exchanged a glance.
It seemed they were customizing a new room for the surprise guest, and the commotion was quite significant.
After feeding the calf, everyone gathered at the cottage.
Upon arriving, they saw Ge Yan sitting on the ground, peeling the lotus roots from yesterday. She wore an apron, with her sleeves and pant legs casually rolled up, her movements swift and skilled.
Song Ruan was assisting nearby.
Qin Dehua thought this girl had an incredible amount of energy. He couldn’t even be bothered to make breakfast when he woke up.
The production team wasn’t live-streaming here today, having reportedly gone to welcome the surprise guest.
Without the cameras, everyone finally relaxed a little.
Shen Yan walked over, picked up a lotus root, and examined it. There were at least twenty pounds of them piled up, and he couldn’t figure out what Ge Yan was planning. He asked, “Why did you ask the production team for these lotus roots?”
Song Ruan raised her hand. “Sister Ge Yan said she’s going to make lotus root starch!”
Song Xiyuan, who had just arrived, seemed to have heard a joke. “Make lotus root starch? Sister Ge Yan, lotus root starch isn’t as simple as cooking a fish or grilling some meat. Even if you searched for tutorials online all night, you might not be able to make it. Don’t force yourself into weird personas just for the sake of clout!”
Ge Yan looked up. “What’s it to you?”
Song Xiyuan had expected a retort but not this one… She was stunned by the rebuke. Was Ge Yan becoming even more unhinged?
“I was just trying to give you some friendly advice…”
Ge Yan: “What’s it to me?”
Song Xiyuan’s face immediately turned green.
“Pfft—hahahahaha!”
Qin Dehua couldn’t hold back. It turned out that all the words in the world could really be explained with these two phrases.
The universal formula truly lived up to its name!
Lin Dang: “Ge Yan, you really know how to do it, huh?”
Ge Yan chuckled. “Handmade lotus root starch isn’t actually that hard. You’ll know how to make it after watching once.”
Ge Yan picked up the prepared vegetable chopper and began grating the cleaned lotus roots into a basin. It was a bit time-consuming and laborious, but still quite fun.
Several people were eager to try and quickly found more vegetable choppers to join in.
Only when they actually tried did they realize it wasn’t as simple as watching once.
The peeled lotus roots were slippery and hard to grip, but Ge Yan’s hands seemed to have an accelerator attached—she simply couldn’t stop.
Song Xiyuan thought these people were truly insane. A silly show like this was just for passing time, but they were feeding cows, digging up lotus roots, and acting as if it were all real.
Shen Yan: “Such a highlight moment, and the cameras are nowhere to be seen.”
Ge Yan looked toward the village entrance at the foot of the mountain, where a dense crowd had gathered, with over thirty cars parked.
“Wow, looks like a ‘big client’,” Ge Yan remarked.
…
Shen Yuanming opened the car door and stepped out.
He wore a pure black casual suit, his face beneath the sunglasses aloof and dignified, his features sharp and cold, his gait composed.
Cen Yan followed closely behind.
Her appearance was radiant, and her bright red dress stood out vividly against the green mountains and clear waters, making Cen Yan look exceptionally fair. Her long hair was fluffy and soft, swaying in the wind.
Upon seeing the two, the crowd erupted into sharp, excited screams.
Today, the crowd wasn’t made up of curious onlookers or elderly villagers but genuine fans.
Light boards, banners, and posters were everywhere.Not only the fans, but the production team also set up a giant billboard overnight, laying out a long red carpet along the path.
However, the moment Shen Yuanming stepped onto this land, a faint trace of disgust flashed in his eyes.
Cen Yan’s face was filled with delight and curiosity as she warmly greeted the fans. When getting out of the car, she instinctively tugged at Shen Yuanming’s sleeve.
Shen Yuanming frowned. He had said they needed to keep their distance in public.
After all, his engagement with Ge Yan had not yet been dissolved.
But Cen Yan seemed to be doing it on purpose, “spreading sweetness” in front of the live stream and fans.
The barrage immediately erupted.
“Ah! Unconscious dependence is the sweetest!”
“Who understands? The way CEO Shen looks at Cen Yan! It’s like a novel come to life!”
“Cen Yan is such a sweetheart, who wouldn’t love her?!”
“By the way, wasn’t she a last-minute addition? Why are there so many well-prepared fans here?”
This was also unexpected for the production team and Shen Yuanming.
But Shen Yuanming glanced at the meticulously prepared Cen Yan beside him and roughly understood.
This was Cen Yan’s fan support group.
“Please, both guests, take your luggage and personal belongings and follow the red carpet to the cabin!”
Cen Yan respectfully accepted the guide card and even bowed.
Barrage:
“Her grace comes from within!”
“We’ll get to see Sister Ge soon—what a showdown!”
“How can that crazy woman compare to Cen Yan’s beauty?”
The sun in the village was bright but not scorching, just pleasantly warm.
When Shen Yuanming and the others arrived, several people were straining thick, moist lotus root starch through two pieces of white cloth over a vat.
Except for Song Xiyuan, everyone else was bustling with activity.
As soon as Song Xiyuan saw Cen Yan, she rushed over and hugged her intimately.
“Ah! Yanyan, you’re finally here!”
Cen Yan also seemed overjoyed, waving her hands excitedly: “Yes, yes! I missed you so much! I brought you some treats!”
The two were lost in their “divine friendship,” giggling for a long time without anyone joining in, and then it became awkward.
Shen Yuanming stood not far away, watching Ge Yan intently fiddling with something.
As if she had never seen him.
Shen Yuanming’s fingers tightened slightly.
Cen Yan acted as if she hadn’t noticed, skipping over to their side and peering in: “What are you all doing?”
Qin Dehua explained: “Making lotus root starch.”
“Wow! Really? You’re all so amazing!”
Finally having two backers, Song Xiyuan was no longer afraid of Ge Yan going crazy:
“Yes, I wonder how long Sister Ge Yan spent memorizing the process last night. It must have been so hard!”
Even the usually carefree Qin Dehua frowned. Song Xiyuan’s emotional intelligence always hit rock bottom. It was only because her fans were too young to understand the sarcasm that they didn’t turn against her. Anyone more mature would have switched sides.
Even Song Ruan couldn’t stand it anymore and wanted to help Ge Yan retort.
Unexpectedly, Ge Yan spoke first: “How many mothers do you have? Calling everyone ‘sister’ all day?”
Song Xiyuan was stunned. In her memory, Ge Yan had always been timid and submissive in front of Cen Yan. How could she…
Even Cen Yan was slightly taken aback, though she kept a smile on her face.
Ge Yan sneered inwardly. This girl was much better at pretending than Song Xiyuan.
“Ge Yan, are you still angry with me from last time?”
Last time?
Ge Yan smiled: “You mean when you pushed me into the swimming pool?”
A cameraman immediately zoomed in—it was live footage.
The cameraman looked unfamiliar, and Ge Yan instantly realized.The director and cameramen in the production team are all laid-back types, following a farming and healing theme, never resorting to drama for marketing.
It seems that with her reputation gradually rising, someone deliberately slipped in, hoping to capture some “special” footage of Ge Yan.