"Then just send a chicken and a box of milk."
Zhou Xufang thought that could work.
The milk Jiang Zhi drank was an imported brand. Zhou Xufang ordered two boxes online, which would take a week to arrive. The cotton candy she liked was also out of stock online.
She put on a big black coat with a hood and went to the supermarket in the neighborhood. At this hour, only Wen Baiyang was in the supermarket.
She asked Wen Baiyang, "Is the cotton candy with the pink packaging still unavailable?"
Wen Baiyang wrote, "Out of stock." Her handwriting was neat and pretty. "Seems like it's discontinued."
No wonder it couldn't be found online either. Zhou Xufang furrowed her brows and picked another brand of cotton candy, feeling a bit disappointed. When paying, she said, "I'll also be working part-time here from now on, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from eleven at night till one in the morning."
The pay for a professional errand runner was high, but tasks were not frequent. She had a lot of free time and could take on many part-time jobs.
Wen Baiyang grinned, showing a few white teeth. Her face had a perpetual redness from the high altitude, making her look honest and simple. After giving the change, she rummaged in her canvas bag for a while, then handed Zhou Xufang an egg.
Zhou Xufang still wore her hat, revealing only a small part of her face. "Is this for me?"
Wen Baiyang nodded and wrote on a piece of paper, "It's a farm egg."
Such a kind person.
Zhou Xufang was somewhat afraid of strangers and had a strong sense of caution due to a lack of social interaction. Wen Baiyang was the only one who made her feel relaxed. She liked her, especially the two rosy spots on her cheeks.
"Thank you." She took the egg without touching Wen Baiyang's hand. "Do you know where I can buy farm chickens?"
Wen Baiyang nodded.
Zhou Xufang added her on WeChat. Besides the group chats from the crew, Wen Baiyang was the first contact she added.
For a whole week, Zhou Xufang didn't get any group performance jobs. After October, a cold wave hit.
On Monday, the group leader finally sent a message needing twenty extras. Zhou Xufang signed up, packed the chicken and milk she bought into a black travel bag, and set off to the set early in the morning.
The meeting time from the group leader was nine in the morning. She arrived at the film city at seven because she didn't know when Jiang Zhi would arrive, so she waited by the entrance.
Around eight-thirty, a flashy sports car drove into the film city.
Ah Wan drove slowly, sluggishly. In the rearview mirror, his employer was sitting in the back seat, dozing off. Maybe he hadn't slept enough. He looked difficult to approach.
At the back of the seat was a pretty and delicate glass box containing cotton candy.
Jiang Zhi took a piece, threw it into his mouth, and before he could chew, he furrowed his brows hard and immediately spat it out, wrapping it in a handkerchief. Already in a bad mood from waking up, his face now looked worse.
"Changed the brand?"
Ah Wan replied, "The previous brand sold out."
"Switch it back."
His tone was completely unreasonable and domineering.
Ah Wan pouted. Because he was big, he looked awkward and slightly comical sitting in the sports car's driver seat. "I asked at many places, but it's no longer available."
Jiang Zhi didn't even lift his eyelids. "Switch it back."
"..."
Heartless and unreasonable.
Ah Wan sighed. "Sure." Making a living was not easy. He glanced out the car window, "Mr. Jiang."
"Hmm." Jiang Zhi, still not fully awake, his spirits were low.
"That person applying the film..." Ah Wan didn't know their name.
Jiang Zhi lifted his heavy eyelids, drowsy, and saw a person squatting by the streetlamp, dressed all in black with a large travel bag on their back, a hat pulled down low, revealing only a mop of black hair.
Always dressed like a thief!
Jiang Zhi straightened up, changing his posture. "Stop by the curb."
Ah Wan stopped the car.
Jiang Zhi rolled down the window.
Ah Wan pressed the horn.
Zhou Xufang raised her head, habitually tugging her hat down, looking a bit blank, her face emotionless and her eyes empty.
She stood up, glanced around, saw no one, then walked over and stood a meter away from the car window. "Is your hand better?"
Her voice was cool, without any fluctuation.
What an odd person.
Jiang Zhi made a sound of acknowledgement.
She looked around again, then took off her backpack. "This is for you." She took a step forward and handed it over. "An apology."
Jiang Zhi's gaze fixed on her, meeting her eyes directly.
Those eyes, black and white, were filled with cold indifference, yet excessively clear and pure. No wonder they seemed familiar. They were so much like the boy who perished in the fire.
He was lost in thought for a long time before shifting his gaze to her black backpack. Then, he looked at her hand. Her sleeves were long, covering most of her hand, with a section exposed that was so white it shone under the sun.
No wonder, she always bundled herself up like this, avoiding the sun, as pale as a ghost.
Ah Wan, in the driver's seat, coughed as a reminder to his employer. Staring at a girl's hand for too long wasn't appropriate. Only after Jiang Zhi withdrew his gaze did Ah Wan seek his employer's approval through eye contact.
Then, unexpectedly, his employer nodded.
Ah Wan got out of the car and took the backpack, finding it quite heavy.
After giving the gift, Zhou Xufang turned without saying another word and left.
Ah Wan placed the backpack on the adjacent seat. "Mr. Jiang, do you want to check inside?"
Other than a few coughs, there was no response. Ah Wan glanced through the rearview mirror; his employer yawned, lazily lying back down, with a few tufts of unkempt hair sticking up.
When the car pulled into the parking space, Ah Wan heard the guy in the back say, "Open it."
"Oh."
Ah Wan parked the car, picked up his backpack, and placed it on his lap. He unzipped it—
"Cluck!"
Ah Wan was dumbfounded. On his lap, a pair of eyes stared back at him. The creature stretched its neck and screeched at him, "Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck..."
The strong smell of chicken droppings assaulted his nose. Ah Wan froze for a moment. "It's... a chicken."
Jiang Zhi: "..."
Qiao Nanchu had asked him before why he would ever show mercy to someone who had crossed him. After all, he wasn't known for his benevolence. He thought it was probably because this person was incredibly peculiar, so peculiar that everything would unfold in the most outlandish ways.
For example, the existence of this chicken and the ensuing chaos it would cause.
At nine o'clock, the actors had already changed into their costumes and finished their makeup, just waiting for the big director to start filming. Fang Lixiang, as the newly popular Weaver, received special attention from the costume department. Her costume was custom-made. Despite her cute appearance, she had great versatility. Wearing a cheongsam and holding a feather fan used by dancers, she walked with such flair that she exuded infinite charm.
The big director indeed had a sharp eye and picked the right person.
Fang Lixiang twirled in her new costume in front of Zhou Xufang, showing off her dimples, "Does it look good?"
Zhou Xufang, dressed in coarse cloth, replied, "Mm."
"Xu Fang, do you use Weibo?"
She shook her head.
"Did you bring your phone?"
She patted her pants pocket, "I did today."
Fang Lixiang took out her phone, "Add me." She wore an expression as if she would never forget a friend in need, exuding boundless heroism, "In the future, if anyone withholds your wages again, let me know. Wulala Clan's Li Xiang will back you up!"
She was now the famous Weaver actress. Zhou Xufang lacked social skills and friends, appearing lonely like someone abandoned by the world. The Weaver had to protect her!
Zhou Xufang nodded, keeping her head down and saying little.
After they became friends, Wulala Clan's Li Xiang, squatting in her cheongsam, opened Weibo and was stunned: "Oh my god!" Wulala Clan Li Xiang slapped her thigh, "Big companies sure are powerful; they bought me so many zombie followers."
After becoming the second female lead in "Wilderness," many management companies sought to sign Fang Lixiang. Being a girl with ambitions, she signed with the leading company in the film industry, Baoguang, without hesitation.
Speaking of Baoguang, what people loved talking about most was its president, Xue Baoyi.
"Our president and Director Jiang are childhood friends." Fang Lixiang, being a gossip expert, had gathered all sorts of inside information in her four years of taking small roles.
Zhou Xufang's desolate gaze brightened a little.
Noticing her rare interest, Fang Lixiang continued, "Have you heard of Xiao Xue, the second young master of the Xue Family in Imperial City?"
Zhou Xufang shook her head.
Fang Lixiang explained, "Get on Weibo, and you'll see him every few days."
Zhou Xufang, not being an avid internet user, asked, "Is he also an artist?"
"No." The costume assistant offered chicken feet to them. Fang Lixiang unceremoniously took one and started chewing, "His bedmates are all artists."
Zhou Xufang didn't fully understand but felt it must be impressive.
Fang Lixiang took another bite of the chicken foot and lamented, "Ah, he must be the doom of so many girls." Righteous as she was, she ferociously bit off the chicken foot, "He'll get his due someday!"
Zhou Xufang didn't respond, looking up at something intently.
Following her gaze, Fang Lixiang noticed the director had finally arrived, "Are you watching Director Jiang again?"
Sitting in an inconspicuous corner, her expression was very calm, "He's good-looking."
She liked looking at beautiful things, such as her cotton candy box.
Regarding Director Jiang's looks, Fang Lixiang approved. Among the entire entertainment circle, no one could outshine him in beauty, except—
"Director Jiang is like a star in the sky, nice to look at but unreachable." Fang Lixiang threw away the chicken foot and wiped her hands, "Just lying there, Jiang Mei Ren turned countless young masters gay, but none could pluck that flower of his. Besides, he's delicately fragile, with a family-run research institute just to take care of his health. It's expensive; ordinary folks like us can't afford it."
Zhou Xufang thought, she had a lot of money, but she needed it to buy Moon Bay, not to support a beauty.
"And, Director Jiang is gay." Fang Lixiang covered her mouth, whispering to Zhou Xufang, "There's a rumor in the circle that he and Xiao Xue, the second young master, are an item."
Zhou Xufang still didn't fully understand but felt it must be significant.
Ten minutes later, Assistant Director Zhao picked up a megaphone to announce, "We're about to start shooting, prepare in ten minutes."
The chatting extras dispersed.
Assistant Director Zhao made a round checking the preparations. Everything was ready except there was a chicken in the corner. He asked the stagehand, Xiao Li, "Why is there a chicken here? Who put it here?"
Xiao Li said, "I didn't notice. It should be from the props department."
Assistant Director Zhao looked around, "See that extra with the carrying pole?" He instructed Xiao Li, "Put the chicken in his pole."
Xiao Li grabbed the chicken and put it in the extra's pole, not realizing the string tied to the chicken's feet had come loose. Then, during the explosion scene, with a boom— the chicken flew everywhere.
"Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck..."
It was a big rooster, around two to three pounds, flapping wildly around the set.
Assistant Director Zhao broke into a sweat: "Director Jiang, this—"
Jiang Zhi threw the script aside and leaned back on the lounge chair covered with a thick blanket, "Did the props team leave their brains at home today?"
He coughed, his eyes slightly red. Despite his sickly appearance, his gaze was cold. Assistant Director Zhao didn't dare to make a sound as the pressure made it hard for him to breathe.
Jiang Zhi licked his cough-reddened lips, "Where did the chicken come from?"
Suddenly, Ah Wan replied, "It's yours."
"..."
In the wind, amid his coughing, he suppressed his irritation, "Why are you still standing there?"
Ah Wan rolled up his sleeves and joined the chicken-catching effort.