14: Chapter 14: One sentence turns two goddesses into toads

"You two bosses must be exhausted. This is some freshly cut chilled watermelon. We couldn't bear to eat a single piece ourselves; we brought it specifically for you to cool off." Li Qingfeng said with a beaming smile.

Yang Lihua glanced at the clay pot and mocked sarcastically, "Brother, it's over thirty degrees outside, and you're giving two big stars boiling hot water to drink? Never mind whether it cools them down, can you take responsibility if they get sick from drinking that?"

Lin Chen didn't even lift an eyelid, treating him as if he were just passing gas.

He only looked at Yang Mi and Dilraba.

On such a hot day, the chilled watermelon was indeed tempting, and both women reached out to take some without hesitation.

Lin Chen didn't try to persuade them otherwise; he set down the spoon for serving the tea and took a large bowl to dish out cold noodles for them.

"You should have a bite too, it's really sweet."

Yang Mi took a bite of the watermelon, juice staining her rosy lips, and directly held out the remaining half in her hand toward Lin Chen's mouth.

Lin Chen shook his head to decline and handed her the noodles, "Tomato and egg sauce noodles. Add the sauce yourself, but don't put too much, or you'll get thirsty."

"These hand-pulled noodles are divine! Lin Chen, you're amazing; even my mom doesn't have this skill!"

Dilraba Dilmurat used one hand to support her heavy, soft breasts to prevent any wardrobe malfunction, while using the other hand to slurp up a large mouthful with chopsticks, her face full of pleasant surprise.

Just as Yang Mi set down the watermelon and was about to pick up her chopsticks, Huang Bo walked over, drenched in sweat and wearing a heavy Republic of China-era costume.

"Oh my, I smelled something delicious from way over there! What good things are you two beauties eating behind my back?"

With an industry film emperor appearing, Li Qingfeng and the other two immediately put on obsequious faces, calling out "Teacher Huang" affectionately with every breath.

Huang Bo brushed them off with a few perfunctory words, his gaze immediately drawn to the noodles and the clay pot on the table.

He pulled up a folding chair with familiar ease and squeezed in, staring at Lin Chen with a smile, "This must be Brother Lin Chen, who's been the talk of the internet, right? This culinary skill is incredible!"

"I was drooling with envy next door, so I'm shamelessly coming over to ask if I can snag a bowl, is that alright? Oh? What's brewing in the pot? Herbal tea?"

Lin Chen nodded.

Huang Bo slapped his thigh, "This is a lifesaver! I filmed over twenty scenes this morning and chugged two bottles of Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid; I nearly kicked the bucket on set."

He served himself a large, steaming bowl of herbal tea.

Li Qingfeng quickly hurried over with a fruit platter, "Brother Bo, have some chilled watermelon, this will cool you down."

Huang Bo waved his hand, "It's clear you guys don't know the ropes. Drinking hot herbal tea in the middle of summer is the absolute best."

After saying this, he tilted his head back and downed the large bowl of hot tea in one go, letting out a long, satisfied burp, "Refreshing!"

Dilraba Dilmurat, still chewing her noodles, looked on with wide, watery eyes full of confusion, "Drinking hot tea on such a hot day? Don't you feel even hotter?"

Looking at Dilraba Dilmurat's bewildered, pretty face, Huang Bo laughed and slapped his thigh, "Who told you herbal tea has to be iced?"

Authentic herbal tea is actually a medicinal decoction.

If you drink it while it's hot, it's slightly bitter at first, but once the medicinal effects kick in, a wave of sweetness will rise from your stomach.

Following that is a feeling of clarity and refreshment from the inside out.

Huang Bo's exclamation really sounded satisfying.

The curiosity of everyone around was piqued.

Everyone drinks canned herbal tea from the market every day, treating it just like a sweet drink to quench thirst, but they had never seen anyone enjoy tea like this.

"Let me try some!"

Dilraba Dilmurat put down her chopsticks and used a large spoon to ladle out a bowl of the steaming hot soup from the clay pot.

She crinkled her pert little nose to sniff it, then imitated Huang Bo and tilted her head back to gulp down several large mouthfuls.

As soon as the hot soup hit her stomach, a layer of fine sweat instantly appeared on the tip of her fair, delicate nose.

But not only did she not feel hot, the boiling medicinal tea flowing down her esophagus turned into a cooling, refreshing sensation instead.

Dilraba Dilmurat's fair skin flushed with an alluring pink hue.

This feeling was even more satisfying than standing right under an air conditioning vent.

"Oh my god! It's really not hot at all! This is so comfortable!"

Dilraba Dilmurat looked completely surprised, holding the bowl and gulping down several more mouthfuls in succession.

Seeing this, Yang Mi also served herself a bowl.

She tilted her fair, swan-like neck to drink the hot tea, her moist red lips glistening with crystalline water, looking incredibly charming.

A wondrous cooling sensation spread throughout her body, and her two crossed, snow-white legs rubbed together gently under the table in comfort.

Only then did the two women realize that the canned drinks they used to have were nothing but trash!

This was the true ultimate remedy for the summer heat!

Li Qingfeng stood to the side and joked, "Is this for real? You two are just acting, right? Is drinking some hot water really that magical?"

Dilraba Dilmurat retorted, "Why would we act about this? It feels ten thousand times better than eating chilled watermelon!"

Yang Mi grabbed a clean, empty bowl, "You'll know once you taste it."

As she spoke, she reached out to ladle some soup.

Lin Chen directly picked up the lid of the clay pot and slammed it down onto the pot.

Yang Mi froze, and the atmosphere around them instantly turned cold.

Yang Lihua curled his lip and mocked sarcastically, "Buddy, aren't you being a bit too stingy? It's such a big pot of water, can't you even pour a bowl for Brother Feng?"

Lin Chen nodded expressionlessly, "No."

The atmosphere at the scene became incredibly awkward.

Yang Mi's hand, holding the large spoon, froze in mid-air.

Dilraba Dilmurat looked at Lin Chen, then at Li Qingfeng, and finally quietly reached out with her fair, delicate hand to tug at the hem of Lin Chen's shirt under the table.

"If you can't even spare a bowl of water, forget it. You guys enjoy your meal, I'm going back to eat too."

Li Qingfeng put on a magnanimous, bitter smile, nodded at them, and turned to return to his own tent.

When he was first rejected, he was indeed furious, but upon second thought, he felt overjoyed instead.

He thought Lin Chen was simply a brainless idiot!

Embarrassing Yang Mi in public over a drink of water.

By voluntarily backing down, this is called advancing by retreating; the balance in Yang Mi's heart would surely tip completely in his favor.

Seeing this, Yang Lihua and Guan Dawei also left with their assistants.

Seeing that the situation was not right, Liu Xiaojiao quickly found an excuse to slip away, fearing that the fire at the city gates would spread to the fish in the moat.

Only four people remained in the tent.

Yang Mi placed the spoon on the table and stared at Lin Chen, asking, "Do you have a grudge against him?"

Lin Chen shook his head, "No."

Yang Mi knitted her delicate brows, "You have to give a reason."

Lin Chen's tone was flat, "He was badmouthing me next door just now, saying I was a toad lusting after swan meat."

Upon hearing this, Yang Mi fell silent.

Dilraba Dilmurat moved the small hand that had been tugging at his clothes up, and tightly hugged Lin Chen's arm.

Two large, soft mounds pressed against his arm without reservation, using this alluring and intimate gesture to show silent support.

Huang Bo sighed, "Brother, don't take it to heart. This circle is a big melting pot; there are plenty of people who act one way to your face and another behind your back. It's not worth getting sick over a few snide remarks; just pretend you didn't hear them."

Lin Chen responded calmly, "I'm not angry, just a bit unhappy. After all, whoever gets called 'swan meat' wouldn't be happy about it."

Huang Bo nodded, paused for a second, and then burst into laughter with a "pfft."

Dilraba Dilmurat looked confused, her watery eyes looking at Huang Bo, not having reacted at all.

Yang Mi, however, understood instantly.

Lin Chen was beating around the bush to call the two female stars toads!

With a flushed face, she raised her jade-like hand and slapped Lin Chen's arm, causing a surge of waves on her chest, "Who are you beating around the bush to call a toad!"

Dilraba Dilmurat was still bowing her head, deep in thought.

The oppressive atmosphere suddenly became relaxed.

After finishing the cold noodles, Huang Bo pulled Lin Chen outside, wanting to have a private chat with him.

The two of them had just walked out of the tent when they heard Dilraba Dilmurat's deafening, girlish laughter coming from inside.

This silly girl's reaction time was shockingly long; she had finally understood the "swan meat" joke.

They walked under the shade of a large tree.

Huang Bo patiently advised, "The outside world has demonized the entertainment industry; it's actually not that terrifying. But having said that, this is ultimately a place of fame and fortune."

"The cake is only so big; if you take an extra bite, someone else will go hungry. Therefore, it's impossible for everyone to get along; having some grievances and entanglements is perfectly normal."

Lin Chen expressed understanding and asked in return, "Do you have grievances with others too?"

"Don't be ridiculous, of course I do. Never mind me, let's talk about you..."