Chapter 12: Did the Movie King Join the Dating Show Just to Be a Passerby?

"Alright," Le Xi said, "I’ll make sure you get a big piece."
"Grilled lamb skewers are doable, but a whole roasted lamb isn’t that easy," Huo Hongming had barely finished speaking when Le Xi kicked him.
"If you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all."
[This, this, this—Le Xi hits people! No matter what, you shouldn't hit people, especially not on a live stream. You'll set a bad example for the kids.]
[Poor Huo Hongming, his hand injury still hasn't healed and now he's getting beaten again.]
[Huo Hongming, fight back! If you're a real man, hit back!]
"You kicked me—don’t think just because you’re a woman and I’m a man, I won’t dare to retaliate..."
Huo Hongming and Le Xi argued heatedly, and the internet was even more ablaze.
[I dug up some dirt on Le Xi. Heard that she used to be beaten daily by her rich illegitimate husband in the wealthy family—she didn’t dare make a peep.]
[Rich illegitimate husband—that title is so easy to guess. Must be Song Qi from the Song Group. The news only said 'wealthy family' back then; I thought she married some old man. But really, who else would want Le Xi aside from old men or illegitimate heirs?]
[I heard her rich husband has another woman now. He accompanied her to a prenatal checkup recently. That woman’s belly looked four or five months along—so she got pregnant while Le Xi was still married. Illegitimate heir fathering another illegitimate child, how stimulating.]
[Is it true? Le Xi is so fiery now—hard to believe she was beaten. She’s more likely to hit others. I can believe her husband has a mistress, though. Rich men are all playboys.]
[Why not believe it? Her husband cheated, dumped her, and she got traumatized. Her current state really looks like someone who’s been through a lot.]
[I also found out Le Xi’s whole family are slackers—her father, mother, uncle, grandparents, all rely on her to support them.]
[Ah, no wonder Le Xi knows how to butcher sheep and roast whole lambs. So capable. The child of a poor family matures early.]
[To the commenter on the 123rd floor: what’s so 'capable' about her? As if Xiao Mo can’t butcher a sheep too. You think she wouldn’t be lazy if she could? Why else would she let her rich husband beat her and say nothing? It’s all for the money. She obediently became a punching bag, and still nobody wants her.]
[A cast-off that even an illegitimate heir doesn’t want, showing off on this show. Ridiculous. Huo Hongming, you really should hit back or she’ll keep using you as her punching bag.]
"Whole roasted lamb? How’s it sold?"
Huo Hongming talked big, but when Le Xi swung her knife—though she only waved it twice and stuck it upright in the chopping board—Huo Hongming didn’t dare say a word. Le Xi continued grilling the lamb.
The charcoal hissed and crackled. Le Xi occasionally flipped the metal rods.
The whole lamb was turning a rich reddish-brown, and the aroma grew stronger and stronger.
"Thirty-one boxes,"
Le Xi casually grabbed a plastic bowl from the barbecue stall owner. "This size," she said, giving guests a reference. She’d originally thought of selling by weight, but then realized picky guests might want specific cuts, and then everyone would follow suit. That would lead to quarrels, so she decided to sell by the box, and Le Xi would decide which cut went into each box.
That voice—so magnetic. Where had she heard it before?
Le Xi looked up. The man in front of her wore a baseball cap and a mask, with the brim pulled low.
She couldn’t make out his eyes, but his face was unmistakably small.
Long black T-shirt, jeans, high-top sneakers, a faint woody fragrance—almost masked by the scent of roasted lamb. Le Xi only noticed because her sinusitis made her nose sensitive to smells.
"Two boxes, please."
[This man—his voice sounds just like Duan Mucheng’s.]
[I think so too! It’s identical.]
[Don’t be ridiculous. My idol’s status is way too high—the Best Actor, coming to this bizarre show? And just as a random passerby? Must be someone hired by the production team, trying to milk the Best Actor’s popularity.]
"Are you—no way, right?"
Huo Hongming and Duan Mucheng had appeared in the same drama, though they didn’t share scenes.
But to boost his social media following, Huo had hung around the set, hoping to get a photo with Duan Mucheng.
Duan Mucheng was like a diamond—even men couldn’t take their eyes off him.
While waiting, Huo Hongming had watched him shoot scenes closely; that figure was unmistakably his, and so was that distinctive voice.
But then he imagined himself—a big star buying roast lamb? It seemed impossible.
"What nonsense are you spouting? You’re 'no way'? Do you know anyone called 'No Way'?"
Le Xi thought Huo Hongming was acting weird.
Huo retorted, "Mind your own business."
But instead of saying 'no way,' he finally asked,
"Are you Duan Mucheng?"
[Could it really be him? Huo Hongming acted in the same drama, and he thinks it’s Duan Mucheng.]
[Don’t be silly. If this guy really is Duan Mucheng, DM me and I’ll send you a red envelope. It’s as laughable as an international superstar endorsing cheap ointment.]
Duan Mucheng? Le Xi: The name sounds familiar, but she doesn't know who he is.
The man took off his mask and cap.
"It’s me."
[My god, someone tell me what’s going on—Best Actor Duan Mucheng is here as a passerby on a romance show?]
[Baby, I’ve missed you so much! What a surprise! My idol’s first time on a variety show—ah, ah, ah, ah...]
[Isn’t Mucheng supposed to never appear on variety shows? Why is he here—on a romance show, and one full of weirdos?]
[My darling, it’s so thrilling to see you outside of movies, but isn’t this a downgrade? What’s up with that dog of an agent, randomly accepting jobs and exploiting our Mucheng?]
[@DogDogDog, you’re really a dog. Didn’t you say if it’s Duan Mucheng, you’d send out red envelopes? Why did you set your account to private and block messages? Have some integrity—open your DMs.]
The other female guests had heard Duan Mucheng was here, and all abandoned their stalls to the male guests and rushed over to see him.
"Mucheng, I’m your fan—can I take a picture with you?" Cui Meiying said, swaying her slim waist.
Wang Sisi chimed in bizarrely,
"Best Actor Duan, I saw you dance in last year’s romance movie—want to have a dance-off?"
Gu Xiaomo stared at Duan Mucheng, completely starstruck. The man before her—his face—he was the husband from her daydreams. So handsome.
Duan Mucheng looked at Gu Xiaomo, lowered his head, and smiled shyly.
"Let’s all take a group photo," he suggested.
Gu Xiaomo was so excited her hands started trembling. Her dream husband was smiling at her.
Cui Meiying danced her seductive waist for him, but he didn’t smile. Wang Sisi challenged him to a dance-off, but he didn’t smile.
But he smiled at her, Gu Xiaomo, and it was a shy smile. Could it be that he likes her?
Maybe. Men who don’t talk much are often secretly passionate. And those types love quiet, gentle women most of all.