The interaction between Yang Jingying and Zhou Qiaoqiao.
The two women were evenly matched in their confrontation.
Neither gained the upper hand in any aspect.
It was a stalemate, at best.
Next, the gazes of the women naturally fell upon Lin An'an.
Xu Shi widened her eyes, took a sip of tea to moisten her throat, and asked,
"Miss Lin, when my brother approached you for the film, did you happen to run into Lin Fan during that time?"
The women had already guessed the gist of it.
But as for the specifics,
they would have to hear it from the person involved.
Lin An'an nodded and continued along the thread Xu Shi had started.
"Yes, he came to the set. Initially, he wanted to audition for the male lead role..."
Lin An'an recounted the general details of the incident.
Goodness!
Xu Mo was still the Xu Mo they knew.
He hadn't decided to make a film on a whim or for fun.
It was all because of the so-called plot.
And this Lin Fan was quite shameless.
Desperate to pick up women.
A complete animal driven by his baser instincts.
The women were utterly speechless.
The conversation then shifted to the content of the film.
This was what the women were most concerned about.
-----------Is this film... decent?
Seeing that she couldn't evade the question,
Lin An'an could only respond with a bitter smile.
She briefly explained the story the film aimed to tell.
As for what had happened the day before,
Lin An'an kept her lips sealed.
As long as she didn't say anything,
Xu Mo's thoughts wouldn't be exposed.
No one would know until the film was released.
Given the prestigious status of those present,
discussing the film's content wouldn't cause any harm to the production team.
The women nodded in understanding.
The script sounded quite interesting.
But the key question they wanted to ask remained unanswered.
Or perhaps, there was nothing of that sort to begin with?
Just as the women were about to probe further, a waitress in a qipao pushed a cart into the room.
"Ladies, your dishes are here," she said, arranging the dishes on the table.
Her eyes flickered with surprise.
She glanced at the group—everyone present was a stunning beauty!
Why such a heavy taste in food?
After setting the dishes down, she added,
"The soup is almost ready. I'll bring it to you shortly."
With that, the waitress left, pushing the cart away.
The aroma of the food soon filled the private room.
It was incredibly enticing.
Just the smell alone was enough to whet one's appetite!
If not for the sight of the dishes themselves,
they might have already picked up their chopsticks and started eating heartily.
Xu Shi, Shen Manni, and Lin An'an felt their scalps tingle.
Touched?
Oh no, more like terrified!
They didn't dare move!
Even though Zhou Qiaoqiao and Yang Jingying had mentally prepared themselves,
seeing the dishes served still made their hearts skip a beat.
Goosebumps rose all over their bodies!
Yang Jingying forced a smile, picked up the plate in front of Zhou Qiaoqiao,
and used her chopsticks to place a few insects on it.
Yes, insects!
Fried grasshoppers!
Along with scorpions, bee pupae, silkworm pupae, spiders, and water beetles (also known as water cockroaches).
This lavish spread could also be described as an insect feast!
A bug banquet!
After placing the plate back in front of Zhou Qiaoqiao,
Yang Jingying's voice trembled slightly as she said, "Little sister, try some. You said they're very nutritious, right? You must have eaten them before, so you're used to it."
Zhou Qiaoqiao was momentarily stunned, her smile stiffening. She quickly retaliated by taking Yang Jingying's plate
and serving her some water beetles.
"That's right! Big sister, these dishes might not look appealing, but they're delicious. This is a famous delicacy from Yang City, a well-known snack. This restaurant has been around for a long time, and the chef's skills are top-notch. There's no way they'd disappoint us."
Honestly, even a dog would shake its head at this sight.
When the two women had ordered earlier,
it was to disgust each other.
Pictures were just pictures.
But when the real thing was placed in front of them,
the visual impact was overwhelming!
This round, Yang and Zhou not only succeeded in grossing each other out,
but they also managed to give Xu Shi, Shen Manni, and Lin An'an a serious case of the creeps!
These fried insects,
or dishes made from specially prepared bugs,
were seasoned just right—not overly spiced to mask the insects' natural flavor.
No, the seasoning was perfectly balanced!
The lifeless insects lay there,
some on their backs, others sprawled out.
Ignoring their appearance,
the smell was undeniably appetizing.
It made one eager to try them.
But after seeing the actual dishes,
they instantly lost their nerve.
This was truly hard to stomach!
Lin An'an felt her scalp prickle, her hands trembling slightly as she picked up her water glass and took a sip, trying to maintain her composure.
Even Shen Manni, the icy CEO, was on the verge of breaking!
The densely packed bee pupae were piled on top of each other,
plump and white.
Her mind involuntarily conjured images of them wriggling around when alive.
Just the thought of it,
let alone eating them,
was enough to send shivers down her spine.
Xu Shi felt the same.
They continued to play the role of bystanders,
watching the battle between Yang and Zhou!
They would wait until the two had finished their round before stepping in.
Yang Jingying knew that despite her opponent's bold words,
she wasn't faring much better herself.
So, with delicate hands, she picked up the teapot to refill her cup,
all while saying,
"Little sister, you're absolutely right. These dishes are very nutritious, packed with protein. They're perfect for someone like you. No wonder you've grown so... well-endowed."
Zhou Qiaoqiao wasn't fooled by Yang Jingying's veiled jab.
I'm proud of my figure.
Jealous, aren't you?
You didn't lay the groundwork when you were younger,
and now you're stuck envying me, right?
Zhou Qiaoqiao didn't miss a beat, smiling as she replied,
"Big sister, I think it's you who needs to replenish your body.
Look at you, so thin and frail. What man would want you?"
She paused,
then added pointedly,
"Don't tell me... you ordered all this just to disgust me and then plan to not eat a single bite?"
Yang Jingying's smile was radiant, though the occasional twitch of her lips betrayed her true feelings.
"Of course, I'll eat. But since you ordered these dishes, little sister, you must be quite familiar with them. You've probably tried them before.
So, why don't you go ahead and take the first bite?"
What the heck?
Eat a water beetle?
Are you out of your mind?
These water beetles were pitch black and utterly terrifying.
They swam around in the water,
and the thought of them preying on smaller aquatic insects made Zhou Qiaoqiao's stomach churn.
"Let's wait for the soup," she said.
"These are just appetizers. The soup is the main event!
Big sister, you haven't eaten a single grain of rice today, have you?
Go ahead, try some. It's delicious!"
Yang Jingying's eyes curved into crescents. Yeah, right!
You sneaky old hag, trying to trick me!
Bring it on!