“Senior Liang.”
Yan Huan was surprised to see Liang Chen; the superstar was usually quick to leave the set in her chauffeured car. Why was she still here? Was she actually waiting for her?
Liang Chen’s cherry lips curved into a small smile. She flicked a lock of her wavy hair over her shoulder. “I heard that you know how to cook?”
“A little.” Yan Huan blinked, feeling a little lost.
Had Liang Chen been waiting for her? Really?
“Is your cooking delicious?” asked Liang Chen.
“It’s okay, I think.” Yan Huan did not know whether her cooking was delicious, but she guessed that it was probably tasty enough—Yi Ling, who used to be addicted to eating out, now preferred to eat Yan Huan’s home cooking. That had to count for something, right?
“Do you know how to make spinach noodles?” asked Liang Chen.
Yan Huan nodded. “Yes, I can make that.”
“Excellent.” Liang Chen walked over to Yan Huan, grabbed her by the arm, and tugged her towards the door. Yi Ling followed after them, bewildered.
“Senior Liang?”
“What is it?” Liang Chen replied, but did not wait to hear the rest. Instead, she bundled Yan Huan and Yi Ling into her car. “Make me a bowl of noodles. I’ve already sent my assistant to the store to get the spinach.”
“Okay.” Yan Huan did not mind the sudden request. It was just a bowl of noodles. Easy-peasy.
Liang Chen got into the car after Yi Ling and Yan Huan. The chauffeur started the car, and drove the women to Liang Chen’s impressive house.
Yan Huan had never been to Liang Chen’s house before this. It was a clean, quiet two-storey building that looked out upon a small but well-tended flower garden. Yan Huan and Yi Ling’s small apartment seemed tiny in comparison, but then again Yan Huan was nothing compared to Liang Chen. Liang Chen was a superstar.
Yan Huan had barely stepped across the threshold when Liang Chen steered her into the kitchen. Liang Chen’s assistant had already bought the spinach and the seasonings, and laid them out on the kitchen table.
Yan Huan had to keep from laughing: it seemed that the rich and influential could get away with anything. She vowed to work her way to the top and enjoy a life like Liang Chen’s, a carefree life where she could do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.
Yan Huan’s goal in life was to make a ton of money, buy a large mansion, and make sure Yi Ling married a good man instead of that scumbag this time around.
She washed the spinach, and began to make the noodles.
Soon after, bowls of steaming hot noodles appeared on the table, the emerald green noodles artfully decorated with omelette slices, black fungus, and red pepper. Yan Huan, Yi Ling, Liang Chen, Liang Chen’s assistant, and Liang Chen’s manager all had a bowl each.
Liang Chen snapped a photo of the bowls of spinach noodles, like any other girl-next-door. After that, she picked up her bowl and dug into the noodles without further ado. She froze for a few seconds after her first bite, and then quickly wolfed down the rest of her noodles.
Yan Huan had to intervene when she saw Liang Chen unabashedly steal the noodles from her assistant’s bowl. “Uh, there’s more in the pot.”
“Wonderful. I’ll be having those for breakfast tomorrow.”
Liang Chen happily ate her noodles, relishing every bite. She did not say anything for the rest of the meal.
When they were done eating, Liang Chen stopped Yan Huan when she tried to clean up, and got her assistant to wash the bowls instead.
“Why do you always call me ‘senior,’ Yan Huan?” asked Liang Chen.
All the younger actresses either called her “Ms. Liang Chen” or “Elder Sister” once they got to know her. Yan Huan was the only one who persisted in calling her “Senior.”
“I don’t want to call you ‘elder sister.’ It makes you sound so old.” Yan Huan did not like calling anyone ‘Elder Sister.’ She called the older women in showbiz ‘Madam,’ but never called anyone ‘Elder Sister.’
Liang Chen burst into delighted laughter. She patted Yan Huan on the shoulder and said, “You can always talk to me if you need help. Oh, let’s take a photo before I forget.”
Liang Chen whipped out her phone and immediately took a selfie with Yan Huan. The two women were so photogenic they did not have to put on make-up or check their hair beforehand. They did not even have to pose.
And yet, they both looked divine in the resulting photo.
Liang Chen immediately posted their photo to her Weibo, along with a photo she had taken earlier of the appetizing bowls of spinach noodles.
Yan Huan was completely bewildered by everything that had just happened. Later, when they left Liang Chen’s house, Yi Ling finally told her what she had heard from Liang Chen’s manager: it was Liang Chen’s mother’s death anniversary that day.
Back when she was still alive, Liang Chen’s mother always prepared delicious spinach noodles for her daughter whenever she returned to her maternal home. A few years ago, Liang Chen’s mother had gone to the store to buy spinach after hearing from her daughter that she would be visiting her that day. She had gotten involved in a car accident, and had died on the spot with a bundle of spinach clenched tightly in her hand.
Today was Liang Chen’s mother’s death anniversary. Liang Chen had been scrolling through Yan Huan’s Weibo when she saw that Yan Huan knew how to cook. She had made the impromptu decision to get Yan Huan to make noodles for her after seeing the photo of delicious-looking noodles on her Weibo.
And she had found the right person. Yan Huan was not only an excellent cook, she made the best noodles.
Yan Huan felt sad after listening to the story behind the spinach noodles. She was reminded of her own mother, who, like Liang Chen’s mother, had died several years ago. Coincidentally, Yan Huan’s mother had cooked noodles for her daughter, too, back when she was still alive.
Yan Huan wished her mother was still with her. She missed her mother’s love.
She looked up at the sky. In that instant, she was filled with profound sorrow. Her grief expanded outwards to encompass the entirety of her previous life, as well as the journey she had just embarked upon in her new life.
A child without a mother was like a lonely leaf drifting in the wind .
Yi Ling immediately shared Liang Chen’s Weibo post. She was not the only one to do so; Liang Chen’s own fans and a number of other stars had shared the post too. Liang Chen had been in showbiz for over a decade, and was friends with more than half the celebrities in the industry. Yi Ling knew this was a huge opportunity for Yan Huan to get her name out there, and she seized it without hesitation.
In their photo, Liang Chen and Yan Huan both looked absolutely gorgeous. Liang Chen exuded the charms of a mature woman, while Yan Huan was the very picture of youth. They were both equally beautiful, even without make-up. The photo of the two beautiful women was accompanied by a photo of several pretty bowls of spinach noodles.
“The young, lovely lady made me spinach noodles, and they taste exactly like how my mother used to make them. She’s a great cook! Whoever marries her in the future will be in for a treat. It’s too bad I’m not a man, I’d take her as my wife in a heartbeat.”
Within a few minutes, the Weibo post had already been shared over ten thousand times.
Luoluo Lanlan: “Two drop-dead gorgeous women in the same photo! They’re so beautiful I feel like crying. My lovely Huanhuan is such a good cook. I’d give anything to be able to get a taste of her spinach noodles!”
Yan Huan Is My Goddess: “Check out my username.”
Yan Huan Is My Idol: “Ditto. Check out my username.”
Yan Huan Is My Daughter-in-Law: “Ditto. Check out my username.”
I’m Really A Cabbage: “^^^^ GTFO. Our lovely goddess belongs to everyone. You can’t just put your claim on her like that!”
