Chapter 29: "Try Playing the Male Lead in a Movie?"

“Oh no! Oh no! I can’t take it anymore, I’m exhausted!”
Zhou Ran and Zhang Xiaofeng lay sprawled in the cornfield, both drenched in sweat and completely worn out.

At first, the two had been locked in a fierce competition to see who could pick corn faster, neither willing to concede defeat. But after barely fifteen minutes, they were utterly spent. In stark contrast, Teacher He and Chef Huang were still leisurely chatting and picking corn nearby, as if the task required no effort at all.

“Hey, Lao Huang, what do you think of this young man, Zhou Ran?” Teacher He asked, making small talk as he picked corn.

He and Chef Huang had known each other for many years and were good friends, so their manner was casual and familiar. If someone less tactful tried to address them the same way, they wouldn’t have such an easy time.

“I think he’s pretty good! Meeting Zhou Ran in person feels much better than just seeing him on TV,” Chef Huang replied.

“Aren’t you looking for a male lead for your movie?”

“My movie’s male lead?” The question caught Chef Huang off guard.

He’d long harbored a dream of directing a film. As the saying goes, some singers become actors, and some actors become directors. Chef Huang had achieved notable success as an actor, and seeing his friends try their hands at directing, he too felt the itch to step behind the camera.

The screenplay he wanted to film had been ready for some time, but he had never found the right actor for the lead. The role had strict requirements: the actor couldn’t be too old and had to be skilled with various musical instruments.

Over the past few years, Chef Huang had considered several candidates, but none seemed suitable. The choice of male lead had been troubling him for a while, and he wondered how he would ever find the right person.

Only when Teacher He mentioned it just now did inspiration strike him. “That’s right—I could try Zhou Ran!”

Chef Huang turned to look at Zhou Ran, still busy picking corn. The more he observed, the more Zhou Ran seemed to fit the bill: the right age, a solid musical background, and, crucially, his popularity would be a boon for the film’s release.

Thanks to Teacher He’s reminder, Chef Huang found Zhou Ran more and more appealing for the part. Still, everything would have to wait until Zhou Ran finished the “Who’s the King of Singers” competition. Right now, that was Zhou Ran’s main focus, and everything else could wait.

There was no need to rush—Zhou Ran was right here and not likely to disappear anytime soon.

With the problem of the male lead temporarily resolved, Chef Huang felt a tremendous weight lift from his shoulders. He even started humming as he picked corn.

“La la la la la la la la la!”

“Oh my,” Teacher He laughed, seeing Chef Huang suddenly so cheerful. He knew his suggestion had worked. “Lao Huang, remember to treat me to dinner! I’ve done you a huge favor.”

Teacher He was just lending a casual hand. If things worked out, both sides would owe him a favor; if not, it made no difference—he’d only said a few words.

But judging from Chef Huang’s reaction, it was obvious he’d taken a real liking to Zhou Ran.

“OK, no problem!” Chef Huang replied, giving him an OK sign.

So, the two continued picking corn happily together. The program crew’s camera panned for a high, wide shot, capturing the entire cornfield in a harmonious tableau.

The four members of “Hello, Life!” didn’t have many corncobs to pick that day—just two hundred and fifty. At their relaxed pace, they finished in two hours.

“We’re done! Teacher He, Chef Huang!” Zhang Xiaofeng called out to them from a distance after she and Zhou Ran finished their share, signaling that it was time to go.

“All right, just a moment! We’ll be right there.” Teacher He and Chef Huang hadn’t been assigned many cobs either and had already finished their hundred before the others called out.

By the time the four had packed up, it was five or six in the evening, and the sky was tinged with gold. They walked down the country lane together, a picture of harmony, like two fathers strolling with their son and daughter under the setting sun, ambling back to the Mushroom House.

…

When it was time to cook dinner back at the Mushroom House, Zhou Ran fell quiet. He just sat on the sofa, showing not the slightest intention of helping Chef Huang in the kitchen.

Everyone else had found their own tasks and got busy; only Zhou Ran sat there blankly.

It wasn’t that Zhou Ran didn’t want to help—he simply had his own secret embarrassment. He sincerely hoped no one would ask him to help in the kitchen. But as fate would have it, the more you dread something, the more likely it is to happen.

“Xiao Zhou, come and lend me a hand in the kitchen!” Chef Huang called out, noticing Zhou Ran sitting around idly.

Hearing his name, Zhou Ran nearly collapsed inside. Of course, the good things never happen, but the bad things always come true.

He had no choice but to reply, “All right, Chef Huang, I’ll be right there.”

Dragging his feet, Zhou Ran made his way to the kitchen, watching Chef Huang at work.

“What’s wrong with you? How can you sweat so much just from coming into the kitchen?” Chef Huang teased, amused by Zhou Ran’s nervous, sweaty appearance.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never cooked before?” Chef Huang, a seasoned actor, could immediately see through Zhou Ran’s anxiety.

Zhou Ran could only awkwardly nod. “It’s not that I can’t cook at all. I can make instant noodles or boil some dumplings, at least.”

Chef Huang burst out laughing. “So there are things you can’t do after all!”

Zhou Ran could only smile ruefully. As a child, he’d once tried to cook at home, but after nearly setting the kitchen on fire with a fried rice experiment, his parents had forbidden him from ever stepping into the kitchen again.