Since Bai Lian was asking, the director instinctively asked a follow-up question.
Bai Lian, still holding her phone, thought for a moment, “Chi Lu, he’s a lawyer.”
“A lawyer,” the director sighed in relief. A lawyer would surely follow the rules, so there shouldn’t be any unexpected situations. “Welcome, can he appear on camera?”
Remembering this was Bai Lian and Yan Lu’s mutual friend, he wanted to do Bai Lian a favor, “We’ll add his introduction in post-production, it’s a good opportunity for publicity.”
Sister Xin’s lips twitched slightly, giving the director an extra glance.
Bai Lian hadn’t hung up the phone, just quietly asking the person on the other end.
Chi Yundai didn’t care either way. He was instructing people at the milk tea shop to watch the fire, “Whatever works.”
After confirming he agreed, Bai Lian told the director, then turned back to the hall. Lu Xiaohan had arranged the lilies nicely to one side, Wenqi had placed the flowerpots properly, and Ning Xiao had finally finished a problem on the app.
They were discussing maximum values with Bai Lian. Seeing them so engrossed in discussion, Wenqi came over to look at the question, then left with a dazed expression.
Lu Xiaohan was taking photos of two flower pots with her phone. After seeing Wenqi’s reaction, she also went to look, then quietly walked away.
Only one cameraman remained in the room. After filming the kitchen for a while, he received the director’s message through his earpiece, “Go film what Miss Bai and her classmates are doing. What problems are they solving?”
The director was curious, especially since Ning Xiao was almost expressionless except for now.
The cameraman was the same one from last night. He carefully avoided filming Bai Lian and Ning Xiao’s faces, only capturing their phones.
The director and Mei Yi’s manager both crowded around to watch the monitor.
The screen showed Ning Xiao’s phone, a black unbranded one that looked custom-made from a second-hand shop.
The phone displayed a problem on an app, with “NO14 Ning Xiao” visible. The question was long, something about a vacuum-charged small ball, using 280-wavelength ultraviolet light to find the number of photoelectrons? Using ultraviolet light for a long time to find electric potential…? What kind of problems were these? The director and others had been to high school, and though they’d forgotten most of it, they were certain their high school never had questions like this! After all, who studies the maximum escape velocity of photoelectrons in high school?
“Fourteenth in the whole school,” the director watched Bai Lian write out English formulas and looked at the numbers on screen. He spoke quietly, “Amazing. Do high school students study these things now? Students really have it tough these days. Include this in the edit, it will definitely resonate with students.”
The cameraman focused on filming their work, carefully avoiding showing their faces.
Wang Xin was also watching backstage while waiting for Chi Yundai. She agreed with the director’s words. Though she’d been to high school too, she’d studied humanities.
On screen, besides N, qEVR, and triangle symbols, there were precious few numbers. She didn’t recognize any of the other special symbols.
Just then, someone knocked on the back door.
“Lawyer Chi is here.” Sister Xin quickly snapped out of it to open the door.
The director looked at the main feed, got a headache, and didn’t dare look anymore. He went out with Sister Xin.
Chi Yundai wore a black checkered shirt. He’d removed his chef’s hat and coat before leaving his shop. In his right hand was a bag of freshly baked cake.
His left hand held a document folder. He looked refined, serious and unapproachable.
Sister Xin was very respectful to Chi Yundai. She made way, “Lawyer Chi, this is our ‘Come On, Friend’ director, Director Li.”
“Hello,” Chi Yundai was very professional, extending a hand to the director, “Chi Yundai.”
Chi Yundai? Director Li hadn’t heard this name before. He planned to ask Chi Yundai for details during editing to help boost his fame. “Hello, Lawyer Chi.”
The director enthusiastically helped Chi Yundai put on his microphone, casually instructing, “Lawyer Chi, just wear the mic and don’t be nervous. Treat it like a normal gathering.”
Chi Yundai responded with a “Mm.”
The director watched Chi Yundai enter with Sister Xin.
“Miss Bai’s friend doesn’t seem like a lawyer,” the director turned to Mei Yi’s manager. “He doesn’t have Zhao Jingzhou’s aura.”
“Who’s Zhao Jingzhou?” Mei Yi’s manager laughed. “His online fame rivals movie stars. If you invited him, it would trend.”
Everyone knew Zhao Jingzhou – talented and famous, a genuine graduate of Jiangjing Law University.
How could they compare?
“You have a point.” The director nodded, returning to the monitor room. “But you know what’s strange? This Lawyer Chi seems more relaxed than others…”
He couldn’t figure it out.
This was ‘Come On, Friend’s third season. They’d had many guests bring non-celebrity friends, who were all either nervous or stiff on camera…
Today’s natural, harmonious atmosphere was a first for Director Li.
Inside the house.
Chi Yundai heard cooking from the kitchen. He looked that direction, put the cake on the table, and handed the document folder to Bai Lian, “Look at this when you have time.”
Then he rolled up his sleeves and walked to the kitchen.
Mei Yi was cutting potatoes.
He could cook, better than average people, and his potato slices were decent, at least better than Yan Lu’s.
Chi Yundai looked disdainfully at the large potato chunk, glancing at Mei Yi: “Is your house short on roof beams?”
Yan Lu, washing vegetables, turned around respectfully, “Lawyer Chi, you’re here.”
After thinking, she explained for Mei Yi, “Master Mei is very good at cooking.”
“Theoretically everyone can cook.” Chi Yundai commented precisely.
Yes, theoretically.
As everyone knew, Chi Yundai worked for Young Master Jiang.
Like master, like servant.
Mei Yi wore a black apron, knife in hand. Chi Yundai glanced at him, “Give me the knife, you two just wash vegetables.”
His disdain was completely unconcealed.
Mei Yi held high status both in and out of the industry, rarely receiving such criticism. It took him a minute to understand Chi Yundai’s meaning.
He was saying the potato strips were thick enough to use as roof beams.
Mei Yi: “…”
He quietly stepped aside, watching Chi Yundai skillfully flip the knife before cutting on the board, each potato strip extremely thin.
Mei Yi had thought his cutting was fine, but seeing Chi Yundai’s one-millimeter strips, he fell silent.
Outside before the camera, the director turned back, hesitantly asking staff, “Sister Xin said he’s a lawyer, right?”
Or had he misheard chef as lawyer? “Should be…” The staff watched Chi Yundai chopping away, now quite uncertain themselves.
Chi Yundai ended up cooking the whole meal.
The attentive Mei Yi helped prep ingredients, learning a few tricks from Chi Yundai.
Knowing Mei Yi and Yan Lu were recording a show, Chi Yundai didn’t complain about the trouble or chase them out to cook alone. He even let them stir-fry occasionally.
“Yes, hold it like this,” he handed Mei Yi the wok handle, “Use your wrist, toss it like this.”
Mei Yi tried but couldn’t flip it.
Chi Yundai: “…Never mind, give it here.”
He took back the wok, tossing it effortlessly.
Beside them, Yan Lu defended Mei Yi, “Wok tossing is too hard, normal people don’t have that wrist strength…”
This was challenging Chi Yundai. He poked his head out, “Miss Bai, come here a moment.”
“What is it?” Bai Lian came to the kitchen, still holding a pen.
“Like this, use your wrist to toss the wok…” Chi Yundai demonstrated, then let Bai Lian try.
Bai Lian held the handle, her fingers slender, revealing a small section of thin, fair wrist with a glimpse of red ribbon. Almost effortlessly, she demonstrated a few wok tosses.
“Like this?” She tossed it several times, asking Chi Yundai, “What next?”
Chi Yundai added a spoon of salt, took back the wok and turned off the heat, glancing at Mei Yi and Yan Lu while saying leisurely, “Nothing, Miss Bai, you can go back to studying.”
Yan Lu, Mei Yi: “…”
After Chi Yundai finished cooking, when the kitchen was empty, Mei Yi forgot about the cameras and secretly tried tossing the wok.
At dinner, fresh flowers with hidden microphones and cameras were arranged in the middle of the table.
Since Yan Lu’s return, Bai Lian and Ning Xiao’s group had eaten three meals with her.
Yan Lu knew Bai Lian and Ning Xiao were helping Zhang Shize with tutoring. Yan Lu felt she could do even less than Ning Xiao for Zhang Shize.
So whenever Yan Lu offered to treat them to meals, Bai Lian wouldn’t refuse.
Mei Yi kept the atmosphere lively at the table.
Besides the three working adults, the others were all high school seniors.
Bai Lian and Ning Xiao kept discussing Yang Lin’s situation. She lazily picked up a piece of spare rib – Chi Yundai’s cooking was truly good: “No need to worry about her biology, but her math and physics are a bit weak. Were those two wrong problem collections compiled by you?”
“Tang Ming and I found the problems, they should help her.” Ning Xiao thought briefly, “She missed the biology competition, otherwise it would be better.”
He and Chen Zhu’s group had all participated in competitions at school.
As for Yang Lin, she was always working and had no energy for other things.
Chi Yundai also found a chance to discuss contract matters with Bai Lian. Lu Xiaohan asked Yan Lu about interesting experiences filming “Da Yong” and when the show would air.
Yan Lu’s participation in “Come On, Friend” was partly to promote Da Yong, so when Lu Xiaohan asked, she smoothly answered.
Lu Xiaohan even boldly asked to add Mei Yi on WeChat.
As the table grew lively, Mei Yi took out his phone, wanting to add Bai Lian’s WeChat too.
Bai Lian put a piece of cabbage in her bowl, then lifted her eyes, saying lazily, “Sure, have Yan Lu send it to us later.”
After dinner, Bai Lian’s group had to leave.
She looked down at her phone.
Several messages, the first from Jiang Fuli.
He’d sent a photo showing he was across the street.
Bai Lian leisurely replied— [1]
Then grabbed her backpack and coat to leave. Yan Lu and Mei Yi saw them out.
The director and Sister Xin’s group also came out from the small room, watching Bai Lian’s group leave.
The next message was Yan Lu sending WeChat contact cards – an English name with an animated avatar. Bai Lian glanced at it, probably Mei Yi’s, and tapped to add him as a friend.
Chi Yundai walked beside Bai Lian, chatting about Jiangjing matters.
After the students left, Zhang’s courtyard seemed to grow quiet again.
The director slapped his thigh, smiling, “Sister Xin, I think today wasn’t bad, we can make a good episode!”
Though Chi Yundai couldn’t match Zhao Jingzhou’s fame, his cooking skills were amazing, even demonstrating a “raincoat knife” technique for Mei Yi.
He’d already thought of trending topics for when the show aired.
Of course, the director still didn’t realize he was thinking too small.
“It won’t trend,” Mei Yi’s manager walked to his side, talking to Mei Yi, “But Lawyer Chi was entertaining. Haha Mei Yi, you provided this episode’s biggest laughs.”
The “roof beam” comment and secret wok tossing were really funny.
Mei Yi ignored his manager, just taking out his phone to open WeChat, tapping a few times before freezing.
“What’s wrong?” The manager looked down curiously.
Mei Yi’s WeChat was stopped on an accepted friend request page. The other person had an ancient tower avatar, no verification message. The manager looked up at their WeChat name—
Baijian.
“Damn,” the manager lost his professional demeanor, spitting out a classic curse, “You added Yan Lu’s mysterious songwriting genius?”
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