Chapter 77 Wanna Play With Men?

Chapter 77: Playing Around with Men?

Lu Jingtang and Ji Ruyan skipped the production team's breakfast, opting instead for a local breakfast shop. For just ten yuan, they each enjoyed a cup of soy milk, a fried dough stick, and a meat bun.

The other groups were practically green with envy. Did their fifty-yuan breakfast make them look like fools?

The orchard was a short walk from their lodging. While Chris was a pop idol, Ji Ruyan, with her extensive filmography, was clearly more recognized by the villagers.

The orchard owner's mother, in her seventies and suffering from dementia, often struggled with names. Her favorite pastime was watching Ji Ruyan's dramas and movies at home.

"Chaoying, that man isn't worth it. Don't be foolish again," the old woman said, patting Ji Ruyan's shoulder with a mix of pity and frustration, tears welling in her eyes.

Chaoying was a character Ji Ruyan had played in a story about a woman escaping a love scam and rebuilding her life.

Ji Ruyan didn't mind the pat. Supporting the old woman, she gently explained, "Grandma, that was all pretend, just a role. I'm doing very well now."

The old woman, unable to grasp the concept of acting, genuinely believed Ji Ruyan was Chaoying. She clasped Ji Ruyan's and Lu Jingtang's hands, then pulled Wen Yue closer, earnestly advising, "You three young girls, men are just for fun—don't take them seriously. When I was young, I played with many men. I only married because my family pressured me. We have plenty of handsome young men here; I'll take you to have some fun later..."

Lu Jingtang's eyes widened in shock. "My goodness," she thought, "seventy is truly the perfect age for romance."

The orchard owner, mortified, quickly intervened, fearing his father might rise from the grave if his mother continued. "Oh, Mom, please stop talking nonsense to them."

The old woman looked at the orchard owner, not recognizing his unfamiliar face. She raised her cane to tap him, saying, "You... let go! Don't touch me! You're too ugly; I don't fancy you."

Everyone present struggled to suppress their laughter, pinching their thighs to maintain composure.

After much coaxing and a promise of another bottle of yogurt, the orchard owner finally managed to persuade his mother to leave.

Before departing, she was still muttering about taking Ji Ruyan and the others to see handsome men later.

As she walked away, she complained that the orchard owner resembled her deceased husband and hurt her eyes to look at him.

This granny's spirit was a century ahead of her time, scolding her son and figuratively kicking her late husband's grave.

The four collected their tools and began picking oranges. Although there was no weight quota, and they could pick as much or as little as they wanted, no one slacked off, especially with the live stream running.

Word spread that a show was filming, and villagers gathered to watch. While some recognized Ji Ruyan, Wen Yue, and Chris, Lu Jingtang was unfamiliar to them, having not appeared on any TV shows or dramas.

An auntie observed Lu Jingtang and remarked, "That young lady looks blessed, with those plump cheeks. Do you know what she's acted in? I'd like to watch it."

"I don't know, I've never seen her before," came the reply from the crowd. The auntie, ever friendly, directly asked Lu Jingtang, "Young lady, what do you do? Why are they filming you?"

Lu Jingtang pondered for a moment, unsure how to define her role, and simply said, "My family is rich. I'm just here for fun."

The auntie's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh, so you're what they call a 'coffee' on phones."

"What's 'coffee'?"

"Isn't coffee a drink? I know! My nephew gave me a packet once. It didn't taste good, but I didn't want to waste it, so I gave it to the cow. Who knew the cow would moo for days and nights after drinking it? It even screwed my cow to death!" another auntie chimed in.

"My husband drank it too. He couldn't sleep at night and kept insisting on getting me to..."

All sorts of comments were made, and the live audio captured everything. The staff members wore pained expressions.

Most of the remaining villagers were middle-aged people caring for grandchildren, with generally lower education levels. They confused the term "resource-backed celebrity" (资源咖, *ziyuan ka*) with "coffee" (咖啡, *kafei*).

The live chat erupted with laughter.

{Hahaha, this show is incredible—they meet all kinds of people. I almost suspect they're actors hired by the production team.}

{Little Lu puffed out her chest proudly—yep, I'm rich, owning it hahaha.}

The aunties' conversation topics were too blunt and shocking. Lu Jingtang quietly moved to a tree farther away to pick oranges.

...

Lunch was a box meal shared with the orchard staff, costing 15 yuan per person. With two meat dishes, one vegetable, and soup, it was quite good.

Ji Ruyan, unaccustomed to manual labor, constantly massaged her aching arms and legs. She glanced at Lu Jingtang and said, "I didn't expect you to be so used to this kind of work."

Lu Jingtang smiled faintly without replying. When she first moved out of the orphanage, she had taken on all sorts of jobs to support herself.

Chris brought over four bottles of drinks, distributing them among the three women. At four yuan per bottle, after paying for breakfast, he only had four yuan left.

Lu Jingtang took a drink and tried to pay him back, but Chris looked at her and said, "No need, it's just a few bottles of water."

Lu Jingtang's lips twitched. Wen Yue also had a share in their money, and spending someone else's money also involved Wen Yue's portion. She wasn't sure if he had discussed it with Wen Yue, but with so many people around, she couldn't bring it up.

Wen Yue seemed to sense her thoughts and winked at Lu Jingtang, saying, "This weather makes me crave something cold. Thanks, Chris," smoothly defusing the situation.

Lu Jingtang smiled back at her and silently mouthed, "Thank you."

A minor incident occurred during the afternoon orange-picking. Wen Yue's clothes got caught and ripped all the way to her waist.

Embarrassed, she quickly clutched the torn fabric to avoid exposure.

The live chat exploded.

{Here we go, knew Wen Yue would stir up drama. She did it on purpose, just loves having people look at her.}

{Celebrities are something else—her waist is so pale.}

{Stop being disgusting, okay? Accidentally tearing clothes and you're already spreading rumors.}

{Chris, don't look.}

A male cameraman, for some inexplicable reason, decided to move closer to Wen Yue with his camera at that moment, his intention obvious.

Wen Yue bit her lip, her face pale, her hands trembling slightly as she held her clothes.

Suddenly, a hand blocked the camera. Lu Jingtang smiled at the male cameraman and asked, "What are you filming?"

"If you like filming this so much, should I tear my clothes too for you to shoot?"

The cameraman didn't dare offend her and was left speechless under her questioning.

The director, who had just gone to the restroom, returned to find trouble brewing. He rushed over, pants still half-fastened, apologized to Wen Yue and Lu Jingtang, and then took the cameraman aside to reprimand him.