The Side Character's Hidden Boss!

“So Nie Li has signed you to play the role of Kou Baimen in Like a Willow but the condition is that you have to convince me to play Liu Ru in the movie?” Mo Li sat on the couch as An Wan explained on the phone. There was no clear sadness or joy on her face.

“Yes… Mo Li, I know you don’t lack this money or opportunity but the director for the Willow is Tang Ze and it’ll be released around Chinese New Year. I’ve read the script. It’s about a famous prostitute, Liu Ru who was sold to Wu Jiang to be a maidservant when she was young due to poverty. As she entered teen years, her singing talent was discovered and she became a prostitute. She changed her name to Liu Yin and stayed there until she fell in love with Chen Zilong…”

An Wan explained the story to Mo Li very seriously, hoping that Mo Li would be moved by the story. An Wan had been in the industry for many years. She was a good judge of people, from the day she saw Mo Li, she knew the girl’s heart was not in acting despite her immense talent. She didn’t care about her acting career.

But it was different for An Wan. She debuted at 20 and she was 27 this year. Since she refused to sell her body, she was banned when she was at her peak of popularity. After 4 years, her ban was finally lifted but her resource was not as full as before. If Mo Li was willing to help, this could be An Wan’s new turning point!

The script was interesting but Mo Li really didn’t want to waste more time on her acting career. Furthermore, she didn’t want to have more interaction with Nie Li. However, she also understood An Wan’s difficulty, Mo Li didn’t have the heart to reject her. Mo Li didn’t know what to do so she told An Wan she’d think about it.

Mo Li glanced at the time, it was already 7 pm. She decided to call Jiang Yao and tell her she’d return home tomorrow.

Jiang Yao sounded very anxious on the phone. “Mother, did something happen?”

“It’s nothing…” Jiang Yao hesitated before she told Mo Li, “Your third brother can’t stomach any food for these past few days. Whenever he tried to take a few bites, he’d vomit them right out.”

It has already reached this part of the story?

Even though Mo Zheng appeared unaffected on the surface, the accident had affected him deeply. On top of that, he had been homebound for a very long time. As the pressure added, he developed anorexia. In the original novel, Qiao Qing would stay by his side daily, feeding him mochi and other dessert and that slowly help Mo Zheng regain his appetite.

However, Mo Li knew these foods were not nutritious especially for Mo Zheng who needed protein and carbs, and not sugar.

Considering the surgery that Mo Zheng had to undergo soon, Mo Li sighed.

…

Early the next morning, Auntie Qiu smelled something fragrant before she even stepped into the kitchen.

Mo Li took out six tomatoes, four cucumbers and a carrot from the refrigerator and washed them carefully. The most important thing is to restore Mo Zheng’s physical metabolism and for that he needs to up his protein intake.

Auntie Qiu was surprised to see Mo Li. “Miss, you’re home! You shouldn’t do these things, let me!”

Mo Li shook her head and skillfully diced the beef tenderloin that she marinated the day before. The dices were of the same size. Auntie Qiu was surprised by Mo Li’s knife skill. But even more surprising was the fact that Mo Li even knew where all the ingredients were. It was like Mo Li was already familiar with this kitchen.

As Mo Li prepared the ingredients, Auntie Qiu realized what the girl wanted to make. “Miss, how about some mushrooms?”

“Hmm, that’s a good idea. Mushrooms will deepen the dish’s flavor profile.” Mo Li nodded. This surprised Auntie Qiu again because in the past, whenever she said anything to Mo Li, the latter would scold her back. Auntie Qiu felt like she was dealing with a completely different person.

With Auntie Qiu’s help, Mo Li worked faster. She spooned some oil into the pot. When the oil was hot enough, Mo Li slid in the diced meat for a quick stir fry. The beef was fresh and tender so they would lose their suppleness if left on the fire for too long.

Mo Li beat some eggs and then added mushrooms and carrots. When it was almost done, Mo Li added the beef and cucumbers.

Auntie Qiu helped to cook the handmade noodles. Mo Li dropped the cooked noodle into ice bath to help keep the stringiness and then dropped them into a bowl. Finally Mo Li draped the egg dish over it.

Even Auntie Qiu swallowed when the noodle was served. When she heard that Mo Li had been cooking at her grandparent’s place, Auntie Qiu thought that was a joke, but now she stood corrected!