Before these people had finished their meal, another acquaintance arrived.
It was An Ran.
An Ran looked for Meng Huai’s figure as soon as she entered, and as she saw them gathered at a table eating, she walked over.
“Meng Huai, and everyone else, hello.”
“Hello, hello.”
An Ran checked the time: “Meng Huai, what meal are you eating?”
Meng Huai replied as a matter of course: “Lunch, of course! What brings you here? Busy person!”
Since An Ran had taken Meng Huai’s advice and joined the film crew, she had been busier than ever, with no free time like she had during her livestreams.
During livestreams, she could come and go as she pleased, even streaming while eating. When she wanted to play, she could just stream games.
But after joining the crew, things were different. Not only did she have to wait around the set every day for filming, but she also had to attend acting classes in her spare time. She was completely swamped.
And today, the reason she could leave the set was that something important had come up.
An Ran pointed to the woman behind her, who was wearing a baseball cap and glasses: “I’ve brought this sister here to ask for your help today. Could I speak with you privately?”
Meng Huai glanced at the woman and nodded: “Upstairs in a private room?”
Meng Huai led An Ran and the few people behind her upstairs. When they reached the door of the private room, An Ran’s assistant and another woman who looked like an assistant were standing at the entrance, not entering.
An Ran also didn’t go in, but the woman turned around and said, “An Ran, please come in too.”
Only then did An Ran dare to enter. After all, she thought that the matter this sister wanted to discuss with her was private, and she should maintain propriety. However, since this sister had invited her in, it was a sign of their relationship progressing.
An Ran entered the private room and closed the door.
Meng Huai and the woman sat down. As the woman removed her hat and sunglasses, she looked at Meng Huai. Seeing that Meng Huai’s expression remained unchanged, she thought, *Huh, has my charm diminished?*
But then she reconsidered. The shop owner was even better-looking than herself, so it was understandable that she wouldn’t be stunned by her appearance.
“Hello, Meng Huai? I am Bai Taoran, you can call me Sister Taoran, just like An Ran.”
Bai Taoran extended her hand to introduce herself. Meng Huai also extended her hand to shake it: “Hello, Sister Taoran.”
Seeing that Meng Huai’s expression didn’t change upon hearing her name, Bai Taoran thought, *Has my popularity declined so much in the past two years?*
An Ran, of course, saw what Bai Taoran was thinking and smiled as she explained to Bai Taoran: “Meng Huai doesn’t pay much attention to the entertainment industry.”
An Ran then introduced Meng Huai to Bai Taoran again: “This is Sister Taoran, the lead actress in my current drama. Sister Taoran has won many Best Actress awards and is very well-known. But Meng Huai, you’re still the same as ever, only caring about making money and nothing else.”
“Cough, really?”
Meanwhile, downstairs, everyone was finishing their staff meals and clearing the tables. After these few days, Xie You had become very proficient at these tasks.
He thought about asking Meng Huai for help once she was done, or perhaps buying the recipe for this soup. But even as he thought this, his hands continued to work with practiced ease…
Xie You looked at the plates he was carrying and fell into thought.
Here, Meng Huai was already discussing with Bai Taoran why she had sought her out and what her purpose was.
Bai Taoran sighed, a slight blush on her face, and some embarrassment: “It’s like this, my husband and I have been married for many years, but we haven’t been able to have children.”
“We’ve seen many doctors and undergone many tests, but the results have always shown that neither of us has any health issues.”
“I know that conceiving a child is inherently difficult for humans, but I still want to become a mother.”
Bai Taoran confided in Meng Huai, and An Ran was also quite surprised.
When Bai Taoran had approached An Ran on set, An Ran hadn't expected it to be about this.
On set, An Ran’s dedication and hard work endeared her to many of the older actors. Bai Taoran, sharing the same character ‘Ran’ in her name with An Ran, had been very kind and supportive of her.
An Ran, having received this care, wanted to reciprocate. She shared some items purchased from the medicinal cuisine restaurant with Bai Taoran. Things like beauty-enhancing tea, which An Ran believed every woman would love, especially those in the entertainment industry.
There were also pastries her assistant had bought, freshly made and paired with the beauty-enhancing tea, offering a unique flavor.
“This tea is called beauty-enhancing tea, it means exactly what it says, Sister Taoran. And these pastries, they won’t make you fat and can even help you lose weight!”
Bai Taoran initially thought it was just a gimmick. However, as An Ran, this young girl, kept bringing her these things day after day, she actually saw results after consuming them.
Naturally, Bai Taoran became interested and, in her spare time, inquired about the origin of these beauty-enhancing teas and the like.
An Ran was also a loyal fan of the medicinal cuisine restaurant, and when someone asked, she would enthusiastically recommend it.
“These are produced by the medicinal cuisine restaurant. Have you heard of medicinal cuisine?”
An Ran asked Bai Taoran with great enthusiasm. Bai Taoran shook her head.
“It’s food that can achieve therapeutic effects! Sister Taoran, you’ve felt the effects of the beauty-enhancing tea and the slimming pastries, right?”
Bai Taoran touched her face. It was indeed smoother than before, and the fat on her stomach had disappeared.
Bai Taoran replied to An Ran: “They are indeed very good.”
An Ran searched for something on her optical device and shared it with Bai Taoran: “This is just the tip of the iceberg, Sister Taoran. Look here, these are feedback from loyal customers.”
An Ran found some pictures from the medicinal cuisine restaurant's fan group and showed them to Bai Taoran.
“This person was told by the hospital that his hair was beyond saving and needed to be amputated and replaced with a prosthesis. You know, current prosthesis technology is quite good, but how can it compare to one’s own hair!”
Bai Taoran leaned in to look and asked in surprise, “This… is this the same person?”
An Ran nodded affirmatively: “It’s the same person. His wife even made a daily log of his progress, which I’ll send to you, Sister Taoran.”
Bai Taoran received the video and scrolled through it. It was indeed a daily log. In the beginning, he had very little hair, but day by day, more hair grew, and it sprouted little by little.
This was just one example. Loyal fans wouldn't just recommend one thing.
“And this one, Sister An Ran, this person’s leg had been declared unsalvageable by the hospital, requiring amputation and a prosthesis. As you know, current prosthesis technology is quite advanced, but it’s nothing compared to one’s own limb!”
Bai Taoran listened to this case and thought, *Could this also be solved?*
And it was!
Although An Ran couldn't visit the medicinal cuisine restaurant often recently, as a loyal fan, she always kept up with its latest news. The fan group she joined wasn't a fake one; people constantly shared any new developments related to the medicinal cuisine restaurant.
“It was resolved, but not with dishes from the restaurant's menu. The owner personally cooked for him. It's said that he recovered after just one meal!”
It was precisely because of these few cases that An Ran shared that Bai Taoran was moved. She thought, *Perhaps I can also go and see this shop owner.*