234 You Arrived Just in Time
Although she had made up her mind to work hard to improve herself in the future, on this night of being eliminated, the helpless girl still wanted to indulge herself properly.
So before the instant-boiled mutton shop closed, Wang Heng took the two girls to the shop, sat down, and ordered a pot. Pei Ningle was still wearing the blue dress from the stage, and the rate of turning heads along the way was quite high. Even in the shop, many people couldn’t help but secretly size her up.
Of course, Pei Ningle didn’t care about this at all. When the clear soup in the pot boiled, she unhesitatingly poured a whole plate of mutton slices into it.
Seeing that she was about to add more vegetables, Wang Heng hurriedly stopped her, “Wait, instant-boiled mutton is meant to be boiled instantly. If you pour it all in at once like this, the meat will get tough.”
Pei Ningle: “I can finish it!”
“Yeah right,” Wang Heng exposed her unceremoniously, “Have you forgotten how much fatty beef and tripe you wasted last time you ate hot pot?”
Pei Ningle: “…”
After a long silence, Han Yixuan suddenly reminded in a low voice, “The meat seems to be cooked.”
Pei Ningle hurriedly picked up her chopsticks to grab some. But Wang Heng was half a beat faster than her. Before her chopsticks could reach, Wang Heng had already used a slotted spoon to scoop up the cooked mutton slices and distribute them equally into the dipping sauce dishes of the three people.
Wang Heng: “Xilaishun’s mutton is cut very thin, and it cooks as soon as it’s boiled in boiling water. Dipping it in some sesame paste appropriately will make it taste very fresh. You can add some seasoning to the sesame paste, but MSG and salt are not recommended because it’s already salty enough.”
“You know a lot,” Pei Ningle said vaguely while eating, “It feels like you’ve eaten in the Imperial Capital many times already…”
Wang Heng’s expression remained natural, and he smiled, “You don’t have to eat in the Imperial Capital. There are instant-boiled mutton shops all over the country, it’s just that the taste here might be more authentic.”
“Mhm, mhm, delicious!” After swallowing two slices, Pei Ningle’s chopstick movements couldn’t help but speed up.
In comparison, the other girl’s eating manner was obviously much more refined and reserved.
After chewing slowly for a while, Han Yixuan looked at Little Le beside her who was turning grief and indignation into appetite, leaned slightly towards Wang Heng, and whispered, “She seems happier.”
Wang Heng: “Distracted attention, mood will be better.”
Han Yixuan: “But eating like this, will she get fat? She should be considered debuted now. If she gets fat, wouldn’t that be terrible?”
Wang Heng shook his head. “Don’t worry, look at how many more bites she can eat.”
Hearing this, Han Yixuan’s gaze returned to Pei Ningle, and so did Wang Heng. Under the gaze of the two, Pei Ningle boiled two more slices of mutton, and suddenly stopped.
The girl touched her stomach and murmured, “Uh, can’t eat anymore…”
Wang Heng and Han Yixuan exchanged glances quietly, with a meaning of ‘as expected’.
**
After a meal of instant-boiled mutton, although she shouted the loudest, it turned out that Pei Ningle’s appetite was about the same as Han Yixuan’s steady stream, and neither of them could compare to Wang Heng.
After eating, he suddenly stood up and walked towards the counter. Immediately after, he felt his arm being grabbed by a soft little hand.
The one who grabbed him was Pei Ningle. Seeing him stop and turn back, the girl let go and said, “I’ll treat today.”
Wang Heng: “Come on, I’m the manager, and this meal is to comfort your mood. No need to be polite with me…”
“You are the one, no need to be polite with me!”
After Pei Ningle finished speaking, she turned and left.
This Xilaishun shop was not small. It took two turns to get from the seats of the three to the counter. Han Yixuan sat in her original seat holding a cup of hot tea, watching her best friend’s back disappear around the corner.
Then she teased, “In the future, as long as she is unhappy, we’ll take her to eat delicious food?”
Wang Heng shrugged. “Maybe, at least for now, it’s really useful.”
Just then, Pei Ningle came back.
She poked her head out from the corner and asked, “Where is the bill for our table?”
“Forgot to take the bill to pay, really Little Le’s style…” Han Yixuan couldn’t help laughing.
Wang Heng sighed, picked up the bill on the table, and walked over.
The two walked past that corner and headed towards the counter side by side.
Suddenly, Pei Ningle asked in a low voice, “Do you think I should participate in this kind of talent show in the future?”
Wang Heng thought for a moment. The scene of being eliminated today was of course a pity in his opinion, but he had anticipated this beforehand. Perhaps because of the impression from the first timeline, Wang Heng always felt that it was difficult for Pei Ningle to become a champion, and unlikely to become a huge star. A niche singer who was well-received within a very limited range, this should be the girl’s future prospect.
So he said, “What’s more important is creation, accumulating your own things. Going on a show is equivalent to peddling, and you only have two original songs now. Even if the stall is spread out, you only have two things prepared for fans, isn’t that too monotonous?”
Pei Ningle thought for a moment and nodded. “You have a point.”
Wang Heng added, “Another point is that the show ‘Sing My Song’ may already be the fairest and least reliant on backstage connections on the market. If you look for other shows, with rookie managers like me and Han Yixuan, we really can’t handle it. But if you sign with a company…”
“Absolutely not signing!” Pei Ningle said without hesitation, “Sister Chang Wen’s lesson is there, how could I sign.”
Wang Heng: “You can’t say it so absolutely. After all, it was ten years ago when Chang Wen debuted. The era is different, and the requirements for singers are different. Moreover, you have already emerged in ‘Sing My Song’. Unless the company that signs you is stupid, they will definitely cultivate you in the direction of an original singer.”
Pei Ningle only thought for a few seconds, but still shook her head. “But I still don’t want to sign with a company. I heard that interpersonal relationships in companies are very complicated, and there are unspoken rules at every turn…”
“Hahaha, you’re overthinking it,” Wang Heng smiled and patted the girl’s head. “Singers are not actors. Actors need unspoken rules more. And there is rarely coercion in the domestic entertainment industry. Unspoken rules are mainly about willing parties taking the bait, using crooked brains only when they want to get ahead. You just be a creative singer, don’t fight or grab, write songs and sing with peace of mind, and no one will provoke you.”
As soon as Wang Heng finished speaking, he noticed that Pei Ningle took his hand and said seriously, “But I still don’t want to sign with a company.”
The girl didn’t give any more reasons, just looked up at him quietly—or maybe it should be said that there was no need to say the reason anymore?
Just then, Han Yixuan’s faint voice sounded behind the two: “Sorry, I came at a bad time…”
Wang Heng turned around quickly. He didn’t let go of Pei Ningle’s hand, but instead looked frank: “No, you came just in time.”
Han Yixuan: “?”
