[NW] Pampering My Cute Pet Chapter 18
“Oh? Look! You’ve got someone here to take care of him. What were you even worried about?” laughed Tang Yue.
Yu Wan, conversely, was excited. She’d really missed those dogs lately. Yu Diandian couldn’t come, but if Red Bean was here, that was good too. She’d have someone to keep her company when she was bored.
When Shen Qingzhou noted Yu Wan’s delight, he unfurrowed his brows. “We’re working this afternoon. Bring Red Bean directly to the set.”
“Okay, I’ll let them know in a bit.”
A little while later, Yu Wan stood and said to the two of them, “I’m done eating, so I should get going.”
“You’re leaving? Where are you going?” asked Tang Yue.
“I’m going back to my room……”
Tang Yue looked at Shen Qingzhou in surprise. Then something seemed to dawn on him. ‘Ohhhh I get it,” he said understandingly, “you’re keeping this on the sly…. Ahem. See you later, little screenwriter.”
“.....see you later,” said Yu Wan.
After Yu Wan left, Tang Yue quit joking around and asked seriously, “are you two really together?”
“We’re not,” replied Shen Qingzhou.
“What’s up with that?” said Tang Yue, “Qingzhou, I’ve never seen a woman appear at your side so frequently, much less in such an intimate setting. I could tell at a glance that you treat her differently than others.”
Shen Qingzhou smiled faintly, “is that so?”
Tang Yue, “of course it is! I first met her at your house. Why was that? At the time, you’d only just moved in.”
Shen Qingzhou’s fork froze in mid-air as he seriously considered the matter, “that was because of Red Bean. It was a coincidence. But after that, it’s because I hired her to cook for me. Mm…… she’s a good cook.”
“What?” Tang Yue stared at him in disbelief. “She must like you.”
Shen Qingzhou arched his brows. His gaze softened as he looked at Tang Yue. “How do you know?”
“Pfff, are you an idiot?” Tang Yue rolled his eyes. “Just look at how much houses cost in your neighborhood. Does someone who can afford to live there lack money? You said that girl lives across from you and, moreover, is a talented screenwriter. Does someone like that have to cook for others just to earn a little extra dough? Is there something wrong with your brain?”
Shen Qingzhou mulled this over for a while. He’d never enquired about things that didn’t interest him. When he’d hired Yu Wan to cook for him, he’d only had three reasons. The first, naturally, was that she was a good cook. Second, she liked dogs and they liked her back. Third, Yu Wan hadn’t recognized him, so she wouldn’t get starstruck and trouble him for signatures and photos.
As for whether she’d agree or not and why, he’d never even considered it.
But now that Tang Yue mentioned it, Shen Qingzhou thought he had a point. As soon as he realized that, his spirits soared.
When Tang Yue saw the smile on Shen Qingzhou’s lips, he felt the world really was filled with untold wonders.
“Sigh. Nevermind that girl for now…. What do we do about Yeyu?”
Shen Qingzhou looked at him in befuddlement. “What do mean, ‘what do we do about her?”
“Hey, you two knew each other even before I met you. To tell the truth, I think she likes you, even if she’s never said it out loud,” said Tang Yue.
Shen Qingzhou's gaze was frosty as he called out a warning, “Tang Yue.”
Tang Yue shut his eyes. “I’m not just saying things,” he said awkwardly,” your romantic awareness is really poor.”
As Shen Qingzhou glowered at him, Tang Yue backed down. “Okay, okay, I get it. You’re not interested in her. But you’ve known each other for so long, if Yeyu realizes you and that girl are together, she’ll almost certainly be upset.”
Shen Qingzhou stood up. “Do what you want.”
Tang Yue clucked his tongue and shook his head. “I know you see her as a friend and don’t want to hurt her either. Still though, you’re right; if it’s not possible, it’s better she finds out sooner than later.”
They officially started work that afternoon. Shen Qingzhou was the first to arrive on set. As soon as Yu Wan reached her daily word count, she hurried over as well. When she arrived, she saw Li Mengmeg sitting outside and going over her lines. She looked around but so no trace of Red Bean.
“Mengmeng.”
“Weiwan! You’re here.”
“Hm.”
Li Mingmeng put away her script. “Weiwan, let me tell you,” she said suddenly, “one of Director Shen’s friends brought a samoyed over earlier. I’d heard that Director Shen had a pet he loved more than anything; now it seems that was no mere rumor. I saw it myself! When he looked at that dog, his smile was incredibly warm and gentle.”
“Really!? Where’s the dog? Why isn’t he with Director Shen?”
“He was here just a moment ago, but Director Shen needed to work so his friend took him out for a walk. Apparently he’s in the break room now. Everyone’s there playing with him,” said Li Mengmeng. “How about I take you there? That dog’s a bit shy with strangers, though. He didn’t seem to like me petting him earlier.”
Yu Wan dragged Li Mengmeng to the break room in such a rush, she couldn’t even hear her.
As soon as they walked through the door, Yu Wan saw Red Bean, who was clearly the center of attention. Actors and crew members stood to the side, watching him. However, Red Bean stuck close to Tang Yue, seemingly in low spirits.
“Red Bean,” Yu Wan instinctively called out.
Red Bean was still leaning against Tang Yue’s leg when he heard her voice. He whipped his head around. When he saw it was Yu Wan, he rushed towards her, his eyes sparkling.
Yu Wan opened her arms wide in greeting. He leaped into her arms, the force of the blow knocking her to the ground.
“Waaah, it tickles, it tickles…..” Yu Wan rubbed Red Bean’s head and whispered into his ear, “good boy! You missed me, hm?”
Red Bean nuzzled her with all his might. As they played, Yu Wan giggled in delight.
This scene left the onlookers utterly dumbfounded. Just now, a similarly intimate scene had occurred when Red Bean and Director Shen were first reunited. However, Red Bean had given everyone else the cold shoulder. Why was he suddenly acting like this with their crew’s scriptwriter?
Li Mengmeng watched, dumbfounded, “Weiwan, are you and Red Bean familiar?”
Yu Wan froze, then laughed, “no, no, we’re not….. Haha, Red Bean is so pretty and he looks so much like my dog.”
“Ah, you’re talking about your Majesty, right?” Li Mengmeng’s eyes instantly lit up. “I’ve scrolled through your Weibo before. Her Majesty is adorable! Weiwan, no wonder Red Bean likes you! There’s definitely something about you that dogs just love!”
In any event, Li Mengmeng subconsciously resisted the assumption that there was any sort of relationship between Yu Wan and Shen Qingzhou.
“Is that so? Red Bean and I really hit it off.” Yu Wan rose to her feet and glanced at Tang Yue, who was just barely repressing a grin.
“Mr. Tang,” she coughed.
“Just call me Tang Yue.” He approached. “Ms. Scriptwriter, since Red Bean likes you so much, could I trouble you to look after him for a while? Qingzhou is still busy, but I have business to attend to and need to head out for a while.”
“No problem!” Yu Wan nodded repeatedly.
“Great! Thanks, and sorry for the trouble. I’m off, then.”
Okay.”
When Tang Yue left, Yu Wan led Red Bean to the couch. As soon as she sat down, the actors and crew members were overcome with envy.
“I tried so hard to hug him earlier but he wouldn’t let me. Now he's letting the scriptwriter do it!”
“Let me pet him! He’s sooooo cute!”
“Isn’t currying favor with Red Bean the same as currying favor with Director Shen?”
“Hahaha, Red Bean is the key to Director Shen’s heart!”
“Weiwan, how did you manage it? Teach me, teach me!”
Yu Wan gently rubbed Red Bean’s head. “This is called ‘charisma.’Youwouldn't understand.”
“Hey, so you’re a tsundere now?”
Red Bean nuzzled Yu Wan and dashed outside. Yu Wan immediately hurried after him. “Red Bean, do you want to go out?”
Red Bean led the way, stopping from time to time to look back at her. Yu Wan could only smile and follow his lead. As they walked, she suddenly realized that Red Bean was searching for Shen Qingzhou. She was afraid they’d disrupt his work so she knelt by the dog’s side and said warningly, “we’re just going to look. You can’t disturb them, got it?”
“Woof woof!”
“You have to stay close and do as I say!”
“Woof woof woof!”
Yu Wan didn’t care if Red Bean understood or not. She simply led him to the set where they were filming the drama.
She saw Shen Qingzhou off in the distance, sitting beneath a tent and staring at a computer screen. Red Bean seemed overcome with joy; he leaped excitedly and tugged on the leash. Yu Wan started to sweat nervously. She hurriedly chastised him, but the dog paid her no heed. He ran with all his might, dragging her along with him.
As soon as Red Bean reached Shen Qingzhou’s side, he calmed down. He didn’t bark at all, only sat there quietly. Shen Qingzhou was completely focused on the current shot but when he felt something furry press against his side, he glanced over his shoulder.
Then his gaze shifted upward. Yu Wan was standing a few paces away, breathing heavily. “I couldn’t stop him. Give me just a moment and I’ll take him away.”
“Nevermind. Let him stay,” said Shen Qingzhou.
Yu Wan nodded. He glanced at her and added, “sit next to me and keep an eye on him.”
“Oh.” Yu Wan took a few steps closer, sat beside him, then pulled Red Bean into an embrace.
“I’ll be here a while longer. If he gets hungry, give him some snacks. Tang Yue set them behind me.”
“Oh, okay.” Yu Wan looked over and saw a bag. She picked it up and took a look inside. It was full of snacks that Red Bean liked to eat.
As soon as he’d relayed his orders, Shen Qingzhou turned back around and re-focused on directing while Yu Wan and Red Bean watched obediently.
“Red Bean, want some snacks?” Yu Wan grabbed a small bag of dog treats and tossed one into his mouth. The dog eagerly dug in, devouring it with obvious relish. Yu Wan picked up the package and examined it. “What brand is this? Next time, I’ll bring some back for Her Majesty too. Red Bean, is it good?”
Red Bean drew in close and pleaded for another piece. Yu Wan gave it to him, then reached back into the bag, took out yet another treat, and naturally popped it into her own mouth. “Mm, savory!”
As soon as she’d tasted it, she looked up and saw Shen Qingzhou staring intently at her, clearly amused.
Yu Wan instantly felt awkward. “Ahem. Um. I’m just taste-testing it on Yu Diandian’s behalf.”
“Greedy.” He removed his earphones. They’d just reached a good stopping point and were taking a quick break from filming.
“Hey, I said I was just a taste-taster!” said Yu Wan stubbornly. “Besides, I refuse to believe you've never tasted Red Bean’s treats. I've heard that every dog owner’s done it!
Shen Qingzhou arched his brows. “I’ve never tried them.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Yu Wan narrowed her eyes and passed him a piece. “Then try some now. You can’t be a good pet-owner if you’ve never tasted dog food.”
“......”
“What, you don’t dare eat it?”
Shen Qingzhou glanced at the biscuit, then at the pale white arm proffering it. He hesitated briefly, then leaned forward slightly and took a bite. It was somewhat savory, but the flavor was rather bland.
Yu Wan stared at him in wide-eyed curiosity. “What do you think? Isn’t it good?”
“It’s gross.”
“Huh? I think it’s pretty good!”
Shen Qingzhou glanced at her. “What snacks don’tyou like?”
“.......”
A man, a woman, and a dog, an abnormally warm and harmonious scene.
As workers came and went, they couldn’t help but stare.
Director Shen had facial paralysis and could barely smile. Director Shen didn’t like others getting too close….. Everyone familiar with him knew these ironclad rules. Why didn’t they apply to their scriptwriter?
Damn! Why was he even eating the biscuits she fed him! Something was wrong! Director Shen was letting a woman get close to him! They suddenly found themselves worshipping Yu Wan. Director Shen was constantly surrounded by gorgeous movie stars but had never taken an interest in any of them. Now he'd been snatched up by a scriptwriter?
They absolutely had to get on her good side! Their scriptwriter, Her Excellency Weiwan, had a limitless future!