novelcity
Chapter 42
Chapter 42
The phrase flooding the screen was what Yu Wanqiu had said to Jiang Lan on her first day in the show’s production team. In the first episode, since their schedules differed, mentioning it upfront helped avoid unnecessary conflicts.
The screen was filled with Yu Wanqiu’s so-called "words of wisdom." Yu Wanqiu glanced at the live chat assistant, then lowered her head, pretending not to see.
[Let me check what time it is now.]
[Oh my, it’s already 10:05.]
[Doesn’t that mean finishing the game would take until midnight?]
[After midnight, it’s technically tomorrow—doesn’t that mean Yu Wanqiu would be staying up late?]
[I’m definitely showing this part to my mom.]
[No beauty sleep if she stays up late.]
[Then she won’t be able to wake up at six tomorrow.]
[If she can’t wake up, she won’t sleep well at night, and if she can’t sleep, she’ll stay up late again, and if she stays up late, she’ll wake up late…]
Jiang Lan glanced at the screen and said, "Since you all want Yu Wanqiu to go to bed so badly, we’ll just end the stream now."
[???]
[Are you serious?]
[We take it back, we take it back! We’d love for you two to stay up all night!]
[Hurry up and start the game—let’s hit King tier today!]
[As someone who doesn’t play games, all I noticed was the 555 intimacy level after the match.]
The higher the rank, the harder the matches became. Yu Wanqiu could tell the opposing team was also a five-stack. To secure a win, the three professional players picked their signature heroes.
Zheng Rong chose Lan, Sa Sa locked in Flame Dancer, Qing Ying picked Montainous, and Jiang Lan went with Sun Shangxiang—a high-damage hero who could kite enemies with proper positioning.
The only role left for Yu Wanqiu was support, but the enemy team had banned the hero Yao.
Even though there were plenty of other cute, squishy supports, Yu Wanqiu picked Donghuang.
Unlike Yao, Donghuang was a tanky support whose second and third skills provided crowd control. This hero was durable enough to dive into the enemy team and still make it out alive.
Yu Wanqiu had never played this hero on stream before.
[Eel support?]
[Wife, ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????please just play Yao—she’s prettier.]
[I refuse to let my wife play tank supports! Even if Yao’s banned, there’s still Cai Wenji—isn’t she cute? QAQ]
[Just came back from their stream—Zheng Rong’s eyes lit up.]
[Looks like we’ve matched against them.]
Zheng Rong and the others were surprised too. Most female gamers prioritized aesthetics—even Jiang Lan, who was skilled, mostly played flashy heroes like Han Xin and Li Bai, rarely opting for bruisers like Dian Wei.
But Yu Wanqiu actually knew how to play Donghuang.
And when the loading screen appeared, her mastery badge was blue.
Zheng Rong took a quiet breath and said, "Yu Wanqiu, stick with me in the early game."
[What supports do the jungle kings love the most?]
[Answer: Donghuang, Ox King, and Zhang Fei.]
[I’m emotional, folks.]
[The enemy team is actually streamers—it’s An Ran. We’ve matched against them. No way, is our win streak ending here?]
It was already the end of the season. Most streamers were grinding for national rankings, having long since reached King tier early in the season. Who was still stuck in Star tier? This was probably a smurf account deliberately trying to snipe them.
[Full of Stars (Pei Qinhu): Yu Wanqiu, I’m your fan!]
[Full of Stars (Pei Qinhu): We won’t stream snipe, but just asking—when are you starting?]
Pei Qinhu was a hero with strong invade potential. An Ran, a national top-tier Pei Qinhu player, had excellent jungle control and planned to steal the enemy’s blue buff first.
But when Pei Qinhu and his support entered the jungle, they ran into three burly men waiting in the blue buff bush.
[No Celery (Donghuang): Pei Qinhu starts now.]
An Ran was stunned.
He thought Yu Wanqiu had just picked Donghuang for fun. Half a minute ago, he’d joked about going easy on his idol—but now…
...
Yu Wanqiu adjusted her sitting position. All those days of practice hadn’t gone to waste. "Jiang Lan, I’ll come help you in a bit."
[This eel is freaking insane.]
[I’m in love.]
[This is way more exciting than those stomp matches before.]
The enemy team had five national top-tier players, while their side had three pros. If Yu Wanqiu had picked Yao, it would’ve been tough, but with Donghuang, she dictated the enemy jungle’s chaos. Her second skill sped her up, and with Flash engages, Jiang Lan could delete enemies in two shots.
Yu Wanqiu even tower-dived fearlessly.
An Ran was in shambles. Between the pros and Donghuang, he couldn’t even stack his jungle item. When his teammate said, "Donghuang’s ult is down," An Ran went in—only to die horribly.
"I’ve heard many lies, like ‘Donghuang has no ult.’ Ah, my idol just killed her fan!"
Yu Wanqiu always positioned herself ahead of Sun Shangxiang. If playing Yao required Jiang Lan to gift her kills, then every kill Yu Wanqiu secured as Donghuang was earned through skill.
She might not be at a pro level, but as long as she landed her ult, her teammates could follow up, and then she’d vanish, leaving no trace behind.
[Fan abuse in progress.]
[Let’s see if they dare to snipe again!]
[National top-tier Pei Qinhu announces immediate unstanning.]
Yu Wanqiu had a blast this match. In under twenty minutes, they destroyed the enemy nexus. At 12:10 AM, Yu Wanqiu finally reached King tier.
There was a special animation for hitting King. Yu Wanqiu stared at it for a long time—she’d actually made it. She had the King badge now.
Zheng Rong had enjoyed the last few matches too. Yu Wanqiu’s Donghuang and Ox King were both solid.
"Yu Wanqiu, Jiang Lan, we’ll log off now. Let’s play together again next time." Zheng Rong said goodbye, and Sa Sa and Qing Ying followed suit.
The fans were even happier than if they’d reached King themselves.
Yu Wanqiu said contentedly, "Alright, everyone, goodnight. We’re ending the stream now."
[It’s a new day—why not stream next week’s hours too?]
[A new day, a new you. After midnight, it doesn’t count as staying up late.]
[I take back what I said earlier QAQ]
Yu Wanqiu smiled at the live chat. "It’s really late—past midnight already. Jiang Lan has an internship tomorrow and needs to sleep early."
Jiang Lan added, "I found a two-week job. Work starts at 8 AM, and I can leave once my tasks are done."
[What kind of job? Yu Wanqiu’s assistant?]
[Lu Yuan’s internship?]
[What’s the job? Jiang Lan, are you starting to earn money to support your future wife?]
[Wait, aren’t you still a junior? Internship already?]
Jiang Lan replied, "It’s at a studio that produces OSTs. Gotta make money to treat Yu Wanqiu to good food. Seriously, we’re ending the stream now. Goodnight, everyone."
After closing the stream, Yu Wanqiu said, "Downtown’s a thirty-minute drive. You’ll need to wake up at seven tomorrow, plus eat breakfast. I’ll drive you."
Jiang Lan could’ve taken the subway. "Yu Wanqiu, I can just take the metro."
Yu Wanqiu countered, "If you take the metro, what about the camera crew? You can handle the morning rush, but what if the equipment gets damaged? I’ll drive you—it’s not like I’m busy anyway."
This variety show focused on mother-in-law and daughter-in-law daily life. Except for private outings like dates, everything had to be filmed. When Chen Shuyun went to work, she brought the crew along—Jiang Lan had to do the same.
"Then I’ll trouble you, Yu Wanqiu." Jiang Lan was thrilled. Yu Wanqiu driving her? That was amazing.
Yu Wanqiu waved it off. "No trouble at all. Check your mail for the flowers, then go to bed."
Yu Wanqiu had sent so many flowers that their intimacy level shot up to 33. Jiang Lan sent all the flowers she had in her inventory too, but it wasn’t enough—their intimacy stayed at 33.
Who else could form a bestie CP with Yu Wanqiu…
At level 33, no less.
Jiang Lan returned to her room to freshen up after a long livestream session, having not checked her phone the entire time. There were several messages from Lu Yicheng waiting for her.
[Is my mom just bored or something? Why did she set up this "close relationship" thing? Ours should be higher than theirs.]
[You went out for skewers at noon? That’s supposed to be our date spot—why’d you take my mom there?]
[No tipping for you. You’re so gentle when playing games with my mom, but with me, you’re ruthless.]
[It’s already 10 PM and you’re still streaming.]
[Little turtle shedding tears meme: "Don’t be sad, you lil’ turtle."]
The last two messages were sent at 11:30 PM:
[Why aren’t you offline yet? Don’t you have work tomorrow?]
[And you didn’t even call.]
[The pig raised by the fairy patted you and got beaten half to death.]
[?]
Jiang Lan replied: [Are you still awake?]
[The pig raised by the fairy: Not yet, waiting for you. Do you even know what time it is?]
Jiang Lan: [Should we call?]
Lu Yicheng immediately called her. Jiang Lan lay on her bed with the phone pressed to her ear. "We won every game today—another winning streak."
Lu Yicheng: "Yeah, I watched your stream. You were amazing."
Jiang Lan grinned proudly. "Just average, really. That Sun Shangxiang play where I dodged tower damage with Purify? Absolutely legendary."
Lu Yicheng opened his mouth as if he had a lot to say, but it was already late, and Jiang Lan had to wake up early for work. "You should sleep. Get some rest for tomorrow."
Jiang Lan nodded. "Okay. Oh, by the way—did you eat the cake? Was it good? I know it didn’t look the best..."
Lu Yicheng: "So you admit it was ugly. I knew there had to be a reason you suddenly gave me a cake."
The failed ones always ended up with him.
When she’d handed him the cake earlier, Jiang Lan had been relieved and even a little smug. But now, hearing his teasing, she felt a pang of guilt. "When I get my paycheck, I’ll treat you to a proper cake..."
"I don’t want store-bought. I want one you make. Otherwise, I’ll eat all those cakes and explode."
Jiang Lan: "...Lu Yicheng, please tell me you didn’t actually eat all of them?"
Lu Yicheng: "I gave one box to my dad."
Then he added, "He actually liked it. Anyway, I only want yours. Let’s stop talking about this or we’ll never hang up. Put your phone down and sleep."
Jiang Lan: "Goodnight~"
"Goodnight, baby."
The next day, Monday.
It was Jiang Lan’s first day at work. She dressed simply—a white T-shirt and jeans—and packed a jacket in case the studio’s AC was too strong.
Water bottle, sun umbrella, small backpack, violin—she had everything she needed.
At 7:20 AM, Jiang Lan grabbed a sandwich and got into the car. She’d woken up a bit late, so breakfast would have to be eaten on the way. Yu Wanqiu leaned back in her seat, eyes closed, looking exhausted from the late night and early morning.
Forty minutes later, they arrived at the Twin Towers in the city center. Jiang Lan waved at Yu Wanqiu as she got out of the car. "See you tonight, Teacher Yu!"
Yu Wanqiu nodded. "Go on, don’t be late."
She wasn’t sure how to describe her feelings—watching Jiang Lan walk into the Twin Towers gave her a strange sense of reluctance, like a parent sending their child off to school for the first time. Logically, they’d only be apart for a few hours, but ever since joining the show, she and Jiang Lan had been together every day.
Yu Wanqiu sighed.
Jiang Lan’s job was straightforward. The OST for the drama was a multi-instrumental piece with assigned sheet music. She was responsible for the violin part, though she’d occasionally fill in on cello or piano if needed. After recording, they’d review and adjust as necessary.
The staff at Chen Ninglei’s studio were friendly, even offering her snacks—spicy strips, nuts, and egg yolk pastries.
"Eat up! The show makes you look a little chubby, but in person, you’re so thin!"
Everyone looked heavier on camera. Compared to Yu Wanqiu and Shen Xingyao, Jiang Lan appeared slightly rounder on screen. But since she wasn’t an actress, there was no need to obsess over her figure.
"Your violin playing is great. You must be tired after this morning—have some yogurt."
Jiang Lan was essentially doing the work of two people, which made her colleagues feel a little guilty. Plus, she was only a junior in college, so there was no competition between them. And with the cameras following her, it was free publicity for the studio—everyone wanted to put their best foot forward.
An older colleague said, "Jiang Lan, why don’t you order lunch with us? There are a few really good places."
Jiang Lan agreed and started browsing options with them. But just as she was about to place the order, her phone rang—Yu Wanqiu was calling.
She stepped out to answer. "Teacher Yu? Did you miss me already?"
Silence on the other end. "Don’t flatter yourself. Come downstairs and get your lunch."
Jiang Lan gasped. "Lunch? You came to deliver it yourself?!"
Yu Wanqiu: "It’s just lunch. No need to make a big deal out of it."
Despite her words, Yu Wanqiu was smiling. Outside the car window, traffic flowed steadily. They’d arrive at the Twin Towers in five minutes.
After hanging up, Jiang Lan told her coworkers she wouldn’t be ordering takeout—someone was bringing her a homemade meal.
She rushed downstairs to meet Yu Wanqiu, planning to eat in the car before heading back up. But Yu Wanqiu had brought way more than just lunch.
There was coffee, milk tea, mini cakes, and even ice cream—all beautifully packaged. Xiao Xu helped carry everything upstairs. "Teacher Yu asked me to buy these for your colleagues. Just a small gesture to help you bond on your first day."
Yu Wanqiu interjected, "But don’t share the lunch. That’s mine."
Jiang Lan didn’t know what to say. "Teacher Yu, maybe I should eat in the car before going back up..."
Yu Wanqiu waved her off impatiently. "Just go. I need to go home and nap. I’ll pick you up tonight."
The round trip took over an hour. Jiang Lan couldn’t believe Yu Wanqiu would go out of her way like this. "But Teacher Yu, I’ll miss you too much!"
Yu Wanqiu shooed her away, instructing Xiao Xu to take the treats upstairs.
Chen Ninglei’s studio had a lot of employees, but only a small group worked directly with Jiang Lan on the same track. After distributing the drinks and desserts, Jiang Lan sat at her desk and opened her lunch box with reverence.
It was a pink pig-shaped thermal container, still warm inside. The meal consisted of garlic chicken wings, dry-pot potatoes, and rice balls wrapped in seaweed—shaped like little bears with "clothes" made of seaweed, complete with facial features.
This was a homemade bento—a love-filled lunch from Teacher Yu.
Jiang Lan took several photos and sent them to Lu Yicheng and Xu Xiang. Lu Yicheng replied first, attaching a picture of his own lunch—some generic takeout box.
[The pig raised by the fairy: Our offices aren’t too far apart. Wanna grab dinner together tonight?]
[This is a handmade bento from Teacher Yu. One bite and I’m set for the day. Anyway, enjoy your sad takeout.]
[The pig raised by the fairy: ...]
Xu Xiang, an avid viewer of the show, was a hardcore "Lanzhou Pulled Noodles" shipper. During summer break, she practically lived on Bilibili and fan forums.
She's just a country bumpkin, not as talented as her fans, only capable of barking wildly.
[Thinking: What's Teacher Yu making?]
[Thinking: Aaaaaah does it taste good? Can you save me a chicken bone? Wuwuwu I only deserve chicken bones...]
Jiang Lan ate everything, washed the lunchbox, and sent a photo of it to Yu Wanqiu.
Colleagues in the same room sipped milk tea and ate cupcakes. With their mouths sweetened, they felt too embarrassed to pry into gossip, but they couldn’t help glancing at Jiang Lan.
She really was beautiful—not just in looks, but in personality too. Her professional skills were impeccable. She barely touched the snacks given to her, packing them all into her bag, probably to bring back for Yu Wanqiu.
Being lucky was one thing—having such a boyfriend and then a mother-in-law like that.
But being exceptional was another. If Jiang Lan weren’t so capable, Yu Wanqiu wouldn’t adore her this much.
Working just half a day and still having someone deliver lunch… How could someone be so… clingy?
Those in the same room had effectively been bribed into silence, keeping their thoughts to themselves. But in a building as large as Twin Towers, with so many employees, naturally, someone spotted Yu Wanqiu.
[Under the lemon tree, lemons grow, and beneath it sit you and me. Yesterday’s livestream mentioned Jiang Lan starting her internship. Guess what I saw today? [Smile] I saw Yu Wanqiu bringing her lunch! [Photo]]
Almost anything Yu Wanqiu did could trend. Yesterday’s gaming session was still hanging on the hot searches.
The photo showed Jiang Lan waving at a car, holding a pink pig-themed insulated lunchbox. The summer sun was harsh, but her smile was radiant.
Beside her stood Yu Wanqiu’s assistant, arms laden with bags. She’d appeared in many public settings before, so the person in the car could only be Yu Wanqiu.
On her first day at work, not only did she get lunch delivered, but her colleagues were treated to milk tea and desserts.
[Lanzhou Lamian (Jiang Lan x Yu Wanqiu) is real—I’m tired of saying it.]
[No big deal, no big deal. Hit me with something sweeter—I can take it.]
[Yu Wanqiu’s movie premiere? Jiang Lan sent flowers and treated everyone to a meal. Jiang Lan’s first day at work? Yu Wanqiu brings milk tea and homemade lunch. Tsk, just drown me in sugar already.]
[I thought Jiang Lan interning meant they’d only see each other at night, leaving the show’s editors with little to work with. How naive I was.]
[Never before has a ship’s own members force-fed me candy like this.]
[The villa and Twin Towers are a 30+ minute drive apart. Two round trips cost over two hours.]
[Calculating Yu Wanqiu’s paycheck, those two hours wasted a fortune. Yep, absolutely.]
[I’m shipping it, I’m shipping it!]
[The lunch delivery proves Jiang Lan’s uniqueness to Yu Wanqiu. She never did this for LSC or LYC—heck, they barely even ate together. So Jiang Lan is the real deal, those two were accidents. First time shipping, am I doing it right?]
[What’s LYC and LSC? Stop with the abbreviations—I can’t understand!]
[Wow… have they fallen so far into obscurity?]
[Silent mockery cuts the deepest.]
Zhang Tianzhen never expected Yu Wanqiu to personally deliver lunch to Jiang Lan. The commute was too long, and cooking itself was already labor-intensive.
Two dishes? That took at least an hour to prepare.
Yet not only did she cook, she even delivered it.
Yu Wanqiu arrived back at the villa around one. From the footage captured by the crew, her routine seemed restored—reading, tea, yoga, occasionally flipping through a script.
The villa felt emptier today. Shen Xingyao and Du Wanzhou had gone shopping, Zhang Lin was out for a prenatal checkup, and Chen Shuyun and Aunt Zhao had visited the market in the morning, barely speaking to Yu Wanqiu.
Watching her like this, she seemed like a lonely elder left at home—pitifully solitary.
Though… her appearance had nothing in common with an old woman.
The third floor was empty, the fourth only had Yu Wanqiu. Meanwhile, Jiang Lan thrived at work. Around three, she texted Yu Wanqiu that she’d be off in an hour.
Yu Wanqiu immediately put down her book, changed into a nicer outfit, swapped twice before settling on a deep blue satin dress, then grabbed the bouquet Xiao Xu had ordered from the florist and headed out to pick Jiang Lan up.
The sun wasn’t as scorching now. Xiao Xu had chosen hydrangeas—soft blue, delicate and lovely. The car had a mini fridge stocked with ice cream. Honestly, Yu Wanqiu had thought of everything.
Parked underground, the black car flashed its lights twice as Jiang Lan spotted it. She waved excitedly, lunchbox in hand. "Teacher Yu, I’m off work!"
Sliding into the passenger seat, Jiang Lan beamed. "I brought you snacks! My colleagues shared them, but I saved them for you."
Spicy strips, crackers, candied plums, egg yolk pastries, mini bread, waffle cookies…
Yu Wanqiu: "All for me?"
Jiang Lan: "Of course!"
Yu Wanqiu gestured for Xiao Xu to pass the flowers from the front seat. "Well then… congratulations on your first successful workday."
The pale blue hydrangeas bloomed beautifully, dewdrops still fresh on the petals. Wrapped in navy paper and tied with pearl-white ribbon, it was an exquisite bouquet.
Yu Wanqiu crossed her arms. "So? What do you think?"
Lunch at noon, flowers at dusk—what did she think?
Jiang Lan: "I think it’s amazing! If every day were like this, I’d be grinning in my sleep!"
Yu Wanqiu: "That’s easy enough."
Just flowers—the simplest, most achievable wish.
Jiang Lan: "No, no! I was joking! These must’ve cost a fortune. You said you’d buy discount flowers from Pinduoduo, but then you go and order these… Ugh, how can I not love you?"
"Alright, let’s go home." The car eased out of the parking lot, merging into the rush-hour traffic.
Jiang Lan cradled the bouquet. "The recording’s almost done. If I finish tomorrow morning, I won’t need to come in the afternoon. Teacher Yu, let’s watch a movie tomorrow!"
As a filmmaker, Yu Wanqiu had high standards. "Which one?"
"The Storyteller of Jianghu—it’s nominated for the Golden Bear. Also your competition. Know thy enemy, right?"
Truthfully, Jiang Lan had watched it with Lu Yicheng before. Hilarious from start to finish—guaranteed to leave them in high spirits. If it were a bad film, she’d never suggest it. They could find a private theater to avoid recognition.
Yu Wanqiu agreed readily. "Sure."
She rarely went to cinemas. The last time was over a decade ago with Lu Shuangchen. After fame, she barely went anywhere public, let alone movie theaters.
A half-day, just watching a film—time would fly.
Jiang Lan added, "After the movie, let’s grab dinner, play claw machines, then get ice cream or frozen yogurt. I know you think ice cream’s unhealthy, but frozen yogurt’s fine, right?"
Yu Wanqiu: "...Frozen yogurt?"
The poor actress didn’t even know what that was. Jiang Lan smirked. "You’ll see tomorrow. You’ll love it."
She never used to crave cold treats, thinking them unnecessary. But once tasted, the desire lingered.
The next day, Jiang Lan left work early. The movie started at 2:30 PM—two hours to go.
This is a martial arts comedy, starring Ming Yao, a newcomer to the industry. This is her first film since entering the entertainment world, and her debut... has already earned her a Golden Bear Award nomination, marking an incredibly promising future.
Moreover, Ming Yao and Yu Wanqiu share a resemblance in their eyes—both possess a lively, expressive gaze.
Just the eyes alone are enough to create a three-point likeness.
Many have taken to calling Ming Yao "Little Yu Wanqiu," a nickname that follows the not-uncommon trend of rising to fame as a "mini-version" of an established star. In the past, an internet celebrity similarly rode Shen Xingyao's coattails to fame and is now acting, though with little success.
Ming Yao's fans claim she finds this title frustrating.
Whether her team intentionally encouraged the comparison or not, the fact remains—she has capitalized on the association.
However, it’s becoming harder to ride Yu Wanqiu’s coattails now. Beyond her titles as the "Nation's Goddess," "Triple Crown Best Actress," and the "Everest of the Entertainment Industry," she has recently gained two more labels:
One is "Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Noodles," and the other is "The Nation's Mother-in-Law."
If Ming Yao’s resemblance was deliberate, then tough luck—unless she speeds up her timeline to marry, have a child, and find a daughter-in-law like Jiang Lan, this borrowed spotlight won’t shine for much longer.