WebNovels

Chapter 161 - Chapter 162: The Substitute Lover of the Genius Director (Part 3)

Feng Wan didn't own a car yet, so she simply booked a rideshare through a mini-program on her phone to get to the Fruit TV station.

After all, she was now comfortably middle class—just one person to feed, no dependents. There was no need to make life harder than it had to be.

At the reception of Fruit TV, a staff member enthusiastically led her to an office and even thoughtfully prepared her a cup of tea.

"Miss Feng, please take a seat. Sister Lin will be with you in a few minutes."

Feng Wan smiled politely and nodded. "Alright, thank you."

The staff member, having just closed the door, couldn't help but marvel inwardly: Now that's a natural beauty. Pretty and polite. Not like that arrogant green tea bimbo from yesterday. How come I've never seen this Miss Feng in the entertainment industry before?

No way—I have to keep an eye on her. My fangirling journey can't be without this hidden gem of a girl.

Feng Wan had just taken a few sips of tea when the office door opened again. In came a poised, elegant woman dressed in a smart business suit.

Feng Wan rose at the right moment, greeted her with a smile, and shook hands. The meeting protocol was executed smoothly and gracefully.

Editor Lin offered a somewhat apologetic explanation, "Sorry about the wait—we were in the middle of a department meeting."

Since it was just a polite remark, Feng Wan naturally didn't make the mistake of taking it literally.

"No trouble at all. I was just resting here for a few minutes. It's really nothing. And your front desk staff is very efficient and considerate."

Sure enough, the smile on Sister Lin's face deepened. Who doesn't like hearing kind words? It was just polite flattery, after all.

After the pleasantries, they got down to business: negotiating the contract.

Feng Wan carefully reviewed the document. Most of the terms were clear—except for one: the penalty clause for breach of contract wasn't clearly defined.

"Sister Lin, the contract looks thorough overall, but the penalty clause here seems a bit unclear."

Sister Lin laughed heartily, doing her best to hide her momentary discomfort.

Feng Wan caught the change in expression instantly but pretended not to notice.

"That's our new assistant's fault. She's still learning the ropes. I hope you can understand, Miss Feng."

Given such a convenient excuse, Feng Wan had no reason to press the issue.

In the end, Sister Lin personally redrafted the contract, specifying that the breach penalty would be three times Feng Wan's compensation.

During the recording period, Feng Wan was required to maintain a good public image and complete ten consecutive episodes of Delicious Arrivals. Except for force majeure, she was not allowed to quit halfway without cause.

If she did, she would be liable to pay triple the penalty. Likewise, Fruit TV couldn't kick her off the show without reason either.

"By the way, Miss Feng, just a heads-up—the first episode will be recorded in one week. The production team will contact you. Please make sure to meet the other guests at the Capital Airport on time. You'll head to the actual filming location together."

"Got it. I won't forget. Please rest assured!" Feng Wan responded crisply, a polite but clearly fake smile still playing on her lips.

Once she left Fruit TV, that smile vanished without a trace. That earlier loophole in the contract couldn't have been an accident. Someone had clearly tried to pull something.

Unfortunately, the interaction had been too brief—she hadn't had time to find out who was backing Sister Lin.

Still, based on the original host's social circle, the culprit wasn't hard to guess. The most likely person harboring a grudge was Kong Rui, the ex-boyfriend she dumped.

One had to admit, Feng Wan's instincts were still as sharp as ever.

As soon as she saw Feng Wan off, Sister Lin returned to her private office and pulled out her phone.

"Director Kong, please don't involve me in shady business like this again. Miss Feng is very sharp—she spotted the contract issue right away. So your little scheme didn't work out."

The man on the other end of the line was silent for a moment before replying slowly, "I understand. Thanks, Sister Lin. We're still good for future collaborations. I'll be working with your company again. Please help me keep an eye on Feng Wan's activities."

After hanging up, Sister Lin scoffed inwardly: Men are all the same—eating from their own bowl while eyeing the pot. If it weren't for the money, I wouldn't go against my conscience like this.

Inside a luxurious private villa, Kong Rui was in a foul mood. He swept all the documents off his study desk in a fit of rage, sending them scattering to the floor with loud thuds.

The part-time housekeeper outside pretended not to hear a thing and kept working without pause. She'd long known the true face of this homeowner—he only paid well, which was the only reason she still worked here.

The truth was, ever since Kong Rui found out that Yuan Huihui would be joining Delicious Arrivals, he'd been trying to stop Feng Wan from participating.

Too bad he was a step too late.

Why couldn't that woman just stay a simple blogger? Why insist on entering the entertainment industry and stirring things up?

Now that his ploy with the contract had failed, all he could do was figure out his next move.

Meanwhile, Feng Wan was at the supermarket buying ingredients. She needed to stock up.

That way, she could film a bunch of food-related short videos in the coming days, getting a head start on her content. Once the show started filming, she wouldn't have as much free time.

Purple cabbage—perfect for salad. Duck heads and duck feet—great for marinated snacks, ideal for binge-watching shows. Extra spicy seasoning packets, chili sauces, hotpot bases—essential tools in her kitchen arsenal...

By the time Feng Wan got home, arms full of shopping bags, it was already past 11 a.m. She kept lunch simple: a bowl of snail noodles. She added extra chili oil, hotpot meatballs, and some vegetables.

Once it was cooked, she didn't even bother with a bowl—just ate straight from the mini electric pot to save on dishwashing.

Though it was a full pot, she finished it all and even drank a few sips of broth, letting out a satisfied burp.

She had to admit—she loved this never-gain-weight metabolism.

In her past life, back when she was filming TV dramas, she had to strictly control her weight—living on tasteless low-fat meals every day. Otherwise, she'd get chewed out by the director for not looking good on camera.

That afternoon, Feng Wan planned to make a few snack videos with the theme "Even Kitchen Noobs Can Do It." As long as viewers followed her seasoning ratios, they could make delicious lemon chicken feet, spicy braised treats, crispy peanuts...

These snacks were primarily to satisfy her own cravings—but secondarily, they'd be edited into videos to share with her fans.

A week flew by. Feng Wan rolled her suitcase into Capital Airport, ready to meet the other guests and the production team.

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