Chapter 226: The Most Beautiful Ancient Painting Restorer

Chapter 226: The Most Beautiful Ancient Painting Restorer

This romance-themed mobile game targets female players, so the cast is predominantly male. There were only four female roles for Meng Fan to voice, which, categorized by tone, perfectly spanned the spectrum: loli, maiden, mature woman, and queen.

The lines were brief, and Meng Fan’s efficiency remained god-tier; he finished in just over half an hour. Lou Lan, the bearded producer, couldn't even bring himself to look Meng Fan in the eye!

His ears were filled with voices that were pure, sweet, sultry, or enchanting, yet before him sat a tall, burly man!

It was truly a jarring experience!

"Iron God!"

As soon as Meng Fan stepped out of the booth, Lou Lan raised a hand, pleading, "Please, don't speak. Let me collect myself!"

"Alright, alright, take your time. Nothing else to do, so I'll be off."

Meng Fan laughed, his voice naturally reverting to his own. He had only lent his talents for the sake of art; he wasn't perverse enough to switch to a female voice for casual conversation, just as he wouldn't intentionally perform while speaking normally.

Brother, you just spoke anyway!

"Iron God, thank you."

Hearing Meng Fan’s original voice, Lou Lan’s expression normalized. After a sincere thank you, he suddenly asked, "Iron God, you could totally record a 'Hey, little brother, want to cyber-date?' video with all those voices. It would definitely go viral!"

Meng Fan was familiar with those videos and had seen plenty. He shook his head with a smile, "Keep it low-key, keep it low-key."

Nonsense, Meng Fan still cared about his dignity.

Recording such videos was out of the question, but he was more than happy to take on female roles if needed. He followed up, "Do you think my female voices sounded natural?"

Lou Lan nodded, "Natural? They were vivid."

Knowing Lou Lan handled casting, and having received several roles from him recently, Meng Fan added, "If you think so, feel free to assign me any suitable female roles in the future."

"Sure, no problem."

Lou Lan had always held Meng Fan in high regard, and after this favor, he was more than willing to steer resources his way. After a moment's thought, he said, "Iron God, let me organize this batch of recordings first. It's getting late, so I'll reach out tomorrow."

"Fine, I'm heading out."

Meng Fan walked out, feeling satisfied. He bumped into a female voice actor coming to see Lou Lan, and upon hearing her ask about available roles, he quickened his pace.

I suppose I’m stealing work now.

He left the Chocolate Factory and strolled back to the Damei Studio; having both in the same creative park saved him a lot of time.

At this hour, Meng Fan decided it was best to eat before heading home. Since he’d just order takeout anyway, he might as well do it here—Chen Daqiang was around, and he always knew how to order the best food.

"You're here too? I was just thinking, has this kid grown wings? You weren't here this morning, but here you are in the afternoon."

Ever since that night, Zhang Zhouwei had been frequenting the studio more often. Whenever Wang Yanan was there, he was almost always present too. It was hard to tell if he came willingly or if Wang Yanan was forcing him.

Zhang Zhouwei didn't have much to do at the studio besides playing assistant to Wang Yanan. His laziness was terminal; the only reason he was ever diligent was because of her.

When Meng Fan arrived, Zhang was huddled in a corner playing games, a postgraduate entrance exam book on the table. He was clearly slacking off while Wang Yanan was busy.

"Didn't you say you were leaving? Why are you back?"

Zhang Zhouwei glanced up at Meng Fan, shifted his seat, and returned to his game.

Meng Fan sat down beside him, "Just finished a recording session. Came over to mooch a dinner."

Zhang Zhouwei and the others knew about the voice acting, though they didn't realize just how talented Meng Fan was.

They chatted idly until the game ended. Zhang put his phone down and flashed a cheeky grin at Meng Fan.

Seeing that smile and realizing it was the end of the month, Meng Fan knew he was about to borrow money. He asked how much and transferred it immediately.

Zhang Zhouwei wasn't exactly a big spender; at least he managed to make it to the end of the month even with a girlfriend.

Aside from needing a little bridge money from Meng Fan at the end of the month, he had no real financial pressure. His family didn't demand he achieve greatness, so Meng Fan never criticized his laziness. A little money here or there didn't change much for Zhang, and Meng Fan just wanted him to be comfortable and happy.

Besides, many things didn't need saying. Wang Yanan pushed him as much as she could, and the fact that she could force him to take his studies somewhat seriously was, in Meng Fan's eyes, quite an achievement.

Wang Yanan once said that for someone like Zhang, staying on at the university after the exam was his best path. He was well-suited to be a teacher—at least his gift of gab would have a purpose.

Meng Fan truly admired Wang Yanan for that.

After chatting a while longer, Chen Daqiang finished ordering. As soon as the delivery arrived, the whole studio swarmed.

Ever since Chen Daqiang joined, everyone let him handle the orders. That skill was truly unique; you couldn't learn it even if you tried.

A dozen people huddled together, the food tasting all the better for the scramble.

Only Zhang Zhouwei remained calm. He wasn't as much of a foodie as Meng Fan, nor was he unaccustomed to Chen Daqiang's picks, so he was the only one scrolling through his phone while eating.

"Hmm?"

"Hey!"

Suddenly, Zhang Zhouwei let out a startled cry. Half the room looked at him, while the rest kept eating.

Chen Daqiang leaned in curiously.

Meng Fan asked, "What is it?"

Chen Daqiang said, "Sister-in-law is trending!"

Ever since he’d excitedly called Wu Tong "sister-in-law" at Meng Fan’s apartment complex, the title had stuck.

Everyone looked over, intrigued.

Zhang Zhouwei said, "Don't look at me, check the WeChat news feed yourselves."

Meng Fan opened WeChat and saw the second headline: "A Beautiful Soul and Skilled Hands! She is the Palace Museum's Youngest Ancient Painting Restorer, and the Most Beautiful One in the Eyes of Netizens!"

The article described how Wu Tong, a student from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, had participated in the restoration of a batch of ancient paintings at the Palace Museum. Her exquisite skill and serious attitude had earned the praise of the master restorer. The highlight, of course, was the set of photos uploaded of Wu Tong at work.

Wu Tong was already a beauty—her face, figure, and temperament were top-tier. Placed in such an environment, with such a persona, she was absolutely stunning!

"Wu Tong?!"

Everyone present saw it. While marveling at the quality of the photos, they were also envious of her opportunity to restore paintings at the Palace Museum.

Qin Jiu, who was also there, glanced at Chen Daqiang, then at Meng Fan, and asked curiously, "Sister-in-law? Are you two together?"

Everyone’s gaze snapped back to Meng Fan.

He had almost forgotten that detail.

Meng Fan was instantly mortified.