Category: Reborn to Stew Soup (GL)

Chapter 65: Chicken Noodle Soup p2

Director Pan found it strange. Since the day Jiang Lingling caught a cold and Zhang Zijing called in sick, after they recovered and resumed filming, Zhang Zijing’s performance had actually improved. Not that his acting skills had suddenly improved, but he was clearly more serious and dedicated, especially in his scenes with Jiang Lingling. Director Pan had been ready to lower his expectations for him, but with Zhang Zijing’s efforts, his completion rate gradually increased. Some scenes, although not perfect, were passable. Much better than his previous forgetting of lines, spacing out, and making mistakes, which made it impossible for Director Pan to even lower the bar. Director Pan even praised Zhang Zijing a few times and subtly suggested that he help Jiang Duo, sharing his experience and tips on how to improve her completion rate.

Zhang Zijing humbly accepted Director Pan’s praise and advice, but he was fuming inside. That night, filming the rain scene with Jiang Lingling, he was still recovering from his illness and wasn’t in his best condition. After just a few NGs, Jiang Lingling went crazy. In the original script, Jiang Lingling’s character ran through the rain, found the emperor under the eaves, and hugged him tightly. No matter how many times they NGed, the emperor, standing under the eaves, wouldn’t get wet. At most, his outer robe would get a little damp from being hugged repeatedly, but it didn’t matter, he was wearing layers underneath. So, at first, even after several NGs due to his own mistakes, Zhang Zijing remained calm and collected, adjusting his state. But the next time Jiang Lingling hugged him, he felt like his bones were being crushed. So, naturally, he showed an expression of pain and fear, and they NGed again.

Watching Jiang Lingling dejectedly walking back into the rain to prepare for another take, Zhang Zijing almost thought the intense pain he had just felt was a dream. But the lingering ache in his body told him it was real.

For the next take, Zhang Zijing tensed his muscles, his face serious, waiting for Jiang Lingling to pounce on him, ready to confirm whether the feeling of being crushed in a giant’s hand was really caused by this beautiful and flamboyant girl.

Jiang Lingling, running towards him through the rain, like a lost swallow, gently and tenderly embraced him.

Oh… so it was a hallucination earlier? Zhang Zijing relaxed. And because his relaxed expression didn’t match the script, they NGed again.

Zhang Zijing swore… this time, when Jiang Lingling walked back into the rain, she gave him a look of utter disdain.

Zhang Zijing was annoyed. Who hadn’t NGed a few times while filming? Why was she looking at him with such disdain? He was even sick! Thinking this, he became careless. Anyway, he was just standing there, not getting rained on. If she wanted to give him that look, then she could just get drenched a few more times. Zhang Zijing thought this and became completely unfocused.

In his current state, even if he was focused, he couldn’t have delivered a good performance, let alone unfocused.

So, Zhang Zijing was almost crushed again by a hug.

This time, when Jiang Lingling walked back, her gaze was not only disdainful but also threatening, and Zhang Zijing, his body aching, understood. But he was a man, he couldn’t run to Director Pan and complain that the girl was hugging him too tightly, could she please stop hugging him? If he did, he would become a laughingstock.

This time, Zhang Zijing didn’t dare to be careless. But he was still recovering, and startled by the earlier pain. Director Pan hadn’t given up on him yet, so the standards were still high. NG after NG, Zhang Zijing was in so much pain that he almost fainted.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and went to Director Pan, subtly hinting, “If I do something wrong, can you call cut earlier? Every time I have to wait for Jiang Lingling to hug me before you call cut, it’s a waste of time.” His intention was for Director Pan to call cut sooner to save time, so he could be hugged fewer times.

Who knew that Director Pan would glare at him and scold him angrily, “You know it’s a waste of time? Then don’t NG! That girl is getting drenched every time, she’s soaked, and she hasn’t complained. You got a little water on you, are you feeling cold?” He waved his hand, signaling them to get back into position.

So, after two hours of filming in the rain, Jiang Lingling caught a cold, and Zhang Zijing’s upper body was numb with pain. The final take was only approved because Director Pan felt sorry for Jiang Lingling, who was drenched, and seeing that Zhang Zijing wasn’t improving, he reluctantly let it pass.

The next day, Jiang Lingling came to the set with a cold, but Zhang Zijing called in sick, infuriating Director Pan.

Actually, it wasn’t Zhang Zijing’s fault. After the rain scene, he thought his ordeal was over and tearfully bought a bottle of safflower oil, preparing to massage his bruises and post a photo on Weibo to show his dedication, perhaps even gaining some fans.

Zhang Zijing’s plan was good, but when he returned to the hotel and examined himself, he was surprised to find… no bruises… his skin was perfectly fine… it was just the internal pain! No external injuries, just internal ones. Zhang Zijing was so scared that he had his assistant rush him to the emergency room, where he underwent various scans. The result… nothing, just pain.

The worst part was that his actions alerted his manager, who scolded him, made him pay for all the medical expenses, and told him that his and Jiang Duo’s frequent NGs on set had attracted attention from the higher-ups at Dajin. He was told to focus on his acting and stop trying to gain sympathy with his fake illnesses.

Zhang Zijing hadn’t been in the industry for long, and his career had been smooth sailing. These consecutive blows devastated him. But on the third day after being hugged by Jiang Lingling, when he still needed painkillers to sleep, he finally realized that his image and pride were nothing compared to his physical well-being.

So, during November and December, while filming the early palace scenes, Zhang Zijing became extremely serious and dedicated, especially in his scenes with Jiang Lingling. It had to be said that his efforts paid off. He worked hard, and Director Pan, coincidentally, lowered his expectations, so Zhang Zijing’s completion rate improved, and Jiang Lingling didn’t have to resort to violence anymore.

One of the two NG kings, Zhang Zijing, had seen the light. But after two months of filming, Jiang Duo’s performance hadn’t improved. She tried, but her efforts only ensured that her lines and movements were correct, her expressions and emotions still lacking. Director Pan was helpless. But fortunately, she was just a supporting character. They could film from multiple angles, edit it in post-production, and even hire a good voice actor.

Actually, both the emperor, Ji Yan, and the villain, Consort Zhu, were essential to the story. Director Pan hoped they could perform well and elevate the film. Not just because he was the director, and not just because his granddaughter was the screenwriter, but also because he truly believed that this film, if done well, would be excellent.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and he had to lower his expectations for Zhang Zijing and Jiang Duo. It was frustrating.

Anyway, two months passed, and the first part of “Imperial Secrets,” the palace scenes, was almost finished. Director Pan, wanting to maintain continuity, had the entire crew and equipment moved to the estate location for the next part of the film, the confinement scenes.

Although changing locations just meant the completion of one part of the film, most of the crew members were relieved. Progress was always good, and significant progress meant they were one step closer to finishing.

This included Ji Junxin. But she wasn’t just happy about the progress, she was also excited about the estate scenes, which included several cooking scenes for the young empress.

The head chef of the restaurant Jiang Lingling bought was indeed the thin chef’s naive apprentice. The reason, naturally, was because he was patient and made decent chicken rolls, appeasing Jiang Lingling’s rage after being drenched in the rain for two hours. The two chefs initially couldn’t accept that a kitchen hand who used to just wash and chop vegetables was now their boss. But the apprentice was truly naive and still listened to his masters. After a couple of days, they realized that it wasn’t much different from before, even easier. Except that the new boss, for some reason, insisted that they practice making chicken soup, and they couldn’t stop until they replicated the taste of Mi Hongdou’s soup.

As the thin chef had said, their new boss was indeed a rich fool. Jiang Lingling’s task for them was to stew three chickens a day, and if they couldn’t replicate the taste, they had to eat all three chickens, soup and all! For the first couple of days, the two chefs thought she was just paying them to eat chicken. But after a few days, their waists expanded, the thin chef becoming chubby, the chubby chef becoming fat, and the soup still didn’t taste like Mi Hongdou’s.

Now they finally understood what their apprentice meant when he rushed in and asked if there was any of that girl’s chicken soup left, and they told him they had eaten it all, and he said, “We’re doomed.”

Getting paid to eat three free-range chickens a day seemed like a dream, but in reality, it was a nightmare. The two chefs didn’t want to lose their jobs, but Jiang Lingling had even hired someone to supervise them, making sure they stewed the soup and ate the chickens every day. The two mediocre chefs, looking at each other with tearful eyes, were almost at their breaking point. Their only hope was that the girl who cooked that day would come again, and they would, even at the cost of their pride, ask for the secret of her chicken soup.

Unfortunately, two months passed, and the girl never came. Their hope turned into despair.

It wasn’t just the two chefs who were frustrated. As their new boss, Jiang Lingling was also unhappy. She had grown up eating simple food, and even after being taken in by Dong Yuannan and enjoying all kinds of delicacies, her favorite was still KFC. Until she tasted Mi Hongdou’s cooking, especially that tiny piece of chicken!

Hearing that the chicken soup in the kitchen had been eaten by the two chefs, Jiang Lingling issued a severe punishment. But it was useless, it was gone, it was gone.

Later, Jiang Lingling even told Mi Hongdou that she could use the restaurant’s kitchen anytime, as if it were her own. If she needed the kitchen cleared out, just say the word. Mi Hongdou was initially stunned by Jiang Lingling’s extravagant offer and refused. Who would clear out an entire restaurant just to cook a meal? Only someone like Jiang Lingling, whose imagination was boundless and who could use money to bury someone alive, would say such a thing.

But Mi Hongdou eventually accepted Jiang Lingling’s offer. Compared to the simple kitchenette in her and Ji Junxin’s suite, the restaurant kitchen was much better equipped, with a wider variety of utensils and seasonings. That time with the freeloaders, time had been too tight, she had used a pressure cooker for the chicken and beef, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been braised properly. And the stir-fried pomfret, ideally, the fish pieces should have been marinated for two hours before frying. But she didn’t have that much time, so she had put the fish and the marinade in a vacuum bag and used a vacuum sealer to quickly infuse the flavor. Not to mention, a pressure cooker and a vacuum sealer wouldn’t even fit in their small kitchenette, let alone all the other professional equipment… And it wasn’t convenient to use high heat or a lot of oil in the small open kitchen, limiting the dishes she could make.

Thinking about this, and the many dishes she wanted to make for the little foodie, Mi Hongdou no longer refused Jiang Lingling’s offer. Of course, she was mentally prepared for the freeloaders.

Unfortunately, these past two months, to finish the early palace scenes, everyone had been working long hours, and Mi Hongdou was also exhausted. She and Ji Junxin hadn’t been back to Jiang City for two whole months. Forget about finding time to cook for the little foodie at the restaurant, even her attempts to make breakfast or late-night snacks for Ji Junxin were stopped by Ji Junxin herself, who was worried that she would be too tired and it would affect her filming.

Now, with the palace scenes finished, the equipment moved to the estate, and the set being prepared, they finally had half a day and a night off. Mi Hongdou, noticing Ji Junxin’s cheerful demeanor since finishing the last palace scene, curiously asked what she was so happy about.

This question almost made Mi Hongdou cry.

“Because in the estate scenes, you have several cooking scenes! I can finally eat your cooking again!” Ji Junxin replied happily.

Mi Hongdou, her heart aching but her mind still rational, replied, “But the estate scenes, it’s all sweet potatoes, beans, wild vegetables, not even a piece of meat.”

Ji Junxin answered without hesitation: “But everything you make is delicious.”

Mi Hongdou’s rationality crumbled, leaving only heartache. How pitiful, her little idol was now reduced to being happy with sweet potatoes, beans, and wild vegetables!

Mi Hongdou immediately called Jiang Lingling, asking to borrow the restaurant kitchen that afternoon. She had to make her idol a meat dish before she was reduced to eating wild vegetables. And that dumpling soup she had been craving, she had to have it.

Unexpectedly, this call brought an explosive piece of news from Jiang Lingling.

Chapter 65: Chicken Noodle Soup p1

Entering the kitchen, Mi Hongdou saw the two chefs huddled over a stove, jostling each other. She stopped and coughed softly, not wanting to see anything strange.

Oh, right, two greasy-mouthed chefs, she didn’t want to see that either!

Gesturing for them to continue eating, Mi Hongdou checked the untouched chicken soup in the large pot, turned on the heat, and started warming it up. She filled two large woks with cold water and put them on high heat, then went to the ingredient area and got some thin noodles and bok choy. After a moment of thought, she also grabbed an egg.

With Mi Hongdou’s return, the two chefs felt awkward about continuing their fight over the last few pieces of meat, especially the chubby chef, who had a piece of beef brisket in his mouth. Seeing the little girl who had cooked the meal, he quickly swallowed it, his face turning crimson, either from choking or embarrassment. The thin chef, who had been trying to befriend Mi Hongdou and even helped serve the dishes, discreetly wiped his mouth and looked much more composed.

Seeing Mi Hongdou gathering ingredients, they both knew she was going to cook something. They had devoured the dishes she left for them, fighting over every last piece of meat and every last spoonful of soup. Now, only a few pieces of beef brisket curry and the pot of chicken soup remained. Although they hadn’t tried the chicken soup yet, they knew it was too much for them to finish. But seeing Mi Hongdou heating it up, they both felt a pang…

“Need any help?” The thin chef, who had tasted Mi Hongdou’s spicy chicken, wagged his imaginary tail and trotted over to her.

The chubby chef also shuffled towards Mi Hongdou, then hesitated and stopped, looking at the thin chef circling her like a large dog. He snorted disdainfully, but his own face turned even redder.

“No, I’m just making some noodles.” Mi Hongdou placed the ingredients on the counter and glanced at the suddenly attentive thin chef. “Maybe you can help me carry them out later?”

The thin chef nodded happily, as if given an important task.

Mi Hongdou didn’t understand. She didn’t know that the thin chef was wondering if there would be any leftovers this time. She had left them quite a bit of food, but it wasn’t enough! Not enough!

The water in the large wok was simmering. Mi Hongdou glanced at it, then took a small bowl, added some flour, mixed it with cold water to form a thick paste, added an egg, whisked it, and finally seasoned it with salt, MSG, and sugar. A bowl of thick batter was ready, and the water in the two woks was now boiling. She added a pinch of salt to each wok, and after it dissolved, added a bundle of noodles.

While Mi Hongdou was working, the thin chef watched intently, not wanting to miss a single step. It was practically blatant stealing of techniques. But Mi Hongdou didn’t mind. The chubby chef, however, couldn’t stand it and dragged the thin chef away.

After the noodles were added, the boiling water calmed down. Mi Hongdou stirred them and then turned to other tasks. She took a few large stockpots, filled them with boiling water, then took ten large bowls, rinsed them, and finally blanched the bok choy in a separate pan and divided it among the ten bowls. By the time she finished, the water in the woks was boiling again. She added a small bowl of cold water to each, calming the boil. When it boiled again, the noodles would be done.

Mi Hongdou quickly took the chicken out of the large pot, put on disposable gloves, and shredded a generous amount of meat into nine of the bowls. Then, with a mischievous smile, she added a tiny piece of chicken breast, smaller than her index finger, to the tenth bowl, sprinkled a pinch of salt in each bowl, and finally added chicken broth, filling them almost to the brim.

By the time she finished, the water in the woks hadn’t boiled again. Mi Hongdou quickly took a clean pot, scooped a few ladles of chicken broth, brought it to a boil, and then, spoonful by spoonful, added the thick egg and flour batter. The batter, hitting the boiling broth, quickly formed small dumplings. Adding the blanched bok choy and shredded chicken, it was a fragrant and comforting dumpling soup. Children easily choked on noodles, and it was difficult for adults to feed them. This dumpling soup was perfect for a child like Yang Miemie.

Mi Hongdou ladled the soup into a bowl and asked the thin chef to take it to Yang Miemie first. After all, she had just saved Qiao Rubai from the disaster of feeding a child noodles. Mi Hongdou mentally gave herself a “good person” award.

The thin chef happily took the bowl and left.

Soon, Yang Miemie became the envy of everyone at the table.

It smelled so good, even better than the chicken soup earlier… Everyone watched, both politely and eagerly, as Qiao Rubai, urged by Yang Miemie’s chubby paws, scooped a spoonful of the dumpling soup. The light yellow, plump dumplings in the spoon looked so delicious!

Qiao Rubai, feeling everyone’s gaze on her, carefully blew on the soup, feeling like she was about to be devoured.

Yang Miemie, her eyes fixed on the soup, was oblivious to everything else, her little head leaning forward impatiently. Qiao Rubai could only blow harder, the sound amplifying, and she felt the gazes intensifying.

When Yang Miemie finally got the spoonful of soup, her mouth bulging, everyone’s attention shifted to her, and Qiao Rubai was finally free from the pressure. Yang Miemie quickly swallowed the soup and then patted Qiao Rubai’s hand, urging her to blow on the next spoonful.

Was it good? How good? Say something! Everyone’s gaze returned to the spoon in Qiao Rubai’s hand, filled with a hint of resentment.

Mi Hongdou, who had just given herself a “good person” award, didn’t understand Qiao Rubai’s earlier suffering.

Now, the water in the two woks was boiling again. Mi Hongdou waited a few seconds before turning off the heat. She quickly rinsed the noodles in a pot of cold water to remove any alkaline taste, then drained them and added them to the bowls with bok choy and chicken. After tossing them in the chicken broth, the chicken noodle soup was ready.

Another large bowl of noodles each should be enough! Eating too much wasn’t good for digestion… Mi Hongdou looked at the ten bowls neatly arranged on the table, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

The thin chef hadn’t returned from delivering the dumpling soup, so Mi Hongdou rolled up her sleeves, preparing to carry the bowls out herself. But before she could even pick them up, a large tray appeared on the counter. Mi Hongdou watched as the chubby chef, his face red and not saying a word, filled the tray with eight bowls of noodles. Then, without any effort, he carried the tray out, not even glancing at Mi Hongdou.

Mi Hongdou touched the bowl of noodles she had specifically made for Jiang Lingling and thought that the people in the restaurant Jiang Lingling bought were indeed special.

She had chosen large bowls, each filled with noodles and broth, and even the remaining two bowls were too much for her to carry at once. Fortunately, the thin chef returned just then, and they each carried a bowl out.

It was the same chicken broth, and just ordinary store-bought noodles. The bok choy was crisp and tender, perfectly blanched, showcasing basic culinary skills. But if that was all, for those who had been impressed by the pure chicken broth earlier, this chicken noodle soup was just delicious broth with ordinary noodles. But when they tasted the chicken, they knew they were wrong…

Anyone who cooked knew that making soup was a delicate balancing act. Focusing on the texture of the ingredients often meant compromising the flavor of the broth. If you focused on the broth, the ingredients would often be bland. Take chicken soup as an example, for the chicken to be flavorful, you had to season it heavily during cooking, which would make the broth too salty or greasy. If you wanted a delicious broth, you could only add seasonings just minutes before serving, which would make the chicken bland. This was in terms of flavor. In terms of texture, it was the same. For a rich broth, you had to simmer it for a long time, extracting the essence from the ingredients, which would often turn them into mush. If you wanted to preserve the texture of the ingredients, you had to reduce the cooking time, resulting in a less flavorful broth.

Making soup was a difficult balancing act.

Mi Hongdou’s chicken soup was rich but not greasy. And the earlier pot of pure broth suggested that she had prioritized the broth over the chicken.

But this bowl of chicken noodle soup, after tasting the noodles and the broth, just as they thought it was just delicious broth with ordinary noodles and bok choy, they took a bite of the chicken without any expectations.

Unlike the mushy chicken they had imagined, it was incredibly fragrant, tender yet still slightly chewy, the perfect seasoning enhancing the chicken’s natural flavor. It was the perfect stewed chicken. The chicken, mixed with the noodles and broth, even elevated the ordinary store-bought noodles. For a moment, the room was filled with the sounds of slurping noodles and sipping soup, no one paying attention to Qiao Rubai, who was feeding Yang Miemie.

Qiao Rubai seized the opportunity and quickly fed Yang Miemie, who cooperated and ate quickly. One diligently feeding, the other diligently eating, Qiao Rubai finally breathed a sigh of relief after the last spoonful and could finally eat her own noodles.

Qiao Rubai’s vigilance and adaptability were excellent. Just as she finished feeding Yang Miemie, putting the satisfied little girl back in her high chair, and started eating her own noodles, a few fast eaters had already finished their bowls, soup and all. Qiao Rubai could feel several gazes fixed on Yang Miemie’s empty bowl, then shifting away with a hint of disappointment after seeing that it was clean.

Qiao Rubai breathed a sigh of relief, praising herself for her earlier foresight.

Mi Hongdou had chosen large bowls, each filled with noodles and broth, and a generous amount of chicken. Coupled with the dishes they had already devoured, the first few to finish the noodle soup were already quite full. However, this didn’t stop them from looking at Yang Miemie enviously.

The noodles in their soup were clearly store-bought, a last-minute substitution due to time constraints. But Yang Miemie’s was different. The chicken broth dumpling soup, those dumplings must have been made by Mi Hongdou herself, they must be a thousand times more delicious than their noodles! They were incredibly envious… but having already eaten so much, they couldn’t ask Mi Hongdou to make another bowl of dumpling soup, it was too heartbreaking.

While those who were full were still feeling heartbroken, Jiang Lingling, who had only found a tiny piece of chicken in her bowl after much searching, and had found that tiny piece incredibly delicious, felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.

Weren’t single dogs and CPs supposed to be friends? Weren’t they supposed to be each other’s angels! From this angle, that was the eighth piece of chicken Ji Junxin had taken from the soup pot! Each piece three times the size of the one she had! And she was still finding more! Could they still be friends! Jiang Lingling watched Ji Junxin eat with a pained expression, each piece a piece of meat that could have been in her own bowl.

Wait… A thought struck Jiang Lingling, and she started typing on her phone.

Fifteen minutes later, the thin chef’s naive apprentice rushed into the kitchen and grabbed his master, asking if there was any chicken soup or chicken left.

The thin and chubby chefs exchanged glances and wiped their mouths simultaneously.

When the apprentice, led by the thin chef, saw the spotlessly clean stockpot, he said to his master with a heavy heart, “We’re doomed.”

But that was another story.

In any case, regardless of the chaos in the kitchen, everyone in the dining room was satisfied. Except, of course, Jiang Lingling, who still had some expectations for the kitchen.

The last bowl of warm chicken noodle soup warmed everyone up and filled their stomachs. They all expressed their sincere gratitude to Mi Hongdou, the culinary genius, their heartfelt thanks making Mi Hongdou a little embarrassed. Everyone had thanked her, except for Ji Junxin. Mi Hongdou wanted to change the subject, inexplicably not wanting to hear Ji Junxin thank her. It felt… too formal.

As if sensing Mi Hongdou’s thoughts, Ji Junxin just blinked and asked softly, “Will you make me dumpling soup next time?”

Being needed was also a form of affirmation. Mi Hongdou happily nodded.

Everyone at the table pretended not to hear this heartbreaking exchange.

After the meal, life went on. Director Pan, having received the braised pig’s feet and enjoyed a free meal, quickly resumed his stern demeanor. And Jiang Lingling didn’t try to bribe him again. After all, with the filming schedule getting tighter every day, even without him saying it explicitly, everyone could tell that he was trying to speed things up.

Under Director Pan’s pressure, everyone in the crew became more focused. After all, meeting both quality and speed requirements meant double the effort. Ji Junxin, Mi Hongdou, and Jiang Lingling were still doing well, their completion rates high, except when they had scenes with Jiang Duo, which often resulted in NGs.

Chapter 64: Not Enough p2

Before rehearsing, Mi Hongdou hadn’t realized that she cared so much about Ji Junxin. The sadness she felt during the scene, as if the world had turned gray, was probably far beyond the feelings of a normal fan. Even after she regained her composure, adding the final act, completing the scene, seeing Ji Junxin running towards her, she still felt a sense of unreality.

Ji Junxin’s hand, carefully holding a tissue to her lip, her voice, softly chiding her for being too immersed and hurting herself… only then did Mi Hongdou truly detach from the scene, a sense of reality returning. But at the same time, a question arose in her heart. That intense emotion she had just felt, so strong that it almost tore her apart… was it really just a fan’s devotion to her idol? Or was it… a sincere friendship between two friends?

Mi Hongdou didn’t dwell on it, or rather, she didn’t dare to.

She would just consider it a die-hard fan’s unparalleled love for her idol! Mi Hongdou thought. Anyway, Director Pan had approved the scene, there was no need to reshoot, and she… didn’t want to analyze those emotions.

So, since last night, Mi Hongdou had been repeatedly telling herself that it was just the combined obsession of two lifetimes that made her care so much about Ji Junxin, it was just pure friendship. Repeating it like a mantra, she felt that she could move on, no one would notice her unusual behavior, not even Ji Junxin, who had been asking about her lip all night. And she herself would soon forget and continue being a good, loyal fan.

But today, Mi Hongdou still noticed her own uncontrollable unusual behavior. Not being able to see Ji Junxin for a while made her uncomfortable, what kind of symptom was that!

Mi Hongdou licked her lip. Okay, no more curry, it was too stimulating. The chicken soup arrived, and she served Ji Junxin first, then herself. As she put down the spoon, she felt Qiao Rubai’s gaze on her, but for some reason, she didn’t dare to meet her eyes. She felt… afraid that Qiao Rubai would see through her. She didn’t even understand it herself. She wasn’t afraid of Qiao Rubai finding out about her rebirth, so what was she afraid of now?

The clear chicken soup had only a few drops of oil on the surface. Ji Junxin, her cheeks puffed out from a chestnut, smiled at Mi Hongdou and reached for the soup with her spoon.

“Careful, it’s hot,” Mi Hongdou whispered.

Ji Junxin quickly swallowed the chestnut and whispered back, “The chestnuts are so soft and delicious! It feels like they’ve absorbed all the flavor from the braised chicken, so savory.”

“Eat more if you like it. Try the chicken later, it’s also infused with the chestnut aroma, very fragrant.” Mi Hongdou glanced at the spicy chicken, which was slowly making its way around the lazy Susan. “The spicy chicken… eat less.”

They whispered to each other, and Ji Junxin nodded with a smile, seemingly agreeing with Mi Hongdou’s suggestion.

Then, Mi Hongdou saw that as soon as the spicy chicken was within reach, Ji Junxin quickly and accurately snatched a piece.

The chicken smoothly landed in Ji Junxin’s mouth. Seeing her eyes light up… Mi Hongdou had two words in her mind: It’s over.

Although Ji Junxin tried to maintain her elegant posture and unhurried movements, it didn’t stop her from repeatedly reaching for the spicy chicken.

Fried and spicy food was always irresistible. Mi Hongdou wanted to tell her to eat less, but seeing her enjoying it, she couldn’t bear to. At least they had a medicine kit in their room, Mi Hongdou thought, finally defeated by Ji Junxin.

Fortunately, the lazy Susan kept turning, and after a few pieces, the spicy chicken was out of Ji Junxin’s reach. Just as Mi Hongdou expected to see her pitiful expression again, it didn’t happen. Ji Junxin unhesitatingly reached for the stir-fried pomfret, which had just entered her attack range.

Glancing at Ji Junxin, who was expertly eating the fish and spitting out the bones, Mi Hongdou slowly sipped her chicken soup, unsure whether to be proud that Ji Junxin enjoyed all the dishes she made, or to shed a tear for the spicy chicken she had abandoned.

Just like a kitten… Mi Hongdou blew on her soup. If she were really a kitten, she would just scoop her up and take her home, pampering her with delicious food. And then… she could keep her forever. Mi Hongdou was startled by her own possessiveness but didn’t try to suppress it. It was okay, some thoughts were just for her to know. In public, she would always be just a loyal fan… and a friend.

Everything after her rebirth was too perfect. She had so many opportunities to change so many things. And… with a powerful ally like Qiao Rubai, many things were already changing for the better. What she had missed before, she now had. What she had longed for was now within reach… Mi Hongdou had a lingering unease, afraid that it was all a dream, a delusion born from her dying moments after the fall… The dream was too beautiful, she didn’t want to wake up, didn’t dare to wake up.

Torn between the beauty of rebirth and the fear that it was all an illusion, Mi Hongdou didn’t realize that her negative emotions were starting to affect her. The most obvious sign was that during the rehearsal for the lonely empress scene, although she knew it was inappropriate to use her feelings for Ji Junxin to portray the young empress’s love for the emperor, she had still created a scenario of Ji Junxin leaving her to feel and portray the emotions. And then there was the possessive thought, which she knew was wrong, but she indulged in it anyway, comforting herself that it was just a thought.

At the dinner table, amidst the cheerful chatter, Mi Hongdou carefully concealed those thoughts, burying them so deep that even she couldn’t easily retrieve them. All her attention was on making sure Ji Junxin ate well, of course, not forgetting to take a few sips of her soup whenever Ji Junxin looked at her, to show that she was also eating.

Although she had guessed before the meal that the food might not be enough, she hadn’t expected it to disappear so quickly. By the fourth time the spicy chicken reached Ji Junxin, only the red chili peppers remained, no more golden chicken. Similarly, the stir-fried pomfret was now reduced to a thumb-sized piece, the curry pot scraped clean, only a little sauce left in the braised chicken pot, and the chicken soup pot almost empty. Even the chicken and corn soup and the silver carp and tofu soup were almost gone. Finally, there were only a few grains of rice left on the fried rice plate.

The fried rice and the curry had been finished by Ji Junxin… She had scraped the last few spoonfuls of rice and the remaining curry sauce onto her plate and eaten it, oblivious to her surroundings. Mi Hongdou glanced around. Everyone still had some food in their bowls, but no one touched the almost empty plates on the table. After all… everyone here had some status, it wouldn’t be appropriate to lick their plates clean. Except for Ji Junxin… Mi Hongdou looked at Ji Junxin, who was happily eating the curry-mixed fried rice, and smiled, an unnoticed indulgence in her eyes.

“Tofu!”

A clear, childish voice brought Mi Hongdou back from her wandering thoughts.

Yang Miemie, sitting in Qiao Rubai’s lap, was pointing at the almost empty silver carp and tofu soup pot. Qiao Rubai calmly turned the lazy Susan, took the spoon, and tried to scoop some tofu. However… only a few bits of crumbled tofu remained at the bottom, and Qiao Rubai, despite her efforts, couldn’t scoop them up. She maintained her composure, trying to scoop the tofu under everyone’s gaze, her ears turning slightly red.

“Pour!” Yang Miemie, with a “you’re so stupid” expression, tapped Qiao Rubai’s hand with her chubby paw, then pointed at her own mouth and opened it wide: “Ahh…”

“Heh…” Qiao Rubai chuckled awkwardly and poured the remaining soup into… Yang Miemie’s bowl.

Where was the cold, aloof CEO? Mi Hongdou couldn’t bear to watch.

“Um… there’s still some chicken soup in the kitchen, I’ll cook some noodles for everyone.” Mi Hongdou said, afraid that they were just pretending to be full, and without waiting for a reply, quickly left the room.

Stepping out of the Rose Room, the cold air in the corridor made Mi Hongdou realize that she seemed to have forgotten something. She looked around. Oh, she forgot to bring Ji Junxin with her… Mi Hongdou didn’t know why she had this urge to carry the little foodie around, but she didn’t want to be cured.

Mi Hongdou left to cook noodles, and no one tried to stop her. It was a good thing she left quickly, or seeing the awkward expressions on everyone’s faces because of their overly synchronized politeness, she might have also become awkward.

“This silver carp and tofu soup, the fish and tofu are so tender, they melt in your mouth, it’s delicious,” Yang Lianyi, whose face was thicker than a city wall, said, breaking the awkward silence.

Yang Miemie, being fed tofu soup by Qiao Rubai, as if understanding, kicked her chubby legs and nodded in agreement, almost making Qiao Rubai spill the soup.

“It is delicious,” Director Pan agreed. “So fresh and tender, the silver carp and tofu are perfectly blended.”

“But why, although there are no scallions in this soup, there’s a hint of scallion fragrance, and the fishy smell of the silver carp is completely gone?” Pan Xiang, the detail-oriented screenwriter, asked.

Qiao Rubai, who was feeding Yang Miemie, paused.

The tofu soup was right there, but it wasn’t coming any closer! Yang Miemie, impatient, lunged forward like a puppy and snatched the spoon, startling Qiao Rubai, who quickly refocused on feeding her. The thought that had just surfaced was replaced by the little girl in front of her.

“Perhaps they used whole scallions and removed them before serving?” Director Pan’s wife guessed, turning the lazy Susan. “Judging by the taste, these dishes all used scallions, ginger, and garlic, but now… there aren’t any…” She trailed off, looking at the almost empty plates, a little embarrassed.

Qiao Rubai quickly fed the last spoonful of tofu soup to Yang Miemie and then looked at the almost empty bowls on the table. Indeed… there weren’t any… “Even the egg fried rice doesn’t have any scallions…” she mumbled.

“Um…” Ji Junxin quickly swallowed the curry-mixed fried rice. “Egg fried rice with scallions is inedible, I would have to spend so much time picking them out.”

“This egg fried rice, without scallions, is already incredibly delicious. Fluffy, fragrant, and soft, the best fried rice I’ve ever had.” Dong Yuannan, who had already had a second bowl from the plate that was supposed to be enough for everyone to have a small portion, praised it generously. “I was already tempted by the aroma on set, and it tastes even better than I imagined.” He could easily eat three hundred more bowls!

Oh, right, Ji Junxin hated scallions, ginger, and garlic… A realization dawned on Qiao Rubai, followed by a deeper confusion.

Mi Hongdou, heading towards the kitchen, didn’t know that her secret was about to be revealed by a small scallion.

“The noodle soup will be here soon, let me clear some space.” Yang Lianyi said, smoothly turning the lazy Susan, stopping the chicken and corn soup, scooping a spoonful into Qiao Rubai’s bowl, then taking a spoonful herself, and placing the now empty pot back on the lazy Susan.

Those who had been lamenting the wasted food were stunned by Yang Lianyi’s shamelessness! So, “clearing some space” meant finishing the food, not clearing the dishes? And weren’t they supposed to leave the last bite?

Dong Yuannan was the first to react. Without a word, he snatched the last, thumb-sized piece of stir-fried pomfret and ate it slowly and methodically. His speed and shamelessness were truly befitting a business tycoon.

Director Pan wasn’t slow either. He stood up, grabbed the chicken soup pot, which had the most left, poured a bowl for his wife, and emptied the pot. As for his granddaughter, well, with his wife present, he didn’t know what a granddaughter was.

Director Pan’s wife blushed slightly and nudged him with her elbow, sharing half her soup with him. As for her granddaughter, she didn’t know her either.

The assistant, head down, focused on the spicy chicken she had secretly piled into her bowl, hoping no one noticed her, amen.

Pan Xiang, too slow, looked at the sauce left in the chestnut chicken pot, then at the empty fried rice plate, then at Ji Junxin, who was happily eating curry-mixed rice. She was so sad, wanting to mix the sauce with rice but having no rice left, how tragic.

Jiang Lingling, her stomach full, with still half the food left on the table, planning to pack it for a late-night snack, looked around alertly. She seemed to sense… a familiar presence. Was it a hallucination?

Jiang Lingling, unaware that the people at the other table had resorted to scraping the bottom of their bowls, was rubbing her stomach and texting Mi Hongdou.

Before even reaching the kitchen, Mi Hongdou received Jiang Lingling’s message: [Sigh, it was Director Pan who told Qiao Rubai and the others about our lunch here, I really didn’t know. They arrived just minutes before the food was ready, I didn’t have time to tell you!]

Tsk, they had already mentioned it during lunch, what a late apology. Mi Hongdou put away her phone without replying. After taking a few steps, another message arrived: [Less noodles, more meat in my chicken noodle soup! Mwah!] She knew there would be a follow-up after the apology. If the sender was Ji Junxin, she might consider it. Mi Hongdou snorted and put away her phone. She would make her a bowl without any meat.

Chapter 64: Not Enough p1

The Rose Room was quite spacious, easily accommodating three round tables.

Dong Yuannan and his group were at the table closest to the door. Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin entered, placed the large plate of fried rice on their table, exchanged a few greetings, and then looked around for Jiang Lingling, who was supposed to have the small plate, only to find her sitting at the furthest table, tucked away in the corner.

Mi Hongdou told Ji Junxin to sit down and carried the small plate of fried rice over to Jiang Lingling. Jiang Lingling, her mouth and nose covered with tissues, was huddled in the corner. Seeing Mi Hongdou approach, she gestured for her to place the fried rice on the lazy Susan. Mi Hongdou put down the plate and glanced at the dishes on Jiang Lingling’s table. Although they were served in small plates and pots, there were quite a few, far exceeding a single person’s portion. If she had known so many people were coming, she wouldn’t have given her so much… Mi Hongdou felt a little regretful, but she didn’t take any food back.

Actually, Jiang Lingling had ordered quite a lot of ingredients, and the portions were much more generous than those of an ordinary restaurant. The spicy chicken alone used six large chicken legs, the crispy, golden-fried chicken nestled among the bright red chili peppers, a generous and visually appealing dish. Mi Hongdou had also used the entire piece of beef brisket for the braised potatoes. The braised chicken with chestnuts contained about two and a half chickens. Not to mention the chicken soup made with the three legless hens. This table had more than three chickens, over three pounds of beef brisket, two large fish, a large plate of egg fried rice enough for everyone to have a small bowl, and three kinds of soup.

If the main dishes weren’t enough, there was always soup… Urged by the expectant diners, Mi Hongdou temporarily dismissed the idea of making more dishes and sat down to eat, deciding to assess the situation later. Perhaps… they could fill up on soup? Mi Hongdou thought about the half pot of chicken soup still in the kitchen and felt a little more at ease.

Dong Yuannan and Director Pan were the oldest at the table. They exchanged a few polite words, but neither made the first move. Dong Yuannan then raised his glass to Mi Hongdou, who had worked hard for hours to prepare this feast, and everyone followed suit.

Her glass of coconut juice clinked against everyone’s, even Jiang Lingling, who was sitting at a separate table, raised her glass. Mi Hongdou smiled and clinked glasses with everyone, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Unknowingly, so many things had changed from her previous life to this one. Even now, she still couldn’t quite believe that she had been reborn. The smoother things went, the better they became, it was like walking on clouds, flying higher and higher, happy and comfortable, but also a little unsteady, like her feet weren’t touching the ground.

The last to clink glasses with Mi Hongdou was Ji Junxin, sitting next to her. Perhaps because she wasn’t paying attention, the clinking sound was a little loud. The glass-on-glass impact startled Mi Hongdou, a feeling of a beautiful dream shattering. Fortunately, Ji Junxin’s warm smile reassured her.

After the toast, the atmosphere became harmonious and friendly, and everyone eagerly reached for the dishes they had been eyeing.

Perhaps because she was almost certain that Qiao Rubai was also reborn, Mi Hongdou unconsciously looked in her direction. Qiao Rubai efficiently filled a small bowl with chicken soup for Yang Miemie, placed it in front of herself, then served Yang Lianyi, and finally, carefully stirred and cooled Yang Miemie’s soup. She was so skilled… Mi Hongdou was almost dumbfounded.

In her previous life, Yang Lianyi, having taken a liking to Qiao Rubai, had tried to sign her to Mengguan, pestering her for years without success. Qiao Rubai had always been cold and distant, only making small concessions when truly exasperated, like wearing that hairpin she hated. But in this life… Mi Hongdou thought of Qiao Rubai’s attire when she signed her contract at Mengguan, perfectly matching Yang Lianyi’s preferences but definitely not Qiao Rubai’s usual style, and her current attentive and caring demeanor towards Yang Lianyi and Yang Miemie… So, after her death in her previous life, had something extraordinary happened between them? Mi Hongdou was curious, but not curious enough to reveal her own secret.

She had thought about her rebirth carefully. She wouldn’t take the initiative reveal it to Qiao Rubai. It felt a bit awkward to bring it up, considering she had fallen from the wires at Qiong Yu. But if Qiao Rubai asked, she would admit it. Or perhaps… she was still avoiding it, afraid that a conversation about rebirth with Qiao Rubai would shatter her beautiful dream. After all, she didn’t need any uncertainty or instability now, this moment was perfect enough.

Director Pan, smiling, served his wife a bowl of silver carp and tofu soup. Their loving interaction was enviable. Mi Hongdou now understood how Jiang Lingling had won over Director Pan with the braised pig’s feet. Director Pan’s wife, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the soup, looked just like Ji Junxin.

Thinking of Ji Junxin, Mi Hongdou glanced at her and saw her pick up a piece of beef brisket from the curry, carefully maneuvering her chopsticks. The beef brisket pieces were quite large and coated in thick curry sauce, making it difficult for Ji Junxin to pick them up. Just as Mi Hongdou was about to offer her a spoon, Ji Junxin finally managed to get the beef brisket back to… Mi Hongdou’s plate. Ji Junxin only had time to smile at Mi Hongdou and whisper, “Eat,” before returning to the front lines of the food war.

Suddenly, she no longer envied Director Pan’s wife! Mi Hongdou, returning the favor, scooped a spoonful of beef, potatoes, and curry sauce onto Ji Junxin’s plate, saving the tablecloth. She then popped the piece of beef brisket Ji Junxin had given her into her mouth. Hmm, it was even more delicious than what she usually made! Had her cooking skills received a special buff today? Mi Hongdou thought, feeling inexplicably happy, and then, happiness turned to pain.

The young empress’s solo scene the night before, although praised by Director Pan, had left Mi Hongdou with a troublesome injury. She had been too immersed in the role and bitten the inside of her lower lip, drawing blood. It had only happened once in her two lifetimes.

The wound healed quickly, no longer bleeding this morning, and it should be completely healed in a few days. Mi Hongdou had been careful while cooking and tasting, avoiding it. But she hadn’t expected… to be so engrossed in eating a piece of beef brisket that the curry sauce touched the still slightly open wound. The pain made her wince.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Junxin, noticing Mi Hongdou flinch, stopped and asked, concerned.

“It’s nothing…” Mi Hongdou carefully took a sip of coconut juice and gave Ji Junxin a chestnut. “Eat more.”

“Did you touch your lip?” Ji Junxin put down her spoon, anxious. With so many people around, it wasn’t convenient to check.

“No, I was careful.” Mi Hongdou smiled, hiding her discomfort.

Ji Junxin scrutinized Mi Hongdou for a moment, but seeing nothing unusual, she continued eating. That thin chef in the kitchen earlier was really annoying, hovering around Mi Hongdou, making it awkward for her to try the food. She had endured the delicious smells in the kitchen, wasn’t she entitled to enjoy the food now!

Her chopsticks hovered between the chestnuts and the beef brisket, and she finally picked up a piece of beef. Hmm… the curry flavor was rich, mellowed by the coconut milk, without the harshness of the spices, creating a more palatable taste. The beef brisket was braised perfectly, tender yet firm, chewy but not tough, infused with the rich aroma of curry. She took a bite of potato. The fried outer layer locked in the soft, braised inside. One bite, and the whole potato melted in her mouth like mashed potatoes, mixed with the shredded coconut in the curry sauce, incredibly fragrant.

Ji Junxin elegantly and discreetly scraped the plate clean of the curry sauce.

Of course, this “discreetly” didn’t include Mi Hongdou.

For some reason, Mi Hongdou’s attention was easily drawn to Ji Junxin today. Not that she hadn’t paid attention to her before. But “especially” meant she couldn’t take her eyes off her for even a moment. During the morning filming, it went without saying. Even during breaks, even before Dong Yuannan brought the pig’s feet, Mi Hongdou had been eager to return to the backstage area. While cooking at noon, this attentiveness became even more apparent. Whether washing, chopping, or stir-frying vegetables, she would unconsciously look for Ji Junxin in the spacious kitchen. She didn’t care what Ji Junxin was doing, it was as if just seeing her gave her the peace of mind to continue working.

Even the usually oblivious Mi Hongdou noticed her own unusual behavior. Or rather, not just today’s.

The lonely empress scene the night before, not only Director Pan found it difficult to film, but Mi Hongdou also lacked confidence. The thought of having to act heartbroken and resentful because of Zhang Zijing made her uncomfortable. In the previous love scenes, she had substituted Ji Junxin’s image for Zhang Zijing to immerse herself in the role and complete the scenes. She could use the common ground between fangirling and romantic love – the admiration, the longing, the unfulfilled expectations – to get into character. But in this scene, where the empress felt lost, resentful, even angry and despairing because of the emperor’s favoritism towards someone else… If she applied it to the fan-idol relationship, Mi Hongdou couldn’t imagine herself feeling so devastated just because Ji Junxin was friendly to other fans. So, in this scene, the common ground between fangirling and romantic love was broken. Mi Hongdou couldn’t substitute Ji Junxin’s image for Zhang Zijing to immerse herself in the role. Her usual method had reached its limit.

She had played heartbroken and betrayed characters before… but the difference was, those co-stars hadn’t been so annoying. At least, not as annoying as Zhang Zijing. Just the thought of having to act heartbroken because of him made her instantly detach from the role. Before filming, she tried to recall her previous performances of heartbreak and loss, to remember her emotions then. This method did evoke some feelings, but looking at herself in the mirror, Mi Hongdou felt it wasn’t enough.

Yes, not enough. Mi Hongdou was determined to outshine Zhang Zijing and Jiang Duo in “Imperial Secrets,” to make Ji Junxin no longer notice them, no longer admire or approach them. So, in every scene, no matter who her co-star was, even Zhang Zijing, she strived for perfection, pushing herself to the limit. To become good enough, brilliant enough, to have the power to capture Ji Junxin’s attention and prevent her from being deceived, this was Mi Hongdou’s greatest aspiration as a die-hard fan.

Different scripts, different characters, the common ground was limited. Recalling her previous performances of loss and heartbreak only offered some inspiration and guidance. If she completely immersed herself in those past roles, her portrayal of the young empress would lose its unique flavor, becoming a patchwork of unnecessary elements.

How to stay true to the young empress’s character while also portraying her pain became Mi Hongdou’s biggest challenge.

Until just minutes before filming, Mi Hongdou was still studying the script. Her gaze lingered on the opening lines of the scene: “Tonight, the fifteenth of the month, when he was supposed to visit her, he didn’t come. And on the first of the month, he had also stayed elsewhere. He wasn’t deliberately slighting the empress, he had simply fallen deeply in love with Miao Qianye and wanted to be with her every moment, forgetting everything else.”

The empress was heartbroken because the emperor was with Miao Qianye.

For Mi Hongdou, she disliked Zhang Zijing so much that whenever she thought of the emperor, she saw his face. She wasn’t interested in who he was with. But what if it were Ji Junxin? The Ji Junxin she wanted to protect so carefully, if she was taken away by Zhang Zijing, how would she feel? And she couldn’t even say anything, couldn’t express her feelings.

Just the thought made Mi Hongdou want to vomit blood.

Yes! That was it! Mi Hongdou suppressed her urge to vomit blood and asked Director Pan to rehearse alone, to find the right feeling.

Actually, Mi Hongdou had vaguely felt that something was off about using Ji Junxin’s image to replace Zhang Zijing in their scenes together. But the method was so effective, perfectly aligning with her desire for perfection, that she gradually ignored that feeling. Until this scene of the lonely empress, when she imagined that after all her efforts, after their seemingly harmonious friendship, Miao Qianye and the emperor, Ji Junxin and Zhang Zijing, still ended up together.

At first, she could still follow the script: sitting alone by the window, dismissing the food. But soon, she couldn’t suppress the overwhelming sadness and helplessness. The later throwing of the cups, the drunken acting, the crying, weren’t just an impromptu performance, it was her losing control, being swept away by her emotions.

She smashed the cups one by one, the water intoxicating her, truly intoxicating her. She cried, until the pain on her lips brought her back to reality, a sliver of clarity returning.

Then came the angry throwing of the shards, that was the improvised part.

Chapter 63: Spicy Chicken p2

If everyone’s heart was a small world, then Mi Hongdou’s heart at this moment must be a sunlit field of blooming flowers, with kittens frolicking and playing, sharpening their claws. She felt like she was melting from cuteness.

Okay, a new problem arose. Not even paying her a hundred yuan… Ji Junxin, did she even know the origin of that meme? Could she please not use internet slang randomly? …

“We… still have to cook for her.” Mi Hongdou nudged the slightly unhappy Ji Junxin. “It’s okay, we’re all friends now. Besides, even if she doesn’t appreciate it, you do.” She seemed to have acquired a new skill of sweet-talking.

As expected, Ji Junxin’s expression brightened after hearing the last sentence.

After appeasing the little foodie, Mi Hongdou, remembering the chicken roll Ji Junxin mentioned earlier, turned to the thin chef and asked, “You said your apprentice, the one who made the chicken roll last night, was it good?”

“A chicken roll is just a tortilla with cucumber, scallions, bean sauce, and a fried chicken strip, rolled up.” The thin chef thought for a moment. “He used to prepare the condiments for our Peking duck, frying chicken strips is basic, he should be able to handle it.”

Tsk, such an unprofessional answer for a chef… how could she even make a guess?

Seeing her displeased expression, the thin chef was startled. “What, is the new boss going to fire him if it wasn’t good?” Poor, naive apprentice.

Mi Hongdou shook her head: “I don’t know if she’ll fire him or not if it wasn’t good. But if it was good, his future is bright.” She had heard that Jiang Lingling’s scene last night went late, and she was in the rain for a long time. So, going out for food and not even finding KFC must have been frustrating. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have ordered this at a hotel. If it was delicious, Jiang Lingling, who was easily pleased… Mi Hongdou suddenly had a thought. Perhaps all that talk about rules and new management was nonsense, perhaps it was the apprentice who would be promoted.

Of course, this thought was a bit far-fetched, and Mi Hongdou didn’t share it with the thin chef. But when dealing with someone like Jiang Lingling, no thought was too wild… Mi Hongdou decided to ask about it later during lunch.

The priority now was… to finish cooking! It was past one o’clock!

After being deep-fried a second time, the chicken and fish, stir-fried and braised in their respective sauces, were the first dishes ready. Then came the braised chicken with chestnuts, beef brisket curry with potatoes, chicken and sweet corn soup, and silver carp and tofu soup, all simmering in clay pots. And the chicken soup, without any chicken meat, just the clear, oil-skimmed broth, was served in a clean clay pot.

Mi Hongdou was stir-frying the egg fried rice, and the thin chef was carrying the dishes out one by one. The chubby chef remained silent and motionless in the corner, as if he had been frozen. As for Ji Junxin, her fan club naturally wouldn’t let her help.

Carrying the dishes, the thin chef got a close look at Mi Hongdou’s cooking, the aroma making his mouth water… he suddenly believed that she was indeed a very skilled chef. Just the smell and the presentation… He gulped and quickly took the dishes out, afraid that he would steal a bite if he stayed any longer.

The dishes, each divided into two portions, one large, one small, were all delivered. Mi Hongdou finished the egg fried rice, also dividing it into two plates, but she didn’t let the thin chef take them out.

“I left some food in the pots for you… if you don’t mind, you can have some.” Mi Hongdou said, carrying the fried rice and leading Ji Junxin out.

She was a little embarrassed and quickly left, afraid of being rejected. Although they might not want to eat it, she couldn’t just leave them with nothing at this hour.

As Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin hurried out, the thin chef opened the lids of the pots and saw that she had indeed left some food. Besides the large pot of chicken soup, there were two servings of each dish, including the fried rice. Did they have enough to eat? … He had just had this compassionate thought when the aroma of the food captivated him.

The first bite had to be the spicy chicken! He had been tormented by the smell all this time. Although he had three steamed buns and two youtiao for breakfast, he felt like his stomach was growling. Especially the spicy chicken, the fragrance of the stir-fried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, he almost, almost snuck a few bites in the corridor. Fortunately, he was still rational, and fortunately, good deeds were rewarded! Now he could finally eat!

So many chicken pieces! The thin chef’s chopsticks darted out, expertly picking out a piece of chicken from the pile of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. He popped it into his mouth. The chicken was still slightly warm, spicy and numbing, and so fragrant! The outer layer was crispy but not hard, his teeth easily breaking through to the tender meat inside. The chicken leg meat, fried twice, wasn’t dry at all, the outside crispy and fragrant, the inside tender and juicy, the flavors of chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and various spices enhancing the chicken’s natural aroma. One bite, and he couldn’t stop!

Numbing… spicy… numbing… spicy… spicy… spicy… but so fragrant, so delicious! He wanted to eat like this forever, even drinking water seemed like a waste of time! His chopsticks flew between the chili peppers and peppercorns, picking out chicken pieces and popping them into his mouth, his cheeks bulging because he couldn’t chew fast enough. This girl, with such culinary skills, why did she want to be an actress? What a waste of talent!

The chubby chef, tormented by the aroma, waited for a long time, but the thin chef didn’t call him over to eat. He only heard the sounds of the thin chef munching and crunching. If you’re not sharing, can you at least not eat so loudly! He endured for a while longer, then couldn’t take it anymore. He slowly stood up, took a pair of chopsticks with a pretense of composure, and shuffled over to the thin chef. “What are you eating? Let me try some.”

He reached out with his chopsticks and then… saw a mountain of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. Where was the chicken!

The thin chef quickly popped the last piece of chicken, which he had been saving, into his own mouth and, after chewing a few times, replied, “Um, finished, try something else…” It was so delicious, he could eat another plate. So, if this little girl was their new boss, it wouldn’t be so bad. Her cooking was… well, definitely better than his and Old Zhang’s, the thin chef thought, a mix of conflict, resentment, and anticipation in his heart.

Can you finish chewing before answering me! The chubby chef understood, but he still… rummaged through the chili peppers and peppercorns with his chopsticks.

“Really, finished…” The thin chef didn’t regret not leaving a single piece for the chubby chef. That little girl, like his idol, was an actress. This might be the only time he got to eat her cooking. Such delicious spicy chicken, even friends couldn’t share!

The chubby chef continued searching and finally found… a small piece of chicken skin. He looked at the tiny piece, about half the size of his thumbnail, with disdain, then popped it into his mouth. Hmph, he wasn’t eating it because it smelled good, he was just unwilling to admit defeat. Just a little girl, and she wanted them to be her assistants? What could she possibly make?

He chewed with a look of disdain… then licked his lips and continued searching through the chili peppers and peppercorns.

“Really gone… all gone.” The thin chef felt a little embarrassed. Seeing him searching so desperately was a bit pitiful.

Hmph, it really was all gone. The chubby chef angrily picked up a chili pepper and ate it. “Couldn’t you have left some for me?”

“You pointed a knife at the little girl, and you still have the nerve to eat her food?”

The chubby chef blushed: “As if you didn’t give her a hard time too!”

The thin chef retorted: “But I helped kill the chickens! What did you do!”

“…” The chubby chef fell silent, opened a clay pot with his chopsticks, and sniffed. Hmm, braised chicken with chestnuts, it looked good!

Tsk! The thin chef quickly followed.

Mi Hongdou, carrying the egg fried rice and leading Ji Junxin out, had no idea that the food she left behind would almost cause a fight in the kitchen. She had finally finished cooking, and Ji Junxin had stayed with her the whole time, not wandering off. Just glancing at the little foodie made her feel that life was beautiful!

Mi Hongdou thought this, until they reached the private room on the second floor.

Although the entire restaurant had been cleared out, they were used to privacy, so the meal was in a private room called the Rose Room on the second floor. When Mi Hongdou arrived, the door was open, and she could see… a table full of people.

Dong Yuannan, the assistant, these two were expected. Director Pan and his wife, well, after he dismissed them so easily this morning and gave them several hours off, she should have guessed they would be here… and Pan Xiang, weren’t you supposed to be studying at school? Why were you always on set?

And… from her previous life to this one, Qiao Rubai, were you and your professional meal-crashing trio planning to freeload for three hundred years? In her previous life, many of her opportunities to be alone with Ji Junxin had been ruined by Qiao Rubai, Yang Lianyi, and Yang Miemie, the professional meal-crashing trio! She had thought that after being reborn, she could change this tragic fate, but it seemed she was too naive! Mi Hongdou lamented.

So, the question now was, from her previous life to this one, from a trio to a whole group of freeloaders, the light bulbs seemed to be multiplying… what should she do! Help! Urgent! Waiting online!

Mi Hongdou, her mind full of dark thoughts, didn’t slow down, simply because the fried rice in her hands was heavy. Although facing a group of freeloaders was stressful, the weight of the fried rice was a more pressing matter.

Mi Hongdou had thought that although there were many dishes today, since Jiang Lingling had pestered her for so long about the egg fried rice, she should make more. So, she made a huge pot of it, one large plate and one small plate, piled high, almost overflowing. While carrying it, she had even thought it was too heavy, that she had made too much. But placing the plates on the table, looking at the crowd, there were only seven dishes and one serving of rice, and two of the dishes were soups, one clear broth…

She should have made at least three times the amount of rice!

Why didn’t anyone tell her she had to feed so many people!

Chapter 63: Spicy Chicken p1

Perhaps Mi Hongdou’s surprised expression was too obvious. The thin chef awkwardly touched his nose. “Why do you look so surprised? Aren’t you hired by Boss Jiang?”

Boss Jiang… well… Jiang Lingling was indeed a boss now. No matter how surprised she was, Mi Hongdou couldn’t deny this established fact. She nodded. “I am.”

“Heh, I knew it. With your knife skills, compared to mine…” The thin chef suddenly paused, not wanting to diminish himself, then continued, “…they’re not that much worse.”

Really? Mi Hongdou wanted to snatch the two carrot bunnies from Ji Junxin and show the thin chef exactly how much worse they were. Hmph, with those carrot bunnies, he thought he could impress her idol? In his dreams.

Perhaps the thin chef had a special skill called “talking to himself.” This skill was now activated. Even though Mi Hongdou was focused on making soup and didn’t respond, he continued, “Speaking of which, I don’t know how much money that was, the amount that made our old boss’s hands go soft. Well, whatever the amount, it has nothing to do with us working stiffs. Old boss, new boss, we still have to work. And with this restaurant next to Shudian Film City, business is always good. Those celebrities, crew members, tourists, they all have to eat. I’m not bragging, but our restaurant, open from 10:30 AM to 2 AM, business is booming. Even last night, close to 2 AM, someone came to order food. And they were so extravagant, they ordered… what was it again…” He patted his forehead, couldn’t remember the dish, and skipped it. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. They ordered a dish that wasn’t on the menu. Who would want to cook for them so late at night, just minutes before closing time? We don’t need the money, right? But guess what? They didn’t say much, just threw out a wad of cash, just to order that one dish. This area, so many rich fools.”

Indeed, many rich fools… Mi Hongdou nodded in agreement. But something still felt off…

The thin chef, pleased that he had captured Mi Hongdou’s attention, became even more enthusiastic. “So, business is really good around here, especially for our restaurant. Look how beautiful it is, a three-story building, traditional style, it will definitely become even more popular. I think our old boss lacked vision, selling the goose that lays golden eggs. He couldn’t see the long-term potential. Our new boss, she recognizes the restaurant’s potential, she’s smart.”

Whether your new boss is smart or not, I don’t know. But… judging by the taste of those chef’s recommendations last time… without changing the chefs, this restaurant could hardly be called a goose that lays golden eggs, at most, a rooster that can feed itself. As for why a rooster? Obviously, because it’s hard to make a profit, it can’t lay eggs, just breaking even would be good. Mi Hongdou didn’t respond, seeing that the silver carp and tofu soup was almost done. She turned off the heat, covered the pot, and planned to reheat it and add some white pepper before serving.

But after a few minutes of silence from the thin chef, Mi Hongdou, who had been listening to his chatter, felt a little uneasy. Was he done gossiping? She glanced at him and saw his thin face furrowed in a frown, looking rather unsettling.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Mi Hongdou thought that if Ji Junxin saw him like this, she would be startled.

“No…” His frown deepened. “It’s just… that customer last night who spent over two thousand yuan on a dish, I can’t remember what it was. As a chef, I have this occupational hazard, it bothers me when I can’t remember a dish’s name.”

Mi Hongdou turned back, turned off the heat, and covered the pot, unable to help him.

“Oh, I remember! She ordered something strange, she wanted a chicken roll! That thing, similar to Peking duck… you know, with bean sauce, chicken, cucumber, wrapped in a tortilla…” The thin chef gestured excitedly, unable to remember the name.

“Old Beijing chicken roll?” Mi Hongdou tentatively offered the familiar name.

The thin chef’s eyes lit up, and he slapped his knee. “Yes! That’s it! She wanted to eat that, why come to our restaurant instead of KFC? Isn’t she stupid? We all thought she was stupid and didn’t want to make it for her. But she threw out over two thousand yuan, so we made it for her. It was extra income, it was almost closing time, we couldn’t have everyone stay just to make a single roll and then split the money. So we played rock-paper-scissors, and my apprentice lost. He stayed to make it, one thousand for him, and we were going to use the rest to treat everyone to a meal. Who knew that this morning, the restaurant was sold. On the first day under new management, the new boss cleared out the restaurant, only keeping the two best chefs, and even we have to assist someone else. We don’t even know if we’ll keep our jobs, who’s in the mood for a meal? Right?” He looked at Mi Hongdou, who seemed to be deep in thought, and finally asked the question he had been leading up to, “Hey, I’m not afraid to tell you, you’re sent by the new boss, you must know her well, right? Is she a he or a she? Old or young? Easy to work with?”

“Didn’t your old boss tell you?” Hearing about the two-thousand-yuan Old Beijing chicken roll, Mi Hongdou could guess who ordered it… It seemed that the nearest KFC not being open 24/7 was to blame.

The thin chef shook his head. “It was the new boss’s agent who contacted him, he probably hasn’t even met the new boss.”

“Oh. What time did you finish work yesterday?” Mi Hongdou thought he must have left early, otherwise, he would have recognized Jiang Lingling in the kitchen.

“Ten o’clock. I’m a head chef, you know, one of the two best chefs in this restaurant!” The thin chef said with inexplicable pride. “I just have to come in around ten in the morning, finish the dinner service, and then I can leave. And that two-thousand-yuan chicken roll story, I’m not lying. The staff on duty live-streamed it in the WeChat group. Even though I wasn’t there, I know everything!”

The chicken had been simmering for a while. After skimming off the foam, she transferred it to the pressure cooker, same with the beef. Mi Hongdou checked the chicken soup, the beef and potatoes, and the braised chicken with chestnuts, poking them with chopsticks to confirm they were almost done. Next, she would make the simple chicken and sweet corn soup, then deep-fry the chicken and fish a second time, season them, and it would be done. The remaining egg fried rice… Mi Hongdou touched the plate of rice. It should be cool enough by the time the corn soup was done. Although it wasn’t day-old rice… she had cooked it a little firmer, so the texture should still be good.

As Mi Hongdou checked the progress of the dishes, she thought that there seemed to be a lot of soup, but then again, with the weather getting colder, more soup was good. Lost in her thoughts, she forgot about the thin chef, who was still waiting for an answer.

“Hey…” Seeing Mi Hongdou busy checking and tasting, not answering his question, the thin chef became anxious. Why wasn’t she talking? Had he told all those stories for nothing? …

Mi Hongdou looked around, satisfied with the progress of the dishes, and was about to wash the corn to start the soup when she saw the thin chef standing by the sink, looking at her with a conflicted expression. Right, she remembered their earlier conversation.

“Your new boss is the girl who brought us to the kitchen earlier, the one who stood at the door.” Mi Hongdou pointed at the kitchen entrance, then thought for a moment and continued, “If I’m not mistaken… the girl who ordered the chicken roll last night was probably… also her. The one you called a rich fool.” If she threw out a wad of cash so casually… it couldn’t have been the assistant, it must have been Jiang Lingling herself.

(⊙o⊙) … The thin chef’s mouth formed an “o” shape. He should have guessed. The same sudden appearance, the same throwing of money… so that was his new boss’s style? Why did he find it a little… cute…

The thin chef finally processed the fact that the young girl who stood at the kitchen door earlier, the lower half of her face covered in white tissues, was his rich, new boss. And the “rich fool” comment… wasn’t his… he thought, his expression turning serious.

“Then… then…” The thin chef circled Mi Hongdou anxiously.

“You’re blocking me…” Mi Hongdou skillfully steadied the pot, which he had almost knocked over. “Then what?”

“I’m saying, I mean, the person who relayed the message from the new boss, the one about a very, very skilled chef who makes very, very delicious food coming today, was that you?” The thin chef, after beating around the bush, finally returned to his original question.

Mi Hongdou pointed at the clock on the wall, which was almost showing one o’clock, then at the simmering pots. “I’m… not that skilled, and my cooking isn’t that delicious. But at this hour, since I’m the only one cooking here, I guess… it’s me.” Being praised by Jiang Lingling didn’t give her any sense of accomplishment… Mi Hongdou secretly glanced at Ji Junxin. Oh, she wasn’t playing with the carrot bunny anymore, she was on her phone. Mi Hongdou suddenly felt a little sad.

Even without asking again, the thin chef also felt that Mi Hongdou was the person the new boss had cleared the kitchen for. “But, it’s like this. Old Zhang and I…” he pointed at himself and the chubby chef still sulking in the corner, “we’ve been with the old boss since the beginning, we’re practically veterans here. We’re in charge of the kitchen. It’s been five or six years, we have a good relationship, we don’t have a clear hierarchy, we’re the bosses here. But this morning, that person who relayed the message from the new boss told everyone except for us to take a break. At first, we thought she was going to fire us. But she wasn’t. He asked us to prepare some ingredients and then stay to assist a very skilled chef. Old Zhang and I were a little unhappy. Preparing ingredients, washing and chopping, that’s the work of the new hires and apprentices. We’ve been head chefs for years, asking us to do this was a bit insulting. But we thought, new boss, showing her authority, we’ll just endure it this once. But then he said something that made us uneasy. He said the new boss thought our kitchen management was too chaotic. What did that even mean? It meant we weren’t competent. It meant Old Zhang and I weren’t competent. From what he said, it seemed like the new boss wanted to create a new position, something like a chef de cuisine or an executive chef, I don’t know the specifics. We all started from small restaurants, we don’t understand these fancy titles. But Old Zhang and I thought, hey, first asking us to assist someone, then creating a position above us, isn’t that just finding someone to control us?” He smiled awkwardly. “So, you really aren’t the new head chef sent by the new boss?”

“Really not…” Mi Hongdou shook her head sincerely. Seeing the thin chef’s smiling yet still doubtful expression, she almost wanted to offer him her heart as proof. Who would want to be a chef and cook for everyone? She only wanted to cook for one person!

Hearing this, the thin chef wanted to believe her… but… well, he could only smile awkwardly. Whether it was her or not, someone new was coming to be their boss, and he and Old Zhang would have no place in the kitchen, their pride completely shattered. They had planned to give the newcomer a hard time, and if she really was there to boss them around, they would quit. The world was vast, a chef wouldn’t starve. But then he saw his adorable idol, and for the sake of an autograph, he had gone off to kill chickens without thinking. Sigh… thinking about the chicken killing, the thin chef sighed again. He had a girlfriend, a waitress in this restaurant, and she had somehow found out about his and Old Zhang’s plan to resign. While he was killing the chickens, she came and dragged him away to talk. What was there to talk about? Just the usual about life being hard, why quit so easily…

Actually, his threat to quit was just an impulsive outburst. Thinking about it carefully, the familiar was better than the unknown. And he had a girlfriend, he wanted to get married. When you had more responsibilities, the courage born from impulse quickly faded. Although he was hesitant, the thought of someone constantly bossing him around was annoying. So, after talking to his girlfriend, the thin chef felt even more depressed.

He was trying to find out if Mi Hongdou was really the one who was going to be their new boss. But after chatting for so long, he realized that he had revealed everything, yet he still couldn’t figure out whether Mi Hongdou was telling the truth.

His limited intelligence was tiring.

“She’s an actress, just like me. We’re working together on a drama. Although she doesn’t have any released works yet, she’ll be famous soon.” Ji Junxin, who had come over at some point, said, holding the carrot bunny Mi Hongdou made. Then she emphasized, “Very, very famous! So she won’t be a chef here, don’t worry.”

Mi Hongdou’s heart bloomed with flowers and kittens, their paws scratching… was there anything more exciting and embarrassing than being affirmed by her idol? No! Wait… Mi Hongdou rubbed her thumb and index finger together. Well, the most exciting and embarrassing thing… was being licked by her idol, and even having her finger… Mi Hongdou stopped herself, why was she thinking about this again?

To the thin chef, Mi Hongdou was just a girl who could carve carrots quite well. He naturally didn’t completely believe her. But Ji Junxin was different. Her words were highly credible. The thin chef, who had been conflicted, immediately believed her after hearing what she said.

“Sigh… if it’s not you, then who knows who it will be.” The thin chef was relieved at first, then his face fell again, and he mumbled, “Perhaps… it would be better if it were you…”

Should she say thank you? Mi Hongdou felt like she would be driven crazy by the thin chef’s rambling. If he wanted to know, she could ask Jiang Lingling for him, really!

Just as Mi Hongdou thought of Jiang Lingling, Ji Junxin tugged at her sleeve and showed her a message on her phone.

[I have a cold today and can’t sit with everyone. Can you put my portions in separate bowls? (If you just take from the communal plates, I’ll be embarrassed to take too much, you understand, Ji Junxin?) Please tell Mi Hongdou too~ (And can I have a large portion of spicy chicken, like a chicken and a half?) ] Sender: Jiang Lingling.

Haha, the little foodie was being called out, she suddenly wanted to laugh. Mi Hongdou suppressed her laughter and looked at Ji Junxin, who turned her head away and said, “I don’t understand!” with an indignant air.

Three hundred pounds of obliviousness, how could she not understand!

“Okay, just reply ‘I know’,” Mi Hongdou said, stifling her laughter and trying to maintain a normal tone.

“Hmph, I’m not replying to her.” Ji Junxin put her phone away, a little annoyed.

Oh, angry because of that “you understand” comment? The little foodie’s heart was truly fragile.

Just as Mi Hongdou was thinking about how to appease her, Ji Junxin pouted and continued, “Hmph, I heard what you were saying earlier. She paid two thousand yuan for a chicken roll, but she only paid fifty for your egg fried rice! Your egg fried rice is a hundred, no, a thousand times better than the chicken roll here! Hmph, she didn’t even pay you a hundred, she has no taste, don’t cook for her.”

Mi Hongdou was stunned. She had thought the little foodie was annoyed at being exposed, but she was actually defending her? Although her reasoning was a bit… strange… it still warmed her heart.

 

Chapter 62: Carrot Bunny p2

Mi Hongdou, who had just synchronized the cooking times of the different dishes, glanced at the carrot in the thin chef’s hand, which was starting to resemble a bunny, then at Ji Junxin, who had abandoned the radishes and was now captivated by the carving. Mi Hongdou walked over to the counter, picked up one of the small radishes Ji Junxin had been playing with, washed it, and took a bite. Crispy, juicy, with a radish fragrance and a hint of sweetness, not spicy or numbing, a good radish.

Did he think he could steal her idol’s attention with a carved bunny? Mi Hongdou glanced at the carrot, which was now starting to resemble a bunny head, quickly gathered the radishes, washed them, blanched them in cold boiled water, trimmed the ends, smashed them slightly, and then tossed them in a sauce made of sugar, vinegar, MSG, and sesame oil. The refreshing, sour and sweet aroma of the radish salad cut through the rich smell of stewing meat and reached Ji Junxin.

Ji Junxin was fascinated by the thin chef’s skillful carving of a carrot into a bunny. She was admiring the little squatting bunny when a suddenly appearing aroma, seemingly delicious and appetizing, made her stomach rumble. The little foodie sniffed the air and her attention shifted. She instinctively looked at Mi Hongdou, her gaze landing on the small glass bowl in her hand.

Those small, round, slightly flattened, red things looked familiar. Ji Junxin, holding the carrot bunny, walked over to Mi Hongdou and was then fed something from the bowl.

So sour… Ji Junxin’s eyes widened, tears almost welling up from the sourness. But soon, after getting used to the sourness, she tasted the sweetness. She now saw clearly that the small glass bowl contained the radishes she had been playing with earlier.

So it was pickled radish?

Encouraged by Mi Hongdou’s gaze, Ji Junxin chewed the radish, despite the sourness, and as she chewed, her eyes gradually brightened, finally turning into the standard starry-eyed look of a foodie encountering delicious food!

The sweet, sour, savory, and fragrant sauce, hidden in the cracks of the slightly smashed radish, mixed with the radish juice, creating a wonderful combination. The sweet and sour radish flavor rolled from the tip of her tongue to her stomach, completely captivating her. After swallowing one, Ji Junxin stared at the chopsticks in Mi Hongdou’s hand and opened her mouth slightly.

Mi Hongdou fed her another one, then took the bowl away. “These radishes are too sour, you can’t eat too many. They’ll make your teeth sore, and then you won’t be able to chew the other dishes.”

Ji Junxin understood, but they were so delicious… She had only eaten pickled radish slices before, never this kind of pickled whole radish. Although very sour at first, it was incredibly delicious! Ji Junxin looked at the glass bowl longingly…

Why did she look so pitiful again? Mi Hongdou couldn’t help but break her word and feed Ji Junxin another one. “This is really the last one.” She said firmly.

Ji Junxin, her eyes watering from the sourness, smiled at Mi Hongdou. Clearly, Mi Hongdou had broken her word too many times to be trusted.

Tsk, this girl. This pitiful, kitten-like expression, she had no resistance to it. It seemed she couldn’t have a cat in the future, or she would end up giving it all the human food on the table just because it looked at her pitifully. Where were her principles? Oh, right, they had probably been eaten by the little foodie…

Ji Junxin, happily eating the pickled radishes, didn’t understand Mi Hongdou’s internal struggle between principles and affection. The pickled radishes were so delicious, they reminded her of a kind of candy she ate when she was young, sweet fruit candy coated in incredibly sour powder. You had to endure the sourness before reaching the sweetness inside. Just like these radishes, after the initial sourness, came the deliciousness. Even with restrictions, the desire to overcome them and eat more was a sign of true deliciousness!

Although she had eaten three pickled radishes, Ji Junxin still held the carrot bunny in her hand.

Where was the foodie who only cared about eating? The foodie who could be easily swayed by food? Mi Hongdou glanced at the carrot bunny in Ji Junxin’s hand and turned away.

She took a small knife, chose the thickest carrot, weighed it in her hand, found the right angle, and started carving.

Mi Hongdou worked quickly. Ji Junxin, still focused on the pickled radishes, thought she was just preparing ingredients. But the thin chef, who had been observing them, knew what Mi Hongdou was doing.

At first, he had looked down on Mi Hongdou. She looked so young, still like a student, how could she be a good cook? As long as she didn’t burn the food, it would be fine.

But after going out to kill the chickens and returning, the aroma in the kitchen… made him realize he had misjudged her. Putting aside the final taste, just the smell was on par with the restaurant’s chefs.

Of course, it was just a fleeting thought. He just acknowledged that she could cook, but he wouldn’t apologize for his earlier attitude.

Now, seeing the gradually forming shape in Mi Hongdou’s hand, he could guess what she was carving. But her speed was much faster than his. Could it be? … He unconsciously moved closer to Mi Hongdou.

By the time he shuffled over, the shape in Mi Hongdou’s hand was clearly discernible. She was also carving a carrot bunny.

Unlike his squatting bunny, Mi Hongdou was carving a small bunny lying on a large carrot.

Her knife skills were similar to his, just faster. He was thinking this when Mi Hongdou switched to a smaller knife, making a few cuts and pokes, and the lying bunny suddenly looked different.

It seemed… like a lazy, sleepy bunny? The thin chef rubbed his eyes. How could he discern laziness and sleepiness from a carved carrot bunny? Was he going crazy!

Whether he was willing to admit it or not, Mi Hongdou’s carrot bunny… was much cuter than his.

So, Ji Junxin now had two bunnies. Without the small radishes, she could still play with these while Mi Hongdou cooked, to pass the time.

Although slightly dissatisfied that Ji Junxin hadn’t discarded the other, uglier bunny, well… her idol was just that kind, there was nothing she could do. After secretly observing Ji Junxin for a while, confirming that she touched her bunny more often than the other one, Mi Hongdou continued cooking, feeling satisfied.

Just as she started the stove, preparing to make the silver carp and tofu soup, the thin chef shuffled over.

“Hey, little girl, how many years have you practiced your knife skills?” he asked curiously.

Are we close? Mi Hongdou glanced at him. Okay, since they were in the same organization, she wouldn’t hold his earlier behavior against him. She calculated that she had started practicing carrot carving after becoming food buddies with Ji Junxin in her previous life. It was to master different animal shapes… because at that time, Ji Junxin was obsessed with animal-shaped steamed buns and dumplings. To impress Ji Junxin, Mi Hongdou had spent more than three years carving countless radishes, finally mastering various cute animal shapes for buns and dumplings. Then she spent even more time studying the deformation that occurred during steaming. By the time she mastered the art of making animal-shaped buns and dumplings, it was just two or three months before her accident. At that time, Ji Junxin’s obsession with animal-shaped food had already passed, but Mi Hongdou thought, what if one day, she became obsessed again? So, she continued practicing, developing exceptional skills in making animal-shaped snacks and carving animals.

“About four years.” Mi Hongdou calculated. If she didn’t count her rebirth, haha, it would be negative six years…

Four years… The thin chef looked at the bunny he had carved after eight years of practice, sitting next to Ji Junxin, and his heart sank.

“No wonder… she didn’t choose us…” he mumbled dejectedly, then looked at Mi Hongdou sincerely. “This kitchen, I’ll leave it to you!”

Mi Hongdou, who was about to pour the tofu into the pot, almost dropped the plate.

“Did you misunderstand something?” Mi Hongdou steadied the plate, carefully slid the tofu into the pot, and then turned to the thin chef. “I’m just here to cook a meal today.”

The thin chef was stunned: “Aren’t you the new head chef sent by the new boss?”

“Of course not!” Mi Hongdou’s face was full of black lines. “I’m just borrowing the kitchen. Who told you that?” Where did she even look like a kitchen manager?

“Uh… Boss Jiang. She said a very, very skilled chef, who makes very, very delicious food, would be coming today, and she told everyone in the kitchen to take a break, except for me and him…” The thin chef pointed at himself, then at the chubby chef still sulking in the corner. “She asked us to assist the newcomer. You know, we’re the best chefs in this restaurant. Which means, no one here is better than us, do you understand?”

Mi Hongdou nodded. She finally understood who made those signature dishes recommended by the waiter when she and Ji Junxin came here for dinner.

The thin chef, thinking that Mi Hongdou’s nod meant she understood, continued complaining, “It’s unbelievable. Our restaurant doesn’t serve breakfast. As one of the two head chefs, I usually start work around ten. But today, before eight, I received a call from the old boss, saying that he had sold the restaurant. He didn’t even give us any warning the night before. So I asked him when he decided to sell it, and he said, someone came to see him twenty minutes ago, and he sold the restaurant fifteen minutes ago. Can you imagine how I felt?”

Mi Hongdou gently stirred the tofu in the pot. She could kind of understand how he felt.

Perhaps he just needed someone to listen. Mi Hongdou didn’t comment, but the thin chef continued excitedly, “He sold the restaurant, fine. He even said he was helpless and explained that he never intended to sell it. He said, someone contacted him, wanting to rent the restaurant. He thought, isn’t that just booking the whole place? No problem, as long as they pay. So he agreed. But then, as they talked, he realized something was off. The person wanted to rent the kitchen too. You know, the kitchen is the heart of a restaurant, how can you just rent it out? What if the person was a competitor, or had ulterior motives, tampering with the food? If something happened, it would be a huge mess. He said as soon as he heard they wanted to rent the kitchen, he refused, saying he wouldn’t even rent out the dining area, the kitchen was definitely off-limits. But you know what happened next?” He paused dramatically.

Was he telling a story? And expecting audience participation? …

“What happened?” Mi Hongdou asked as she added the silver carp to the pot. This story sounded familiar.

“Hey, aren’t you smart? Didn’t I just tell you, he sold the restaurant? Guess why he sold it?” The thin chef looked smug, as if he had just outwitted Mi Hongdou.

“You’re the stupid one! Why else would he sell it, not for money, but for you?” Mi Hongdou, inexplicably called stupid, started adding seasonings to the pot.

“Hey, smart. But it wasn’t just because of the money. After all, this was his life’s work.” The thin chef didn’t seem to mind being insulted by Mi Hongdou and continued enthusiastically, “I don’t know whether to call him unlucky or lucky. He built this restaurant from a small stall. If it weren’t for Shudian Film City being built nearby, he would probably still be running a small family business. But now that it’s successful, when he was hoping to pass it down through generations, hehe, someone came to buy it. His dream of a family legacy was shattered, that’s his bad luck. But he was also lucky, the person wanted to buy it, he refused, they negotiated, the person increased the offer, they negotiated again, the offer increased again… at first, he really didn’t want to sell, but the offer kept increasing until he felt bad for the buyer. He didn’t tell me the final price, but judging by his tone, he was almost scared by the amount…”

Mi Hongdou, who had been mostly focused on the soup and only half-listening to the thin chef’s story, suddenly noticed something. “Wait, what did you say your new boss’s surname was?” She hadn’t been paying close attention, only catching a few keywords like “selling the restaurant.”

“Jiang.” The thin chef looked displeased. “Why weren’t you listening to my story?”

“I was listening… I was… so you’re saying, a Boss Jiang wanted to rent your boss’s restaurant, your boss refused, and then she bought it?” Mi Hongdou pieced together the information she had heard.

“Yes, you were listening.” The thin chef nodded.

Oh my god… Mi Hongdou was stunned. She should have realized it was Jiang Lingling who rented, then bought, the restaurant. How did she only figure it out now? … It seemed her IQ had indeed been consumed by the little foodie.

But Jiang Lingling, you’re so rich, does your godfather really know?

Chapter 62: Carrot Bunny p1

Where was her sweet, adorable little goddess?

She didn’t recognize this person carrying three plucked chickens… and smiling… walking towards her!

This was a sight that could shatter one’s worldview with a single glance. Mi Hongdou closed her eyes and turned away. She must be seeing things.

She stared at the blanched beef in the plate, her ears, however, picking up the sound of cheerful footsteps approaching. Then, Ji Junxin’s voice, close and slightly excited: “Chef Zhao finished cleaning the chickens, where should I put them?”

What had happened while she was blanching the beef! It seemed that in a moment of inattention, her idol had been snatched away by another fan… and she was already calling him “Chef Zhao.” Hmph, who cared about his name! Mi Hongdou didn’t dare to look at the image of her goddess and the chickens again, her gaze fixed on the beef. She grabbed an empty plate and pushed it towards Ji Junxin. “Where’s Chef Zhao? Why are you bringing the chickens?”

Thump, thump, thump. Three plucked chickens were placed on the plate. Ji Junxin then hurried to wash her hands. “He’s calling someone in the back, the other chef isn’t doing anything, so I went to check. Then I found out someone was looking for him, he had finished killing the chickens, but hadn’t plucked them yet, and he wanted to ask the other chef for help.”

Mi Hongdou glanced at the three naked chickens on the plate. So, she wasn’t going to tell her that she was the one who finished plucking them, right? … That couldn’t be, the carcasses were still intact. Shouldn’t each chicken be missing half its skin? …

“Then, since he couldn’t get any help, he finished plucking them himself. But the person who was looking for him kept urging him, so I brought the chickens in.” Ji Junxin returned to Mi Hongdou’s side, her tone slightly proud as she explained.

Coupled with the sparkling eyes she only showed when encountering delicious food, she looked like a puppy who had brought the newspaper from outside and was waiting for praise… For some reason, Mi Hongdou’s recent fantasies all involved kittens or puppies. It was all because of Ji Junxin’s accidental licks… Mi Hongdou squeezed her still tingling index finger and, smiling, picked up a chicken from the plate. “I was just about to use the chicken, perfect timing!” She gave Ji Junxin several grateful looks.

Ji Junxin smiled shyly, her eyes shining even brighter.

Mi Hongdou’s heart melted. Although their interaction seemed to have shifted somehow, she wanted to drop the chicken and ruffle Ji Junxin’s hair!

Mi Hongdou forced herself to focus on the food she needed to prepare. One chicken in her hand, two more on the plate… plus the three already diced ones. If she made all of them into spicy chicken, just the frying alone would take a long time. And making four or five large portions seemed a bit low-class. She didn’t know how Jiang Lingling’s people bought the chickens… all three were hens. Mi Hongdou thought for a moment and decided to make chicken soup with all three. Since Jiang Lingling and Ji Junxin couldn’t eat spicy food, chicken soup would be good for their cold and stomach.

She looked around the kitchen, couldn’t find a large pressure cooker, and took a stainless steel stockpot instead. Although clay pots were better for making soup, there were too many chickens. Mi Hongdou didn’t want Jiang Lingling to suddenly barge in, see the remaining three chickens, and force her to make them all into spicy chicken. Even if she was willing to make it, Jiang Lingling couldn’t eat it.

The more Mi Hongdou thought about it, the more she felt that making chicken soup with all three chickens was a brilliant idea. So, thump, thump, thump, the three chickens were thrown into the pot. Ginger, scallions, rehydrated dried mushrooms… Mi Hongdou added the ingredients one by one, then she noticed Ji Junxin’s slightly pitiful expression.

Eh? Mi Hongdou had just glanced at Ji Junxin out of habit and was about to continue working when she realized something was off. She looked at Ji Junxin again, that pitiful expression wasn’t her imagination.

Weren’t her eyes sparkling just a minute ago? Mi Hongdou put the washed mushrooms into the pot, wiped her hands with a tissue, and walked over to Ji Junxin. “What’s wrong?”

Ji Junxin hesitated and didn’t speak. After Mi Hongdou softened her voice and asked again, she finally mumbled something.

Her voice was soft, and her face was red. But Mi Hongdou, whose attention was completely on Ji Junxin, still heard it clearly.

“All for soup… no spicy chicken?”

So that was why Ji Junxin’s expression had changed. In the end, what could make a foodie change her expression was only food! Although she wasn’t being compared to anything, Mi Hongdou still felt like she had lost.

“Look, there are still chicken legs here, these are for the spicy chicken. The ones in the pot are for the soup.” Mi Hongdou thought Ji Junxin had misunderstood and thought there would be no spicy chicken since she was using all three chickens for soup. She even pulled over the plate of chicken legs to show Ji Junxin the abundance of ingredients.

Who knew that Ji Junxin’s already pitiful expression would become even more so. “Didn’t we agree on six chickens for spicy chicken? These…” Ji Junxin pointed at the three whole chickens in the pot, then at the bowl of diced chicken. “And these, they’re not for spicy chicken?”

Yes… that was exactly what she thought. Looking at Ji Junxin’s pitiful eyes, Mi Hongdou couldn’t bring herself to say it. How much did she want spicy chicken? She had just had diarrhea two days ago, and they had agreed on a bland diet recently, had she already forgotten?

“You… can’t eat spicy food.” Mi Hongdou, barely withstanding the attack of Ji Junxin’s pitiful, adorable eyes, told the truth.

As soon as she said it, she regretted it. Because Ji Junxin’s eyes instantly dimmed. Where were those sparkling, adorable eyes! What kind of world did foodies live in!

The diarrhea was two days ago, it should be okay to eat a little, this thought popped into Mi Hongdou’s mind, slapping her earlier resolution of not letting Ji Junxin eat spicy food. Just as she was about to give in and let Ji Junxin have some, even if it meant going back on her word,

Ji Junxin held up her right hand, her thumb and index finger forming a small circle, the other fingers curled into a fist, and said weakly, “I’ll just have a little, just this much…”

That small, white hand looked so cute, almost edible. Was that… acting cute? Although their dynamic seemed to have shifted somehow, Mi Hongdou had to admit, she loved it! Looking at that small, soft hand, Mi Hongdou’s mind wandered.

Mi Hongdou, lost in thought, didn’t realize that Ji Junxin had misinterpreted her silence as a refusal. Ji Junxin moved her thumb further up her index finger, only the tip of her finger now visible. “Then… just this much, is this much okay?” Her voice was even softer.

So soft… so adorable. She never knew Ji Junxin had this side to her! Her goddess image was gone, but this cute little foodie was also adorable! Ji Junxin’s childish gesture melted Mi Hongdou’s heart, and she couldn’t refuse such a pitiful request. She immediately gave in.

With Mi Hongdou’s agreement, Ji Junxin instantly cheered up. It was as if the dark clouds had parted, and sunlight streamed down, filling the world with warmth and light. The contrast was so stark that Mi Hongdou almost started questioning whether she had been too cruel earlier.

She had only been concerned about Ji Junxin’s health, but why, after seeing this change in her mood, did she feel like she had made a mistake? Mi Hongdou pressed her wrist against her slightly feverish forehead. She must be poisoned.

A foodie’s world was bright and sunny because of food. And a foodie’s world was always filled with three scrolling words: “Not,” “Enough,” and “More.”

Seeing that Mi Hongdou had agreed to let her eat spicy chicken, Ji Junxin instantly forgot her earlier promise of “just a little” and tugged at Mi Hongdou’s sleeve, pointing at the plate of diced chicken. “How about making these into spicy chicken too?”

Climbing up the offered branch quite quickly, wasn’t she?

“Didn’t you say you only wanted this much?” Mi Hongdou imitated Ji Junxin’s earlier gesture, then pointed at the tiny space between her thumb and index finger with her other hand and said with a smile, “You only want this much, why should I make so much? Just a sliver of meat from a chicken leg is more than what you’re showing.”

That was just a gesture to represent “a little”! Not literally the size of her fingertip! The little foodie was devastated. So, her earlier agreement was only for that tiny amount? Not even enough to taste! Ji Junxin’s face flushed. If she explained now, would Mi Hongdou think she was going back on her word? But the “a little” she meant wasn’t the “a little” Mi Hongdou thought she meant!

Only that tiny bit of spicy chicken, just thinking about it made her want to cry! Ji Junxin’s face was red, and she was on the verge of tears when she saw Mi Hongdou secretly smiling.

Ji Junxin wasn’t stupid. Seeing this, she knew that Mi Hongdou had been teasing her. Hmph, Mi Hongdou was the worst! Thinking about how anxious she had been earlier, while Mi Hongdou was secretly laughing, the little foodie was angry!

Mi Hongdou, who had unconsciously activated her unique skill of constantly observing Ji Junxin’s expressions, immediately realized that she had gone too far.

“Oh, are you angry?”

Ji Junxin didn’t answer, looking away, her lips slightly pouting.

She was so cute even when she was angry… when did she develop this bad habit of teasing her? Mi Hongdou mentally criticized herself and quickly tried to make amends. “Those chicken pieces are too big for spicy chicken. How about braised chicken with chestnuts?” When looking for the stockpot earlier, Mi Hongdou had seen many ingredients already available in the restaurant. Since Jiang Lingling had booked the entire place, a few chestnuts wouldn’t make much difference to the bill.

“Chestnuts are perfect for this season. Braised with chicken and a little sugar, they’re as good as candied chestnuts. And the chicken, infused with the aroma of chestnuts, braised until tender, it’s as delicious as spicy chicken.” Mi Hongdou coaxed her. “This way, you can have two different dishes at once. How about it, want to try?”

The little foodie’s eyes darted around, and she happily agreed.

Mi Hongdou breathed a sigh of relief. To make Ji Junxin happy while also limiting her spice intake, she had really put in a lot of effort. Although it meant making another dish, she had to praise her own quick thinking!

“Then, use some of the chicken there for spicy chicken…” Ji Junxin pointed at the three chickens in the pot. “Don’t try to fool me and say you need three whole chickens for the soup.”

Why was she so sharp when she needed her to play dumb? And why was she so obsessed with spicy chicken? … Was it because after helping her unpack the two suitcases and finding her medicine the other day, she now felt emboldened? Mi Hongdou, having gone too far with her teasing earlier, could only complain inwardly. Facing Ji Junxin’s insistent request for more spicy chicken, Mi Hongdou surrendered.

So, six chicken legs were added to the plate, neatly arranged, waiting to be cut. And the three chickens in the pot were now legless, bobbing in the broth.

Chicken soup simmering, the amount of spicy chicken increased, and a new dish, braised chicken with chestnuts… so what had just happened? Why, after her goddess brought back three chickens, had she increased the amount of spicy chicken and added two new dishes? Mi Hongdou found a box of curry powder among the seasonings. Since she was making braised chicken with chestnuts, she would change the braised beef with potatoes to beef brisket curry. After the appearance of the three chickens, half the menu had been changed, what a strange development…

But Ji Junxin hadn’t left the kitchen. Although she hadn’t helped with anything besides bringing back the three chickens, just occasionally glancing at the little foodie made Mi Hongdou feel energized!

She deboned the chicken legs, diced them, and marinated them. She minced the chicken breast and seasoned it… Mi Hongdou calculated the time needed for each ingredient, her hands constantly moving. There was no other way, she had to make the entire meal by herself. The two who were supposed to be helping, one was still sulking in the corner like a statue, and the other had disappeared after killing the chickens. As for Ji Junxin… hehe, as long as she didn’t bring back any more chickens, Mi Hongdou would be grateful.

The simmering chicken soup, the braising chicken, the stewing beef brisket, as time passed, the aroma of cooking filled the kitchen. The fish and chicken had already been fried once when the thin chef finally returned.

Unlike his earlier cheerful demeanor after meeting his idol, getting her autograph, and going off to kill chickens, the thin chef now looked gloomy, even more unhappy than when Mi Hongdou first saw him.

He returned to the kitchen with a dejected expression, then, seeing Ji Junxin sitting by the counter, rolling small radishes around like marbles, his eyes brightened.

“Bored in the kitchen, aren’t you? Here, I’ll carve you a little bunny.” The thin chef said, grabbing a small knife and a carrot, and started carving.

Chapter 61: Killing Chickens p2

11:30 AM, one of the busiest times in a restaurant kitchen. However, this kitchen was empty… well, there were two people, wearing chef uniforms, probably the staff. One was chubby, the other thin. They looked… interesting.

“Mi Hongdou, the entire kitchen is yours! Go for it!” Jiang Lingling didn’t even approach the kitchen door, just pointed them, mainly Mi Hongdou, towards the entrance and stayed far away. It had to be said that Jiang Lingling, constantly reminding everyone of her sick status, was strangely adorable.

So, after booking the entire kitchen, Jiang Lingling had also booked the entire restaurant? Jiang Lingling, you’re so rich, does your godfather know? Mi Hongdou’s face was full of black lines. Then she saw Dong Yuannan, rubbing his slightly protruding belly and smiling, standing a few meters behind Jiang Lingling. Okay, her godfather knew… Mi Hongdou reluctantly entered the unfamiliar battlefield, followed by Ji Junxin, who wouldn’t be of much help.

But at least there was the assistant.

The assistant handed the two boxes of tissues she had been holding to Jiang Lingling and then led Mi Hongdou into the kitchen, pointing at the ingredients on the table. “These are the fresh ingredients Miss Jiang ordered this morning. Considering the limited time for lunch, we asked the chefs here to prepare them, washing and chopping everything. They’re all semi-prepared now.” The assistant then introduced the two chefs who had been standing by the ingredient table. “These two are the… head chefs of this restaurant. Miss Mi, if you need any ingredients or utensils, you can ask them. They prepared these semi-prepared ingredients.”

Mi Hongdou wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt… the two chefs seemed arrogant and unfriendly. So, she just smiled at them without saying anything and turned to examine the ingredients.

Chunks of chicken breast, uncut. Five or six chicken legs, uncut. A large bowl of diced chicken, cut too large. Two cleaned fish, uncut. A large piece of beef, uncut. A small bowl of silver carp… and some washed vegetables and seasonings. Okay, although they weren’t exactly semi-prepared, it was still better than having to start from scratch, killing the chickens herself. Mi Hongdou thought this and resignedly rolled up her sleeves, ready to work.

Then… she heard… a clucking sound?

“There’s a cage of chickens here!” Before Mi Hongdou could react, Ji Junxin, following the sound, had already found the chickens.

So, a foodie’s radar could even detect live food?

Mi Hongdou walked over and counted. One, two, three, three chickens. These must be the three extra chickens Jiang Lingling had ordered for the spicy chicken. Mi Hongdou turned and walked away, pretending not to see them.

“Heh, little girl, these three chickens are also part of your ingredients. Why did you just leave after looking? Being a good cook isn’t just about stir-frying. You have to be able to kill chickens, kill fish, even slaughter pigs, hahaha, right?” The chubby chef spoke.

Mi Hongdou glanced at him, puzzled. Why would she need to slaughter pigs? Who could slaughter a pig by themselves? Did he think she was stupid? Mi Hongdou ignored him, washed her hands, and prepared to start cooking.

Perhaps angered by her indifference, he walked over to Mi Hongdou and held out a kitchen knife, its tip pointing at her. “Heh, so the little girl took the money to cook, but she’s afraid to kill chickens? I’ve already helped you clean the fish. If you’re afraid to kill chickens, call me ‘big brother,’ and I’ll kill them for you.”

Mi Hongdou looked at the knife tip. She didn’t want to kill chickens. If it were Jiang Lingling, she might consider it. Such a big restaurant, and there wasn’t a single normal chef? Why did she have to deal with this uncooperative, provocative, and seemingly violent person? Should she ask for his help, or not?

“What are you talking about!” Ji Junxin, who had been standing by the chicken cage, rushed over to Mi Hongdou and then… saw the knife tip. She quickly pulled Mi Hongdou back a few steps, her face slightly pale, but she still shielded Mi Hongdou with her body.

“It’s okay.” Mi Hongdou patted Ji Junxin’s hand reassuringly. “You go out first.”

In this situation, how could Ji Junxin leave? Mi Hongdou helplessly removed Ji Junxin’s hand from her sleeve. “Then close your eyes later, don’t look.”

Ji Junxin shook her head and whispered, “Let’s go find Jiang Lingling, she’s strong.”

“Pfft… it’s not like we’re fighting.” Mi Hongdou chuckled. “I’ll kill a chicken, and they’ll shut up.” Although she didn’t know how she had offended them, it seemed they were deliberately looking for trouble. Finding Jiang Lingling could definitely solve the problem, but using force wasn’t the best solution. Since he kept mocking her for not being able to kill chickens, she would kill one, and he would have nothing to say.

Ji Junxin froze.

Seeing the little foodie’s stunned expression, Mi Hongdou, who had been confident in her skills, suddenly felt deflated. “You don’t like me killing chickens?” Oh, it did seem… a bit cruel. No, she couldn’t leave such a bloody image in the little foodie’s mind.

Mi Hongdou, who had planned to impress them with her chicken-killing skills, quickly changed her strategy.

“Hehe, I’m just kidding, I can’t kill chickens.” Mi Hongdou smiled gently at Ji Junxin, trying to salvage her image.

Ji Junxin patted her chest, relieved.

The two chefs heard their conversation. The chubby chef’s expression darkened even further, while the thin chef, after watching for a while, walked over and pulled the chubby chef’s arm. “Uh… look, look…” He pointed at Ji Junxin. “Doesn’t she look like Ji Junxin, the one who played the thousand-year-old fox demon?”

“What thousand-year-old fox demon? I don’t watch TV!” The chubby chef shook his hand off.

“Tsk.” The thin chef, who had been watching coldly from the side, hurried over to Ji Junxin with a fawning smile. “Hello, little girl, are you Ji Junxin?”

“No.” This time, it was Mi Hongdou who pulled Ji Junxin away slightly and pushed her towards the kitchen door. “You go out first.”

“Oh, you are!” The more the thin chef looked, the more certain he became. It was all because of the earlier incident, he had been so angry, trying to act tough, that he almost didn’t recognize Ji Junxin, he loved the thousand-year-old fox demon she played! He was a die-hard fan! He rubbed his hands, rummaged through a drawer, found a pen, and walked towards Ji Junxin. “Are you Ji Junxin? If you are, give me your autograph, and I’ll kill all three chickens for you! Anything else you need killed, just say the word! I’m your fan, a die-hard fan…”

Killing people, is that okay? And a fan… Mi Hongdou didn’t want to acknowledge that this slightly crazy thin chef was from the same organization as her.

“I am!”

Just as Mi Hongdou was about to send Ji Junxin out and ask Jiang Lingling if they could get two normal chefs, or even no chefs at all, Ji Junxin spoke firmly. Not only did she speak, but she also took the pen from the thin chef and signed his apron.

Her idol was truly kind, always so friendly to her fans, Mi Hongdou thought, her gaze softening as she looked at Ji Junxin. Then she heard Ji Junxin say, after signing, “Okay, now go kill those three chickens.”

Oh my dear, why so cruel! Mi Hongdou was shocked. So, she didn’t mind the killing of chickens, just her killing chickens?

“Should I dice them?” Ji Junxin tugged at Mi Hongdou’s sleeve.

“What?” Mi Hongdou, still stunned that her idol had actually asked someone to kill chickens, three of them, didn’t register what Ji Junxin was saying.

“I’m asking, after killing the chickens, should I dice them? For the spicy chicken, right?” Ji Junxin glanced at the thin chef, who was walking towards the chicken cage. “I heard it’s dangerous to kill chickens, they might peck or scratch you. It’s good that someone volunteered, otherwise, there would be no spicy chicken.”

Oh, so she wasn’t against her killing chickens, she was worried she would get hurt? Mi Hongdou’s heart bloomed with tiny flowers. But the question was… who said all six chickens were for spicy chicken! That was just Jiang Lingling’s assumption!

At the same time, the thin chef, walking towards the chicken cage, stumbled. Although killing chickens wasn’t dangerous, wasn’t it a bit much to trick your fan like this? Idol…

Anyway, the shocked fan was still a considerate fan. To avoid scaring Ji Junxin, he took the chicken cage outside to kill the chickens, making sure to keep his distance so the squawking wouldn’t disturb his idol. Finally, Mi Hongdou reluctantly accepted him into her organization.

They had agreed to give the newcomer a hard time, but his colleague had suddenly switched sides and was now helping kill chickens. The chubby chef was very unhappy. He didn’t want to help kill chickens, didn’t want to leave the kitchen in defeat, and didn’t want to assist the little girl. He could only sulk in a corner, pretending no one was there.

Mi Hongdou glanced at the seemingly pitiful chubby chef and decided to ask the slightly more normal thin chef, after he returned, why they were so hostile towards her.

Putting the hostility aside, it seemed that she couldn’t get rid of her little tail for now. Mi Hongdou had originally planned to give Ji Junxin some flour and water to play with, to keep her from getting bored, but thinking about Ji Junxin’s age, she dismissed the idea. For some reason, in her previous life, Ji Junxin had been her idol, an unreachable moon in the sky. Even after they became closer, Ji Junxin was like the moon reflected in a basin of water, closer, but still… But in this life, Mi Hongdou, although initially seeing Ji Junxin as her idol, now saw her more like a child. Innocent, unguarded, incredibly endearing. If the Ji Junxin of her previous life was someone she admired and adored, then the Ji Junxin of this life was someone she wanted to protect and cherish every second. Even while busy cooking, she was worried that Ji Junxin would be bored, hence the idea of giving her some dough to play with.

Of course, it was just a thought. Mi Hongdou was still rational.

She calculated that there would be five people for lunch: herself, Ji Junxin, Dong Yuannan, Jiang Lingling, and the assistant. Five dishes, plus fried rice, should be enough. And she still had to film in the afternoon, had to go back for makeup. It was already late, she didn’t have time for more dishes.

The most time-consuming dish was the braised beef brisket with potatoes. Mi Hongdou washed and diced the beef, then put it in a pot of cold water to boil. While waiting for the water to boil, she examined the two cleaned fish. Fortunately, although those two chefs seemed eccentric and unreliable, they had cleaned the fish properly. Mi Hongdou skillfully removed the heads and tails. Just as she finished, she stopped. Cutting off fish heads seemed a bit violent too… She turned to Ji Junxin, who was looking in her direction with a smile. Okay, she must be imagining the delicious fried fish.

A foodie’s heart was truly vast… Mi Hongdou, relieved, quickly chopped the fish into flat pieces, washed them, and marinated them with scallions, ginger, garlic, cooking wine, and soy sauce. The water for the beef was now boiling. Mi Hongdou skimmed off the foam and rinsed the beef.

After stir-frying and braising the beef, she could start on the other dishes. Mi Hongdou worked efficiently, calculating and occasionally glancing at Ji Junxin.

And this glance almost scared her out of her wits.

Chapter 61: Killing Chickens p1

Pig’s feet, like chicken feet, were meant to be gnawed on slowly and thoroughly, every bit of meat savored, every bone sucked clean for minutes. Only when every bone was bare, with teeth marks, could it be considered truly finished, its earthly purpose fulfilled.

When Director Pan sent someone to call Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou back to the set, the little foodie was still gnawing on a pig’s foot bone. But filming was the priority. The large pig’s foot Mi Hongdou brought was now reduced to just this one bone. Finally, Ji Junxin reluctantly put it down, took a tissue, wiped the grease from her mouth, and… finished.

Mission accomplished, Mi Hongdou took off her disposable glove. Fortunately, the oil hadn’t seeped through, but her hand was a little red. She wiped it with a wet tissue, and it was clean.

“Oh… did you burn yourself?” Ji Junxin, seeing Mi Hongdou’s slightly reddened right hand, thought of the still-warm pig’s foot she had just eaten and felt a pang of guilt… Mi Hongdou had held it for her to eat, enduring the heat without a word!

“It’s fine, it’s not a burn, I probably just pressed on it too hard, it’ll be fine soon.” Mi Hongdou dodged Ji Junxin’s reaching hand and hid her right hand behind her back. Actually, she wasn’t sure if her hand was red from the heat. She only knew that her hand had been repeatedly grazed by teeth and licked by a tongue. It wasn’t just her hand that was red, she felt like her whole body was burning.

Speaking of which, the little foodie, when she reached the final stage of sucking on the bone… she had initially sucked on the wrong thing… The moment her index finger was taken into Ji Junxin’s mouth, enveloped by a warm, soft tongue, Mi Hongdou felt like she was going to explode. Yes… like someone being electrocuted in a movie, a tingling numbness spreading through her body.

So stunned by this unprecedented sensation, Mi Hongdou didn’t immediately pull her finger back. If it weren’t for Ji Junxin, realizing the texture was wrong, finding the right target… hehe… Mi Hongdou glanced at the bones in the bowl, bearing Ji Junxin’s teeth marks. Her finger would probably have teeth marks too.

Mi Hongdou kept saying her hand was fine, and with other crew members present, Ji Junxin couldn’t insist on checking, so she let it go and they headed to the set together.

On the set, they saw an RV parked nearby. Ji Junxin immediately spotted Jiang Lingling and Dong Yuannan, who was standing a few steps away. Both were on their phones. Mi Hongdou asked Ji Junxin to wait while she returned the bowl and quickly walked towards the RV.

She had to thank them after eating their food. Ji Junxin thought and took a few steps towards Jiang Lingling, intending to thank her after she finished her call.

But Jiang Lingling’s eyes were sharp. Before Ji Junxin could get close, she had already crossed Jiang Lingling’s personal space boundary. Jiang Lingling quickly said something into the phone and hung up. At the same time, Dong Yuannan also lowered his phone.

They couldn’t have been talking on the phone while standing so close, right? … This synchronized action made Ji Junxin think that, but then she chided herself for overthinking.

But the next second, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Ji Junxin realized that it wasn’t her overthinking, it was Jiang Lingling who was beyond human comprehension.

So, after pledging her unwavering loyalty to KFC, was she now determined to contribute to the telecommunications industry? Ji Junxin didn’t answer and walked towards Jiang Lingling, who was gesturing at her with her phone.

So, Ji Junxin became the third lucky person to witness how a person with a cold could move like a startled rabbit. She had never seen someone with a cold so energetic, jumping and hopping around. Was she sick or had she undergone a genetic mutation?

“Don’t come over, I have a cold. Were the pig’s feet good? There’s more in the car, plenty! But don’t forget, we’ll have a feast for lunch later!” Jiang Lingling abandoned modern communication methods and resorted to shouting. She shouldn’t expect anyone else to be as considerate as her godfather.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. With Jiang Lingling… just let her be. Ji Junxin felt that she was gradually mastering the art of interacting with Jiang Lingling, so she stopped, keeping a safe distance, and decided to follow Jiang Lingling’s lead, shouting her thanks for the delicious pig’s feet.

Ji Junxin wasn’t used to shouting in public, but to adapt to Jiang Lingling’s eccentric style, she cleared her throat, ready to speak.

Then she heard Jiang Lingling shout, “Oh, it’s okay, you can still eat lunch even after having the pig’s feet, go eat!” Jiang Lingling pointed at the RV excitedly.

Jiang Lingling’s loud voice attracted the attention of the crew members around the RV. Ji Junxin felt several gazes on her. The words of thanks caught in her throat, she swallowed them with difficulty…

So, Jiang Lingling! She didn’t even know her!

Ji Junxin’s face flushed. She didn’t dare to look at the people around her, wondering who had heard Jiang Lingling’s words. A girl with a big appetite would be judged, didn’t Jiang Lingling understand? What kind of creature was she? … Ji Junxin’s face burned, and she hesitated between waiting for Mi Hongdou to return from the RV and running away.

Dong Yuannan, standing far away, couldn’t hear clearly what Jiang Lingling was shouting without using his phone. But they seemed to be happy. The children were getting along so well, Daddy was relieved~ Dong Yuannan, happy and satisfied, turned to leave, missing Ji Junxin’s mortified expression due to the angle.

Mi Hongdou, oblivious, returned from the RV before the atmosphere became too awkward, cheerfully greeted Jiang Lingling, and led the mortified foodie away.

It was now half an hour before the 10:30 AM call time Director Pan had promised Mi Hongdou. They were supposed to film three scenes this morning, but they hadn’t even finished one. But when Mi Hongdou returned from the RV, she saw that Jiang Lingling didn’t seem anxious at all, and she understood. Jiang Lingling, so calm and collected, must have a plan.

As expected, when Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin returned to the set, Director Pan called them over and earnestly said that they should try to finish this scene before 10:30 AM, so they could have lunch, such a delicious lunch, they had to work hard. Although these words were directed at both Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin, every word was filled with the temptation of food, and Ji Junxin’s face, which had just started to cool down from Jiang Lingling’s teasing, turned red again. She felt like a secret she should have kept hidden was now known to the entire world.

Ji Junxin knew that her current emotional state wasn’t very stable, not suitable for Miao Qianye’s calm and composed demeanor during her conversation with the young empress, so she stood alone in a corner for a while, calming herself and getting into character, before returning to the camera.

Then, NG…

No, no, no. This NG wasn’t because of Ji Junxin’s slight distraction, but because Mi Hongdou… said the wrong line. Mi Hongdou, who had maintained her composure even during Ji Junxin’s repeated NGs, had actually NGed?

Ji Junxin’s performance seemed to be improving, and Director Pan, greatly relieved, didn’t mind Mi Hongdou’s first mistake. A wrong line was a minor issue, the next take would definitely be fine, and he could finally take his wife to that lunch feast. Thinking about Jiang Lingling’s promise, Director Pan hummed happily.

However… well, reality was often disappointing.

The first time, Mi Hongdou said the wrong line. The second time, she made the wrong movement. The third time, she spaced out…

Director Pan went from indifference to surprise, then to contemplation.

Such deliberate NGs, even he could see through it after the third time! He saw it, but didn’t stop it, even tacitly allowing it, calmly calling for another take after each of Mi Hongdou’s NGs.

Earlier, when Ji Junxin kept NGing, the crew members had whispered among themselves. Now, with Mi Hongdou’s repeated NGs, the subject of their discussion changed. After all, Zhang Zijing and Jiang Duo’s excessive NGs had instilled a fear of consecutive NGs in everyone. They were afraid that after Zhang Zijing and Jiang Duo, who could NG every scene, there would be another one… that would be a disaster. In this situation, everyone was very sensitive to NGs.

Being an actor came with more pressure than ordinary jobs, both on and off screen. Director Pan didn’t think there was anything wrong with Ji Junxin’s few NGs. And the reason he didn’t stop Mi Hongdou’s deliberate NGs, even tacitly allowing them, was that he noticed Ji Junxin’s performance gradually improving. Although he didn’t understand what the two young girls were doing, he didn’t mind them using their own methods to adjust their states. After all, as the saying goes, it doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.

The repeated NGs, not only Director Pan, but even Ji Junxin noticed something was off.

“What’s wrong?” After Mi Hongdou forgot her lines and NGed again, Ji Junxin asked for a two-minute break and pulled Mi Hongdou aside.

“I… forgot my lines.” Mi Hongdou lowered her head, embarrassed, and scuffed her shoe against the ground.

Ji Junxin looked at her suspiciously, then her concern prevailed. “It’s okay, my performance wasn’t good earlier either, let’s work hard together!” Ji Junxin held Mi Hongdou’s hand, her face full of fighting spirit.

Mi Hongdou felt a tingle in her right hand where it was being held. But she didn’t pull away, instead squeezing Ji Junxin’s hand and smiling, “Okay.”

They returned to the set hand in hand. Director Pan squinted at them, then called Mi Hongdou over.

“I think you’ve had enough. How many times have you NGed?” Director Pan said earnestly.

“I’m sorry… I’ll do my best next time.” Mi Hongdou obediently lowered her head and apologized.

Director Pan chuckled and lowered his voice, “Come on, who are you trying to fool? Ji Junxin’s performance has improved considerably. After your NGs, she’s now familiar with the scene. Don’t deliberately NG next time, I think we can finish it in one take. Really… Ji Junxin has been acting for so many years, can’t she handle a few NGs? You had to make such obvious mistakes whenever you saw her struggling. Do you think she’s stupid, or do you think I’m stupid?”

Mi Hongdou wanted to deny it, but seeing Director Pan’s knowing gaze, she just nodded obediently without explaining. She had been thinking about Ji Junxin, who looked slightly angry and pitiful when she brought the pig’s feet backstage earlier. Perhaps Ji Junxin could handle the setbacks of NGs, but Mi Hongdou… didn’t want to see her looking so pitiful again. Although she didn’t know why Ji Junxin’s performance had been so unstable earlier, it didn’t stop her from deliberately forgetting her lines, spacing out, messing up her lines, or making the wrong movements whenever she saw Ji Junxin struggling.

Indeed, as Director Pan said, Ji Junxin’s state recovered quickly. Even without him saying anything, Mi Hongdou wouldn’t deliberately NG anymore.

After finishing the pig’s feet, Jiang Lingling went to cling to her godfather and didn’t come back to watch Mi Hongdou. Although Ji Junxin was still puzzled as to why Jiang Lingling staring at Mi Hongdou had affected her own performance, she gradually calmed down. Perhaps because she had NGed so many times in this scene, even without Jiang Lingling’s presence, she still found it difficult to immerse herself in the role. She was also worried that if she continued NGing, Mi Hongdou would stop being her fan.

For an artist, fans were the most loving creatures. And fans turning into passersby, then into anti-fans, was common. Ji Junxin recalled Mi Hongdou’s earlier confession, “I’ve been your fan for a long time,” and the more she thought about it, the more she felt… if she continued NGing, Mi Hongdou would be disappointed, would stop liking her, would stop being her friend. The thought was disheartening.

Suddenly burdened by the weight of her idol image, even without Jiang Lingling staring at Mi Hongdou, Ji Junxin still couldn’t fully recover her state.

Then, Mi Hongdou NGed, and NGed again, and again. Ji Junxin was shocked, worried, then suddenly relaxed, deciding to work hard with Mi Hongdou, to complete the scene together.

Unknowingly, Ji Junxin’s natural and relaxed acting state returned.

After Director Pan took Mi Hongdou aside, and the two secretly held hands again before filming, they nailed the scene in one take. Not only did they complete it, but their performance was even slightly better than expected.

In the script, during their conversation, the young empress maintained her facade of authority, but at one point, unintentionally revealed a hint of vulnerability. Miao Qianye noticed it, a flicker of sympathy in her eyes, her words becoming even gentler.

And just now, Ji Junxin had portrayed not only sympathy, but also a hint of guilt, her gaze becoming more complex and ambiguous.

It was brilliant. Director Pan praised Ji Junxin profusely. That was it, Miao Qianye, besides sympathizing with the young empress, who had to maintain her composure despite her sadness, should also feel guilty for that sympathy, that fondness. After all, she was, in a way, the one who stole the young empress’s husband. Director Pan felt that that guilty look in her eyes was perfect!

Ji Junxin smiled shyly, not telling Director Pan that what she had been thinking about during the scene was Mi Hongdou’s reddened hand from holding the pig’s foot for her…

The last take was not only a pass, but also greatly exceeded Director Pan’s expectations. But Mi Hongdou had also NGed several times, and by the time they finally finished, it was almost eleven o’clock, long past their 10:30 AM call time.

Director Pan could see that Ji Junxin’s state had fully recovered. With his dedicated work ethic, he should seize the opportunity and film the other two scenes that were originally scheduled for this morning. Judging by their current state, they could finish those two scenes in half an hour. But… remembering Jiang Lingling’s words, he hesitated.

“Alright, that’s it for this morning.” Director Pan ultimately chose food over work.

Although they were a little behind schedule, things were still going according to Jiang Lingling’s plan.

Under Jiang Lingling’s supervision and guidance, Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin, for the first time, removed their makeup and costumes with such speed.

Jiang Lingling chose a restaurant about a kilometer away from Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou’s hotel for lunch.

Arriving at the restaurant and getting out of Dong Yuannan’s RV, it was only a little past 11:30 AM. They had achieved a new speed record.

This restaurant was visible from Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou’s hotel room. It wasn’t large, just three stories high, with a traditional design that stood out amidst the surrounding greenery. Because it was so close, Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou had eaten dinner there once.

And then… well, there was no “and then”…

But today, Mi Hongdou was cooking. The two got out of the car, exchanged glances, and didn’t comment.

Strangely, despite being lunch time, the restaurant’s main dining area on the first floor was empty. Although the food here… was really quite ordinary, when Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou came here before, the first floor had been full, and they had heard chatter from the private rooms on the second floor. It hadn’t been that long, had everyone already gotten tired of the food?

Before Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin could exchange their guesses, Jiang Lingling shooed them towards the kitchen entrance.