Chapter 6

A single plate of sliced fish was not enough to fill Tian Jian up, so Xi Mi turned around and went to wash a fresh cucumber.

The inn’s plumbing connected to a well in the back courtyard. Crisp, cool well water flowed from the tap, rinsing the cucumber’s bright green skin. Xi Mi rubbed off the tiny prickles with her hand and snapped it in two with a crisp crunch, juice bursting out from the break.

She handed half of the cucumber to Tian Jian and kept the remaining half for herself.

Taking a bite, fresh juice flooded her mouth. Crops irrigated with well water always had a subtle sweetness, not cloying like fruit, but a gentle, refreshing lightness that lingered on the tip of the tongue.

Eating half a cucumber finally calmed Xi Mi’s shock.

She knew the show 《Super Brain》; it was a competitive arena for high-IQ geniuses. How high did Tian Jian’s IQ have to be for her to win the championship?

Xi Mi looked at the silly, innocent expression on Tian Jian’s face, unable to connect her with a competition champion. Feeling a little uncomfortable under her stare, Tian Jian asked, “Mimi, why’d you stop talking? Are you embarrassed because I don’t have enough followers?”

The words felt like a hammer striking Xi Mi right on the head.

2.5 million followers was few? In that case, with less than two hundred followers of her own, how could Xi Mi even show her face in this world?

That night, Xi Mi tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep, while Tian Jian slept soundly beside her.

There was a small balcony off the ground-floor living room, draped in climbing ivy, with a small Chinese red lantern hanging outside. A handmade porcelain droplet wind chime hung among the vines, its light blue glaze covered in intricate crackle patterns. Whenever a breeze blew, it chimed with a gentle ding-ding.

Xi Mi stood on her tiptoes against the wooden railing, leaning half her body over it in a precarious pose as she played on her phone.

Her Weibo had exploded.

Her Qiekuai video had been reposted by two mega-influencers, and in just a few short hours, the repost count had surpassed ten thousand.

The famous influencer matchmaker Qiao Shan had followed her and sent a direct message: “Following under Jianjian’s orders :).”

Ying Shengnan, CEO of Ying Group, had also followed her. He was an overbearing president who had gone viral relying on his good looks, high status, and humorous flirting skills.

The domineering CEO had commented: “Following under orders :).”

Their names sounded slightly familiar to her.

Catching the attention of two mega-influencers with tens of millions of followers proved too much for the unprepared Xi Mi. Her foot slipped, and she nearly tumbled headfirst over the railing.

Fortunately, a hand reached out from behind just in time and caught her by the shoulder.

She was yanked backward, landing against a solid human wall that helped her regain her balance.

Although the ground-floor balcony wasn’t very high, the floor below was paved with blue flagstones; a fall would have been nasty.

Xi Mi let out a breath of relief, but as she turned around, she bumped into a firm chest. Through the thin, soft fabric, the man’s burning body heat traveled from her nose straight through her entire body, forcing her to take a sudden step back.

Embarrassed, Xi Mi rubbed the tip of her nose. “Thank you… ah.” If Ying Quhe hadn’t acted so fast, she really would have plunged over the edge.

Ying Quhe held a clear glass cup in his long, slender fingers, with only a little water left inside. The balcony lights weren’t on, and his tall, imposing figure blocked nearly half the ambient light.

Standing right in front of Ying Quhe, Xi Mi felt like the man was a wall.

A wall of male pheromones… a human wall.

The light was dim, but it couldn’t hide the cold glare gleaming in his eyes.

Ying Quhe’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. Looking into Xi Mi’s wide, glistening eyes, he took a deep breath and swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue. He raised the glass to his lips and took a small sip, letting the cold water quell his rising annoyance.

Only after a moment did he look back at Xi Mi. “Not sleeping?”

Xi Mi blinked in surprise. His gaze had definitely looked a bit fierce just now… Had she misseen it?

Feeling flustered, she lowered her head and twiddled her fingers. “Um… I couldn’t sleep. I was afraid of waking Miss Tian, so I came out to stand for a bit.”

“So you stood on the railing?” His voice dropped several degrees colder, laced with mild scolding. “Acting like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old kid… Don’t you know how dangerous that is?”

Xi Mi gave a soft cough, feeling guilty.

She glanced toward the bedroom. Afraid of waking Tian Jian, she lowered her voice and asked, “Mr. Ying, Miss Tian doesn’t actually need me to take care of her, does she? Her Weibo…”

Ying Quhe nodded knowingly. “Her memory is far beyond ordinary people, and her palate is exceptionally sharp; she can pinpoint the exact features of any dish. However, her intelligence is like that of an eight-year-old girl. It might sound contradictory, but put simply, she is indeed different from ordinary people. She interacts with others in a straightforward way and trusts anyone easily.”

Xi Mi half-understood.

Ying Quhe added, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t fully understand. Being friends with her won’t put you at a disadvantage.”

“Mm… I really did benefit from her connection; two major influencers followed me.” Xi Mi scratched the back of her head and remarked sincerely, “Mr. Ying, you’re blessed to have a wife like her. Miss Tian has a wonderful personality.”

Ying Quhe choked on his water mid-sip, coughing a few times. “Who told you she’s my wife?”

“Huh… she isn’t?” Xi Mi was surprised.

Once the burning sensation in his chest subsided, Ying Quhe explained in a quiet voice, “She’s my sister-in-law. Of the two influencers you mentioned, one is my younger brother’s wife, and the other is my older brother.”

“S-Sister-in-law?” Xi Mi’s heart thumped rapidly. She wanted to gossip more, but she forcefully restrained herself and kept her mouth shut.

Her current role was merely a temporary nanny hired by Ying Quhe for his sister-in-law. Allowing her to interact with Tian Jian as a friend was already showing her immense courtesy; she couldn’t push her luck.

*

Nights were short and days were long in the ancient town. Tian Jian went to sleep early and woke up early as well.

Opening her eyes and rolling over, she saw Xi Mi sitting with heavy dark circles under her eyes, clutching her phone and giggling foolishly to herself. She poked Xi Mi’s shoulder with her finger. “Mimi, what are you laughing about?”

Xi Mi turned her head, saw her, flipped over, threw a leg over her, and pinned her to the mattress.

Tian Jian rubbed her face, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Mimi is way too affectionate!

Unable to hide the excitement on her face, Xi Mi sat up and said, “Jianjian, thank you! Because your sister-in-law and husband reposted my video, the producers of China’s Supreme Taste invited me to compete in the trials! I’ve been placed in the Influencer Group.”

After being reposted by the two mega-influencers last night, her follower count had passed thirty thousand. She was already more than satisfied with this level of growth.

Tian Jian patted the back of her head, staring at her foolishly.

She had been so exhausted last night that she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, before she could even ask her husband and sister-in-law to follow Xi Mi’s Weibo.

…She had no idea what had happened either.

China’s Supreme Taste embraced modern internet trends, hosting preliminary trials not only for traditional chefs, but also a dedicated trial for famous online influencer chefs.

Since influencer chefs possessed a solid online following and were not traditional chefs, they were placed in their own separate group, making this the segment netizens looked forward to most.

The roster for the Influencer Group featured four names: Doudou Gourmet, Uncle jn, Nan Qing’s Little Kitchen, and Xi Xi Xi Mi.

Except for Xi Xi Xi Mi, netizens were well-acquainted with the other three.

The Influencer Group had to pass the trial round first, with the judges deciding who stayed and who went. Those who passed would then go head-to-head on stage with fifty traditional chefs, where twenty would be eliminated before moving on to the next round.

Culinary Dao, Doudou Gourmet, Uncle jn, and Nan Qing’s Little Kitchen were four must-follow food accounts for every self-respecting foodie. All four were equally low-profile, never showing their faces, each with a unique video style.

While internet users lamented that Culinary Dao wasn’t competing, they began heatedly discussing “Xi Xi Xi Mi.” Having previously interacted with Culinary Dao and received a repost of public support from the domineering CEO Ying Shengnan, she had sparked quite a bit of anticipation.

Entry required submitting identification details to the production team and signing a contract. Having fled her wedding, Xi Mi didn’t bring her ID, so she could only register using her boss lady’s identity. Fortunately, she was in the Influencer Group, meaning even if she used her boss lady’s info, the show wouldn’t broadcast her real name.

The temporary office for China’s Supreme Taste was located at a restaurant right in the heart of the ancient town.

The staff specifically asked for Xi Mi’s address and living arrangements to coordinate her itinerary, book her flight, and arrange transport to the hotel.

Xi Mi hadn’t expected the Influencer Group to get such good treatment. That afternoon, after printing out a copy of the ID card, she went straight to the restaurant to submit her documents.

When receiving the paperwork, the staff member looked slightly suspicious. “Why doesn’t this ID photo look like you?”

“I used to be heavier, but after losing weight, I look younger.” Xi Mi deliberately shifted the topic. “How come the show didn’t invite Culinary Dao this time?”

The staff member glanced around, covering their mouth before whispering, “The Ying Group is the show’s investor. Word is Culinary Dao is arrogant and didn’t follow Ying Shengnan back on Weibo, so higher-ups gave explicit orders not to invite him to the Influencer Group.”

With that, the staff member flashed her a flattering look. “Didn’t Ying Shengnan follow you last night? He even reposted your Weibo. Do you two know each other?”

“No, no, no! How could I possibly know a big-shot boss like him?” Xi Mi shook her head. “Maybe he thought… the food I make is unique? And wanted to give a rookie influencer like me a chance?”

The staff member let out a quiet cough, silently mocking her: An influencer with only thirty thousand followers? She really thinks she’s somebody.

Xi Mi hadn’t realized Tian Jian’s husband was so petty. Barring someone from competing just over a lack of mutual follows on Weibo? So she was allowed to compete only because of Tian Jian?

As the old masters often said, Luck is also a part of one’s strength. It seemed that really was true.

Xi Mi gave the contract a quick skim and signed her name. The staff member handed her another form to fill out. Just as she leaned over the desk to write, someone tapped her shoulder from behind. “Excuse me, could you move aside?”

She immediately stepped aside with her form. A young woman stepped forward and tossed a stack of documents onto the desk. Picking up the papers, the staff member scanned them and looked up in shock. “You’re ‘Nan Qing’s Little Kitchen’?”

The woman gave a noncommittal “Mm-hmm.” “See if anything’s missing.”

The staff member stared at their idol like a starry-eyed fan. Xi Mi thought it was overly dramatic; after all, she couldn’t understand that feeling of finally glimpsing an idol’s real face, as she didn’t have any idols herself.

Crouching in the corner while filling out her form, Xi Mi sized up Nan Qing. The woman had straight, waist-length black hair—the kind Xi Mi envied most—and dressed impeccably, wearing an off-the-shoulder, waist-cinching black bodycon dress. A slit at the hem exposed a slender, porcelain-white calf.

The woman’s subtle allure made it impossible for Xi Mi to look away.

So a female chef can dress like this…

She touched her short hair, suddenly feeling a tiny prick of self-consciousness.

After completing the form, she walked out alongside Nan Qing. Stopping at the narrow, rustic wooden staircase, she intentionally stepped aside to let Nan Qing go first.

Nan Qing glanced at her and paused as well. “Have we met before?”

She shook her head to indicate no.

If she had seen such a stunning female chef before, she definitely would have remembered.

Nan Qing gave a faint smile. “Your Qiekuai really isn’t bad. At least your knife skills are solid.”

Her eyes lighting up at the praise, Xi Mi hurriedly said, “Thank you!”

“Why are you thanking me?” Nan Qing’s tone turned cold. “I wasn’t complimenting you.”