Chapter 24

Ying Quhe gave a low “Mm.” “I know.”

Xi Mi rubbed her forehead and got up. “Nan Qing kept me up all night. I’m a little tired, so I’m going upstairs to sleep for a bit.”

“Okay.”

Ying Quhe watched the blush creep from the base of her neck up to her cheeks. He reached out to ruffle her hair, but like a slippery loach, she darted past him and ran upstairs.

After taking a comfortable bath, Xi Mi wasn’t sleepy at all. Wearing her teddy bear pajamas, she rolled around on the soft king-sized bed until her mood finally settled down, then posted a Weibo message.

“No matter the outcome of the competition, I will give my all during the process and won’t disappoint anyone who has high expectations of me. Master, I’ll work hard! (づ￣3￣)づ╭～”

Comments below:

“Goddess’s master must be an immortal-like sage who lives secluded from the world!”

“Xi Xi Xi Mi, you’re the best! Keep it up! When I get into a good high school, I’ll ask my mom and dad to bring me to Jinyang to eat your food!”

“Talking about working hard when you have powerful backing? Hehe.”

“Must be nice having such strong backing, huh? Even if you win the championship, I won’t accept it. Clearly you made mistakes in the match, yet Nan Qing was the one eliminated in the end. Hehe, Ying Quhe was right, you really are completely useless. (smile emoji)”

“I really like Ying Quhe more and more. After being on the show for so long, he finally said something that made everyone feel satisfied! A useless puppet with backing. 【dog emoji】”

“Damn it! Are you anti-fans ever going to stop?! Nan Qing herself said there was a vast gap in skill. What are you anti-fan dogs spouting nonsense for?”

“…”

Anti-fans surged out like demons from hell, sweeping through the comment section. The comments gradually escalated into personal attacks, leaving Xi Mi herself shocked.

#A Taste of Chinese Garbage# was pushed onto the Weibo trending topics list. These anti-fans were methodical and organized; clearly someone was manipulating them behind the scenes.

Nan Qing couldn’t bear to watch any longer and reposted in strong support: “To those saying Xi Mi has backing, have you ever eaten her food? I lost fair and square because my skills weren’t up to par. I ask those calling themselves my fanatical fans to watch your mouths and stop thinking no one knows about the organized schemes behind you. I can’t control other fans, but my fans better behave, respect my opponent, and respect my CP. I’m putting my words right here: if you don’t like what I’m saying, unfollow me. Good riddance. 【dog face emoji】”

Aside from that “respect my CP” line, the rest of her words vanished like steam in the eyes of her fans.

Nan Qing and Xi Mi’s fans frantically reposted and commented:

“Ahhh oh my god, why do I inexplicably find this so sweet?! QAQ”

“Nan Qing Dada^[1] is so dominant! Is she stepping up to protect her wife? Sobbing, this is so sweet I’m crying~”

“Cold dog food^[2] splashing wildly in my face…”

“I didn’t expect Nan Qing Dada to actually admit it… I always thought you were a serious Dada. :)”

“…”

Nan Qing’s strong support finally helped Xi Mi snap out of her daze.

Ji Donglin V: “My Goddess is the best. Even if the whole world stands against my Goddess, I will stay by her side forever and be with her!”

Ji Donglin’s literary circle of fans erupted, and sightseeing groups of fans arrived in swarms.

Xiao Ming, who managed the school chat group, roared in the group: “Everyone go support my Goddess!! Tomorrow I won’t deduct points from anyone who doesn’t wear their red scarf^[3]!”

To get out of wearing red scarves, the elementary school kids rushed to leave comments on Weibo.

The comment section quickly warmed up, and the anti-fan comments were soon suppressed.

But then a second wave of anti-fan legions struck, clearly organized and disciplined. In the bloody clash against the combined forces of Nan Qing, Ji Donglin, Xi Mi, and the elementary schoolers, they managed to pop their heads back up once more.

Since this was her first time experiencing an internet flame war, Xi Mi lacked a tough psychological skin and started responding to and explaining each comment one by one. However, her explanations appeared feeble and useless against the anti-fans, easily torn to shreds and repackaged into weapons to wound her.

The anti-fans dug up her old Weibo post about “running away from her marriage.”

Attacks escalated from her culinary skills to her moral character, slamming her for lacking integrity and claiming only someone heartless could run away from a wedding; just think how heartbroken the groom must be! Xi Mi wanted to delete the post, but she couldn’t swallow her rage.

Culinary Dao sent her a WeChat message: “Don’t be afraid. No need to reply. No matter how much you explain, it won’t change their mind about you. Their goal is to slander you, not listen to your explanations.”

“Who did I offend?!” Xi Mi typed indignantly, hitting the screen so hard her fingers almost shattered it. “Is it easy for me to compete?!”

Fortunately, these people didn’t know about her connection with Ying Quhe, or they would have made an even bigger fuss out of it.

Culinary Dao: “It’s normal for fame to bring trouble. Your presence poses a threat to someone, which is why they’re going to such lengths to slander you. You should be glad you’re envied, as it proves you’re exceptional.”

Xi Mi: “Thanks, Bastard Dao. I’ll drink up this chicken soup for the soul. QAQ”

Culinary Dao, who had been dormant on Weibo for a long time, suddenly made an appearance, reposting Xi Mi’s message with the words: “You are fantastic. Do your best in the competition.”

The sightseeing group of Culinary Dao’s fans practically trampled the anti-fan remnants to dust. This repost garnered over ten million reposts and over two hundred thousand comments, a terrifying number that completely redefined Xi Mi’s understanding of Weibo.

It was her first time witnessing the terrifying power of Culinary Dao’s fanbase.

The main comment section under her Weibo finally returned to peace. She went on WeChat to thank Culinary Dao: “Thank you, Bastard Dao. Does what you said last time still count? About taking me out for hot pot? Or I can treat you to a meal! I work at ‘Guangnaoke Private Kitchen’ on Food Street. Come find me, and I’ll cook for you.”

Culinary Dao: “You found a job?”

Xi Mi: “Mm, yep. I think in a couple of days I’ll be able to pay you back. I really want to meet you, my savior. 【cute emoji】”

Culinary Dao: “If… I lied to you, would you forgive me?”

【Baffled Face.jpg】

Xi Mi: “(⊙v⊙)? What did you lie to me about?”

Culinary Dao: “About my identity.”

Xi Mi: “I think that’s easy to understand! If I could, I’d also love to run around happily in the 2D world under an alt account. If you really don’t want to… then forget it.”

The chat window intermittently displayed “The other party is typing…”, making Xi Mi increasingly anxious.

After a long while, he finally replied, “Saturday night at 7:00 PM, see you at the Ying Shi Pavilion main branch.”

“Great! It’s a deal then, see you there! If you dare stand me up, I’ll use all my culinary skills to curse your tongue to turn sweet. :)”

Culinary Dao: “Then, I look forward to Saturday.”

“Looking forward to it! Looking forward to it!”

Having set a time to meet up in person with Culinary Dao, she could finally understand a bit of how Ji Donglin felt when he was about to meet her.

That thrill of finding a kindred spirit across the miles was practically bursting out of her.

Only after the fact did she realize: the place Culinary Dao had set for their meeting was Ying Shi Pavilion? That was Ying Quhe’s restaurant, the largest high-end dining chain in the culinary industry.

The accidental kiss left Xi Mi somewhat unable to look Ying Quhe in the eye. Even when sharing the kitchen, she intentionally kept her distance. Yet Ying Quhe’s technique for washing vegetables was so unique that her attention was constantly drawn to his hands.

This went on for two whole days until Xi Mi felt she was going mad. She even started considering whether she should quickly find a boyfriend to distract herself. QAQ.

On her second day at work, Xi Mi’s culinary skills and fame drew in a crowd of customers. Every day, the restaurant was packed to the brim, the threshold practically worn down by people desperate for a meal made by her.

With the help of the Bald Boss, Xi Mi barely managed to scrape through. Every day, she returned home utterly exhausted. Even though her arms ached to the point of cramping, she still had to pretend everything was fine at night and bite the bullet to learn seafood dishes from Ying Quhe.

Business was booming, so the boss gave her a temporary two-thousand-Yuan raise on the spot, advanced her six thousand Yuan, and gifted her a durian air-freighted from Thailand.

The rich sweetness of the durian seeped right through its spiky shell. Xi Mi greedily inhaled its aroma, suppressed the urge to keep it all to herself, and carried it home to share with Ying Quhe.

When Ying Quhe returned home in the afternoon leading Ulria into the dining room, the pungent smell of durian hit them head-on. Unable to stand the odor, Ulria frantically broke free from his leash and bolted to the balcony, pressing his dog snout against the floor-to-ceiling glass window and staring outside with a thoroughly hopeless expression.

To Ying Quhe, the smell was no different from rotten gasoline.

Xi Mi came out of the kitchen and saw Ulria had broken off his leash. She timidly edged closer to Ying Quhe, tugged at his sleeve, and pointed at the durian. “The boss gave me this durian.” She took out a small piece and held it out to Ying Quhe, who turned his head away in disgust.

“How can anyone eat something with a smell like that?”

To Xi Mi, however, the aroma was sweet and fragrant. She asked, “You’re not actually afraid to eat durian, are you? People who don’t understand it think it reeks, but those who do taste its uniquely delicious sweetness. That lingering taste is addictive. It smells like stepping into hell, but tastes like standing in heaven.”

Ying Quhe had already retreated from the dining room to the balcony, opening all the windows and holding onto the dog. “That is the most disgusting smell I have ever encountered. It betrays the very word ‘delicacy.'”

“Wait here a moment. Tonight, I’ll use durian to make a dish for you.”

Xi Mi headed into the kitchen, pulled out leftover rice from the previous night, and stir-fried it with shredded meat, carrots, and green peas. Flames leaped in the kitchen as Xi Mi tossed the wok back and forth. The rice and ingredients continuously tumbled in the air, the grains driven apart by the force of her tosses, colliding midair until every single grain separated.

She added her special seasoning to the fried rice, and finally threw in the durian, stir-frying it evenly with the rice.

After durian is chilled or exposed to high heat, its so-called “foul” odor diminishes.

The fried rice came out of the wok in a brilliant golden hue. Xi Mi dished up two portions, one for Ying Quhe and one for Ulria.

Ying Quhe stared at the plate of durian fried rice before him. The smell of rotten gasoline was no longer as strong, with faint traces of sweetness woven into the aroma of the fried rice.

It seemed… not bad?

Xi Mi squatted on the floor, holding the dog bowl while talking to Ulria. “Wolf King, I brought you food. Take it easy, alright? No biting, got it?”

Ulria let out a sharp “Woof!”, scaring Xi Mi so badly she hastily shoved the dog bowl toward him.

Patting her chest to steady her beating heart, Xi Mi grumbled, “This dog really ought to be chained up in the backyard to guard the gate.”

“He usually stays outside. I brought him in today just so he could get familiar with you, so he doesn’t accidentally hurt you when you go to the backyard later.” Ying Quhe picked up his eating utensils, nudged the fried rice around, and scooped up a spoonful.

In a good plate of golden fried rice, the grains remain separate and distinct. But in this durian fried rice, the grains were evenly coated by the fruit pulp into tiny clusters. Taking a bite, the sweet fragrance immediately seeped into his taste buds. The fresh aroma of the fruit blended with the crisp rice and carrots, crashing against the chewy shredded meat to create an exquisite flavor.

From the durian, he actually tasted… mango?

Xi Mi cupped her face in her hands, watching him intently as she waited for his review. “How is it? How does it taste?”

Her question was interrupted by the ringing of a phone. After answering the call, Ying Quhe told her, “Eldest Brother and Tian Jian want us to go for karaoke to celebrate your advancement.”

Xi Mi was puzzled. “I haven’t seen them in a long time.”

Ying Quhe wiped his mouth with a napkin and asked for her opinion, “Do you want to go?”

Xi Mi stood up excitedly. “Of course! I didn’t earn the title of Old Town’s Karaoke Queen for nothing!”

In truth, she was curious to see what Ying Quhe was like when he sang.