The kitchen at the Island Restaurant was about fifteen square metres in size.
With five or six people in it, it seemed very crowded.
The only exit was a single sliding door, allowing one person to pass at a time.
As it was not yet opening time, Bao Ruanruan, the waitress who also did the dishwashing, was content to laze by the door.
The two elder brothers from the kitchen had gone out to buy a giant octopus, the main ingredient for today's dish.
At that moment, Qu Feifei, powered up by the 'fan rainbow fart1 buff,' was energetically scrubbing the iron pot in preparation to make her privately practised dish, stir-fried beef ho fun📹.
Next to her, Lu Wenhao was reciting lines for a commercial. Today, he was dressed in black and white hip-hop clothes.
"The Haiming gas stove, when paired with the Haiming enamelled cast-iron pot, will make your work twice as efficient."
Haiming Kitchenware was a major brand under the Lu Group.
Twenty years ago, the Lu Group established a diversified group strategy, aiming to provide high-quality products for all aspects of people's lives, including food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
For example, most kitchen utensils in this 'Island Restaurant' were from Lu Group brands.
Therefore, it was only natural for Lu Wenhao, the second young master of the Lu family, to recite the advertising slogan.
He was accompanied by Qu Feifei.
"By the way, Feifei, do you know how to properly season a new iron pot?"
They searched online and discovered that iron pans tend to rust, so they needed to be seasoned before use.
When the camera turned to Qu Feifei, she smiled and said, "Well, I looked it up. First, you need to clean the pan with warm water."
She explained as she demonstrated the process.
Her movements were stiff, indicating that she didn't cook very often.
"Then, heat the pan to evaporate the remaining water, and pour in the cooking oil..."
Suddenly, Bao Ruanruan's right eye twitched twice.
The unusual heat in the air, the faint smell of burning metal, and the crackling sound of the leaping flames made her quickly look towards the gas stove.
She saw Qu Feifei's black iron pan sitting on a raging fire, burning empty. Meanwhile, Qu Feifei was holding a bottle of oil and pouring it into the pan.
!
!!
Bao Ruanruan's vision went black for a moment. "Stop!" she shouted.
As soon as she uttered the word, Qu Feifei and Lu Wenhao looked at her in confusion.
Before they could even ask, in the blink of an eye...
Boom!
A half-metre-high flame erupted from the iron pan, blazing fiercely!
"Ah!" Qu Feifei threw the oil bottle in her hands in a panic.
Bao Ruanruan had seen some impressive manoeuvres, but she had never seen such a suicidal and murderous one.
Once this bottle of oil fell down, she would also be finished!
Her scalp exploded!
Her body reacted faster than her mind!
She grabbed two pot lids, stepped onto the island platform and threw one lid in the air, knocking the falling oil bottle away.
She leapt down from the peninsula platform synchronised with the lid she threw.
The second lid descended from the top to the bottom and clamped down on the pot.
Bang!
There was no oxygen left in the pot.
The fire in the pot was quickly extinguished.
Everyone in the kitchen: "!"
Where is Wonder Woman?
She's right here.
Bao Ruanruan quickly turned off the gas stove.
She touched her still-beating heart.
Phew... I'm alive.
She had to face this day by day.
"The pot was burning for too long, reaching the flash point of the oil."
"If you pour too much oil in it, you'll die. Got it?"
Bao Ruanruan turned her head quietly and looked at the two 'kitchen killers' behind her, who were as dumb as wooden chickens2.
She had also encountered such pig teammates3 in the game before.
While trying to cook a dish, they ended up blowing up the kitchen.
At the time, while she was still in the game, she didn't know how to put out the fire. She poured water on it for a while, but instead of extinguishing the flames, they shot up even higher and exploded, burning her instantly.
Now, just thinking about it makes her tremble with fear.
Qu Feifei, who had witnessed the entire process first-hand, felt icy cold to the bone.
It took her a while to come to her senses. Her body froze as she watched her 'lifesaving hero' descend from above.
It was so close; the fire almost burned her!
If the entire bottle of oil had spilt, not only would her appearance have been ruined, but she would have suffered extensive burns all over her body from which she couldn't escape!
Every girl cares about her appearance, without exception.
Qu Feifei shivered and looked at the cat plush toy with gratitude and admiration.
Why is she so amazing?
If it weren't for her—
But when she turned her head, she noticed the big cat plush toy was trembling like her.
Trembling even more intensely than she was!?
Da Mao... Is Da Mao also scared?
Qu Feifei was stunned, but in an instant, her gratitude turned into a deeply moving feeling that almost made her cry.
Even though Da Mao was scared, she still rushed over to save her?
Qu Feifei's frozen body felt like it was being filled with a warm current. With the power of this emotion, she walked over and reached out to hug the girl underneath the furry mascot.
But as she reached out, she felt her hand touch something burnt.
Qu Feifei looked down, and her heart felt like it was being squeezed.
The right paw of the cat plush toy was charred and burned.
The once fluffy, curly pink fur was now scorched.
The poor cat almost got burned, all for the sake of saving her!
Qu Feifei felt a surge of warmth rushes through her chest.
*
The near fire in the kitchen had startled Director Zheng Mingchang.
He personally came in and ordered the crew to remove any potential safety hazards.
Half an hour later, everyone returned to the kitchen to resume filming.
However, the way everyone looked at the mascot cat had changed.
It was as if they had witnessed a miracle.
Qu Feifei, who had finally calmed down after sitting for a while, felt even more admiration and gratitude towards Da Mao. Whenever she had a break, she would come over and rub against the cat mascot, seeking comfort and reassurance.
It seemed that doing so would give her a sense of security.
Even the usually stubborn Lu Wenhao stayed within two metres of the mascot cat.
Wherever she went, he would follow.
In the whole kitchen, the mascot, which was originally just a decorative prop, had unexpectedly become the c-position4.
Bao Ruanruan was about to break down.
She really wanted to sing the BGM 'Maiden's Prayer📹' right now - praying to God to be kind for just ten minutes and grant her escape from them5...
"Teachers, I didn't save you just now; I was just saving myself."
She really couldn't stand these two people following her around like little tails!
"Understood."
Not to mention Qu Feifei, even the thick-headed Lu Wenhao understood.
From the main entrance at the end of the kitchen, she didn't save herself by turning around and running out but instead rushed to turn off the gas stove. Everyone understood that this couldn't be the act of her saving herself.
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than the site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
Lu Wenhao took a deep look at the pink cat headgear.
-- It was the first time he had met a fan who would always pay attention to him, rush to his side whenever he was in danger, and go all out for him.
Qu Feifei's eyes couldn't help but get misty again.
--It was the first time she had met a fan who had saved her at the cost of her own injuries and didn't want any credit afterwards.
The way they looked at her gave Bao Ruanruan goosebumps.
If she knew what they were thinking, she would sigh to the heavens.
Misunderstanding!
It really was a big misunderstanding.
She really only wanted to live another hundred years!
The explosion caused by a bottle of oil could have knocked her out of the kitchen.
If she'd hit a wall or a sharp object at that moment, she would have died on the spot.
In the game, similar tragedies have happened three or four times before.
Bao Ruanruan simply used the most appropriate method to eliminate the danger just now.
"Ahem, little cat."
Lu Wenhao touched his earlobe uncomfortably.
"What do you think is more important for an idol, ability or looks?"
As he spoke, his tongue almost curled into a knot.
It was the first time he wanted to keep a fan from leaving him.
He knew that many girls had become his girlfriend fans because of his looks, and as long as he looked good, they would stay.
But some were fans of his career, and when his singing and dancing skills hadn't improved for a while, some had gradually left.
"What I mean is..." Lu Wenhao scratched his head, "What do you value most?"
Qu Feifei's ears perked up instantly. As a member of a girl group, she also wanted to know the answer!
She blushed and stole a glance at Da Mao.
Earlier, she had searched online and found out about Da Mao's impressive athletic skills in 'Happy Saturday'.
As a dancer in a girl group, she didn't have Da Mao's jumping ability and reaction speed.
Would Da Mao look down on her in the future?
Qu Feifei was nervous. "Is looks more important for female idols?" She asked, carefully tilting her head and adjusting her airy bangs.
Bao Ruanruan was confused.
What is going on?
"What I value most is being alive."
"Huh?"
Both Lu Wenhao and Qu Feifei were taken aback.
They couldn't believe it.
Bao Ruanruan, feeling invigorated by the topic, even made the fluffy head of the cat mascot nod in agreement.
"Life is already difficult enough, and there are all sorts of unexpected things. But as long as we're alive, there's still a chance..." She stopped midway, noticing that the expressions on the faces of the two people were off.
"Um, did I say something wrong?"
Lu Wenhao gritted his teeth.
Qu Feifei was deeply moved.
He (she) had actually gained such a rare fan.
As long as they were alive, she firmly believed that no matter their temporary failures or appearance, it didn't matter—they still had a chance to improve.
Both of them were lost in their emotions.
At the same time, their hearts skipped a beat.
It would be too shameless if they were to give up and not put in any effort while taking her affection for granted!
Just the thought of it made them blush!
"Don't worry, as your big brother, I will always perform well on stage!" Lu Wenhao felt for the first time that he must practice hard and care for his appearance, avoiding sudden weight gain or loss that would worry his fans.
Qu Feifei chimed in, "Sister promises to satisfy you... everyone every time I appear on the screen."
They both spoke at the same time, then looked at each other in confusion.
"She likes boy groups."
"She likes girl groups."
They both froze in surprise.
She was clearly their fan!
But they immediately realised that they had to protect their fan's privacy. They couldn't reveal on camera that Da Mao was their people, lest she be criticised by other guests in the future.
They quickly opened their mouths and tried to make up for it.
"Okay, she also likes girl groups."
"Yeah, she also likes boy groups."
Lu Wenhao: "..."
Qu Feifei: "..."
There was a long, suffocating silence in the kitchen.
Bao Ruanruan quietly left the scene with her thermos flask in her hand.
Another strange CP had appeared.
She had to go.
*
This episode concluded with Director Zheng Mingchang adding a segment where the guests exchanged gifts.
Qu Feifei and Lu Wenhao didn't bring their endorsed products this time. Instead, they took it seriously and went out to choose their gifts.
A beauty device that girls love.
An internet-famous snack that girls adore.
A leg massager for when girls feel exhausted from work.
All gifts that girls love...
Veteran actor Zhou Minwen and young actor Qin Ke, both men, became thoughtful when they saw these pink gifts.
Meanwhile, Qu Feifei and Lu Wenhao looked eagerly at the wobbly Da Mao.
She then handed them each a copy of the 'Kitchen Safety Guidelines'.
"!!"
The author has something to say:
Ah, such refreshingly innocent gifts.
Footnotes Full List
- (slang) over-the-top praise. Coined by Chinese netizens, this term describes the scenario where fans can see nothing but good in their idols. First catching on in 2017, this term jokingly points to the fact that in the eyes of a die-hard fan, even the bad-smelling flatulence from their idol can be compared to something as beautiful as a rainbow. In a word, this term is roughly equivalent to the English slang of "kissing one's ass," only in this case, the person who flatters another may have said their flatteries sincerely. - EYESHENZHEN
- Chinese idiom: dumbfounded
- horrible teammates
- The term "c位" (c-position) in English is usually translated as "centre position". It refers to a group or formation's most prominent, central, and important position. This position often receives the most attention and is usually associated with leadership, popularity, or importance.
- Bao Ruanruan changed the lyrics at 1:02, 'Could the Lord be kind for ten minutes, grant His kiss to me and forgive my sin' to 'praying to God to be kind for just ten minutes and grant her escape from them'.
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