Mouthpiece

No exaggeration—Xue Boyu had nearly swallowed his bowl.

He had not expected the second season to be this brutal from the very beginning. At nineteen, the boy had an astonishing appetite. It was already rare enough that he had remained emotionally stable after going hungry all day. Now, with delicious food before him, he had not even swallowed one bite before taking the next.

He looked like he would starve to death if he ate one second slower. Thinking this, Si You poured Xue Boyu a glass of water. "Slow down."

Then Si You looked at Jiang Tingxu. Relaxing slightly, he asked with a smile, "Movie Emperor, care to give it a review?"

Jiang Tingxu swallowed a tender piece of fish and praised it sincerely. "No worse than a professional chef's."

"Heh!" Si You looked delighted by the compliment.

Easy to please, Jiang Tingxu thought.

As for the things people said online, Jiang Tingxu grew increasingly doubtful. At least, ever since getting to know Si You, he had found the man's behavior not only normal, but that he also possessed an unquenchable fire. His temperament was one Jiang Tingxu admired. There was no shortage of people in the entertainment industry whose personas collapsed, or who forced others down the path of scandalous fame. Si You's former agency already had a terrible reputation.

Compared with the vast sea of public opinion, Jiang Tingxu trusted his own judgment more.

Over here, they had steaming soup and hot dishes. The delicious smells had made the other guests' minds go blank, and they did not even know what to do next.

Song Yalin quickly made two bowls of noodles with meat and greens, so she and Shao Ancheng were doing a little better. Xu Ke had obtained plenty of ingredients, but Fei Chang was not skilled at cooking, and two pieces of beef had already been burned black.

Zhang Jianlin smiled at Jiang Yao. "How can a girl not know how to cook? But I can overlook it."

Jiang Yao's expression twisted for a moment before she continued chopping vegetables.

"What's wrong with girls not cooking?" Si You cut in. "If you get tired of takeout and want to cook, then cook. If you don't want to, it doesn't matter. There's so much good food in this world."

Jiang Yao's eyes brightened slightly.

Zhang Jianlin glanced at Si You, his tone ordinary. "It's just a suggestion. It's quite a bonus for a girl to know how to cook."

Si You smiled. "A bonus in your eyes, Brother Zhang? But aren't we filming a show?"

The camera immediately zoomed in. Si You's words carried an unmistakable edge.

What Si You meant was, so what if it was a bonus in his eyes? Once filming ended, they would go their separate ways. Who cared what he thought?

Mouthpiece!!! Jiang Yao screamed inwardly.

Si You felt that there was a reason the original owner had hated Zhang Jianlin so much. This man always put on the air of a good old guy who could tolerate anything, but deep down, he was simply a male chauvinist.

Zhang Jianlin was still smiling. "Si You, is that old habit of yours acting up again?"

Last season, whenever Si You was unhappy, he would make trouble for other people.

Fine, Si You shut up. A couple of retorts were enough. He was still paying for his sins now; he did not need Zhang Jianlin's fans slaughtering his Weibo comments again.

"What old habit?" Jiang Tingxu suddenly spoke. His voice was light, yet exceptionally clear, carrying a calmness that inspired awe. "Was Si You wrong?"

Zhang Jianlin could no longer smile.

It was nothing for him to criticize Si You a little. After all, Si You's role this season was the punching bag. But Jiang Tingxu speaking up for him was another matter entirely.

[Does Zhang Jianlin mean women have to learn to cook in order to be attractive?]

[I've always found this guy kind of strange. Don't like him.]

[And Si You is likable? Zhang Jianlin was clearly talking to Jiang Yao. Why did he have to butt in? And Jiang, the Movie Emperor too—even if they're being paired as a CP, there's no need to speak up for Si You, right?]

Ginger Powder silently opened the keyboard.

[You know they're a CP, yet you still said that kind of bullshit? Maybe take a look at the garbage coming out of your own mouth?]

[Was Si You wrong? "Cooking is a bonus for girls," my ass! I personally cooked my family's New Year's Eve dinner this year, so what? I enjoy the process of preparing ingredients. If there's something I want to eat but can't buy, I like making it myself. I love food, but ultimately, the person I love is myself. Who cares whether those irrelevant people think it's a bonus or a deduction?]

[I hate that Si You is paired with my Movie Emperor as a CP, but he did nothing wrong this time.]

The moment Jiang Tingxu spoke, Zhang Jianlin fell silent.

"Si You." Fei Chang spoke half-jokingly. "How about being our chef? In return, we'll give half our ingredients to your team."

Si You immediately asked, "Really?"

"Tomorrow's task hasn't even been decided yet." Jiang Tingxu said, "You've been busy all day. Aren't you tired?"

Si You was already getting to his feet. "It's fine."

If he worked a little harder, he and Jiang Tingxu would both be covered, and he would get cursed at less too.

Jiang Tingxu put down his chopsticks and followed him.

Xue Boyu wanted to get up as well, but Jiang Tingxu pressed a hand on his shoulder. "You eat."

Si You set aside a little less than half the beef, one marrow bone, and half a bag of vegetables.

Jiang Tingxu picked up a kitchen knife. "How should I cut the beef?"

"I'll do it." Si You worried that Jiang Tingxu might hurt himself, but his arm was gently blocked. Jiang Tingxu looked steadily at him, his meaning obvious.

After thinking about it, Si You changed his words. "Slice it."

There were too many halos around Jiang Tingxu now, to the point that many people did not know his family had opposed him entering the entertainment industry. In the early days of his acting career, Jiang Tingxu had rented his own place and cooked for himself to save money. His cooking was not as good as Si You's, but helping out was no problem.

Half an hour later, Xu Ke copied Xue Boyu and wolfed down food at the table, while Si You had yet to stop. The simple beef with green peppers and bamboo shoots was bursting with flavor. He packed two bowls of rice into bowls, inverted them onto plates, then poured the beef over them before bringing them to Jiang Yao's group.

Zhang Jianlin was only good with his mouth. Jiang Yao was an only daughter, and her company had always given her good resources, so she truly could not cook. Zhang Jianlin gave orders like a pro, but he had not actually helped at all. Jiang Yao was already too exhausted to speak.

"Stop cooking." Si You set the beef rice bowls on their table and called to Jiang Yao, "It's already nine. Finish eating and go back to rest."

Si You could not be bothered with Zhang Jianlin, but under the cameras, it would not look right to speak only to Jiang Yao.

In an instant, Jiang Yao's eyes reddened.

Zhang Jianlin smiled. "We didn't exchange ingredients, though."

Jiang Tingxu said blandly, "Then work harder tomorrow. Put it on the tab for now."

[Awesome! Translation: Jiang, the Movie Emperor said, "Hope you can actually be useful tomorrow. Stop always relying on others to help you."]

[True. Si You drew most of the fire last season, but thinking about it carefully, Zhang Jianlin hasn't been useful either.]

[+1]

Jiang Yao ate quietly. She could already imagine what Zhang Jianlin's fans would say if they failed to make anything tonight. Besides, she truly disliked this atmosphere and environment. It was suffocating. Her favorable impression of Zhang Jianlin had long since vanished, but she had signed on for the second season and did not want to pay the breach-of-contract penalty.

After cleaning up, everyone returned to their rooms exhausted, feeling like they could fall asleep the instant they lay down.

Si You had just come out after showering when someone knocked on his door. He thought it was the cameraman, but when he looked through the peephole, it was Jiang Tingxu.

Si You opened the door.

Si You had changed into a loose white T-shirt and light gray shorts that reached past his knees. His hair was still damp, but he looked fresh and clean. Perhaps it was the lighting, but his skin looked somewhat too pale.

Jiang Tingxu asked, "Can I borrow your body wash?"

Si You said, "Of course."

Si You turned and fetched it. "It's peach-scented. Can you handle that?"

Jiang Tingxu said, "I can."