A bouquet

In an instant, garlic and savory sauce exploded across his tongue. The coating was wonderfully crisp, and the shrimp was firm and springy.

Song Yunxing's eyes lit up, and he instinctively swallowed the shrimp.

As a singer in China's entertainment industry, he had visited plenty of upscale restaurants, and takeout was practically a daily staple. But this was the first time anyone had made Typhoon Shelter Fried Shrimp that suited his tastes so perfectly!

The flavor lingered in his mouth, crisp outside and tender inside. It would be even better with rice!

"The rice is over there. It should be almost done." The man picked up another shrimp with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. "Mm. Just what you'd expect from me. Delicious!"

Shen Yanci set down the chopsticks, turned off the heat, and prepared to plate the dish.

Before Song Yunxing could react, Shen Yanci had already stepped away from the stove.

Wait, he'd just eaten off those chopsticks! And Shen Yanci had gone right ahead and used them!

His ears warmed, and he felt awkward all over. He stole a quick glance at Shen Yanci.

Shen Yanci looked perfectly normal as he selected a plate from the cupboard.

Song Yunxing patted his cheeks, cleared all those strange thoughts from his head, and quietly sat down at the dining table to make his salad.

His creamy white bowl held green vegetables and fruit, along with bland boiled chicken breast. He had even forgotten to buy dressing...

Suddenly, he regretted it. Why had he run his mouth and said he wouldn't eat any? That was Typhoon Shelter Fried Shrimp!

Having one bite was worse than not tasting it at all!

Song Yunxing exhaled. No, a man had to have some backbone! He couldn't give in to Shen Yanci again! It was just salad! He'd eat it! And he'd make something special out of it, too!

He picked up a radish and struggled a little to peel it.

The fans in the livestream, however, couldn't stay calm!

[Aaaah! An indirect kiss!]

[Shen Yanci, you sly little devil! How can you do that and then calmly go pick out a plate? How many times have you pulled this in secret?]

[Our Xingxing's getting shy! Aaaah! I ship them so hard! It's just like those sneaky little tests when two people haven't made things official yet!]

[Shen Yanci actually made fried shrimp just to tease his wifey. You're way too in love!]

Lu Yiyi had been watching the two of them the whole time, grinding her teeth so hard they nearly shattered.

Their relationship was clearly getting better by the day! They were even feeding each other now!

No! She couldn't give them too many chances to spend time together! Otherwise, by the time her dating rumors died down, Shen Yanci would be tangled up in his own. She didn't want to be forced into being the other woman!

Lu Yiyi walked over of her own accord, sniffing lightly and looking tempted. "Mr. Shen, your shrimp looks delicious. I never realized you were such a good cook."

The man glanced up at her and moved the wok off the burner. "Mm," he replied casually.

"Where did you learn to cook? Did you teach yourself?" As Lu Yiyi gazed at him, a young girl's shyness and anticipation crept into her eyes.

"Mm." Without even looking at her, the man concentrated on scooping the shrimp out of the wok.

Lu Yiyi cautiously studied his expression. "Then, Mr. Shen, could I try one?"

The man scooped out all the shrimp, piling the plate so high it nearly overflowed.

"There aren't enough shrimp for the plating... Once I've taken a photo, you can have some when everyone sits down to eat." His voice was cool as he carried the plate away.

Lu Yiyi stared at the heaping plate of shrimp in his hands, frozen awkwardly in place. All she could do was reply, "Oh, okay."

Carrying his full plate of Typhoon Shelter Fried Shrimp, the man sat down beside Song Yunxing at the dining table and leisurely arranged them with his chopsticks.

He tapped Song Yunxing and solemnly asked how he should arrange them to make them look nice, even waving a shrimp in front of his face.

Song Yunxing was visibly swallowing more often. Unable to take it anymore, he angrily warned Shen Yanci to stop, then fled to the living room with his own plate.

Shen Yanci could only pick out some of the shrimp, arrange them simply, and have the production crew photograph them.

[You took it too far, buddy! Your wifey's mad now!]

[You're a grown man of twenty-seven. Why are you acting like an elementary school kid?]

[I strongly recommend Shen Yanci watch some romance dramas and learn a thing or two!]

Lu Yiyi returned to Luo An's side, struggling to control her expression and hiding her clenched fists behind the kitchen counter.

Luo An had already mastered the art of remaining unruffled. Pretending not to have noticed her departure, he calmly stir-fried the pork belly.

Even if he were a complete fool, he would have noticed that Lu Yiyi had a thing for award-winning actor Shen. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to stir up trouble several times.

He now felt like those miserable husbands online who watched their wives fall in love with someone else while still married to them. He had gone from anger and bitter disappointment to complete composure.

Perhaps after the show ended, he could take on another devoted supporting male role and make a bid for Best Supporting Actor!

Before long, the guests finished their assigned dishes and set them on the table for photos.

Yu Wan and Shi Jinyan took a different approach, using a pressure cooker to make a pot of corn, radish, and pork rib soup. It was simple, nutritious, and attractive.

Lu Ran and Gu Nianzhi made a plate of steamed fish, garnishing it with colorful slivers of chili and scallion. It looked quite presentable.

Luo An and Lu Yiyi made a simple plate of stir-fried pork belly with peppers. Although a few pieces of pork were slightly burnt, its aroma and appearance were passable.

Shen Yanci had made the Typhoon Shelter Fried Shrimp all by himself, but Song Yunxing's cold salad still hadn't reached the table. He remained tucked away in the living room, doing who knew what.

Everyone gathered around the dining table, waiting for the camera crew to shoot footage and take photos.

Seeing that Song Yunxing still hadn't arrived, Lu Yiyi couldn't hold back her resentment. "Mr. Song, what kind of salad takes over an hour to make? Everyone's waiting just for you."

At those words, the other guests glanced at her, their expressions varied.

They all worked in the entertainment industry. Even if they weren't masters at reading people, they were still reasonably observant and perceptive.

Everyone understood what she was trying to do. She was clearly invoking the other guests to put pressure on Song Yunxing.

It wasn't time yet anyway. The camera crew was still taking photos, and everyone was choosing their shots. There was no basis for saying they were waiting for Song Yunxing.

Shen Yanci's brows drew together slightly, his expression darkening. Just as he was about to speak, Song Yunxing innocently answered, "Coming! Coming!"

Carefully cradling his salad plate, Song Yunxing stepped into the camera's view.

The white jade plate looked like a painting. Greens and white radish formed the base, with little flowers and sprigs decorating the edges. Most eye-catching of all were the carved flowers arranged at varying heights in the center: beet roses, apple roses, and melon roses. All sorts of roses clustered together, secured on either side with cabbage leaves. At first glance, it really did look like a bouquet.

Lu Ran's eyes widened. "Song, you're amazing! When did you learn to do that?"

Beside her, Gu Nianzhi nodded appreciatively as well.

"Yunxing, you're so good with your hands. You did a wonderful job! It's gorgeous!" Yu Wan immediately pulled out her phone and snapped away.

The livestream chat was full of amazement too.

[That's our Xingxing! His artistic talent is off the charts!]

[Can I borrow Xingxing's hands? I seriously need them!]

[Song Yunxing: a Chinese man determined to excel all his life!]

[Xingxing really gave it his all just to stand up to Shen Yanci.]

Standing to Yu Wan's right, Lu Yiyi said nothing, her hands clenched tight.