Beef stewed with tomatoes, stir-fried chicken with potatoes, spicy shrimp, steamed sea bass, hot-and-sour shredded potatoes, and little rice balls in fermented sweet rice soup.
It might not have been an imperial banquet, but at least it had everything from creatures that ran on land to those that swam in rivers.
The production team, the guests, and the viewers watched, dumbstruck, as Yan Ningke deftly put together a whole table of dishes.
[Wait, bro, you actually know how to cook!]
[I thought he was a master, but he turned out to be a grandmaster.]
[What if it only looks good but isn't edible?]
[Quit yapping. If you can do better, get in there!]
Yan Ningke was cleaning up the kitchen while the people at the dining table exchanged looks in complete silence.
"Aren't you hungry?"
Yan Ningke pulled out a paper towel to wipe his hands, taking a moment as he spoke to glance at Lars in the corner.
Yep, life was treating the dog pretty well. Lars was busy turning on the charm for Yeye.
"We are!"
Having confirmed that the dog was fine, Yan Ningke pulled out a chair and sat down. "Then why aren't you eating?"
Deng Changjun joked, "It's all so exquisite, we couldn't bear to ruin it."
How could they start eating before the person who had done all the work even sat down? This was a livestream, too. They would have been torn apart online.
Azina looked at him admiringly, her tone exaggerated. "I thought being able to cook chicken, duck, and fish was impressive enough, but I never imagined you could even make shredded potatoes! And you cut them by hand!"
She had been stunned when she saw it. Even someone who couldn't cook knew that julienning potatoes really tested your knife skills. Usually, only professional cooks could cut such neat, distinct shreds.
When the rhythmic chopping rang out in the kitchen, not only had the guests gathered around to watch intently, but even the camera operator had switched to a close-up.
That display alone had convinced most people that he really could cook.
Yan Ningke smiled casually. In his previous life, when he had worked as an apprentice in a restaurant kitchen, the very first things he had to learn were peeling and julienning potatoes.
Without those two skills, you wouldn't even get a turn at beating eggs or prepping ingredients.
"Just the basics, nothing worth mentioning. So, my dear big brothers and sister, what do you say? I'm starving."
Everyone at the table laughed. They really were hungry, so they dispensed with the pleasantries and picked up their chopsticks.
It certainly looked the part, but the taste...
[Well? Well?!]
[Is it good? Is it good? Please don't fake it!]
[Guys, do you even know how to appreciate that? Get up and let me!]
Song Chunan would have said that he knew how to appreciate it.
The normally shy, reserved young man took a bite of beef and let out an excited cry. "Mmm! This is so good!"
Xiao Jingzhan put down his chopsticks and gave Yan Ningke two thumbs up. "Dude, you're incredible!"
[Confirmed: it's delicious.]
[As everyone knows, Xiao Jingzhan only acts like this when he's relaxed.]
[True. Looks like he's really having the time of his life eating.]
He really was enjoying himself. The table was big, and Azina carried her little bowl around, eating here for a while and there for a while, making sure everything got an equal share of her attention.
Throughout the meal, no one chatted. There were only sounds of chewing and praise. The production team tried to get them talking, but no one even looked up. Who had a mouth to spare?
The camera operator looked at the boxed meal beside him and felt that even the braised chicken leg wasn't so tasty anymore.
After lunch, their work for the morning was over. Everyone went back to their rooms to rest, with filming set to resume at three that afternoon.
There were fixed cameras in the rooms to provide footage for editing later, so the camera operators could take a break and eat as well.
Yan Ningke brought an aluminum pot out of the kitchen and set it on the table. "Thanks for all your hard work, everyone. There's still half a pot of beef here. You can share it."
The crew instantly erupted in excitement. "Thank you, Mr. Yan!"
Yan Ningke smiled and led Lars, who still wanted to snuggle up to Yeye, back to his room.
He hadn't done much physical activity that morning, but he was still pretty tired.
Yan Ningke sprawled facedown on the bed, not even wanting to open his eyes, and let Lars rub a wet nose against him.
The air conditioner hummed, cicadas chirped and birds called outside the window, and the young man on the tatami slept soundly, with a large dog curled up on top of him.
At two thirty that afternoon, a crew member knocked on the door to remind him to get ready for the livestream.
Yan Ningke answered groggily. Someone's dog was running and jumping outside, and Lars began scratching anxiously at the door upon hearing the commotion.
The scraping sound set one's teeth on edge.
Yan Ningke got up with a blank face and opened the door, then shut it without hesitation the instant Lars went out.
He finally understood why the dog's owner wouldn't let Lars inside.
The dog was far too much of a handful.
A free-range policy. Flawless.
After a shower and a blow-dry, a fresh, clean-cut hunk was ready to go.
Yan Ningke looked himself over from both sides, quite satisfied.
It was about time, too. He headed out toward the stairs and passed Azina's room, where she was doing her makeup in front of the full-length mirror by the door.
Seeing that he hadn't done any styling at all made Azina, a proper entertainer, deeply uncomfortable.
This was a livestream. One careless moment could leave you with embarrassing footage that lasted forever.
Azina considered herself a good girl. Since she had eaten his food, she naturally had to repay him.
And so, a bewildered Yan Ningke found himself pressed into a chair.
"Your skin is seriously good, so full of collagen. I won't say who's jealous!"
Azina clicked her tongue in envy. "Just a little tone-up cream will do. Add foundation and you'll be as white as a ghost."
Miracle Ningke was officially underway.
Deng Changjun and the others spotted them as they passed and somehow ended up gathering around to watch, occasionally throwing in a few joking suggestions.
Yan Ningke: "..."
He felt like their toy.
Behind the scenes, the director saw this on the monitor and quietly sent a camera operator upstairs.
The livestream started without warning, and viewers entered to find this harmonious scene.
Azina was doing Yan Ningke's makeup, Deng Changjun and Xiao Jingzhan were leaning by the door chatting, and Song Chunan was styling hair with gel, all of them deep in lively conversation.
The dogs ran around among them, playing.
[It feels like a few friends getting together with their pets.]
[What show is this? Why is it so lovely? Is there no drama?]
[You're being crude, commenter above.]
[Yan Ningke fit in so quickly. The last time we had a guest like this was... this time, I guess.]
[Look what you've done to the poor kid. They can't even put a sentence together.]
[Keke really is a wonderful hidden gem of a boy. Feel free to join the fandom!]
Ten minutes later, with Azina's announcement of "Done," Yan Ningke's grand makeover came to a perfect close.
There hadn't actually been much of a change. He had good features to begin with, and Azina had only done his eye makeup and styled his hair.
Compared with the fresh, radiant boy of that morning, he now looked a little more polished and drew the eye even more.
They led their dogs downstairs, and the director announced the afternoon's activity.
"You all did active tasks this morning, so this afternoon we'll do something a little more stationary."
Xiao Jingzhan was the first to express disbelief. "Just tell us. Do you want us shoveling manure or doing the splits?"
[Hahaha, Xiao-Xiao's mouth never gets old.]
[Even arsenic isn't as toxic as he is.]
[This guy has a subtle air of insanity about him.]
The production team and the guests burst out laughing together.
Before you continue