Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Chapter 31: So This Is What Sincerity Means...

The so-called “late-night snack” was actually just regular boxed meals.

However, when Li, the logistics manager, gave instructions at the beginning, he hoped the night meal would include one or two hearty dishes.

But what counts as a hearty dish?

Chen Ran thought about the special effect mission for the sweet and sour pork she hadn’t completed yet, so she made a big pot of it and added it to the boxes.

Aside from that, the other two dishes were braised chicken drumsticks and dry-fried king oyster mushrooms.

That should count as hearty dishes, right?

Chen Ran recalled how, back when she still had her sense of taste, she always craved greasy and spicy food—preferably deep-fried—when pulling all-nighters.

Plus, when she went to deliver the meals today, she noticed the production team was quite busy. The meals might sit there for a while before anyone had time to eat.

So, she specifically picked dishes that wouldn’t lose their taste even after cooling down.

Just as Chen Ran and the auntie were about to deliver the boxed meals, the program crew came over.

“Chef Chen! I’m here—these are the night meals, right? Forty in total?”

“Yes, they’re all here. Count them—should be enough?”

With Wan Jiaxin came another assistant from the crew, a rather honest-looking young guy who said with a bashful smile, “That’s more than enough. There aren’t many working tonight—twenty boxes would’ve been…”

Wan Jiaxin flew in with a kick!

She kicked the truly honest one and gave her a fierce glare, then turned to Chen Ran with a bright smile and explained, “Chef Chen! It’s true we have fewer people working at night, but the night shift is really tiring! Don’t let my small size fool you—I can eat two boxes myself!”

Chen Ran nodded.

In her brief career as a working chef, she’d never seen anyone with a small appetite. Plenty could eat two or even three servings.

That’s why she had asked Li earlier to confirm if forty portions was really the right number.

Seeing that Chen Ran didn’t react oddly, Wan Jiaxin finally relaxed, shot the errand-runner another glare, and carried off the boxes.

On the way, the honest guy couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Wan, we really don’t have that many people…”

“So what if we don’t? Were the meals enough tonight? Were they enough at lunch? If you think there are too many, then you only get one today—no seconds!”

Li was already racking his brain for an excuse to ask the scenic area to increase their meal order, and here this guy was, talking about cutting it back!

And look at him—not even a sweet word out of his mouth, just calling her “Sister” like that. No wonder Li promoted her instead.

“Come on, Sister Wan… These boxed meals are really good,” the honest guy looked down at the meal in his hand. “I’ve never had boxed food this tasty.”

“Well then, don’t say stuff like that next time!”

The two brought all forty meals back to the production team. As soon as they put them down, people swarmed over.

“Oh wow, finally enough to eat this time! I didn’t get full earlier—wanted a second helping but it was all gone!”

“Finish one box before grabbing another! No grabbing upfront—there’s still a night shift later. If it’s all gone, what will they eat?”

A staff member nearby muttered quietly, “What night shift…? Just hang in there and you’ll be having breakfast soon anyway…”Wan Jiaxin firmly guarded the boxed meals—she even took out a sign-in sheet!

In the past, the boxed meals were truly awful. She had followed the program for two seasons, and the dish she ate most was bland cabbage and potatoes in watery soup. Back then, the meals were just left on the ground, and anyone could grab one at will.

But now, things were different.

If she didn’t keep an eye on them, some people would even take three boxes at once!

“Come, come, if you’ve taken a meal, sign your name on the paper so there’s no double-dipping.”

“Li-ge, why are you signing Wang-ge’s name? Isn’t Wang-ge off resting?”

She painstakingly stood guard over the meals. When she saw Li, the logistics manager, walking over, she immediately handed over the boxed meal she had carefully selected and packed.

“Li-jie, have a seat here and enjoy your meal.”

Li looked pleased that Wan Jiaxin brought the meal directly to her instead of rushing off to curry favor with Teacher Bai Jing, and nodded in approval.

This girl was decent—worth nurturing.

Li opened the lid, glanced at the contents with satisfaction, and felt the box—it was still hot to the touch. “Alright, go take a box to Teacher Bai Jing.”

She added a rare bit of guidance: “No need to deliver to anyone else—too much, and it stops being a personal gesture.”

Hearing the layered meaning in Li’s words, Wan Jiaxin immediately nodded, alert in her heart.

Li-jie had probably seen her help the assistant director with a stool earlier.

Still, since the remark was only subtle, she knew there was still a chance. Wan Jiaxin quickly expressed her loyalty: “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I’ll deliver the meal and be right back.”

She tiptoed away with the boxed meal.

Peach Blossom Spring was a fully unscripted reality show. During filming, the rules were typically strict, and the celebrities followed them closely.

But that was the ideal scenario—after all, the guests couldn’t be allowed to truly fall ill.

Back when there was an incident of food poisoning from undercooked string beans, the production team had secretly provided porridge and medicine.

Tonight, Teacher Bai Jing looked a little pale. When Wan Jiaxin approached, the director chose to turn a blind eye.

Raw garlic scapes weren’t as toxic as string beans, but eating them still couldn’t feel good. Even before heading to pick up the night meal, Wan Jiaxin had already noticed that Teacher Bai Jing had stepped out several times.

He must be feeling a bit unwell.

She waited in a corner of the set with the meal. After a while, she saw Teacher Bai Jing come out for air again.

As a crew member, she naturally knew how to avoid the camera’s blind spots.

Soon enough, Bai Jing came out for air once more.

Having hosted for many years and appeared on multiple variety shows, Bai Jing certainly knew where the cameras couldn’t see.

He was really hungry!

Last time he came out, he had already vomited up all the half-cooked garlic scapes in his stomach, and now his stomach was painfully empty.

Technically speaking, even a host was expected to diet—hunger was supposed to be normal, and he should have been used to it.

But after vomiting, the stomach acid irritated his esophagus and stomach lining. On top of that, he’d gulped down a lot of water to rinse his mouth. With both hitting at once, the hunger became even more unbearable.He didn’t dare say he was hungry...

If he said he was hungry now, that bowl of garlic scapes in the kitchen would still be waiting for someone to finish it!

Just thinking about those garlic scapes—and that oddly flavored twice-cooked pork—made Bai Jing clutch the fence and almost throw up again.

“Teacher Bai Jing! Teacher Bai Jing! Over here!”

Someone was bringing him food!

Bai Jing heard Wan Jiaxin’s voice, but barely moved. Without turning his head, he quickly swept his eyes around using his peripheral vision to check for nearby cameras.

He sighed, then casually walked toward the blind spot where Wan Jiaxin was. The entire process was subtle and smooth, with not a trace of urgency.

“Teacher Bai Jing, have some boxed meal!”

Bai Jing instantly recognized her as one of the production crew’s interns. He tried to recall her name—he vaguely remembered it being Xiaoxin.

He silently made a note to find out her full name later.

At a time like this, the less fuss the better. Bai Jing didn’t stand on ceremony and took the chopsticks and box lid from the intern. “I’ll just have a couple bites. Do you mind if I scoop a bit out? Don’t want to waste it.”

Of course Wan Jiaxin didn’t mind!

If a meal this delicious was thrown away after just two bites, she would honestly feel a bit heartbroken. She hadn’t expected that even Teacher Bai thought of that!

She held the box while Bai Jing quickly scooped a portion of food into the lid.

“Thank you. I’ll have a few bites and head back.”

Wan Jiaxin immediately nodded.

She knew very well that they were still in the middle of filming—it was best not to let the other celebrity guests see, or it would become a problem.

Seeing the young woman silently cooperating with him without a word, Bai Jing felt quite at ease.

The last thing he wanted right now was someone fussing over him or being overly polite.

Looking at the portion he’d scooped out, he immediately picked up a piece of guobaorou.

After all, this was night supper for the production crew—rarely would it include anything light. Bai Jing had already mentally prepared for it.

This was a tourist spot—aside from the boxed meals here, there was nothing else to eat at this hour.

After being tormented earlier by that fatty, greasy piece of twice-cooked pork, all he wanted now was something lighter. Still, the sweet-and-sour guobaorou could maybe do...

He put a piece of guobaorou into his mouth—and was instantly jolted awake.

This wasn’t just “maybe”—this was actually amazing!

That crispy coating, the tangy aroma that hit the nose, the perfect texture in the mouth—

Bai Jing felt like his stomach acid was starting to flow again! He quickly scooped a big mouthful of rice and stuffed it into his mouth.

Normally, dishes with a sweet-and-sour profile are tasty but don’t go well with rice. Real rice-pairing dishes are usually braised or savory with soy-based flavors.

But this guobaorou’s sweet-and-sour taste was the most balanced he’d ever had. After the initial tang and sweetness faded, there was no lingering greasiness. The crispy coating went down easily, and the meat inside even had a touch of salty umami.

“This guobaorou is way too good—smells sharp with vinegar, tastes sweet and sour at first, and finishes with a savory depth. This is the real deal!”Teacher Bai Jing gave a big thumbs-up and quickly picked up another piece to pop into his mouth.

Wan Jiaxin was momentarily stunned, then smiled and said, “Teacher Bai Jing, take your time eating!”

So Teacher Bai Jing could actually describe food with more than just “perfect”!

But thinking about it, it made sense. He was a well-known host in the industry, famous for his ability to set the atmosphere and react on the fly—how could he possibly limit his praise to just one phrase?

“I can’t take my time—I have to head back in soon,” Bai Jing said, taking another quick bite. “You must’ve been waiting a while. Thanks for your hard work.”

Though the guobaorou still retained its incredibly crispy texture and the sauce hadn’t soaked in to soften the coating, the temperature had already dropped.

It had to be the chef’s skill that kept it this good. But that also meant the little intern had probably been standing there with the meal for a long time.

Wan Jiaxin didn’t respond to the comment about waiting. She just quickly said, “It’s no trouble! Really, no trouble at all!”

Meeting a leader with such emotional intelligence—what a blessing!

Bai Jing ate three pieces of guobaorou in a row, then had a chunk of chicken drumstick before finally putting down his chopsticks.

“Thanks for your effort. I need to head back now!”

Wan Jiaxin, worried he hadn’t had enough, couldn’t help but ask, “Do you want a little more?”

Bai Jing waved her off and turned to leave.

His usual portion wasn’t much more than this—he had to maintain his on-camera appearance and couldn’t eat too much all year round. Even when he did eat his fill, it was usually bland, low-oil, and low-salt meals.

Still, that guobaorou today was really delicious!

As he was thinking this, on the other side, Chen Ran—who had just finished washing up—received a task progress notification.

[Received four genuine, heartfelt compliments (1/4)]

Was this one of the guobaorou’s flavor-effect missions?

She glanced at the time—it was already quite late. Most of the night supper meals from the production team were probably already eaten. Who just gave such a heartfelt compliment?

Chen Ran couldn’t resist messaging Wan Jiaxin on WeChat:

“How was tonight’s night meal? Anything that needs improvement?”

Directly asking who just ate would’ve been too obvious.

“Really good! Everyone thought it was amazing!”

Watching Bai Jing eat the guobaorou had made Wan Jiaxin start craving it too. The meal Bai Jing had only picked at a little from the lid—she was just about to try the guobaorou that had impressed even Teacher Bai so much!

She didn’t even have time to grab another pair of disposable chopsticks. Wan Jiaxin simply picked up a piece of guobaorou with her hand and popped it into her mouth.

Her first reaction was: this guobaorou doesn’t have much sauce!

Usually when you order guobaorou outside, some pieces are drenched in sweet-and-sour sauce. When you bite into them, they’re overly cloying—you have to scrape some of the syrup off first just to keep eating.

But this piece had just the right amount of sauce. Even the bottom of the meal box didn’t have too much of it.

She took a small bite...

The boxed meal was already a bit cold. After all, she had waited for Teacher Bai for a long time and had opened the lid to watch him eat. The entire piece of guobaorou was basically cold.

But even so—it was still unbelievably crispy!The feeling of it crumbling gently between her lips and tongue, along with the tangy aroma that wasn’t greasy at all—this guobaorou was so good, it could be eaten as a snack even when cold!

Wan Jiaxin quickly messaged Chen Ran: “Your guobaorou is absolutely amazing!”

Thinking of how amazing it was, she suddenly remembered Teacher Bai Jing and couldn’t help but give Chen Ran a little hint.

“I just let Teacher Bai Jing try a bit—he actually praised it with a whole string of compliments!”

Oh?

Chen Ran instantly realized where the task progress had come from!

So this was what the system meant by “genuineness needs contrast to stand out”!

Only with fake performances as contrast could genuine praise shine through.

So that meant—only after receiving praise from four guests would the final flavor effect of her guobaorou be unlocked?

Chen Ran couldn’t help but press further: “Aren’t the guests on the show not allowed to eat outside food?”

“Well… that’s how it’s advertised…”

Wan Jiaxin didn’t dare say too much. She was just a small intern. What everyone on the crew took for granted, she didn’t dare talk openly about. If anything were screenshot and leaked, she wouldn’t last long here.

Chen Ran didn’t push her further. She made up her mind—going forward, she’d pack as much guobaorou into the crew meals as she could!

But guobaorou was only suitable for lunch or dinner—putting it into breakfast would just be ridiculous.

Early in the morning, Chen Ran got out of bed and decided to start by kneading dough. The auntie had gone to get fresh ingredients, but there were still some leftovers in the fridge from yesterday and before.

Chen Ran dug around a bit. The only usable ingredients now were flour, eggs, and oil, along with a bit of lettuce and some sausages.

What could she make? Egg-stuffed pancakes, maybe.

Back when she was undercover at the police station, she had already gotten very good at making pancakes. She quickly kneaded the dough, wrapped it in plastic wrap to rest, then pan-fried the sausages.

The auntie came back with ingredients and, seeing Chen Ran already at work, came over to help wash the lettuce.

“We’ll have to use up all this lettuce today—it’s from yesterday, and if we leave it any longer, it’ll wilt.”

“Yeah, it’s so hard to preserve ingredients up here on the mountain,” Chen Ran turned her head and asked, “What did you used to do when business was slow?”

“What else could we do? Just toss it.”

That felt like such a waste. Chen Ran quietly made forty portions of egg pancakes, then helped the auntie seal up the soy milk they had prepared earlier. They waited for the show crew to come pick them up.

Once again, it was Wan Jiaxin who came. She had now become the designated boxed meal coordinator—responsible for picking up and distributing the crew meals each day.

No choice—these meals tasted too good, and that was a problem. Someone was always trying to sneak extra helpings. Even though the production assistant Li had set aside some extras, it couldn’t always go to just one person.

“Ran-jie, I’m here!”

After finding out Chen Ran’s name yesterday, and after eating what she considered the best guobaorou of her life, Wan Jiaxin had already upgraded her form of address.

“Careful—it’s hot.”

The forty egg pancakes could be carried in a single bag, but the soy milk was a bit more troublesome. Luckily, Wan Jiaxin didn’t come alone. The quiet guy from yesterday followed behind her. The two of them carried everything back to the set, and by then, the guest stars were already waking up.

After all, spending the night in such a rough environment—even if not for the sake of maintaining their early-riser image—no one could sleep in too late.Among them… quite a few had actually woken up from hunger.

Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning the leftovers from yesterday. When Lü Yi walked out of his room, he was ready to start making breakfast.

“What does everyone feel like eating? Want to order something?”

Lü Yi glanced toward the diva. Usually straightforward and decisive, even she looked a bit conflicted.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of picking something Lü Yi couldn’t cook and making things hard for him—she was afraid she’d pick something he couldn’t cook and end up making things awkward for herself.

“Just make something you’re good at, whatever’s easy for you.”

The queen of the music scene made a quick decision. He liked talking sense—then let him talk. As long as he made something he was proud of, that was enough.

“What do you think you’re best at making?”

That question hit Lü Yi right in his sweet spot. He thought for a bit: “The best? Hard to say. But now that I think about it, today’s group really comes from all over.”

“We’ve got folks from the Northeast, Hubei, Sichuan… everyone from a different place,” Lü Yi’s accent started leaning more into a Beijing twang. “So why not make a classic old Beijing-style breakfast?”

Bai Jing nearly cried from fright… Thank goodness he remembered douzhi’er needs fermentation—there wasn’t enough time now.

“How about huta zi? Ever had it?”

He picked through the ingredients basket, pulling out two zucchini and a carrot, then started shredding.

The diva really hadn’t had it before. But she’d cooked for her kid at home before, and seeing the ingredients reassured her.

Wasn’t it just shredded vegetables mixed with flour and eggs, pan-fried into pancakes? This kind of thing couldn’t possibly go too wrong, right?

Feeling at ease, the diva left. The regular singer followed her to network with people, leaving behind only two young male idols helping Lü Yi in the kitchen.

While she was there, Lü Yi washed the vegetables and started giving instructions.

“You all know how to shred, right? Yeah, you take this zucchini. Liu Zi, you handle this carrot.”

Lü Yi folded his arms and started telling stories: “Old Beijing cuisine—it’s got this street-smart flair, you know? A kind of everyday wisdom from the common folk. Take huta zi for example…”

He got into it. For the production crew, the filming task became a lot easier—just switch between a few more camera angles, and once the pancakes hit the pan, get a few close-up shots.

The director relaxed a bit too, and couldn’t help glancing over at the little intern manning the meal station.

These box meals had practically become the most anticipated moment of the shoot lately.

“What’s on the menu today?”

The director’s assistant dutifully replied: “Egg-stuffed pancakes, with fresh soy milk. Want a bite? The flavor’s mild, won’t interfere with filming. And this kind of pancake? Best eaten hot—I think they’re still warm. Want one?”

Seeing the director nod slightly, the assistant rushed over, grabbed a pancake and soy milk, and handed them back.

“You have one too.”

The director picked up the warm soy milk, feeling good, and told the assistant to take a break as well.

He took a bite…

This egg pancake was delicious!

The crust was crispy, the sausage inside had been pan-fried to a golden crisp, the pancake itself had a subtly sweet flavor, and the sauce was perfectly savory.One bite, and it brought a deep sense of comfort.

Meanwhile, on camera, Lü Yi’s huta zi was just about to come out of the pan!

The director took a bite of the egg-stuffed pancake and, mouth slightly full, gave instructions: “Film the pan! Get the shot of the batter going in and forming—make sure you catch the flipping process too!”

The two most crucial and visually appealing steps of pancake-making had to be filmed.

“Mm-hmm… got it, okay.”

Even the voice coming through the earpiece sounded a bit muffled. Normally, the director would be yelling.

But… this egg-stuffed pancake really was that good. And taking a bite didn’t really delay any work.

He happily took another bite, watching Lü Yi on the monitor preparing to show off.

“When you make huta zi, you can’t rush it. And you need a lot of oil—too little, and it sticks to the pan. Wait till the oil’s hot, then pour the batter in…”

“Close-up! Get a close-up!”

The camera zoomed right in.

The oil in the pan was already hot and smoking slightly. Lü Yi tilted the bowl in his hand slightly…

A stream of water poured in!

Chaos broke out in the kitchen. Lü Yi quickly re-scrubbed the pan while confidently passing the blame: “Who added salt earlier? Didn’t I say not to add it too soon?”

Liu Zi stayed silent, and so did Ye Cunxin.

Zucchini releases a lot of water—even after draining a good amount earlier, the remaining moisture had still made the batter too thin.

To cook the pancake quickly, they’d need to raise the heat. But the pan was already loaded with oil.

The final result: a pancake that wouldn’t hold its shape in the pan. Some parts were burned, but the torn areas still showed raw white flour…

Thankfully, there was still a pot of porridge.

Thankfully, there was a table full of actors.

“This really—don’t judge it by the looks, it actually tastes great.”

“Amazing!”

“I used to watch the show and crave this homey kind of flavor—finally got to try it!”

The director watched the lively scene on the monitor and nodded in satisfaction.

Not bad. This cheerful vibe—so long as they didn’t film the leftover bits of pancake—was perfect.

Before he realized it, he’d nearly finished the pancake in his hand. He glanced back toward the intern and immediately saw the large plastic bag she was holding was completely empty.

The previously quiet set finally had people talking again.

“Wow, this pancake was so good I forgot to say anything!”

“Say one more word, you get one bite less!”