Chapter 14 Without Fame, You Are No One

The director didn’t have time to give instructions, so naturally, the crew wouldn’t spend their own money to buy a pot for this unknown newcomer. Lin Yu felt helpless, silently lamenting the ruthlessness of the show’s rules before turning to look at the sink.

"At least you can provide a bottle of dish soap, right? And maybe a steel scrubber? Otherwise... dry scrubbing?"

Just scrubbing by hand—there’s no way I can do that!

The live chat instantly erupted.

"I’m dying here! The look on the staff’s face is like you’re making things impossibly hard for them—more painful than eating something disgusting, haha!"

"Huh? You can’t buy anything without a card, sweetheart!"

"You want it? If you want something, just say it! How am I supposed to know if you don’t speak up?"

"This is killing me—there’s no dish soap or scrubber at the very start. Are the guests going to wash everything by hand all season? Hahaha!"

"I heard saliva has disinfectant and cleaning properties, darling!"

"Darling, darling, darling—darling my foot! Customer service, get out of here!"

"Ah, these two wives who can’t do anything are just too cute. Marry me, I’ll take care of everything!"

"Buddy above, stop dreaming so early in the morning, will you?"

...

Resigned, Lin Yu left the pot to soak for ten minutes in the sudsy water, then scrubbed it furiously by hand until the scorched electric pot was finally clean.

With the kitchen chores done, he began prepping for the hot pot. As he sautéed the base, he deftly sliced and arranged the ingredients. The two pampered ladies favored a milder hot pot to avoid upsetting their delicate stomachs with anything too spicy.

Before long, the fragrant hot pot was served, along with several plates of neatly arranged, beautifully presented ingredients—both meats and vegetables.

Bai Yichu and Ji Ya took their seats, their eyes lighting up at the sight of the steaming hot pot and the array of food. Though they had never truly gone hungry before, at this moment, their stomachs were rumbling; even if Lin Yu had fished the ingredients out of the trash and washed them, they wouldn’t have cared.

Hunger had dulled their usual pickiness.

After two minutes, the goddesses realized their lapse in etiquette and quickly composed themselves, sitting primly. It was absurd—here were women of such beauty and stature, almost drooling over such humble fare.

"Should we have helped you just now?" Ji Ya, utterly clueless in the kitchen, feigned concern with a question that was essentially meaningless, since everything was already done.

But both of them did feel a bit embarrassed, so they hurried into the kitchen to pretend to be busy for a moment, each emerging with a bowl in hand.

They sat ready to eat, making Lin Yu chuckle.

Seeing their impatience, Lin Yu took the initiative to cook beef for them, blanching it for five seconds before distributing it into their bowls.

He gestured for them to dip it in the sauce.

"See if the flavor suits you?"

Moments earlier, the two women had been flustered, but Lin Yu, observant as ever, had thoughtfully cooked and served them meat. It was a clear signal to the viewers: he didn’t mind serving the two “goddesses”—in fact, he relished it.

Ji Ya, delighted, savored the beef, feeling the burst of flavor as she chewed. Normally, she wouldn’t even let such leftover cuts appear on the table, let alone eat them. But now, starved as she was, the beef exploded on her palate.

Such delicious enjoyment—she hadn’t experienced this in a long time. Perhaps it was hunger that made the flavor so intense.

"Your cooking exceeds all my expectations! Being an idol is a waste of your talent—you should become a chef instead!"

Bai Yichu, too, was lost in the delight of the food, her elegant composure restored, eating with grace, her face expressionless as usual.

Lin Yu knew perfectly well that Ji Ya was only saying these things to give him more screen time and draw more viewers, so he didn’t take it to heart.

Seeing Bai Yichu so quiet, he actively placed another piece of meat in her bowl.

"Miss Bai, if there’s anything that could be improved, or if the taste isn’t to your liking, please let me know. I have plenty of ways to adjust the seasoning."

Hmm?

Bai Yichu looked at him, an unusual glimmer in her beautiful eyes.

She hadn’t intended to actually eat—image management was crucial for a star, and in such situations, fake eating was the norm. But now, hunger gnawed at her, and the beef, paired with the special sauce, was simply irresistible.

There was a reason people called her the “cool goddess.” She always kept her distance from others—not by nature, but as a necessity of her public persona. It had been a long time since anyone dared to show her genuine care, or even approach her.

Carrying the title of top celebrity, she was under constant scrutiny, knowing that a single misstep could cost her everything; she walked on thin ice every day.

Everyone wanted to be at the top—whether from her own company or others—seeing her as a thorn in their side. With such fierce competition, her freedom was greatly restricted.

The higher the position, the greater the danger.

"Here’s fresh tripe, blanched just right—try it," Lin Yu said, extending his chopsticks.

Bai Yichu, without even thinking, opened her mouth and accepted the tripe. The smooth, springy texture burst in her mouth—a sensation beyond words.

Suddenly Lin Yu remembered the fish ball paste he’d just finished making and left to rest. He’d spent most of his kitchen time on it, as making fish balls was an intricate process: cleaning, deboning, chopping, pounding, letting it sit. It had been resting for half an hour now; it was time to boil water to set the fish balls.

"You two go watch TV; I’ll call you when the next dish is ready."

The two women got up, already eager for the next course.

Meanwhile, the live chat was filled with comments.

"Wait, is this a dating show or a cooking show? I’m suddenly so jealous of the goddesses!"

"Who gets it? I’m starving just watching this romance show—group sob! I want fish balls too! I want a handsome guy to serve me food with such care!"

"I mean, this guy is bold—pampering one, then the other. But why am I not even mad?"

"Even if you made fish balls, the goddess still wouldn’t spare you a glance!"