Chapter 23
Once the herbal medicine was done decocting, Gu Shengsheng accepted the bowl without the slightest hesitation and gulped it down with a loud duang duang.
After drinking it, although his forehead was still a little hot, he felt an unprecedented lightness and ease throughout his body.
“Boss, I feel like I’m completely better now! I could run three thousand meters around the school field in one breath!” His memory stopped at high school, where the longest track event at the sports meet was the three-thousand-meter race.
After saying that, he eagerly ran over to Shen Jinfeng’s side. With practiced posture, he stretched his neck forward and lowered his head slightly, making it so that Shen Jinfeng could easily reach out and ruffle his hair.
He was extremely obedient—dogleg-level obedient.
[I’m truly convinced. I feel like after this whole thing, Gu Shengsheng has completely become devoted to Big Shot Shen.]
[The medicine Shen Jinfeng brought back—he didn’t even ask a single unnecessary question and just downed it in one go. Honestly, it’s very hard for entertainers in the entertainment industry to build this much trust in others.]
[Because he doesn’t remember that he’s from the entertainment industry right now, right? It’s perfect for making friends. If Season Three keeps going like this, the entertainment industry really might gain a tight-knit little group of sworn friends.]
[I’m dying of laughter. Look at his movements. Did he get addicted after having his head touched twice earlier?]
[Gu Shengsheng doesn’t mind smelling bad now? Sure enough, having new clothes makes all the difference. Jealous!]
[Sob sob, my Wang-ge’s eyes are red! Shen Jinfeng, you fickle man! Clearly, in the past, you always touched our little purple-hair!]
[Pfft, little purple-hair! So black nicknames really are created by fans first, huh? Too accurate. After He Erwang comes out, let that purple hair become semi-permanent!]
[Holy crap, I also want my husband to touch my hair!]
When Shen Jinfeng saw Gu Shengsheng happily scampering over to his side again, he was also somewhat speechless. His hand, resting lazily on his knee as he sat there, lifted slightly, ready to ruffle his head along the way.
Who would have thought that the head in front of him, whose height had originally been just right, would suddenly rise higher, the distance abruptly becoming a little farther?
His outstretched hand froze halfway. He watched helplessly as another cold, handsome face appeared above Gu Shengsheng’s head.
Qin Ye was holding Gu Shengsheng by the leaf collar and had actually lifted him straight up!
???
Shen Jinfeng coughed lightly and calmly withdrew his hand without changing his expression.
Gu Shengsheng turned his head in confusion. Because of learning distillation earlier, he still held some respect for Qin Ye.
“Brother, what’s wrong?”
The corner of Qin Ye’s lips curved slightly, and he pointed toward Mo Fan.
“Gu Shengsheng, since you’re completely better, go help out.”
Gu Shengsheng nodded dazedly, then suddenly realized something was wrong.
His eyes widened. He wanted to say that earlier, everyone had promised to cook for him, the patient! But after suddenly being lifted up like that, he suddenly felt a little dizzy again.
He felt he actually had not recovered yet.
He looked to Shen Jinfeng for help.
Shen Jinfeng shifted his gaze away and focused on starting the fire.
Qin Ye’s gaze paused on Gu Shengsheng’s messy hair. His brow bone furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Gu Shengsheng, you just drank medicine. Go wash the bowl.”
With no path for help, and now given a specific task… for some reason, Gu Shengsheng did not quite dare refuse Qin Ye’s instructions.
His long, curled eyelashes fluttered a few times before he admitted defeat.
“Fine.” He struggled free from Qin Ye’s hand, carefully straightened his leaf clothing, and walked over to Mo Fan to help.
[Hahaha, Gu Shengsheng is so wronged! Obediently—forced by oppressive power—went to wash the bowl.]
[What’s going on with Qin Ye! Is he jealous? The way he looked at Big Shot Shen was even more wronged than Gu Shengsheng. I’m shipping them so hard!]
[Really, I’ve wanted to say this for ages! Earlier, when he saw Gu Shengsheng showing off his new clothes, his expression was off! If you love him, say it boldly!]
[Damn, why are the CP fans out again? This isn’t even looking for sugar with a magnifying glass anymore. You bought the raw materials and made the sugar yourselves, right? Where did you see my Ye God being wronged?]
[Expression off? Hasn’t Qin Ye always had that expression? Like he’s sexually indifferent. Where is he jealous? Stop pre-loaning affection, thanks!]
Who would have thought that in the very next second,
after driving Gu Shengsheng away, Qin Ye sat down directly beside Shen Jinfeng.
[???]
[Ah, this… does the face of the netizen in front hurt?]
[This, this… did he specifically come over just to drive Gu Shengsheng away and replace him?]
[That still doesn’t prove anything. Isn’t it normal for two people to sit together?]
Mm. There was nothing abnormal about two people sitting together.
The other teammates present thought the same.
Qi Xiu had quick eyes and fast hands and occupied the other spot beside Shen Jinfeng.
“Boss, look, I picked all of these today!” Like a child showing something to a parent, he was a little shy but could not help showing off smugly.
The movements Shen Jinfeng used to spear fish earlier had been too difficult. Climbing a tree over twenty meters tall to pick coconuts was also something Qi Xiu could not do.
Fortunately, the beachcombing idea Qin Ye had come up with today was extremely suitable for him.
Now, even without his other teammates, if he were alone on this deserted island, Qi Xiu believed he could survive.
Of course, the most important thing was,
“Boss, from now on, you won’t need to personally go out looking for food. Whatever seafood you want to eat, leave it all to me! I’ll find it for you!”
Shen Jinfeng was indeed rather surprised that these teammates, who had previously looked quite “useless,” had actually gained such a bountiful harvest from beachcombing today.
“Did you all have experience before?”
Qin Ye nodded and was just about to speak.
Qi Xiu’s words came out as fast as abacus beads clacking. “Nope, Boss. I think beachcombing doesn’t require any technical skill. If you’re interested, follow me next time! I’ll lead you and easily handle it!”
After boasting, however, he caught sight of Qin Ye on the other side from the corner of his eye and added, “Brother Ye does have experience, though. He has technical skill, but he’s about the same as me.”
The words Qin Ye had originally wanted to say about the technical aspects of beachcombing were forcibly stuck in his throat.
No technical skill required?
Thinking of how Qi Xiu’s harvest was almost as abundant as his, he fell silent.
The bullet comments were also amused.
[What a new type of humblebrag.]
[He clearly didn’t win, but somehow he looks more powerful than my Ye God. What do we do?]
[Qin Ye is speechless hahaha. Don’t be sad, you’re already amazing!!! But we can’t compare with someone cheating!]
[Because you have a special “technique,” of course you don’t need technical skill.]
[But seriously, following Qi Xiu to beachcomb does sound easier than following Qin Ye hahaha. If I were Shen Jinfeng, I’d choose Qi Xiu too!]
[Qin Ye: That hurt.]
The corner of Shen Jinfeng’s mouth could not help twitching.
Beachcombing—of course he knew how to do it, and he was quite skilled at it too.
It was just that even if he went himself, to achieve a harvest like Qin Ye and Qi Xiu had today, it would require both technical skill and luck working together.
“Then you’re very impressive,” he praised tactfully.
Qi Xiu’s eyes lit up, and he said modestly, “Only generally impressive.”
“I can only be impressive at things that don’t require technical skill but can still succeed.”
Shen Jinfeng: “…”
Understood.
Qi Xiu pursed his lips shyly and picked up two crabs that looked plump and juicy at a glance, handing them to Shen Jinfeng.
“Turning delicious ingredients into delicious food is the kind of thing that requires technical skill.”
Shen Jinfeng: “…”
[So after talking for so long, he actually just wanted to say he can’t cook, right? Hahahahahaha.]
[Qi Xiu, you scheming boy. After talking so much about technical skill or not, you showed off, successfully acted weak, and rounded the logic back. All for a bite of food!]
[I’m dying of laughter. The foodie gene really is buried deep in Chinese people’s bones, huh? If you want someone to cook for you, just say it!]
However, to the netizens’ surprise,
Qi Xiu was actually quite ethical.
He had seriously picked through the ingredients he had gathered while beachcombing today and selected all the best quality ones. Now, he pushed all of them to the diagonal rear of where he sat, which happened to be the most convenient place for Shen Jinfeng to reach.
“Boss, take whatever you want to eat! Make it yourself!”
He pointed to the wooden bowl in front of him, which was already boiling. Inside, there were some razor clams, mud snails, sea urchins, clams—a big mixed pot.
“I’ve already cooked some here. It’s fine for eating myself.”
Qi Xiu scratched his head. “I originally wanted to let you try some too, Boss, but just looking at the appearance, it doesn’t seem too good. I know myself. It definitely won’t taste great.”
“So… Boss, if you’re not especially hungry, you should cook for yourself…”
Hearing this, Shen Jinfeng looked at him with some surprise. He was so considerate, and his words sounded both obedient and a little pitiful.
He could not resist reaching out and patting Qi Xiu on the shoulder, honestly saying, “It really does look bad at first glance.”
Qi Xiu: “…”
[Hahahahahaha, I thought Shen Jinfeng was going to comfort him and then go along with that step to say, “I’ll cook and we’ll eat together.” I didn’t expect him to pull a reverse routine.]
[Look at Qi Xiu’s stunned expression. I’m dying of laughter. That’s what you get for trying to retreat in order to advance!]
[Did you think Big Shot Shen couldn’t see through your little tricks?]
Qin Ye, off to the side, could not help letting a hint of laughter leak from his eyes.
He had been among the first to start making dinner.
Before being stranded on this deserted island, he had never cooked and did not know how to cook.
But after waking up on this island only two days ago, he had already seen Shen Jinfeng show his skills several times.
He had made grilled fish and boiled fish.
Qin Ye’s learning ability was quite good. After watching twice, he felt that replicating the movements would not be difficult.
It was just that this was his first time cooking by himself. Now that there were results, he did not know whether it would taste good.
The steamed and boiled food could not be judged yet, but at least the grilled food already had fragrance.
Qin Ye picked up a skewer of mantis shrimp and recalled in his mind the steps Shen Jinfeng had used to season food.
Yes, apart from the salt distilled and filtered out, Shen Jinfeng had also grabbed some edible wild grass yesterday while cooking, crushed it, and used it as seasoning.
The evaluation remained the same:
it tasted better than every Michelin three-star chef Qin Ye had ever eaten from.
Qin Ye carefully imitated Shen Jinfeng’s method, scattering each kind of seasoning according to his memory without missing any.
In an instant, the domineering aroma of cooked food mixed with seasoning swept through the air.
Shen Jinfeng turned his head uncontrollably and saw Qin Ye carefully using a wooden skewer to adjust the seasoning on the mantis shrimp.
Today, he had practically been doing physical labor the entire time. He had built the house nonstop, gone back and forth to the forest several times, and had even flown back just now in order to make it in time.
His physical strength had been severely overdrawn.
This level of exertion would not have counted for much to the old him.
But the original owner of this body had clearly been quite impressive in memory, so why was this body so weak?
Shen Jinfeng did not think too much about it. Perhaps he had done too many quick-transmigration missions before, and his old self had simply been absurdly strong.
He narcissistically thought so.
Right now, he only felt that every bone in his body was unbearably sore and weak. To be honest, he was a little tired.
Most importantly, if he had not smelled the aroma of food, it would have been fine. But now that he had smelled it, his stomach felt like it was turning over and roaring that he was hungry, so hungry!
He calmly withdrew his gaze. There was no time to wait for grilling.
But Qi Xiu’s small pot of seafood had finished boiling. Although it was a big mixed pot, if some seasoning were added, it could still fill his stomach.
“Qi Xiu, can you…” Shen Jinfeng had just prepared to ask Qi Xiu’s opinion when he suddenly felt the domineering smell of grilled food at the tip of his nose become even stronger, as if it had been placed right in front of him.
He lowered his eyes in surprise toward the source of the aroma and saw a skewer of mantis shrimp about two centimeters from his mouth.
It was the skewer Qin Ye had just finished grilling.
And the person holding the mantis shrimp was Qin Ye himself.
“Little Captain, the first skewer is for you,” Qin Ye said.
It was also the result of my first time cooking, he added in his heart.
The hand he used to hold the wooden stick was inexplicably somewhat stiff, carrying a strange, hard-to-surface nervousness.
Shen Jinfeng froze slightly and lifted his eyes to meet Qin Ye’s gaze.
Qin Ye’s dark eyes stared at him without blinking. No emotional change could be seen, but the number of times his eyelashes trembled beyond their normal rhythm revealed the fluctuations in his mood.
So the first skewer of mantis shrimp that Qin Ye had carefully arranged for so long was for him.
Shen Jinfeng could not quite describe what he was feeling now.
But one truth he had recognized long ago floated into his heart.
Qin Ye had a crush on him.
After starving all afternoon and chopping trees all afternoon, Qin Ye had enthusiastically grilled his first portion of food and handed it to him.
Shen Jinfeng uncomfortably looked away, reached out to accept the mantis shrimp, and took a bite.
Fresh and fragrant, fully seasoned, crisp without being tough—the taste buds were fully stimulated. It was an unexpected culinary pleasure.
His eyes lit up uncontrollably, and he gave Qin Ye a thumbs-up. “Delicious!”
Only then did Qin Ye’s heart, which had been floating in midair, land firmly.
The corner of his lips curved slightly. “As long as it tastes good.”
Qi Xiu, off to the side, immediately felt that his existence was being threatened.
Damn it. At first, it had only been He Erwang clinging to Boss after Boss saved him once.
Today, Gu Shengsheng had also been saved by Boss once and had even received clothes handmade by Boss. He had practically already turned into Boss’s little fanboy.
Why was Qin Ye also coming out to join the fun?
Most importantly, Qin Ye was stronger than him. In beachcombing, his technical skill could tie fifty-fifty with Qi Xiu’s divination. And now, even his cooking skills were better than Qi Xiu’s.
His position as the number one little follower by Boss’s side was about to become unstable!
If his inner thoughts could materialize and appear on the bullet screen, he would definitely be pitied and criticized by netizens: What the hell do you mean, number one little follower!
[Your wish and his wish seem to be different~]
“Boss, did you just call me?” Qi Xiu spoke up to attract Shen Jinfeng’s attention.
After being provoked by Qin Ye just now, he had almost handed over his own pot of seafood that had just been evaluated as looking bad.
But forget it… that would be self-humiliation.
After Shen Jinfeng finished eating the plump mantis shrimp, he had just been about to reply to Qi Xiu when his hand moved slightly, and a cup of coconut water was suddenly placed into it.
“Drink it together.” Qin Ye handed him the coconut water, then turned back around and picked up the second finished skewer of mantis shrimp, focusing on seasoning it.
Shen Jinfeng hesitantly accepted the coconut water and drank it in one go. Only then did his empty stomach feel a little better.
“You eat the second skewer yourself,” he said.
Qin Ye nodded and did not object.
Shen Jinfeng quietly let out a breath of relief. Good. The secret admirer did not have the kind of thought where he only wanted to serve Shen Jinfeng wholeheartedly, refusing to eat himself and wanting to feed Shen Jinfeng first.
He had encountered some love-brained people like that in past missions.
Withdrawing his gaze, he finally noticed that Qi Xiu was still staring at him eagerly.
Seeing him look over, Qi Xiu forced out an obedient and well-behaved smile at him.
Holding a cooked crab in his hand, he hesitated for a long time before asking, “Boss, I’ll peel out the crab roe for you. The roe should be a little tastier.”
“Do you want to try it?”
The crab was fresh and plump. Even if it was only steamed plain, the crab roe was still delicious.
[Holy crap, so competitive! What exactly are you all competing over!!! Even this has to be competed over!]
[Earlier, watching my Ye God and Big Shot Shen, I felt some kind of inexplicable atmosphere between them. Good grief, once Qi Xiu joined in, I instantly felt like it turned into two childish ghosts fighting for favor, and Big Shot Shen is like the parent hahaha.]
[Sorry, Qi Xiu really looks like he just graduated high school, way too much like a good student. This jealous, favor-currying love battlefield doesn’t create that feeling at all!]
[I’m going to die laughing. Beside them, Gu Shengsheng and Mo Fan are also eager and waiting for their turn.]
[So Big Shot Shen’s current role in the show is big shot + group favorite? Traditional big shots carry others and make everyone feel amazing, but only today did I realize that I love watching a big shot carry his little brothers while also being cherished by them in return. It’s mutual devotion!]
With Qin Ye and Qi Xiu as “fine jade before them,”
Mo Fan had just been decocting medicine for Gu Shengsheng, and Gu Shengsheng had only just gotten off the bed. The two looked at each other.
“Boss, can you light a fire for me too? I’ll cook for you as well!” the two said in unison.
Shen Jinfeng: “…”
Forget it. If they even needed him to start the fire, he might as well do it himself.
He accepted the crab Qi Xiu handed over and tossed it back into the pot.
He would add some seasoning and keep cooking it. Turning decay into magic was not quite possible, but at least he could turn plain, watery blandness into the rich aroma of steamed seafood.
For steamed seafood to be delicious, the dipping sauce was the soul.
Just as Shen Jinfeng was about to move and prepare it, he felt a shadow fall on his right side.
Qin Ye was holding up a grilled sea urchin that looked exceptionally delicious and presenting it before him. What made it especially tempting was that there were actually two quail eggs on top of the sea urchin!
“Little Captain, the first grilled sea urchin is for you.” He very naturally handed the sea urchin to him.
Shen Jinfeng’s movements paused, and he fell silent for a moment.
Qin Ye kept holding it out, lowering his eyes to look at him with some confusion.
“It should taste good.”
Shen Jinfeng nodded with a stiff face. After hesitating in his heart for a long time, the aroma at the tip of his nose was too overwhelming, and he ultimately obeyed his heart and accepted it.
Qin Ye handed him a washed, slender wooden stick to serve temporarily as a wooden spoon.
Shen Jinfeng held the sea urchin in both hands and used the wooden stick to scoop up a bite.
!
He had not expected Qin Ye to have talent as a chef!
The heat was controlled perfectly. The liquid from the quail eggs, paired with the spicy crushed seasoning, was so fragrant it could make someone swallow their tongue.
Seeing him eat with such obvious enjoyment, Qin Ye turned his head back in satisfaction.
His gaze swept over the other teammates, who were watching the grilled sea urchins while swallowing from the aroma. In a very good mood, he mercifully distributed the remaining grilled sea urchins.
Qi Xiu really wanted to refuse with backbone.
But he only hesitated inwardly for one second before thinking that he and Qin Ye had not yet completely torn their faces apart over the position of number one person beside Boss. Eating “enemy rations” now was not shameful.
He accepted the grilled sea urchin with a smile and obediently said, “Thank you, Brother Ye.”
Qin Ye narrowed his eyes slightly and looked fixedly at him for two seconds, letting out a faint chuckle. “You’re welcome.”
Qi Xiu: “…”
Damn it. Why did he inexplicably feel like he had lost?
Meanwhile, Gu Shengsheng, who had accepted a sea urchin, did not eat it right away.
Holding the sea urchin, he deeply inhaled its aroma and asked in confusion, “Why doesn’t mine have quail eggs?”
“Eh, only Boss’s has them?”
Hearing this, Shen Jinfeng lifted his head, and his heartbeat suddenly skipped.
Qin Ye replied casually, “Mm. My luck wasn’t good enough. I only found two.”
“I’ll add one for you too next time if there are more.”
Gu Shengsheng blinked. “You didn’t even leave one for yourself?”
Qin Ye froze for a moment, then explained, “When I ate grilled sea urchins by the sea before, the ones in the sea urchin always had two quail eggs. I thought it was a fixed pairing.”
He rubbed his forehead, his tone carrying a somewhat helpless smile. “Forget it. Just take it as Little Captain eating my portion too.”
[What the hell do you mean, fixed pairing!]
[I’m dumbfounded. No, doesn’t Ye God’s tone sound really wrong? I’m not the only one whose thoughts went crooked, right?]
[Why did he say it so ambiguously?]
[Ahhhhhhh, Qin Ye’s little thoughts are obvious! The first portion of food is for you, and the only—oh no, the only two—quail eggs are also for you! As long as I have it, you come first!]
[He loves him so loudly!]
[I’m numb. Allow CP fans to ship for one minute. Even I, a solo fan, am about to misunderstand! Brother, can you stop speaking so ambiguously in the future?]
After hearing Qin Ye’s explanation, Gu Shengsheng unexpectedly did not think anything was wrong.
Only Shen Jinfeng suddenly felt that the sea urchin he had swallowed was a little hot in his throat.
He abruptly lifted his head and said to Gu Shengsheng, “Your wind-cold hasn’t healed yet. Sea urchin is cold in nature. You can’t eat it.”
Gu Shengsheng, who had just brought the sea urchin to his mouth: “Ah???”
Standing beside him, He Erwang reacted quickly and snatched his sea urchin away. “Hehe, patients should behave. This skewer is mine!”
[Hahaha, He Erwang is the one who only has food in his heart!]
[My little purple-hair, please grow a little sense! Your boss is about to be stolen away!]
Looking at Gu Shengsheng’s extremely wronged eyes, Shen Jinfeng slowly said, “Gu Shengsheng, I’ll boil some wild vegetables for you.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll taste better than meat.”
Gu Shengsheng dared to be angry but did not dare speak.
Who are you trying to fool?
What kind of wild vegetables could taste better than meat?
Shen Jinfeng withdrew his gaze and began preparing a delicious dipping sauce for the seafood.
Across nine hundred and ninety-nine quick-transmigration small worlds, he had lived in ancient societies for nearly two or three hundred lifetimes altogether.
Ancient ingredients did not have as many processing techniques as modern food, and seasonings were also extremely scarce.
As someone who did not have many hobbies but had a bit of obsession with eating, he had put quite a lot of effort into researching food.
When he had been a doctor, how many herbal prescriptions had he tested?
He had probably tested just as many secret recipes using flowers and grasses to pair with food.
This deserted island had fertile soil and abundant resources. It was very easy to create a delicious sauce.
Because Mo Fan had the weakest sense of presence and was therefore the first person Shen Jinfeng thought of, he became the first to taste the finished product. Happiness made him narrow his eyes, and he actually shed tears from how delicious it was.
Sucking on mud snails, chewing clams, he shook his head and recited a poem: “Snowy foam and milky blossoms float on the noon cup; smartweed shoots and mugwort sprouts taste the spring platter. Among human flavors, light joy is the finest.”
Qi Xiu, who had just “finished the gaokao” and still had some cultural literacy left, accepted his portion and echoed, “Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart.”
Huh?
Shen Jinfeng’s action of distributing food paused.
No, you two can match even that?
Gu Shengsheng, off to the side, chewed his wild vegetables and looked at the two of them resentfully.
Forget it. The wild vegetables were indeed quite tasty. They must be better than seafood. Definitely!
He Erwang scratched his purple hair and racked his brain before actually improvising a lyric: “I’m eating seafood in the little wooden hut, and where are you at this very moment~”
Shen Jinfeng quietly listened for a couple of lines and smiled helplessly.
Then, another fragrant skewer appeared in front of him.
“Little Captain, the first grilled squid is for you.” Qin Ye looked at him attentively. “It’s very fragrant. Try it.”
Shen Jinfeng woodenly accepted the grilled squid and took a bite.
It truly was fragrant.
Aside from having a good face and a good figure,
the secret admirer also had good cooking skills.
In his heart, he silently added a small line of words beside the originally flat, paper-thin little figure that represented Qin Ye:
Many strengths.
On the second night after all the guests woke up on the deserted island,
outside the wooden hut, the storm raged violently; inside, it was as warm as a furnace.
For some reason, all the netizens watching the livestream remembered this scene for a very, very long time.
