Chapter 27
Wait, what? What are you going to eat on stream?
Can you at least clarify?!
Viewers in Xiao Hou’s gossip livestream were speechless.
But then, Xiao Hou’s camera shifted, capturing a tall, suited figure from behind—blurry but recognizable.
“It’s Gu Xingzhou! Gu Xingzhou is coming down too.” Xiao Hou became even more excited.
Look at that—not just Ming Ruogui, but Gu Xingzhou as well.
And not only that—Gu Xingzhou was also wearing a mask and sunglasses, fully armed to avoid recognition.
Could he also be here for fried rice?!
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
This was blatant evidence of a secret romance, like they weren’t even trying to hide it. Tsk, tsk. Using the bustling fried rice stall as cover for a rendezvous? Whispering sweet nothings amidst the noisy crowd? These two really know how to play.
If Ming Ruogui could hear what the paparazzo was thinking, she would surely scoff and comment:
…Nonsense.
Not to mention that Gu Xingzhou was her biological cousin, even if he weren’t, Ming Ruogui wouldn’t date anyone.
In the past, her mind was fully focused on her career. Recently, aside from work, most of her thoughts were occupied by that bowl of fried rice. She had been so restless that even in her dreams, she was lining up at the fried rice stall.
She had only eaten it once, but it had haunted her ever since.
Today’s fried rice preparation was simpler, so the line moved quickly. In just over ten minutes, it was her turn.
The closer she got, the stronger the aroma of the fried rice became. As she stood at the food stall, the sizzling Chinese sausage and shiitake mushroom fried rice was being stir-fried over high heat, its rich, smoky fragrance rising in waves of steam.
In the scorching hot wok, each plump grain of rice absorbed the oil and sauce from the Chinese Sausage. The deep brown shiitake mushroom slices were evenly mixed in, glistening with oil. The thinly sliced Chinese Sausage was crisped to perfection, sizzling as it released bursts of umami-rich oil, its salty-sweet aroma filling the air.
“Boss Jian, I’ll have one order of Chinese Sausage fried rice,” Ming Ruogui said, eyes glued to the food, eagerly scanning to pay.
“Got it!”
Jian Yunlan skillfully tossed the fried rice, sprinkled fresh scallions on top, and within moments, a steaming hot bowl of Chinese Sausage fried rice was served.
Each grain of rice was coated in a glossy sauce, glistening under the sunlight. The translucent, crispy-edged Chinese Sausage, half-fat and half-lean, was soaked in its own rich oil. Mixed with the mushrooms and rice, it carried an intoxicating wok aroma.
Ming Ruogui cradled the golden, shimmering fried rice like a treasure, her eyes nearly brimming with tears.
Finally. Finally!
She had been waiting for this day for far too long!
Like the many other hungry customers, Ming Ruogui didn’t even bother finding a seat. She stood right there and dug in.
Scooping up a heaping spoonful of the fragrant fried rice, she took a bite—
The first taste was the warm, rich flavor of the fried rice—soft yet chewy, with a subtle stickiness between the grains. The sauce’s umami, the Chinese Sausage’s sweetness, and the shiitake mushrooms’ deep earthy notes had all seeped into the rice, creating an incredibly layered taste.
As she chewed, she bit into the silky mushrooms, which had soaked up the flavorful sauce, releasing a flood of umami richness.
Then, suddenly—the thinly sliced Chinese Sausage trembled between her teeth, its crispy outer layer bursting with juicy, savory oil. The moment it hit her tongue, its salty-sweet fattiness exploded in her mouth, perfectly complementing the rice and mushrooms, filling her with sheer bliss…
Ming Ruogui ate too fast and burned her mouth, but she couldn’t bear to slow down. Sweat started forming on her forehead as she hissed from the heat, yet continued devouring the food ravenously.
Delicious. It was too delicious!
If she could eat fried rice this good every day, she would even be willing to walk the red carpet and win Best Actress awards every day!
Not far away, Xiao Hou held up his camera: “…”
Wait, this wasn’t how things were supposed to go!
The sixty to seventy thousand viewers watching the livestream were starting to get frustrated.
Where was the big scoop? The solid evidence of Ming Ruogui and Gu Xingzhou’s secret rendezvous?
But in the past thirty minutes, all Ming Ruogui had done was… stand in line. Patiently, earnestly, full of hope—just to get her fried rice. Then, she simply ate the fried rice, happily, with complete focus.
And judging from her expression, this fried rice was absolutely delicious—so good that she was completely lost in the experience!
[Hey, hey, hey, where’s the explosive gossip? This is it?!]
[Sister Ming looks like she’s really enjoying her food, hahaha.]
[Damn, even her haters are finding this cute now~]
[A top-tier celebrity with an icy and glamorous image, but in reality, she’s just a foodie who secretly lines up at a street food stall every day… No one else in this industry can compete with her in this category.]
[Is the fried rice really that good? (drools)]
[Paparazzi, get out here! @XiaoHouBread, where’s the hard evidence you promised??]
[Refund!]
Xiao Hou was sweating nervously.
But then, a thought struck him, and he calmed down. Lowering his voice, he whispered:
“Why are you all in such a hurry? Of course, they have to put on a full act. Lining up and eating fried rice is just a cover. They have to eat, or else it’d be too obvious…”
“The real show starts after the fried rice.”
“Look at Gu Xingzhou.”
Xiao Hou didn’t dare keep filming Ming Ruogui anymore—what was the point of recording her being completely absorbed in eating fried rice? Instead, he quickly turned the camera toward Gu Xingzhou, who had just come outside.
There was definitely something fishy about him.
Why else would he be so heavily disguised in this scorching weather, acting all sneaky and suspicious? He had to be up to something shady…
Through the lens, Gu Xingzhou pulled his mask up higher, glanced around, and made sure no one was watching him.
The last thing he wanted was for his employees to recognize him.
How humiliating would it be if they caught him secretly lining up for street food?
Especially since he had sworn countless times—
Aside from Ah Sheng, he would never eat anyone else’s fried rice.
Ah Sheng’s fried rice held a special place in his heart.
Gu Xingzhou’s thoughts drifted back to last night.
The whole street food stall situation had been a desperate measure. But because he performed well while helping out at the fried rice stall, Gu Tiancheng decided to observe him for a while longer, so—for now—he had managed to keep his position as CEO of Yuanzhou Group.
Once the crisis was averted, he should’ve completely put that street food experience behind him.
It had nothing to do with his life, after all.
And yet, after the stall closed last night, the taste of that lemon ham fried rice refused to leave his mind.
Even after lying in bed, his brain kept replaying the happy smiles of the people eating, the glistening fried rice, the fresh citrus aroma of the lemon, and the crispy, flavorful luncheon meat…
It was like he’d been cursed.
And to make things worse, that last bowl of fried rice—clearly meant for him—had been snatched away by someone else.
Outrageous!
In the middle of the night, Gu Xingzhou snapped his eyes open in fury, got up, and ordered all ten of his private chefs:
“Make me fried rice!”
His personal chefs were already used to this. Every now and then, the CEO would have these episodes—and every time, the routine played out exactly the same:
He would demand that they all make fried rice for him. But after it was cooked, he wouldn’t take a single bite. Instead, he would just stare at the fried rice, his expression shifting between laughter and tears, murmuring:
“Ah Sheng… No one can ever make fried rice as good as yours…”
Then, he would sweep all the fried rice off the table in a fit of frustration, looking utterly disillusioned, and walk away.
The sequence of events was flawlessly executed every time.
The chefs were so familiar with this process that they could recite it by heart. In fact, they could even predict exactly how many minutes and seconds it would take to reach each stage.
For example, in ten minutes, the CEO would start staring blankly at the fried rice.
In twenty minutes, he would begin muttering to himself, talking to the imaginary “Ah Sheng.”
Five or six minutes after that, he would go into a frenzy, clear the table, and hurl the fried rice onto the floor.
As highly professional private chefs, they certainly wouldn’t speak out of turn, nor was there any need for them to do so.
The salary that President Gu paid them was extremely high.
Their monthly salary was in the six figures.
With such a high salary, forget about Gu Xingzhou occasionally dragging them up to watch him lose his mind—they wouldn’t even refuse if he asked them to hold a photo of “Ah Sheng” while dancing on a pole and cooking.
It was all about the money.
A good boss (or rather, a “fool”) who could offer such a high salary was rare!
However, this time, the chefs who were woken up in the middle of the night to cook fried rice sensed that something wasn’t quite right.
Gu Xingzhou wasn’t following his usual routine.
He had a very specific request: “The fried rice must include luncheon meat and eggs, and add lemon.”
The chefs: “?”
It was a very specific request.
Or rather, a bit too specific.
It was as though Gu Xingzhou was asking them to replicate a particular fried rice recipe.
In the past, Gu Xingzhou had never given specific instructions about the contents of fried rice, because he never ate it! He just used it as a prop for his tantrums!
The chefs, trembling with fear, cooked carefully, giving it their utmost attention, and made five different variations of lemon ham fried rice.
This time, however, Gu Xingzhou didn’t follow the usual routine. He actually picked up a spoon and tasted each plate of fried rice.
The chefs trembled in fear.
Soon enough, Gu Xingzhou threw the spoon down, his face darkening as he suppressed his anger, saying, “It’s disgusting!”
“Even… even the fried rice from a street food stall tastes better than this! I pay you all so much every month, and this is what I get? Are you all eating plain rice?!”
The fried rice from a street food stall was better than theirs?
The chefs felt a bit wronged.
It was one thing for President Gu to always compare them to the mysterious “Ah Sheng” who they’d never met, but now, he was downgrading them further by comparing them to street vendors?
They were all once Michelin three-star chefs, hired back at high salaries. Even if they made a mistake, it shouldn’t have been so bad as to fall below the level of a street food stall, right?!
And, how did Gu Xingzhou even know what street stall fried rice tastes like?
Had he eaten it?
The chefs’ inner thoughts were a storm of expletives, but outwardly they were meek and apologized quietly:
“Yes, sorry, President Gu. We’ll work harder on our cooking skills.”
Gu Xingzhou, in a fit of rage, swept all the fried rice onto the floor, shouting, “Get out! All of you, get out!”
His eyes were red, staring at the fried rice, muttering, “Ah Sheng, as expected, no one can compare to you…”
Seeing his behavior, the chefs actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Okay, now he was following the usual process.
Once the process started, things were easier to handle. They just needed to clean up the fried rice on the floor and quietly leave, without disturbing the boss’s thoughts.
They weren’t afraid of Gu Xingzhou losing his mind; they were afraid he would deviate from the usual routine and come up with new tests for them.
Ugh, money’s hard to earn, and food’s hard to swallow.
In any case, that’s what happened last night.
The anger from not being able to eat fried rice lingered until this morning when Gu Xingzhou woke up. He drove to the office and saw the glaring street food stall downstairs. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, and there was already a long line…
A bunch of tasteless people, wasting their time at a food stall so early in the morning. They probably would never amount to much.
But as the clock inched closer to nine, Gu Xingzhou grew more and more restless, unable to sit still.
Fried rice.
Hot, delicious fried rice.
At 9:10 AM, Gu Xingzhou finally couldn’t take it anymore. He put on his mask and sunglasses and headed downstairs.
He wasn’t really craving fried rice. He just wanted to confirm that Ah Sheng’s fried rice was absolutely superior—that’s all!
Ahead of him in line, there were about sixty to seventy people.
“There are only a hundred portions, so if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get some,” one of the people behind him said, looking concerned. “Otherwise, we’ll end up like yesterday, waiting in line for an hour only for them to sell out.”
Gu Xingzhou: “Oh?”
Upon hearing his response, the person behind him, Xia Hong, became even more animated.
When it came to this subject, Xia Hong was practically in tears. He was a very talkative person, and since there was nothing else to do in line, he started chatting with Gu Xingzhou: “Boss Jian’s fried rice is too good. It’s so popular. I’ve only had it once, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Nothing else tastes good after that…”
“Just like yesterday—I’d timed it perfectly to line up, but then I was called back to change the code, so I didn’t get any,” Xia Hong said angrily.
“Every day, I’m working overtime on these proposals. I’m practically living in the office! Our company’s CEO, Mr. Gu, is inhuman. He’s worse than an animal!”
Gu Xingzhou: “…”
“Worse than an animal?” Gu Xingzhou adjusted his sunglasses.
“Yes,” Xia Hong counted on his fingers, “They’re all like those rich people, walking around with their noses up, heh… but they’re not as happy as we are.”
Gu Xingzhou: “How do you mean?”
Xia Hong puffed out his chest proudly: “Take Boss Jian’s fried rice, for example. People like Gu Xingzhou, those rich types, would never stoop to eating street food. They’ll never get to taste this fine dish! They’re destined to lead a relatively failed life!”
Gu Xingzhou remained silent.
“By the way, brother, it’s so hot today, why are you still wearing a mask and sunglasses?” Xia Hong asked curiously, eyeing him.
Gu Xingzhou raised an eyebrow.
With a demeanor exuding unshakable dominance, Gu Xingzhou lazily lowered his sunglasses and asked, “What did you say? Who’s destined to lead a relatively failed life?”
Xia Hong: “…”
Xia Hong: “…………”
His lips trembled, and his face turned as pale as paper.
It was over. It was all over.
Xia Hong wanted to slap himself for being so foolish. Why did he have to say that? Why did he always say things like that?
Now it was all over.
Tomorrow, he would be fired for stepping into the company with his left foot!
Dejected, Xia Hong lowered his head as the line slowly moved forward. By the time it was his turn, the ingredients for Jian Yunlan’s fried rice were almost used up.
“Are you alright, sir?” Seeing that Xia Hong’s face was ashen and his brow furrowed in distress, Jian Yunlan asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine.” Xia Hong forced a bitter smile.
He’d already lost his job—what more could happen?
But at least he was going to get his fried rice!
“Boss Jian, I’ll have a serving of sausage fried rice.”
“Alright.”
Jian Yunlan poured oil into the pan and began adding onions, shiitake mushrooms, and sausage…
Soon, a plate of sausage fried rice was handed to Xia Hong.
Under the sunlight, the rice grains were distinct, shining a mouth-watering golden brown. The glossy sausage, a perfect balance of fat and lean meat, emitted a delicious savory aroma, infused with the distinct richness of Cantonese-style sausage. It was piping hot and almost too hot to hold.
Whether lucky or unlucky, after Xia Hong received his fried rice, Jian Yunlan checked the remaining orders and regretfully announced, “Today’s one hundred servings of fried rice have sold out. Thank you for your support!”
Behind Xia Hong, Gu Xingzhou: “…”
“I’ll pay,” Gu Xingzhou waved his hand decisively, his gaze cold and firm. “One thousand yuan.”
The other diners around them hissed:
“Don’t bid maliciously!”
“Boss Jian, don’t listen to him. A thousand yuan is too much!”
“Boss Jian said it’s sold out, no need to keep struggling.”
As expected, Jian Yunlan said, “Sorry, it’s sold out.”
Frequent customers knew that when Jian Yunlan said it was sold out, it was really sold out. Even if God came, he wouldn’t sell another serving.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; the Chef System wouldn’t allow it!
Gu Xingzhou ground his teeth.
Suddenly, he looked at Xia Hong, who had just gotten the last portion of fried rice, and narrowed his eyes.
Xia Hong was swallowing his saliva, eagerly holding a spoon, about to dig in.
Xia Hong: “?”
A thought crossed Gu Xingzhou’s mind.
He looked at Xia Hong, smirking and giving a devilish smile. “You wouldn’t want to lose your job just because you stepped into the company with your left foot, would you?”
Xia Hong: “…”
No, he couldn’t do this to me.
Xia Hong’s eyes filled with despair.
I’ll fight these rich people!
I’d rather die than be humiliated!!!
After internally cursing Gu Xingzhou’s ancestors and struggling fiercely, Xia Hong tremblingly, with a face ashen as death, handed the fried rice to Gu Xingzhou:
“President Gu, I don’t want this fried rice. You can have it. Heh.”
This was the helplessness of adulthood.
If he were five years younger, he might have just yelled in anger and stormed off with the fried rice.
But now, it was different. He had a mortgage to pay, elderly parents to care for, and a three-year-old kitten to feed. He couldn’t afford to lose this job!
Xia Hong covered his face and walked away, crying.
—This move was called the mantis catches the cicada.
Gu Xingzhou held the steaming fried rice in his hands.
His proud self-control… well, it could be temporarily turned off.
Gu Xingzhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he gripped the spoon, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Suddenly, a familiar and authoritative voice rang out beside him: “It’s early in the morning, and you’re not at the company for a meeting, what are you doing here?”
Gu Tiancheng furrowed his brows as he looked at Gu Xingzhou.
He glanced at Jian Yunlan, who was packing up the stall, then at Gu Xingzhou holding the fried rice, and understood everything.
So, this brat was sneaking a meal without his father.
Gu Tiancheng narrowed his eyes and had an idea.
He smirked, a devilish grin spreading across his face. “Son, you wouldn’t want to lose your position as CEO just because you stepped into the company with your left foot, would you?”
Gu Xingzhou: “…”
No, he can’t do this to me.
Despair flickered in Gu Xingzhou’s eyes.
Two minutes later.
Gu Xingzhou covered his face and left in tears.
His strong, domineering figure now seemed lonely and helpless, his long-suppressed emotions with nowhere to vent.
Gu Tiancheng smiled faintly.
—This move is called the “mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.”
Gu Tiancheng held the steaming fried rice in his hands.
He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. The rice was soft with a chewy texture, the sauce rich in flavor, warm with a hint of sweetness and salty aroma. The crispy, oily sausage was juicy, and the soft, slippery shiitake mushrooms added to the depth…
Mmm, delicious!
Gu Tiancheng gave a thumbs up.
Gu Tiancheng was pleased, but some people were not so happy.
Like the paparazzo Xiao Hou.
The live stream was already going crazy, with everyone yelling that he was wasting everyone’s time:
[Where’s the gossip??? Where’s the scoop???!]
[This whole morning, we’ve gathered here for hours just to confirm three things: 1. Ming Ruowei really loves fried rice. 2. Gu Xingzhou really loves fried rice. 3. The fried rice is really good.]
[Marketing account leading people astray, this is over, everyone disperse!]
[Even Chairman Gu really loves fried rice (.)]
[Hahahaha, it looks like we’re confirming a top-tier celebrity romance with the CEO, but in reality, we’re confirming that the fried rice is indeed delicious…]
[Is it really that good? I’m thinking of trying it! Why are so many people fighting over this fried rice in the queue?!]
At first, Ming Ruowei had been in line for hours, and when she finally got the fried rice, she was happily eating it.
At that moment, Xiao Hou thought there might still be a twist.
Maybe, once Gu Xingzhou came down, they would secretly connect, exchange glances?
Until he filmed Gu Xingzhou calmly lining up and competing for the fried rice. Not only was he in line, but to get his hands on the fried rice, he also schemed and fought with others, only to have the fried rice snatched away by Chairman Gu. Worse, after being robbed, he covered his face and ran off crying…
He, the domineering CEO, covered his face and ran off crying!
Ming Ruowei and Gu Xingzhou hadn’t even looked at each other the whole time. They didn’t even know the other existed. After all, they were simply there to buy fried rice, enjoy the food, and leave quietly, with no need for fame or recognition.
Xiao Hou had hoped that with this scoop, he’d rise to the top of Chinese celebrity gossip and claim the crown as the king of paparazzi.
Who knew he’d crash and burn? Now, he was the laughingstock!
Xiao Hou was in complete despair. Holding the camera as if it were a landmine, he rushed toward the still-operating food stall…
He was going to find out just how amazing this damn fried rice was, the one that had everyone, including the top celebrity and the CEO of Yuanzhou Group, obsessed with it!
With the camera in hand, Xiao Hou charged into the crowd like a firecracker, knocking people aside. Seeing that he was heading toward Jian Yunlan, they quickly shouted:
“Uh-oh! Someone who didn’t get the fried rice is going crazy!!!”
“Boss Jian, run!!!”
“Should we call the police? That’s not a grenade, is it? Can’t get fried rice, so he wants to take Boss Jian down with him?! =?=”
“Although… I kind of understand how he feels. The fried rice is so good, if you can’t get it, you want to destroy it, right~”
The others looked at the seemingly demure girl who said that: “???”
The girl grinned and slinked away in the shadows.
Everyone: “…”
How terrifying.
What kind of people are they competing against for the same bowl of fried rice?!
Meanwhile, Xiao Hou barged through the crowd and quickly arrived at the food stall.
The viewers in the live stream had been about to leave, but when they saw this unexpected turn of events, they were instantly intrigued again:
They were curious about the chef who had made the delicious fried rice that had both Ming Ruowei and Gu Xingzhou in its thrall.
In their minds, food stall owners were usually portrayed as slightly older, plump, kind individuals with a bit of an accent. This chef’s fried rice must have been honed over the years…
They envisioned a classic middle-aged food stall owner with a beer belly, wearing a chef’s hat.
Then, Jian Yunlan, who was taking off his apron, entered the frame.
Soft golden light bathed him, and in the lingering steam, his features were breathtakingly beautiful, especially his eyes, dark and deep with a captivating allure.
Viewers: “…”
Viewers: “!!!”
Mom, I’ve seen an angel!!!
Wait, hold on.
The food stall owner looks this good? And with so many people lining up, they’re only thinking of buying fried rice from him?
…Don’t they have any other thoughts?!
