Everyone was truly exhausted! Back at the guesthouse, both the guests and the staff dragged their weary bodies back to their rooms to rest.
Only Tu Yiyi, having won the “Grand Prize,” was busy working away in the kitchen alone.
Gu Xiaofeng opened a book, looked at the twin-stalk blue and white “Flower of Love” for a long moment, and then carefully pressed it between the pages. She wanted to make a specimen so it would last a long time. One day, years from now, she could take it out and still remember its fresh, delicate form—and remember the beautiful girl who gave it to her.
A flower she had accepted.
After showering, Gu Xiaofeng changed and headed to the kitchen to help. Before she even reached the door, she heard a cheerful song. She recognized it instantly—it was Yiyi’s “showering song.”
Leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, Xiaofeng watched the silhouette dancing inside. Yiyi was still in her hiking clothes: a bun and casual sportswear. Simple clothes often reveal a person’s true beauty, and Yiyi’s porcelain skin and vivid features made the ordinary outfit look extraordinary.
Four pots were on the stove: soup simmering, a steamer emitting white clouds, a stew on low heat, and a wok with flickering orange flames. Yiyi moved nimbly between them, humming while she chopped vegetables with a rhythmic, pleasing thump-thump-thump.
“You’re actually a very good cook,” Xiaofeng said.
Startled, Yiyi nearly dropped her spatula. “Cao-cao! Why are you here?” She quickly pulled down her sleeves, wanting to maintain a good image. “You two! Why didn’t you tell me she was here?”
Zhuo Jin sighed: “Miss, I called out ten times. You were lost in your own singing.” Jian Lei, chewing on a leaf inside a head of cabbage: “Wait, is Miss Cao-cao here?”
I came to see if I could help,” Xiaofeng walked in, completely forgetting her own lack of culinary skill. But everything was already prepped.
Xiaofeng looked clean and ethereal in her oversized T-shirt and jeans. Yiyi stole a glance at her but stopped moving.
What is it?” Xiaofeng asked, amused.
I’m afraid the grease and smoke will ruin you,” Yiyi said naturally. “You’re like a fairy from a snowy mountain; you shouldn’t be touched by filth.
No matter how cheesy the words, they sounded sincere coming from Yiyi. Xiaofeng smiled. “Don’t worry. Isn’t there an exhaust fan? Just turn it on.
The sizzle of vegetables hitting hot oil filled the room. This was the warmth of real life.
“Cao-cao, do you eat spicy food?” Yiyi asked. “I don’t…” Xiaofeng started, then remembered how much Yiyi liked it. “I can eat a little.” “Oh, then I won’t make it spicy,” Yiyi grinned mischievously. “I’ll only cook to your taste. If the others want spice, they can add chili sauce themselves.” “Is it okay to only consider me?” “I’m the chef. That’s my privilege.
Xiaofeng lowered her head, the corners of her mouth twitching upward.
Dinner was spectacular. From the presentation to the taste, it was flawless.
“Yiyi, this is incredible!” Qiqi exclaimed after tasting the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish. “Better than many big restaurants!” “You could easily open your own place,” Du Jia added, praising the tender poached chicken.
Even Cheng Fei was unusually quiet, focused on the food.
“Cao-cao, eat more.” Yiyi, oblivious to the strict weight management of celebrities, plopped a meatball into Xiaofeng’s bowl. “Eat up, get some meat on those bones!”
At the word “meat,” every other actress at the table froze, their chopsticks hovering in mid-air. It was the word they feared most.
Cheng Fei watched with a cold smirk. Is Tu Yiyi stupid or just mean? Giving Gu Xiaofeng a fatty meatball? She’s trying to sabotage her.
Everyone expected the Movie Queen to refuse. Instead, under the collective gaze of the room, Gu Xiaofeng didn’t even flinch. She picked up the meatball and ate it in small bites.
“How is it? Good?” Yiyi asked, her eyes sparkling. It was as if no one else’s opinion mattered but hers.
Xiaofeng looked up, her eyes crinkling with a genuine smile. “It’s delicious! Very delicious!”
The table talk turned to gossip. Qiqi asked, “Yiyi, be honest, how many people are chasing you?” The cameras zoomed in for the close-up. Yiyi thought about it. In her few months in this world, no human had said “I love you” to her. “None,” she replied honestly.
“No way! You’re so pretty!” Qiqi threw an arm around Yiyi’s shoulder. “Well, if no one is chasing you, and you cook this well… how about I marry you?”
Yiyi’s face flushed pink. “No way. I’m not marrying you, Qiqi.”
Under the lens, her shy, blushing face looked incredibly pure. Gu Xiaofeng watched from the corner of her eye, fiddling with her spoon. None, huh…
Back in the room, Xiaofeng turned off the cameras and showered. When she came out, Yiyi was standing on the balcony, staring into the distance.
“What are you doing out there?” “Absorbing the essence of the moon. It’s very full tonight.”
Xiaofeng raised an eyebrow. She really thinks she’s a fox immortal. “Aren’t you afraid of mosquitoes?” “They don’t bite me,” Yiyi said confidently. As a Fox Immortal, her faint spiritual aura acted as a natural repellent.
“Come inside. You can absorb the moon through the glass.” Xiaofeng didn’t want her getting bitten like Yoona.
Yiyi obeyed, slipping through the sliding door. As she did, her soft waist brushed against Xiaofeng’s arm. The contact was brief but intimate. Xiaofeng didn’t feel disgusted; instead, she felt her heart skip a beat.
Yiyi fell asleep almost instantly, clutching the photo of “Fang Cao” that Xiaofeng had given her. Xiaofeng sat on the sofa, watching the girl’s sleeping face in the moonlight. She was so happy, even in her sleep.
“Little dummy,” Xiaofeng whispered softly. “I was angry.”
The next morning, Yiyi woke Xiaofeng up. Xiaofeng sat up, her hair messy and her pajama collar slightly open, revealing a patch of snow-white skin. Yiyi quickly looked away, feeling a strange flutter in her chest.
In the bathroom, Xiaofeng noticed a small red bump on her jaw—a mosquito bite. For a Movie Queen whose face was her fortune, this was a disaster. She snapped a photo and sent it to her manager, Tang Shala, with the caption: “Does the insurance cover this?”
When she came out to look for concealer, Yiyi noticed. “You got a bite.” “It’s fine, I’ll cover it.” “Don’t use concealer. I have a way to make it disappear.”
Before Xiaofeng could react, Yiyi stepped close and tilted Xiaofeng’s chin up. Suddenly, a cool, wet sensation touched her skin.
Yiyi’s small, nimble tongue was lightly licking the bite.
Xiaofeng froze. Her mind went blank. When she realized what was happening, she tried to push Yiyi away, but Yiyi’s strength was immense. “Don’t move. Licking makes it go away.”
In the mirror, their reflection looked scandalous—heads pressed together in what looked like a passionate kiss. Xiaofeng’s face turned bright red. “Let go!”
Yiyi gave it two more licks and let go. “There, all better.”
Xiaofeng pushed her aside and bolted back into the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face, her heart hammering. She had never been touched like that. But… it hadn’t been as unbearable as she thought.
She looked in the mirror. The red bump was gone. Completely.
When she came out, Yiyi was waiting expectantly, her hands behind her back. Why hasn’t she said ‘thank you’ yet? Yiyi thought.
Xiaofeng saw the look of anticipation. What is she waiting for? Does she want me to describe how it felt to be licked?
Do you have something to say to me? Yiyi hinted. Two words?
Xiaofeng looked at her and said coldly: Shameless!
Tu Yiyi: Well that is two words.