After Transmigrating as Cannon Fodder, I Became the Darling of the Variety Show - Chapter 10

The tenth day of wanting a divorce.

An Rao was stunned.

To get Xu Renyu, a die-hard fan of Lin Jingxi, to say that it was the honor of a lifetime to be partnered with Lin Jingxi’s arch-rival? This task was no different from asking An Rao to go to Africa to plant rice and personally feed 17 million refugees.

“Good luck.” The MC, leading several cameramen, dropped those words and drifted into the workspace like a phantom.

If you want someone to sincerely thank you, you must identify their immediate needs and help fulfill them. However, Xu Renyu appeared cold and detached, as if he had no worldly desires. It was impossible to fathom what he was thinking.

Sizzle.

After tossing and turning all night, An Rao had only managed to fall into a hazy sleep near dawn. He had barely closed his eyes when a greasy sizzling sound drifted in from outside. He rubbed his sore eyes and stepped out of the tent.

Beside a makeshift wooden cutting board, Yin Xueya was guarding a pot. Her slender fingers gripped a spatula, skillfully stir-frying. The large catfish they had not managed to deal with yesterday was now melting into uniform chunks in a glaze of oil and sugar. The aroma immediately filled the air. Li Meiwei was also nearby, helping out.

Seeing An Rao, Yin Xueya waved him over. “Go wash up and come have breakfast together.”

An Rao walked over, looked at the fish in the pot, then looked around and smiled. “Are you not afraid of being sanctioned by the moral paragons?”

Yin Xueya flipped the fish pieces expertly without looking up. “Moral constraints are fine for oneself. If someone tries to kidnap others with them, do not blame me for swearing.”

Li Meiwei nodded in agreement. She stole a glance at An Rao, and upon meeting his eyes, her face flushed. She instantly straightened her posture and puffed out her chest, suddenly very mindful of her poise.

Su Xiangming came out after hearing the commotion. At the sight of the braised catfish, his eyes lit up. He sat down at the table uninvited. “Sister Xueya, count me in!”

Chu Guannan also got up to wash. Yin Xueya greeted him warmly: “Teacher Chu, come eat with us.”

Chu Guannan nodded and sat down after freshening up.

Braised catfish, oiled green beans, and rice porridge. This breakfast, which did not quite feel like breakfast, tempted everyone’s appetite. The five of them sat around the table, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed the hard-won meal.

Yin Xueya laughed and said, “An Rao helped me catch this fish. Otherwise, we would not be having this treat.” She used serving chopsticks to place the largest piece of fish into An Rao’s bowl. “Eat up, our big hero.”

An Rao smiled. “The green beans Sister Xueya made are delicious.”

Chu Guannan’s hand suddenly paused. He subtly raised his index finger and inconspicuously pushed the plate of green beans closer to An Rao.

As breakfast was winding down, the remaining three guests woke up. Yin Xueya invited them to eat as well, but those three had been steadfast vegetarians yesterday. Even though their stomachs were growling loudly, none of them had the face to step forward.

Lin Jingxi’s group at least had fruit to sustain them. Xu Renyu, who had spent yesterday lying in the tent while the others searched for food, was in much worse shape. He could only drink water to stave off hunger, but the more he drank, the hungrier he felt. Before noon had even passed, he was starting to give out. His lips were as white as paper, and his mind felt hazy and muddled.

The production team assigned a task: everyone was to go into the forest to find materials to decorate their small tents. Lunch ingredients would be distributed based on the scores from the staff. Behind the camp was a lush bamboo forest, glowing green under the sunlight.

An Rao carried his simple axe and led his Husky behind Xu Renyu toward the bamboo grove. He wanted to use young bamboo to make a set of wind chimes. Xu Renyu had not eaten anything since yesterday, and his footsteps were already unsteady. After a few steps, he stopped, clutching his stomach and looking at the path ahead with a dazed expression.

An Rao was busy chopping bamboo while the Husky was busy making a mess. Just as An Rao tried to nudge the dog away with his foot, a loud thump sounded from behind him. He turned to see that Xu Renyu had collapsed from physical exhaustion, his eyes beginning to roll back.

An Rao rushed over to help him up, asking with concern, “Are you okay?”

Xu Renyu turned his face away in disgust, not wanting to look at him. An Rao was not in the mood to care about his attitude. Seeing that the filming crew remained indifferent, he stood up and scanned the surroundings, finally stopping in front of a young bamboo shoot. He felt the small bulges on the surface of the bamboo.

He chopped the bamboo down and split it in half. Several thumb-sized white larvae, suddenly exposed to the light, tried to burrow back into the wood in fear. An Rao did not give them the chance. He plucked them out one by one, dropped them into his pocket, and returned to camp with about a dozen larvae.

He borrowed a pot from Yin Xueya, heated it with oil, and tossed the cleaned insects in. He added some salt. Feeling it was not enough, he added more.

Yin Xueya watched him and joked, “My salt does not cost you anything, does it?”

An Rao looked up and smiled. “Saving a life is better than building a seven-storied pagoda.”

Finally, he brought the bowl of insects back to Xu Renyu. Su Xiangming followed the scent, rapping a self-composed verse. But when he saw the pile of white larvae in the bowl, the rap came to a screeching halt, followed by an endless silence.

An Rao pushed the bowl forward and said softly, “These are bamboo weevils, a pest that lives on bamboo sap. It is not fish, so you can eat it with a clear conscience.”

Su Xiangming was shocked. “This is edible?”

“It is. It is a specialty delicacy in the Guangning region.”

The aroma wafted into Xu Renyu’s nostrils. He swallowed hard but was unwilling to lower his pride. He lay on the ground like a living corpse, his gaze drifting aimlessly. An Rao was speechless; the man was starving to death and still worried about his reputation.

Su Xiangming, however, was salivating uncontrollably. He finally could not help himself; he pinched a greasy bamboo weevil, closed his eyes, and popped it into his mouth. After a moment, he nodded calmly. “Hmm, it is good.” Having said that, he quickly got up and left the bamboo grove.

An Rao was overjoyed. This was the first time someone had praised his cooking.

Xu Renyu’s consciousness was fading, but the aroma was aggressively invading his senses. He swallowed hard. Realizing he truly could not care about the cameras anymore, he slowly reached out for a bamboo weevil. One, two, three. It was incredibly salty, but his empty stomach finally had something in it. Finally, he felt alive again.

He looked at An Rao with the empty bowl, his throat bobbing. He averted his eyes and whispered very softly, “Thank you.”

An Rao patted his shoulder, stood up, and continued working on his decorations. When An Rao hung the last small bamboo tube, the bamboo swayed slightly and knocked together, producing an ethereal sound. He thought it looked quite nice, but since the beloved protagonist was next door, the production team naturally gave the highest score to Lin Jingxi.

According to the rankings, Lin Jingxi’s group received rice, ham, and eggs; Chu Guannan’s group received rice and meat sauce; Yin Xueya’s group received rice and green vegetables; and An Rao’s group received instant noodles.

Because the original plot was irreversible, the original host had spent all his time arguing and failed to decorate his tent, taking last place. So, even if An Rao had moved the Palace of Versailles into his tent, he still would have been last.

In the original novel, the production team created a gimmick where each group sent one person for a cooking competition. Lin Jingxi and the original host were the ones sent. Lin Jingxi, being the protagonist, naturally had incredible skills. Yet, the first-place prize was given to the original host. Lin Jingxi was heartbroken, but he discovered the original host had used poisonous vegetables. Later, everyone found out that the original host had blackmailed the judge. Lin Jingxi used his superior knowledge to reclaim first place, and the original host was torn apart by netizens.

An Rao did not know the judge’s secret, but with his survival knowledge, he knew what was edible. After losing a game of rock-paper-scissors to Xu Renyu, he was sent to compete. Xu Renyu pondered for a moment and said, “Use less salt.”

Unlike Lin Jingxi, An Rao only had instant noodles. He decided to find edible wild greens. After a while, he dug up some water celery and found some small mushrooms. He planned to just stir-fry them and be done with it.

Yin Xueya also competed, making oiled green vegetables. Everyone knew this competition meant more screen time and fans, so everyone was putting in their best effort.

Lin Jingxi scanned the ingredients, his expression becoming solemn. He slowly turned his head and asked, “Sister Xueya, where is the fish that was kept in this basin?”

Yin Xueya said casually, “We braised it and ate it this morning. Did you not see?”

Lin Jingxi’s face turned pale. He looked at Yin Xueya in disbelief. “Did you not promise to take good care of it? Why did you eat it?”

Yin Xueya thought he was being bizarre. “I was hungry, so I ate it. Is there a problem?”

An Rao watched him and added with a smile, “I ate it too. Sister Xueya’s cooking is excellent.”

Lin Jingxi looked at An Rao, his fingertips trembling and tears welling up in his eyes. “You guys are too cruel.” He ran back to his cutting board and indignantly grabbed his knife, chopping the vegetables as if he were venting his anger.

Shen Yi walked over and comforted him softly: “Xiaoxi, I know you are kind, but the world is full of different people. Do not be angry.”

As Lin Jingxi’s number one fan, Xu Renyu questioned An Rao: “Is it fun for you to add fuel to the fire?”

An Rao actually thought it was quite fun. Seeing a beauty with teary eyes was quite pleasant.

Lin Jingxi looked at the stream with aggrieved eyes. “I will not let anyone hurt these little lives again.”

Shen Yi quickly added, “Fine, I will monitor them with you.”

An Rao did not care what others thought. His hidden mission was to get Xu Renyu to acknowledge him, but Xu Renyu was glaring at him. The trust built with the bamboo weevils had vanished.

An Rao borrowed Yin Xueya’s pot. He washed the water celery and mushrooms and stir-fried them with two spoonfuls of salt. At this moment, all the cameras were focused on Lin Jingxi. His table was covered in ingredients, and his knife skills were impressive.

Li Meiwei remarked, “I did not expect your skills to be so good.”

Lin Jingxi smiled pure and cute as he handled the ingredients: “My mother required me to be an all-around talent. I probably inherited her talent.”

When time was up, the participants presented their food to the judge. Lin Jingxi’s braised tofu was declared lethally delicious. The last dish was An Rao’s stir-fried water celery and mushrooms. The judge frowned and swallowed it, stating that salt should be used in moderation.

An Rao thought the scene was over when Lin Jingxi suddenly cried out, “Wait a minute!”

He stepped forward and picked up An Rao’s dish. He turned toward the camera and asked, “Who cooked this?”

An Rao asked with a smile, “I cooked it. Do you have some brilliant insight to share?”

Lin Jingxi plucked out a stalk of water celery. “This is stone dragon buttercup. It is poisonous. It can cause severe diarrhea, breathing difficulties, and can even be fatal.”

The judge’s face turned ashen, and he began trying to gag himself. Shen Yi said to An Rao, “You cannot just eat wild vegetables. If something happens to the staff, can you take responsibility?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the judge clutched his stomach. “Oh no, my stomach; it is cramping!”

In an instant, everyone’s gaze shifted to An Rao, their eyes filled with suspicion.