The Second Fall - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Sister, Do You Want to Buy Me?

Hearing that clear and decisive “I don’t want it,” the gazes directed toward Rong Yushu became somewhat probing.

Rong Yushu clearly didn’t know how to cook, let alone build a stove. Otherwise, why had she remained motionless for the past ten minutes, at most washing a few vegetables? It couldn’t just be laziness, could it?

Looking at how anxious Feng Shi was, tonight’s room selection definitely had a catch. Every point was vital. Even though Rong Yushu currently held the first-place spot in points because she hadn’t bid on a stove, she would definitely be at a disadvantage later without the points from the cooking challenge. Everyone assumed Rong Yushu had some hidden trick she hadn’t used yet—just like how she dealt with Feng Shi. Anyone with eyes could see that Feng Shi and Rong Yushu had an agreement, and Rong Yushu had unilaterally broken it.

Only Lan Cixing heard the deep-seated resentment hidden in that “I don’t want it.” She was truly angry. And by the looks of it, quite significantly so.

Lan Cixing composed herself and stopped negotiating with the host. Since she was wearing a mic, the crew could hear her words anyway. Besides, what the crew thought didn’t matter. She walked quickly back to Rong Yushu’s side and tried to lean in, but was pushed away by Rong Yushu’s hand.

Lan Cixing could only bend down, not caring if the ground was clean or not; she half-knelt and leaned beside Rong Yushu. Even if Rong Yushu wouldn’t give her a glance, she would wag her tail and stick close.

“Then can Sister buy me?” If she didn’t want her to give points, then just buy her instead. Rong Yushu needed her. “I’m very useful; I can start fires and cook.”

Lan Cixing worked hard to market herself, as if she were some unsellable puppy and Rong Yushu was her last possible buyer. Yet there were so many people watching her. To name one nearby, Bian Zhi, who was hesitating and worrying, was a perfect example. Bian Zhi had over fifty points but could no longer bid for a stove. If Lan Cixing were willing to help, there was still a chance to make a comeback in the cooking competition. Yu Mingsong, an Alpha well aware of Lan Cixing’s culinary skills, also wanted to ask for her help.

Since the “points for everything” rule was now known to all guests, some were indeed tempted to use points to hire Lan Cixing.

“No buying.” And Rong Yushu, who didn’t know how to cook, actually raised her hand and pushed Lan Cixing away a second time. It was a real push, like driving away a thick-skinned stray dog that kept sticking to her. Truly classic Rong Yushu—only she dared to be so temperamental. The Alphas watching were starting to find it hard to witness.

Lan Cixing, however, didn’t get angry. She lowered herself once more, drooping her puppy eyes. She was just short of whimpering and begging Rong Yushu. “I’m very cheap. I only need a few points.” Just like the one-yuan monthly salary she had signed for before.

Lan Cixing wanted no money or gain; she just wanted to stay by Rong Yushu’s side. It was clearly an act of self-debasement, yet she was utterly willing, wagging her tail for pity as if this effort were something to be proud of. The guests had varied expressions; some thought Lan Cixing was crazy, others thought Rong Yushu was.

At that moment, Rong Yushu actually looked up. She let out a soft laugh. Was she going to agree? Those who didn’t know her thought her laugh was a sign of softening, or at the very least, that she was amused by this pathetic little Alpha.

But Rong Yushu only raised her hand, her sharp nail giving a light flick. It flicked Lan Cixing’s forehead until it turned red. Then she stood up, turned the basket containing the materials into a pot, and truly intended to cook for herself. Her laugh meant: even if Lan Cixing gave herself away for free, she didn’t want her.

Lan Cixing remained frozen in place. She didn’t cover her head, but that red mark on her fair skin was very conspicuous, looking slightly swollen and surely painful. Watching the whole scene, Bian Zhi bit her lip and actually took a step forward. Forget being an Alpha—few people could be treated that way in public and still try to suck up to the other person, even if that person was Rong Yushu.

No one believed Lan Cixing would stay by Rong Yushu’s side. Bian Zhi acted first. Her eyes were determined, though her movements still carried a hint of timidity. She squatted beside Lan Cixing, seizing the position in time. She spoke in a low voice. “Um, Bodyguard Sister. Do you know how to build a stove?” Bian Zhi didn’t even know Lan Cixing’s name yet. But because Lan Cixing had saved her earlier, her heart still pounded violently as she approached.

“Yes.” In the last episode, Lan Cixing had built a simple device for Rong Yushu to boil a pot. It could be counted as a stove. Given more time, she could build an earthen mound similar to Stove No. 5.

Lan Cixing blinked before realizing that it wasn’t Rong Yushu asking her. Her eyes held a bit of resentment as she looked at Bian Zhi. She moved a step away and stood up.

“Then, Sister, could I please ask you to help me? I can give you thirty points.” Bian Zhi didn’t know about Feng Shi’s earlier struggle for a stove, nor did she consider the point-based room selection much. She was acting purely on her heart, wanting to grasp this opportunity.

Lan Cixing’s footsteps paused. Her current points were the same as Rong Yushu’s. Thirty points was no small gain. Once she gave all her points to Rong Yushu, it might be enough for Rong Yushu to get a good room. Lan Cixing actually started to consider the possibility of accepting this commission.

She thought for only a second before her reason suddenly woke her up, urging her to look out of the corner of her eye. Rong Yushu, whom she had left to the side, had a face that was turning black. Her fox-like eyes had long lost their light, now filled with tears of shame, indignation, and anger. The veins on her forehead were tensed, and she kept blinking, a tear almost becoming tangible.

“No, no. My sister still needs me. I’m too busy. Why don’t you ask someone else if you can share a stove?” Lan Cixing snapped out of it and hurriedly refused, as if touched by electricity, springing away from Bian Zhi. She scurried back to Rong Yushu’s side.

Rong Yushu had already built the cooking device. She didn’t need Lan Cixing at all; she clearly knew how to do everything herself, her movements quite efficient. The expressions of those watching were slightly subtle. Would such a proud little princess actually do this kind of thing? Was this her confidence in rejecting Lan Cixing?

But Lan Cixing acted as if she hadn’t seen it; she reached out to grab the branches, insisting on helping Rong Yushu start the fire. “Sister, don’t touch that, the smoke is very choking.” Lan Cixing even shielded Rong Yushu behind her.

Rong Yushu wouldn’t speak to her. In the angles the camera couldn’t catch but Lan Cixing could see, Rong Yushu’s fox eyes were pink with anger—delicate and dainty, she was surely embarrassed to the point of fury. A fox’s tears of shame were too rare. Lan Cixing didn’t want that tear to fall to the ground; her heart ached instantly, and she reached out again to block Rong Yushu’s movements, snatching the vegetables to start breaking them apart. Along with the chicken they had processed.

Rong Yushu wanted to eat chicken stew with mushrooms. Lan Cixing had collected all the ingredients and had planned how to cook it on the way. Right now, she was arguing with Rong Yushu while moving with great speed.

After two or three attempts at this, Rong Yushu stopped in place, her head lowered slightly, her bangs covering her eyes. Lan Cixing was still stir-frying the ingredients and didn’t notice Rong Yushu’s gloomy expression. Then, she heard a low sob.

“Do you… do you want me to be judged as cheating?” Rong Yushu’s voice trembled, her tone devoid of its usual confidence and aloofness. It was full of shameful, dainty anger. It was as if Lan Cixing hadn’t been helping her just now, but had bitten and… bullied her miserably.

Lan Cixing’s hands stopped. She turned her head and didn’t miss Rong Yushu’s sobbing gasp for air. Rong Yushu couldn’t say more; her lip trembled as she bit it, her green eyes stained with a shameful pink, tears nearly overwhelming her. Except for in bed, Lan Cixing had rarely seen Rong Yushu like this. It was as if she had been provoked to her limit, bitten to the point of pain.

The next moment, she should have slapped her, crying and saying “no,” yet gripping her a little tighter. Lan Cixing suddenly flushed red, the heat spreading from her neck to her ears. A familiar feeling surged up; if it weren’t inconvenient in public, she would have held Rong Yushu to coax her gently.

For now, she could only stand up and take Rong Yushu’s hand. Rong Yushu shook her off several times, nearly giving her a slap before trying to run away like a fox spirit that would vanish into the clouds and never see a mundane person like Lan Cixing again. Lan Cixing used thirty percent of her strength, gripping tighter. It didn’t matter if the cameras caught it; she knew that as long as she called Rong Yushu back, Rong Yushu would protect her well.

Lan Cixing extended her finger and quietly hooked Rong Yushu’s hand.

“What are you doing… if you want me to sleep on the street, then keep making a scene.” Rong Yushu barely tightened her expression, not letting herself look so embarrassed. After all, she didn’t intend to let Lan Cixing coax her here, nor did she plan to give Lan Cixing the cold shoulder for long. It was just that a certain Omega had approached Lan Cixing right in front of her. How could she possibly stand it? Her temper was never small, and it wasn’t something that would vanish just because Lan Cixing refused.

“I don’t want that. Sister, I’ll help you win a good house.” Lan Cixing held onto the escaping fox spirit. She wouldn’t let her return to that unpredictable place. “Look, it’s clearly me insisting on stealing your things and cooking the ingredients you prepared. You didn’t even agree, so how could you be cheating? It’s just me being too unruly. The crew can’t be unreasonable; they shouldn’t deduct your points, but instead make me sleep on the street, right?”

These words left the crew silent. The director, having received a special reminder from Rong Yushu, didn’t know what to say. After Lan Cixing said this, Rong Yushu truly stopped resisting. She was even pulled into Lan Cixing’s embrace, leaning against her back. Lan Cixing could continue stir-frying even with the weight of a person on her.

She seemed to be the proactive one throughout, cheerfully holding Rong Yushu’s hand while telling her about what happened earlier. Rong Yushu seemed to be forced into a passive position by her, forced to follow her movements and listen to her meaningless chatter. Yet there was Rong Yushu, pinching Lan Cixing’s shoulder to tell her not to let go. She quietly pinched it until it was red. No one noticed.

The watching guests looked away, not daring to watch the two of them pull at each other like elementary schoolers quarreling. Bian Zhi watched the whole thing, seeing Lan Cixing’s humility and good temper. Her heart couldn’t help but feel sour. They had only been on two episodes of the show together… Bian Zhi shook her head to pull herself together, intending to shift her gaze elsewhere—toward Yu Mingsong, who had grabbed Stove No. 4 but didn’t really know how to use it.

Suddenly, a pair of hands appeared behind her. “Still looking.” Bai Wanyan appeared like a ghost and embraced Bian Zhi without a word.

“You scared me again!” Bian Zhi was startled and led away by her.

The crew considerately extended the cooking time to two hours. Lan Cixing used a few points to exchange for salt and soy sauce, made a dish of chicken stew with mushrooms, and also used the scavenged tomatoes, potatoes, and eggs to make two home-style dishes, using berries for the plating. The crew saw that if they gave them more time, Lan Cixing might make dessert with the berries, so they didn’t extend the time further.

Lan Cixing cooked for her sister every day at home; participating in this star-studded variety show was a total “dimensionality reduction strike.” Even hearing about a cooking segment early on, she had collected seasonings in advance, saving a lot of points.

When the guest judges arrived, each group had already plated the portions for the guests to taste and score, and they were eating their own dinners. While feeding her petulant “Sister,” Lan Cixing observed secretly.

The one in the best situation was naturally Feng Shi. Stove No. 1 was fully equipped with all the seasonings. She also made three dishes, but there was no meat; the three dishes were just combinations of the same ingredients. The most miserable guests hadn’t managed to borrow a stove and barely roasted a few potatoes.

“I almost caught that snake to bring back for a stew,” Lan Cixing whispered in Rong Yushu’s ear. Rong Yushu finally gave her a look—somewhere between a glare and not—and Lan Cixing didn’t miss the flash of a smile in her eyes. She was still angry. Lan Cixing wagged her tail and leaned down to continue feeding her.

The scene suddenly became lively. The host approached from afar, chatting with the three guest judges invited by the program. Hearing a familiar name, Rong Yushu looked up and saw her good friend, Chu Fengyan. It seemed Chu Fengyan couldn’t wait to be the observer starting in the fifth episode and had arrived early as a guest judge.

Rong Yushu naturally went forward to greet her. The fact that she and Chu Fengyan were close was well-known inside and outside the industry. Marketing accounts didn’t even dare to fabricate a rivalry between them; last time one tried to take things out of context, the account was banned by the Chu family within two minutes of posting.

“Fengye.” Rong Yushu left Lan Cixing behind and gave Chu Fengyan a hug. Chu Fengyan was also very enthusiastic, returning the bear hug before pulling her aside to ask how she was doing, acting as if her “grand-aunt” had come to a survival show to suffer and she, as the “granddaughter,” had to show proper concern.

The two talked about everything they had done in these two episodes and their recent situations until Chu Fengyan saw Lan Cixing sitting in Rong Yushu’s seat, fully geared up and dazing over a bowl. There was a moment of silence. She wondered why Rong Yushu would go on this dating show with Feng Shi and Yu Mingsong around. It turned out she had brought family. She tilted her head toward Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu pinched her hard.

“…You’re really a pervert.” Chu Fengyan didn’t even know what to say about Rong Yushu anymore. Being this reckless, was she not afraid of Rong Jinhuai taking action again? She exchanged frantic looks with Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu rolled her eyes, indicating she didn’t want to read her hints.

“What about me? Survival shows are so dangerous, you have to bring someone trustworthy.” Rong Yushu had her excuse ready, acting shamelessly and righteously.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Chu Fengyan couldn’t be bothered with her. Bringing a lover on a company-funded honeymoon—how “trustworthy” indeed.

Lan Cixing knew Chu Fengyan. Long ago, she knew she and Rong Yushu were childhood friends who grew up together and entered the industry together. She knew Chu Fengyan had no romantic feelings for Rong Yushu. Yet she still couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.

And Chu Fengyan actually came over specifically to greet her. Lan Cixing’s eyes went dazed. Chu Fengyan knew her? How was that possible? They had hardly ever met. Lan Cixing looked toward Rong Yushu for help. But Rong Yushu had already brought the plates to the guest judges, following the crew’s schedule to prepare for scoring. Lan Cixing could only stay in place, feeling bitter. She missed the only flash of active concern Rong Yushu had cast her way tonight.

Besides Chu Fengyan, the other two guest judges were a well-known industry chef who had participated in several cooking shows and owned a restaurant chain, and the owner of a restaurant under the investors. The dishes from the twelve guests were placed before the three of them. To ensure fairness, the crew had shuffled the order and didn’t list names.

The staff uncovered the plates one by one. Chu Fengyan took a look and felt a bit embarrassed. Although there were no names, the gap in cooking skill was too large; the ingredients were scavenged from the forest, and the stoves weren’t guaranteed. Only three or four sets of dishes looked edible. The rest… were either “dark cuisine” or pure roasted vegetables. Chu Fengyan didn’t quite dare to pick up her chopsticks. She couldn’t guess which one belonged to her friend, and a stalemate ensued.

The other two judges were also hesitant to move. They didn’t want to be poisoned. The “TV effect” was achieved. The director even sent someone specifically to check the toxicity of the dishes. Ensuring they weren’t poisonous—just likely terrible—the three judges hesitantly took a small bite.

Moving from luxury to simplicity is hard. Chu Fengyan first tasted the pure roasted foods. “…This isn’t even roasted through. The inside is still raw.” The restaurant owner broke open a potato, stuck between laughing and crying. The guest who provided the roasted potatoes turned red to the ears.

“If a full score is one hundred, I’ll give fifty.” Chu Fengyan was merciless, not even giving a passing grade.

“Look on the bright side, at least no one was poisoned,” the industry chef joked.

“True, that’s why they got a fifty,” Chu Fengyan said as she moved to the next roasted item. They gave a sixty for the ones that were cooked through. The undercooked ones only got fifty; they couldn’t give more.

Then came the “dark cuisine.” Yu Mingsong’s dish was also classified in this category. She poked her head around to look and could see the one Bian Zhi and Bai Wanyan made together. Actually, the appearance of Bian Zhi’s group’s dish was acceptable. It was just that they had no seasonings. Yu Mingsong estimated their flavor wouldn’t be great. Sure enough, when the three tasted the dishes, their expressions were bizarre.

“It’s cooked, and you worked hard.” Chu Fengyan had nothing more to say. If she had known that being a guest judge involved this, she never would have come early. What was the difference between this and a survival show? The director was truly black-hearted, implementing survival into every segment and instilling it in everyone.

Yu Mingsong had at least put in salt. Chu Fengyan gave her a 78, the highest so far. The restaurant owner barely gave a 70. The industry chef probably recognized this was Yu Mingsong’s dish and gave an 82 as a favor.

After suffering, they finally reached the two dishes with the best appearance. Feng Shi couldn’t believe someone could match her without a proper stove. She bit her lip and looked at the judges, her tension reaching its limit. She had lost 70 points for the stove. Although she hadn’t spent much on seasoning, she was still a long way off. Rong Yushu couldn’t possibly invite her. Only by getting first place and choosing the room type could she invite Rong Yushu to stay with her. Two episodes in, and she still hadn’t said more than a few words to Rong Yushu. She had to take this first place.

Feng Shi’s stove was on the other side; she didn’t know who had made the other dish. She only guessed that since Rong Yushu couldn’t cook, her dish must be among the roasted ones earlier.

Chu Fengyan finally moved her chopsticks. She first tasted Feng Shi’s dish and was almost moved to tears. Finally, she was eating normal food. Even if it was just tomato and egg stir-fry. This dish at least had flavor! Chu Fengyan almost gave a hundred. Even more excited was the restaurant owner. she truly gave a high score of 95 to commemorate her taste buds that had finally been resurrected after dying tonight. Chu Fengyan remembered there was one more and only gave a 90. The industry chef again saw whose dish it was and, remembering the investors’ instructions, gave a 92.

Feng Shi was currently the highest in the field. All the guests knew that one of the two good-looking dishes was hers, and they all looked toward her. Feng Shi clenched her fists and gave no response. She didn’t need their gaze; she only needed the priority for room selection.

The three judges finally turned their gaze to the last dish. This one had the best appearance and even had carvings for plating. It made one wonder how this could be the result of a day of survival. “I wonder which hidden master chef made this and which stove they used. Incredible.” The industry chef didn’t recognize it and did some PR talk.

“There’s actually meat. Did the crew prepare chickens that could be caught?” Chu Fengyan poked the first dish; it was chicken stew with mushrooms. Just for the fact that there was meat, she wanted to give the highest score.

“Seems so. I’m curious how everyone survived this morning.” Survived to the point that even the judges had to survive.

Chu Fengyan took a bite. Just one. She almost gave two hundred points. As expected, leaving the best for last was right. If this had been the first dish she tasted, she might not have had the heart to taste the rest and would have given them all zeros.

The industry chef was silent. For the first time, she felt her persona was threatened. She gave a forced smile, doing her best to maintain appearances. “This is a true master chef. I don’t know which guest it belongs to, but the level is comparable to… comparable to my teacher.” The restaurant owner truly shed tears of emotion; regardless of her image—since she wasn’t in show business—she directly grabbed the plate and started eating.

Two of them gave full scores. For the sake of her reputation, the industry chef also gave a high score of 98.

Just like that, Feng Shi missed out on the highest score, her face turning green. “May I ask who made this?” Chu Fengyan only remembered to ask after eating. She didn’t even know if she had sabotaged her friend.

The guests looked at each other. A figure who had been ignored by them for a long time slowly stood up from behind them. “Me.” Rong Yushu’s posture was lazy, her every gesture full of charm. She seemed to not care at all about the judges’ performance.

Feng Shi’s eyelid twitched. She looked at Lan Cixing standing beside Rong Yushu, her face pale.

“This, this is truly unexpected that Teacher Rong is also so skilled in cooking.” Even the host hadn’t thought Rong Yushu would get first place. She didn’t know about Lan Cixing’s performance on the deserted island in the last episode; she thought that even with Lan Cixing’s help, they would at most produce “dark cuisine.” Who would have thought they’d make a meat dish? The three dishes were balanced in size and nutrition. Who on earth was this Bodyguard Alpha?

“My ‘Little Obedient’ is amazing, she carried me.” The anger had long since faded from Rong Yushu’s face; she leaned on Lan Cixing’s shoulder, smiling lazily.

“Oh, oh, so it’s Teacher Rong’s bodyguard…” The host was a bit stuck, not knowing how to handle this situation. The director, unusually, didn’t wail. The crew couldn’t react in time. Having seen Lan Cixing’s performance in the last episode, the director naturally knew that if Lan Cixing took over, Rong Yushu would take first. But…

“Announce the room selection rules first.” The director exhaled a puff of smoke, sighed, and adjusted the point rankings.

Hearing the order, the host quickly snapped back. “We only prepared nine houses for everyone today. Including the guest judges. But there are enough beds. You can combine, invite, or use points to exchange. A small tip: points still have uses. If you want to save points, you can also use the free tents and sleeping bags provided by our crew.” No one had finished the hidden tasks yet, so the host skipped that part.

“The nine houses have three levels. The cooking competition was just ranked by score into three tiers. Each tier will have an internal bidding process using points. There are also point rewards from the competition just now, which I’ll reveal to you soon~”

“So stingy,” someone muttered.

Lan Cixing counted heads. Including the guest judges and herself, there were sixteen of them; theoretically, eight rooms would be enough. Not to mention the tents. Her points must have been entirely deducted by the crew. Sleeping in a tent tonight wouldn’t be bad. At least Rong Yushu could grab a good house in the first tier.

“The room types are here. I’ll announce the current point rankings.” The host adjusted the projection.

Everyone skipped the room types and looked first at the points leaderboard. The score in first place was as high as 376. It was actually…

Anonymous Bodyguard A

Everyone’s gaze immediately focused on Lan Cixing. Lan Cixing was also stunned into a block of wood, her exposed eyes wide with shock. She hurriedly scanned down. At the very bottom, she saw Rong Yushu’s points.

It was only 0.

Rong Yushu had given all her points to her.

Feng Shi, ranked second, suddenly had her eyes light up.

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