Chapter 24

Tong An’an recounted the events of the afternoon in a dramatic and thrilling way.

After hearing about the things Su Xingyao had done, the guests were so shocked that their mouths could almost fit an egg.

Having learned Su Xingyao’s method of detecting fake scales, the guests all took out the phones given to them by the production team, and in unison, they looked at Director Zhang Shanfeng, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Director, you’re not going to take back these phones from us, are you?”

“I’ve already remembered, our phone weighs exactly 250 grams without a case. I’ll definitely carry it with me after filming ends.”

Standing by the monitor, Director Zhang Shanfeng, who had just lost six sponsor phones, was dumbfounded: ??????

Are they really trying to snatch the sponsor phones too??? Is there no law anymore???

Before Zhang Shanfeng could respond, the assistant director ran up to him, his face full of excitement.

“Director Zhang! Director Zhang!”

“The person in charge from the sponsor just called. They said our ads are doing great, and they’re adding even more to the advertising budget!!”

The assistant director then showed Zhang Shanfeng the figure.

Upon seeing the number, Zhang Shanfeng’s eyes immediately lit up brighter than the eyes of the five guests from earlier!

!!!!

Well, losing six phones wasn’t such a big deal… if the guests were getting them, then so be it.

With this thought in mind, Zhang Shanfeng couldn’t help but glance at Su Xingyao, his face full of affection.

Tsk tsk, Song Yingming really has good taste—his recommendation for this guest was spot on.

After delivering the good news, the assistant director added another message from the sponsor: “The sponsor also wants you to contact Su Xingyao after the filming, to see if he’s interested in promoting our phone brand.”

While the production team’s assistant director and Zhang Shanfeng were discussing this, the phone brand had already jumped onto the current trending topics on Weibo, taking full advantage of the viral heat.

They posted the hashtags #SuXingyaoAreYouFromTheMarketRegulationBureau# and #SuXingyaoNoFakeScalesCanEscape# on Weibo, and even pinned the scene of Su Xingyao testing the fake scale with the phone to the top.

Sharp-eyed netizens noticed that they had quickly updated their online store’s posters as well.

They took a screenshot of the moment in the show when the phone weighed 380 grams, marked it with an “X,” and then added a large caption next to it: Only 250 grams!

【Hahahaha, did you see the sponsor of this show? They’re not missing a single bit of heat!】

【Sisters, their official website quickly updated the ad slogan to: Bare phone 250 grams, one second to check the scale!】

【Hahaha, this slogan is so catchy, now that the show is airing, everyone in the country knows their phone weighs 250 grams!】

【Su Xingyao’s product placement is really amazing. I just checked, in just a few hours, the phone’s official livestream, which originally had only a few hundred viewers, now has nearly a million!】

【No, no, no, it gets even funnier. The entire chat is asking the host if their phone weighs 250 grams. The host proudly says yes, yes, yes, it’s 250 grams, and even emphasizes that it’s been personally certified by Su Xingyao!】

【What do you mean “personally certified by Su Xingyao”??? Hahahaha, is the brand trying to kill me with laughter?】

Not only did the brand’s popularity skyrocket, but Su Xingyao also became the center of attention from netizens all over the internet.

Such a relatable, everyday occurrence that anyone could encounter made it incredibly easy to grab the public’s attention.

Su Xingyao’s first wave of detecting fake scales in the afternoon had already started to gain attention.

By six o’clock in the evening, after the majority of workers finished their shifts and had some free time, this incident exploded online at an incredibly rapid pace.

Apart from Weibo, nearly every other platform was discussing the topic.

Even older people, who don’t usually spend much time online, were forwarding various posts about Su Xingyao’s fake scale testing to their family groups. They were reminding younger generations to be cautious when shopping, all while praising this alert and handsome young man.

With such a high level of discussion, by six o’clock in the evening, Su Xingyao’s livestream began to attract a large number of viewers.

His livestream’s popularity skyrocketed from a few thousand to tens of thousands, and eventually to over seven million viewers.

At first, Su Xingyao’s personal livestream had the least attention and the lowest viewership among all the guests.

But just a few hours after the broadcast, his livestream was flooded by viewers who came because of the fake scale incident, pushing him to the top in terms of viewership among all the guests.

There were many viewers, but most of them didn’t know much about Su Xingyao.

The vast majority had discovered him through trending topics and videos, where they saw he was still filming the show, and they clicked into his livestream after finding it.

Everyone thought that, since Su Xingyao was a low-profile celebrity who had finally gone viral with a hot topic, he would use this momentum to talk extensively about the fake scale incident in his livestream.

However, once they entered the livestream, they were surprised to find a handsome guy calmly preparing dinner.

The viewers, not sure if they had clicked the wrong link, couldn’t help but glance at the livestream title.

【Su Xingyao Personal Livestream】

They hadn’t clicked the wrong link! But why was this a cooking livestream?

Confused but curious, the viewers decided to stay and watch.

Meanwhile, Su Xingyao was expertly preparing dinner for everyone.

Due to the time spent on the fake scale investigation in the afternoon, the group didn’t get back until later, and Tong An’an had to explain the situation for a while. 

It wasn’t until nearly six o’clock that they started preparing dinner.

However, out of the six people, only Su Xingyao knew how to cook. The other five were completely unfamiliar with buying ingredients, so expecting them to cook was impossible.

As a result, Su Xingyao took charge of preparing the dinner himself.

Su Xingyao had been cooking for his family since he was eight years old, so this task was nothing difficult for him.

As Su Xingyao single-handedly prepared the meal, the guests felt a bit embarrassed.

Especially Feng Han, who volunteered to help Su Xingyao by chopping vegetables.

However, when he saw that his potato slices looked more like fries compared to Su Xingyao’s beautifully cut vegetables…

Feng Han sheepishly retreated from the kitchen, quietly joining the team responsible for washing vegetables and dishes, too embarrassed to make any more mistakes.

While Su Xingyao patiently continued cooking, the viewers began to worry for him.

【Su Xingyao, stop cooking!! You’re trending for your fake scale investigation!!】

【You’re already on dozens of black trending lists, and now you’re finally on a positive one! Hurry up and share your anti-fraud experience with us while you have the heat!】

【Handsome, don’t you want to get famous?!】

While the enthusiastic viewers were anxious, Su Xingyao, who had just finished making the home-style fish, turned around and took out a block of tofu, completely unaware of the trending topic.

Although the viewers were eager, they couldn’t help but be captivated by what was happening on-screen.

They realized that watching Su Xingyao cook was actually quite enjoyable.

【Oh, forget it, everyone, he probably doesn’t even know he’s trending. Let’s just let him enjoy cooking.】

【But you can’t deny, he’s actually pretty interesting to watch cook. I’ve been watching for an hour now.】

After some inner struggle, the viewers decided to stick around and chat in the livestream.

As they were chatting, Su Xingyao was expertly slicing the tofu into perfect cubes, cutting each piece quickly and steadily.

At first, the viewers thought Su Xingyao was just casually chopping the tofu.

Because the camera was zoomed out, they couldn’t make out the details.

But soon, the director seemed to notice something, and the camera zoomed in on the cutting board.

Suddenly, Su Xingyao’s long, slender, white fingers appeared on-screen, and the tofu slices, cut in perfect rows, filled the frame.

【Holy crap… look at the shape and the number of cuts… is he preparing to make ^[1]Wensi tofu (文思豆腐) is a traditional Chinese dish originating from Huaiyang cuisine, known for its exceptional presentation and intricate preparation. It consists of tofu sliced into extremely … Continue reading”Wensi tofu”?】

There were already a lot of viewers in Su Xingyao’s livestream, and as soon as the camera zoomed in, they immediately recognized the dish he was making.

Once the words “Wensi tofu” appeared on-screen, the chat was instantly flooded with question marks.

【Is this the Wensi tofu that supposedly requires hundreds of cuts?】

【Is this the Wensi tofu that’s known for being a true test of knife skills?】

【Is this the Wensi tofu that’s so difficult that if you can’t cut it right, you can’t even call yourself a professional chef?】

【Holy crap…】

【Su Xingyao, weren’t you exposing fake scales? How come you’re making chef-level food now?】

Although not many viewers knew how to make Wensi tofu themselves, most of them had heard of it.

After all, it’s famous for being extremely difficult to make and requires exceptional knife skills. Most people fail the first time they try it.

But here was Su Xingyao, making this notoriously difficult dish, and he was already halfway through it.

The viewers, intrigued by this block of tofu, couldn’t take their eyes off of Su Xingyao’s hands and knife, eagerly watching to see if he would succeed.

Su Xingyao, however, had no idea that millions of eyes were watching him.

He remained focused, slicing the tofu with precision and patience, completely immersed in the task.

At first, he hadn’t planned to make this dish. After finishing the other dishes, he had noticed that Cen Yi and the others had brought tofu from their shopping trip.

If the tofu wasn’t used today, it wouldn’t be good tomorrow, so he decided not to waste it and started preparing it on the spot.

He had made Wensi tofu many times before, and although it had been a while, he hadn’t forgotten how to do it.

Before long, the tofu was sliced perfectly.

He carefully moved the tofu into clear water, gently stirring it with his fingers. In an instant, hundreds of thin tofu strands, as delicate as thread, exploded in the water.

The viewers in the livestream, witnessing this, felt their excitement bloom just like the tofu in the water.

【66666】

【It actually… really worked! And it’s sliced so thin!】

【Can someone tell me why Su Xingyao has so many skills????】

【Is this guy really a celebrity? I’ve been watching variety shows for years, and this is the first time I’ve seen someone successfully cut Wensi tofu live…】

【Who understands? I originally came to watch the fake scale expose, but who would’ve thought I’d be impressed by this handsome guy showing off his skills instead】

【Su Xingyao is amazing, give me more, I love watching!】

【Promise me, Su Xingyao, you have to be on more variety shows in the future. Don’t make me beg you!】

【^[2]“SRDS” is an abbreviation for “实话实说” (shí huà shí shuō) in Chinese, which means “speaking the truth” or “honestly speaking.” It’s … Continue readingSRDS, Su Xingyao, stop cooking!! You’re trending on Weibo!!】

【Haha, the trending guy is back again, are you checking in regularly?】

The viewers could never have imagined that, in just a few short hours, Su Xingyao would impress them twice.

But even so, they couldn’t bring themselves to leave the livestream, in fact, they almost wished he would keep showing off, delighting them even more.

Wensi tofu, being the last dish, was finished, and Su Xingyao told everyone it was time to eat.

The guests, who had been busy all day and were starving, had already tidied up the living room and rushed in to serve the dishes.

When they saw the Wensi tofu, they were just as shocked as the viewers.

“Xingyao, you can actually make this dish!”

As soon as the dish was placed on the table, Cen Yi quickly served a portion of tofu to everyone.

After everyone lowered their heads and drank a small bowl, they all simultaneously turned their gaze to Su Xingyao.

Cen Yi: “Xingyao, do you have any free time? You have to come back for the next episode, okay?!”

Xu Xiang: “Brother, this soup is really good…”

Shi Hongyu: “Little brother, this family can’t do without you!”

Tong An’an: “I’ve decided not to diet tonight.”

Feng Han: “I… can I have another bowl?”

As soon as Feng Han finished speaking, he was immediately met with opposition from Xu Xiang.

“No!”

Wensi tofu was hard to cut and time-consuming to make, so Su Xingyao only made one bowl. After everyone had a small portion, there was only a little bit left.

Feng Han, greedy for more, still wanted a second bowl, and Xu Xiang, also tempted, spoke up.

Xu Xiang: “Brother, I’m still growing, so I should have more.”

Feng Han, holding the bowl, turned his gaze to the remaining soup.

“I’m only two years older than you, I’m still growing too!”

The viewers in the bullet comments were amused by the two’s competition for food.

【I suggest you both don’t drink, because I haven’t tasted it.】

【Is it really that good? I don’t believe it, unless you give me some too.】

While Xu Xiang and Feng Han were bickering, Shi Hongyu quietly poured the soup into his own bowl.

“Hehe, don’t fight, don’t fight, I’ll help you out.”

Afterward, he kindly suggested to the two, “This fish smells amazing, the sweet and sour ribs are fantastic, and that… hey, if you don’t eat now, it’ll be gone soon.”

Xu Xiang and Feng Han, reminded by Shi Hongyu, turned their attention back to the dishes on the table.

They then realized the other three guests had stopped talking and were silently stuffing food into their mouths.

Xu Xiang & Feng Han: This was a misstep!

Seeing the guests eating so happily, some viewers were drooling, while others couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

【Is it really that delicious? I don’t believe it, maybe they’re pretending just to flatter Su Xingyao.】

【It feels like it’s scripted for Su Xingyao…】

【What script? I watched Su Xingyao cook this afternoon, and he’s really good at it! Watching him cook made me drool, I’m so envious of the guests.】

【I can’t speak for other variety shows, but the food here must be really good. Just look at how Tong An’an broke her diet tonight and ate meat—just imagine how tempting it must be.】

【Su Xingyao is amazing—he can buy groceries, cook, and even debunk fake news.】

【Now, no one cares about anything else. All I want to do is watch Su Xingyao. Who gets me?】

【Can any fans come out and tell us what else Su Xingyao can do? I’m really curious!!】

【Don’t ask, no one knows. He has no fans.】

The new viewers who saw this comment felt a bit sad.

To them, Su Xingyao was so handsome and skilled, and it seemed such a pity that he had no fans.

However, before they could feel too sorry for him, they noticed something strange.

After the guests finished dinner and tidied up a bit, it was almost eleven o’clock.

Once everyone had finished washing up, they started getting ready for bed.

But then, the production team suddenly assigned them a new task.

“Decorate your room.”

After assigning the task, Zhang Shanfeng said to the guests, “Of course, the production team can offer some help tonight, but we will come to check in the morning.”

“What? Director Zhang, we still have to do a task at night…”

“I really want to pull your hair out!”

Despite the guests’ threats, Zhang Shanfeng waved them off fearlessly.

“Alright, tell me what you need, but each guest can only ask for a maximum of two items.”

After Zhang Shanfeng finished speaking, Xu Xiang was the first to speak up.

“I want a bouquet and a vase.”

After Xu Xiang finished, Shi Hongyu and Tong An’an also mentioned the things they wanted.

Soon, all five guests had made their requests. Zhang Shanfeng turned his gaze to Su Xingyao.

“Xiao Su, what about you?”

Su Xingyao smiled at Zhang Shanfeng and then spoke.

The viewers, who had been staying in the livestream room until 11:30 at night, eagerly pricked up their ears, curious to hear what Su Xingyao would request to decorate his shabby room.

However, at this moment…

The show’s director, with a mischievous streak, abruptly cut off the livestream.

The screen in the livestream room immediately turned black, and an annoyingly cheeky message appeared at the top.

【Dear viewers, today’s livestream ends here. See you tomorrow~】

Viewers: …

“Have you guys never been beaten up before?!! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻”