CHAPTER 2: SPARE RIBS

Late at night, a taxi sped down the road.

The wind outside was strong, so cold it made people hunch over. Shu Jia wore only a short-sleeved shirt, shrinking into herself as she walked slowly past one streetlight after another, phone pressed to her ear, talking to Jiang Yuyu.

The background noise on the other end was loud, probably still at a bar or a party. The voice came through faintly: “Are you almost home yet?”

Shu Jia looked up and answered softly, her voice low from the cold, “Almost there. Hang up now, I’ll call you once I’m home.”

“Oh, right.” On impulse, Shu Jia asked, “Are you with the WR guys?”

Jiang Yuyu sounded confused. “When would their club have so much free time? They’re always in training. They’ve got matches, too.”

Shu Jia didn’t even know what she was thinking. She said a few more words quickly before hanging up.

Wan. Zhou Dang.

Walking down the street, that name suddenly popped into Shu Jia’s mind.

The last time she’d heard it was when she handed the signed paper to her friend, who was shocked she’d managed to get Wan’s autograph.

Her friend told her how lucky she was—Wan was famously cold, rarely even responding to fans, let alone giving out signatures.

What had Shu Jia been thinking at the time?

Probably about how he had sat beside her, shrouded in weariness and indifference under that dim light. So young, yet smoking one cigarette after another.

When she got home, she immediately took out her contact lenses, soothed her dry, burning eyes with drops, then grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge, poured it into a glass, and carried it back to her room.

The night stretched on endlessly. Shu Jia sipped from her glass, then on a sudden whim, opened the LOL app. She scrolled idly until she tapped into WR’s club page.

Up popped their official promo photo—five people in total.

Zhou Dang sat on a high stool, one foot resting on a bar, head slightly tilted back. Black short-sleeved shirt, low-rise jeans. The person next to him had an arm slung over his shoulder.

Those eyes of his carried a kind of clean, childlike beauty. Pure black, not a hint of mixed shade in his pupils—strikingly captivating.

Shu Jia rolled over onto her back, staring at the ceiling with a quiet sigh.

No wonder he was unanimously hailed as the LPL’s face, most famous for his looks and his overwhelming number of female fans.

What do I do now…

Shu Jia lifted her phone up in front of her face, opened WeChat, and found Zhou Dang’s contact.

She stared at his name, eyes narrowing as she smiled, nose wrinkling slightly.

Was she about to become one of those big-sister fans too?

The next morning, Shu Jia deliberately got up early and went to the kitchen to prepare ingredients for her livestream.

At two in the afternoon, she logged onto Zhan Yu right on time and started her stream.

Shu Jia was considered a pretty popular food blogger. She regularly posted videos, each with high reposts and comments, and she had over a hundred thousand followers on Weibo.

She set up her phone, adjusted the angle, and began preparing while chatting with viewers through the live comments.

Shu Jia tied her hair back into a ponytail. Dressed in a gray cotton-linen long shirt, she looked soft and gentle.

As she carefully rinsed her hands with hot water, she said, “Today, I’ll be making lemon-scented pork ribs for you guys. It’s a dish I’ve been really into lately.”

[Comment A]: Ribs! Ribs! I love ribs!
[Comment B]: Dandan’s still gorgeous today. Sending you a heart ♥
[Comment C]: Will you sing for us later?

…

The comments were flying by too quickly, so Shu Jia leaned closer to read them, trying her best to answer. “Mm, I’ve been a little busy lately, so I haven’t had time to post videos. If you want me to sing, I can sing for you while the ribs are cooking.”

“Alright, let’s get started.” Shu Jia rolled up her sleeves and began introducing the ingredients one by one.

“You’ll need pork ribs — the amount depends on how much you want to eat, but I’d personally suggest around 600 grams. Then half a lemon, one can of Sprite, sugar, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns.”

“First step,” she patiently explained, “wash the ribs clean, then boil them in water with ginger slices and cooking wine for a while, and fish them out when done.”

She lowered her head slightly, exposing the pale curve of her neck. “I’ve already done this step beforehand to save time, but make sure you do it carefully, okay?”

“Second step, caramelize the sugar.” Shu Jia placed the ribs aside and poured sugar into the pan, turning on the stove. “Don’t add too much sugar since we’ll be using Sprite later. Stir it until the color turns amber — that’s about right.”

“You can also add a bit of olive oil and lemon juice when caramelizing — it makes the color look prettier.”

Suddenly, someone sent two rocket gifts in the livestream. Shu Jia glanced at the usernames and thanked them politely.

And then… the barrage exploded.

[Comment]: Beast’s army is here to propose marriage!
[Comment]: Beast is checking in on the stream!
[Comment]: Even during match queues, B-god’s here to watch our wuli Dandan’s stream!
[Comment]: Dandan, marry me!
[Comment]: 500,000 BB troops have arrived!
[Comment]: BB sightseeing squad, press 1 to check in!
[Comment]: 1111111

…

Shu Jia lowered her head, pretending not to notice. But she suddenly remembered — wasn’t Beast WR’s top-laner? Zhou Dang’s teammate?

That stammering boy who’d chatted with her in the car that night, struggling to speak Mandarin. She hadn’t expected him to show up in her livestream using his main account, even sending gifts.

If he was watching her stream… did that mean Zhou Dang was nearby too?

Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably, leaving her oddly restless. “Alright, alright, don’t stir things up. If this keeps up, I’ll get dragged through the mud again.”

The barrage was full of nonsense, making Shu Jia laugh and sigh at the same time. “Okay, the sugar’s caramelized now. Next, fry the shredded ginger. I really like the taste of ginger, so I’m adding extra, but you can adjust according to your own preference.”

Calming her mind, she picked up the ribs and carefully slid them into the pan. “Now, add the ribs, a little extra vinegar, and just a bit of salt.”

She stirred the ribs evenly and spoke softly, giving her viewers tips as she cooked.

“Then, pour in the Sprite, bring it to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low heat. After about an hour, add lemon slices — make sure to remove the seeds first — and stir everything together at the end.”

Once she was done, Shu Jia leaned against the counter, waiting for the ribs to cook. “When you wash the ribs, rinse them slowly under running water to get the blood out — it takes around 10 to 15 minutes.”

The chat was flooded with viewers begging Shu Jia to sing.

She wasn’t busy while waiting, so she decided to give in to their requests. Setting an alarm on her phone, she said, “Alright, wait a sec while I grab my mini mic.”

She picked up another phone, moved to the living room where the lighting was better, and sat cross-legged on the floor.

“What do you guys want me to sing?” Shu Jia asked as she plugged in her earphones.

[Comment 1]: “Confession Balloon”!
[Comment 2]: “A Lone Drinker”!
[Comment 3]: “A Little Happiness”!
[Comment 4]: Confession Balloon! Babe, I’ll duet with you!
[Comment 5]: Can’t even request a song, I give up…
[Comment 6]: “Fairy Tale Town”!
[Comment 7]: Dandan Dandan Dandan, sing I’ve Really Fallen in Love with You!

Shu Jia thought for a moment. “I’ll sing Itch, then.”

…..

Da-da-fang-fang ai shang ai de biao xiang

Yu-yu-hui-hui mi shang meng de meng lang
[ Falling in love with the appearance of love openly

Meng Lang, who is obsessed with dreams]

……

She was confused — as if she had fallen into a reckless, misguided kind of obsession. With Zhou Dang. A strong, overwhelming fondness that left her helpless.

Someone in the chat asked why Shu Jia was singing with so much emotion.

Resting her chin in her hand, she smiled lightly. “I don’t know… Maybe it’s because I’ve recently met someone I like.”

The chat went wild — rows of 6666 flew by, and even more people frantically asked who it was, if their goddess was about to start dating, whether she was already chasing someone. Shu Jia couldn’t help laughing and crying at once.

“No, no, you guys misunderstood.” Shu Jia quickly explained, “I mean the kind of ‘like’ you have for a fan, that’s all. Don’t start overthinking.”

After chatting idly for a while longer, Shu Jia ended the stream and went to the kitchen to plate the ribs, carefully arranging the lemon slices on top.

She was actually a little introverted. When she was in a bad mood, aside from asking friends to keep her company, the thing she did most was cook — then quietly finish eating by herself. Occasionally, she’d post the results online.

But now… cooking seemed to carry a different meaning.

As if she wanted to share a little secret with someone.

Shu Jia crouched down, trying to take the most flattering photo of the dish. After selecting the best shot, she posted it to her Moments:

Shufu Jia Jia:

New recipe — I’ve fallen in love with lemon lately. 😏

After thinking for a bit, she added another line beneath:

If you want to eat it, I’ll make it for you.
Then I’ll pour you a glass of milk… and watch you finish it slowly.

Shu Jia cupped her chin in both hands.

Anyway…
No one would understand her little secret.

She dazed out, thinking of Zhou Dang, and quietly sighed.

What was she supposed to do?

They weren’t even close… but she had already started to enjoy his presence.

---

Author’s Note:
The little secrets of a female streamer’s heart ❤️