Chapter 39: A Film Emperor Wants to Work for Me

Taotie Delicacies’ hot pot restaurant opened. This was probably the most capricious hot pot restaurant in the city, only opening two tables a day, with a maximum of six seats per table, and only operating for one hour. If you wanted to eat, you had to make a reservation and pre-order. Otherwise, the chef really wouldn’t have time to cook.

There was no other way. The business in the main restaurant, barbecue area, and bakery was too successful, and they also had to manage the online shop and Azure Bird window business. Taotie Delicacies was severely understaffed.

Given the current situation, being able to spare one hour for the hot pot restaurant was already pretty good!

Yun Tao didn’t do much promotion either; he simply asked the system to create a small pre-order program and mentioned the hot pot restaurant’s opening on his WeChat Moments and the Red App.

Whether before or after death, Liu Qing had never seen a new catering establishment run like this. It didn’t seem like they were interested in doing business.

Although the main restaurant and online shop were doing very well, this was still a new branch, a new place that was bare except for being clean. Could they get any business this way?

Liu Qing tentatively suggested, “Little boss, if you want a 100% table turnover rate, maybe you should appropriately…”

Liu Qing’s words stopped abruptly because he saw Yun Tao’s updated post, and the likes and comments were increasing rapidly.

[What? My son opened a hot pot restaurant? Mommy is rushing over at the first moment.]

[Only two tables a day, oh no, my hand speed might not be fast enough to make a reservation.]

[I super love beef hot pot! My birthday is coming up soon, I hope I can get a reservation.]

[Great! I’m on vacation recently and was planning to travel to Xinan City to see Taotao. Perfect timing to eat beef hot pot! Taotao, elder sister will bring you Lego toys. Do you want a battleship or a castle?]

Liu Qing thought this was already exaggerated enough, but he didn’t expect it to get even more exaggerated. The moment the hot pot restaurant’s reservation mini-program went online, the dates on the schedule turned from green to red one after another.

Yun Tao had only opened reservations for two weeks, and now it was almost fully booked.

Yun Tao replied to his fan sister, telling her not to bring gifts. After replying, he looked at Liu Qing. “Little Liu, I didn’t hear clearly. What were you saying just now?”

Liu Qing: “…Little boss, it’s nothing.”

It turns out I knew nothing about this shop and the little boss’s popularity.

---

“You’ve tried so many shops already, haven’t you given up yet?” Li Huang lowered his eyelashes, his voice weak, his face as if plastered with the character for “mourning.”

“This is nothing! How can we give up so easily!” Qiao Zhijie handed him a mask, a faint smile on his lips, full of energy. “Let me tell you, the shop we’re going to today is a treasure recommended by Teacher Zhang Manzhu himself! It’s the main purpose of our trip to Xinan. Their hot pot restaurant is opening today, and I finally managed to get a reservation!”

Li Huang remained unmoved. “You called all those other shops treasure troves, too.”

Qiao Zhijie: “Those shops also had pretty good reviews, right? It’s a pity they couldn’t help you. But I have a feeling that the shop we’re going to today will definitely pull you out of this state!”

Li Huang had heard this sentence too many times. Although he had no expectations, he didn’t want to dampen Qiao Zhijie’s enthusiasm again. He quietly put on the mask and pulled a black baseball cap over his head.

He was tall, and even in ordinary, casual clothes, his good proportions were apparent; however, he was quite thin.

Qiao Zhijie glanced at his slender wrist, feeling very uncomfortable. “If I had known you would torture yourself like this, I would have definitely stopped you from taking that role!”

Li Huang was an artist, or rather, an artist who had already announced his retirement from the entertainment industry.

At eighteen, he was spotted by a famous director at school. His debut film won him the Best Actor award, and he was hailed as the most talented film emperor.

After that, his career soared. He won two more major awards and then announced his retirement at the age of twenty-one.

Outsiders thought he was making a wise retreat, but only those close to him knew that he had lost over thirty pounds for the role in his last film. As a thorough method actor, he couldn’t get out of character for a long time after filming ended, not only falling into a bottleneck in his acting career but also developing anorexia.

Li Huang had seen a psychologist and was cooperating with his treatment. He had improved a lot recently, but his attitude towards food was still quite negative. In his words, he had forgotten what “delicious” felt like.

Qiao Zhijie was Li Huang’s childhood friend. He had been studying abroad, and the two hadn’t seen each other more than once a year. Moreover, Li Huang had kept it a secret very well. Qiao Zhijie only found out about it recently after returning to China. He immediately arranged a food tour, determined to help Li Huang find “delicious” food.

Qiao Zhijie majored in directing and worked part-time as a content creator. Due to his good personality and professional skills, even without revealing that he was Li Huang’s friend, Qiao Zhijie had garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on a certain video platform.

Qiao Zhijie had been recording their journey south, hoping to see a change in Li Huang.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t yet found any food that could change Li Huang’s mind.

Qiao Zhijie was always full of enthusiasm. “The world is full of wonders, and hope is just ahead!”

Qiao Zhijie drove, and soon they arrived at their destination. He parked the car in the parking lot, and the two walked into Shanhai Street.

Qiao Zhijie turned on his camera, filming as they walked, and said in surprise, “This street is really comfortable. After we eat later, let’s take a good look at these old shops.”

Li Huang wasn’t afraid of the heat. He wore a vest over his T-shirt, his hands listlessly in his pockets. Upon hearing this, he hummed in agreement.

They soon arrived at the entrance of the hot pot restaurant. The restaurant’s doors were wide open, and the interior was clearly visible at a glance: traditional patterned floor tiles, white walls, and only two dining tables placed far apart in the empty space.

Moreover, the two dining tables were extremely far apart from each other.

Qiao Zhijie found it particularly interesting. “This is a restaurant friendly to socially awkward people! I was originally worried about being recognized if we ate in, but now I’m relieved. Without 5.0 vision, you can’t even see the person’s face at the next table.”

Li Huang rarely showed much expression, but he raised an eyebrow slightly.

The curtain of the back kitchen was lifted, and Tai Sui came out, asking lazily, “Reservation?”

Tai Sui’s face was incredibly striking. Qiao Zhijie was stunned for a moment before nodding. “Yes, the reservation is under the name Mr. Qiao, for two people. By the way, may I film?”

“Whatever.”

“Thank you.” Qiao Zhijie asked, “Are we early?”

Tai Sui raised his chin slightly. “Sit down, the food will be served soon.”

After Tai Sui returned to the kitchen, Qiao Zhijie lowered his voice excitedly. “Oh my god, oh my god, I knew the chef of this place was a hunk, but I didn’t know he was this handsome! You can’t find a face like this even in the entertainment industry!”

Li Huang nodded affirmatively.

Li Huang was clean-conscious and had a habit of wiping the table before eating out. He glanced at the table in front of him and found that there was no need to wipe it at all; it was too clean.

This restaurant was very simple but had a pleasant, refreshing scent.

Soon, this scent was covered by a rich aroma of meat.

Qiao Zhijie fixed his camera and said in surprise, “What a fragrant smell! Can you smell it?”

Li Huang raised his lowered head, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He clearly heard his stomach growl. He took off his mask and said slowly, “I smell it, Zhijie. I think… I’m hungry.”

“!” Hearing these words, Qiao Zhijie was so happy he wanted to spin around on the spot. Having seen him all this time, he knew better than anyone how bad Li Huang’s condition was.

Li Huang had never said “I’m hungry.” What he said most often was, “I have no appetite” and “I’ve had enough to eat.”

This time, there was really hope!

The kitchen curtain was lifted again, and Lin Jiuyuan, wearing thick insulated gloves, came out carrying a boiling pot of soup and turned on the induction cooker for them.

“Drink the soup first, be careful, it’s hot.”

Qiao Zhijie thanked him. After Lin Jiuyuan left, he couldn’t help but say, “The staff here are too good-looking. I almost thought I was filming a food variety show.”

Li Huang nodded.

Qiao Zhijie: “He doesn’t seem to recognize you.”

Li Huang hadn’t retired for long, and his popularity was very high before his retirement. When they went to other restaurants, even wearing a mask, he would be recognized. They always sat in private rooms, and sometimes even the restaurant owners would come to ask for autographs and photos…

But the chef and staff of this restaurant didn’t give him a second glance.

Li Huang didn’t pay attention to these things. The pot of soup attracted his whole being. After unwrapping his cutlery, he couldn’t wait to scoop a bowl, almost burning himself.

This was the first time Qiao Zhijie had seen him so proactive at the dining table. He was both gratified and worried. “Don’t rush, let it cool down before drinking. Be careful of getting burned!”

Li Huang had no choice but to put down the spoon, placing both hands on the table, his gaze fixed on the soup bowl.

They had ordered a radish and cha shu gu (tea tree mushroom) beef brisket soup base. Due to the tea tree mushrooms, the soup had a clear, brownish color. This type of soup didn’t require much effort and could be easily stewed at home. The only remarkable thing was its aroma.

Just by smelling it, you could tell that this soup must be very fresh and delicious.

Qiao Zhijie unwrapped his cutlery, belatedly thinking of something. Just now, when the waiter carried the soup pot with both hands, how did he lift the curtain? Was there someone standing behind him that he didn’t see?

Jiang Qing and Ruan Ruan, who had reserved the other table, also arrived. They were overwhelmed by the aroma as soon as they entered.

Ruan Ruan: “I got hungry just from the smell. I deliberately skipped breakfast for this meal. I’m going to feast later.”

Jiang Qing: “Isn’t it because you couldn’t get up that you didn’t eat breakfast?”

Ruan Ruan pulled her to the empty table and said with a grin, “See through but don’t expose!”

Lin Jiuyuan came out carrying dishes, smiling and greeting them both.

Jiang Qing held up the flower basket in her hand. “Flower basket for the store’s opening, where should I put it for you?”

This small, shabby restaurant didn’t even have an extra table. Jiang Qing really didn’t know where to put it.

Lin Jiuyuan finished serving Qiao Zhijie’s table and walked over to Jiang Qing, taking the flower basket. “Thank you, Sister Qing. I’ll hang it at the entrance of the shop. I’ll be back in a moment to serve your dishes.”

“No rush, no rush.”

Jiang Qing and Ruan Ruan didn’t pay attention to the other table of diners. The two tables were far apart, and they couldn’t even hear each other’s conversations clearly.

Ruan Ruan couldn’t help but sigh, “This dining environment is really nice.”

On the other side, Li Huang finally got to drink the soup. At first, he was still a bit hesitant and took a small sip. The clear and moist soup gently enveloped his taste buds, awakening those that had been dormant for too long. Even his dull eyes brightened.

Li Huang relaxed his brow, picked up the soup bowl, and drank half of it in one go.

Satisfying!

Qiao Zhijie asked him, “Is it good?”

Li Huang nodded emphatically. “Good.”

He picked up a piece of radish and took a big bite.

His mouth, which had tasted only bitterness for a long time, was surrounded by sweetness. The food he ate was no longer tasteless, no longer like indigestible plasticine. Li Huang rediscovered their flavors.

“Great, great…” Qiao Zhijie picked up a skimmer and put in a whole plate of diaolong (hanging dragon, a cut of beef). “Don’t just eat radish, let me cook some beef for you. This beef looks so fresh!”

Diaolong is beef tenderloin, sliced very thinly so that it cooks in ten seconds in the hot pot.

Qiao Zhijie was so excited that he scooped most of the cooked beef into Li Huang’s bowl before remembering to make a dipping sauce for himself. “I’ll make you a hot pot dipping sauce, I guarantee it’ll be even more delicious!”

Chopped green onions, garlic, sesame oil, shacha sauce… Qiao Zhijie mixed the dipping sauce and placed it in front of Li Huang. “Try it quickly.”

The diaolong was soft, tender, and without any tough bits. The meat was delicate and practically melted into juice after only a couple of chews.

Li Huang ate one bite after another. After finishing the beef in his bowl, he raised a hand to shield his eyes and said softly, “It really… is delicious.”

“Then we’ll come eat here every day from now on…” Qiao Zhijie paused, then said awkwardly, “Oh, wait, that might not work. The reservations are all full. Should we discuss it with the boss?”

They had finally found a place that didn’t make Li Huang lose his appetite, and they definitely couldn’t miss this opportunity!

Qiao Zhijie was preoccupied and completely forgot about filming, failing to introduce the food to the camera as he usually did.

He kept poaching the meat and dividing it into their bowls, burying his head in eating.

Crispy and chewy wuhuazhi (beef shank), tender beef tongue, chewy lean beef, fragrant and chewy beef tripe, bouncy beef balls…

Empty plates piled high, the soup in the pot became increasingly fragrant. Their appetites were satisfied, and their whole bodies felt comfortably enveloped by a lively mist.

Even Li Huang’s complexion and lip color had become much rosier. The lingering listlessness had disappeared without him noticing. Qiao Zhijie looked at him and said with relief, “Finally, you look a bit like the person I know.”

Li Huang put down his chopsticks. “Zhijie, I feel like I’ve truly returned to the real world because of this meal.”

Qiao Zhijie reached out his hand to him, smiling brightly. “Welcome back.”

Li Huang shook his hand back, amused. “A bit melodramatic.”

Qiao Zhijie grinned foolishly. “Being a bit melodramatic is good, much better than how you were half-dead before.”

Tai Sui came over with a small pot of rinsed rice and put it into the hot pot. He came and went quickly, without saying a single extra word.

Qiao Zhijie sighed. “In this shop, your sense of presence is really low.”

Li Huang: “That’s good.”

Ending the meal with a flavorful and smooth beef congee, both Li Huang and Qiao Zhijie were stuffed.

It was almost closing time for the hot pot restaurant. Qiao Zhijie thought for a moment. “Although the hot pot restaurant is fully booked for the next two weeks, we can try the main restaurant of Taotie Delicacies. They have a barbecue at night. Oh right, they have a bakery too! We should be able to buy some desserts if we go now!”

Li Huang nodded in agreement.

Qiao Zhijie packed up his camera, only then remembering that he had neglected filming. He slapped his forehead in annoyance. “I was too busy eating!”

Lin Jiuyuan came to clear the table.

Li Huang solemnly said, “Thank you.”

Only then did Lin Jiuyuan clearly see his face and find him somewhat familiar.

As they were leaving, Jiang Qing happened to look up and caught sight of Li Huang’s profile. “Huh? That guy looks a bit familiar.”

Lin Jiuyuan came to add soup and said casually, “Oh, that seems to be Li Huang, the male lead in the suspense film ‘No Reversal’.”

He had just remembered.

Jiang Qing: “No wonder he looked so familiar!”

Ruan Ruan: “Wow, his acting is super good! I’m a casual fan of his. I was too busy scooping beef just now and didn’t notice!”

Jiang Qing: “In front of beef hot pot, even a big star pales in comparison.”

Ruan Ruan: “Tell me about it! If I look away for even a second, my beef will get overcooked!”

They were all timing their beef poaching with a stopwatch!

Jiang Qing deeply agreed, but added, “I think Taotao’s beef is of too high a quality; it probably won’t get overcooked.”

Ruan Ruan: “You’re right. I hope the hot pot restaurant can open more tables. I’m already eager to eat a second meal.”

Qiao Zhijie and Li Huang arrived late, and the morning desserts were all sold out. They only managed to buy two cups of Sand Pear Dragon Well Tea.

There were many people here, and not everyone was as otherworldly as the employees of this shop. Some diners had already been frequently looking at Li Huang, and even Qiao Zhijie was recognized by a diner who greeted him with a smile.

To avoid any commotion, Li Huang only took off his mask after getting into the car and took a sip of the dragon well tea.

“Delicious.”

Qiao Zhijie smiled. “The words ‘delicious’ and ‘good to drink’ are simply heavenly sounds! Say them more often, and when we go back, I’ll have something to report to your aunt and uncle!”

For dinner, Qiao Zhijie took Li Huang to a very famous Western restaurant. The ambiance was great, and the prices were expensive.

As for the taste… Qiao Zhijie cut into his thousand-yuan steak, missing the beef hot pot he had eaten in the morning. The more he ate, the less he enjoyed it.

Objectively speaking, this restaurant was delicious, but it really couldn’t compare to the Shanhai hot pot restaurant. He really missed that feeling of being enveloped by a misty aura.

If even Qiao Zhijie felt this way, let alone Li Huang.

He insisted on eating half of his steak, then put down his knife and fork, wiping his lips with a napkin. “It’s not as difficult to swallow as before.”

He guessed that the beef hot pot had slightly adjusted his digestive system, but it hadn’t fully recovered yet.

Early the next morning, the two got up and rushed to Taotie Delicacies, where they bought some piping hot breakfast.

This time, Qiao Zhijie didn’t get lost in the delicious food and asked Li Huang to help hold the camera to film some footage. But the aroma of the zhuyu pancakes was too tempting. He couldn’t help but take a bite after saying a sentence. Before he could finish his sentence, the pancake was already gone.

Li Huang couldn’t take it anymore either. “I want to eat too.”

Qiao Zhijie immediately relented. “No more filming, eat quickly, eat quickly.”

That day, they didn’t leave Shanhai Street; instead, they came to eat whenever it was open.

The other itineraries of their food tour were all canceled. They came to Taotie Delicacies to eat for three consecutive days, trying everything on the menu.

Something urgent had come up at home, and Li Huang had to leave Xinan City that day. He was a bit reluctant, sitting in the courtyard of Taotie Delicacies, staring blankly at the vegetable garden.

He had been sitting there for too long. Yun Tao put down his weeding shovel, washed his hands, and came to him. “Brother, are you sad?”

Li Huang was still wearing his mask, with only his eyes visible, as he looked at Yun Tao quietly and gently.

Before he could answer, Yun Tao took out two Little Heavenly Dog cookies from his pocket and handed them to Li Huang. “Don’t be sad, I’ll give you all my little cookies.”

Li Huang looked at the cute cookies in his palm, and the melancholy in his heart vanished, his eyes filled with a smile.

“Brother isn’t sad. Are you still giving these little cookies to brother?”

Yun Tao said generously, “Yes!”

Li Huang ruffled his curly hair. “You’re so good. Brother has to leave for a few days. I’ll bring you a gift when I come back.”

Yun Tao asked, “Is it a return gift for the little cookies?”

Li Huang nodded.

Yun Tao smiled. “Then it’s a promise.”

On the way out of Xinan City, Li Huang couldn’t help but take a picture of the cookies and post a long-absent update on his social media:

“Precious gift from my little brother, so cute.”

This was Li Huang’s first post since retiring from the entertainment industry.

The comment section exploded.

[Ahhh, brother finally posted! I’m crying so hard!]

[Is he making a comeback? Is he making a comeback? Please, please make a comeback soon, I can’t find any substitutes!]

[Ah, am I the only one focusing on the little brother? Li Huang has a biological younger brother?]

[These cookies are so cute, where can I buy the same ones?]

[I think I know… Isn’t this the Little Heavenly Dog cookie from Taotie Delicacies in my city? Did Huang-huang come to Xinan City?]

[It should be. A restaurant owner in Xinan City posted a photo of Li-ge’s autograph a few days ago!]

Li Huang replied to one comment: “Just an older ‘wild’ brother to the little one, hope everyone won’t disturb him.”

In less than an hour, #LiHuangPosts# was trending on entertainment news.

Fans quickly speculated who Li Huang’s “little brother” was. However, Li Huang had always been low-key and had already retired, so his fans were very self-aware and didn’t cause too much disturbance, just quietly following Yun Tao’s live stream and social media.

Many fans and casual viewers were drawn to the photo and wanted to purchase the same cookies online.

Then they discovered—

They couldn’t buy them, not at all.

When Yun Tao woke up, he found that his carrot live-streaming account had gained over 100,000 followers.

He yawned and sleepily sent a message to the operations team: “Did the big boss buy me followers?”

The operations team replied instantly: “No! It wasn’t the big boss who bought them, it was the retired Film Emperor Li who posted a picture of your shop’s Little Heavenly Dog cookies online!”

Yun Tao tilted his head. Who was Film Emperor Li?

The system reminded him: [You gave a young man wearing a mask some cookies before.]

Yun Tao suddenly understood. “Oh, it was that brother.”

Yun Tao didn’t take it too seriously. For humans, being a film emperor was an outstanding achievement. For Yun Tao, it was just a chance encounter with a downcast human brother.

Even if he weren’t a film emperor, he would have given away his little cookies.

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Two more days passed, and Qiao Zhijie released the vlog of their food tour. After editing, Li Huang’s face wasn’t shown. Qiao Zhijie only said that he was taking a “childhood friend” who was in a slump to find delicious food.

They traveled south, going through one restaurant after another. They ate at roadside stalls and expensive restaurants. Still, Qiao Zhijie’s “childhood friend” had no appetite until they arrived at a simple hot pot restaurant that didn’t even have extra tables.

The “childhood friend’s” chopsticks never stopped.

The audience in front of the screen also breathed a sigh of relief. When the “childhood friend” said that he had returned to the real world because of this meal, the audience left a screen full of comments:

[Welcome back to the real world.]

[Eat well.]

This vlog went viral on a certain platform that day, with hundreds of thousands of views. Some said the “childhood friend’s” voice sounded like Li Huang’s, while others said it didn’t matter who the “childhood friend” was, he represented many ordinary people in a slump.

Hoping that everyone who is feeling down can find their own healing “hot pot restaurant.”

Li Huang couldn’t bear to eat the little cookies. After quickly attending to matters at home, he returned to Xinan City with his luggage.

Early in the morning, just as Taotie Delicacies opened, Yun Tao saw Li Huang standing at the door, holding gift bags, and had no idea how long he had been waiting.

Li Huang took off his mask and smiled at him in the morning light. “Taotao, good morning. Is your shop still hiring? Brother will work for you, no salary needed, just three meals a day.”

Li Huang knew that children couldn’t make decisions about this kind of thing and was just teasing him.

Unexpectedly, the little boy replied very seriously, “Yes, we are! But brother, you have to go through a probation period first.”

First, you have to accept that your boss is a Taotie. Second, you must accept that your colleagues include a Local Earth God, Tai Sui, a fox demon, Feifei, Bifang, and others.