On the way to the private restaurant, Gu Ting glanced at Meng Zhen with his peripheral vision. Her slender and curled eyelashes, the faint blue veins on the back of her hand, her dense and smooth black hair, and the light scent of roses on her body— all were perfect in every way.

Gu Ting didn’t know what had come over him. Meng Zhen had just turned eighteen. He shouldn’t have been investing so much of his thoughts in her.

But humans are such strange creatures. The more Gu Ting tried to control his actions, striving not to glance sideways, the more his thoughts became tangled and chaotic. Among them, Meng Zhen’s figure appeared most frequently. Whether it was her in the studio wearing a crimson dress, or the slender young woman before him now, she seemed to attract his attention effortlessly, like a magnet.

About five hundred meters from the subway entrance to Lanting, Meng Zhen was busy checking the map along the way, completely unaware of Gu Ting’s abnormality.

As they arrived at the restaurant, a waitress in a qipao led them inside. Gu Ting took the initiative to negotiate with the restaurant manager. With his excellent eloquence, he persuaded the other party in just a few words. The manager agreed to take them to the kitchen to film the process of making Chicken Tofu Pudding.

The head chef at Lanting was someone who had cooked in state banquets before, so his culinary skills were unquestionable. As the cameraman followed the two celebrity guests into the kitchen, they witnessed the chef chopping tender chicken breast into minced meat, the knife striking the cutting board with a resounding clatter. Afterward, the chef added the minced chicken into a special stock.

A little while later, a bowl of Chicken Tofu Pudding dish was ready. The light yellow clear broth paired with delicate and soft white chicken tofu was so appetizing to look at.

The cameraman took numerous angles of the steaming hot dish before finally gesturing to Meng Zhen and Gu Ting that they could start eating.

Meng Zhen held a small blue and white porcelain bowl with twining branches pattern and first scooped some for Gu Ting. Supporting her chin with her hand, she couldn’t help but urge him, “Teacher Gu, please try it first and see if it suits your taste.”

Gu Ting silently took the bowl. He first scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth. The delicious and mellow taste spread between his lips and teeth, awakening his dormant taste buds. Gu Ting then tasted the chicken tofu, nodding in approval, “It’s indeed a classic Sichuan dish. The taste is outstanding.”

Meng Zhen had a graceful way of eating, yet her speed wasn’t slow. Before long, the two of them had finished a large bowl of Chicken Tofu Pudding, not even leaving a drop of soup behind.

The cameraman couldn’t help but smell the rich aroma wafting in front of him which made him feel incredibly tempted. However, as a staff member, he could only watch helplessly as the guests enjoyed the delicious food and finished every last bit of it.

After finishing the recording, the Lanting staff brought another bowl of the dish. Meng Zhen smiled at the cameraman and said, “Brother Li, I ordered two portions just now. You’ve been following us around for about two hours, you must be hungry by now.”

The cameraman called Brother Li rubbed his stomach and thanked Meng Zhen. He hadn’t expected this rising star to be so considerate. Not only did she never put on airs, but her personality was also extremely gentle. She was leagues ahead of some other celebrities who like to act as big names.

The recording process for Group A went exceptionally smoothly, and they returned to the farmhouse rented by the program team around three in the afternoon.

At this moment, with the cameras having paused recording, Meng Zhen walked upstairs, intending to find the restroom to wash her face. Just as she reached the corner of the staircase, she heard two familiar voices talking.

“Sister Lan, someone like Meng Zhen, who relies on her distant relationship with the CEO of the Xu Group, repeatedly snatches resources from people. First, it was the role of Daji in 《Investiture》. Then, she kicked you out of 《The Icon’s New Clothes》 crew. That malicious and selfish woman, if she isn’t taught a lesson, she’ll never learn.”

The people who were talking were Jiang Lianqin and Xiao Lan.

Meng Zhen hadn’t expected to see Xiao Lan at the farmhouse, but she quickly recalled that the production team had mentioned that a special guest would participate in this episode’s recording. It turned out it was Xiao Lan.

Meng Zhen’s expression grew cold. She opened the voice recorder on her phone and leaned against the cold wall, trying to minimize the sound of her breathing. Not far away, the conversation between the two continued.

“You also know Meng Zhen is related to CEO Xu. Earlier, Yue Yuanzhao had a conflict with her and even implicated himself. Don’t think about using me as a pawn.” Xiao Lan said casually, twirling the metal bracelet on her wrist.

Jiang Lianqin also knew Xiao Lan wouldn’t easily bite the bait. Undeterred, she continued to persuade, “Sister Lan, Yue Yuanzhao ended up in that situation because he was foolish. He actually negotiated with a public account using his real identity so Meng Zhen got hold of the evidence. With all the evidence and witnesses, he’s bound to be sentenced. But for us to deal with Meng Zhen, all we need is a little ‘accident’. Even if the Xu Group is powerful, they can’t do anything about an accident.”

The beautiful woman raised an eyebrow, clearly showing some interest. She asked, “Oh? What kind of ‘accident’ are you suggesting?”

“I’ve read the whole script for this episode. It’s divided into two segments. The first one involves visiting local specialty foods. After selecting the food with the highest vote, the three groups will collect ingredients and cook dinner together. We just need to make sure Meng Zhen goes to the west side of He’an Village at that time.” As she spoke, Jiang Lianqin’s eyes flickered incessantly, her tone filled with unmistakable malice.

“Is there something wrong with that place?” Xiao Lan asked, furrowing her brow.

“There’s a particularly fierce wolfdog in the village, often prowling around the west side. It doesn’t bite the villagers but shows no mercy when attacking outsiders. Whether it ends up biting Meng Zhen’s leg or disfiguring her face, either outcome would be quite satisfactory.”

Xiao Lan was surprised by Jiang Lianqin’s ruthlessness. Meng Zhen was slender and delicate, so if she really encountered the wolfdog, her life might be even in danger.

Meng Zhen stood at the corner, listening attentively to their conversation. Just as she turned to go downstairs, she found herself facing a tall figure with striking features. It was none other than Gu Ting.

The man’s expression was icy cold, like thick winter snow, devoid of any warmth.

Meng Zhen sensed that Gu Ting was angry so she quickly tiptoed and covered the man’s mouth with her hand, gesturing slightly to him. After Gu Ting’s expression gradually calmed down, she led him into the nearest room and gently closed the door behind them.

His lips brushed against the smooth and delicate palm that carried a subtle scent of roses, causing Gu Ting’s heart to race. Blood surged straight to his head, and his ears involuntarily grew hot.

Seeing the man’s reaction, Meng Zhen felt a bit embarrassed herself. She silently mouthed an apology and then checked the recording on her phone, making sure that she had saved the entire conversation just now. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Although Meng Zhen was usually gentle and avoided conflicts, it didn’t mean she could tolerate malicious intentions and schemes against her. Jiang Lianqin and Xiao Lan had repeatedly crossed her bottom line, and now it was time for them to face the consequences of their actions.

Sounds of footsteps could be heard from outside suggesting that the two had gone downstairs.

Meng Zhen quietly peeked outside and saw the corridor empty, with no one else around. She then turned to look at the silent man beside her.

“Teacher Gu, I’m planning to release this recording.” Having been helped by Gu Ting many times before, Meng Zhen trusted him. Therefore, she didn’t hide her intentions and straightforwardly told him her plan.

“Don’t rush. The best time to release the audio online is after this episode airs on television.”

Compared to Meng Zhen, Gu Ting’s heart was as cold and unyielding as iron. For those who crossed the line, he would show no mercy. Since Xiao Lan and Jiang Lianqin dared to plot against Meng Zhen, they would have to face the consequences when their schemes were exposed. They had brought it upon themselves, and there was no one else to blame.

Meng Zhen understood Gu Ting’s meaning. She murmured a quiet acknowledgment and then headed downstairs.

As Jiang Lianqin had mentioned, after the three groups finished exploring the specialty foods of this city, they indeed moved on to the second segment.

Ming Zhou sat on the sofa in the living room, lifting the chef’s hat off his head and twirling it on his index finger. He looked at the six guests in front of him and said, “This episode’s special guest is the popular actress Xiao Lan. I was quite surprised to see her here, aren’t you all surprised?”

Among the five guests present, only Jiang Lianqin showed a feigned look of surprise, intending to build a good relationship with Xiao Lan. After all, the enemy’s enemy is a friend, and Meng Zhen was a stumbling block for both of them. Only by ruining Meng Zhen could their paths ahead become smoother.

Except for Jiang Liangqin, the expressions of the remaining four guests remained unchanged. Meng Zhen had enmity with Xiao Lan and naturally wouldn’t fake her reaction. Zhao Baoru, though not familiar with Xiao Lan, disliked her arrogant demeanor. She kept her head down as she fiddled with the keychain in her hand and remained silent.

As for the other two male guests, Gu Ting was known for his indifference, while Lin Yu was particularly proud. It would be strange if the latter paid attention to Xiao Lan.

The atmosphere in the living room fell into an awkward silence. Ming Zhou cleared his throat and continued, “The videos of your food exploration have been sent to the professional judging panel. Group A found Chicken Tofu Pudding, Group B found Snail Noodles, and Group C found Sugar Oil Rice Balls.”

“To be honest, among these three dishes, I personally favor Snail Noodles the most. I even considered voting for Group B. However, unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding in the task. We were looking for this city’s specialty food, not Snail Noodles from Guangxi. Therefore, Lin Yu and Zhao Baoru are the first to be eliminated.”

Lin Yu was a native of the capital, and although he had visited this city before, he wasn’t very familiar with its local specialty foods. He assumed that finding a popular restaurant would suffice. Zhao Baoru, on the other hand, was careless and overlooked the details of the rules, leading Group B to make such a basic mistake.

Ming Zhou’s gaze fell on Meng Zhen and Gu Ting. “As for Groups A and C, both chose local specialties. However, after evaluation by the judging panel, the first prize goes to Chicken Tofu Pudding from Group A. They will receive a prize of 100,000 yuan, which will be donated to a charity foundation under their name after the show airs to help underprivileged children return to school.”