CH 54

Lu Jingqian invited guests to a feast featuring whole fish, and he covered all expenses including food, accommodation, and transportation. As a result, there was an explosion of responses below his homepage. The number of applicants was so high that it could rival small and medium-sized shopping malls’ free events.

Since Lu Jingqian had never publicly disclosed his living environment, some people were concerned that his house might not be able to accommodate thirty people. They left messages asking if they needed to bring tents.

Lu Jingqian provided detailed explanations on his homepage. He stated that he would provide overnight accommodation and guests didn’t need to bring anything except for a change of clothes. Moreover, he allowed them to live stream the entire process, so they could bring live streaming cameras with them as well.

Lu Jingqian’s live stream was currently very popular on the internet, so there were a particularly large number of people who wanted to come. However, Lu Jingqian could only select thirty people because there weren’t many people to help at the estate, and they wouldn’t be able to handle too many visitors.

Not only did Lu Jingqian’s fans want to have a close encounter with him, but many others were curious and wanted to see for themselves whether the real environment was as beautiful as depicted in the videos. There were also quite a few food critics and reporters from food shows who applied because they wanted to know if Lu Jingqian’s cooking was really as delicious as those who had tried it claimed.

Lu Jingqian carefully selected the recipients of the complimentary meals. Naturally, he had to be even more cautious when selecting the guests who would visit the Lanjing Villa.

Lu Jingqian spent an entire day selecting thirty applicants. After informing them of the gathering time and location, he waited for the day to send people to pick them up and bring them to the mountain. Among the thirty people he selected, there were loyal fans who had always supported and encouraged him, non-commercial food critics, well-known food enthusiasts, experienced food journalists, and even some ordinary people who had previously criticized him but hadn’t done so recently, as well as some die-hard critics who continued to criticize him.

Lu Jingqian instructed them to assemble in the nearest city to the mountain and then sent three cars to pick them up and take them to the mountain.

As soon as they got in the cars, the thirty guests started live streaming. They showed the viewers the spacious and comfortable cars, along with various juices and fruits available on board. So far, their experience was good, and they had mentally prepared themselves for the primitive environment they would face in the mountains. They only hoped that the food would truly be delicious and not disappoint them.

Then they turned the cameras towards the windows to show the viewers the surroundings they were passing through. However, due to the fast speed of the cars, the outside scenery was not very clear.

After about an hour and a half, they finally arrived at the foot of Lanjing Villa. This duration was sufficient to illustrate that the mountain was indeed far from the city, considering the speed of modern vehicles.

The car stopped outside the main gate of the manor. After everyone got off the car, they saw a majestic tall wooden gate with the Lanjing Villa plaque hanging on it. They thought it was impressive to have a manor in such a remote and deep mountain, and they were already satisfied to see a building.

However, the gate only appeared to be made of wood. In reality, it wasn’t a real wooden gate. The original host’s grandfather had a high sense of security, so the security measures in the mountain were well implemented.

After the gate opened, the group was led inside the villa by the staff working there.

As soon as they entered, they saw a well-maintained courtyard with flowers, grass, and mountain rocks. The layout was spacious and tastefully arranged, giving them an immediate sense of tranquility and calming their previously restless hearts.

After passing through the front yard and the front hall, they were brought to the observation pavilion. Climbing up to the third floor of the pavilion, they could overlook the entire villa.

Once they were all seated, Lu Jingqian walked out of a room and looked at them, saying, “You’ve all had a tiring journey. I suddenly had the idea to invite you as guests. Thank you for not minding the long distance and coming here.”

Lu Jingqian’s fans immediately had stars in their eyes upon seeing him. Perhaps it was due to the immediate impact, they felt that he looked even better in person than on camera. His temperament was even more ethereal and otherworldly. Every gesture he made exuded a fairy-like charm that could only be seen in movies.

Everyone hurriedly expressed that it was not tiring at all and thanked Lu Jingqian for the invitation. In front of Lu Jingqian, they couldn’t help but become humble and polite.

Lu Jingqian asked them to take a short break, and they would be served the meal in about half an hour. Before the meal, they could enjoy the view of the Lanjing Villa. Then Lu Jingqian walked down from the observation pavilion and went to the kitchen downstairs to busily prepare.

After Lu Jingqian left, these people immediately seemed like different individuals. They excitedly spoke to the camera about their impressions of meeting Lu Jingqian in person, saying that they felt like they had seen a celestial being. Not only did he look handsome, but he also exuded an otherworldly aura. It made them involuntarily feel a sense of reverence.

Then they began to admire the scenery inside the manor from top to bottom. Facing the camera, they expressed their surprise, saying that they never expected him to live in such a beautiful place. The villa was clearly designed by a master, and it must have been very expensive. It was in no way inferior to those well-known vacation resorts.

The online viewers watching the live stream were also amazed. They originally thought he was living a self-sufficient life, bravely facing the challenges of the wilderness. Who would have thought he lived in such a magnificent villa? This was not a tragic existence but a truly ideal life!

Lu Jingqian live streamed himself cooking in the kitchen. With thirty people to serve, he prepared three tables, each with fifteen dishes. The lake below the mountain was abundant with various species of fish. Yesterday, he took people down to catch hundreds of fish. After selecting them, he brought back dozens, while the rest were released back into the lake.

The fish soup was almost done. In about half an hour, they could start with the fish soup to warm their stomachs before serving the other dishes.

“Despicable!!” Lan Mingze cry out full of anger.

Yan Bin who heard his shout thought something happened to him and hurriedly ran into his room, “What happened?”

Lan Mingze didn’t think Yan Bin would arrive at this time, he didn’t want to lose his composure in front of Yan Bin, so he could only take a deep breath and calm himself down.

Yan Bin hurriedly went over to hug him and then asked affectionately, “Are you feeling unwell? How about I take you to the hospital? I better call the private doctor.”

Lan Mingze shook his head within Yan Bin’s embrace, “No need, I’m just angry.”

“Why are you angry?” Yan Bin asked in bewilderment.

Lan Mingze’s face turned ugly as he angrily accused the computer, saying, “I just saw where Lan Shaoxuan lives in the mountains. He actually resides in a large mansion. That mansion was obviously built with great effort and at a high cost. What kind of tragic life? He’s not miserable at all! Grandfather is too biased. I haven’t even seen that villa, but he gave the entire mountain and villa to Lan Shaoxuan. Am I not his Grandson?”

Yan Bin patted his shoulder to console him and said, “Don’t be angry. Anyway, you’ve already obtained the Lan family’s recipes. Let’s consider the mountain as something given to him.”

“I’m not willing!” Lan Mingze gritted his teeth and said, “He has already received all of our grandfather’s favoritism. Therefore, everything in the Lan family should be mine. I don’t even want to give him a single brick or tile.”

If it were just a remote mountain, Lan Mingze might not care too much. However, that villa exuded elegance and refinement in every aspect, and its value was undoubtedly high. Therefore, he must obtain it.

Once the whole fish feast was served, initially, they tried to maintain composure and dining etiquette, even though the aroma alone made their mouths water incessantly. They still wanted to maintain a sense of decorum at the table.

Before long, they noticed everyone speeding up simultaneously, and in the end, they completely disregarded their image and began snatching food just to eat a little more than others.

The viewers of the live stream could only feel frustrated. Some of them wished they could burst through the screen and join in the competition.

“It’s so delicious, really… I can’t find the right words at the moment, but it’s truly amazing.” A renowned food critic was left speechless by a table of fish. Even her fans were quite speechless. Just how delicious was it? Please use your usual eloquence and describe it to us. If you don’t say it, how would we know?

“I will never forget this meal. It’s, without doubt, the most delicious fish I have ever had in my life. I feel like I’ve fallen in love with fish all over again.” A food blogger who frequently travels far and wide in search of delicacies and had previously claimed to have eaten fish to the point of vomiting, this time ate just as much as everyone else and was the most competitive in snatching dishes.

“I want to cry. Being able to eat such delicious fish, I’m truly moved. Indeed, my idol not only looks good, but his cooking skills are absolutely top-notch. Those judges who previously criticized his cooking as bad must have either been bribed or have completely lost their sense of taste.” One of Lu Jingqian’s fans was moved to tears, feeling grateful and joyful for not having mistaken her admiration for him.

“It really tastes delicious. I… I have tasted the fish Lan Mingze made from the Lan family’s recipes, and none of them were as good as the fish on this table.” Lan Mingze’s fan, who was initially a hater of the original host, spoke in a low voice, hesitating a bit. He knew that other fans of Lan Mingze would be watching his live stream, waiting for him to say that the taste was bad. But he couldn’t bring himself to say something false because even if he forced himself to lie, those people would definitely beat him up. Saying that Lan Mingze’s fish couldn’t compare to any of the fish here was already a statement embellished for Lan Mingze’s sake. If he spoke the truth, he could only say that the difference in their skills was too great to even be at the same level.

Other fans of Lan Mingze were extremely disappointed with the representative fan’s behavior. He was easily swayed by a fish feast; it was truly pathetic. They wanted to revoke his fan status.

Lu Jingqian had someone arrange accommodation for these thirty people in the three largest courtyards. Each person had their own room to rest. They were allowed to move around within the estate, but they couldn’t damage anything. Any door that was closed was off-limits

These people felt like they had hit the jackpot. The rooms were elegantly and warmly decorated, with exquisite attention to detail. There was no trace of modernity, but they didn’t face any inconveniences living there. Many modern facilities that were needed were hidden beneath the ancient decorations. This place was truly on par with a high-end resort, and it was even the kind of place where an ordinary person would need to spend one to two months’ salary just to secure a room.

Most of them were too excited to sleep the entire night. They live streamed their experiences while exploring and cherishing every second because they didn’t know if they would have the luck to be chosen again.

The next morning, after having fish soup noodles prepared by Lu Jingqian himself, he had someone escort them away. However, those people were reluctant to leave, showing a strong desire to stay. Lu Jingqian smiled and hinted that if they left obediently now, there might be a chance for them to be chosen again as guests in the future. But if they insisted on staying, he wouldn’t select anyone to come over next time.

Therefore, with a reluctant mood, those people reluctantly boarded the car that was sent to take them away, casting frequent glances back. They were then brought back to the city and returned to their respective homes.

After this live stream of hosting guests, Lu Jingqian’s fame grew even larger. Moreover, his residence at Lanjing Villa became popular. Many people interested in ancient architecture were willing to spend a large sum of money to stay for a night.

Because there were only two people helping in the kitchen, Lu Jingqian was almost solely responsible for serving the guests. So he was truly tired.

Lu Jingqian planned to relax in the hot springs in the evening. He had someone pick various fruits from the orchard, and at night, he personally prepared a fruit platter with blossoming flowers. He intended to enjoy the hot springs while eating fruits. Since the fish he had been trying to catch never took the bait, he decided to add something extra to the bait and planned to live stream while soaking in the hot springs.

He placed the fruit platter on a floating wooden board in the hot springs. After starting the live stream, Lu Jingqian, wrapped in a towel around his waist, entered the water and sat down.

The camera was filming him from above and behind, capturing only his shoulders and back. But even with such a shot, many viewers in front of the screen were feeling their hearts race.

The original host had a figure that appeared slim when dressed but had some muscle when undressed due to his lifelong training. The muscle lines on his arms were very attractive, not appearing bulky but clearly indicating that he had worked out. His back was also well-toned, and the key point was his smooth and flawless fair skin.

After soaking for about twenty minutes, the camera shifted its lens upward to capture the starry night sky for a while. When it returned to film the hot springs again, Lu Jingqian was no longer in the water.

After seeing the end of the live stream, Hong Boxiao closed his computer and stood up to leave. Just as he opened the door to go out, he saw Ou Wenyu raising his hand, about to press the doorbell.

“Where are you going?” Ou Wenyu, who had come to invite him to have a meal together, looked at him with confusion.

“Go to Lanjing Villa.” Hong Boxiao pushed him out.

“Lanjing Villa?” Ou Wenyu followed behind him and said with some surprise, “It’s dark now, we can only go tomorrow. What are you rushing there for?”

“I can snag myself some dinner and rub a breakfast tomorrow.” Hong Boxiao said as he walked.

“Makes sense.” Ou Wenyu suddenly realized, then sped up to follow him, “Go go go! Let’s have dinner at Lanjing Villa.”