CH 41.2

A few moments later.

Zhu Qing’an returned with a big box.

“Wow…”

Zhu Qing’an opened the box.

The dry and warm cave was suddenly a bit cold.

Zhu Qing’an came back with a big box of ice.

“Mr. Qin, try this.” Zhu Qing’an squatted down and picked up a small handful of ice: “Rub this on your face, maybe it won’t be uncomfortable.”

The young man’s hands were as white as snow, as he held a few pieces of crystal clear ice, the young man’s hands seem even whiter and thinner.

The man frowned and did what Zhu Qing’an said.

The cold ice really seemed to relieve the heat brought on by the rut.

It kind of worked.

Although it didn’t completely relieve ……

Qin Hengyi thought, but when he unintentionally glanced at Zhu Qingan’s hand, he instantly froze.

The ice outside had existed for at least several thousand years, and there was no possibility of it melting.

This also meant that the ice was very thick and hard.

These ice blocks that Zhu Qing’an brought were completely dug with his bare hands.

The young man’s white and slim hands, was terribly pale, even the blue veins under his skin were faintly visible.

…… his little friend, for him …… he really didn’t even care about his body.

Qin Hengyi’s heart melted.

After Zhu Qing’an saw that Qin Hengyi had no major problems, he was ready to bolt, he rubbed his hands: “Mr. Qin, you’re all right, right? Then I’ll go back first, I’m a little cold …… about the New Year’s Eve dinner, I’ll notify you on Weibo.”

He seemed to be unable to perceive the magnitude of Qin Hengyi’s thoughts.

Qin Hengyi: “……”

He wanted to go back to deal with his hands. But he was afraid to make him worry or angry, he could only find another reason to leave in silence.

It was too heartbreaking.

“Go back.” The man looked at the teenager’s clean, clear eyes and replied in a deep voice.

Zhu Qing’an took off his holographic helmet.

Then he glanced at his hands.

After Sammy helped him modify the clothing bug earlier, he also deleted one of the five senses in the game – the sense of pain. For the player’s safety.

That was why Zhu Qing’an had the courage to dig the ice.

Zhu Qing’an thought back to Qin Hengyi’s reaction after he ate his food.

The golden finger the game gave him didn’t seem bad.

He was looking forward to the variety show.

Zhu Qing’an put away the holographic helmet, picked up the light computer, nestled on the sofa and opened Weibo.

–The contestants who are going to participate in the variety show are all ready to go. Fans should pay attention so that they can come and support themselves.

Zhu Qing’an also made a post.

[@ZhuQinganV: I will be participating in the variety show ‘Dinner’s on’ the day after tomorrow. The concept is ‘New Year’s Eve Dinner’, please support.]

The comments grew as fast as before.

But gradually, Zhu Qing’an discovered a very serious problem.

— The fans’ attention was on what happened between him and Qin Hengyi.

The comments under this Weibo were almost all about them, not at all related to “Dinner’s On”.

In addition, the dishes he announced was unlike the other contestants’ popular dishes. “New Year’s Eve dinner” was an unfamiliar word to young people in the Empire.

Few people were interested in “New Year’s Eve Dinner” if they hadn’t tasted it.

–This also meant that the number of fans who would support Zhu Qing’an when he participated in the variety show may be small compared to other contestants.

But it was enough to hold a “lively” New Year’s Eve dinner.

Zhu Qing’an: “……”

He didn’t feel any extra emotions.

His culinary skills were already good, plus he had the golden finger, he didn’t need too many fans to support the scene.

And Zhu Qing’an was cooking the New Year’s Eve dinner on the variety show, for Qin Hengyi ……

He wanted him to experience the New Year’s Eve dinner that he couldn’t during his childhood.

Zhu Qing’an took a quick glance at the Weibo Hot Search list before he closed the app.

But the next moment, he suddenly froze.

The No.1 hot search was about him.

# Zhu Qing’an to participate in Dinner’s On #

Before he made the post, he also glanced at the hot search list, that wasn’t there at that time. But when he made the post, the number one search changed and it corresponded exactly to the post he had just made.

Zhu Qing’an first reaction was – someone bought him a hot search!

It was impossible for someone to get to the number one spot so fast by virtue of their natural popularity!

He was currently wondering if only a few fans would come to see his variety show, but the next moment, someone bought him the position with the most publicity on the entire star network.

Buying a hot search was a normal thing in the entertainment industry. Many agencies would buy hot searches for their artists, and fans would also buy hot searches to make their favourite artist happy.

But as for buying the first hot search, that wasn’t so common.

The No.1 spot in the hot search list was expensive and not many people could afford to buy it.

Zhu Qing’an: “……”

He only knew one person that could do that.

Qin Hengyi.

Only someone as rich as Qin Hengyi wouldn’t hesitate at all to buy the No.1 hot search spot for his lover less than a minute after he made the post.

He didn’t know the actual amount of money Qin Hengyi had.

Zhu Qing’an scratched his head lightly, and wrote in his little notebook.

He owed Qin Hengyi another favor.

Zhu Qing’an turned off Weibo, stood up and glanced at the calendar.

The day the variety show would be held was on New Year’s Eve.

Everything was just right.

Due to family reasons, he was one of the few people in the Empire who knew about New Year and New Year’s Eve.

In the New Year, fireworks would be set off and couplets would be posted …

He wondered if there were fireworks in the empire.

Zhu Qing’an suddenly wanted to buy a string of fireworks and see them in the game with Qin Hengyi.

Fire red fireworks, could it melt the ice and snow there?

The variety show was about to start in the afternoon at Starlight Building.

Zhu Qing’an had been living a full life these days, constantly practicing his cooking skills with his golden finger. In the blink of an eye, it was time for the variety show to begin.

He was a little nervous, Qin Hengyi bought him the No.1 spot on the hot search list, this was his first time being on it, he didn’t know how many people would come because of it.

Moreover, it was unknown what kind of spark would be generated by the game’s complimentary golden finger and a group of netizens who had never eaten ancient earth dishes.

This variety show was also the first time he would cook in front of so many people.

One of the reasons he kept cooking continuously during this time was because he was afraid he would suddenly freeze when it started.

…… Before, it was always him cooking and eating by himself.

Before the variety show started, Zhu Qing’an sat in the rest room and opened his Weibo page to take a look.

His Weibo followers had increased a lot.

The comment section of that Weibo post about the variety show also gradually returned to the right track, it was no longer focused on his and Qin Hengyi’s romance.

[Go An An! I’m going to eat An An’s dishes for the first time! So excited!]

[Finally! I won’t be jealous of An’s boyfriend! ! We can also have a meal cooked by An An! 】

[What’s a ‘New Year’s Eve dinner’? I’ve never heard of it!]

[I feel like An’s cooking will be different from the other contestants’ cooking.]

When Zhu Qing’an saw so many people supporting him, the corners of his lips raised slightly.

He put down the light computer, organized his outfit, and then walked into the live room specially prepared for the variety show.

The live room had all kinds of cooking utensils, even much richer than the ones in Zhu Qing’an’s base.

The youth wore a simple and fresh white shirt and black pants, with a black apron tied around his waist, making his waist seem unexpectedly slim.

He glanced at the number of people watching in the holographic screen.

–Three hundred million.

Zhu Qing’an froze.

He had never seen such a large number of viewers ……

Soon …… there would be three hundred million people eating New Year’s Eve dinner with him?

In addition to the record of the number of viewers in the holographic screen, there were also live videos of other contestants.

The other contestants had already started preparing the ingredients.

Zhu Qing’an couldn’t be left behind either.

He started by making the most important meal of the New Year’s Eve dinner – sweet and sour carp.

Fish was an essential dish in the New Year’s Eve dinner, representing the yearly prosperity.

An arm-length carp was coated with cornstarch and placed in a frying pan with onion, ginger and garlic.

Then came the preparation of sweet and sour sauce, tomato sauce, sugar, soy sauce ……

The carp was fried, charred on the outside and tender on the inside, and then drizzled with the simmering sweet and sour sauce, which emitted a tantalizing fragrance, and added a tantalizing soy-red color to the carp’s golden yellow coat.

Zhu Qing’an quickly finished the dish. When the dish was set out, its aroma was also recorded by the machine and uploaded to Starnet, where it was smelled by all the viewers who were watching with their holographic helmets on.

The comments instantly went silent.

Zhu Qing’an didn’t bother to read the comments, but he continued to prepare the next dish – Four Happiness Dumplings.

As he cooked the dish, he explained the meaning of the New Year’s Eve dinner for the audience in attendance.

“New Year’s Eve dinner is one of the oldest and most symbolic festivals on ancient Earth.”

“New Year’s Eve dinner is held at the end of the year, and all family members are expected to arrive and eat together.”

“How long has it been since you have had a meal with your parents?”

Zhu Qing’an asked as he cooked, his movements subconsciously slowed down.

He seemed to go back to that day in his childhood.

–That was the first time he had New Year’s Eve dinner with his parents, and the last time.

The New Year’s Eve dinner had fish and meat …… Father, as always, wore thick glasses and mother wore an apron, and together they were busy in the kitchen.

The taste of the dishes made, he really didn’t remember too well. He only remembered that he was happ at that time.

He knew for the first time that there was such a wonderful holiday on ancient earth, a day that would bring the whole family together.

It was less than two days after this meal, and probably around New Year’s time.

His parents disappeared.

His parents, as if they had anticipated their disappearance, ate with him in advance.

From then on, Zhu Qing’an had no one to rely on.

In order to eat, he entered a underground restaurant as a child laborer, he grew up hungry before he escaped in a daze, after that, he did all kinds of jobs, as a livestock farmer, cashier, group performer……

He had always been alone.

Zhu Qing’an looked at the “300 million” viewers in the holographic screen, and there seemed to be a light flashing in his eyes.

–But now, he was no longer alone.

The ultimate positive in negativity.

Things were slowly moving in the direction he wanted.

Zhu Qing’an lifted his head, put down the cooking utensils in his hands, and looked at the wide array of dishes.

The young man’s gentle voice rang out: “The New Year’s Eve dinner is ready, let’s eat together.”

As he didn’t speaking, the audience that were still immersed in the process of Zhu Qing’an cooking, instantly surged up.

[This is the first time I’ve seen someone cook so fast! Dinner is ready!]

[An An is great! It looks so delicious! No one should steal it from me!]

[The New Year’s Eve dinner looks great.]

There were six dishes for the New Year’s Eve dinner, sweet and sour carp, buckled pork with preserved plums, four-happiness dumplings, and casserole shrimp ……

The pork with preserved plums emitted a tantalizing fragrance. The meat was cooked to a round color and then wrapped with fresh plum vegetables, allowing the unique aroma of plum vegetables to fully infuse into the meat. Finally, a small handful of green onions was sprinkled on top. The taste of meat and vegetables were fully blended, it didn’t feel fatty, instead it seemed a bit fresh and delicious.

The dumplings were rolled and drizzled with a special sauce that was sweet and crispy, and then topped with a few slices of cleaned cucumber. The cucumber was garnished with the four-flavor balls, lying quietly in a white porcelain dish, and when poked with chopsticks, the soft gravy would spill out.

…………

Most of the people watching usually consumed nutritional supplements, and few had ever eaten ancient earth dishes.

The dishes made by Zhu Qing’an were eaten up in almost minutes and seconds.

Zhu Qing’an looked at the increasing number of people watching, which had grown to a staggering 400 million.

He was excited.

…… This was his first time sharing his cooking with so many people.

Zhu Qing’an took a deep breath and gently bowed towards the live camera.

“Thank you all for your support.”

Then, he raised himself up, squinted his eyes, and said slowly, “By the way, I want to say a word to everyone – Happy New Year.”

At the end of the year, the old year ended and the new year began.

The audience was confused for a short while and then there were replies.

[New Year? Happy New Year An! The food is delicious! Love it!]

[The New Year’s Eve dinner was eaten! I’m crying! Happy New Year!]

[Ann’s cooking is super delicious! I want to eat Ann’s four happiness dumplings again!]

[Happy New Year!]

“Thank you all.” Zhu Qing’an couldn’t help but repeat again.

The live broadcast was almost over, all that was left was to wait for the variety statistics ranking and wait for the results.

Zhu Qing’an raised his head and glanced at the other contestants’ live streams without thinking.

The contestants weren’t as fast as Zhu Qing’an, and there were even people who were mulling over the first dish. Most of their hungry fans had long been waiting and relentlessly ran to Zhu Qing’an to enjoy their food.

One of the live streamers disappeared, no one knew where they went.

Zhu Qing’an was more worried about Qin Hengyi.

Before he entered, he received a notice that Qin Hengyi had joined the live room.

Qin Hengyi didn’t send a comment, he’d been quietly watching.

–This New Year’s Eve dinner, what kind of impact would it have on Qin Hengyi?

Could it heal his heart? What kind of memory fragments could be awakened in him? Could the quest released by the game be successfully completed because of the New Year’s Eve dinner? Would he get the reward for completing the task?

Zhu Qing’an quickened his pace, he couldn’t wait to go back to the rest room to take a look at the light computer.

Outside the live room was the corridor.

In the middle of the corridor, there was a person crouching down.

The person’s shoulders hunched slightly, seemingly in tears.

Zhu Qing’an frowned, walked over, and handed him some tissues, “What’s wrong?”

The person squatting on the ground looked a bit familiar. It was the contestant who left the live broadcast midway, a male entertainer that liked cooking.

The youth looked a bit wretched, his eyes were red, he wiped the teardrops at the corner of his eyes and stammered to Zhu Qing’an: “Nothing …… that New Year’s Eve dinner of yours reminded me of mom and dad.”

Zhu Qing’an: “You can take time off to go back and see them.”

“They have passed away.” The youth murmured.

Zhu Qing’an didn’t expect such a reply: “Sorry ……”

“It’s okay.” The youth stood up and wiped his tears: “The New Year’s Eve dinner you had with the netizens reminded me of Mom and Dad, besides, It also reminded me …… that companionship is not bound to parents, there are many others who can accompany us and eat New Year’s Eve dinner with us. Your cooking is delicious.”

“Thanks.”

The youth remembered something and quickly took out a business card from his pocket, “My family actually owns a business, and just now they sent me a message. They are very optimistic about your cooking skills and want to invest in an online food store for you.”

Nowadays, besides acting, stars would do some additional side businesses under the banner of stardom. Opening an online store was one of them, there were those selling cosmetics, game props, etc. ……

“You can use some of your free time to make some dishes to sell on the online store, it’s guaranteed to be very popular, you can also share your food with others.” The youth continued, “If you have any ideas, contact me, this is my business card.”

Zhu Qing’an: “……”

Zhu Qing’an accepted the business card and nodded, “Thank you.”

Zhu Qing’an stuffed the business card back into his pocket and quickly walked back to the rest room.

His heart was beating wildly, and countless speculative ideas popped up in his heart.

Among them, the one he was most curious about was the reward for the completion of the game.

A copy of Qin Hengyi’s ID card, work permit …… and memory fragments.

Through these, Zhu Qing’an could know Qin Hengyi’s past –

Even a little bit was good.

Qin Hengyi had made his future look brighter.

And he wanted to do his part to add shine a little light on Qin Hengyi’s obscure past.

Zhu Qing’an took off his clothes, sat on the sofa in the rest room, and took the light computer from his backpack.

He skillfully opened the “False Love” game interface.

The background of the game had several text boxes.

After reading these text boxes, Zhu Qing’an couldn’t remain calm.