Chapter 33 Rejection [VIP]

Chapter Summary: No, I don't want to create a scandal.

The guests all crowded in front of the judges' table.

Mu Zhi wasn't in a hurry to go over. After each meal, she was used to tidying up the kitchen utensils and quietly cleaning the countertop.

The three judges first ate the beef with kale prepared by Qin Luefeng's group.

The judges praised it after eating it:

"Great, it tastes fresh, fragrant, and crisp."

"The beef is very tender."

"The only downside is that it was a bit cold, which affected the taste."

The second dish is chicken stew with mushrooms.

The highlight of Xia Xinyan's dish is the mushrooms, which she brought herself. She said that her grandmother picked the mushrooms on the mountain, dried them, and then asked someone from the village to send them to her in town.

This imbues the dish with warmth.

Mu Zhi admired Xia Xinyan quite a bit; she knew how to find ways to showcase herself and deepen the audience's impression of her character. (In a positive sense)

The judges ate the mushrooms first and praised them as "very delicious," adding, "but the chicken would be even more flavorful if it were stewed a little longer."

Qin Luefeng picked up a pair of chopsticks and specially took a piece of chicken to eat. He gave Xia Xinyan a thumbs up and said, "It's delicious."

Xia Xinyan and Qin Luefeng exchanged a glance. "Thank you."

When it was time to review the sauerkraut fish, Mu Zhi walked over and stood next to Lin Xuan as a backdrop.

Lin Xuan kept the name of the dish a secret at first. The judges only guessed it when they saw Mu Zhi catching fish. They were a little surprised because boiled fish requires killing the fish and slicing the fish meat, which is a relatively complicated process.

When asked why she made this dish, Lin Xuan simply said, "It's delicious."

The way Lin Xuan reacted when she got splashed with oil during the cooking process clearly showed that she rarely cooked, especially later when Lin Xuan completely abandoned her responsibilities and let Mu Zhi take over the cooking.

Therefore, the three judges had all seen the culinary skills of Lin Xuan and Mu Zhi.

After finishing the meal, Mu Zhi praised, "The fish is sliced ​​very thinly, the knife skills are excellent, this sauerkraut fish is very well made," "I really want a bowl of rice," "It has a perfect color, aroma and taste, and it's just as good as the authentic sauerkraut fish I've had at other restaurants."

Upon hearing this, the host and guests were immediately struck by the fact that singer Zhou Meiyu was the first to take action. She picked up a piece of fish with chopsticks, ate it, and then gave Mu Zhi a thumbs-up. The others followed suit, curiously stepping forward to try it.

"Mmm, I really want a bowl of rice." Xia Xinyan praised generously and gave a thumbs up.

Lin Xuan's face was so stiff from her awkward smile!

She was internally screaming: Why is everyone looking at Mu Zhi and saying that she is the guest they invited?

Mu Zhi is just an assistant!

In the final segment, the three food judges voted to select their favorite dish.

The pickled fish dish received 2 votes, and the beef and kale dish received 1 vote.

Lin Xuan's group won.

The winning guests from each episode will reunite in the final episode of "Celebrity Kitchen" to compete against each other and select a "Star Chef Champion." The champion will then donate 100,000 lunches to children in impoverished mountain areas in the name of that celebrity.

Mu Zhi sensed the anger in Lin Xuan's gaze, probably thinking that she had stolen her thunder? She guessed that Lin Xuan wouldn't dare to drag her onto the show to cause trouble again.

Mu Zhi wasn't very interested in participating in variety shows, and she didn't care whether she could come back or not.

The recording of the program has ended.

The three agents who witnessed the entire recording were Shang Jian, Ji Binghe, and Qin Luefeng's agent, Ni Jing.

The three men appeared calm, but each had their own thoughts.

"Teacher Xia, could I have your contact information? I really like chicken stew with mushrooms, and I'd like to ask you how to make it."

During the recording of "Chasing the Light Girl", Qin Luefeng wanted to add Xia Xinyan on WeChat, but there were several other girls present, so it wouldn't be appropriate to add only one person, as it would be too obvious. He couldn't find an opportunity to collaborate with her.

Xia Xinyan: "? Okay."

The two had just added each other's contact information when Qin Luefeng's agent, Ni Jing, came over and urged, "Feng, there's a commercial performance tonight, so the time is a bit tight."

Qin Luefeng waved to Xia Xinyan, "Bye-bye." He then followed his manager away with some reluctance.

We got into the car.

Manager Ni Jing carefully spoke up to remind him, "Ah Feng, you need to restrain yourself from Xia Xinyan. I don't interfere with your friendships, but you need to remember that you are a singer, and you have quite a few female fans among your music lovers. At this stage, any rumors about you will not be good for either of you or Xia Xinyan."

Qin Luefeng didn't seem to care. "Is it that obvious?"

Because she had added Xia Xinyan, she happily flipped her phone between her fingers: "Sister Jing, as a singer, the most important thing for me is my professional skills. I have never pretended to be single in front of my fans."

To clarify, I won't forgo dating for the sake of my fans.

He's not some kind of idol.

Agent Ni Jing knew that Qin Luefeng came from a wealthy family and entered the entertainment industry simply because he loved music. She knew he could still live a successful life after leaving the industry, so talking to him about "idol rules" was useless. Fortunately, relationships require mutual consent.

Xia Xinyan's manager, Ji Binghe, is a notorious tyrant who is strict with her artists.

The two artists are still far from settled, so she can only keep a close eye on things.

Once the recording of the program was finished, the cameras stopped rolling.

Lin Xuan's face immediately fell. She put on sunglasses and a mask and left, followed closely by her staff.

Shang Jian said he had something to discuss with Lin Xuan and left first.

When Mu Zhi and her assistant Minmin left, they ran into Xia Xinyan and her agent.

"Hello, I'm Xinyan's manager. I really enjoyed your performances on stage in the second and third rounds of 'Chasing the Light Girl.' This is our first time meeting, and I'd like to give you a small gift. I think you need one right now, and I hope you like it."

He handed me a brand new bottle of perfume.

Mu Zhi was slightly taken aback, but what she saw in Ji Binghe's eyes was a sincere gesture of goodwill and an expression of kindness.

She did indeed smell a bit of pickled fish on herself, and hesitantly accepted the perfume: "Thank you."

You're welcome, see you next time.

After Ji Binghe finished speaking, she left with Xia Xinyan and the staff.

Assistant Minmin leaned over and glanced at the perfume in Mu Zhi's hand, noticing the perfume's logo: "Wow, this is the new limited edition perfume [Bally], a luxury perfume brand. This small bottle costs several thousand."

"Sister Zhizhi, why did Xia Xinyan's manager suddenly send you perfume?"

Mu Zhi was also confused: "Maybe it's just because I cooked on the show, and they felt I needed to cover up my 'homely' image?"

Minmin: "...Sister Zhizhi, you're so funny." She laughed heartily in response.

Mu Zhi looked at the perfume in her hand, wondering: Why did Ji Binghe seem to know me quite well when we met earlier, as if we were old friends?

But this was their first meeting.

And then there are the unexpected gifts and gestures of goodwill; it's really strange.

Xia Xinyan felt a little jealous when she saw her manager give Mu Zhi a gift.

A sense of crisis arose, and a thought popped into my mind: Could it be that the agent wants to sign Mu Zhi?

But they dared not inquire casually.

Because her future development depends on this agent, she is just one of the many artists under Ji Binghe's management, and she has to obediently play the role of an compliant artist.

Once they got into the car, it was the manager who had something to say to Xia Xinyan.

This time, Ji Binghe put aside her other work and flew to Lin'an City with Xia Xinyan to record a program. The main reason was that Xia Xinyan was a newcomer, and she had to personally guide her in the early stages and observe the artists' performance and state on the program.

After the show is finished, we will point out the problems that existed during the recording process, so that the artists can continuously correct themselves and quickly grow from newcomers into artists who are at ease in front of the camera and can stand on their own.

In today's "Celebrity Kitchen," Mu Zhi stood out the most among the six celebrity guests. This is why Ji Binghe gave Mu Zhi a perfume she really liked and had just received yesterday, which she hadn't even opened yet—purely out of appreciation.

She admired her boss He Zhiyue's foresight.

However, when Ji Binghe reviewed Xia Xinyan's performance during today's recording, she did not mention Mu Zhi, as she dislikes comparing or belittling celebrities.

Xia Xinyan listened attentively, nodding as she took notes, when her manager abruptly changed the subject.

"Xinyan, let me remind you, you must remember the promise you made to me that you will not date for the next 3 years."

Hearing Ji Binghe's words, Xia Xinyan blushed and waved her hands, "Sister Ji, please don't misunderstand, I..."

Ji Binghe gestured for Xia Xinyan to listen to her finish speaking: "Qin Luefeng was originally supposed to record the next episode, but he communicated with the production team on the grounds of scheduling conflicts and came to this episode. During the recording, the way he looked at you clearly showed that he had a good impression of you."

"He's a rich second-generation heir. If he can't make it in the entertainment industry, he can go back and inherit the family business. But how important is your career to you? How hard did it take for you to get to where you are today? I don't need to emphasize that, do I?"

Xia Xinyan nodded: "Don't worry, Sister Ji, I've only met him twice on the show, and we have no contact in private." She picked up her phone, indicating that the contact information she had just added could be deleted immediately.

Ji Binghe tentatively said, "There's no need to delete contact information. We're all in the entertainment industry, and we'll have another chance to appear on stage together. After this episode airs, some netizens might try to pair you two up. If you don't mind creating a CP (couple pairing) collaboration, I can talk to Qin Luefeng's agent..."

"No, I don't want to create a scandal."

Xia Xinyan refused without hesitation.

Seeing his agent looking at him, he explained, "I will become famous through my own abilities."

Ji Binghe nodded approvingly: "Very good, then remember to keep your distance from Qin Luefeng."

"Okay." Xia Xinyan lowered her eyes slightly, feeling a little uneasy inside.

At this stage, she only wants to focus on her career, but she also longs for love, only that the person is not Qin Luefeng.

Instead, it was the person who brought her back to China, arranged for her to participate in a talent show, and changed the trajectory of her life that she carefully hid in the deepest part of her heart.

One week later.

The show "Celebrity Kitchen," featuring Mu Zhi and others, is about to be released online.

Before the recording of the program.

Mu Zhi's fans saw online posts from marketing accounts and scalpers claiming that their idol would be recording a variety show with Xia Xinyan and Lin Xuan.

They were mocked and belittled by netizens and fans of other groups.

"The treatment Xia Xinyan and Mu Zhi received for not forming a group is quite different; one is a guest, and the other is a guest assistant, haha."

"This pretty but talentless girl got on the show by piggybacking on the company's top female star. Tsk tsk, the gap between her and Xia Xinyan has widened dramatically."

"After Five Flowers debuted as a group, they recently announced several endorsements and brand promotions, shot magazine covers, recorded several variety shows, and are preparing a new album. Mu Zhi was once a popular candidate for the center position. It's ironic that 'Celebrity Kitchen' is her first variety show, and she's only doing it by piggybacking on the top spot."

"The upper limit of being a 'pretty face' is just appearing on variety shows and becoming an internet celebrity. It's even worse than I expected. I have to rely on others to get on variety shows."

......

Mu Zhi's fans couldn't help but worry that their daughter would become a background figure with few shots during the recording of the show due to the uneven treatment of guests and assistants.

Unexpectedly, "Celebrity Kitchen" was launched online.

Fans who watched the show exclaimed: !!! My daughter is so amazing!