Jincheng Garden
Cheng Yu picked up a piece of braised pork with chopsticks and put it in her mouth, with a desperate expression on her face. Xia Ningmi was standing next to her. Her mood had become very bad because of this dish, but nothing could be seen on her face.
The next moment, Cheng Yu frowned slightly: "President, you put too much dark soy sauce, the meat has a strong dark soy flavor."
These past few days, Cheng Yu has been like a guinea pig, trying out Xia Ningmi's braised pork with preserved vegetables every day. She is almost ptsd to this dish and feels like vomiting when she smells it. Yet she can still give suggestions under such circumstances. She feels it would be unacceptable if she is not named the best employee this year.
When Cheng Yu first learned that Xia Ning wanted to learn how to cook pork with preserved vegetables, she admired Du Yuanzhe. But after being a guinea pig for a few days, she only felt sympathy for herself.
Xia Ningmi frowned: "The dosage is not clearly stated in the online tutorial."
In the past few days, while learning how to make pork with preserved vegetables, "a little" and "appropriate amount" have become the words Xia Ningmi hates the most.
Cheng Yu walked into the kitchen, took a look, picked up a small spoon and said, "Dark soy sauce is only used for coloring. It's okay to put less. Just put half a spoon when you make it."
Xia Ningmi wrote down the dosage.
Cheng Yu breathed a sigh of relief, finally no longer having to suffer.
Xia Ningmi looked at the wasted food in the trash can and decided never to cook again. She would rather work overtime in the office than step into the kitchen.
......
The agreed day came in a blink of an eye
At 5:30 in the afternoon, Xia Ningmi returned to Huahu Apartment after get off work.
Du Yuanzhe pointed to the kitchen and said, "I have prepared all the ingredients."
Xia Ning walked into the kitchen and saw pickled mustard greens and a large piece of pork belly on the chopping board. She soaked the pickled mustard greens first according to what she had practiced a few days ago. Her previous experience told her that if the pickled mustard greens were not soaked properly, the taste of the pork belly would be seriously affected.
Next, Xia Ningmi did not turn on the fire to cook the meat, but left the kitchen and returned to her room.
Du Yuanzhe looked at her in confusion as she went upstairs.
After a while, she came downstairs with something, which was... a small electronic scale.
Puff——
Du Yuanzhe couldn't help laughing out loud: "Boss Xia is really talented."
Xia Ningmi ignored him with an indifferent expression and returned to the kitchen to begin weighing the things she would need in a methodical manner. She weighed the pork belly first, and then matched the dosage of other things according to the weight of the pork belly.
The first thing she weighed was peanut oil.
Du Yuanzhe was amazed. It was the first time he saw someone weighing oil before cooking.
She didn’t even know how much oil to put in. How can this pork with preserved vegetables be edible?
Xia Ningmi weighed the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, cooking wine and other seasonings in turn. She weighed all the things she needed in one go and put them aside for later use.
It was only then that Xia Ningmi started to cook. She had obviously memorized the recipe for Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables and followed the tutorial step by step without any unnecessary movements.
Du Yuanzhe watched her wipe off the moisture on the cooked meat bit by bit, leaving no area untouched. He guessed that she must have been splashed with oil, perhaps more than once.
People who have just started cooking will basically encounter this problem, and Du Yuanzhe has been splashed with oil many times.
Xia Ning lit a pan and heated the oil. She took a deep breath and slowly put the pork belly into the pan. She stepped back subconsciously and waited until there was no mess in the pan before she stepped forward to fry the pork belly. She took it out when it was golden brown and then moved on to the next step...
Half an hour later
Xia Ningmi placed a plate of braised pork with preserved vegetables that looked barely presentable in front of Du Yuanzhe.
Du Yuanzhe watched the entire cooking process and confirmed that this was not a weird dish, so he picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth with confidence.
The taste is average, not good nor bad.
Du Yuanzhe said, "It's hard for President Xia."
Xia Ningmi said calmly: "I have done what I promised."
Du Yuanzhe gestured, "Mr. Xia, don't you want to eat?"
Xia Ning didn't even look at the pork with preserved vegetables on the table: "I don't like it."
She has been dealing with pork belly these days and she doesn't want to eat any dishes with pork belly as an ingredient recently.
Du Yuanzhe stood up and said, "Then I'll go cook now."
Xia Ningmi stopped him: "I've already ordered takeout. Since you like preserved vegetable and pork, then eat it all."
Du Yuanzhe looked at the plate of pork with preserved vegetables, which barely had a good appearance and aroma, and said bitterly, "I want to eat takeout, too."
Xia Ningmi looked at him coldly: "Because of this dish, I have been busy for a week. Do you know how much time I wasted?"
Du Yuanzhe sat up straight immediately: "I will finish it!"
But he still ordered himself a bowl of noodles. He couldn't just eat the vegetables without any preparation.
Xia Ningmi ordered takeout from the hotel for herself, a portion of rice and a portion of sweet and sour fish. The aroma wafted out as soon as she opened the takeout box.
Du Yuanzhe secretly swallowed his saliva and continued to eat the pork with preserved vegetables reluctantly.
[From now on, I can no longer let Xia Ning learn how to cook. In the end, I will be the only one who suffers.]
The two people sat opposite each other, but the dishes they ate were completely different.
Du Yuanzhe didn't want to be tempted by the smell of fish, so he started the conversation and asked, "Boss Xia, do you still want to know about the future?"
Xia Ning raised her eyes to look at him.
Du Yuanzhe said: "I can tell you, but I need to ask you something first. I hope you can answer truthfully."
If he wants to change his fate, he can't do it alone. Xia Ningmi is a good partner, not to mention it's related to herself.
Xia Ningmi retracted her gaze and said, "You say."
Du Yuanzhe asked, "I know that Mr. Jiang and your grandfather have verbally agreed on your marriage with Jiang Chelin. You two are a couple who are only one step away from getting officially engaged. But why don't you like Jiang Chelin?"
[According to the novel, the female supporting character Xia Ningmi is cold and indifferent, and Jiang Chelin is the only person she cares about. But now it is obviously inconsistent with the plot of the novel.]
Xia Ning asked back: "Why should I like him?"
Du Yuanzhe said: "From what I know, he showed up when you were most helpless and brought you warmth, and you fell in love with him because of that."
Helpless?
Xia Ningmi said calmly, "The first time I met Jiang Chelin was at my grandfather's birthday party. At that time, my mother and Zhou Heng were divorced, and she left me to my grandfather. I did feel helpless because of the unfamiliar environment, but it was not the most helpless compared to what I had experienced before."
"As for giving me warmth, that's nonsense. Jiang Chelin only said one sentence to me."
Du Yuanzhe immediately asked: "What?"
Xia Ningmi said, "Because we are of similar age, Old Jiang always asked him to look after me. Jiang Chelin had already made an appointment with his friends to go out and play, but he didn't want to take me with him, so he threatened me, saying, 'If you dare to complain to my grandfather, I won't let you go.'"
"Do you think this is warm?"
Du Yuanzhe was dumbfounded.
This plot is too biased.
System, what is going on?
Sizzle, sizzle——
Xia Ningmi heard the crackling sound again, and she suspected that Du Yuanzhe had a bigger secret.
Without getting a response from the system, Du Yuanzhe could only think for himself and said, "Falling in love with Jiang Chelin was the beginning of your misfortune, but now that you don't like Jiang Chelin, maybe your future has already changed."
"Or maybe you will like Jiang Chelin in the future?"
Xia Ningmi asked him: "Why does liking Jiang Chelin make me unhappy?"
Du Yuanzhe said: "Jiang Chelin only likes Wei Lingling, and you will do something bad to Wei Lingling because you can't get her. Jiang Chelin will deal with you because of this, and then Xia's company will be bankrupted by him."
"Xia's bankruptcy is my future?"
"right."
"That's all?"
Du Yuanzhe hesitated for a moment and then nodded: "What do you mean by only this? Isn't it serious enough? If Xia's company goes bankrupt, you will be left with nothing."
[Death is too scary, so don’t tell her]
"Even if Xia's company really goes bankrupt, I won't be left with nothing. I won't be unable to transfer my assets."
[You are dead, how can you transfer your property?]
Xia Ningmi lowered her eyes. As expected, she died before the Xia family went bankrupt.
"Since you're going to say it, don't hide it."
Du Yuanzhe's face froze, and he asked unnaturally, "What does President Xia mean?"
Xia Ningmi said: "In the future you see, I have nothing, but I know very well that this is even more impossible than the Xia family going bankrupt, unless I can do nothing at that time."
"Vegetative? Or dead?"
Du Yuanzhe sighed: "Don't be so smart, please!"
"Which one?"
Du Yuanzhe couldn't bear it: "The most serious one."
Xia Ningmi deliberately misunderstood: "It turns out he is a vegetable."
Du Yuanzhe raised his head suddenly: "How can being in a vegetative state be more serious than being dead?"
Xia Ningmi said calmly, "Xia's bankrupt, they definitely don't have the money to treat me, it would be better if I died."
Du Yuanzhe looked at her expression, his eyes still calm, and asked in confusion: "After hearing the news in person, President Xia didn't feel anything at all?"
Xia Ningmi shook her head: "It's just something that didn't happen. Who can be sure that it will happen?"
Du Yuanzhe smiled bitterly: "Mr. Xia's psychological quality is much better than mine."
Xia Ningmi continued to ask: "Was my death an accident or man-made?"
"It was probably an accident. You were hit by a large truck on your way home from work. The truck driver later admitted that he was driving under the influence of alcohol."
Xia Ningmi disagrees with this statement: "It is not difficult to make a person confess willingly."
"What do you mean?" Du Yuanzhe's pupils shrank, but he immediately shook his head: "Impossible, if it was really man-made, why didn't the author of the novel write it?"
Xia Ningmi said coldly, "What if Jiang Chelin did it? Everyone has a bias. The author is partial to the hero of the novel, so of course he won't let him bear the blame. It's more appropriate to deal with it vaguely."
Du Yuanzhe felt a chill in his heart: "This is murder, how could Jiang Chelin be so bold?"
Xia Ningmi said, "This is not just murder, it also involves the Xia family. Many people are willing to take risks for the sake of profit. Moreover, if Jiang Chelin takes action, he will definitely make it perfect. As long as the truck driver refuses to give in, he will be invincible."
Du Yuanzhe frowned: "But Jiang Chelin already has Jiang."
Xia Ning looked at him: "If there is a chance, I will create all conditions to annex the Jiang family."
杜元哲和她對視：“包括殺人？”
夏凝覓搖頭：“不包括，國家遠比我們想象中強大，任何犯罪都不能存在僥幸心理。”
杜元哲心底松了口氣，他真不希望夏凝覓是個不擇手段的人，道：“這麽說來，小說劇情确實有很多不符合事實的地方，不能全信書中所說。”
“不過......”
方才渾身冒寒氣的夏凝覓突然收斂氣勢，道：“剛才所有的猜測都是最極端的可能，以蔣澈霖的傲氣，他使用這種下三濫手段的可能性不大。”
杜元哲目瞪口呆。
【我都懷疑你要先下手為強了，結果你現在來一句可能性不大，你逗我玩呢？】
夏凝覓道：“但我對小說作者可能會模糊處理某些事情的猜測不變，你所看到的劇情并非一定就是事實。”
這才是她想說的重點！
杜元哲贊同地點點頭。
話題進行到這裏變得沉重，兩人将碗筷放進洗碗機，便回到客廳。
杜元哲想緩解一下情緒，提議道：“要不玩局游戲？”
自從他回來後，他們就沒再一起打游戲。
夏凝覓點頭。
兩人一連打了幾個小時的游戲，等感覺到疲憊了才各自回房休息。
......
興城
杜元哲和小胖兩人剛走出機場就看到節目組的車。
“杜老師，我來接你去酒店，明天正式開始錄制。”
杜元哲點頭：“麻煩你了。”
酒店是節目組幫忙訂的，杜元哲和小胖的房間是對門。
杜元哲放下行李，在房間裏轉了轉道：“節目組還挺大方的。”
小胖道：“這檔綜藝因為內容新穎，剛播出就引起極大的反響，節目組肯定接到不少廣告合作，有錢可不就大方嘛。”
“哲哥，節目有四個固定嘉賓，金昊是主持人，負責搞笑和暖場，王天敬性格耿直，心直口快，以前參加節目經常說錯話得罪人，這檔節目主要是演，王天敬因為演得好漲了不少人氣，侯瑜和林斌都是愛豆演員，他們演技最差，但他們粉絲最多，而且在節目裏放得開，又懂得尊敬前輩，評價并不差。”
“《角色扮演》的重點是尋找線索完善自己的角色，同時還要自己分析角色的行為習慣以及和其他角色之間可能存在的牽扯，嘉賓們都會專注玩游戲尋找線索，基本上不會有什麽勾心鬥角搶鏡頭的事情發生。”
杜元哲來之前特意看了兩期節目，對這四個固定嘉賓都有些了解，明星們上綜藝除了想賺錢，就是想提高名氣，有點腦子的都不會在鏡頭下暴露缺點。
當然，自以為正常的奇葩不算。
這天晚上，綜藝導演把所有人聚在一起吃了個飯，提前熟悉一下。
自從拍攝《雲瀾傳》後，杜元哲在圈裏屬于是很多人聽說過他，但不認識他，四個固定嘉賓中也就金昊認識他，這還是因為金昊是主持人，習慣性了解娛樂圈高熱度的人和事。
在飯桌上，杜元哲見到了另一位嘉賓明展書，和他一樣是演員，不過人家是老演員了，比杜元哲早出道十多年，就是運道不太好，一直沒得到擔主的機會，在娛樂圈有“黃金配角”的稱號。
一夜無話
次日早上五點，杜元哲的房門被敲響，然後不等杜元哲開門就有人走進來。
杜元哲察覺到動靜猛地驚醒坐起來，就看到床頭站着一個人，正舉着攝像機正在拍他。
杜元哲松了口氣：“這麽早就要拍攝？”
攝影師道：“杜老師，導演讓你們現在下樓集合。”
杜元哲看看手機才五點，怪不得總聽人拍攝真人秀會很累，從起床時間就看出來了。
進浴室簡單洗漱，杜元哲換了一身衣服就下樓來到大廳，等所有人都到後，導演組道：“請所有嘉賓抽取角色卡。”
這是節目慣例，杜元哲并不陌生，随着衆人上前抽出一張卡片。
【縣令獨子：已和舉人之女定親，飽讀詩書，溫文爾雅，已考中秀才功名，一心想要金榜題名】
“你們搞事吧！”
杜元哲剛看完角色卡就聽到一聲幽怨的聲音。
金昊拿着角色卡一臉崩潰，幾人好奇湊過去看。
【縣令夫人：溫柔賢淑，和風細雨，掌府中中饋，膝下有一獨子，對獨子多有溺愛】
噗嗤——
“哈哈哈哈～縣令夫人”
“昊哥，不，金夫人，好厲害的身份啊。”
“我不都敢想象昊哥這大粗嗓門怎麽表演溫柔賢淑。”
杜元哲迅速進入角色，拱手道：“給母親請安。”
衆人再次爆笑。
金昊咬牙：“我嚴重懷疑節目組在對我打擊報複。”
節目組立刻否認：“我們本着公平公正的原則讓大家抽卡，絕無暗箱操作。”
杜元哲笑着笑着突然想到一件事，忙問道：“你們誰是我未婚妻？”
金昊聽言眼睛一亮，希冀般看向王天敬等幾個男嘉賓，這種倒黴事如果有人陪着當然最好。
王天敬率先亮出角色卡：“讓昊哥失望了，不是我。”
【縣令：七品知縣，百姓父母官，公正廉明，剛正不阿】
侯瑜站出來道：“讓昊哥失望了，是我。”
【舉人之女：知書達禮，精通琴棋書畫，和縣令獨子定親】
杜元哲松了口氣，他真不想對着男人演深情。
金昊幽怨的小眼神再次看向節目組：“還說不是打擊報複，就我的角色最離譜。”
明展書飾演縣令獨子的教書先生，林斌飾演明展書之前的學生，同樣考中秀才，并且暗戀侯瑜。
這麽一圈看下來，确實就金昊最離譜。
節目組也沒想到會是這樣的抽卡結果，搞得他們都懷疑自己暗箱操作了，怕被金昊打，立刻道：“請各位嘉賓去換裝，之後在拍攝地集合。”
杜元哲跟着工作人員來到化妝間，等他坐在化妝臺前看着化妝師給他戴假發，心裏默默感慨，他才摘掉假發沒多久又戴上了。
一個小時後
杜元哲穿着一身白色士子裝，坐節目組的車來到古色古香的小鎮中心，這個小鎮上一點現代化的元素都沒有，裏面來來往往的百姓都是身着古裝，他莫名有種再次穿越的感覺。
沒一會兒，衆人都到齊了，看到金昊穿着婦人衣服，臉上化着誇張的腮紅，衆人再次爆笑。
金昊僵着臉，他覺得今天可能榮登自己黑歷史之最，不想再被繼續笑下去，立刻轉移話題道：“天敬，你怎麽帶了個綠帽子？”
衆人這才注意到王天敬的衣服，從官帽到官服都是綠色的。
王天敬就知道會被發現，無奈道：“節目組說，古代七品官就是穿綠色官袍。”
幾人對歷史都不太了解，林斌笑道：“那這麽說，古代七品官都帶着綠帽子？”
明展書道：“綠帽子在古代可能沒有別的意思。”
王天敬立刻附和：“肯定是這樣，古人又不傻，現如今大家都在扮演角色，你們可別說些不符合身份的話。”
明展書道：“也不是所有人衣服都古怪，你看看元哲和小斌，看着就很帥氣。”
杜元哲和林斌都是一身古代漢服，只是林斌是月白色，兩人站在那兒，一個俊朗，一個清秀，看着就賞心悅目。
金昊不忘cue侯瑜，笑道：“小瑜這一身杏黃色長裙也很好看，我記得小瑜和元哲是定了親的，不錯，果然是郎才女貌，父母之命也很靠譜嘛。”
侯瑜微低着頭沒說話。
其餘幾個人看着兩人都笑起來，只有林斌臉色有些不對，在之前節目組都是在炒他和侯瑜的cp。
杜元哲對綜藝上這種動不動就拉郎配的行為很不喜歡，可他又不能親自拆cp，只能當作沒聽見。
節目組适時開口道：“大家可以去尋找自己角色的線索了。”
拍攝正式開始，衆人不再說笑，分頭去尋找線索。
杜元哲知道想要找到線索就得做游戲，但這裏都是古裝，找不到一點現代元素，說明這次節目的游戲都是古代就有的。
這般想着，杜元哲看到前面不遠處有一家賭坊，毫不猶豫地走進去。
賭坊的小厮問道：“公子可要賭一局？”
杜元哲道：“小生若是賭贏了，可有何報酬？”
“自是公子最想要的東西。”
實錘了！
這裏就是一個游戲點。
杜元哲走到賭桌前坐下，道：“如何賭？”
“搖骰子賭大小，三局兩勝，公子可有三次機會。”
也就說他一共可以玩九局。
杜元哲點頭明白：“開始吧。”
話音剛落，對面就用力搖晃骰子，足足十秒才停下：“公子請猜。”
杜元哲支愣着耳朵仔細聽也沒聽出什麽，自己顯然沒有聽力天賦，只能撞運氣：“大！”
一二三，小！
他的運氣并不好。
第二局繼續，杜元哲依舊輸了。
杜元哲道：“直接重來。”
已經輸了兩局，第三局沒了猜的意義。
杜元哲死盯着骰盅，努力撲捉骰子翻轉的信號，但沒一點用，他只有第一局猜中了，後面兩局再次輸了。
Du Yuanzhe lost confidence. Can he really win this game? The program crew is making things difficult for him.
Third chance
Du Yuanzhe said casually: "Big!"
Four, five, six, big!
Win the first game!
He had lost the excitement of winning the first time, and continued to guess: "It's still big!"
The person opposite opens the cup:
Four, five, five, big!
Du Yuanzhe was confused: "Is this a win?"
The servant at the side handed over an envelope: "Congratulations, sir."
Du Yuanzhe walked out of the casino with the envelope in his hand, and said meaningfully, "Casinos are a place where good and bad people mix together. There are countless people who steal and cheat. It's better not to come to such places in the future."
If the production team hadn't cheated in the previous bet, he would have dared to eat the envelope.
Rubbish program team, playing with my mentality!
Anyway, he finally got the clue. Du Yuanzhe opened the envelope:
[You have seen your mother and husband quarreling before, and the quarrel was particularly fierce. That was the first time you saw your gentle mother get so angry.]
Du Yuanzhe was thoughtful. This news seemed to confirm some of his guesses.