In the end, Wu Lian Jie was exempted from cooking.
Everyone was hungry and did not want to sacrifice their meal.
The production team came out again, and this time, with a box with a few folded papers in it.
Liu Man explained that everyone will have to pick a paper to choose a partner to prepare their meal.
Ning Wei raised a brow once she got her paper.
She raised her head and wondered about the other person who would get the same number as hers.
The number was called one by one.
Ai Lun was paired with Lin Zhu. Ding Chuan was paired with Ning Yue, while Ning Wei was paired with He Zhen.
Each group was given a station and some fresh produce.
Ning Wei stared at the vegetables in front of her before turning to He Zhen.
"Miss He."
"Just call me He Zhen." A smile curled on her lips. "I believe we are the same age?"
"He Zhen." Ning Wei's expression turned softer as she watched He Zhen laugh. "What are we going to do with the vegetables?" Ning Wei picked up a round cabbage on the table. "Can you cook?"
"I can cook a simple meal," He Zhen said. "What about you?"
"I'm alright." A teasing smile curled on her lips. "At least, I am not the worst cook in my group."
Her words made He Zhen laugh again.
Ning Wei thought that He Zhen was someone who could laugh easily. She was different from the villain character she played in her recent drama.
DAWN was invited to this program due to their rising popularity.
Meanwhile, the girls had different reasons to be on the show.
He Zhen might be popular due to her recent drama. However, she received a lot of hate due to the character she portrayed.
Some fans could not differentiate between on-screen and real life.
Because of that, He Zhen was cursed as someone evil wherever she went.
Her agency sent her to this show to let everyone know that He Zhen was such a sweet person. They hoped to stop her anti-fans from writing malicious comments on the internet.
The two glanced at the ingredients again. After a brief discussion on what they were going to cook, they both began with mise en place.
Ning Wei took a small basket of potatoes and started peeling them. Meanwhile, He Zhen worked on the chicken.
Looking at the way He Zhen was handling the chicken, Ning Wei could tell that she was quite good at cooking.
While everyone was busy preparing, Wu Lian Jie trailed after the hosts to visit each station. He teases Ai Lun and Ding Chuan while thanking them for the opportunity to let him rest.
The boys were too lazy to deal with Wu Lian Jie and chose to focus on their cooking instead.
After a while, the host finally reached Ning Wei and He Zhen's station.
"Ning Wei, He Zhen, what are you preparing today?"
He Zhen exchanged a look with Ning Wei and flashed a smile to the hosts. "A simple chicken stew. We figured that it would be the quickest to prepare."
Liu Man eyed the potato in Ning Wei's hand. "Wow, look at the speed at which you're peeling those potatoes. I'm guessing that you used to help your mother in the kitchen a lot?"
Ning Wei smiled. "Mmm… You can say it like that."
"Wu Lian Jie, you told us that your leader is the best at cooking," Xie Xi Yan said to Wu Lian Jie. "Then, how would you rate Ning Wei's cooking?"
"Our Wei Wei is a good cook."
Ning Wei shot a look at Wu Lian Jie, warning him not to speak any nonsense.
"However, he preferred bland food," Wu Lian Jie continued. "I have to sprinkle some salt whenever he cooks." He rubbed his chin and sighed. "Our leader's food is much tastier."
The hosts stayed for a while to chat with Ning Wei and He Zhen before they left.
Ning Wei was still cutting some vegetables when He Zhen started to stew the chicken.
The two were working together very well.
Ning Wei raised her head to check on the other teams when she noticed Ning Yue walking in their direction.
Her brow rose slightly.
She had always felt uncomfortable around Ning Yue, especially after knowing that Ning Yue had drugged Feng An Yu and tried to take advantage of that man.
"Hey, He Zhen, Ning Wei," Ning Yue greeted them with a cheerful look on her face.
Ning Wei nodded.
"He Zhen." Ning Yue looked at He Zhen shyly. "I saw that you are quite skilled at cutting chicken. Could you help me for a bit?"
He Zhen eyed the pot on the stove and hesitated. A thought came to her mind, making her change her mind. He Zhen turned to Ning Wei and asked, "Do you mind looking at the food for a bit?"
"Of course." Ning Wei nodded. She glanced at Ding Chuan, who held the knife in his hand. "You should go quickly before Ding Chuan can ruin that chicken."
Ning Yue's eyes widened in surprise. She turned around and shouted, "Ding Chuan, I told you not to touch that chicken!" Worried that they won't have any protein in their meal, Ning Yue quickly turned around to stop her partner.
Soon, He Zhen chased after Ning Yue to help.
Ning Wei put her knife down and watched Ding Chuan's station from a distance.
Her thoughts dwelt on He Zhen's expression earlier.
She could tell that He Zhen was reluctant to leave, but something seemed to change her mind.
The scent of the food on the stove pulled Ning Wei away from her thoughts.
She inhaled a deep breath and shook her head.
Perhaps it was better not to think of Ning Yue too much.
Ning Wei realized that she would always have a negative perception of Ning Yue because of their encounter at the club not too long ago.