As expected, the confrontation simply stirred the water a little.
Sun Qiaolian knew how to weigh the pros and cons. Of course she would be willing to give up her seat for Jiang Shuyue.
After all, she was going to use this show as her entry ticket to the entertainment industry. Connections mattered more than pride.
And wasn't this the very reason she had been so attentive to Jiang Shuyue these few days—and why she had been playing the role of kind older sister to Wu Shiyun?
"This is so salty!" Jiang Shuyue said after taking a bite of the pasta.
Her brows furrowed faintly as she set her fork down, the perfect picture of polite restraint. "An Ning, did you…add too much salt while cooking?"
The dinning room stilled for a beat.
[Wait… didn't Qiaolian cook this?? 👀]
[LMAO she just redirected the blame 💀]
[Poor An Ning, why's she being dragged into this again 😭]
[Smart tho… she can't offend Qiaolian directly, so she slides it to Ning 😬]
[Maybe not shifting blame? She always arrived last for meals]
Sun Qiaolian's fingers twitched against her lap. For a moment, her lips parted as if to speak, but she thought better of it.
An Ning, however, didn't give much of a reaction. Her fingers toyed with the stem of her glass, calm and unbothered, as though the accusation hadn't even landed.
The silence stretched—until Chen Yiming's voice cut through, smooth and sharp as a scalpel.
"I could've sworn," he drawled, resting his chin lightly on his hand, "that it was Qiaolian who cooked this pasta."
The words landed with quiet precision, slicing cleaner than any shout.
Sun Qiaolian's fingers went rigid around her fork. Her lips curved into a smile a beat too late, the edges stiff.
"I didn't know that—"
"Of course you won't know," Chen Yiming continued on. "You always come in last, never lift a hand in the kitchen…Isn't it only natural for you to be clueless?"
A sharp silence followed.
Then he shifted his gaze, turning lazily toward An Ning. His lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.
"See? Doesn't pay well to be kind. You should've just asked the production team for extra pay while you're at it—since they're clearly treating you like their personal chef."
The dining room froze. They knew Chen Yiming's tongue was sharp but not this sharp.
[HELP 😭 Dr. Chen didn't just drag Qiaolian, he buried her 💀]
["Isn't it natural to be clueless" STOP I'm screaming 🤣]
[Toxic tongue ON, he even roasted the production team 😭👏]
[Wait…was that him defending An Ning?? Or just flaming everyone at once 😂]
[King of shade, King of scalpel, King of my heart 💘]
[Bro just became the audience's MVP in one line ✨]
Recognition stirred—she'd read this before, the words etched into the pages of the novel.
However, the original An Ning hadn't understood.
After that, Chen Yiming had simply withdrawn, letting her face the fallout alone—except on his cooking days, which he handled himself without complaint. The only one who never tried to shove the responsibility onto others.
This time, though, she wasn't going to stay silent.
"You're right, Dr Chen. Maybe I should really ask the production team for a pay raise. After all, isn't this supposed to be a rotation? Or…"
Her lips curved into amusement, "did they mean for me to double as the show's chef too?"
[AHHHHH Ning-jie snapped back!! 🔥]
[Not the 'chef of Heartbeat Cottage' line 😭😭 iconic]
[She didn't even raise her voice and still killed it 👏]
[Chef Ning > salty pasta 🍝]
A soft chime echoed in her mind.
[Witty Retort Detected – Luck +10]
[Audience Favorability +5]
The crowned melon bounced gleefully, its tiny crown tilting from side to side. "Host, host! That one hit hard—the comments are eating it up!"
"O-of course not," Sun Qiaolian's voice wavered. "I am sorry, everyone. I..probably added too much salt."
"Oh, then it's fine," Jiang Shuyue said warmly, setting her fork down with effortless grace. "After all, it's the thought that counts."
The words were smooth, kind on the surface. But beneath the polish, the blade glinted—making it clear who had drawn the short straw at the table.
[Ahhh she's taking the blame now 😢 poor Lian-lian]
[Girl is pitiful, but didn't she let Ning-jie carry it for a second?? 👀]
[The 'kind sister' act is slipping ngl…]
[She's smart tho, quick to clean it up before anyone digs deeper 💅]
[Not gonna lie… if Dr. Chen hadn't cut in, Ning would be roasted alive rn]
The dinner continued without a hitch afterwards, every smile polite, every word carefully measured.
No one dared stir the pot again. Not after Chen Yiming's scalpel-like remark that left the air sharp with unspoken tension.
When the plates were finally cleared, the cast dispersed—some retreating to their rooms, others lingering for the cameras with idle chatter.
An Ning rose gracefully, excusing herself with a smile. "I'll get some fresh air."
Stepping out into the night air, the cool breeze brushed against An Ning's skin, carrying with it the faint scent of lake water and damp earth.
The pathways were too perfect, lined with flowers that seemed to bloom on command, every petal arranged like stage prop.
An Ning's gaze lingered briefly. Renting a place like this must a fortune.
Then she remembered—Heartbeat Cottage wasn't just any show. It was backed by the Shen Group. With that kind of power behind it, no wonder every detailed screened extravagance.
Forgive her, she was only human. A mere mortal. She liked luxurious things, liked being pampered. Who didn't?
The night air was too still, almost scripted, as though waiting for the next act to unfold.
Speaking of which—the current head of Shen Group…She recalled it was Shen Xiyu's uncle, Shen Bojun.
His face was probably the last thing people remembered about him. Yes, he was devastatingly handsome—sharp lines, deep features—but people remembered him more for what he rebuilt than how he looked.
The Shen Group had once teetered on the edge of collapse under Shen Bojun's elder brother's mismanagement. Losses mounted, the brand mocked as a "sinking ship," and competitors circled like sharks.
Then came the transfer of power. At the order of the Shen family's grandfather, Shen Bojun who was oversea at that time, was summoned back to take the rein.
Within just a few years, the "sinking ship" turned into a flagship. The company clawed its way from the bottom straight back to the top, its climb sharp, ruthless, and unstoppable.
People remembered Shen Bojun not for his face, but for his rise—a man who turned ruin into dominance, and made it look effortless.
He was also An Ning's current boss. The entertainment company she was signed to belonged to the Shen's group.
Just as her thoughts trailed off, a faint murmur threaded through the night.
An Ning stilled, one hand brushing against the cool wooden rail of the veranda.
It was a man's voice—low, smooth, carrying that polished warmth he always showed on camera.
Han Yichen.
He stood not far away, though he hadn't noticed her half-hidden in the veranda's shadow, phone pressed close to his ear.
But the warmth in his voice didn't last.
"…Yazhi,I told you, don't call me during this period. I am busy," he muttered, irritation seeping through the cracks. "Yes, I'm on a dating show—but it was all for publicity — "
His brows drew together, frustration sharpening with every word.
"It's for our dream! Don't you get it? I need this publicity!"
Amusement tugged at her lips, cold and quiet.
Zhang Yazhi.
[Scandalous Gossip Detected - Luck + 10]
The little melon bounced gleefully into her vision, its crown wobbling with delight. "Host, host! I have a feeling—a major feeling—something is gonna blow up soon!"
An Ning titled her head slightly, eyes half-lidded as the night breeze swept past.
I can't wait—