Chapter 67

Chapter 67

The popularity of the *Jiangshan Strategy* livestream kept climbing until it hit a tipping point. Suddenly, the screen went black—

Ye Mingzhao got booted off!

"The internet is truly a marvel," Ye Mingzhao said slowly, looking down at the livestream page that had been disrupted due to too many viewers. "In just seconds, over 150 million people flooded into the stream. In reality, you'd never see that many people gathered in one place."

Gu Tingjun finally realized, with Ye Mingzhao's deliberate reminder, "So, at least 150 million people witnessed our dispute just now."

"Congratulations," Ye Mingzhao clapped his hands, the crisp sound echoing in the silent office. "If you want to be an internet sensation, consider yourself famous now."

"Next, you might want to explore livestream sales," Ye Mingzhao kindly advised Gu Tingjun. "Since you and Lin Feng haven't found jobs after leaving the Gu family jewelry business, I suggest you two look into livestream sales. It's a booming industry with tons of potential."

"Thanks a lot," Gu Tingjun scoffed sarcastically. "Before you act all high and mighty in front of me, did you forget that if it weren't for your meddling, Lin Feng and I wouldn't have been kicked out of the board by those shareholders?"

Hearing this, Ye Mingzhao sighed helplessly. "As one of the shareholders of Gu family jewelry business, everything I did was to protect the shareholders' interests. You should understand that I haven't been involved with the Gu family jewelry business for long. I didn't think my idea would get so much backing from the shareholders."

Ye Mingzhao paused slightly, looking at Gu Tingjun with a hint of pity, but what he said next almost made her explode with anger.

"I believe you and Lin Feng should reflect on why, after managing the Gu family jewelry business for so long, you still haven't gained the trust of the shareholders."

There was a loud crash as the office door flew open and slammed into the wall.

Ye Mingzhao watched Gu Tingjun's furious back with a serene expression, his mood light as he slightly curved his lips.

This good mood lasted until that evening.

"You look pretty chipper today! What’s up? You owe me big time," Chu Hengyi, seeing the refreshed Ye Mingzhao, directly asked for a reward.

Chu Hengyi wasn’t one to do favors without expecting something in return. He had taken screenshots of the long essays he'd posted that afternoon to prove his involvement. To gain Ye Mingzhao's trust, Chu Hengyi even showed him his backend data, proving he wasn't an imposter.

Ye Mingzhao hadn't expected Chu Hengyi to be so free: "Do you have nothing better to do? Spending hours online posting rants and arguing with haters?"

Ye Mingzhao himself wouldn't go that far—at most, he'd notify Starjoy Media to have the PR department monitor and guide public opinion.

Chu Hengyi didn't care about Ye Mingzhao's attitude. After all, debtors always think they’re entitled!

"Don't change the subject," Chu Hengyi, standing in front of Ye Mingzhao, a towering figure at 1.9 meters, still wearing a light pink floral apron, waved the spatula in his hand righteously. "I have very rich experience in debt collection. You won't distract me."

Chu Hengyi's confident words did attract Ye Mingzhao's attention, but it was the spatula in Chu Hengyi's hand that truly caught his eye. "What did you cook?"

"Cold noodles and boneless chicken feet," Chu Hengyi answered instinctively. "There's spicy, sweet and sour, and lemon spicy."

Ye Mingzhao subtly swallowed. After a whole afternoon of outwitting Gu Tingjun, he had indeed expended a lot of energy and was a bit hungry.

"Can I have a bowl first?" Ye Mingzhao asked politely.

Chairman Ye and his elder brothers hadn't come home from work yet, and Mrs. Ye had gone shopping with her friends. Only Chu Hengyi, who had left work early, and Ye Mingzhao, the punctual workaholic, were at home.

"Go wash your hands first!" Chu Hengyi replied, then realized, "Wait, are you doing this on purpose?"

"No, don't overthink it. I'm just hungry," Ye Mingzhao denied any ulterior motives.

Chu Hengyi huffed but still turned to the kitchen to serve Ye Mingzhao a bowl of cold noodles. He sliced the braised beef he had bought on the way home and generously layered it on top of the noodles. He also fished out a half-boiled tea egg and added it to the bowl.

As Ye Mingzhao washed his hands and entered the kitchen, he saw a blue and white porcelain bowl on the island. It was filled to the brim with cold noodles, topped with thick slices of bright red braised beef, and half a soft-boiled tea egg. Fresh cucumbers, cilantro, and juicy watermelon topped the noodles, making the whole thing look mouthwatering.

Beside the cold noodles were small plates of boneless chicken feet. Chu Hengyi had even pan-fried a steak, its rich aroma filling the kitchen. The scent was overwhelming, like a beast crashing into Ye Mingzhao's arms.

Ye Mingzhao's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he sat down next to the kitchen island.

"Dig in!" Chu Hengyi handed the chopsticks to Ye Mingzhao. "We'll settle up once you're done eating."

Ye Mingzhao ignored Chu Hengyi. He picked a slice of beef and put it in his mouth. The soy-sauce-flavored beef was packed with flavor, its firm texture making it chewy and refreshing. The cold noodle soup, with its sweet and sour taste, paired perfectly with the chewy buckwheat noodles. It felt like getting hit by a block of ice—a refreshing burst of coolness.

The summer heat that had been bothering him all day was completely suppressed.

"How is it? Delicious, right?" Chu Hengyi sat opposite Ye Mingzhao, still wearing his apron, his arms folded on the island. "I make the best cold noodles."

Ye Mingzhao ate in silence but nodded enthusiastically at the compliment.

Chu Hengyi teased, "Take your time. No one's rushing you."

Then, Chu Hengyi pointed to the dish of boneless chicken feet and the grilled steak with his chin. "Try my chicken feet and steak too. Have the steak first before it gets cold."

The steak had been marinated in a special sauce and was thick but very flavorful. It was cooked to perfection—not undercooked and bloody, nor overcooked and tough. It was just at that perfect level of fully cooked yet juicy.

Ye Mingzhao loved it and ate several pieces in a row. It was his first time trying Chu Hengyi's grilled steak, and he was immediately impressed by Chu Hengyi's culinary skills. "This steak is better than any steak I've ever had."

Ye Mingzhao praised Chu Hengyi's cooking generously.

Chu Hengyi smiled smugly. "I'm not lying. I've noticed you're a very picky eater."

He loved sweets but not overly sweet ones; he loved meat but disliked greasy dishes or bland food. He hated scallions and ginger but insisted they be added for flavor when cooking. Not only must the dish taste good, but the presentation also had to be beautiful; otherwise, it affected his appetite.

Take steak, for example. Whenever Ye Mingzhao dined out, he always ordered it medium well and ate it expressionlessly.

At first, Chu Hengyi thought Ye Mingzhao didn't like steak, but after observing him several times, he realized that Ye Mingzhao didn't like undercooked or fully cooked steak—it gave him a stomachache.

"With your delicate stomach, even ten top chefs might not be able to handle you! Only I can manage you!" Chu Hengyi rambled on before shifting the topic. "Including this meal, how are you going to thank me?"

Ye Mingzhao had polished off a large bowl of cold noodles, all the beef, and the tea egg, and even sampled some boneless chicken feet. Surprisingly, he was stuffed.

Studies show that eating too much slows down your brain. Ye Mingzhao was no exception. Without thinking, he responded to Chu Hengyi's question. "How do you want me to thank you?"

Chu Hengyi stared at Ye Mingzhao intently and let out an eerie laugh.

*

Thanks to Gu Tingjun's accidental slip during the *Jiangshan Strategy* livestream, the previously quiet *Jiangshan Strategy* cast, just like *Prince of Beggars* before it, unexpectedly became "popular before release."

"So, is Ye Mingzhao’s portrayal of Xiao Zhuge in *Jiangshan Strategy* just typecasting?"

Amid the heated discussions, the *Jiangshan Strategy* production team seized the moment. They quickly shifted their promotional focus from the main leads and protagonists to Ye Mingzhao, who played the villainous Xiao Zhuge. This adjustment pushed the *Jiangshan Strategy* cast to the peak of popularity, with the viewership rating on the premiere day breaking 2% and continuing to rise.

Satisfied netizens, now fans, developed a newfound appreciation for Ye Mingzhao. This led to an online craze where *Prince of Beggars*, starring Ye Mingzhao as both the male lead and second male lead, shot back up the rankings on various video platforms.

For a while, speculation ran wild:

#Ye Mingzhao's natural performance could win the Golden Phoenix Award#, #Prince of Beggars might sweep the Golden Phoenix Awards#.

The buzz continued until the night of the Golden Phoenix Awards ceremony.

On the day of the awards, Ye Mingzhao was scheduled to walk the red carpet with the main cast of *Prince of Beggars*. This was his first time attending an awards ceremony since he transitioned to acting.

However, to everyone's surprise, when organizers politely asked Ye Mingzhao who he wanted as his red carpet partner, and Yu Mingze along with the cast suggested either the female lead or the second female lead of *Prince of Beggars*, and Starjoy Media promoted their own female artists, Ye Mingzhao calmly declared he would walk the red carpet solo.

Upon hearing Ye Mingzhao's unique decision, the organizers and Starjoy Media kept quiet, but Yu Mingze and the *Prince of Beggars* production team were left scratching their heads.

"Do you worry that any actress walking the red carpet with you would use it to create gossip?" Yu Mingze patted his chest and guaranteed, "You can rest assured on this point. No one would be so inconsiderate."

Ye Mingzhao replied, "I know."

"Then why do you insist on walking the red carpet alone?" Yu Mingze countered, "Do you know how strange this looks?"

Of course, Ye Mingzhao understood. But what other choice did he have? He could only blame his brain fart for agreeing to Chu Hengyi's request.

"Why on earth would you make such a request?" Ye Mingzhao just couldn't wrap his head around Chu Hengyi's thinking. "Can't you pick something else?"

What was in it for him? If there was nothing to gain, why would Chu Hengyi waste a favor on this?

"Why do I need to explain myself to you?" Chu Hengyi gave the side of the pan a quick tap with his spatula, poured the freshly made sweet and sour pork onto a plate, and set it down in front of Ye Mingzhao. "Since you agreed, you've got to stick to your word!"