Chapter 8 He Makes Good Food
The show had barely been running for ten minutes when three staff members abruptly quit.
The remaining crew flat–out refused to take over as director. Finally, one of the assistant producers stepped up and shouted, “We don’t have a script! Just focus on being authentic and natural. Guests, feel free to do your thing!”
Then, like a gust of wind, he disappeared without a tracé.
The guests exchanged glances, unsure of what to do. The silence was so heavy.
I sniffed the air instinctively. Was that…the same resigned energy I was giving off? Could it be that everyone here had already decided the show was a lost cause and collectively chosen to give up?
Angela leaned in closer to me and whispered, “Yunice, whatever you want to do, I’m with you.”
My gaze wandered toward the kitchen. “Food. I’m starving.
It was past noon, yet no one had bothered to mention lunch!
Alicia and Jeremy were still sulking at each other. Angela and Henry? They had barely washed a vegetable in their lives.
The Stone brothers weren’t much better, as both were notorious kitchen disasters. They exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away, clearly embarrassed.
I sighed and said internally, ‘Look, I’m not exactly a master chef, but I probably won’t burn the kitchen down… Right? I mean, it should be edible.‘
Three minutes later, I found myself holding a potato, completely stumped.
A tall figure loomed over me, casting a shadow on my indecision. Donald let out a low chuckle, then gently took the knife from my hand. “Let me handle this.”
“Can you cook?”
“A little.”
He rolled up his sleeves and began washing and chopping vegetables neatly. Even such ordinary movements felt like they were straight out of a drama scene.
‘Alas, how can such a good man have such a short life? Should I warn him about it?‘ I lamented internally.
Donald slowed his movements.
‘Actually, his second uncle, Richard, has always been scheming to seize the family assets. Even his most trusted assistant, the one with the square face, has already been blackmailed by the uncle using compromising photos. He has already turned against Donald,‘ I thought.
‘Two years from now, Richard will stage a car accident to kill him and take over the Winner family. But honestly, Richard is terrible at running a business. He’s sharp when it comes to backstabbing family but utterly clueless in the corporate world. Letting him take over is really just setting things up for the male lead to swoop in and take over this prime opportunity.”
‘In the end, Donald is just like the Stone Family: a stepping stone for the main leads! Whatever. I’ll find a chance to give him a subtle warning. I can’t stand the thought of such a gorgeous, kind–hearted guy dying like that. Oh, what’s that smell? Wow, it smells incredible. His cooking skills are great!‘ I mused.
Donald paused for a moment while chopping, then turned to me with a smile. “Anything else you’d like to eat?”
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Chapter 8 He Makes Good Food
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“Wait, are you asking me to order? You’re so nice. Uh, how about spicy chicken, pickled fish, braised lamb, beer- braised duck?”
“I can eat any of those. I’m not picky,” I replied.
He pressed a fist to his lips, clearly trying to stifle his laughter. His deep, hoarse voice carried a hint of amusement. “Alright.”
Forty minutes later, I sat at the dining table, drooling over the spread of dishes in front of me.
‘This isn’t just knowing a little! This is knowing a lot.‘ I praised him in my heart.
‘Ahh, a man this handsome and talented in the kitchen has to be what people mean when they talk about a living saint!‘ I said inwardly.
‘Handsome guy, are you into pets? Those that don’t talk much and just quietly finish three bowls of food in one sitting?!
“Yunice!” Harvey shouted my name, glaring at me with a mix of exasperation and warning. “What’s the big deal about knowing how to cook anyway? It’s not like it’s some rare superpower.”
“Actually, it is a big deal. Way better than you, kitchen rookie.”
“I’ll learn how to cook when I get back! Just you wait!” Harvey retorted, stubbornly jutting his chin out.
“Ha, I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“You’d better!”
Donald chuckled but didn’t say anything. Instead, he picked up a piece of spicy chicken and placed it in my bowl. ” Eat more.”
Harvey shot Donald a resentful glare. He was clearly not over it.
‘Wow, this is delicious! If you’re not into pets, handsome, I’ll happily adopt you instead!‘ I complimented and teased Donald inwardly.
After dinner, under the direction of the film’s producers, we played a few rounds of games, dragging the night out longer than expected.
As everyone started heading off to rest, I suddenly had an idea. I glanced around and said inwardly, ‘Hmm? Where are Alicia and Jeremy?‘
The group paused mid–step.
‘Ah, so Alicia decided to give poor Jeremy, who was cuckolded, a surprise in order to appease him. And now, these two actually went to the woods to do it! Unbelievable. They can’t even hold off for a little while? I want details!‘ I said excitedly in my heart.
-Angela, who had been halfway up the stairs and clearly ready to go back to her room to sleep, suddenly turned on
her heel. Her exhaustion vanished and was replaced with a gleam of excitement. “Yunice, I ate too much at dinner, and I feel so bloated. How about we go for a stroll?
Henry was getting ready to head out and call his agent, but he suddenly paused and changed direction, too. “I’ll come too. It’s late, and it’s not safe for just you two girls to go out.”
A minute later, I found myself glancing back at the unexpectedly large and orderly entourage trailing behind me. My thoughts were spinning. ‘Did everyone really eat that much tonight? The boxed meals provided by the production crew were hardly edible compared to what Donald cooked!‘
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Chapter 8 He Makes Good Food
Donald looked at me helplessly.
+25 BONUS
Alicia and Jeremy weren’t far ahead. Before long, muffled sounds of what could only be described as an impromptu duet floated back to us, one unmistakably male and the other a female.
Of course, the Stone brothers‘ faces turned pitch–black. It was their adopted sister, after all.
Excitement bubbled up in me, and I itched to follow Angela and Henry into the bushes to spy on the scene. But before I could take a step, Donald stood in my way. He bent down, gently cupped his hands over my ears, and said helplessly, “It’s a filthy scene. Don’t look. Be good.”
‘You know, saying that just makes me more curious! How is anyone supposed to resist when you’re acting so gently? I know I can’t!‘ I teased inwardly.
‘If you’re so good at stopping me from watching the fun, why don’t you let me touch your abs instead?‘ I added cheekily in my heart.
He burst into laughter. The deep warmth of his laugh seemed to carry a hint of starlight, softening his normally dark, enigmatic gaze.
Then, out of nowhere, he actually grabbed my hand and placed it on his abs. “Consider it compensation.”
My jaw practically hit the floor.
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