The dinner finally began in earnest.
The long dining table was laden with a variety of dishes, resembling a small-scale culinary exhibition.
Su Manni and Gu Xinglang’s seafood pasta looked decent enough; the noodles were coated in a creamy sauce and garnished with shrimp and clams, though it lacked the fresh sweetness of the sea, leaning instead toward the cloying heaviness of the cream.
Jiang Yuwei had prepared a quinoa and vegetable salad; it was vibrant and appeared very healthy, but it clearly held little appeal for most of those present.
Zhou Yichen served a plate of cola-braised pork ribs. While the color was tempting, using cola for anything other than chicken wings felt like an affront to culinary norms.
Qin Zeyu... well, he contributed the pork belly that Ning Meng had already dismissed. It had been pan-fried simply and now lay lonely in the corner of a plate, ignored by all.
And at the very center of the table, the plate that was being emptied the fastest, was undoubtedly Ning Meng’s toothpick beef.
Only a few pieces remained, with everyone eyeing them like hungry tigers.
"Wow, Ning Meng, this beef is absolutely incredible!" Lin You said, her words muffled as she chewed, "It’s better than any snack I’ve ever had!"
Gu Xinglang chimed in with a smile, "It really is impressive. The aroma earlier was so good it almost distracted me while I was making the pasta."
Su Manni added gently, "It’s true. And even for such a difficult dish, you made it look so easy, Ning Meng."
Zhou Yichen looked at his empty plate and said sheepishly, "Sister Ning Meng, I... I only tasted one piece, but it was truly fantastic. It’s way better than my cola ribs."
Over half of his own serving remained, a stark contrast.
Jiang Yuwei adjusted her glasses and looked at Ning Meng with a hint of curiosity. "Ning Meng, did you study cooking professionally? This skill doesn't look like that of an amateur."
【【【Haha, the contrast is too brutal!】】】
【【【Qin Zeyu’s pork belly: What did I do wrong? [Pout]】】】
【【【Little Zhou’s ribs: What about me? I clearly worked hard too!】】】
【【【General Manager Jiang is already considering the commercial value, haha!】】】
【【【Only Ning Meng’s plate is nearly empty; talent speaks for itself!】】】
Ning Meng smiled modestly, though she thought to herself: Professional? I’m putting my life on the line here, sisters!
As she fielded the compliments, she kept a wary eye on Lu Jingchen.
As expected, the movie star was a master of his craft.
On his plate, he had taken only one forkful of pasta, barely touched the salad, and had only politely tasted a small piece of the rib.
However, not far from his hand sat a few solitary, clean toothpicks.
They were the leftovers from the toothpick beef he had finished.
Furthermore, just a moment ago, while everyone was chatting, Ning Meng clearly saw him reach out with effortless, slow-motion grace, pick up one of the few remaining toothpick beef skewers, and pop it into his mouth.
The movement was so fluid it looked like he was just taking a sip of water.
But Ning Meng knew this was anything but normal!
For someone as picky as he was—rumored to only eat specific, nutritionally balanced meals—voluntarily eating a second, then a third piece of deep-fried street food was simply unheard of!
【【【Oh my god! Did I see that right? Lu Jingchen ate another one!】】】
【【【That’s the third one! Definitely the third!】】】
【【【Doesn't he avoid deep-fried food? Doesn't he hate high-calorie snacks? What a liar!】】】
【【【Don't get too excited, maybe he’s just... hungry? [Dog emoji]】】】
【【【If he were hungry, he’d eat the salad or the pasta! He barely touched them!】】】
【【【There is only one truth: Ning Meng’s beef is toxic! The addictive kind!】】】
【【【The 'Burning Tongue CP' is real! He says it burns, but his body is very honest!】】】
【【【Wuu wuu, my cold and aloof movie star has finally come down to earth for a bite of food!】】】
The center of the conversation soon shifted from Ning Meng’s cooking to Lu Jingchen’s uncharacteristic behavior.
Qin Zeyu looked at Lu Jingchen, then at Ning Meng, his expression complex and tinged with jealousy. "Teacher Lu, it seems you’re very satisfied with Ning Meng’s skills?"
Lu Jingchen raised his eyes and gave him a faint, indifferent glance. He didn't speak, simply setting down his water glass.
The implication was clear: What does it have to do with you?
Lin You nudged Ning Meng with her elbow, whispering excitedly, "Mengmeng, look! Teacher Lu really loves the beef you made! He ate so many!"
Ning Meng: "..."
I know, I saw.
But what I care about isn't whether he likes it—it's my Life Value, girl!
The topic at the table drifted to the ingredient hunt that afternoon. Everyone began recounting how they had found their clues, and the atmosphere grew lively.
Qin Zeyu vividly described how he had 'cleverly' ruled out incorrect answers and how 'regrettably' he had missed the beef brisket clue, emphasizing his own contribution in finding the pork belly.
Gu Xinglang and Su Manni shared the 'sweet' interactions they had while hunting for seafood clues.
Zhou Yichen spoke with frustration about the twists and turns he faced while looking for seasoning packets.
Ning Meng listened half-heartedly, her mind already miles away.
Quietly diving into her consciousness, she opened the System interface that only she could see.
!!!
Ning Meng’s heart skipped a beat!
Eighty-some hours!
She carefully reviewed the recent records.
【Lin You experienced 'intense sensory shock' from the food! Gained extra Life Value reward: 6 hours!】
【Qin Zeyu: 20 minutes!】
【Lu Jingchen: 10 hours!】
【Zhou Yichen: 30 minutes!】
【Gu Xinglang: 35 minutes!】
【Su Manni: 45 minutes!】
Combined with the pieces she had eaten herself (Top-grade Angus beef brisket + complex deep-frying process + self-cooked double effect), she had gained nearly another 2 hours.
She had earned over three full days of survival time!
Although she was still a long way from escaping the crisis, at least the Sword of Damocles hanging over her head had been pushed back, if only by a little.
The suffocating feeling of impending death finally eased. Ning Meng exhaled a long, silent breath of relief.
Being alive felt wonderful.
Looking at Lu Jingchen, who sat quietly with his usual air of cool detachment, Ning Meng’s gaze softened with newfound intensity.
She mentally placed a large 'High Priority' tag on Lu Jingchen.
Just as Ning Meng was basking in the joy of her surging Life Value, a sudden wave of exhaustion crashed over her.
It felt as though her body had been instantly drained of all strength, and her vision even turned slightly dark.
She instinctively reached up to steady her forehead and took a deep breath.
What was happening?