Ning Meng’s voice was soft, carrying a hint of weakness.
It caught the attention of Lin You, who was nearby.
"Are you alright? Do you feel unwell?" Lin You asked with concern.
Ning Meng nodded weakly. "Yes, a little... I probably didn't eat anything this morning, and my blood sugar is a bit low."
"Would it be all right if I went to the kitchen... to boil some hot water or cook an egg?"
She asked cautiously, her eyes darting toward the direction where the assistant had just left.
Lin You stood up immediately. "Of course! The kitchen is over there. Shall I take you?"
"No, no need," Ning Meng said, waving her hands quickly. "I can go myself, thank you."
She didn't want anyone following her.
Lin You didn't insist, merely pointing the way. "It’s at the end of the hallway."
Feeling as if she had been granted a reprieve, Ning Meng quickly got up.
"Thank you, I’ll be back in a moment."
With her head lowered, she walked briskly in the direction Lin You had indicated.
Behind her, she felt several gazes fall upon her back.
She could sense one in particular—exceptionally sharp, filled with scrutiny.
But she couldn't afford to worry about that now.
The kitchen! Eggs! Life insurance!
That was the most important thing at the moment!
Crossing a hallway that felt quite long, she finally reached the kitchen.
It was an open-concept design with plenty of space.
A center island, a double-door refrigerator, a built-in oven and steamer...
Every type of cookware was available, all brand new and high-end.
It was even more luxurious than her dream kitchen!
Ning Meng’s eyes widened.
This was simply paradise!
Before she had transmigrated, she had been quite the foodie, always dreaming of having a kitchen like this.
Ning Meng found a small milk pot, filled it with water, and placed it on the induction stove.
She turned the heat on to boil the water.
As she waited for the water to boil, she calculated in her mind.
The System rules mentioned "culinary complexity" and "dish completion/difficulty."
How could she make a simple boiled egg earn her more time?
A fully cooked egg certainly wouldn't be as good as a soft-boiled one.
Something complex, like Eggs Benedict, was out of the question—she lacked the ingredients and the time.
So, a soft-boiled egg it would be!
She remembered that soft-boiled eggs required precise water temperature and timing.
That should count as "precision temperature-controlled poaching," right?
The difficulty would be slightly higher than a hard-boiled egg.
She hoped it would add a bit more time.
Moreover, the System had another rule: Self-Cooking Efficiency Boost!
If the host prepares and consumes the food themselves, the effect is doubled!
This was the most crucial part!
It meant that even with the simplest ingredients, as long as she did the work herself, the gains could be maximized.
The water boiled.
Ning Meng carefully used the tip of a fork to poke a small hole in one end of the egg.
She lowered it into the pot.
[This way, it won't crack even if you put it into boiling water. Just take it out when the time is up. No need for steaming; it’s the most efficient method!]
She counted the time in her head.
Six minutes!
She remembered that being the right window.
It had to be precise.
Just as she was focused entirely on the egg in the pot, calculating the optimal time to remove it, a somewhat noisy commotion erupted from the living room.
It seemed more guests had arrived.
"Wow! It’s Teacher Lu and Young Master Qin!" Lin You’s pleasantly surprised voice drifted in.
"Look, look! It’s the real-life movie star and the tycoon’s son!"
They sounded very excited.
Ning Meng frowned.
Lu Jingchen? Qin Zeyu?
In her memories, these two names were legendary.
Lu Jingchen was the youngest "Triple Crown" Best Actor in the industry, with both explosive popularity and critical acclaim. He was famous for being cold, ascetic, and completely isolated from gossip.
Qin Zeyu was the sole heir to the famous Qin Group. He was the quintessential wealthy, capricious second-generation rich kid who dabbled in the entertainment industry. He was known for his flamboyant personality and endless scandals.
Why were these two participating in a dating show?
Especially Lu Jingchen—did he really need this for exposure?
How strange.
However, none of that mattered to her.
All she wanted right now was to retrieve her soft-boiled egg.
"Ning Meng? Ning Meng, are you in the kitchen?"
A staff member’s voice called out from the living room.
"Teacher Lu and Young Master Qin have arrived. Why don't you come out and say hello?"
Ning Meng was unwilling in every fiber of her being.
Say hello? What about my egg? What about my Life Value!
But she was a guest in someone else's house and couldn't be too eccentric.
Especially since she was essentially a "background character."
If she offended the two biggest stars the moment she arrived, the coming days would likely be difficult.
"Coming, coming!" she replied reluctantly.
She turned off the induction stove, thinking she would just go deal with the situation quickly.
If she came right back to fish out the egg, there should still be time.
She walked quickly out of the kitchen.
The atmosphere in the living room had clearly changed.
Everyone’s attention was focused on the two men who had just walked in.
The man on the left wore a perfectly tailored black casual suit.
He had a tall, upright stature, handsome features, and a cold, aloof temperament.
Just standing there, he commanded a powerful presence.
It was indeed the movie star, Lu Jingchen.
He gave a slight nod in response to everyone’s greetings.
His gaze was indifferent, as if he weren't interested in anything around him.
The man on the right was a completely different style.
He wore bright, trendy clothing and had a brilliant smile.
His features were handsome, with a touch of rebelliousness.
He was talking enthusiastically with Lin You and the others.
It was the rich kid, Qin Zeyu.
When he saw Ning Meng coming from the kitchen, his eyes lit up.
He waved at her proactively. "Hey! A new face? Hello there!"
Qin Zeyu was always confident and sure of his own charm.
Whenever he greeted women in the past, the responses were always enthusiastic or shy.
However, Ning Meng merely glanced at him briefly.
She nodded perfunctorily. "Hello."
Then, her gaze shifted to Lu Jingchen, and she gave him the same quick, nodding acknowledgement.
"Hello."
Her mind was entirely on the pot of eggs in the kitchen.
Every second she wasted brought her soft-boiled egg one step closer to being hard-boiled!
The smile on Qin Zeyu’s face stiffened.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
This girl... did she not see him?
Or was she intentionally being this cold to him?
This reaction wasn't right!
A subtle sense of discomfort—and curiosity—rose within him.
Lu Jingchen also noticed Ning Meng.
Or rather, he noticed her overly obvious perfunctoriness and distraction.
The way she looked at them was as if she were looking at two... lampposts by the side of the road.
Completely calm, perhaps even a little impatient.
Interesting.
He withdrew his gaze calmly.
Ning Meng finished her greeting in a flash and turned to dash back toward the kitchen.
"Excuse me, I have something to take care of in the kitchen!"
She left the people in the living room staring at each other in confusion, along with a surprised Lu Jingchen and Qin Zeyu.
"My egg!"
Ning Meng rushed back into the kitchen and scrambled to fish the egg out of the pot.
She ran it under cold water and peeled off the shell.
Her heart sank to the bottom.
As expected... it was overcooked.
The yolk had solidified completely, turning into a powdery texture.
The soft-boiled egg she had promised herself had become a hard-boiled one.
Ugh, it was all the fault of those two men! They had picked the worst possible time to arrive!
Ning Meng sighed and shoved the entire egg into her mouth.
Better than nothing.
Even though the "high difficulty" bonus she expected was gone, at least it was something she had cooked herself.
[Beep!]
[Consuming 'Ordinary Egg'.]
[Cooking method: Boiled (Hard-boiled).]
[Prepared by the host, effect doubled.]
[Life time increased: 1 hour (0.5 hours x 2).]
One hour!
Ning Meng’s eyes lit up again instantly.
Even though the soft-boiled egg had failed, because she had made it herself, a hard-boiled egg had actually given her an hour!