At that moment, the villa's intercom crackled to life with the voice of the director: "Attention, everyone. It is time for lunch. Please make your way to the dining room, where we have prepared a sumptuous meal for you."
Lunch! Food!
Ning Meng’s eyes lit up again. Although it was provided by the production team and not cooked by her—meaning no double-effect bonus—it was better than nothing! And the ingredients were certainly better than what she had in her rented room. A mosquito's leg is still meat, after all; every little bit added up.
She followed the excited Lin You toward the dining room. Lin You was still chattering away about how delicious the soft-boiled egg had been, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ning Meng.
The dining room was right next to the living room, featuring a long Western-style table already set with exquisite tableware. Staff members were busy bringing in dish after dish.
A savory aroma filled the air.
Ning Meng took a deep breath. Hmm, it smelled pretty good.
The guests took their seats one after another. Lu Jingchen and Qin Zeyu were naturally placed near the head of the table. Ning Meng consciously found a seat in the furthest corner, next to Zhou Yichen, who was similarly keeping a low profile.
The spread was lavish. A mix of Chinese and Western dishes, elegantly plated. Steamed sea bass, pan-seared lamb chops, spaghetti bolognese, stir-fried asparagus with shrimp, matsutake chicken soup... along with several refined cold dishes and desserts.
【The recording of the program has officially begun.】 The System’s notification sounded in her mind.
Simultaneously, in another space, the live broadcast for the secondary observation room of *Heart Signal Cabin* had also begun.
Veteran host He Ling sat in the center, smiling warmly. "Welcome everyone to the observation room for the fifth season of *Heart Signal Cabin*! I am your host, He Ling."
To his left was the single celebrity Feifei, known for her strong variety show instincts. She made a heart shape at the camera: "Hello everyone! I’m your love microscope, Feifei! I can’t wait to watch these handsome men and beautiful women fall in love!"
To his right sat the gentle, married actress Sister Zhao, who spoke in a soft voice: "Hello everyone, I’m Zhao Ya. I hope to experience these heart-fluttering moments along with all of you."
Beside her was the young and handsome idol singer Xiaokai, who smiled shyly. "Hello everyone, I’m Xiaokai. I’m here to learn."
He Ling took control of the flow. "Right, we can see that the eight guests in the cabin have gathered in the dining room for their first group lunch. This is also their first full day living together. Let’s see what kind of sparks will fly!"
The scene cut back to the dining room in the Heart Signal Cabin.
Everyone began to eat. The atmosphere was a bit stiff at first. After all, it was their first meeting, and they were still testing the waters.
Jiang Yuwei broke the silence first, raising her juice glass. "It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’m Jiang Yuwei, an actress. I hope we can all get along well over the next month." Her tone was appropriate, her smile perfectly measured, radiating the capability of a career-driven woman.
Gu Xinglang followed immediately, flashing a sunny smile. "Hello everyone, I’m Gu Xinglang, also an actor. Sister Yuwei is right, I hope everyone has a great time!" As he spoke, his gaze drifted almost imperceptibly toward Su Manni.
Su Manni received the signal and smiled gently. "I’m Su Manni, please take care of me." Her voice was sweet, and as her eyes met Gu Xinglang’s, there was a flash of subtle tacit understanding and... a sense of professional performance?
Ning Meng kept her ears pricked while burying her head in her food.
Hmm, this steamed sea bass—the fish was fairly fresh and cooked just right. System evaluation: Common ingredients, good cooking technique. How much time would this add? Since she didn't cook it herself, it shouldn't be much.
【Beep! Consumed 'Steamed Sea Bass'. Quality: Common. Technique: Good. Overall Rating: Common. Life duration increased: 15 minutes.】
Only fifteen minutes. Ning Meng pursed her lips; as expected, one couldn't rely on the production team's mass-produced meals.
Over there, Qin Zeyu had already started to liven up the atmosphere. He raised his glass, his smile bold. "My name is Qin Zeyu. I'm not in the industry; I'm just here to experience life! Everyone, make yourselves at home, don't be shy!" As he spoke, he pointedly glanced at Ning Meng, seemingly still bothered by her cold reaction to his greeting earlier.
Ning Meng ignored him, busy tackling a plate of stir-fried asparagus with shrimp. The shrimp were frozen, the texture a bit mushy and lacking snap. The asparagus was fine, quite tender.
【Beep! Consumed 'Stir-fried Asparagus with Shrimp'. Quality: Common. Technique: Average. Overall Rating: Below Average. Life duration increased: 8 minutes.】
Tsk, getting even less.
Lin You introduced herself full of energy. "Hello! I’m Lin You! I’m a singer and dancer! So happy to meet everyone! Especially Mengmeng!" She even gave Ning Meng a playful wink.
Ning Meng was drinking the matsutake chicken soup and looked up to smile back at her. This soup was good; the matsutake flavor was quite rich, and the chicken was stewed until tender.
【Beep! Consumed 'Matsutake Chicken Soup'. Quality: Good (matsutake). Technique: Good. Overall Rating: Good. Life duration increased: 40 minutes.】
Oh, nice! This was worth it! It seemed the quality of the ingredients was paramount. Ning Meng quickly took two more sips.
Beside her, Zhou Yichen spoke up shyly. "Hello everyone, I’m Zhou Yichen, a rookie idol. Please guide me." His voice was low, and he seemed a bit nervous.
Finally, it was Lu Jingchen's turn. He just gave a light nod, his voice cool and detached. "Lu Jingchen." No extra introduction; he was a man of few words.
The introductions concluded, and everyone began to chat while eating—talking about work, hobbies, and probing each other's backgrounds.
Only Ning Meng remained like an outsider. She kept her head down the entire time, her chopsticks barely resting. Her goal was clear: to taste every dish on the table, evaluate the ingredients and cooking quality, and calculate how much time she could add to her lifespan.
Her eating style... it wasn't exactly unrefined, but the speed was certainly a bit fast. Moreover, her level of focus and immersion stood in stark contrast to the elegant socializing happening around her.
【【【Who is that girl in the corner? The substitute, Ning Meng?】】】
【【【How long has she been starving? She’s eating so happily, hahaha!】】】
【【【Everyone else is socializing, but she only seems interested in the food.】】】
【【【She’s a bit out of place... doesn't seem to fit in.】】】
【【【Can the camera focus more on Movie Emperor Lu and Young Master Qin? Why are we watching her eat!】】】
【【【I think it’s cute. She’s not pretentious. If you're hungry, you eat.】】】
In the observation room.
Feifei couldn't help but laugh. "This little sister Ning Meng is quite interesting. Is she treating this dating show like a buffet?"
Sister Zhao said gently, "She might really be hungry, or perhaps she’s more introverted and not used to this kind of setting."
Xiaokai nodded. "It feels like she’s very seriously tasting every single dish."
He Ling summarized, "Well, everyone has a different personality and rhythm for integrating into a group. Ning Meng might just need some time. However, we see that another focal point at the table, Lu Jingchen, seems to... not be using his chopsticks much?"
The camera shifted to Lu Jingchen. His plate was very clean, save for a few stray vegetables. He sat upright, his expression indifferent, seeming to have no interest in the feast before him. He only occasionally picked up his glass to take a sip of water.
Ning Meng noticed, too. This Movie Emperor fellow was truly squandering heaven's gifts! With so much delicious food, he wasn't eating? What a waste!
And... she felt like Lu Jingchen had glanced at her several times?
Was it her imagination?
Ning Meng muttered to herself: Why are you looking at me? Is it because I’m eating so happily that it’s making you crave food? Or do you think my eating style is unrefined and affecting your appetite? Whatever. Don’t get in the way of my fueling up. Time is precious; wasting it is shameful.