Chapter 56: Only Passion

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Only Passion

"You want to be a professional chef, don’t you?"

Fu Chao’s sudden question took Nan Zhi by surprise.

’...He actually figured it out?’

Nan Zhi raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Why would you think that?"

"I have eyes. Passion follows focus. You’re obviously more interested in running the stall than you are in filming this show, aren’t you?"

Listening to these words, Nan Zhi couldn’t help but see Fu Chao in a new light.

’She’d always thought Fu Chao was a bit of a goofy simpleton, completely different from the dazzling, award-winning Film Emperor Fu Chao the public knew.’

’But now...’

’His goofiness was just an act; underneath, he was quite sharp.’

’It made sense. Acting required intelligence.’

’How could Fu Chao, a man who had won Best Actor and countless other awards, a man universally acclaimed for his craft, possibly be a fool?’

Nan Zhi couldn’t be bothered to lie. Since there was no one else around, she simply nodded.

"You guessed right."

Fu Chao puffed up his chest, looking smug.

"I knew it! HAHA!"

Nan Yi and Qing Xi, who were curled up in the food truck, exhausted and asleep, groggily opened their eyes.

Qing Xi poked his head out and asked groggily,

"Are we there yet?"

Fu Chao looked a little embarrassed.

"Not yet. Go back to sleep. Go on, go to sleep."

’Okay, I take back what I just thought!’

Maybe it was because they were discussing such a personal topic about the future.

An idea struck Nan Zhi, and she asked Fu Chao,

"As an actor, do you like acting?"

"Of course!"

Fu Chao answered without a moment’s hesitation.

"Actually, my family wasn’t too happy about me becoming an actor. But when they saw how much I loved it, they eventually let me be. Even I didn’t expect I’d stick with it for ten years. Now, when I look back at that decision, I don’t regret it for a single second."

Fu Chao’s tone was firm and full of conviction.

’To find a career you’re passionate about and dedicate yourself to it...’

’How lucky is that!’

’But what about her, Nan Zhi?’

’She had been forced onto the path of a chef, and twelve years in the Otherworld had passed in the blink of an eye.’

’But looking back, had she ever regretted it?’

’In truth... the answer was already obvious.’

"It seems I do like being a chef after all," Nan Zhi said with a relaxed smile, suddenly feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her chest, the world opening up before her.

When Fu Chao heard this, he unconsciously raised his voice.

"Of course you do! If you weren’t passionate, there’s no way your food would be this delicious! You can’t cook like that without passion!"

His voice echoed in the alleys of the shantytown.

Nan Yi and Qing Xi were once again jolted awake in the food truck.

Nan Yi didn’t say a word. He just pursed his lips, his quiet, icy little face staring at Fu Chao with an unnerving intensity.

Qing Xi went straight for the jugular:

"Uncle, you’re so loud."

PFFT.

His feelings scorned, Fu Chao was heartbroken, but he still obediently apologized.

"Sorry. Go to sleep, quick, back to sleep."

-

The next day, Fu Chao made a point to mention the documentary shoot to Xu Lin.

Xu Lin was curious:

"Which documentary team? Do we know them?"

Fu Chao remembered his sister-in-law, Zhou Ling, had told him to keep it a secret, so he was deliberately vague.

"Not really. They’re in the planning stages right now, and they’re not even sure if Nan Zhi’s footage will be aired."

’Xu Lin knew of Director Zhong Yu from *The Tip of the Tongue*, but Director Zhong definitely didn’t know him.’

’Knowing someone one-sidedly doesn’t really count...’

’So it wasn’t really a lie!’

Xu Lin heard this and figured it was nothing more than a pipe dream.

It wasn’t that his standards were too high.

It was just that ever since the Food documentary *The Tip of the Tongue* became a massive hit, at least eight or ten similar documentaries came out every year.

Many were produced by small teams imitating the unique style of *The Tip of the Tongue*. They got decent buzz and returns, but the final quality always lacked a certain something.

So Xu Lin didn’t give it a second thought and joked cheerfully,

"Alright, let me know when the documentary airs. I’ll gather everyone on our team to help boost the view count!"

"That probably won’t be necessary."

"Huh? What?"

"Nothing, you misheard."

-

After getting the green light from the director, Zhou Ling and her team’s filming became much more convenient.

Considering Zhou Ling was Fu Chao’s relative, Xu Lin did him a favor and told his cameramen and fixed cameras to avoid the documentary crew as much as possible. The two teams would stay out of each other’s way, each minding their own business.

What no one expected was that Zhou Ling’s team would film right up until the day Nan Zhi’s fried rice stall closed for good—a day earlier than anticipated.

They needed to free up a day for the final review, which would determine the winner of the current phase and, most importantly, where the charity funds would go.

Because of this, Nan Zhi put up a "Closing Tomorrow" sign a day early.

Even though Nan Zhi had been giving "warnings" for the past two days, many customers still couldn’t believe it.

"Boss! Don’t go, boss! How will I live without your egg fried rice!"

"Boss, if running a stall is too much trouble, what if we crowdfunded a restaurant for you? We could even open a proper fine-dining place!"

"Yes, yes, yes! That’s a great idea! I’ll put in 100,000!"

"I’ll put in 200,000!"

"You absolutely must not quit the culinary world! This would be a major blow to the entire industry!"

"Yeah! Can’t say the same if you quit the entertainment industry, though!"

"Oh, shut up, you!"

"..."

The somber atmosphere was diluted, giving way to a somewhat comical scene.

But that didn’t erase the customers’ utter heartbreak.

Both the reality show and the documentary crew happened to capture footage of several customers bursting into tears as they ate their fried rice.

The scene was both comical and touching.

Nan Zhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and tried to comfort them.

"So-so, boss, have you changed your mind?"

"No, I haven’t."

Nan Zhi could only watch as the customers turned away, heartbroken.

However, she wasn’t truly unmoved.

After all, she had started this fried rice stall on the very first day she returned from the Otherworld.

As her business went from unnoticed to booming, her sense of belonging in her original world returned.

The customers’ praise made her realize that she truly loved cooking and loved seeing the joy her delicious food brought to others.

And in the lively, human warmth of the fried rice stall, her once stiff and cold relationship with Nan Yi had slowly begun to thaw, warming and melting like a gurgling spring stream.

For her, this little fried rice stall was a turning point—and a new beginning.

So...

Nan Zhi directed Fu Chao to bring out the prepared ingredients.

Judging by the amount, it was at least three times what she usually prepared!

"Tonight, we’re open until midnight! No purchase limits!"

Cheers erupted all around!

More and more customers heard the news and rushed over!

That night, the night market was packed with an unbelievable sea of people.

It was as if the place had become a hot tourist destination during Golden Week!

All the vendors in the night market benefited. While holding a bowl of fried rice, customers would inevitably buy other snacks like fried skewers or grilled sausages.

Eventually, even the other vendors were swept up in the atmosphere, generously bringing out their own tables and chairs for customers to use.

As far as the eye could see, everyone had a smile on their face.

The warmth and aroma of the Food became an invisible link, pulling people closer together.