Chapter 94: A Ten-Year Fan

Chapter 94: Chapter 94: A Ten-Year Fan

In the afternoon, everyone went home to rest.

The production team thoughtfully turned off the live stream for a while.

When dinner service started, business was even better than it had been at lunch!

Among them were diners who had eaten there at noon and couldn’t forget the taste, so they returned for dinner.

There were also customers who had originally just come to buy braised meat but were drawn in by the aroma of the food and decided to stay.

The small restaurant was soon filled to the brim—

"This braised pork belly is amazing! It feels like it just melts in your mouth!"

"SOB SOB SOB, why is my wallet so empty? Why can’t I achieve restaurant freedom? SOB SOB SOB!"

"Hey, is this restaurant filming a show? I think that male waiter looks like Fu Chao!"

"You have the energy to think about that? Is the Kung Pao Chicken not fragrant enough? Or are the braised spring bamboo shoots not tempting enough for you?"

"Honey, I’m begging you, just give me one more piece of rib!"

"Mom, I promise I’ll go to cram school, so can I order the shredded pork in sweet bean sauce?"

"..."

Everyone’s face was brimming with happy and blissful smiles.

The satisfaction brought by good food is direct and tangible, yet it’s something that nothing else can replace.

The emotions in the air were so strong they even infected the viewers in the live stream chat!

[Kudos to the production team for blurring the diners’ faces!]

[I was already getting strong déjà vu from the last season, and now it’s even more intense! This is totally a restaurant management sim!]

[Now that you mention it, it’s true! It’s like a food-themed progression story, right? Evolving from a night market fried rice stall to a small restaurant. What’s next? A grand restaurant? And after that, a state banquet?]

[Seeing them eat so happily, my useless tears are streaming from the corners of my mouth... Why wasn’t I born in Yanjing! And I’m just a poor working stiff who can’t even take a day off, AHHH!]

[Everyone should check out Nan Zhi’s stream from the back kitchen. I listened in while she was teaching Xie Yu, and I picked up a lot. Many of the little tips are really useful. I feel like my own cooking has gotten better! Highly recommended!]

[Hahaha, forget about Qi Pei’er, but it’s hilarious that no one is recognizing Fu Chao! Is it because this restaurant seems so professional that no one would dare to think they’re actually filming a variety show?]

[I guess it just means our show isn’t popular enough yet /doge/!]

...

In reality, how could their show not be popular?

Cub Observation Diary was definitely this year’s dark horse in the variety show world, a shoo-in for the year’s top spot!

Whether it was its social media buzz or the objective data from all platforms, The Cub was already showing signs of blowing up, and its popularity was still climbing steadily higher!

As for why no one in the restaurant was crowding around Fu Chao...

LMAO, with such good food right in front of them, who had time to gawk at a celebrity?!

Of course, what went into your stomach was more important!

For example, one of the customers that evening was a ten-year veteran fan of Fu Chao.

A true veteran fan—the kind who would crunch data, buy merchandise, and check in on his Super Topic daily. A die-hard.

When she learned that Fu Chao and the others were opening a restaurant with Nan Zhi, she, being vaguely displeased with Nan Zhi, was actually very worried that Fu Chao would be dragged down.

After all, ’my idol is perfect in every way. If he doesn’t do well, it must be because someone else dragged him down. It’s never my idol’s fault’!

As it happened, her family lived in Yanjing, not far from the filming location.

After letting her sisters in the fan group know, the die-hard fan with the online ID "GetRichOvernightAndMarryFuChao"—"Xiao Ye" for short—dragged her parents and grandparents, a whole family entourage, to Nan Family’s Small Restaurant to boost her idol’s KPIs!

From the moment she walked in, Xiao Ye was muttering unhappily:

"Why does it have to be called Nan Family’s Small Restaurant?"

Xiao Ye’s mother stopped behind her.

"What are you doing just standing in the doorway? Aren’t you going in?"

"I’m going!"

Xiao Ye stomped across the threshold aggressively.

And then, she immediately saw Fu Chao walking toward her—

His perfect figure and long legs couldn’t be hidden by the simple waiter’s uniform. He walked with a crisp, breezy stride, and his smile was flawless...

’Ah! I can’t take it! Someone get me an oxygen tank! I’m going to faint!’

Xiao Ye’s mother once again found it strange.

"Why is your face so red? It’s not hot in here!"

What could Xiao Ye say?

Could she admit that it wasn’t because the restaurant was hot, but because she was so excited to see her idol that her heart rate had skyrocketed, making her blush?

She waved her hands frantically.

"N-No, it’s nothing. I was just walking a bit too fast earlier!"

She secretly snuck glances at Fu Chao, not even daring to look for more than a second.

She was afraid she would profane her god.

Her family members had no such reservations.

Although Xiao Ye had been the one to suggest eating here today, she hadn’t told them her idol was working here. She had only said it was a restaurant recommended by a friend and that the food was pretty good.

Fu Chao politely led the family inside.

"Please, have a seat at this round table."

As he spoke, he pulled out chairs for the elderly grandparents.

Xiao Ye’s family thanked him politely.

Only Xiao Ye was screaming internally: ’AHHH! Brother Fu spoke to me! Brother Fu even pulled out chairs for my grandparents! By extension, that’s like pulling out a chair for me!’

She really couldn’t contain her excitement. After sitting down, she secretly pulled out her phone under the table, wanting to post a live text update to her fan group.

Xiao Ye’s mother nudged her with her arm.

"Xiao Ye, aren’t you going to order? Didn’t you say you were treating the family to a meal?"

Xiao Ye froze.

She felt Fu Chao’s gaze fall upon her.

In an instant, a wave of shyness and excitement surged up from the soles of her feet, spreading through her entire body!

"Ah... Ah! O-Okay!"

Xiao Ye quickly took the menu, not even daring to lift her head, and randomly pointed at a few dishes.

Fu Chao jotted them down, occasionally murmuring his assent.

Xiao Ye’s face was as red as a boiled shrimp.

Xiao Ye’s father also noticed something was off.

"What’s wrong with our darling girl? Why is your face so red? Is it hot in here?"

Xiao Ye’s mother thoughtfully explained:

"She said it’s because she was walking too fast. This child, honestly. Always so hasty. She’s old enough to know better."

Xiao Ye was so embarrassed her toes curled up in her shoes!

’Oh, my dear parents! Can’t you spare me some face in front of Brother Fu?’

Just then, Xiao Ye’s grandmother squinted through her reading glasses.

"Hey! Young man! You look so familiar!"

Fu Chao had heard similar comments many times today and was now able to spin a lie without batting an eye:

"Do I look a lot like Fu Chao? A lot of people say that!"

Xiao Ye’s grandmother nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, yes! I knew it! You really do look like that young fellow Fu Chao. He’s our Xiao Ye’s favorite—"

"Ah, Grandma, Grandma! Don’t keep him from his work!"

Terrified that his identity would be exposed, Xiao Ye quickly shoved the menu into Fu Chao’s hands.

"Please just bring us our food! As soon as possible!"

Fu Chao: "O-Okay."

After Fu Chao left, Xiao Ye thought with regret that her tone might have been too harsh.

Beside her, however, Xiao Ye’s mother had figured things out.

"That was Fu Chao just now, wasn’t it? Is he filming a variety show?"

"Mom! You can’t just say that out loud!"

Xiao Ye quickly glanced around, afraid someone might overhear and cause trouble for Fu Chao and the others.