Chapter 25: Cooking with a Top-Tier Celebrity

As the sky began to lighten, Fang Zhou was already downstairs in the kitchen.

The production team had prepared the ingredients; they just needed to be processed.

Today was their third day on the island. Previously, breakfast had been mostly quick meals—either sandwiches or bread.

Today, Fang Zhou decided to make something different for everyone: fish noodles.

The most troublesome part of making fish noodles was simmering the fish soup, and the heat had to be just right.

But this was no challenge for Fang Zhou, who often cooked for himself.

He first scaled, gutted, and cleaned a fresh crucian carp, then began preparing the other ingredients.

“Fang Zhou, let me help you.”

A sweet voice came from behind him. Turning around, he saw Qiao Sisi, his partner.

Today, she wore green overalls, paired with her pink hair, making her a bright and charming sight.

Originally, there weren’t many viewers watching the live stream around seven in the morning, as most people were busy getting ready for work or their early commutes. But as soon as Qiao Sisi appeared, the comments section exploded.

“Ahhh! Sisi looks so cute today! Love it!”

“Is Sisi making breakfast today? Does she even know how? I’m so jealous of these guests, getting to eat breakfast made by a celebrity!”

“Wahhh, if I had another chance, I would definitely sign up for the dating show to cook with Sisi!”

Fang Zhou glanced at her briefly before shaking his head and declining.

“No need, just sit down. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

Fang Zhou’s tone was calm, as if commenting on the weather, giving Qiao Sisi no hint of affection.

She bit her lower lip, thinking to herself: Why can you talk to me so calmly, as if you don’t know me at all?

Just when Fang Zhou thought she would sit down, a pair of slender, fair fingers reached out, looking like they came straight out of a comic book.

“I can do it.”

Qiao Sisi snatched the garlic he was peeling, quickly finished the job, and then started washing the chilies.

Fang Zhou sighed and let her be, turning to fry the fish.

He heated the pan, added oil, and fried the fish with swift, steady movements. Qiao Sisi couldn’t help but be mesmerized by his actions, slowing down her own tasks.

Fang Zhou noticed that the ginger was washed but not yet sliced.

He stepped over to slice the green onions, ginger, and garlic, but Qiao Sisi, understanding his intention, quickly picked up the knife.

“Let me do it. You watch the fish; don’t overcook it.”

Fang Zhou looked at her skeptically, silently questioning, “Can you do it?”

He remembered that Qiao Sisi had never been in the kitchen before, and there were no videos online of her cooking.

Qiao Sisi responded with quick and skillful knife work, smiling as she said, “I’m a celebrity, not incapable of taking care of myself.”

And what was with that look of doubt, as if she might cut herself?

As if she would be foolish enough to catch the knife with her hand! Besides, a hand injury would seriously affect her work.

With just a few moves, the comments section was already praising her to the skies.

“Sisi is really a girl with skillful hands. She’s so good at cutting vegetables, it’s really charming!”

“Wahhh, I really want to eat Sisi’s cooking. It’s making me hungry.”

“I have to say, these two look quite compatible. Standing in the kitchen, they look like an old married couple.”

Fang Zhou glanced over to make sure Qiao Sisi hadn’t cut herself, then flipped the fish.

He wasn’t being overly cautious, but Qiao Sisi was very delicate.

When they used to hang out, even a minor bump would make her cry for a long time, and Fang Zhou had to find various ways to comfort her.

If she cut herself, he could already imagine the entire villa being woken up by her cries.

“Step back a bit.”

Fang Zhou reached for the ginger slices, but Qiao Sisi grabbed them first, placing them in his hand with a smile.

“I’m here to assist you. Just tell me what you need.”

She rarely lowered herself like this. Rather than performing for the cameras, it felt more like she was trying to please Fang Zhou.

Given her current status, she didn’t need to cater to the audience for views; she was a big draw herself.

Fang Zhou suddenly remembered a joke he had made with Qiao Sisi when they were together.

“Appreciate my cooking now, or you might not even get to assist me in the future.”

Was it possible Qiao Sisi still remembered that joke?

Fang Zhou found it unlikely. She was always busy, memorizing countless lines daily. How could she remember a joke he made?

The fish was almost ready. Fang Zhou added the seasonings and then poured in hot water to simmer.

The soup needed to be simmered until it turned milky white for the best flavor.

He took some rice noodles from the fridge, planning to add some greens for a simple meal.

Seeing him preparing another pot for frying eggs, Qiao Sisi washed the greens and set them aside.

“Wow, what are you cooking? It smells great!”

“This smells like fish soup. Are we having fish soup?”

By 7:30 AM, everyone was getting up for breakfast, and they couldn’t help but peek into the kitchen at the enticing aroma.

Qiao Sisi smiled and announced, “Yes, Chef Fang Zhou is making fish noodles today. It will be ready soon!”

As Fang Zhou was about to finish cooking the noodles, Qiao Sisi stepped forward to get bowls and chopsticks.

But suddenly, she slipped, and her whole body began to fall to the floor!

Fang Zhou, standing right next to her, instinctively caught her, pulling her into his arms.

“Are you okay?” Fang Zhou asked softly, looking down at her.

Others in the hall saw this and started teasing.

“Wow!”

“Hero saves the beauty, haha.”

Qiao Sisi’s face turned red, her blush spreading beautifully. She shook her head and stepped out of Fang Zhou’s embrace.

“I just slipped.”

Fang Zhou wasn’t sure if she did it on purpose, so he bypassed her to get the bowls and chopsticks himself.

“It’s fine, there are always water stains in the kitchen.”

“You go sit down; it will be ready soon.”

Fang Zhou didn’t dare let her carry the bowls. If she slipped again, his morning efforts would be ruined.

“Okay.”

Blushing, Qiao Sisi sat in the hall, her face full of shy colors, seemingly afraid to meet everyone’s eyes.

Only she knew in her heart whether that slip was intentional.