Chapter 159: Tastes Awful

All the guests stared at the delicious food on the table, their faces filled with astonishment.

The crown prince of the Beijing elite circle!

A pampered young master who had never lifted a finger to do any manual labor—how could he possibly know how to cook?

As if cooking wasn't surprising enough, how could he manage to whip up such an aromatic, visually stunning, and mouth-watering feast under such harsh conditions?

Jiang Se could no longer hold back.

She picked up a pair of chopsticks whittled from tree branches and took a bite of the garlic-butter prawns.

None of the others had touched their food yet.

They all watched Jiang Se intently, as if waiting for her review.

After all, none of them truly believed that a meal cooked by the crown prince of the Beijing circle could actually be edible.

After taking a bite, Jiang Se frowned.

"It's... it's... so terrible."

Everyone exchanged glances.

Yet, they weren't overly disappointed.

After all, this outcome was well within everyone's expectations.

However, the very next second,

they watched as Jiang Se picked up another large prawn and placed it into her coconut-shell bowl.

Then came the third, the fourth...

As she kept serving herself, she muttered, "Since it's so awful, none of you should eat it. I'll just bear the hardship and finish it off."

Seeing Jiang Se's impatient and eager behavior, everyone suddenly realized something was amiss.

One after another, they picked up their chopsticks and began to sample the dishes.

After just one bite, everyone's expression turned into one of utter amazement.

"Oh my god, why is this so delicious?!"

"Teacher Bo, this is the best stir-fried crab I've ever had in my life, hands down!"

"Teacher Bo, how is your culinary skill this incredible? This is simply art!"

"Teacher Jiang, eat slower! Leave some for us..."

After offering a few words of praise, everyone went completely silent.

With every bite they took, not a single person uttered a sound, terrified that speaking another word would cost them even an extra mouthful of food.

Jiang Ciyou also found the meal exceptionally delectable.

She had tasted Bo Jinxiu's cooking before.

Although she hadn't eaten it often, compared to today's meal, what she had before fell far short.

Of course, this had to be credited to the unique ingredients and exotic spices found on this island.

In the livestream chat room, viewers watched the celebrities enthusiastically devouring their food.

[Is this really not scripted for the show?]

[How delicious can it possibly be? I genuinely wish I could crawl through the screen and have a few bites.]

[The crown prince turns out to be a culinary god! This man is practically too perfect.]

[Our little Qingqing is so blessed! Having the crown prince personally cook for her in the future—just thinking about it makes it too sweet.]

Soon, everyone was fully fed and satisfied.

Some lay on the beach to bask in the moonlight.

Some took a stroll by the seaside.

Others gathered around the bonfire to chat.

Jiang Ciyou was dragged aside by Jiang Se to hear some gossip—all about the behind-the-scenes stories of the entertainment industry that Jiang Se had witnessed over her many years as a Best Actress.

Although no names were explicitly mentioned, Jiang Ciyou knew that many people's reputations would be completely ruined tonight.

Jiang Se's mouth simply never stopped running.

If someone were to hand her a bag of melon seeds, she could chatter away until the end of time.

Shen Qingqing sat nearby, listening in rapt attention.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

"How come we haven't seen Teacher Xu tonight?"

Xu Yao hadn't stepped out of her tent since the afternoon, and she hadn't eaten dinner either.

Jiang Se remarked, "You wouldn't have mentioned it and I wouldn't have even noticed."

She waved her hand dismissively and continued, "Never mind her. Where was I? Oh right! So, minor celebrity A and minor actress B are actually a reel-to-reel couple on set, but the crucial part is that minor celebrity A has long been secretly married, and his wife is currently three months pregnant at home..."

Jiang Ciyou's gaze drifted upward, watching the little drone—which had been hovering closer and closer above their heads while spinning around in circles of pure excitement.

Just how many people in the entertainment industry were trembling in their boots right now?

Fortunately, it was soon eight o'clock.

Reluctantly, the little drone flew a bit further away.

"Now, will all the guests please head to the dark room to cast your crush votes? Once all the votes are cast, we will announce the results. The successfully matched guests will be sent to Angel Island to enjoy a romantic, dreamlike date."

Earlier, the production team had airlifted a dark room onto the island.

So that was what it was meant for—voting!

The little drone continued, "The voting will not be made public; we will only announce the results. Now, guests, please enter one by one."

Hearing the announcement, Xu Yao hurriedly emerged from her tent.

She was the first to go into the dark room to cast her crush vote.

Jiang Ciyou was the last one to enter.

Once inside, Jiang Ciyou discovered that the room contained only a spartan table.

A small lamp hung directly above the table.

On top of the table lay a single card and a pen.

The rule was simple: write down the name of your crush on the card, and then drop it into the piggy-bank-like iron box on the table.

Jiang Ciyou finished quickly and came right back out.

At the drone's command, the men and women formed two separate rows.

After a short while, the drone began to announce the results.

"For this crush vote, we regret to inform you that only one pair has successfully matched."

A look of astonishment surfaced on everyone's faces.

The livestream chat room exploded instantly.

[Only one pair? I bet it's the Light-Thin CP!]

[I'm guessing the same! It feels like only that pair was running toward each other. The Colorful Clouds CP is fun to ship, but it's just the younger brother's unrequited crush.]

[I'm so curious—if only one pair succeeded, who on earth did everyone else cast their crush votes for?]

[Production team, stop keeping us in suspense and hurry up and announce the results!]

The drone buzzed in a circle above everyone's heads and finally began the announcement: "The successfully matched pair is Best Actor Si and Best Actress Jiang!"

The drone announced mechanically, "Now, will the matched couple please head together to Angel Island to enjoy your romantic and dreamy journey."

"Wow! It's actually me?!"

"Yay! Teacher Si, it's the two of us! Give me five!"

Jiang Se excitedly high-fived Si Yufeng.

Then, lifting the hem of her dress, she spun around in a triumphant victory lap.

The helicopter arrived swiftly.

Jiang Se and Si Yufeng boarded the aircraft together.

Jiang Se waved goodbye to everyone and called out, "Sisters, pardon my win! Abalone, shark fin, foie gras, here I come!"

In the livestream:

[Best Actress Jiang doesn't look like she's going on a date; she looks like she's going on a food-hunting expedition.]

[Even though Best Actress Jiang and Best Actor Si are a famous onscreen couple, they barely spoke two words to each other today. There's zero chemistry between them, so I never expected them to vote for each other.]

[They just give off the vibe of old friends. Handsome guy and beautiful woman, yes, but watching them doesn't make my heart race at all.]

[The Light-Thin CP actually BE'd (broke up/ended)! Who on earth did they cast their crush votes for?]

[I just want to know who our Sister You's crush was! Judging by the younger brother's expression, it definitely wasn't Shen Yibai!]

[Production team, release the voting records! I'm willing to pay extra!]

After Si Yufeng and Jiang Se were whisked away by the helicopter, the drone continued, "Please, the remaining guests, stay on Demon Island and look forward to tomorrow's journey of romance."

Shen Yibai walked over to Jiang Ciyou.

With a jealous expression, he asked, "Sister, whose crush vote did you give yours to? Teacher Si or Teacher Wei?"

Jiang Ciyou glanced at him dismissively. "Adults' business, little kids shouldn't pry."

With that, Jiang Ciyou walked straight into her tent.

Shen Yibai squatted down aggrievedly and began drawing circles on the ground.

On the other side, Shen Qingqing's eyes had turned red.

She lifted her gaze to look at Bo Jinxiu.

Bo Jinxiu wasn't looking at her; his deep gaze seemed lost, as if he were trapped entirely within his own thoughts.

Shen Qingqing didn't say anything.

Biting her lip, she slipped into her tent.

Once inside, she could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

Jiang Ciyou had originally planned to go straight to sleep,

only to see Shen Qingqing sitting on the edge of her bed, shedding silent tears.

Shortly after, Xu Yao also entered.

Seeing Shen Qingqing crying, she felt quite pleased inside.

She walked over and, putting on a sympathetic facade, said, "Qingqing, I actually thought Teacher Bo would give his crush vote to you. I never expected that his crush wasn't you after all."