Qiu Yingying is reborn and bound to a learning system.

With the charity project coming to an end, Qiu Yingying can finally devote more attention to the operation of the "Yingying Loves to Eat" account.

She has been running this account for a long time, but has never shown her face. She relies on her slender, fair hands and a beautiful voice that sounds like it could make you pregnant to share how to cook home-style and creative dishes, as well as video clips of her eating where only the lower half of her face is visible. She never showed her face during her live streams, but she has unknowingly amassed a million followers. People in the comments section urge her to show her face every day.

Just as Qiu Yingying sent the final documents to Chairman Liu, her phone rang. The caller ID showed it was the production team of the TV program "A Bite of China". Qiu Yingying was taken aback. She watched the program occasionally; it was full of big-name celebrities and professional chefs. She never expected them to contact her.

"Ms. Yingying, we'd like to invite you to participate in the recording of our 12th season!" The voice on the other end of the phone was quite energetic. "Your recipes are practical, your voice is soothing, and it perfectly aligns with our program's concept. This time, we have eight guests, including chefs and celebrities, and we'd like to invite you to participate. What do you think?"

Qiu Yingying didn't think much of it and considered it for a moment before replying: "I'll think about it and get back to you."

After hanging up the phone, she checked her account backend and saw that her follower count was still slowly increasing. She remained calm and was no longer afraid of complicated situations. It was just sharing food in a different place, nothing to be nervous about.

She quickly replied to the production team that she agreed.

That evening, Meng Yanchen came to her place and made her sweet and sour pork ribs and other dishes, as well as congee with preserved egg and lean pork.

While eating, Qiu Yingying told him about it: "I agreed to record 'A Bite of China'. It's a total of twelve episodes, which will be a good opportunity to expand the scale of my account and lay the foundation for my future career."

Meng Yanchen placed a piece of spare rib on her plate and smiled, "Go if you want, that's fine. You're always in great shape when you're cooking, so don't worry about it. I'll come and keep you company when I have time."

"Okay." Qiu Yingying nodded, smiling sweetly at Meng Yanchen. Why wouldn't she let her boyfriend accompany her? She was already thinking about how to shoot the trailer video.

The next day, she filmed a preview in the open kitchen of her large apartment. The camera focused only on her hands, her fingertips holding a freshly made mango crepe, and her voice was steady: "I have something to tell you all. 'Yingying Loves to Eat' is going to record a program called 'A Bite of China,' a total of twelve episodes. This is my first time appearing on screen. See you on the show."

The video went viral, and the comment section exploded immediately. Fans were excited, saying, "Finally, we get to see her in person! Beautiful hands and a gentle voice, she must be reliable." Haters were also there, commenting, "She has a million followers and is still hiding her identity, she must be ugly." and "Why would an internet celebrity get involved? She's probably just trying to ride the wave."

Qiu Yingying scrolled through a few messages and then turned off her phone, not taking it to heart.

The internet is full of mixed opinions; those who like it will wait, and explanations are useless against those with ill intentions. She hadn't shown her face before simply to avoid trouble, but now that she had a better opportunity, she wanted to seize it. She turned and went into the kitchen to practice her cooking. Rather than worrying about what others thought, she decided to focus on making good food.

On May Day, filming officially began for "A Bite of China". Qiu Yingying arrived at the studio backstage half an hour early. As soon as she entered the dressing room, she saw that many people were already sitting in front of the eight makeup stations.

Seeing the designer brand in front of her, the woman in the silk shirt next to her smiled and said, "You must be 'Yingying Loves to Eat'? I've made cola chicken wings with you before, and they tasted amazing." Qiu Yingying recognized the woman as actress Su Manli, the wife of the movie star, and smiled in response, "Hello, Ms. Su, I often watch your movies."

Just then, a commotion broke out at the door. Popular idol Lin Youchen walked in with a group of assistants, took off his sunglasses, nodded to everyone, and gave a standard smile, but it conveyed a sense of distance.

Qiu Yingying glanced at the others: Zhou Jianjun, a Michelin three-star chef with gray hair, had a tense face; Zhao Lei, a creative food influencer wearing trendy brands, was constantly filming vlogs with his phone in his hand; there were also two food bloggers and a local cuisine brand inheritor.

The atmosphere was a little awkward when the eight people gathered together, but Qiu Yingying didn't think much of it. She found an empty seat, closed her eyes to rest, and waited for the recording to begin.

As soon as the recording started, the host announced the theme of the first episode, "Inheritance and Innovation". The contestants had 90 minutes to make a dish that was both traditional and innovative. Three professional judges and 20 audience members scored the dish, and the first to finish won the "Star Chef" medal.

Everyone immediately got busy. Zhou Jianjun chose grouper to steam; Su Manli took bamboo shoots and pork ribs to make a modified version of braised pork and bamboo shoot soup; Lin Youchen picked salmon and avocado, apparently to make a creative salad.

Qiu Yingying went straight to the ingredient shelf and selected fresh shrimp, water chestnuts, carrots, and edible rose petals. She planned to make "Peony Shrimp Balls," a dish that tests both skill and creative presentation, perfectly matching the theme.

Zhao Lei, who was standing next to her, glanced at the ingredients and curled his lip: "Imperial cuisine is not something you can just touch casually. Don't mess it up and embarrass yourself."

Qiu Yingying ignored him and busied herself with her work. She removed the shrimp shells and veins, gently pounded the shrimp meat with the back of a knife, added water chestnut pieces, egg white, and starch, and stirred in one direction until it became sticky. While marinating, she carved small flowers with carrots and soaked rose petals to soften them. Then she squeezed shrimp balls and fried them slowly over low heat. Her movements were methodical and she never panicked throughout the entire process.

The worktables next to them were bustling with activity. Zhou Jianjun's grouper was emitting a wonderful aroma, Su Manli's braised pork and bamboo shoot soup was bubbling away, and cameras were constantly rolling around Lin Youchen's work. Qiu Yingying, on the other hand, was quiet and focused on her work. The fried shrimp balls were golden and crispy, and when plated, they were arranged in a peony shape with a carved carrot in the center and rose petals around them. They were drizzled with a sauce made from broth, making them look incredibly appetizing.

When the dishes were served, the judges' eyes lit up. Culinary master Li Jianguo picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and nodded: "Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the shrimp is springy, and the water chestnuts are sweet and refreshing. It has the charm of imperial cuisine without being complicated. The innovation is just right."

The audience judges were also quite impressed, with many praising the dish after eating: "I didn't expect a home-style cooking blogger to be so amazing! This dish looks high-end and tastes delicious!"

After the scoring was completed, the host announced: "Qiu Yingying, the first 'Star Chef'! Her Peony Shrimp Balls score 92.5 points, ranking first!"

Qiu Yingying's face didn't show much emotion; she simply smiled politely and accepted the medal. Su Manli was genuinely happy for her and applauded first; Lin Youchen clapped symbolically, his eyes filled with complex emotions; Zhou Jianjun's expression wasn't good, and he turned and left without saying a word.

The show aired that night, and the hashtags #YingyingLovesEatingFirstAppearance# and #YingyingWinsImperialCuisine# trended on Weibo. When Qiu Yingying got home and checked her phone, she saw a barrage of insults in the comments section: "It was definitely a pre-prepared semi-finished product; they just plated it up on stage." "Is there some kind of backing? Suppressing a Michelin-starred chef—the inside story is too obvious."

"She's just average-looking, pretending to be gentle to grab attention, get off the show," some people even dug up her personal information and photoshopped ugly memes of her.

Most people might have been angry, but Qiu Yingying simply frowned and casually closed the comments section. She knew that fame often brings controversy, and winning a championship was bound to attract attention; there was no need to get angry with strangers.

When Meng Yanchen arrived, he saw her in the kitchen working on the next recipe, with a pen in her hand and writing something in a notebook. "I saw the comments online. Are you alright? I've already had someone handle it," he asked as he walked over.

"I've seen a few." Qiu Yingying didn't even look up. "It's no big deal. People can say whatever they want."

Meng Yanchen picked up her phone from the table, scrolled through the malicious comments, and his face darkened: "If this goes any further, we'll have a lawyer handle it. Prying into privacy and spreading rumors is going too far."

"No need to make a fuss." Qiu Yingying put down her pen, turned to look at him, and said, "The production team should respond, and even if they don't, it won't affect me. I'm here to cook, not to please everyone."

She picked up the medal from the table, weighed it in her palm, and said, "I won this through my own ability, and I know that's enough."

Looking at her composed demeanor, Meng Yanchen smiled and said, "I was overthinking it."

"There's really no need to dwell on this." Qiu Yingying smiled and picked up her pen again. "Instead of wasting time on these things, we should think about what dish to make for the next episode. There are still eleven episodes left, so we need to come up with something truly special that will leave them speechless."

She opened her account backend and quickly scanned the fans' comments. Many fans were defending her, saying, "I've followed your recipes before, and every single one was a success. There's no need to fake it." "The Peony Shrimp Balls look simple, but they actually require a lot of skill. I support you, sister."

Qiu Yingying felt a warmth in her heart and posted a short update: "Thank you everyone for your support. There are no shortcuts to cooking, only passion and perseverance. In the next eleven episodes, I will put my heart into making every dish well."

After posting the update, she continued studying the recipe with focused and determined eyes. The online controversy was like a passing breeze; her mind was always on the food. The culinary journey had only just begun, and this little ripple couldn't possibly defeat her.

The next morning, the production team indeed released a statement, along with full behind-the-scenes footage of her recording, from preparing ingredients to cooking and plating, all without editing, clearly proving the authenticity of her culinary skills. The judges also spoke out, emphasizing that the scoring was fair and impartial, and that Qiu Yingying's peony shrimp balls deserved their award.

After the behind-the-scenes footage was released, many passersby became fans: "So it really was made by herself, her technique is so skilled, I'm a fan now!" "She looks so charming when she's focused on cooking, much better than those who just try to create hype." Public opinion gradually shifted, and the malicious comments faded away.

After seeing the statement, Qiu Yingying simply smiled and didn't pay any more attention. She had already focused her energy on preparing for the next episode. The kitchen was filled with fresh ingredients, and she practiced her knife skills, cooking time, and seasoning again and again, striving to do her best.