Shock! I became the protagonist of a female-oriented novel.

The steps to make pudding are actually very simple. I looked up and glanced at today's foodie judging panel. Most of them were slightly chubby girls, so... let's make the pudding a little sweeter.

Strawberries are a great choice.

Freshly squeezed strawberry juice, this one, that one.

First, arrange the original ingredients in a row, and then slowly add things to the plate. After all the ingredients are in place, put the bowl of pink semi-finished pudding into the microwave and start making the base.

You could say that the main ingredient of today's dessert isn't the pudding, but rather—the jam on the plate.

Put some runny strawberry jam into a plastic cone and squeeze it slowly; the smoother lines can be used for drawing.

Red strawberry jam, a plain white porcelain plate, and the silhouettes of a man and woman embracing from behind—no matter how you look at it, it's simple and fits the theme of the meeting perfectly.

……

As I had predicted, the pudding received good reviews, but because the preparation method was quite simple, it didn't score as high as the 'Encounter' dish made by the chef next door. But—

It doesn't matter, we're just selling a wave of popularity anyway.

The difference today is that the drawing session was canceled; instead, participants directly presented their artwork and discussed their inspiration.

The home-style cooking chef used the gatherings and separations of family members from their hometown to illustrate the profound meaning of the dish "Reunion," while the pastry chef used the concept of father and daughter to tell his story with his youngest daughter who was taking the college entrance examination, and so on...

Yu Ci carried the delicate pudding.

I glanced at it a few times.

"I'm still reading the same story."

"One of the lovers was away from home for a long time because of work, and the other was waiting at home. Then it was New Year's Day, and the work was finished."

"One person hurriedly bought a ticket, wanting to go home to see their lover, while another person was still at home when they suddenly heard the doorbell ring. They went to open the door and suddenly saw their long-lost lover."

Before he could even be surprised, his body acted before his mind could, as if it were instinct. The boy took a step forward and hugged the person he loved.

"Yes, longing is like a strawberry, sweet and sour, with a complex flavor."

"Wow--"

"Our Yu Ci truly lives up to his reputation as a pastry chef; every story he tells is so sweet." The host laughed, holding the microphone. "However, today's stories aren't just for us; they're also for a mystery guest!"

A mystery guest?

Yu Ci subconsciously looked up and found that the lights on the field suddenly dimmed and the music on the field suddenly changed.

In this atmosphere of mystery, the host began to speak: "Today, 'Food is Here' is launching its New Year's Day special, and we've invited a mystery guest—"

"She once played the youngest daughter waiting for her father's return in the TV series 'Silent Emptiness,' and the princess protecting the country waiting for the return of thousands of soldiers in 'Ode to Jiangcheng.' She is—"

The lights suddenly came on.

The host's voice boomed: "She is—Gu Qiushui!"

"Let's welcome the Goddess Qiushui to the stage!"

Suddenly they turned around, their eyes met—

Hmm?

A young boy waiting for his lover to return?

At this moment, Yu Ci had only one thought.

Did she hear the nonsense she just spouted?

Chapter 89 Happy Birthday, Girlfriend

After Gu Qiushui came on stage, Yu Ci, who was holding the pudding, felt a sensation of...itchiness all over his body.

She couldn't help but want to move, to scratch her head, touch her nose, or hold someone's hand.

Gu Qiushui had already stood next to the host, directly opposite Yu Ci.

"Ta-da! Didn't expect that, did you? Our special guest is actually the Goddess Qiu Shui!"

"Ha, come on, let's hand the microphone over to the goddess and ask her what she thinks after listening to the inspiration from the three of us chefs?"

I do have ideas... naturally.

"I think that coming together and parting ways are very touching, whether it is between children and parents, or... lovers. It makes people feel that being together is beautiful and parting is painful."

Such a melancholic script is clearly prepared by the production team.

Can……

Even just listening to her recite this prepared script, Yu Ci still felt a little nervous.

Even with the addition of Gu Qiushui, the overall structure of "Food is Coming" remains largely unchanged; it's the same as always, except for the addition of a mystery guest tasting segment.

The only ones who were nervous were Yu Ci, or rather, Gu Qiushui and Yu Ci.

Whether it was the moment their fingers touched when they received the plate, or Gu Qiushui's deep, unfathomable eyes as she commented, or their gazes inadvertently entwining during their conversation...

This is the first time the two of them have appeared together on stage since they got together.

The program is broadcast live.

In the inexplicable shift from "someone filming for the national brand Fuguang Jewelry" to "someone participating in 'Food is Coming'", there were countless fans who knew nothing about it.

So, after someone posted "#Comrades, friends! I found that Goddess Qiushui appeared on 'Food is Here'!" in the fan group, a large wave of fans flooded into the live stream room.

I don't know if I don't see it, I'm startled when I see it.

The first time I appeared on a variety show was because they made an exception for a certain Miss Yu, and this second time! It's the same!

The jq seems to be overflowing from the screen.

-

Of course, neither of the two people present knew about the fans' self-contained fandom outside the venue.

They were just following the program's flow as usual.

Never before had I so wished the show would finish filming so quickly.

The segment had progressed to its final stage, but the production team, for some unknown reason, suggested that Yu Ci draw a picture as the ending of the New Year's Day special.

This time, instead of drawing the love story that went viral on Weibo, I drew a group portrait.

The faces of the people are not clearly depicted; the painting conveys the idea. In front of an old house, there is a group photo of an elderly person in red clothes, a group of young adults, and children.

The surrounding area is decorated with red "福" (good fortune) characters and lanterns.

The painting doesn't explicitly mention reunion, but the feeling of reunion permeates every scene.

only--

After Yu Ci finished his painting, the host glanced at the time and was a little confused. He had planned to have Yu Ci paint a picture to make up the three-hour program time, but the man painted much faster than usual.

Although there wasn't enough time, the show had already reached this point, and they couldn't add any more scenes. They could only follow the narrative, promote a sense of reunion, and then close the show.

Before the closing ceremony, Yu Ci and Gu Qiushui exchanged a glance from afar.

-

"Why did you suddenly come here..." Yu Ci looked at the person sitting on the sofa, feeling a mix of sweetness and reproach in her heart, "You didn't even tell me."

Gu Qiushui was quite frank, "If I told you, would you still be surprised?"

"What a surprise!" Yu Ci coughed, his face serious. "I was so startled when I suddenly saw you on the show today that I almost knocked over my pudding!"

The air was still for a moment.

Gu Qiushui gave an "oh," tilted her head back, and smiled.

Her gaze met Yu Ci's, her beautiful, deep pupils gleaming. "So you're saying that seeing me today brought no surprise, only shock?"

"Yu Ci, I'm a little hurt by what you're saying." She said she was hurt, but there was no sad expression on her face. Instead, she had an indescribable seductive quality to her.

Remainder: ...

Unable to contain her wildly beating heart, she couldn't help but swallow, turning her head to the side. "Well, it's still a pleasant surprise."

"But I still want to ask... why did you suddenly come here?"

"You really don't know?"

"I don't know."

Gu Qiushui sighed helplessly, "Yu Ci, today is January 1st, your 21st birthday, and you didn't even know?"

"..."

Birthday?

My memories are catching up right now; it really does feel like today is her birthday!

so???

"You suddenly came to celebrate my birthday!?"

"What do you think?" Gu Qiushui said, taking out a black brocade box from her pocket. "Alright, let's not talk about anything else, let's get back to the main topic."

The person who had been sitting comfortably on the sofa suddenly stood up, pushed Yu Ci onto the sofa, and made her sit down.

"Today is January 1, 2017, the beginning of 2017, the first day of the year, and I am very happy to celebrate your birthday at this time."

"I'm so glad I could give you this gift at 17:53 PM." She placed the gift in Yu Ci's hand, then suddenly leaned forward, saying, "I'm even happier to kiss you at 17:54 PM on your 21st birthday."

Before Yu Ci could even react, he was pinned down on the sofa while still holding the gift.

It's been a long time.

It's been so long since we last met, and the bond between us feels even stronger now.

A passionate kiss blossomed on their lips, and Yu Ci couldn't help but widen his eyes, wanting to speak. But as soon as he opened his mouth, he found that the kiss had become even deeper.

"Well……"

This long-awaited kiss lasted a very long time.

The meeting ended when both of their faces turned red.

Yu Ci slumped on the sofa, feeling a bit too tired to move.

"Want to go out tonight?"