Reborn to Stew Soup (GL) 136

Chapter 136: Seeking Sugar

Sneaking snacks is forbidden.

In the darkness, having successfully persuaded Ji Junxin, Mi Hongdou heard the rustling of plastic wrap and then the faint sound of chewing.

After a while, not wanting to disturb the foodie, Mi Hongdou asked, “Is it good?”

Her timing was perfect, Ji Junxin had just finished a piece of beef jerky.

“Delicious! So fragrant and flavorful!” Perhaps to match the clandestine snacking, Ji Junxin’s voice was low, but her delight was evident.

How could it not be delightful? After two days of bland food, and today’s lunch, although delicious, still lacking in richness due to limited seasonings and ingredients, this beef jerky, flavorful and tender, with just the right amount of salt and sweetness, mixed with sesame seeds, it was so good she could cry.

The actual filming conditions of Reality Online were better than Mi Hongdou had anticipated, so the practical use of this beef jerky bracelet was less than she had expected.

But hearing Ji Junxin’s happy voice, Mi Hongdou felt a sense of satisfaction. Her efforts in creating this bracelet, the numerous experiments and different recipes to find the perfect, long-lasting jerky that wouldn’t become tough when compressed, it was all worth it.

“Good, this filming is twelve days, and this bracelet has twelve beads, take it to your room later and eat them after the lights are out,” Mi Hongdou said, gently stroking Ji Junxin’s hair. With the beef jerky making her so happy, she must have forgotten about the awkwardness in the bathroom earlier. Foodies were so easy to please.

Ji Junxin, who had been trying to open the second bead, stopped.

They were now snuggled together in the same blanket roll, so close that they could feel each other’s slightest movements.

Ji Junxin’s sudden stillness, the quiet beside her, made Mi Hongdou feel that something was… off.

Before she could figure it out, Ji Junxin whispered, “So… it’s the second day now, can I have the second piece?”

Ji Junxin’s soft, hesitant voice was incredibly cute! Like a small, warm animal asking for food… Mi Hongdou, who had been stroking Ji Junxin’s hair, her hand trembled.

“Eat…” Are you silly?

Normally, Ji Junxin wouldn’t ask so hesitantly. It was because she had misinterpreted Mi Hongdou’s earlier “snack” offer in the bathroom, her response revealing something… she felt a little embarrassed.

Now, with Mi Hongdou’s permission, Ji Junxin happily opened another bead… and offered the beef jerky to Mi Hongdou.

Sharing a blanket roll, Mi Hongdou naturally noticed Ji Junxin’s movement. The approaching scent of beef jerky, and Ji Junxin’s earlier attentiveness during meals, even with the cameras rolling, Mi Hongdou knew what she was doing.

“I’m not eating…” Mi Hongdou turned her head away and grabbed Ji Junxin’s hand. “I had too much for dinner, I’m full. And don’t move so much, what if the cameras can see our shadows or something?”

To avoid further back-and-forth, Mi Hongdou resorted to a little scare tactic.

Ji Junxin tried to reach Mi Hongdou again, but Mi Hongdou’s hand didn’t budge. Ji Junxin, annoyed, withdrew her hand. “Hmph! I asked earlier, the curtains are thick, the cameras can’t see anything in the dark, it’s just pitch black.”

“Really? Heh…” Mi Hongdou chuckled dryly. Of course, she knew, she had asked earlier, it was just a tactic to control the unpredictable Ji Junxin.

Ji Junxin fidgeted, then fell silent. Mi Hongdou, still slightly traumatized by the bathroom incident, hearing Ji Junxin’s annoyed “hmph,” thought she was angry again, when Ji Junxin snuggled closer and whispered, “I knew you were saving it for me…”

Saving it? We always have enough food when we’re not filming… Mi Hongdou was about to retort when Ji Junxin suddenly moved, and something soft brushed against her lips. The unexpected touch startled her. But then she smelled Ji Junxin’s scent.

So, a quick, fleeting kiss, like a whirlwind?

Mi Hongdou licked her lips, regretting her earlier words in the bathroom! If she hadn’t said so much, they could have kissed then… perhaps even… Remembering Ji Junxin’s undergarments, she sighed. If she hadn’t left, it would have been difficult to control herself.

Ji Junxin, however, was oblivious to Mi Hongdou’s regret and frustration.

Food was the only thing on her mind.

The thin beef jerky strips, pressed into a firm block, easily crumbled in her mouth, tender and flavorful, salty, sweet, and savory, with a hint of spice, awakening her taste buds after two days of bland food.

As she was about to finish the second piece, Ji Junxin suddenly regretted it. It was beef jerky! Wasn’t it a waste to eat it all at once? Savoring it slowly, strand by strand, would make it last longer!

A determined person wouldn’t back down from a challenge, and Ji Junxin was a determined person!

So, Mi Hongdou, still reflecting on the bathroom incident, felt Ji Junxin move and then heard her voice.

“Hmm… I think… although we’re filming for twelve days, on the twelfth day, it will all be over, and we can leave, and there will be no more food restrictions. So… perhaps I can eat the twelfth piece now?” Ji Junxin’s voice was soft, her reasoning seemingly logical.

Mi Hongdou was amused. “Eat, eat it if you want.”

The third piece of jerky disappeared much more slowly. Although it lacked the initial burst of flavor from eating it whole, savoring it slowly allowed her to appreciate every nuance.

Ji Junxin felt much better.

“Hmm… I think…” She swallowed the last bit and started to speak, but Mi Hongdou interrupted her.

“Pfft… I said there were twelve pieces, I didn’t say you could only eat one per day. Eat it if you like, I’ll make more for you later,” Mi Hongdou said with a smile.

“…” Ji Junxin, her face serious in the darkness, said, “I was going to say… I want to brush my teeth…”

Mi Hongdou: “…”

I think I just interrupted something…

The bathroom was a bit of a walk, she should turn on the light.

And before turning on the light, she should adjust her clothes and hair… after all, it was a 24/7 live stream.

They hid the bracelet, the empty foil packet in their hands, tidied themselves, and then turned on the light.

Less than half an hour had passed since Mi Hongdou turned off the lights.

Although the cameras in their room only showed darkness, many viewers kept the live stream open while checking on the other celebrities. We worked so hard to get this mission, we’re watching even if it’s just darkness!

And in the comments section, under the dark screen, the viewers let their imaginations run wild.

Just as the speculation reached a crucial point – who was the top and who was the bottom – the screen suddenly brightened!

Those who had witnessed Mi Hongdou’s lightning-fast light-switching skills earlier were ready. Screenshots first, we’ll discuss the tachi/neko dynamic later!

Ji Junxin went to the bathroom, Mi Hongdou sat on the bed.

Lights on, but not in the same bed, we can’t even take screenshots, how disappointing… Weren’t you supposed to be a professional sugar-delivering CP? Why hide in the dark! What about us, waiting for our 24/7 sugar fix! We even got VIP cards for Bai Bai Dental Clinic! And this is what we get? Negative review!

While many viewers were wallowing in disappointment, some were diligently searching for clues.

And they found some…

“Look! The two blanket rolls are messed up!”

“Are you blind? That’s what blankets look like after you sleep!”

“Are you blind! Look closely, they’re strangely messed up!”

“Sweet! I’m dying…”

“Don’t die yet! Tell us where the sweetness is!”

“Where’s the sugar????”

“Magical healing hands!”

“Resurrection!”

“A withered tree blossoming again!”

“The sugar is too sweet, I died and came back to life, are you guys still using idioms from the Chinese Idiom Competition?…”

“Just tell us where the sugar is! Or face our wrath!”

“…You guys are scary with your idioms. Look closely at the two blanket rolls, the sides near the beds are still neatly folded, but the middle parts are open and tangled… sweet, isn’t it?”

“Dying…”

“Dying +1…”

“Dying +2…”

…

“Dying +N…”

“The before-and-after bed photos are so different, how did I miss that, I’m blind!”

“We were all complaining about them not being in the same frame, but the sugar was… on the bed!”

“The blanket is sugar…”

“Sweetness overload…”

…

Ji Junxin, having flushed the foil packet down the toilet, brushed her teeth, and returned to bed, thinking about chatting with Mi Hongdou and telling her about the little secret she discovered during the morning’s team challenge. She had no idea that their “little secret” on the bed had already been captured and analyzed in a long Weibo post with detailed screenshots…