Huayu: I'm being coveted by young actresses.

Chapter 6: Symptoms of Kidney Deficiency

The dishes on the table looked impressive, but there were actually only four dishes, three of which were duplicates.

There were only two dishes available: enoki mushrooms and eggplant.

Gu Luojin opened her phone and checked the time; it was already 9 p.m.

Goodness, it took at least 3 hours to make those 4 dishes.

He usually cooks four dishes in about 40 minutes, spending most of his time preparing the ingredients.

She just enjoys being watched and praised while cooking to satisfy her vanity.

As everyone took their seats, Gu Luojin took a deep breath. The long-planned "Gardenia Project" was finally about to begin.

Gu Luojin looked at Teacher He, their eyes meeting and conveying a silent conviction.

Teacher He, this time we'll fight side by side.

"Teacher Huang, this dish looks so good!"

Kulipeng's clumsy praise failed to rouse the cook's vanity, and instead turned his attention to Teacher He.

"Teacher Huang, the dishes today are so plentiful!"

Teacher He seemed to have run out of words, and dismissed Huang Lei with just the word "abundant".

Huang Lei didn't find the pleasure of being flattered by either of them, so he finally turned his attention to Gu Luojin.

Gu Luojin knew it was time for her to perform.

"Wow, Teacher Huang, this package of grilled enoki mushrooms looks incredibly tempting, it's definitely Michelin-level!"

"This braised eggplant is absolutely delicious, with perfect color, aroma, and flavor. The eggplant is the best!"

When He Jiong heard this word, he was stunned. How come it was all my words? These are my words!

I thought you came to relieve my stress, not to put stress on me.

However, Gu Luojin's attempt to flatter and kill was not over yet.

"Wu Zetian (voice cracks, oh my god!), Teacher Huang, this package of roasted tofu is so beautiful, it's absolutely amazing! It makes my mouth water!"

"Your cooking skills are absolutely amazing! Every dish is like a work of art!"

He Jiong was completely dumbfounded!

He found himself like a greenhorn in front of Gu Luojin, with only one thought in his mind: "It's over, it's over, it's all over."

After Gu Luojin's praise, his old friend's vanity was about to explode.

He's incredibly confident in his culinary skills, and who knows what kind of bizarre dishes he'll invent for them next.

Zhang Jingyi and Zhang Zifeng were dumbfounded after hearing Gu Luojin's boast.

It was just a simple dinner, how did it turn into a flattery contest? Does it have to be so hypocritical?

The two little girls lowered their heads tremblingly: "Please don't look at me, don't look at me."

After listening to Gu Luojin's praise, Kuli Peng compared it to his own praise.

High judgment.

Where the gap lies.

"Come, come, Xiao Gu, sit down quickly, everyone sit down and eat."

Huang Lei warmly invited everyone to sit down. At that moment, he felt great, great, cooking tonight was going to be great again.

Gu Luojin sat between Zhang Jingyi and Zhang Zifeng, relentlessly praising Huang Lei to the point of humiliation.

"Thank you so much, Teacher Huang, for preparing such a sumptuous meal for us today. We'd like to raise a toast to you."

"It's not hard work at all. Teacher He and I are very happy that you came to Mushroom House."

He was very pleased to hear Gu Luojin's flattery and praise.

He kept saying it wasn't hard work, but the smile on his lips was harder to suppress than an AK; it stretched all the way to the back of his head.

"Everyone, eat your food and enjoy my cooking."

Teacher He was completely numb; under Gu Luojin's flattery, he had already felt despair.

Gu Luojin picked up a piece of tofu with her chopsticks, looked at Teacher He, and gestured for him to follow.

Everything he did was for the sake of ensuring that Teacher He's "Gardenia Project" could be passed down and carried forward.

He is not fighting alone.

But He Jiong seemed not to receive his signal; his eyes were wandering, as if he were disconnected.

Gu Luojin was extremely disappointed with Teacher He's performance, feeling sorry for his misfortune and resentful of his lack of ambition.

Even without you, I can still praise Huang Lei to the point of ruin.

Under Huang Lei's expectant gaze, Gu Luojin ate the tofu, and the unpleasant taste exploded on her tongue.

Is this edible?

While chewing, Gu Luojin observed the guests' performance.

He Jiong's usual phrases were revealed in advance, and all he could say was "we won."

Big Flower Weekly nodded repeatedly: "Delicious, delicious."

Okay, okay, so this is how everyone plays, right?

The acting skills are not used in acting, but in Huang Lei himself.

The tofu was so unpalatable that he didn't want to chew it for even a second longer, swallowing it hastily in the hope that it would quickly slide into his stomach and be destroyed by the powerful stomach acid.

"Wow, Teacher Huang, your cooking skills are absolutely amazing! I feel like my stomach would give you a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' after eating your food."

From now on, all other dishes will probably just be "passersby" in its eyes!

"Is it delicious? Then Xiao Gu, you can try some eggplant."

They're just taking advantage of one person, aren't they?

Despite feeling uncomfortable, she replied, "Okay, I'll take a bite."

The other guests were eating in silence; were they too busy enjoying the food to speak?

Zhang Jingyi, standing beside him, looked embarrassed and couldn't utter a single word of praise.

If you can't be a regular guest, how come you have absolutely no sense of propriety as a guest?

He's still young. If Chef Huang sees this, he'll be in for a beating.

Without him, the Mushroom House would probably be ruined.

"Teacher Huang, I seriously suspect your kitchen is a magic castle. These ordinary ingredients go in and come out transformed into insanely delicious dishes."

"My stomach has become a 'loyal fan club' of your cooking!"

Gu Luojin's praise was very comforting, but it also made him a little unsure. Could it be that his cooking skills had suddenly exploded today, and the food was really as delicious as Gu Luojin said?

Huang Lei took a bite: "It's delicious, but the eggplant is a bit overcooked."

Gu Luojin couldn't let her words fall flat: "It's not that Teacher Huang is too old, it's that this eggplant is too old."

"Xiao Gu, hurry up and eat. Stop praising me. I'll make you guys stewed chicken soup tomorrow!"

"Speaking of which, I'm a little envious of Pengpeng and Zifeng for being able to eat your cooking so often."

"Come on, Pengpeng, eat more. We can't usually get to eat this. These chicken feet tendons are good, eat more of them."

Gu Luojin originally intended to bring Zhang Zifeng along, but seeing her pleading eyes, she let her go.

Kuli Peng looked at Gu Luojin with a resentful gaze. If it weren't for money and fame, who would want to suffer like this, and who would want to eat such terrible food?

He prefers to eat at roadside stalls, even though they're not very hygienic, because at least they taste good.

Teacher Huang's dishes are both unhygienic and inedible.

Huang Lei has not forgotten to take revenge on his old friend He Jiong. Anyone who interrupts his boasting will become a criminal to be judged.

"Teacher He, please try a bite of the bitter fruit. It's a new dish I made today."

This dish doesn't look appetizing. I can't even imagine what my stomach would do if I ate it.

He Jiong originally thought that with Gu Luojin's praise, Huang Lei would shift his focus to the newcomers and he could escape this calamity. He didn't expect that the calamity would still befall him.

"Pengpeng, Xiao Gu, let's try it together."

I can't bear the blame alone, so He Jiong gave up on himself and dragged two young people down with him.

Huang Lei showed a satisfied expression. His old friend had become sensible and understood who held the power of life and death in this program.

Gu Luojin suddenly had an idea.

After tasting it, Teacher He and Coolie Peng looked uncomfortable, finding it too bitter to eat.

The two of them tacitly put the bitter fruit in their mouths, and if all three of them said it was too bitter, they would spit it out together.

The law does not punish the masses.

Gu Luojin noticed two pairs of eyes focused on her; they were clearly Teacher He and Kuli Peng.

"Brother Gu, do you find it bitter?"

"It's not bitter."

"I consulted a medical expert, who said that if food tastes bitter, it indicates kidney deficiency!"

"Pengpeng, do you feel it's bitter?"

Kuli Peng was caught in a dilemma, unable to eat anything.

It's surprising that he developed kidney problems at such a young age, which will greatly affect his ability to find a girlfriend, especially since he's never even filmed a kissing scene.

More importantly, "Yearning" had very high viewership ratings. If this segment were aired, it would be tantamount to him admitting to a national audience that he has kidney problems, which is equivalent to admitting that he is not a man.

To prove that he is a man.

The man's competitive spirit led him to ultimately decide to swallow his bitter pill and stubbornly endure it.

"Is it bitter? I couldn't taste it. I think this dish is pretty good."

The two then turned their attention to Teacher He. The outcome of this dish was no longer about whether it was bitter or not, or how difficult it was to eat; it was about the man's dignity and face.

Teacher He gave a reluctant evaluation: "I...I also think it's very good."

Teacher He's expression was genuine; his bitterness was palpable even from a distance, making Zhang Jingyi and Zhang Zifeng swallow hard and feel deep sympathy for the three of them.

Huang Lei completely disregarded the fact that Teacher He was eating his fill; he was simply pleased with everyone's support and felt quite content.

Teacher He, this isn't my fault. You should blame yourself for dragging me into this mess.

"Xiao Gu, Teacher He and Peng Peng love it, so let's give them another spoonful."

"Okay."

"No, come again."

Huang Lei's smug smile, the guests' high expectations, and the production team's inhumane actions—all for the sake of ratings—were used to swaying the two into accepting the offer.

Looking at the bitter fruit in the bowl, the two men were ready to die.

With a determined heart and gritted teeth, I finished the mixed rice in three bites.

"Brother Gu, what other symptoms are associated with kidney deficiency?"

Zhang Zifeng asked the question without understanding the situation, completely failing to grasp the seriousness of being labeled with "kidney deficiency".

She asked a question that the men present found difficult to talk about but were extremely concerned about.

"If you sweat profusely while eating, it indicates kidney deficiency!"

The group looked at Kuli Peng, who was wiping his sweat: "I have thin skin and sweat a lot."

"Oh~"

……

"I think this is the meaning of participating in Mushroom House: to eat a bite of Teacher Huang's cooking, do some farm work, and slow down your noisy life."

"Xiao Gu, Mr. He and I would like to toast you. You've captured the significance of Mr. He and I creating this show. Back then..."

If it were Jia Bing's cooking, saying more would mean eating less; but this is the cook's cooking, saying more would mean eating less.

Gu Luojin only took one bite and never ate more. To avoid being noticed, he kept engaging in Huang Lei's conversation.

As long as you keep talking, you don't need to eat vegetables.

Zhang Zifeng, who was standing next to her, had already noticed something was wrong. Gu Luojin kept praising how delicious the food was, but the food in her bowl hadn't decreased at all and had barely been touched.

She realized that Brother Gu was the real master with exceptional skills, able to escape unscathed from Teacher Huang's scheme.

"Is the adult world really that complicated? Suddenly I don't want to grow up."