Chapter 144: Yiyi Is With You

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Yiyi Is With You

The news that Nan Zhi was going to film a documentary with Zhong Yu quickly spread online.

The already choppy waters were now whipped into a raging storm!

At first, some people thought it was a publicity stunt or a prank.

They immediately expressed their dissatisfaction:

[Director Zhong is dedicated to her craft. Can certain people in the entertainment industry please stop using her for clout?]

[Just one look at this headline and I can tell it’s a contender for the most ridiculous news of the year. What a joke!]

[Are they really forcing a collaboration between two people who couldn’t be more unrelated just for hype?]

[I was starting to like Nan Zhi a little because of the Yan University thing, but that’s almost gone now.]

[What? Nan Zhi graduated from Yan University?]

[Did you just get internet out in the mountains? We all already had a whole discussion about it.]

...

Thanks to her famous food documentary, the public’s opinion of Zhong Yu was extremely high; they had practically put her on a pedestal.

So, when Nan Zhi’s and Zhong Yu’s names were put together, many people immediately picked a side.

The internet was in an uproar.

Fortunately, the production team noticed in time. They edited the livestream segment and released it.

After the video quickly went viral on all major platforms, people’s reactions were still full of disbelief:

[This has to be fake. I feel like Zhong Yu is colluding with the reality show for publicity.]

[Even artists have to eat. They must have paid her a fortune.]

[Director Zhong isn’t that kind of person!]

[Even your own parents can turn on you for money. Why would Zhong Yu be any different?]

[Have the people spewing nonsense even watched the ’Cub’ livestreams? Nan Zhi fought her way through this entire competition with her cooking skills. How can you just dismiss all of that with a single comment?]

[I don’t care if her cooking is good or bad. By doing this, Zhong Yu is just cheapening herself. When her new documentary comes out, I’m definitely not watching!]

[Exactly! Zhong Yu is definitely just leeching off the hype for exposure! How embarrassing!]

...

"Something’s not right. It looks like someone’s hired paid posters."

Xu Lin observed the direction of public opinion, making a judgment based on his extensive experience.

His assistant director stood to the side, his brow furrowed.

"Our PR team is already handling it, but... shouldn’t we investigate who’s behind these posters?"

Xu Lin was about to say there was no need to investigate.

After all, the entertainment industry was fiercely competitive. Since their show had managed to break through, it was only natural that countless people would be jealous.

Trying to find the culprit would be like finding a needle in a haystack—far too difficult.

But the words died on his lips, and he suddenly stopped.

"Don’t you think this wave of paid posters seems to be targeting Nan Zhi?"

"Huh?"

The assistant director was confused.

"Why target Nan Zhi? Because she’s making a comeback?"

Xu Lin stroked his chin, lost in thought.

’It’s not just this time. That food critic who popped up out of nowhere, and then the incident with her academic background... I keep getting the feeling someone is targeting Nan Zhi from behind the scenes. And it’s all so haphazard, like the work of an amateur, not professional at all. A personal grudge, then? Maybe I should give her a heads-up.’

"So what should we do now?"

"We stick to the original plan. After all... we’re not to be trifled with!"

The production team moved very quickly.

They steered the conversation directly toward the food at Nan Family’s Small Restaurant.

As the saying goes, you have to be strong to forge good steel.

If Nan Zhi was really just relying on hype, this move would only make her crash and burn.

But everyone on the production team had complete confidence in Nan Zhi’s cooking skills!

They all firmly believed that delicious food could win people’s hearts!

And so.

With a wave of positive promotion, the public discourse, which had gone slightly askew, was pulled back on track.

Even Yanjing locals who didn’t really care about the entertainment industry had heard of a restaurant called Nan Family’s Small Restaurant.

[How did this restaurant just appear out of nowhere? Is this more hype?]

[Can some kind soul drop the address? I want to go check out the scene.]

[I think this is the restaurant a celebrity opened on that reality show. Sounds interesting.]

[You guys are really making me curious. At this point, I’d go taste it even if it were crap just to see for myself!]

[Group trip to check it out! Anyone near XX in Yanjing want to go with me?]

...

-

After closing time, Nan Family’s Small Restaurant was quiet and cozy.

A dim, yellow light shone from the small second-floor loft.

Nan Zhi was leaning against the headboard, flipping through a black notebook in her hands by the faint light.

—It was the very item her ’little brother’ Zhao Ming had pressed into her hands when she’d returned to visit her grandfather’s grave a short while ago. He said it was something her grandfather had left behind.

For a long time after that, Nan Zhi didn’t dare to open it.

She was afraid that reading it would break her heart.

Even after spending over a decade in the Otherworld, Nan Zhi still couldn’t accept the fact that her grandfather had passed away.

She refused to believe that the only elder in this world who had cared for and loved her would just leave her behind completely.

But eventually, she did open the black notebook.

And that’s when she discovered it was her grandfather’s diary!

A diary he had kept for decades!

Her grandfather was a reserved and silent man, often misunderstood by others as cold, heartless, and eccentric.

Even when writing in his diary, he didn’t write long, flowing essays. Instead, just like his outward demeanor, his entries were sparse with words, the language concise and restrained.

Thus, his long, eventful life, spanning several decades, was condensed into this one notebook.

It allowed Nan Zhi to glimpse the magnificent, tumultuous life her grandfather once lived through its yellowed pages.

Most of what was recorded inside were the major events of her grandfather’s life.

For instance, the Kung Pao Chicken.

The first dish that made his name in Yanjing.

Her grandfather had only written a few brief notes about the grand occasion at the time, adding his own reflections.

But he ended it with the line "I still need to work harder," showing no trace of pride or complacency.

This was a diary her grandfather wrote only for himself.

It was clear he believed this from the bottom of his heart; he wasn’t just putting on an act for others.

Nan Zhi couldn’t help but smile.

"You really haven’t changed one bit, old man."

As Nan Zhi smiled, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

Nan Yi, having just finished washing up, walked out of the bathroom and immediately noticed the expression on Nan Zhi’s face.

He cautiously approached and nestled against Nan Zhi’s side.

Like an insecure little animal slowly searching for a safe place to curl up.

Nan Zhi wrapped an arm around his back and asked softly,

"What’s wrong?"

"Mama’s crying."

Nan Yi tilted his little head up from Nan Zhi’s embrace, carefully studying the subtle expressions on her face.

He always seemed to have a naturally keen insight into Nan Zhi’s emotions.

’Perhaps this is the special connection between mother and child?’

"Mama, don’t be sad. Yiyi is here with you."

His childish voice was filled with tenderness.

Though he was so small, it was as if he were the one comforting and reassuring Nan Zhi.

Nan Zhi’s already soft heart now completely overflowed with emotion.

She lowered her head and planted a kiss on Nan Yi’s forehead.

"Ah."

Nan Yi immediately covered his forehead, looking shyly at his mother.

"Wh-Why did you kiss me?"

Though he asked, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curve upward.

Nan Zhi beamed at him.

"Because Yiyi is just too cute."