CHAPTER 138: CHAPTER 124: DID THE QUEEN CHEAT? IN TROUBLE, SEEK CHU TIAN_4

I’d been slaving away on the show like a dog. I never imagined that in such a wonderful place, my own dream would go unrealized while those two assistants got to live it instead. Is there any damn justice left in this world? Who’s the director here, anyway? Why do I have this nagging feeling that something’s off?

While the director was busy second-guessing himself, Xu Qingqiu had already grabbed the two fish and headed straight for the kitchen.

"Wow! Fish?! Where did the fish come from?!"

"What? Teacher Xu brought back two fish?!"

"There’s fish?! Are we having fish for dinner tonight?!"

The two fish caused quite a stir in the entire dormitory. As for their origin, Xu Qingqiu kept her lips sealed firmly shut, determined not to say a word.

Seeing this, the on-site director grew anxious. He carefully approached the chief director, who was still lost in thought, and asked, "Director, how should we handle these two fish from Teacher Xu? This is cheating, right?"

"Ah? Right! This is cheating! Of course, it’s cheating! Send someone to get the fish back right now!"

"...Uh... Director, the fish are already in the pot."

"In the pot already? How did it happen so fast?!"

The on-site director could only offer a wry smile. Who could have guessed Xu Qingqiu would be so quick and skillful? She had cleaned the fish in a flash. By the time they realized what was happening, the fish were already steaming.

The chief director hesitated, looking at the cheerful scene in the dormitory before gritting his teeth and saying, "Even if they’re in the pot, that’s not acceptable! Go take the whole pot out; it can be an extra dish for everyone!"

"It’s too late, Director. It’s already been served..."

The director looked at the monitor. Served?! How much time had passed? Twenty minutes? Not even? And it was already on the table?

Of course, it was fast. The pot and seasonings had been waiting all afternoon with no fish in sight. The moment the fish arrived, they were prepped in a flash and steamed for just over ten minutes. How could it possibly have been slow?

"Quick! Go snatch it back!"

The surrounding on-site directors exchanged glances. Snatch it back? How? They looked at the group, each person clutching a bowl of plain noodles with vegetables and egg in clear soup, all of them attacking the two fish with utter ferocity. Who would dare try to snatch it away? Did they have a death wish?

Seeing that no one moved and watching the fish rapidly disappear from the monitor, the chief director licked his lips and sighed.

"Forget it. Just let it be this time," he said. "Next time, we need to keep a closer watch. Make sure this doesn’t happen again!"

"Yes, Director!" an on-site director replied.

The chief director snapped, "Yes, your ass! We were supposed to have an extra dish tonight, and now it’s gone. What’s so good about that?" The thought of his dream of fishing being achieved by two little assistants, and now the fish he could have savored also gone, left a bitter taste in his mouth and a general sense of misery.

To be honest, for seven or eight people who had been hungry all day, two fish weren’t nearly enough. But there was no choice; those were the conditions. After polishing off every last scrap, everyone had to go back and rest, hoping their hunger would be slow to return.

After all that commotion, the sky had darkened.

Chu Tian, content with his catch, packed up his fishing rod and began showing off his impressive haul to Yiyi.

"Look at this one, a carp—this is the most common kind. And this here is a grass carp, best for grilled fish..."

"MHM, MHM," Yiyi replied, squatting beside him and nodding incessantly. She was too guilty to even look up, afraid of giving herself away.

"Wait a minute," Chu Tian said. "Why do I feel like there are two missing?"

"Ah? Really?" Yiyi exclaimed. "With so many, how can you tell?"

Chu Tian gave her a suspicious glance. She was on watch the whole time, wasn’t she? Surely she couldn’t have taken them. What would she need fish for? Could it be that she wasn’t paying attention and they got away?

Meanwhile, he muttered, "Do I even need to count? I caught them myself; I remember each one..."

"Ah?! You... you must be mistaken, right? HEH HEH."

HEH HEH? Why the nervousness? Chu Tian wondered.

Chu Tian looked at Yiyi, speechless. Even if two fish were missing, there were still a good ten or so left in the bucket—plenty to eat.

He didn’t dwell on why Yiyi was acting so guilty. Carrying the bucket, he said as they walked back, "Let’s go! Time for grilled fish!"

Fortunately, he had practiced Tongbei Fist through the system, which had greatly increased his arm strength. Otherwise, he might not have been able to carry it. The bucket, with fish and water, weighed over a hundred pounds and was starting to deform under the strain. He had to be careful not to break the handle.

After resting intermittently along the way, he finally made it back to their place. He found a clear space out front and set up the grill. He then instructed Yiyi to light the charcoal while he went to the tap to clean each fish. After laying out all the necessary seasonings, his makeshift barbecue stall was ready.

「 」

"What’s that smell?"

"It smells amazing!"

"Who’s barbecuing? Didn’t we book this whole place?"

The production team was halfway through their boxed dinners, brought in from the city, when a tantalizing aroma suddenly wafted over. Glancing at their own meals and then sniffing the air, everyone became restless.

It wasn’t just the production team; the people in the rooms also caught the scent.

"Did everyone smell that? It smells like barbecue!"

"Really?! Who’s barbecuing? Could it be the production team?"

"Ah? No way, that would be too cruel, wouldn’t it? We’re having simple brothy noodles, and they get barbecue? The production team wouldn’t be that heartless, would they?"

Sitting inside, Xu Qingqiu didn’t realize what the smell was at first, but then it suddenly hit her.

She had a complicated expression as she looked at the other celebrities, who were practically drooling, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She wasn’t sure if the production team was that heartless, but Chu Tian definitely was. Absolutely heartless! For some reason, her stomach rumbled; she felt hungry again... Should she... sneak out later and try to scrounge a meal off Chu Tian? But what about everyone else?

Xu Qingqiu found herself in a dilemma, unsure of what to do.

But that grilled fish smelled so incredibly delicious, and she really, really wanted some...