Chapter 33: The Celestial Screen Displays Bullet Comments—All Timelines Are Stunned!

“Operation Evil Gardenia, commence!!!”

When Huang Lei saw these words, he immediately turned to He Jiong in confusion.

“Teacher He, what does ‘Operation Evil Gardenia’ mean?”

At this moment, He Jiong’s heart raced.

The name of this “plan,” combined with the altered lyrics of his song Gardenia in Bloom, clearly spelled trouble.

Forcing calm, He Jiong shook his head.

“I don’t know either!”

“I’m just as clueless about this celestial screen exposure!”

“Maybe it has nothing to do with me!”

A flicker of suspicion crossed Huang Lei’s face as he continued watching.

The celestial screen’s exposé rolled on.

[The so-called “Operation Evil Gardenia” meme originated from Hunan TV host He Jiong!].

[Recently, Huang Lei’s “master chef” persona collapsed when everyone realized his “delicious” cooking relied entirely on He Jiong’s exaggerated praise!].

[Netizens digging through old clips discovered He Jiong’s “hype sabotage” was premeditated!].

[It all started when Huang Lei made three bowls of congee—one with honey, one with condensed milk, and the last one with chili and pepper, given to He Jiong. From that moment, the seed of revenge was planted!].

[Subsequent events awakened He Jiong’s “fifth personality,” and thus began Operation Evil Gardenia—a long-term scheme of hype-driven sabotage!].

The celestial screen then played a series of clips—compilations of网友们 (netizens) uncovering hilarious details from Back to the Countryside.

[Clip 1].

He Jiong enthusiastically praised a mysterious pot of soup.

“So flavorful!”

The next second—

Honest-to-a-fault Henry Lau took a spoonful…

…and immediately gasped for water, tears streaming from the spice!

Meanwhile, He Jiong smiled meaningfully in the background.

[Clip 2].

Huang Lei cooked a pot of pork ribs with kidney beans.

After tasting one, he frowned. “Huh, these beans taste a bit tough…”

Song Dandan tried one and grimaced.

“These beans are way too old!”

He Jiong, however, took a tiny sip and cheerfully countered:

“Who said they’re old? These beans are perfect!”

Reassured, Huang Lei and Song Dandan dug in heartily.

He Jiong quietly set down his chopsticks.

Cut to that night—

Huang Lei and Song Dandan were vomiting violently!

Song Dandan clutched her stomach in agony:

“We need our stomachs pumped—I think I’ve been poisoned!”

Meanwhile, He Jiong stood nearby, completely unaffected.

The video cheekily added a voiceover for him:

“Actually… I didn’t eat any beans today.”

[Clip 3].

The cast sat around the dining table.

After sipping Huang Lei’s soup, He Jiong activated his signature move:

“This soup is heavenly! Oh my god!”

Honest Peng Peng took a sip—and barely kept a straight face.

Na Ying bluntly remarked after tasting a chicken foot:

“Uh… this isn’t marinated enough?”

Huang Lei’s expression darkened.

He Jiong swiftly intervened with dramatic flair:

“WOW! These chicken feet are divine! Absolute perfection!”

He then noticed Chen He hadn’t touched his food and asked with a smile:

“Why aren’t you eating?”

Chen He instantly adopted a regretful tone:

“I’d love to! But… I’m on a diet right now.”

The video added another snarky voiceover:

“Why does He Jiong keep praising Huang Lei? Simple—every compliment means one less bite he has to eat!”

Netizens across timelines howled with laughter.

“HAHAHA! I never knew He Jiong was like this!”

“Without the celestial screen’s exposé, Huang Lei would still be living in his ‘master chef’ delusion!”

“I used to believe He Jiong’s compliments—I really thought Huang Lei could cook!”

“Turns out it was all performative diplomacy!”

“The celestial screen didn’t just expose Huang Lei—it skinned him alive!”

“His ‘culinary god’ image is officially destroyed!”

“I never bought it anyway. How could someone so busy with acting also master cooking? Showbiz is all smoke and mirrors!”

“Gotta hand it to Chen He—he’s the only one who escaped Huang Lei’s cooking by claiming to ‘be on a diet’!”

Back at Hunan TV—

Huang Lei’s face grew stormier as he watched.

He turned to He Jiong, eyes blazing.

“Teacher He. Explain. Now.”

“Why do I feel like a monkey dancing in your palm?!”

“IS THIS TRUE?!”

Xie Na and Li Weijia tensed at Huang Lei’s thunderous expression.

He Jiong’s mind raced for an excuse—but the celestial screen’s剪辑 (editing) was too damning.

Even a silver-tongued host like him couldn’t spin this.

Just then, Xie Na noticed something new on the screen.

“Look! The celestial screen is changing—there are bullet comments now!”

Everyone turned to see lines of text scrolling past:

[“The gardenia’s meaning is ‘endurance’—and that symbolism keeps getting more profound!”].

[“He Jiong actually got poisoned too, but Huang Lei gave him the antidote—so he had to keep praising the food to get the next dose!”].

[He Jiong: “Teacher Huang, are you frying stinky tofu? It smells amazing!”

Huang Lei: “Close the door, I’m taking a dump!”

…

He Jiong: “Still at it, Teacher Huang?”

Huang Lei: “I’m COOKING!”].

Huang Lei’s rage erupted.

“WHERE ARE THESE BULLET COMMENTS COMING FROM?!”

“WHY IS EVERYONE TROLLING ME?!!”