Chapter 140: Tell the Truth

Before long, the dishes began arriving one after another, and Wang Bei and Han Jiayi started preparing to film.

“We’re not doing a livestream. We already streamed at noon today. Let’s just film properly tonight and post a video,” Bai Renren said, pressing down Wang Bei’s hand. “With a livestream, you have to watch the comments and interact with the audience. We can’t manage everything at once.”

“But what about our streaming hours this month? Can we reach one hundred and twenty hours?” Wang Bei asked worriedly.

Bai Renren smiled faintly. “If we fall short, we can just stream a little longer at the end of the month to make up the difference.”

“You really are something...” Han Jiayi said with an amused laugh, poking him in the cheek.

“All right, all right. Let’s taste the food.” Bai Renren turned his attention to the camphor-tea duck in front of him. “According to Grey Wolf, their camphor-tea duck is made by hand, rather than from the semi-finished products used elsewhere. Authentic camphor-tea duck has to be marinated first, then smoked, steamed, and finally deep-fried. None of those four steps can be skipped.”

“What about the inauthentic kind?” Wang Bei asked, pointing the camera at him.

“The inauthentic kind is simply roasted for a while, then coated with a layer of sauce. The sauce gives it a smoky flavor, but that flavor only covers the outside of the duck. The meat inside doesn’t have the same fragrance.” Bai Renren explained, “It’s called camphor-tea duck because camphor leaves and tea blossoms are used during the smoking process.”

“How do you know all this?” Han Jiayi asked curiously.

“I asked around.” Bai Renren pinched her ear. “There are plenty of experts on D-Station. Now that we’re somewhat well-known creators ourselves, people are happy to answer when I ask them professional questions.”

As he spoke, Bai Renren placed a duck leg in front of Han Jiayi and Wang Bei, then tasted a piece of duck breast himself.

“I have to admit, it really does have that fragrance. You can taste the tea-blossom aroma along with another distinctive flavor.” Bai Renren nodded. “But this is my first time eating it, so I don’t know whether that other flavor is from the camphor leaves.”

“You really went to a lot of trouble finding so many Sichuan dishes that aren’t spicy...” Wang Bei said from across the table, sounding a little unconvinced. “Your survival instinct is unbelievably strong.”

“Didn’t I explain this before? The defining feature of Sichuan cuisine isn’t spiciness, but complex seasoning. Chilies and Sichuan pepper are added to create those intricate flavors. Representative Sichuan dishes include camphor-tea duck and boiled cabbage in clear broth. Something like spicy diced chicken is what people call rustic, street-style cuisine.”

As he spoke, Bai Renren tasted the poached fish.

Wang Bei immediately aimed the camera at him, her face full of anticipation.

“The flavor of this poached fish is... quite intense. Compared with Late Rice’s poached fish...” At that point, Bai Renren drew in a sharp breath. “Sss—whoo...” He sucked in a lungful of air, closed his eyes, and gulped down half a glass of his drink. “It really is pretty spicy... Actually, it’s quite mild when it first enters your mouth, you know? All you taste at first is the fragrance of the red chili oil and various spices, along with the heat...”

He took another large drink. “But after you swallow it, the spiciness gradually spreads across your tongue. My tongue feels like it’s on fire now...”

Bai Renren shook his head, indicating that he could no longer continue. All he could do was keep breathing in and out, and before long, sweat covered his forehead.

“Here comes the entertainment value...” Wang Bei snickered.

Han Jiayi hurriedly handed him her drink. “I still have some of mine! Drink this!”

It took Bai Renren quite a while to calm down. Only then did he continue speaking to the camera.

“It’s more authentic than Late Rice’s poached fish, but Late Rice’s version has its own unique fragrance. For someone like me who can’t handle much spice, or for foreign guests tasting poached fish for the first time, theirs is much more approachable. Setting aside the concept of ‘poached fish’ and judging purely by flavor, I think Late Rice’s version tastes better.”

No wonder it was a restaurant recommended by Zhang Yunhui. The standard really was quite high, Bai Renren thought to himself.

But after tasting the sliced beef and offal in chili sauce, he frowned.

“This... has no flavor,” Bai Renren said unhappily. “The seasoning itself is very strong, but it hasn’t penetrated the ingredients. What does that tell us? Too much oil and too little seasoning. When everything is mixed together, the oil coats the ingredients and prevents the seasoning from adhering. I really don’t think this should happen. I have to criticize this dish.”

He then tasted the lettuce with oyster sauce, and his expression turned as though he had bitten into a fly.

“This lettuce...” Bai Renren picked up a leaf and said disdainfully, “the leaves are already wilted. It tastes like lettuce that’s been sitting around for three days. And there’s far too much oyster sauce. It’s incredibly salty. This dish deserves a special mention for criticism.”

“Hey, hey...” Wang Bei shot Bai Renren a warning look, then glanced at the waiter standing behind him.

The waiter was currently glaring at the back of Bai Renren’s head with murderous intensity, as though he were considering how best to crack open his skull and scoop out his brains.

“Hm?” Bai Renren tasted a piece of pepper-salt fish skin and immediately raised his eyebrows. “Oh, this pepper-salt fish skin is really delicious... The layer of pepper-salt powder on the outside absorbs the excess oil. That’s why the fried fish skin doesn’t feel greasy at all. Instead, it’s wonderfully crisp and refreshing. The seasoning is excellent.”

He dipped his little finger into the powder and tasted it. “Cumin, Sichuan pepper, black pepper... They use coarse salt here. Not sea salt, but ordinary coarse lake salt. You can clearly feel the tiny grains, which make the fish skin even crispier and give it more flavor. This is truly... exquisite.”

At those words, the waiter lowered the knife he had raised and smiled. “You certainly have discerning taste. We do use coarse salt.”

“This is genuinely excellent...” Bai Renren nodded with satisfaction. “And it isn’t very spicy, either. The pepper-salt flavor is strong and wonderfully fragrant. It’s absolutely perfect with liquor.”

After commenting on each dish, they settled into an ordinary meal.

Bai Renren loved the feeling of being able to speak his mind without restraint. This was how reviewing restaurants was supposed to be!

Han Jiayi and Wang Bei, however, were constantly anxious for him. Bai Renren couldn’t see the murderous look on the waiter’s face behind him. When he had criticized the sliced beef and offal in chili sauce and the lettuce with oyster sauce, the waiter had looked ready to smash a stool over his head.

Although the dishes were only mildly spicy, the heat was still more than Bai Renren could easily endure. He had to order two extra bottles of drinks before he could barely finish the meal.

“This meal came to seven hundred and thirty-eight. Let’s wrap up with a summary.” After pressing a cold drink against his swollen lips for a while, Bai Renren continued, “The poached fish is authentic. Four stars for recommendation. The camphor-tea duck is a genuine handmade product. Five stars. The lettuce with oyster sauce and the sliced beef and offal in chili sauce are not recommended. The pepper-salt fish skin is crisp without being greasy, with a rich flavor. Five stars.”

“Okay! Powering down and calling it a day!” Wang Bei said cheerfully as she put away the camera.

“Ah...” Bai Renren sighed in satisfaction. “It feels so good to be able to speak honestly. This is what reviewing restaurants should be like. I wish we could do the same in Beichang City...”

“Maybe not.” Han Jiayi poked him in the cheek. “When you criticized their sliced beef and offal just now, the look on that waiter’s face made it seem as though he wanted to turn you into sliced beef and offal and serve you on a plate.”

“It wouldn’t be authentic sliced beef and offal without adding you too.” Bai Renren gently pinched her little ear with a smile.

“I haven’t even agreed to marry you yet...” Han Jiayi huffed coquettishly.

“I feel like a third wheel...” Wang Bei muttered beside them, hugging the camera. “Who could stand this? Next time, either let the two of them come by themselves, or I’m bringing my boyfriend too...”

After taking a short break, the three of them visited another barbecue restaurant that evening before finally returning to the hotel to rest.

The first thing Bai Renren did after returning to the hotel was rush to the bathroom.

“Ugh, I drank way too many beverages...” Bai Renren complained, throwing himself onto the bed. “My lips still feel swollen.”

Han Jiayi leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. “Does that feel any better?”

“It ended too quickly. I didn’t feel anything.” Bai Renren kept a straight face. “Do it again so I can see.”

“No. You can savor it slowly by yourself.” Han Jiayi smiled mischievously and lay down on her own bed.

The two beds were only about a yard apart. Han Jiayi reached out toward him from her bed. “Old Bai...”

Bai Renren reached out too, and the two of them just managed to clasp hands.

“Hehe...” Han Jiayi beamed at him happily. Then a mischievous glint appeared in her beautiful eyes. “Since we’re sharing a room anyway, why don’t we watch...”

“No.” Bai Renren rejected the idea without hesitation and picked up his laptop. “I still have to edit the video.”

“Oh, come on, let’s watch!” Han Jiayi pouted. “It’s been ages since I watched a horror movie!”

“You little...” Bai Renren grumbled, but then he reconsidered. Why would he refuse the chance to watch a horror movie with his girlfriend? They had only brought their laptops, so they would obviously have to watch it together on one bed.

“All right, fine.” Bai Renren sighed helplessly. “Go take a shower first. We’ll start when you’re done.”

“Heehee!” Han Jiayi laughed happily. “Then I’m going to shower first!”

By the time Bai Renren came out of the shower, Han Jiayi was already sitting on his bed.

“Come on, come on!” she said brightly, waving her little hand at him as she shifted over to make room.

“What movie did you download?” Bai Renren asked curiously.

“The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2.” Han Jiayi arched her eyebrows and gave him a mischievous smile.

“Are you serious? I heard this series is terrifying!” Bai Renren said, frowning in protest.

“But I have you, don’t I?” Han Jiayi turned to look at him, blinking innocently.

Her pure expression instantly destroyed Bai Renren’s resistance. “Then... all right.”

“Heave-ho.” Han Jiayi gave a delicate little grunt and settled herself in Bai Renren’s arms, placing the laptop on her thighs.

“Aren’t you cold? If you are, pull the blanket over us.” Han Jiayi looked back at him.

“There’s a little kitten in my arms. I’m not cold.” Bai Renren smiled. He could kiss the top of her head simply by lowering his chin.

“I’m your girl—friend!” Han Jiayi said, emphasizing every syllable. “Don’t treat me like a pet!”

“Then let’s do something people do with their girlfriends.” Bai Renren gave a wicked smile and gently wrapped both arms around her slender waist.

Han Jiayi’s heart immediately began racing. Was he—was he about to...

But Bai Renren merely began stroking her beautiful legs.

Oh, honestly. He really was a leg fetishist. Han Jiayi rolled her eyes inwardly.