52. The Recording

Back at the clinic, Tang Yiyi threw herself into her work with renewed vigor. In the middle of it, Xu Bin wandered over and said, "Yiyi, where did you sneak off to for breakfast this morning?"

"South City. I had a bowl of clear broth beef noodles."

"Why go all the way over there just for noodles?" Xu Bin asked, puzzled.

"They’re ranked second in the online poll. Don’t you want to try it?"

"I do, but I’m too lazy to go so far. So, was it good?"

"Yes, it was."

"Are you planning to eat your way through every noodle shop in Yicheng?"

"At least the top ten. I want to try them all."

"You really are a devoted little foodie."

"Hey, Bin, have you ever had a girl confess her feelings to you?"

"Why? Did Wentao confess to you?"

"No, no. I just want to know if guys like girls who make the first move."

"Why? Are you thinking of confessing to Wentao?"

"…"

"Heh, these days it’s common for girls to confess. If it’s a girl I like, I’d be over the moon. If it’s someone I don’t like, I’d just laugh it off and say, ‘Are you kidding me?’ That way, she can save face."

"So, would you be happy or not?"

"If I don’t like her, I’d prefer she never confesses. We can just stay friends."

"Really?" The courage Tang Yiyi had built up that morning instantly melted away. Forget it—maybe it’s best not to confess.

After lunch, she returned to her room for a twenty-minute nap but was soon awakened by Er Tong’s voice downstairs. She got up to see what was going on and found two spotlights, the kind you only see in photo studios, set up on the terrace.

Liu Xin stood in a corner holding a white reflector board. Xiao Xie was beside him, leaning on a boom mic, holding a voice recorder in her left hand and gnawing on an apple with her right.

Qin Baike sat on a small stool, cleaning a basin full of pig’s feet. Er Tong sat next to him, loudly insisting, "I promise, I’ll only film your hands and your back—never your face. Don’t you trust my skills? I won’t make you look like some rural entrepreneur."

Qin Baike ignored him and continued working at his own pace.

Xiao Xie suddenly snickered, and Er Tong, annoyed, snapped, "Why do you have to make so much noise eating an apple? Huffing and smacking your lips." He fished a pig’s foot from the basin. "Are you its owner?"

Xiao Xie immediately shut her mouth tight, chewing silently.

Qin Baike shot Er Tong a fierce glare. Er Tong tossed the pig’s foot back into the basin, muttering, "I didn’t say the word, so it doesn’t count as an insult."

He sighed in frustration. "Bro, this is your own business entering the competition, and I’m helping you—why are you so uncooperative?"

Leaning over the railing, Tang Yiyi interjected, "If you’re not filming his face, why not have Liu Xin do it instead? Why does it have to be Baike?"

Except for Qin Baike, the other three turned to look at her. Er Tong said, "Does Liu Xin have my brother’s muscles? That presence?"

Tang Yiyi was left speechless, and the whole terrace fell silent.

The sound of Xiao Xie munching her apple became extra clear. Er Tong suddenly looked at her thoughtfully, and she was so startled she covered her mouth with her hand.

Er Tong walked over to her. "Do you like eating the boss’s noodles?"

Xiao Xie nodded. "Of course I do. I have them every day."

"How many bowls can you eat at most?"

"When I’m hungry, three or four, even five," Xiao Xie replied softly.

Er Tong snapped his fingers. "Great, if Baike won’t do it, you will. You’re definitely up to the task of promoting Qin’s Noodles."

"Me? How would I do that? I’m so fat."

Er Tong patted her shoulder. "Don’t worry about anything—just focus on enjoying the noodles. Leave the rest," he patted his chest, "to Director Zhan."

He then looked up at Tang Yiyi. "How many bowls can you eat in one sitting?"

Tang Yiyi hesitated, then held up one finger.

Er Tong snorted disdainfully. "Anyone who can only eat one bowl is out."

Qin Baike stood up, shook the water off his hands, and pointed at Liu Xin and Xiao Xie. "Time to work." Then he pointed at Er Tong. "You, go lie down in bed." Lastly, he looked up at Tang Yiyi, but before he could speak, she turned and dashed downstairs.

At dinner, as soon as Xu Bin heard that Er Tong was going to shoot a video, he wolfed down his food, set his chopsticks down, and left. Tang Yiyi hurried after him.

They knocked on the door of Qin’s Noodles and, sure enough, filming was underway.

Qin Baike stood by the wall, arms folded, watching the scene in the shop with a helpless expression.

Xiao Xie, in her work uniform, sat at a table with the kitchen as a backdrop. The table was still empty, and Uncle Chen watched curiously from the kitchen as Er Tong directed Liu Xin to arrange the lights, the reflector, and the boom mic.

Once the camera was set up in front of Xiao Xie, Er Tong said to Uncle Chen, "All right, Uncle, bring them out."

Tang Yiyi noticed that Er Tong’s "camera" was actually a DSLR, not like the big shoulder-mounted ones other crews used. She asked, "Er Tong, are you shooting video or taking photos?"

Er Tong shot her a look and, for once, didn’t reply. He turned back. "Xiao Xie, just because the camera’s on you doesn’t mean you have to act different. Eat the way you always do—don’t try to be a lady, don’t worry about how you look, don’t think about anything else. In front of you, there’s only your bowl of noodles. In your eyes, in your heart, there’s only the noodles. Eat—that’s your greatest joy. Got it?"

"Got it. Just focus on eating, forget everything else."

"Good." Er Tong gave her a thumbs-up.

Uncle Chen brought over four steaming bowls and set them in front of Xiao Xie.

Xiao Xie glanced at Er Tong, who shook his head and pointed at the noodles. She nodded, and her focus snapped back to the table.

In an instant, her eyes lit up and her face beamed with a delighted, hungry smile. She picked up her chopsticks and dug in, bowl after bowl, without a single line or unnecessary gesture—just eating.

Nothing is more delightful than watching a plump, happy person feasting before your eyes. Tang Yiyi was truly envious of Xiao Xie’s hearty appetite.

After finishing the noodles and drinking the last drop of broth, Xiao Xie held up both thumbs beside her cheeks and grinned at the camera, radiating satisfaction.

"Okay, Xiao Xie, you’re a natural on camera—a born actress, no training required," Er Tong praised.

Xiao Xie beamed. Er Tong turned to Qin Baike. "Baike, that’s a wrap for today."

Qin Baike nodded. Liu Xin and Xiao Xie quickly packed up, then opened the shop for business.

Xu Bin and Tang Yiyi followed Er Tong upstairs, where he sat on the living room sofa, connected the camera to a laptop, and cued up the video they’d just filmed. Xu Bin and Tang Yiyi leaned in from either side to watch.

Maybe it was the lighting, but Xiao Xie looked especially radiant on camera, her skin flawless. The high pixel count made the image incredibly clear—the red chili oil on the noodles, the floating green onions in the broth, every detail was vivid.

Even though it was recorded live, the audio was excellent. The sounds of Xiao Xie slurping noodles and her satisfied hums were enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

"Xiao Xie really is a born foodie," Xu Bin sighed.

"And it took me to discover her," Er Tong said with pride.

"Watching her eat so happily makes me hungry too," Tang Yiyi said, swallowing.

"That’s exactly what I was aiming for," Er Tong replied with satisfaction.

"You want everyone who sees the video to get hungry?" Tang Yiyi asked.

"Exactly. Tonight, I’ll post it on my feed and on Weibo—get everyone to share it. Just wait, Baike’s noodle shop will be trending in no time." Er Tong looked brimming with confidence.

"Er Tong," Xu Bin said, "about that video project I mentioned yesterday—don’t forget."

"What do you want to shoot?"

"A song—a music video."

"You, a herbalist, want to switch to singing?"

"It’s a hobby—a side interest. Once you recover from your cold, will you shoot it for me?"

"No problem. For you, I’ll give you a forty percent discount."