Trending Again – Chapter 5
by Little PandaSi Meng, You’re Trending
After that incident, Si Meng went back to her usual routine—pumping out vlogs every day, raw and unedited, without even bothering with post-production. Unlike other influencers who’d shamelessly milk any hint of popularity, the follower growth didn’t affect her at all. She just kept doing what she did.
On top of that, to satisfy her fans’ requests, she agreed to stream once every night. But even if all she did was wash vegetables and prep ingredients for Lin Hanyue, there was always some dumbass sending her gifts.
Si Meng dried her hands and was about to end the stream when a Rocket flew across the screen.
Foodie Zhang Biliang: “I’m sincere. I will win you over.”
Si Meng didn’t pay it any mind. Hearing Lin Hanyue call for her, she quickly shut down the stream and went out to the entryway. Sure enough, Lin Hanyue was lying on the steps, groaning.
Just as Si Meng was about to carry her upstairs, she was shoved back hard. Lin Hanyue whimpered pitifully, “Don’t touch me. Ugh, it hurts so much.”
Frustrated and speechless, Si Meng shuffled her slippers to the kitchen to make hangover soup, muttering under her breath, “If you know it hurts, why’d you drink? Drink yourself to death.”
Once the soup was ready, Si Meng found Lin Hanyue rolling around on the floor. She’d never seen Lin Hanyue like this before—it was actually cuter than her usual fierce self.
Si Meng blew on the soup to cool it before bringing it to Lin Hanyue’s lips. After drinking it, she finally calmed down. Si Meng carried her to bed, but Lin Hanyue grabbed hold of her and refused to let go. Exhausted from the ordeal, Si Meng just crashed right there in Lin Hanyue’s bed.
The next morning, Lin Hanyue rubbed her temples with her eyes closed. She’d blacked out1 a bit from drinking last night. She reached for her phone a few times but touched something soft and smooth instead. What was this?
Lin Hanyue screamed. “Si Meng! What are you doing here? You last night…”
Si Meng threw a pillow at her. So noisy! This woman had tossed and turned all night, keeping her up until three or four in the morning.
Lin Hanyue took the hit, rubbed her head, and started to remember. It seemed she’d been the one to drag Si Meng into bed last night.
Her phone rang. She had a show to record today. There was a variety show she had to do, and to secure funding for an expansion north, she had no choice but to participate. The thought of being away from home for a month or two without seeing Si Meng—and this show, for the sake of authenticity, wouldn’t even allow assistants—made her inexplicably irritable.
Si Meng woke up to find no one beside her. She scratched her head, surprised Lin Hanyue hadn’t thrown a fit. Wasn’t her mysophobia that bad?
Back when she and Lin Hanyue were together, Lin Hanyue had been a total drama queen. But she just couldn’t quit her. Not then, and not now—four years later, her feelings for Lin Hanyue still hadn’t worn away. Last night, she’d almost lost control.
Si Meng opened WeChat and saw eighteen missed calls from Lu Qi.
Si Meng was baffled. “What’s up?”
Lu Qi: “Oh my god, you’re actually trending! It’s only been a few days. No wonder my sister said people like you have heaven shoving food into your mouths2—it’s hard not to get fat.”
Si Meng was even more confused. “What are you talking about?”
Lu Qi: “There’s this super popular variety show, 《The Life of a Culinary Star 》. Not only does it invite big-name celebrities, it also picks some ordinary influencers. And you’re on the shortlist.”
Slow on the uptake, Si Meng opened Douyin. Sure enough, she’d received an official invitation. But the thought of having to deal with people superficially3 on a variety show made her irritable.
Si Meng asked weakly, “Can I not go?”
Lu Qi was exasperated. “This is an opportunity others would kill for, and you… forget it. Anyway, it’s only a few million in appearance fees.”
Si Meng’s eyes lit up at the mention of money. “I’ll go. Definitely going.”
That evening, Si Meng was worrying about how to explain to Lin Hanyue that she needed a month or two off when the butler informed her that Lin Hanyue had left to film a variety show and wouldn’t be back anytime soon.
Si Meng was overjoyed. She started a livestream and chatted with her fans. The fans were ecstatic—this was the first time their streamer had turned on the mic. A streamer who’d risen to fame not by looks or voice, but purely by cooking skills, was a rare gem. Her fans were true food lovers, especially the mom fans4, who jokingly called Si Meng the homemaker’s soulmate.
The moment Si Meng opened her mouth, the mom fans melted. That milky little voice5 was just too adorable. What started as a cooking stream turned into a matchmaking session. One auntie boasted about her son who graduated from Jing University, another about her daughter working at Hua University. Si Meng was overwhelmed by the mom fans’ questions.
She quickly ended the stream, missing a friend request in the process.
On the screen:
Foodie Zhang Biliang: “No wonder you’re the woman I’ve set my sights on—your voice is amazing. We’ll meet up6 at the Life of a Culinary Star recording site.”
Meanwhile, Lin Hanyue had already arrived at the recording location. But the director absolutely refused to reveal the participant list, insisting on capturing the spontaneous reactions of a live broadcast. If they wanted to maintain their personas, it was up to each person’s acting skills.
Hitting a dead end, Lin Hanyue scrolled through Douyin. She saw a recommended ID from an old friend—a streamer? The whole time, the person never showed their face, just silently cooked. The more Lin Hanyue watched, the more something felt off. These ingredients… weren’t they exactly the same as the lunchboxes she ate every day, never repeating?
Footnotes
- A term for having a memory gap due to excessive drinking; to black out.
- An idiom meaning that success comes effortlessly, as if heaven is force-feeding you.
- An idiom meaning to deal with someone politely but without sincerity; to feign civility.
- A term for older female fans who dote on an idol like a mother would; 'mom fans.'
- A term for a soft, gentle, childlike voice considered cute; literally 'milky voice.'
- Internet slang for meeting an online friend in person for the first time.
si meng thought she’ll get a break at cooking meals for hanyue but no … lol
si meng thought she’ll get a break at cooking meals for hanyue but no … lol
You’re gonna be in for a shock, Lin Hanyue.
You’re gonna be in for a shock, Lin Hanyue.
can’t wait to see Lin Hanyue’s reaction !!
can’t wait to see Lin Hanyue’s reaction !!