Chapter 805: There Will Always Be Someone Who Wants to Expose the Goddess’s Identities (1)

He had never encountered such a tactless restaurant before.

Seeing the waiter freeze in place, the young man sneered and flicked some imaginary dust from his clothes. “Fetch your boss. This is beyond your authority as a mere waiter.”

The waiter, unable to make such decisions, went to find Ye Zhenmian.

“You must be the owner,” the young man said arrogantly, lifting his chin and presenting a business card. “You should have heard of my online name. I am HuangIsHungryAgain, a food blogger. My fans recommended this restaurant, so I came to check it out.”

Ye Zhenmian was momentarily puzzled. “Food blogger?”

“Hmmph,” Huang Ninghui snorted through his nose. “At other restaurants, the owners never make me pay.”

Nian Yian, who had followed Ye Zhenmian, laughed in anger at this. “What does being a food blogger have to do with eating for free?”

He understood what a food blogger was.

It was a recent phenomenon.

Bloggers would visit various restaurants, documenting their experiences through short videos and photos to share on social media.

Many trendy restaurants had risen to fame this way.

Initially, these bloggers were honest and truthful, but later, some only praised those who paid them, and criticized those who didn’t.

No wonder this young man had been talking to his camera the whole time.

“Do you know how much I charge for an advertisement?” Huang Ninghui frowned. “A single Weibo post from me costs at least a hundred thousand. I’m giving you free publicity, and you want me to pay for this meal? Is this meal worth a hundred thousand?”

“We don’t need your promotion,” Nian Yi’an replied emotionlessly. “Paying for what you eat is a basic principle. Don’t try to disguise your freeloading.”

Huang Ninghui’s face turned red with anger. “You… I’m not going to argue with you. You’re not the owner.”

He turned to Ye Zhenmian. “Ma’am, if you give me eight thousand, I’ll promote your restaurant on my social media. With my popularity, your restaurant will make much more money.”

“Do you know Liu Pavilion? It was just a small restaurant last year, but now it has a huge customer flow every day, thanks to my promotion.”

He was a food blogger with five million followers, famous on several social platforms.

Any short video of his restaurant visits garnered millions of views, bringing immense benefits to the establishments.

The restaurant owners were all eagerly begging him to help with the promotion.

“Hurry up,” Huang Ninghui said impatiently. “I still need to edit the video and post it.”

Ye Zhenmian was about to respond when Nian Yi’an stopped her. He sneered, “Are you the head chef of a Michelin three-star restaurant? If you were, we might give you a free meal, but you’re just a freeloader.”

“Enough talk, pay up.”

So what if he had many followers?

His sister had sixty million followers. Did she ever make such demands?

By this time, quite a few customers had come in and were curiously watching the scene.

Huang Ninghui’s face was ashen, burning with embarrassment. “You… Fine, I will remember this! You little restaurant, just wait!”

He had no face to stay any longer. He quickly paid the bill and left with his equipment in a huff.

The waiter sighed in relief and went to attend to other customers.

“Mom, the internet is so advanced now that it has created many new professions,” Nian Yi’an said. “Let’s put up a sign at the entrance banning live broadcasts to avoid such disturbances. Filming like he did also infringes on other customers’ portrait rights, which is illegal.”

“Alright, I don’t understand these things, so I’ll follow your lead,” Ye Zhenmian nodded, feeling gratified. “Yi’an, you’ve grown up and can help your mother now.”

“This was extortion. Be careful of such people,” Nian Yi’an warned. “They have many tricks. Don’t be deceived.”

“I know,” Ye Zhenmian patted his shoulder. “Go back to your work. I’ll make a sweet and sour fish for you to replenish your energy.”

Nian Yi’an nodded and returned to his small private room.

He thought for a moment, still feeling uneasy, and sent a message to Si Fuqing.

[Sister Qingqing, if I get into trouble, will you back me up?]

Si Fuqing replied quickly.

[It depends on whose fault it is. If it’s yours, you must apologize. If it’s the other person’s fault, deal with it accordingly. But if someone bullies you, I’ve got your back.]

With her reassurance, Nian Yian felt relieved.

He decided to celebrate by working on two sets of practice math exams.

**

Si Fuqing was in her studio, reviewing a script.

Besides drawing new designs for Gu Wenzhu, she spent her days and nights studying the script, helping the Five State team with gaming issues, and declining Sang Yanqing’s pleas for her to take a break.

The role of JIANG Zhaoyue was challenging. Even if she could travel back to the Great Xia Dynasty to meet JIANG Zhaoyue, she needed to thoroughly understand the nation’s heroine’s life before their encounter.

Today, she received an unexpected call. Glancing at the caller ID, she paused. “Mr. JIANG?”

“It’s me, Miss Si. How are you?” JIANG Shuihan chuckled. “The Alliance Leader and the Lady watched your variety show recently.”

Thanks to Si Fuqing’s months of treatment, Mu Qingmeng’s heart had fully recovered, and her overall health had improved.

Si Fuqing nodded. “Please give my regards to Aunt Mu and Uncle Xiao.”

“Of course,” JIANG Shuihan’s smile deepened. “The Thousand Army Alliance is always open for you.”

“If I may ask,” Si Fuqing hesitated, “Are you a descendant of the JIANG family?”

JIANG Shuihan was taken aback but quickly responded, “Yes, I am a member of the JIANG family, though from a side branch.”

After all, JIANG Haiping’s family had perished completely.

“I’m going to play a role related to JIANG Zhaoyue in a TV series,” Si Fuqing said. “I might need to consult you.”

“Happy to help,” JIANG Shuihan agreed. “Today, I’m contacting you on someone’s behalf. Do you remember Miss Ji Qingyao? She urgently needs to see you and asked me to inform you in advance.”

“Miss Ji Qingyao?” Si Fuqing was genuinely surprised. She lowered her gaze thoughtfully. “I remember her. I’m in the studio. Have her come directly.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Miss Si,” JIANG Shuihan replied with a smile. “She’s quite reserved and cold due to her upbringing. If she says anything inappropriate, please don’t take it to heart.”

After the call ended, he turned to Ji Qingyao. “Miss Si is very kind. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Thank you, Captain JIANG,” Ji Qingyao said, cupping her fists in a respectful gesture. “I need to go home first for some matters.”

“Go ahead,” JIANG Shuihan nodded with a smile. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. The Thousand Army Alliance is your home.”

Ji Qingyao was visibly moved.

The weight of those words was immense.

This was the Thousand Army Alliance, after all.

With over a hundred thousand members, she had clawed her way up from the bottom. She knew how far she was from the top echelons of the alliance.

For JIANG Shuihan to say such words to her was overwhelming.

Her eyes stung with the threat of tears for the first time.

She bowed deeply, her voice hoarse. “I will not disappoint you, Captain JIANG. I will serve the Great Xia Empire faithfully.”

This time, it was JAING Shuihan who was stunned.

A few seconds later, after Ji Qingyao had left, he turned to his team. “Did I just say all that?”

The team member looked puzzled. “Uh, no, you didn’t…”

JIANG Shuihan sighed. “This girl has a proud spirit. It’s a shame about the Ji family…”

Fortunately, Ji Qingyao grew up in the Thousand Army Alliance, maintaining a pure heart unaffected by her family’s ways.

Her strong character and determination were commendable, even if her talent wasn’t the best. She was worthy of being trained.

“Madam Ji had the nerve to come here the other day, asking for her, saying the Second Miss Ji missed her and wanted her to visit,” a team member said angrily. “I bet they forgot about her until the Second Miss Ji mentioned her. They never remembered they had another daughter otherwise.”

This only worsened their opinion of Ji Qingwei.

JIANG Shuihan nodded. “If they come again, just say she’s not here.”

Meanwhile, Ji Qingyao left the Thousand Army Alliance and immediately headed to the airport.

While waiting for her flight, she habitually checked Weibo for the latest updates on Si Fuqing and saw a familiar name trending.

#Ting’anRestaurant#

She remembered this was the restaurant owned by Si Fuqing’s aunt.

Last year, she had the opportunity to visit it with Mu Qingmeng for Si Fuqing’s birthday party.

The restaurant wasn’t luxurious, but its fresh and natural ambiance was very soothing.

Si Fuqing had never publicly mentioned this restaurant. Why was it suddenly trending?

Ji Qingyao clicked on the trend.

Pinned at the top was a Weibo post from a food blogger.

[@HuangIsHungryAgainV: Avoid this place, folks. If you’re traveling to An City, don’t go to this ‘Ting’an’ restaurant. It’s small, deceptive, and has low value for money. I went to the kitchen and saw cobwebs everywhere. Food that fell on the floor was picked up and used without being washed.

I must expose this unethical restaurant. Don’t be fooled by those who say it tastes good. They’re probably using poppy seeds. I’ve contacted my friend in the Food Safety Bureau, and they will investigate thoroughly!

Boycott Ting’an, starting with me!]