I Conquered the Entertainment Industry Through Food

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Blurb:

Luo Ying transmigrated with nothing to her name except a little shop in a film and television studio town and her cooking skills.

Having served as a royal chef and head of the imperial kitchen to two generations of emperors and empresses, she's calm and happy.

Wine-braised crabs with green plums, tender chicken with yellow wine, and crisp bok choy.

In a world with plenty of ingredients, she brings one traditional delicacy after another to the table.

Fans of popular stars noticed that their idols had gained quite a bit of weight while filming at the studio recently. And it wasn't just one of them. A three-time Golden Horse-winning actress, a well-known singer, and the Queen of Sweet Songs had all put on weight, according to recent behind-the-scenes photos.

And the only thing they all had in common was this:

Their recent schedules had all taken them to the Northern Film and Television Studio.

There's a long-standing rumor about the Northern Film and Television Studio:

"Don't go to that little shop inside the studio. Once you go in, you won't be able to leave."

At first, when Shen Zhan heard people talking about it, he assumed it was just an overpriced, shady shop.

Shen Zhan had been in a bad mood lately. He's a well-known, old-fashioned man in the entertainment industry, and nobody knows that he likes playing character-raising games.

In the mobile game "Road to Glory," he isn't interested in raising the heroine, who takes so much effort to develop. Instead, he loves the supporting official Luo Ying, the tool character who drives the plot between the heroine and the hero, and relentlessly raises her affection level.

The game updated out of the blue yesterday. He couldn't wait to log in after the update, but the imperial chef and court food official "Luo Ying" had suddenly disappeared! There wasn't a trace of her anywhere! Online, in the forums and on the message boards, no one but him even seemed to know that this court food official and imperial chef called "Luo Ying" had ever been in the game.

That is, until a director led him into a little shop in great secrecy.

A popular star, a famous singer, a second-tier actor, and even the Queen of Sweet Songs were all gathered around his in-game daughter, fawning over her.

"Yingying, I want Three-Cup Chicken. Could you make some for me? QAQ"

"Beautiful Yingying, could you make crab-stuffed oranges one more time?"

"Sweet Yingying, why don't you join my team? I'll pay you a million a year to be our nutritionist. Big Sis will take care of you forever!"

"Yingying, how about... you marry me?"

Shen Zhan frowned. Never mind how his daughter, a paper character, had come from a game into the real world. He looked at the crowd surrounding her.

Good grief! The daughter he'd raised with so much care was about to be swept off her feet by some pig!

That singer was a womanizer, that director abused his power, and that popular star was short and ugly. He looked from one to the next, and not a single one met his standards. Shen Zhan rolled up his sleeves. "I raised my daughter, so of course I'll be the one to spoil her!"

The years are long. You win over the entertainment world, and I'll win your heart.

Reading Guide:

1. The heroine comes from the past into the present. A story about her past and present lives, and her Gourmet career.

2. The entire story is set in a fictional world. There are no real-life models for anyone in the entertainment industry, so please don't nitpick the details.

My upcoming romance and Gourmet novel, "After Leaving the Industry, I Became the Nation's Goddess [Gourmet]," is on my profile. Please add it to your favorites!

Xu Qingru was a renowned pastry master in the capital during the Republic of China era. When she opened her eyes, she found herself transmigrated into an entertainment-industry novel as a vase-like supporting actress who caused trouble and stirred up drama. She immediately decided to quit the industry.

The final episode of the variety show "Let's Travel Together" was about to air, and viewers were eager to see what new tricks Xu Qingru would pull. But before the episode aired, she announced on Weibo that she was leaving the industry.

Viewers: Xu Qingru can quit? I don't believe it! It's obviously a gimmick, a publicity stunt! I'll wait for her comeback!

After the final episode aired, Xu Qingru was all over the trending searches. Curious netizens rushed over, only to discover that she'd ended her contract with her company, deleted her Weibo account, and vanished without a trace.

Half a year later, a Chinese pastry shop on an old street in the capital became famous, attracting a crowd of food lovers.

Manchu-Han pastries, ceremonial tea snacks, and delicate Jiahu treats.

Pea cakes, yam rolls, lete strips, sachima, silver-thread rolls, Dingsheng cakes...

At first, customers weren't interested in the traditional pastry shop on the street.

"Chinese pastries? Aren't those just the hard mung bean cakes we ate as kids? They get stuck in your throat."

"What's so great about those sticky, dry pastries? Aren't fresh fruit and cream cakes delicious? Or cheese toast, Oreo cream puffs, cheese buns, and pork-floss sponge cakes?"

Later...

"Hey, you next door! Put that down! Save the last yam roll for me!"

"Give me ten more boxes of the eight-piece pastry assortment. My relatives and friends are going crazy for them!"

"Tea and pastries, a life as happy as a god's!"

Eventually, the authorities highlighted the pastry shop for promoting traditional food culture. The public begged for larger batches and bought everything up. As they watched the owner being interviewed, some sharp-eyed viewers thought they recognized her.

Wait, doesn't the owner of this pastry shop look like Xu Qingru, the actress who left the industry?

Holy crap, Goddess! I've been your fan for years. Please don't limit purchases. Could you save me a box of qingtuan?

Theme: Promoting Chinese food culture