The Imperial Chef Became Famous as the Contrast on a Variety Show

Xia Xiaoyi transmigrated into a palace-intrigue novel and rose to become the number-one imperial chef. Then she transmigrated back! She returned to the days when she was a nobody: dropped by her agency, attacked online, and losing her hair like crazy. The audience all called her an unprofessional, pretty-but-useless figure. She slept in her room during variety shows and couldn't even memorize her lines when acting. But in reality, her agent had forced her to slack off. The agency's investors were promoting a rich heiress and wanted Xia Xiaoyi to serve as a foil. The agency put her on the same variety shows and in the same productions as the heiress. The more Xia Xiaoyi slacked off and got criticized, the more the audience loved the heiress's image as a rich girl who worked hard! In the end, the heiress became the top-tier star across the whole internet, and the agency kicked Xia Xiaoyi to the curb! That was when Xia Xiaoyi returned. On the final day of filming the variety show, she hacked a cleaver through the chopping board, leaving it embedded an inch into the counter. "All of you, get lost!" Audience: "She doesn't work hard and she's violent, too. Get out!" Five minutes later, her cleaver flashed like a shadow as she sliced tofu into strands as fine as a dragon's whiskers. With a flick of her hand, she tossed the tofu into water, where it blossomed like a chrysanthemum, every petal intact. Audience: "!" Ten minutes later, she rushed to the farm's backyard and bought a free-range chicken. She killed it, drained its blood, and scalded off its feathers with effortless precision. Then, with her little hands, she carefully loosened every tendon, severed every sinew, and stripped away the bones. The resulting cream-and-lotus-scented chicken had unbroken skin and a perfect shape, glistening with oil. Audience member 1: "!!" Audience member 2: "Maybe she isn't as lazy as we thought?" An hour later, the director's assistant shouted in excitement. "Xia Xiaoyi's popularity is rising!" "The tips for Xia Xiaoyi are pouring in!" Xia Xiaoyi finished making three dishes and a soup, packed them up, and left the filming location. Director: "Wait! How about filming tomorrow's meals, too?" Audience: "Keep cooking! Don't make me get on my knees and beg you!" Xia Xiaoyi: "...??" Xia Xiaoyi: You all have it wrong. This time, I really don't want to work hard! A month later, Xia Xiaoyi's schedule was completely booked. The biggest talent agencies were scrambling to sign her! Her former agency: We... kind of regret it. Theme: Hard work always pays off