Chapter 55: Critical Strike

Upon hearing Wang Bei’s words, Bai Renzong asked with curiosity, “Oh? Which food blog is it?”

“It’s called ‘Grape Violet.’ It’s a pretty influential food blog in the country. Besides posting articles and short videos on their public account, they also publish on Weibo and several food websites,” Wang Bei explained.

This instantly piqued Bai Renzong’s interest. He stood up and said, “Let’s go downstairs to talk.”

When they reached the living room, Han Jiayi was sitting at the stove in the kitchen, surrounded by an array of ingredients, seemingly pondering which ones to use.

Bai Renzong did not disturb her, but instead began discussing Grape Violet with Wang Bei.

The offer was to provide at least two articles per month, with compensation calculated based on the number of views. After deducting operational costs and profit sharing, the rate was ten yuan per thousand views, settled monthly.

Bai Renzong wasn’t sure if the pay was reasonable, but since it was based on views, it was a safe bet for him. The reward was secondary; the real draw was the exposure.

Through the blog and Weibo, he could further expand the recognition of the “Old Bai” ID, and even when he wasn’t posting videos, he could use written reviews to maintain popularity—a win on all fronts.

“I’ll talk to them. You check the other private messages first,” Bai Renzong replied, then added the contact for Grape Violet’s manager, “Little Violet,” as provided.

After a brief exchange, he inquired about a few details. The cooperation would be online; they’d sign an electronic contract, with a minimum of two articles each month. If not, the payment would roll over to the next month.

This posed no problem for Bai Renzong, who made more than two store-review videos every month, and could easily do food reviews alongside them. He readily agreed to the partnership, and preparations for signing began.

“I’ll help you print the contract,” Wang Bei said, taking his laptop. “You look at your messages.”

“Thank you,” Bai Renzong replied, heading back to his room to check his inbox. Yet a lingering doubt remained, and after some thought, he decided to ask directly.

“Why did you reach out to me?” Bai Renzong asked, puzzled. “You’re a fairly famous food blog in the country, and I’ve only just started. Surely you have better options than me?”

“It’s precisely because you’re just starting out,” the other party replied frankly. “From your videos, it seems you’re the straightforward type, so I’ll be direct. We have some reputation, but it’s still tough to compete with the top-tier blogs. You’re new, but you have great potential…”

Bai Renzong seemed to understand. “So you’re investing in a promising talent, hoping that when my popularity grows, you won’t lose me to the bigger blogs?”

“Mr. Bai, you’re direct—I enjoy talking to people like you, no need for roundabout talk.” Little Violet admitted, “We aren’t starting from zero, but let’s join forces and aim for the top.”

“But…” Bai Renzong still had one concern. “Why do you think I have such potential?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Because of Chef Yang Hua’s endorsement,” Little Violet answered, which stunned Bai Renzong. “He’s quite famous in culinary circles—not only is his cooking world-class, but his vision is rare. Few receive his unequivocal praise, so… we trust his judgment.”

Bai Renzong rolled his eyes: he’d thought he’d found his own patron, but it turns out Yang Hua was the true mentor.

After confirming the partnership with Grape Violet, Bai Renzong checked his messages, then went downstairs.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a pair of snowy, slender legs. Turning his head, he saw Han Jiayi sprawled on the sofa, looking lifeless.

“Hey, are you alright?” Bai Renzong asked, a little concerned.

“No inspiration…” Han Jiayi flopped like a fish out of water on the sofa.

Her adorable display made Bai Renzong both exasperated and amused. He leaned back against the sofa and looked down at her. “How about dinner at Willow Lane? Should we ask Xing?”

Han Jiayi whimpered, then pushed herself up and muttered, “Alright, I’ll let Xiao Bei know.”

After messaging Wang Bei, Han Jiayi, still in her casual clothes and without makeup, went downstairs with Bai Renzong. Willow Lane was just across the street, and they were all familiar faces.

“Brother Xing, Sister Xiao Xiao!” Bai Renzong greeted with a smile as he pushed open the restaurant door.

But the proprietress hit him with a verbal blow right away: “Oh? It’s only been a week, but you’ve put on quite a bit of weight!”

“Uh!?” Bai Renzong was thunderstruck.

Han Jiayi covered her mouth, giggling beside him: Serves you right, Old Bai, after all the times you’ve roasted others—today’s your turn.

Gaining weight was inevitable. Bai Renzong used to eat irregularly and stay up late, always anxious, but since moving in with Han Jiayi, his meals had become regular, with occasional late-night snacks. Making videos meant sitting at his computer for long stretches; it was no wonder he’d gained weight.

“I—I’ll sign up at the gym and start dieting soon…” Bai Renzong stammered.

Before Han Jiayi finished laughing, the proprietress turned to her: “Jiayi, I saw Old Bai’s latest video. The cuisine at Blue Tile House is so impressive—you need to step up, or you’ll fall behind!”

“Uh!” The blow sent Han Jiayi slumping onto the table. “I know, I’m trying…”

When it comes to verbal strikes, the proprietress really knows how to land them… Bai Renzong felt awkward.

“Oh, if you have nothing to do, go wash the dishes instead of bothering the guests,” the owner chided, tweaking his wife’s ear and sending her away. Then he turned to Bai Renzong with a smile. “I watched your latest video. Well said—very professional.”

“I did my homework beforehand,” Bai Renzong replied politely. “And I’ve learned a lot from you.”

Whenever Bai Renzong ate at Willow Lane, the owner would talk about culinary matters, such as the overall sense of French cuisine. Plus, Bai Renzong watched a lot of videos online, picking up all sorts of trivia.

“Brother Xing, I haven’t had any inspiration lately—I don’t know what to cook,” Han Jiayi complained. “Where do you get your ideas?”

“From my little strawberry here,” the owner said, pressing his wife’s head with a smile. “Whenever I imagine what would make her happy, I get ideas.”

Here it comes—Willow Lane’s special dog food, Bai Renzong thought.

“Hmm…” Han Jiayi was silent for a moment, then glanced at Bai Renzong: What would make Old Bai happy?

He rarely showed a strong preference for any dish, always ordering the daily special at Willow Lane, never sticking to one. So she had no clue about this…

“Hmm?” The proprietress seemed to notice something, covering her mouth and laughing. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and she suggested, “Why not improvise, Jiayi? Let Old Bai give you some guidance.”

“Good idea,” the owner agreed with a laugh. “I’ll take a break and video call my daughter.”

(Thanks to Mingxing22 and Book Friend 20210813150159484 for the monthly tickets, and to Drifting with the Wind for the reward.)