They returned to their room, but Simone didn’t mention anything about Leon. Since it was her personal matter, Keira didn’t press for more information, even though she was curious.
The next morning, Simone woke up and exercised in the courtyard. The production team arrived just in time to witness her final set.
Jonah knew Simone because she had previously saved his wife. He chuckled and asked, “Practicing martial arts first thing in the morning? Why didn’t you wait until the livestream started?” The set Simone performed had a perfect blend of power and grace, making it an impressive show. Those familiar with martial arts would recognize that the set Simone just performed was not something a beginner could do. If they had started the livestream and showcased that scene, they would have captured the attention of many martial arts enthusiasts.
Simone smiled. “True talent shines no matter where it is.” It was only the second day of the livestream, and there were still many haters out there. There was no need for her to go solo just yet. It would be overwhelming.
Jonah was surprised by Simone’s composure. “You’re quite composed.” Most people would only start practicing after the livestream had begun. “Can we start the livestream early in a couple of days? When you start practicing, of course.” He pondered for a moment. “Or we can record a video tomorrow and upload it.” This would leave a stronger impression on the audience and attract more viewers and popularity to the show.
Naturally, Simone wouldn’t refuse this offer from the director. “Thank you, Mr. Chapman.”
The production team overheard the conversation. They noticed that Jonah not only knew Simone but also treated her preferentially, so they became even more polite towards her.
The other guests began to emerge from their rooms to freshen up. Without phones or other forms of entertainment, they had to sleep early, resulting in an early wake-up. The livestream began at seven-thirty.
Zac looked at his teammates. “So, are we having breakfast today?”
Simone checked the time. “Let’s go fruit-picking right now. Maybe we can find something for breakfast. We can exchange our labor for food and make breakfast ourselves.”
After having dinner at the village head’s place, they returned with four dishes, so they couldn’t ask for anything else.
Zac and the others agreed. “That works for us.” They woke up early and would be hungry if they skipped breakfast. It would be even worse if they had to work in the afternoon.
Just as they were about to leave, the other team came out of their rooms.
Aaron looked at Simone. “Are you going to work?” He added, “We asked several households yesterday. We can easily find work today.” In other words, he was suggesting that they should find work first since Simone’s team was just starting to inquire.
Zac smugly replied, “We don’t need to search for work. We already made arrangements, so we’re going to work right away.”
Aaron and his team were surprised.
Aaron asked, “When did you guys find work?”
Zac said, “Yesterday, obviously, and it was all thanks to Simone. She found work and led us to it.” Even more smugly, he added, “And not just for today. We have work lined up for the entire week, so we don’t need to worry about food.”
In disbelief, Aaron questioned, “You found a week’s worth of work? Is that true?”
Zac rolled his eyes. “Do you think I’m lying? I’m not that childish.”
Aaron turned to Simone. Still skeptical, he asked, “How did you do it?” He didn’t expect Simone to carry her team to victory. Is she really that capable?
Simone could sense his doubt. Calmly, she replied, “That’s none of your concern. Instead of asking so many questions, you should start finding work to do.” Back in Gray Residence, her biological parents and despicable brothers underestimated her abilities. They thought she was useless because she came from an insignificant place, and Jodie slandered her frequently. That was why Aaron didn’t believe Zac when he said that Simone had found a week’s worth of work for the team.
Aaron choked on his words once again. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll find work too.”
Simone clicked her tongue. “I couldn’t care less about you.”
“Why, you…” Aaron suddenly realized how much Simone could annoy him after she left the family. He felt like he didn’t know her anymore.
Simone ignored Aaron and turned to her teammates. “Let’s go. We have work to do.”
Zac smiled. “We have work to do. That’s a great motto.”
Eric and Keira smiled as well, and the team left the courtyard, laughing happily. Each of them held a straw hat. Aaron and his team stared at each other. They believed they were already working hard enough, and they thought Simone had simply gotten lucky the previous night. They believed they would win this round, but then they learned that Simone had found a week’s worth of work.
Leon knew Simone was a capable woman. She was like a resilient blade of grass, able to survive in any environment. That was one of the reasons he admired her. He looked at his teammates. “We should find work as well.” He joined the show to take care of Jodie and help her become famous, but it was still a competition, and he didn’t want to lose.
His teammates snapped out of their thoughts. When Leyla noticed the sun rising higher, she remembered that Simone’s team had their own straw hats. She asked the director, “Mr.
Chapman, where can we get our hats?”
Confused, Jonah asked, “What hats? We’re not providing any hats.”
Perplexed, Keira asked, “Didn’t you see the hats the other team had?”
Ah, that’s what she’s referring to. He laughed. “We didn’t give them any hats. Simone taught Keira how to make them, and they made four hats themselves. We didn’t provide anything.”
Leyla paused for a moment. “I understand.” Oh, I remember now. I saw her making things in the courtyard yesterday. So, those were straw hats, right?
Jodie maintained a smile on the outside, but she felt annoyed internally. Simone, Simone, Simone. Why is she always around? She silently cursed Leyla for blabbing before adopting a determined attitude. “Let’s go. We’ll gather more food today.” I have to perform well today and outdo that woman.
Aaron and Leon nodded. “Sure.” They approached Jodie and left the courtyard with her. Leyla felt a little upset about being left behind, but she quickly followed them.
Simone and her team arrived at the household they had promised to help. The family was having breakfast, but they promptly stood up and greeted them. The lady of the house smiled. “Have you had breakfast?”
Zac didn’t really care about his appearance and pouted. “Not yet. Could you give us some food? We promise we’ll work hard.” He was genuinely hungry.
Upon seeing a handsome young man wearing a pitiful expression, the lady of the house felt her nervousness in front of the camera dissipate, and she smiled. “Would you like some breakfast? No problem.” She stood up and prepared to cook.
Simone glanced at the barely touched food on the table and said with a smile, “Lead us to the kitchen, miss. We’ll prepare something ourselves, or your food will become soggy.”
Under normal circumstances, the lady of the house would not allow her guests to cook. However, the village head had informed her that these celebrities were here to experience their lives, so she nodded. “Sure. Follow me, then.”
Simone’s team followed the lady to the kitchen. She pointed to the stove and taught them how to use it. Then, she grabbed some noodles, four eggs, and some greens, and handed them to Simone’s team before returning to her breakfast.
Once the lady of the house had left, Simone asked, “Does anyone know how to make noodles?”
Zac and Eric shook their heads. “No.”
Keira raised her hand. “I can, but only instant ramen.”
Simone nodded. “Then let’s divide the tasks, shall we?”
Her team members agreed. “Sure. We’ll go with your plan.”
Simone pointed at the greens. “One of you can clean the greens. Another can boil the water for the noodles, and I need someone to fry the eggs. I’ll prepare the seasonings.” She didn’t want to do everything herself. Firstly, she didn’t want her teammates to rely on her every time they cooked, and secondly, she didn’t want to hog too much screen time. It would be better for the show if her teammates had their own moments as well.
Her teammates didn’t object. They thought Simone was a kind person. Despite being capable of doing everything herself, she chose not to, which would have monopolized the screen time.
Zac put some water on the stove to heat it up while Eric cleaned the greens. Keira knew how to fry eggs, so it was easy for her to fry a few. The division of labor within the team made for an enjoyable spectacle. When Zac didn’t add enough water, Simone told him to add more. Seeing that Eric had only rinsed the greens, Simone instructed him to thoroughly wash them under running water. Keira added too little oil to her pan, so Simone taught her how to make crispy eggs with slightly runny yolks.
Once Keira finished frying her eggs, Simone had also completed making the seasonings and broth. Shortly after, Simone ladled the cooked noodles and greens into bowls and added the sunny-side-up eggs on top. They looked appetizing and beautiful. Zac quickly took out his phone and snapped a photo of the noodles, and then the team mixed their noodles and began eating.
The moment Keira, Zac, and Eric took their first bite, their eyes lit up. “This is delicious.” They immediately continued eating.
Simone was already a skilled cook to begin with, and her experiences in other worlds had further improved her culinary skills. Even though it was just a simple bowl of noodles, the seasoning and precise cooking techniques made it an outstanding dish.
The viewers could only watch as the team devoured their food.
‘I wasn’t hungry before, but now I am.’
‘I just had breakfast, but I’m hungry again.’
‘Wow, I’m so touched. Zachy can finally help out in the kitchen.’
‘All Zachy did was heat up a pot of water.’
‘Ahem, participation award.’
‘Eric only rinsed the greens. Simone insisted he wash them again, but I don’t mind.’
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.