Among the last five groups, two performances stood out as particularly strong. One of them, in Qin Ran's opinion, was the most technically proficient group, with skills that surpassed even Yu Shuman's group. The members of this group included two girls from an underground girl group, who had honed their skills performing in venues like bars. Their presence elevated the entire group's stage performance.
However, because their performance was late in the lineup, their votes were fewer than those who performed earlier. During the interview, the group members visibly struggled to hide their disappointment, though they put on a brave face and vowed to improve.
The first performance resulted in the elimination of the two groups with the lowest votes, leaving forty contestants. They would soon undergo another round of group assignments. Unlike the first round, the next grouping would not take place in front of the audience but would be reorganized later in the studio. Qin Ran, who had seen the schedule in advance, knew that the next phase would involve self-selected songs and groups. The groups that scored high in this round would get the first pick.
After the competition, Sister Li arranged for everyone to go to a high-end seafood restaurant in the city, where she had booked the entire venue. A classmate who had been holding onto Qin Ran excitedly pulled out her phone to check the restaurant's details. "Shimei, this place has a per-person cost of 2,000 yuan! Manman's company is really generous. With over thirty people here, plus their own staff, that's over forty people—this meal is going to cost at least tens of thousands!"
Another classmate leaned in. "I bet it's more than that. She's booked the whole place; that must cost extra. I wouldn't be surprised if this meal costs a hundred thousand."
They were ushered to their seats by the waitstaff. The restaurant wasn't large, with only about fifty or sixty seats, but it was located in a bustling district. They arrived early, just past five, and the food wasn't ready yet, so they took the opportunity to take pictures and enjoy the view.
Before long, Sister Li arrived with Yu Shuman. Despite not being famous yet, Yu Shuman was already wearing a mask and sunglasses, mainly because it wasn't appropriate for her to be seen in public during filming. Even though there were no more shooting or practice sessions today, and several contestants had been taken out by their managers for some advice, if Yu Shuman were spotted at a restaurant and photographed, no amount of explaining could prevent rumors of her acting like a diva with special privileges from spreading.
In the entertainment industry, such things could be an open secret, but they must never be caught on camera or exposed by the media.
Everyone present was a close friend of Yu Shuman, and none would betray her. At this age, friendship was a precious part of life, something they valued deeply and would never betray.
Once Yu Shuman removed her mask and sunglasses and blended in with the group, the waitstaff began bringing out the food. Since they had booked the entire venue, the restaurant switched to a buffet style. The tables were pushed together and covered with white tablecloths, topped with a spread of gourmet dishes. There were even chefs in uniform slicing ham on the spot.
Sister Li, hearing Qin Ran say there was no budget limit, made sure to order the best of everything, telling the staff, "Price isn't an issue. What matters is that the ingredients are fresh and the food tastes great." The demand for freshness drove the restaurant's cost per person from 2,000 to 5,000 yuan.
Not a single frozen item was used—the salmon was freshly delivered that day and sliced right before serving. Qin Ran, having been a bit of a foodie in her past life, knew quality when she saw it. Even without tasting it, the quality of the salmon was evident from the cut.
No complaints—it was definitely good.
Qin Ran selected a plate of the best cuts of salmon and brought it over to Yu Shuman. To her surprise, when Yu Shuman turned around, her plate was already piled with food. Seeing Qin Ran approach, Yu Shuman quickly swapped plates with her.
"Shimei, you have to try these—these are expensive! We have to get our money's worth!"
She had indeed picked all the priciest items.
Qin Ran looked down and saw a serving of grilled king crab legs. While king crab was pricey, it didn't quite reach the level of the most expensive seafood. After all, it's large and well-known, but to the general public, it was considered a luxury. Besides the crab, Yu Shuman had picked out a variety of other delicacies, which she unhesitatingly handed over to Qin Ran.
The two of them found a spot to sit down. As soon as Qin Ran sat, Yu Shuman insisted she wait and quickly went to fetch two drinks. Not long after, Yu Shuman returned with two freshly opened coconuts and set them down in front of Qin Ran.
Her Shijie really knew how to pick the most filling foods.
"Shimei, don't hold back! My boss is treating, so eat as much as you want!"
Of course, Qin Ran didn't hold back—after all, it was her money paying for the meal. But Yu Shuman's words left Qin Ran feeling a bit odd, like she was being played for a fool. With Yu Shuman right there, Qin Ran couldn't say anything and instead focused on eating. Perhaps it was because she had been poor for so long, and even after coming into money hadn't had the chance to splurge, that she found herself unusually satisfied by the feast of seafood.
The king crab they had wasn't the best; the meat wasn't as plump as it should have been, perhaps because the crabs had lost weight during transportation. The grilling was good but not exceptional, leaving Qin Ran aware of the difference from a top-tier chef. But with Yu Shuman sitting across from her, the king crab leg tasted far better than it should have.
She hadn't even started eating before Yu Shuman picked up a pair of crab scissors and began cutting the crab legs for Qin Ran.
"Shijie, I can do it myself..."
Before Qin Ran could finish her sentence, Yu Shuman had already cut a crab leg, offering a long piece of crab meat along with the shell. Yu Shuman simply said, "Eat," leaving Qin Ran no choice but to thank her and then savor the delicious crab meat.
The grilled king crab leg was indeed tasty—no need for seasoning or marinating, just grilling it brought out its flavor. The fresh, sweet crab meat had a delicate texture, and each bite left Qin Ran wanting more.
After finishing one leg, Qin Ran wanted to share some with Yu Shuman, but while she was still working on her crab, Yu Shuman had already prepared two more legs. Yu Shuman was used to cooking, so using the scissors was easy for her. After her mother had recovered from illness during Yu Shuman's senior year, she had taken over all the household duties, including cooking. Now, Yu Shuman's mother had a job that Qin Ran had secretly arranged, a relaxed position with meals and lodging included as a dormitory manager.
With work to do and the realization that she wasn't a burden but could contribute, Yu Shuman's mother's spirits had lifted considerably.
Thinking of this, Qin Ran asked, "Shijie, how's Auntie doing lately?" Just as she asked, Yu Shuman handed her a piece of abalone. This abalone had been cooked, chilled, and marinated, giving it a cool, chewy texture that tasted quite good. In a restaurant with a 2,000-yuan per-person cost, you could be sure the abalone was properly cleaned and free of any impurities.
At the mention of her mother, Yu Shuman's expression softened. "My mom? She's doing great, really energetic at work. When I told her about participating in the talent show, she was really supportive. She even said she wanted to come to see me perform, but then she added that she couldn't because she couldn't get time off. When I visited her during a break, the people in the dorm she manages kept calling her 'Auntie' and even brought her local specialties. She's really taken to looking after them now."
When Yu Shuman talked about her mother, her tone and expression were filled with warmth. She popped a small abalone into her mouth and, after swallowing, remarked, "This is really good. I wonder how they made it. I'll have to look it up and try making it for my mom." Qin Ran took note of this. Recipes from such upscale restaurants weren't usually available online, but if you were a VIP customer, they might share the preparation methods for small dishes like this.
Qin Ran had already spent enough to qualify as a VIP, so she would definitely be able to get the recipe.
After chatting and eating for a while, Qin Ran got up to grab a plate of marinated seafood and returned, signaling for Yu Shuman to try it. While Qin Ran wasn't a cook, her common sense told her that marinated seafood would be easier to make than the abalone. Yu Shuman took a bite of the seafood and sighed, "Seafood is so delicious, but it's so expensive."
Wearing gloves, Qin Ran peeled shrimp for Yu Shuman, nodding in agreement. "But it's a lot cheaper near the coast. Now that you're an artist, you might have to travel around the country. When that happens, you can buy seafood from the local markets and have it shipped back home."
Yu Shuman, nibbling on some non-seafood dishes, added, "I'll remember to bring some for you, but if you ever go to a seafood market, don't buy anything yourself. With how shy you are around strangers, the vendors will rip you off. Earning money isn't easy, and you don't want to end up with an empty wallet."
Yu Shuman's words weren't exactly gentle, and her description was a bit blunt. Qin Ran blushed a little, though she knew Yu Shuman was telling the truth. Still, she protested, "Shijie!"
Yu Shuman, grinning like a mischievous cat, grabbed several prawns from the plate Qin Ran had just peeled. Qin Ran had been peeling them for Yu Shuman anyway, but her exasperated "Shijie!" sounded almost like she was trying to stop her. Yu Shuman laughed, "Too late, I've already eaten them!"