Thank You for the Invitation, I Successfully Held Hands with the Best Actress - Chapter 6

The system continued to fan the flames, “The countdown has begun, host. Go for it! You can wrap your arms around her waist or even go for a kiss~”

Ning Yu: You’re trying to get me killed!

“Sizzle—” Over at the stove, Mu Qiuyuan poured an entire plate of chicken into the wok, stir-frying vigorously.

But perhaps as Ning Yu had warned, the heat was too high. Oil splattered everywhere. Frowning, Mu Qiuyuan cautiously reached over to turn down the flame.

Then in the next instant—

She was unceremoniously shoved aside.

??

With a stern expression, Ning Yu gave Mu Qiuyuan’s arm a forceful push and said coldly, “Hmph, can’t even handle something this simple? Let me do it.”

What made it even worse: This wasn’t how it was supposed to go at all!

System: “Host, what on earth are you doing? The mission was intimate contact, not pushing her away!”

Ning Yu remained unflustered, countering, “Was that a push? Clearly, my palm made intimate contact with her bare arm. Doesn’t that count?”

System: “How does touching an arm count as intimate contact?”

Ning Yu: “You don’t understand. This is all part of my master plan to establish my scumbag alpha image. Think about it—Mu Qiuyuan doesn’t have any feelings for me yet. If I went straight for her waist, what would that make me?”

System: “What would it make you?”

Ning Yu: “A pervert. A creep. A disgusting lecher.”

System: “…I know that word.”

Ning Yu: Oh really? I thought you didn’t.

Ning Yu: “Our mission is to craft the perfect scumbag alpha persona. A scumbag alpha, mind you. How is that the same as some lowlife pervert?”

System: “How is it different?”

Ning Yu choked momentarily: “…Obviously it’s different! A scumbag alpha is subtle, understated… well, a high-class creep. If I started groping her right away, the audience would be so repulsed they’d kick me off the show. Then where would your precious points come from?”

The system seemed convinced by her reasoning. “So you’re saying—”

Ning Yu: “The degree and direction of scumbaggery must be carefully measured. For now, touching her arm is enough. This is about sustainable development.”

Sustainable development, my ass. Ning Yu gritted her teeth and continued spinning her tale. “And my cold attitude toward her—do you know why I did that?”

System: “Why?”

Ning Yu thought: Obviously to make her hate me and stay far away from this scumbag alpha.

Ning Yu said: “It’s all part of the PUA strategy. Hot and cold, push and pull. After intimate contact, giving her the cold shoulder will make her notice me more and deepen her dependence on me.”

“Surely you remember—that’s exactly what it says in How to Become a PUA Master.”

The system ran a quick search. The book did indeed say that.

System: “Something still feels off, but your popularity points just skyrocketed. Maybe it’s me. The previous case data might’ve been too repetitive, and this new approach is throwing off my AI brain. Human emotions really are complicated.”

Ning Yu: Heh, funny. I think so too.

I shoved her away without mercy, yet my scumbag alpha points soared?

Why? What the hell is the audience thinking?

Meanwhile, the live chat was going wild.

“What happened? Why did Ning Yu suddenly push Mumu away?”

“Looks like the oil splattered. She was probably worried about Mumu getting burned.”

“Somehow getting major CEO vibes here. Isn’t this exactly how they write it in novels?”

“Woman, don’t you dare get hurt without my permission!”

“HAHAHA I laughed so hard my mom thought the neighbor’s rooster was crowing. Is this another one of those playa Alpha moves?”

“Decoded it, girls. Honestly? I’d totally fall for this. hides face in embarrassment If I were Mu Qiuyan, I might find her quite charming.”

“Are your eyes okay, sis? This just shows how scheming Ning Yu is.”

“No wonder she can juggle twenty women at once. Being gentle and considerate alone won’t win over an award-winning actress. She’s switching tactics now.”

“Some prefer soft approaches, others like it rough. Is she testing different methods? The more you think about it, the scarier it gets. This playa Alpha Ning Yu is terrifying!”

In summary, no matter what Ning Yu does now, the audience can spin it as another one of the playa Alpha’s cunning schemes, with logic tighter than a well-written story.

Thoughtful concern? A wolf in sheep’s clothing with ulterior motives. Cold rejection? Just another calculated move in her game of push-and-pull.

Ning Yu: How utterly unfair.

With one hand holding the pan and the other wielding the spatula, Ning Yu kept stir-frying until the aroma of meat filled the air. She then added some seasonings with practiced ease.

Mu Qiuyan stood by watching, wisely keeping her distance.

Mu Qiuyan: “Do you usually cook for yourself, Ms. Ning?”

Ning Yu: “Yes, homemade meals are cleaner and more reassuring than eating out.”

“It smells delicious. You’re quite skilled.”

Ning Yu: “Just practice makes perfect.”

Mu Qiuyan observed the sweat beads forming on Ning Yu’s nose from the steam: “This might be a bit forward, but why do you always wear that bucket hat?”

…

“HAHAHA finally someone asked! I’ve been wondering about this forever.”

“Glad I’m not the only one. Since no one mentioned it in the comments, I thought you all found it normal.”

“Permanent bucket hat status LOL. Wearing it indoors for fashion is one thing, but keeping it on while cooking in this heat? That’s just weird.”

“Gotta admit though, that hat looks good. I want the link.”

“I have a theory, but it’s not very nice.”

“I think I know what you mean, but she’s too young for that, surely?”

Mu Qiuyan: “Are you… balding?”

“HAHAHA so direct! I can’t breathe!”

“Classic Mu Qiuyan.”

Ning Yu’s hand froze mid-stir, nearly flipping the chicken out of the pan.

Thinking she misheard: “What did you say?”

Mu Qiuyan enunciated clearly and loudly: “I said, are you going bald?!”

Her words rang out crisp and strong, even drawing glances from other guests cleaning in the background, their eyes now filled with pity as they looked at Ning Yu.

Ning Yu: …

I’m not! I never!

At the prime of her life, a stunning twenty-five-year-old beauty—how could she possibly be associated with such a horrifying term?

To prove her innocence, Ning Yu resolutely removed her bucket hat.

Revealing lush, silky hair with no visible thinning—a perfectly healthy head of hair.

But what drew the most attention was the small red bump on her forehead—a prominent swelling above her left eyebrow that became glaringly obvious once she removed her hat. On Ning Yu’s beautiful face, it looked downright comical.

Mu Qiuyan couldn’t hold back when she saw it, turning her head to stifle a quiet laugh behind her hand.

Ning Yu: “…Uh, is it really that funny?”

The others’ reactions were even more exaggerated, answering that question with absolute certainty.

Zhu Wen, who had been chopping vegetables, burst into a fit of goose-like laughter, her knife slipping from her hand as she doubled over in pain from laughing too hard.

That bump had completely and utterly hit her funny bone.

“Ning-jie, Ning-jie, does it hurt if I poke it?”

Ning Yu flushed red with embarrassment and irritation. “Of course it hurts! It’s not like it’s just stuck on there!”

Zhu Wen: “But—hahahaha—it looks exactly like those cartoon bumps from anime! I almost thought… it was added in post-production by the crew, hahahaha!”

I feel you, Wenwen! You’re literally my online voice!

At first glance, I really thought it was special effects. Took me a second to remember this is a live broadcast.

This is too funny. That bump—why did it have to land on a beauty’s face?

Can’t even see her looks anymore, just the bump. It’s taken over her whole face.

Ning Yu rolled her eyes. “If you don’t believe me, go ahead and poke it then! See for yourself whether it’s real or—”

Before she could finish, a slender, pale finger suddenly appeared in her line of sight, boldly “dancing” on her bump with two quick presses before swiftly retreating.

Ning Yu turned to glare at Mu Qiuyan, only to see the woman shrug innocently. “I was just proving to the audience that this is a live variety show—no post-production editing involved.”

Ning Yu: “…”

Never thought I’d see the day when the Ice Queen would crack a joke!

She was laughing so beautifully just now—she’s really fallen for it, hasn’t she?

Why is it that with this bump, I suddenly find Ning Yu kinda cute? I can’t hold back—am I getting charmed by her too?

Her and Mu Qiuyan… I kinda want to ship them? There’s this weird dynamic—only acting dumb in front of you, not a trace of that playboy Alpha vibe.

Snap out of it! Shipping Ning Yu and Mu Qiuyan? Do you have a death wish? The Mu fans will tear you apart!

Yep, yep! We’re everywhere! Wherever our sister is, we are too!

Ning Yu! The Mu fandom is WATCHING YOU!

Unaware of the fans’ distant warnings, Ning Yu turned to Zhu Wen and Xu Yi, who were still chopping vegetables. “We can start stir-frying the next dish now. You guys—”

But Zhu Wen suddenly let out a horrified cry. “What are you doing?!”

Ning Yu and Mu Qiuyan walked over to find an array of carrots meticulously arranged in front of Xu Yi—each one cut into different shapes.

Triangles, circles, squares… even heart-shaped ones.

Ning Yu tilted her head and spotted the cookie cutter molds he had used.

Xu Yi didn’t seem to see anything wrong with it. “I wanted to make it romantic and unique. Since we had these molds, I thought these carrots would exude a sense of geometric mathematical beauty.”

Zhu Wen shook her head in despair. “I don’t care if they’re pretty or not, but did you really have to throw away all the leftover scraps?”

Mu Qiuyan bent down to check the trash bin—inside were piles of discarded carrot remnants, uneven and fragmented from the molding process.

It was easy to understand Zhu Wen’s frustration. Ning Yu, who couldn’t bear to see food go to waste, crouched by the trash can and carefully picked out the carrots piece by piece.

Fortunately, it was a newly replaced garbage bag containing nothing but carrot peels and bits—no other dirty waste. However, the uneven chunks and scraps looked utterly unappetizing and couldn’t be sliced into the fine shreds Zhu Wen had intended.

Ning Yu suggested, “I’ll make carrot soup instead. We can blend these into pulp and boil them—it’ll taste wonderful.”

Zhu Wen, who only knew how to cook a few dishes, had hoped to showcase her skills but now found herself at a loss. She nodded dejectedly.

Mu Qiuwan offered, “Need any help?”

Ning Yu replied, “Could you wash some mushrooms for me?”

She took some spare ribs from the fridge. With a few stir-fried dishes already prepared, a sweet carrot and rib soup would balance out the saltiness nicely.

They say the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach.

After a satisfying and delicious meal, the group’s earlier scorn and disdain toward Ning Yu—stemming from rumors of her romantic escapades—had faded, replaced by a newfound respect.