novellhall Chapter 12 You're a fucking genius!
Chapter 12 You're a fucking genius!
"Action!"
Chen Xun took a big bite of the hamburger and chewed.
It's time to test your newly upgraded emotional control!
He didn't deliberately make faces; instead, he instantly activated his newly acquired [Emotion] ability.
He recalled the ecstasy of eating ice cream for the first time as a child, combined with the "joy" attribute he had absorbed before, and then precisely eliminated any trace of performance.
Focus all your attention on the taste experience in your mouth and the resulting physiological satisfaction.
His eyes narrowed slightly, not intentionally, but as a natural reaction to his satisfaction.
The corners of his mouth turned up uncontrollably, engaging all the muscles in his face and creating an incredibly natural and infectious smile.
He even let out a very faint, but absolutely genuine, sigh filled with the aroma of food.
That expression doesn't look like acting!
The scene fell silent for a moment.
"Cut!"
The director suddenly stood up, his face beaming with the excitement of discovering a new continent:
"God! That's it! That's the expression! Perfect! What's your name? Kid, you're a fucking genius! This take is a hit!"
Chen Xun put down the hamburger, feeling completely unmoved, and even a little amused.
genius?
No, I'm just a cheater!
He noticed a green orb of light fall to the ground: [Emotional Attribute - Satisfaction +2].
Although a breakthrough has been achieved, it seems there is still room for further improvement through continuous accumulation!
After finishing work, holding the two hundred dollars paid by GG for the shoot, Chen Xun felt much lighter on his feet.
The breakthrough in his emotional attributes was like opening a door to a new world for him.
He passed by a real burger joint, and on a whim, went inside, bought a signature burger, and sat by the window to eat it slowly.
The taste was just so-so.
But at this moment, he was chewing not only food, but also the fatigue and perseverance of the past month.
He took out his phone and saw a new message from Rob:
"There's an audition for an independent film tomorrow. It's low-budget, but the role is quite substantial. It's an Asian international student with a lot of inner drama. I think your vibe is a good fit. Are you interested?"
Chen Xun looked at the message and took another bite of his hamburger.
Audition?
Does he have a lot of inner monologues?
He licked the sauce from the corner of his mouth and replied, "Send me the address!"
With the two hundred dollars he earned from filming GG in his pocket, he received an audition message from Rob.
Chen Xun felt like he was walking on air.
The subtle sense of control brought about by the breakthrough in emotional attributes made him see this drab world as if it had been filtered through a lens.
Back downstairs at the apartment building.
For the first time ever, he didn't go straight into the discount section of the neighborhood supermarket that exuded an atmosphere of "frugality".
Instead, they turned into a slightly more decent small fresh food market run by Mexicans next door.
The lights are brighter here, and the vegetables don't look so wilted.
the most important is.
They had pork and green peppers that looked relatively fresh.
It's time to improve our meals!
I also want to thank my roommate for feeding me during this time.
Although Lee So-yeon's skills are limited to stuffing various semi-finished products into the oven or throwing them into a pot to cook.
But at least it lets him have something hot to eat when he comes home every day, instead of facing cold pasta and baguettes that are as hard as weapons every day.
He carefully selected a piece of pork shoulder with a good balance of fat and lean meat, a few brightly colored green peppers, and reluctantly bought a small bottle of soy sauce and rice vinegar.
This thing is ridiculously expensive in the Chinese Super League in Los Angeles!
Garlic and ginger are essential, and I also grabbed a few eggs and a bunch of scallions.
As Chen Xun watched the numbers flashing on the cash register while paying the bill, his heart bled.
But the thought of not having to eat that frozen pizza with a plastic smell tonight made him feel that the money was well spent.
As I carried my shopping bags upstairs, the door was pulled open from the inside as soon as I inserted the key into the lock.
Lee So-yeon sported messy hair and wore a funny hoodie with the words "I Paused My Game to Be Here" printed on it!
He sniffed the air like a puppy, his eyes instantly locking onto the bag in his hand.
"Mo? You went grocery shopping?"
Her eyes widened as if she had witnessed some kind of miracle: "Are we going to start cooking? Not the oven kind?"
Chen Xun rolled his eyes and squeezed through the door:
"Otherwise what? Do you really think we live in 'WALL-E', surviving on nutrient solutions?"
He carried the things into the small but fairly clean open kitchen.
Lee So-yeon followed behind him like a curious child.
Watching him take the meat out to rinse it, remove the seeds from the green peppers and cut them into strips, his movements weren't exactly skillful, but at least they resembled those of a primate who could walk upright in the kitchen.
"Oppa, you can actually cook?"
Her tone was filled with disbelief, as if Chen Xun had just conjured a nuclear reactor with his bare hands.
"Or do you think I survived the first twenty years of my life in China by breathing air?"
As Chen Xun deftly chopped the ginger and garlic, he muttered to himself:
"Where we're from, not knowing how to cook is considered cute; it's a basic survival skill, thank you."
He decided to make the most classic and least error-prone quick and easy dishes.
Stir-fried pork with chili peppers!
Make some scrambled eggs with scallions too!
The rice is already emitting a wonderful aroma in the rice cooker!
This is the most valuable appliance in the apartment besides the TV, left behind by the previous tenant.
Heat the pan, add oil!
It's sizzling!
The aroma of minced ginger and garlic burst forth instantly, filling the entire small living room.
"Wow!"
Lee So-yeon exaggeratedly took a half-step back, then couldn't help but lean closer: "This smell is so strong! But it smells so good!"
Chen Xun ignored her fuss and slid the sliced meat into the pot, quickly stir-frying it.
He watched as the slices of meat turned from pink to an enticing white, the edges curling up slightly, releasing a smoky aroma.
Subconsciously, he began to utilize the emotional control he had just mastered.
It's not for performing, but for experiencing.
Feel the changes in the ingredients under high temperature, and feel the anticipation and satisfaction of home, filled with the warmth and comfort of cooking.
It was an extremely subtle emotional fluctuation, yet it made the spatula in his hand seem even more obedient.
[Emotional Attribute - Expectation +1] (From the desire for delicious food)
[Emotional Attribute - Sense of Control +1] (From being adept at the cooking process)
I can actually increase my own attributes!
Chen Xun was taken aback for a moment, then understood.
It seems that emotions are everywhere, and life itself is a large-scale improvisational performance.
The meat slices are almost cooked.
He poured in light soy sauce, stir-fried it to color it, and then added the plate of bright green bell pepper strips.
An even louder sizzling sound followed.
The steam, mixed with the unique aroma of chili peppers and the fragrance of meat, exploded in the kitchen like a flavor bomb.
Lee So-yeon has completely stopped talking.
She leaned against the kitchen door frame, her eyes fixed on the pot, her throat bobbing involuntarily.
That expression was a hundred times more genuine than when she played a tourist on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
[Aura-related attribute - Desire +1] (From Lee So-yeon's obsession with stir-fried pork with chili peppers)
Chen Xun suppressed a laugh and quickly stir-fried the green peppers, ensuring each strip was coated with the sauce.
Just before taking it off the heat, drizzle a little rice vinegar along the edge of the pot.
With a sizzle, the aroma of vinegar released the last trace of wok hei (wok aroma), instantly elevating the soul of the entire dish.
"Alright, bring the food!"
When stir-fried pork with chili peppers and golden, fluffy scrambled eggs with scallions were served on the old coffee table that served as a dining table.
Lee So-yeon's expression could no longer be described as shock; it was an almost reverent awe.