Chapter Five: "Bian Yi" Pancakes

The snack street was bustling with people, and soon enough, Su Wan-ning was recognized. She didn’t shy away at all, waving cheerfully at the fans who spotted her, perfectly embodying the image of a positive, hardworking actress—nothing like the vicious persona described on trending searches.

Many curious onlookers snapped photos and shot videos, posting them online. The crowd in the snack street grew ever larger until Su Wan-ning was pressed in so tightly that she couldn’t move. Fearing the children might be jostled, she glanced around and noticed the pancake stall beside her—someone seemed to be live-streaming there, complete with a fill light.

“Bian Yi’s Pancakes…” Su Wan-ning couldn’t help but laugh, then quickly slipped with the children into the pancake stall.

“Welcome, everyone, to my live stream! Today we’re exploring the snack street, and here we have a pancake stall. Look! The boss is about to start—” A brightly dressed streamer stood at the stall, her phone aimed at the man preparing pancakes. He scooped up a ladle of batter and flung it confidently onto the griddle.

A sharp sizzle rang out as he began to spread the batter with a bamboo stick, but instead of flowing smoothly into a thin pancake as seen in so many videos, the batter clumped together, stuck to the tool, and quickly turned into several lumps of dough.

The man tried to spread the lumps out, but parts of the pancake were visibly starting to burn. In haste, he cracked an egg—shell and all—onto the batter.

A burst of laughter erupted around them; Su Wan-ning’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Could this boss really be an undercover cop?

The crowd murmured among themselves.

“Help, this is hilarious! Look at the name of his stall—‘Bian Yi Pancakes’—it’s definitely undercover!”

“Officer, you’ve blown your cover!”

The man’s face reddened as he picked out the eggshell, then awkwardly sprinkled on the toppings. The final pancake was a shapeless mess, tossed haphazardly into a bag.

The streamer doubled over with laughter, still remembering to interact with her audience. “Don’t worry, everyone, let’s give him a little more time—maybe he’s just not used to it yet, ha ha ha…”

The laughter grew louder, and the pancake boss looked mortified. Su Wan-ning couldn’t bear it any longer and stepped boldly from the shadows.

“Let me help you, boss!”

The man stared in bewilderment, not reacting before Su Wan-ning deftly snatched the tools from his hands.

“Don’t miss out as you pass by—delicious, affordable pancakes right here!”

“If it’s not tasty, you don’t have to pay! Miss, what would you like on your pancake? Want to try some spicy chicken noodles? Let me tell you, you’ll regret it if you don’t taste my pancakes!”

She called out to draw in the crowd, her movements brisk as she cleaned the griddle, all the while glancing up to engage with the streamer’s phone.

“That’s right, it’s me, Su Wan-ning. I’m here to help the boss make pancakes… Undercover? Don’t misunderstand just because the stall is called ‘Bian Yi’—he’s just a little inexperienced, that’s all.”

“To everyone in the livestream, if you’re in the city, come find me now for a free pancake!”

A gentle smile never left Su Wan-ning’s face, while the streamer beside her stared, dumbstruck.

As more people recognized her, the crowd swelled, and the livestream audience shot up from dozens to tens of thousands, the popularity soaring instantly.

[Is this really the superstar we know?]

[Oh no! What is Su Wan-ning up to now?]

[She’s so vicious—who knows what she’ll put in those pancakes! Eat at your own risk!]

[I wouldn’t dare eat her black-hearted pancakes.]

Qin Sui stood protectively by Qin Nian’s side, his expression complicated as he watched Su Wan-ning’s performance.

She poured the batter one-handed, with a flick of her wrist spinning it into a thin pancake on the griddle, cracked an egg, added the toppings—all in a seamless flow.

Once the pancake was ready, she slipped it into a bag and handed it to the little streamer.

The girl took an eager bite, then turned to the camera as if she’d discovered treasure. “Wow! Guys, I’m eating a pancake made by a superstar herself!”

“Oh my god, it’s delicious! Su Wan-ning, you’re my goddess! Everyone, hurry over—it’s really amazing!”

“If it’s edible, then make one for me too!”

“I’ll take two!”

Onlookers crowded closer, nearly everyone filming with their phones.

Su Wan-ning, experienced as a streamer, quickly scanned the angles and positioned herself for the best shot she could devise. While her hands worked, she raised her voice in a lively pitchman’s call: “Honest pancakes, exclusively sponsored by yours truly—just two yuan each, everything must go!”

She was the picture of a clearance sale merchant.

A bystander couldn’t help but laugh.

“Brother, why does Mom seem so different now?” Qin Nian asked quietly.

Qin Sui, too, stared at Su Wan-ning with a complicated gaze. He had spread rumors online to smear her, but unexpectedly it had won her a wave of goodwill.

He pulled out his phone—sure enough, “Superstar at the Night Market” was already the top trending search.

[Is she really that stubborn, or is this a new PR tactic? Getting closer to ordinary people to fix her image?]

[Is this really Su Wan-ning? She dresses so casually in private, and she’s not even wearing makeup—she actually looks great. I might start liking her.]

[I’m dying! Turns out beauties make pancakes too—could this be her stall?]

[Is she a mole sent from the entertainment world to the food industry?]

[Turns out the superstar likes stinky tofu just like me—I'm a fan now!]

[We love down-to-earth celebrities like this—no airs, so warm and friendly. Please give us more of this.]

[She doesn’t look anything like the rumors online.]

[Agreed, she’s putting on an act. Well, she is an actress after all—her acting is flawless!]

[Someone give her an Oscar already!]

Suddenly, a few women appeared at the front of the stall, pointing at Su Wan-ning and jeering.

“Su Wan-ning, if you’re going to act, at least act convincingly! Just yesterday they said you were abusing your kids, and today you’re out with them trying to clean up your image?”

Su Wan-ning frowned but ignored them at first. The women grew bolder.

“Parading your illegitimate children in public—what, they’re props now for your redemption arc? Not abusing your illegitimate children anymore?”

Su Wan-ning’s brows knit tightly; she tossed aside the tools, looked coldly at the woman speaking, and asked, “Who are you calling an illegitimate child?”

The woman shrank back at her imposing presence, but then rallied and retorted, “Why, afraid to be called out for what you’ve done? It’s all over the internet—everyone knows you hooked up with a sugar daddy—”