Chapter 30

Chapter 30 Do You Dislike Me?

Jodie couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable as she watched Zac proudly displaying his pierogi. It

perplexed her why he could be so sharp–tongued with her yet so openly flirtatious with Simone. The

more she dwelled on it, the more indignant she became.

While she may

ay not have many culinary skills, she did know how to make dumplings. So, she turned to Aaron and

Leon and asked, “Would you like some egg and chive dumplings?” Their supplies were depleted of

meat, leaving only eggs and chives.

Aaron eagerly replied, “Of course! I love egg and chive dumplings.”

Leon nodded. “Sounds good!”

Jodie obediently said, I’ll go make them for you.”

Aaron put his arm around Jodie’s shoulder. “My little sister is so capable.”

In a habitual gesture, she nuzzled her head against Aaron’s. “Aaron, just wait for the delicious food.”

Observing their intimate behavior, Keira couldn’t help but roll her eyes, sensing that their relationship

resembled that of a romantic couple rather than mere siblings. This made her question, “Are they really

just siblings?”

Once Aaron and Jodie finished their affectionate display, they noticed Leyla standing behind them.

Typically, Jodic might not have acknowledged her. Jodie wanted to appear friendly and caring since

they were about to go live. With a warm smile, Jodie asked, “Leyla, are you going to eat too?”

Leyla mustered a smile. “Sure.” Although she wanted to express her dislike for chives due to their

lingering aftertaste, she couldn’t refuse the offer, especially when both Aaron and Jodie were about to

eat. She was concerned about potential criticism if she declined.

Jodie, demonstrating her care and culinary skills, headed to the kitchen to prepare the dumplings. She

kneaded the dough, prepared the filling, and wrapped the dumplings herself. Since she wanted to

showcase her skills, she didn’t let the other three help..

Surprisingly, they didn’t offer to help either.

As the mouthwatering aroma of the soup wafted from the courtyard and Zac’s group relished their

pierogi and soup, the other people’s hunger was stimulated.

Leon and Aaron couldn’t help but feel a bit disgruntled.

It was evident that Simone had prepared the meal, and Zac’s group was undeniably fortunate.

For Leon, the moment he realized that Simone had made this just because Zac wanted it, he couldn’t

help but feel a sense of discomfort. But now, he couldn’t do anything about the situation with the two of

them.

Meanwhile, Simone’s group finished their breakfast. The soup she cooked and the pierogi she made

were all devoured. After eating, the other three cleaned up and washed the dishes.

Simone didn’t rush to do anything. She didn’t want to be like Jodie, taking on everything just to show

off.

After Jodic finished making the dumplings, she came out to find Simone leisurely sitting in the

courtyard.

Keira was busy tidying the table while Eric and Zae were in the kitchen, washing up. Their respective

roles were clearly defined, even though they seemed unfamiliar with the tasks. Nevertheless, they were

indeed contributing to the effort.

At that moment, Jodie felt increasingly frustrated. She couldn’t understand why she was working so

diligently and taking on all the tasks while Simone appeared so relaxed. Her eyes reddened as a sense

of grievance overcame her, and she turned back to the kitchen, carrying all her frustration with her.

However, the others remained unaware of Jodie’s grievances and discontent. When she had

completed cooking the dumplings, they each took a bite but found the dish hard to swallow. The

dumplings‘ skin was slightly undercooked, and the egg and chive filling lacked flavor. Aside from their

pleasing appearance, everything else fell short.

It was undeniably a case of appealing dishes that failed to impress the palate.

Leon, Aaron, and Leyla wished they were eating Simone’s pierogi instead…

Leyla, struggling, forced herself to swallow the dumplings she had picked up, then set down her fork.

Jodie was increasingly frustrated, and seeing Leyla’s discomfort, she couldn’t help but inquire, “Leyla..

are the dumplings not to your liking? I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you didn’t prefer egg and chive filling. It’s

just that I had to make do with our only ingredients.”

Leyla was caught off guard by her words.

Aaron finally noticed Jodie’s reddened eyes, a clear sign of her distress. Not too pleased, he turned to

Leyla and said, “My sister has been working hard all morning. You don’t need to be so picky. You

haven’t done anything, so it’s already good enough to have something to eat. Besides, my sister’s

dumplings are delicious. After saying that, he picked up another piece of dumplings and forced himself

to eat it, showing clear support for his sister.

At that moment, Leyla felt even more wrong since she said anything. It seemed she was unfairly

labeled as idle and choosy by this brother–sister duo.

Just as she was about to speak, Leon spoke up first. “The dumplings taste really good. Well done,

Jodie!”

Jodie sweetly smiled and waved her hand. “It wasn’t hard. I’m just happy to serve everyone.”

Leyla remained silent, but the fans of Aaron and Jodie had already begun to berate her in the live

stream comments. They accused Leyla of being pretentious, a drama queen, and squandering Jodie’s

efforts.

Just then, Zac finished washing the dishes and overheard their conversation. He couldn’t help but

chuckle. He surveyed the dumplings on the table and remarked. “If these are so delicious, why have

you all only eaten a few? In our group, we practically fought over the pierogi.” He smacked his lips.

reminiscing about the flavor, and added. “Even if you brought out another plate, I could finish it all.”

His statement also drew the viewers‘ attention and began to comment.

“Leon says the dumplings are good, but I only saw him cat two.”

“Aaron sie three, but it looks like he was forcing them down.”

Jojo only ate one herself…”

“Leon truly treats Jojo differently. He was eating with such reluctance and still praised her.”

“I’m feeling awkward from all the fake praises.”

“Let’s compare how good these dumplings are. Just now, it seemed like everyone was practically

fighting to eat Simone’s soup and pierogi.

“Yes, especially Zac. When he took a bite of the pierogi, I could see the thin skin, generous filling, and.

rich broth… It just looked so delicious.”

“I was practically drooling watching him.”

“The dumplings made by this group here just don’t look appetizing.”

“It appears to be somewhat artificial. Why don’t they finish it all if it’s so delectable?”

“Ahem. I noticed that the dumplings seemed a bit undercooked when they took a bite just

Leyla’s fans chimed in with their criticism.

“Aaron and Leon were assisting Jojo in bullying our Leyla.”

“It’s too much. Forcing her to cat Jojo’s poorly–made food? How can they do that?”

Jojo’s hidden motives are so obvious; don’t think we can’t see through them.”

The group eating dumplings in the kitchen felt uncomfortable after Zac’s comment.

However, Leyla found Zac’s sharp wit rather refreshing. She had been interested in Aaron before and

even wanted to get closer to him. But now, all of a sudden, she lost interest. Aaron’s excessive

pampering of his sister made anyone in a relationship with him feel suffocated.

Jodie’s expression turned sour as she pondered Zac’s words, thinking. Is he implying that my dish isn’t

as good as Simone’s? She shot him a frustrated glance, feeling a sense of injustice and grievance

welling up within her. She asked, “Mr. Turner, do you not like me? Why do you always single me out?”

She believed Simone might have said something unfavorable about her to Zac privately.

Zac glanced at her in a bewildered manner. “You’re not made of gold. Why should I have a special.

fondness for you? Besides, it’s inappropriate for a man and a woman to be too close on a show like

this. I don’t want to start any unnecessary scandals. Enjoy your delicious meal at your own pace. I’m

out.” With that, he briskly left, appearing as though he didn’t want to be associated with them for fear of

getting caught up in drama.

Her face flushed with embarrassment, wondering. This guy is just a heartless jerk who doesn’t know

how to treat women with kindness!