Chapter Five Hundred Fifty-Two: The Worries of Gains and Losses
“Phew…”
Wiping her forehead, Xu Hongyi looked at the dishes in front of her, her beautiful eyes revealing delight and satisfaction.
“This should be it.”
This plate of Fish Fragrant Shredded Pork, although it didn’t look much different from before.
But after Xu Hongyi took a bite.
The taste was completely different from her earlier attempts that had been forever labeled as “inedible.”
“This.”
“It should be called delicious, right?” Xu Hongyi chuckled.
It seemed like it had been years since she felt this way.
Rather, for the Primordial Deities who had everything, a sense of accomplishment shouldn’t really exist in their world.
Yet now, looking at this ordinary plate of Fish Fragrant Shredded Pork.
Xu Hongyi suddenly realized that this indescribable emotion inside her was called a sense of accomplishment.
… This feeling isn’t bad at all.
“So this is what he wanted me to experience,” Xu Hongyi murmured.
She quietly gazed at the dish, not knowing what memories came flooding back.
When she snapped back to reality, she slightly panicked and said, “Ah, I’ve got to hurry and serve it to him! I heard it loses flavor if it cools down—”
Just as Xu Hongyi was about to carry the dish over to the judges, two figures suddenly dashed past her, startling her.
“Si Jingzhu! You dare throw hair into my dish? I’m going to get you for that!”
“What! Weren’t you the one who put mustard in mine first?!”
“I don’t care! You’re not winning today!”
“If I don’t win, you can’t win either! Nobody wins!”
The two girls were tangled up, clawing at each other’s hair, leaving Xu Hongyi a bit dumbfounded.
… Does he prefer girls like this?
Should I act a bit more spoiled and willful next time?
Just then, Long Huan walked by, and Xu Hongyi whispered, “Um… Shouldn’t you stop them?”
“Let them fight it out.”
Long Huan seemed unconcerned, even using magic to keep their “spiced” dishes warm, then leisurely walked back to the judges’ table, before turning back to add:
“Miss Xu, if you’re done, get it up here quickly.”
“Oh…”
Xu Hongyi blinked.
She could tell. Though she was bad at cooking.
Those fighting over there couldn’t be much better.
Her carefully replicated Fish Fragrant Shredded Pork was bound to stand out and leave a lasting impression on him among his harem.
Thinking of this, Xu Hongyi couldn’t help but feel pleased and hummed a little tune as she briskly carried her dish to the judges’ table.
…
Meanwhile, Bai Ming was looking a bit nervous, asking, “Is… is everything okay, Yubbing?”
“Everything’s fine.”
Tang Yubbing, her clothes in disarray and her cheeks flushed, adjusted her slightly exposed clothing and gave Bai Ming a brilliant smile with a thumbs-up:
“Mission accomplished! I managed to save our dish.”
Behind her, Meng Qiyan, also disheveled and with parts of her dress hanging off her arms, was still clinging to Tang Yubbing’s wrist.
Muttering incoherently about “no winning, nobody wins.”
Bai Ming couldn’t help but chuckle at the hilarious scene, unsure how this comical situation would come to an end.
“After watching this match, it feels like our Zanghong Pavilion’s usual variety scripts are way too conservative.”
“Art comes from life, after all,” Long Huan casually picked up Meng Qiyan’s burnt dish and plated it, adding, “Ladies, time’s running out.”
“When time is up, regardless of how far along each contestant is, they must plate and submit their dishes~”
Noticing her dish was being plated, Meng Qiyan abruptly released Tang Yubbing’s wrist and tearfully clung to Long Huan’s leg.
“Don’t! Don’t let Young Master Sang eat this! This pile of charcoal isn’t mine! Destroy it!”
Long Huan remained unfazed, dragging Meng Qiyan along leisurely back to the judges’ table.
…
“Time is running out.”
Upon hearing this, Huo Ningxue and Gu Yingmian’s hands both paused.
They both immediately turned to check each other’s progress.
After confirming they were both virtually at a standstill, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Yo, Gu Gongzhu, haven’t you nailed your look yet?”
Huo Ningxue couldn’t help but mock, “Time’s about to be up! Weren’t you confident? You wouldn’t be unable to finish your dish, would you?”
“Don’t worry about it, Your Majesty.”
Gu Yingmian replied with a serene smile, continuing her delicate motions while retorting, “I admire you, Your Majesty. Even though there’s nothing in the pot, you carry such an air of calm.”
“I, I am calm! I have secret weapons! But I won’t tell you!”
“Ha, I’ll be waiting to see.”
After exchanging determined glances, they both huffed and turned to face their own cooking stations.
… How do I at least make something edible to present? Gu Yingmian pondered.
… How do I come up with a secret weapon? Huo Ningxue thought.
Sigh. The two sighed together, as if sharing a telepathic moment.
On the other side, Yan Rouwan’s dish finally reached the last step of being stir-fried.
She poured the evenly fried dish into a plate, wiped the sweat off her forehead, and let out a deep breath.
…I caught up.
Although Shi Qingyan had already finished her dish and presented it.
Yan Rouwan still persevered and calmly completed her own dish.
It felt like being in an exam room, with a classmate submitting early putting pressure on her. In fact, when Shi Qingyan brought her dish forward, Yan Rouwan felt a moment of panic.
Fortunately, she noticed Shi Qingyan tasting her dish and making a slight frown with a pouted lip.
… Stay calm, Yan Rouwan. Don’t rush.
You have to believe that cooking quickly doesn’t guarantee it’s good, and you can make something delicious. Yan Rouwan continuously reassured herself.
After mentally convincing herself, she ultimately managed to finish her dish without major problems.
However, when she placed it up, she still felt a twinge of unease.
Just then, Xu Hongyi was also presenting her dish, seemingly hesitating for a moment.
“Ms. Xu, you’re hesitating too?”
“Ah…” Xu Hongyi turned and scratched her head sheepishly, “I… I’m still a bit lacking in confidence.”
“Me too.” Yan Rouwan placed her hand on her chest, “I want to win so badly that I’m getting anxious.”
The two suddenly exchanged glances and both froze.
… Now that I think about it.
No wonder they were the most nervous.
Among all these people, they were the only two most longing for the prize of this competition.
“No matter what, let’s face the results with our heads held high,” Yan Rouwan said softly.
Xu Hongyi nodded earnestly.
Both seemed to muster their courage as they presented their dishes to the judges’ table together.
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