Chapter 554: Out of Place
When Sang Zhe remarked that the taste was quite good, Bai Ming and Tang Yubbing in the audience cheered and clapped simultaneously.
Of course, Sang Zhe, blindfolded, had no idea.
He took a couple more bites, and although the flavor didn’t reach Aunt Yu’s culinary masterpieces, it stood out as particularly appetizing compared to the previous dishes.
Sang Zhe felt a sudden urge to devour three bowls right then and there.
However, he couldn’t guess who made it just based on the flavor.
Fortunately, the next dish arrived immediately. After taking a taste, Sang Zhe found the flavors were quite similar.
“Yubbing, Bai Ming, you can serve your dishes to the judges now.”
“Yay!” The two exchanged a smile.
The two dishes were presented before Zhang Xiaoying and Yu Xia. The two took a small bite each and even let Little Ying You and Little Lonely have a taste from their spoons.
Soon, the judges’ scores were announced.
“Zhang Xiaoying scores a six, Aunt Yu scores a seven, and the two gold owners score a nine.”
Long Huan also took a bite and said with satisfaction, “As the host, I’ll give it a seven too.”
“So, both of you score a total of 7.6, currently tied for first place!”
“The two dishes are prepared in a similar manner, and the flavors are quite alike,” Sang Zhe commented. “While they can only be considered standard, they are already relatively normal dishes compared to those heavenly culinary masterpieces.”
“However, if there’s a next time, you two might want to try adding some of your personal touches to make the dishes even tastier!”
Adding personal touches, huh… Tang Yubbing fell deep in thought.
Bai Ming fiddled with her fingers, wondering if she was getting closer to becoming a virtuous wife and mother like Zhang Xiaoying.
“Alright, alright, those two dishes got my appetite going; I’m already hungry,” Long Huan declared boldly. “Let’s bring out the last three dishes together!”
The last three plates of fish-flavored shredded pork looked quite good from the outside.
It was hard to tell which dish belonged to whom.
This time, Sang Zhe also removed his blindfold and sat at the judges’ table with Zhang Xiaoying and Yu Xia, watching the last three dishes.
“What do you say?” Long Huan rubbed his hands eagerly. “Let’s dig in, I’m getting a bit hungry.”
“Yeah.”
With that, the judges began to dig in.
Meanwhile, Shi Qingyan and Yan Rouwan in the audience looked pretty nervous.
With successful examples in Bai Ming and Tang Yubbing ahead of them, the two didn’t know if their dishes would fare well compared to theirs.
So, they could only keep a close watch on the faces of the eaters, trying to read their reactions for clues.
On the other side, Xu Hongyi stood quietly.
… In fact, she had already snuck a taste earlier.
While everyone was distracted by the playful dishes, she had quietly sampled the remaining dishes.
She was very sure.
Whether it was Bai Ming and Tang Yubbing or Yan Rouwan and Shi Qingyan.
Her dish should be closer to the flavor of what Yu Xia would create.
Xu Hongyi even had the confidence that the flavor of her dish was a perfect replica of Yu Xia’s.
After all, this time, she didn’t miss even the smallest details when Yu Xia cooked, even mimicking the fluctuations of spiritual energy while cooking precisely.
Based on this alone, when Sang Zhe tasted her dish, the outcome would already be revealed.
That was what she was looking forward to.
With the three dishes mixed together, none of them knew which was whose, but they still ate with great enjoyment.
And when Sang Zhe’s chopsticks landed on Xu Hongyi’s dish,
Though Xu Hongyi kept her expression neutral, her hands instinctively clenched.
She watched closely as Sang Zhe picked up the food, brought it to his mouth, and chewed lightly.
Then he smiled at Zhang Xiaoying, saying, “Not bad. The last three dishes are all quite tasty.”
“Yeah, can’t tell who made which one.”
… Huh?
Xu Hongyi’s expression faltered slightly.
All quite tasty?
N-No, that can’t be right.
My dish is definitely much better than the other two, right?
Shouldn’t Sang Zhe have instantly remembered my flavor after the first bite…
“But,” Sang Zhe suddenly spoke, “you can actually tell who made what.”
“You see this one? The seasoning is overly cautious and careful, resulting in a bland overall flavor. You can tell it’s Senior Sister Shi’s style.”
Shi Qingyan stuck out her tongue.
“And this one? It has a balanced combination and a delicate, mellow flavor, even a bit more fragrant than Aunt Yu’s version, with a slightly stronger sour note.”
“Senior Sister Yan, this must be your method of cooking for your cat,” Sang Zhe said, turning to smile at Yan Rouwan.
Yan Rouwan appeared a bit embarrassed and lowered her head shyly.
“As for the last dish…”
Sang Zhe paused.
Xu Hongyi was watching him intently.
“… it’s quite good.”
That was Sang Zhe’s only comment on the dish.
After saying that, he fell silent and started to eat heartily.
Xu Hongyi could only watch in disbelief as Sang Zhe devoured from Shi Qingyan and Yan Rouwan’s plates while hardly touching her own dish.
She didn’t speak a word.
——
——
Before long, all three dishes were polished off.
Sated with a burp, Long Huan lazily declared, “Alright, the last three dishes are all gone. The judges need to give their final scores now.”
“I’ll go first; I’d give all three dishes an eight~”
Zhang Xiaoying pondered for a moment before nodding, “I also think they’re on par, so I’ll give an eight as well.”
“I think each dish has its own merits and would happily give them all nine points.”
Little Ying You and Little Lonely stayed quiet, all eyes on Sang Zhe.
Sang Zhe: “…”
Seeing Zhang Xiaoying’s and Long Huan’s eager expressions, Sang Zhe finally realized he had fallen into their trap again.
So the final decision still fell on him, huh?
Just as he thought, I’m the one stuck playing the villain again, Sang Zhe sighed silently.
However, he genuinely felt all three dishes were quite tasty. Shi Qingyan and Yan Rouwan had put effort into their respective dishes, making it hard to judge which was better at this point.
And the last dish…
Oh right.
Using the process of elimination, the remaining dish should be Xu Hongyi’s.
He almost forgot she was in this competition… Sang Zhe helplessly rubbed his forehead.
Xu Hongyi’s dish indeed didn’t leave much of an impression. The only feeling he had was that it was “not bad.”
Compared to Xu Hongyi’s first attempt, which could’ve been dubbed a culinary disaster, this was progress.
This girl surprisingly has some culinary talent, huh? Maybe next time, I should suggest she change careers and become a chef.
… Just as long as it gets her away from me.
“Hmm… alright, it’s decided.”
After some deep thought, Sang Zhe suddenly clapped his hands.
“If I absolutely had to choose one of the three dishes.”
“I pick this one.” He pointed at a plate.
… It was Yan Rouwan’s.
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