Chapter 12

Bullet comments boiled on the live-streaming platform. As the camera panned to Xi Mi’s station, there were barely any prep ingredients visible.

A handful of wild mushrooms, several shelled salted duck egg yolks, and a prepared pot of rich broth.

Viewers on the live stream began flooding the screen with mocking comments again:

“What the heck can she even make with just these few things? Is she planning to stir-fry wild mushrooms and serve a cold plate of salted egg yolks?”

“Why is the camera back on her again? I won’t believe it if someone says she doesn’t have connections!! Quick, give the camera back to my Goddess!”

“Friendly reminder: you can click the bottom right corner to switch camera angles automatically.”

“…”

Xi Mi had simmered the rich broth overnight; aside from the crab roe, it was her most important secondary ingredient.

For the show’s crew to mysteriously lose the crab roe right during the live broadcast was far too abrupt. Several bold words automatically flashed through Xi Mi’s mind: Crab roe missing without cause, rich broth spoiled, suspected foul play behind the scenes?

At that thought, Xi Mi quickly scooped out a little broth with a small spoon and tasted it.

Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with the broth’s flavor, allowing her anxious heart to finally settle. On the live-stream platform, the vast majority of viewers had their eyes glued to Nan Qing’s station. Her designated competition topic was “Duck,” and the dish she planned to make was Gourd-shaped Eight-Treasure Duck.

Under the camera’s gaze, Nan Qing deboned the duck with her knife, keeping the skin entirely intact. She stuffed eight kinds of stir-fried fillings into the duck’s belly, then bound its waist and neck tightly with hemp rope to give it the shape of a gourd. She placed the whole gourd-shaped duck into a steamer to cook and set its shape, before putting it into a pot to braise. The duck absorbed all the flavors, taking on a deep, dark red coat all over.

The glistening, juicy skin packed a visual punch on camera, its bright red color promising a soft, melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.

Viewers declared it a feast for the eyes, thoroughly satisfying to watch. This dish was an absolute test of a chef’s exquisite knife skills and technique.

Ye Doudou’s side was not to be outdone either; her dish, Squirrel Yellow Croaker, had already emerged from the pan.

Deep-fried to perfection, the scored fish body puffed out like a squirrel. The sleek, glossy sheen of the sauce hit the camera screen with intense visual impact, as if one could feel the fish’s crispiness right through the monitor. Netizens felt as though they could already sense the rich sauce coating their tongues.

Uncle jn was a coastal native who excelled at seafood. The sea cucumber he brought this time had been meticulously selected and flown in by air early that morning. Although a dish of Sea Cucumber with Minced Pork was not as visually striking as the previous two, such a high-end ingredient was enough to make viewers smack their lips and fantasize about its delicious taste.

When the allotted competition time came to an end, Xi Mi was still cooking.

The venue’s background music turned inexplicably tense. The host walked a circuit around the stations before finally stopping in front of Xi Mi. “Wow, tonight’s four chefs have truly opened our eyes! Compared to the Traditional Group, our Influencer Group is not backing down either, serving up extraordinarily creative dishes! Although our Xi Xi Xi Mi ran into a little hiccup, fortunately her dish is complete, and her Wild Mushrooms in Golden Broth looks quite marvelous!”

As soon as the host finished speaking, the live stream was completely flooded with bullet comments:

“Holy crap, will this ever end?! What is this nepo baby playing at!”

“Quick, give the camera back to my Goddess! I don’t want to watch some connected favorite!”

“…”

The camera focused on Wild Mushrooms in Golden Broth. Small round balls formed from wild mushrooms bathed in the golden soup. The golden broth was a vibrant yellow akin to an imperial robe, but with the wild mushrooms standing isolated in the center, it felt as though something was missing.

The host commentated, “It really is hard to imagine that salted duck egg and chicken broth could create such a smooth, rich golden soup.”

The four judges and the audience on-site stared at the big screen, where a plate of Wild Mushrooms in Golden Broth was magnified several times, its velvety texture visible to the naked eye.

Just as the netizens on the live stream were getting ready to mock the dish for looking bland, Xi Mi on camera suddenly began sprinkling fine green flecks into the plate. Because many viewers had not watched her cooking process, they had no idea what those green flecks were.

In the comments, netizens started guessing:

“Cumin?”

“Holy crap, does cumin look like that where you come from?”

“It’s cilantro.”

“How could cilantro be chopped so finely?”

“It really is cilantro!! I’ve been watching Little Xi Mi cook from start to finish, and I saw her chop the cilantro into fine bits with my own eyes! Trust me!! My love for Little Xi Mi is true! Her knife work is super awesome! Her cooking moves are so smooth and dreamy, awoo! You guys go fan over Nan Qing, Empress Xi Mi is mine!”

The internet erupted into a frenzy.

The sprinkling of cilantro lasted for six minutes. When the camera zoomed in on the completed Wild Mushrooms in Golden Broth, an uproar broke out among the audience and judges alike. Even Ying Quhe couldn’t help letting out a soft sigh of wonder.

The finely chopped cilantro floated on the surface of the golden broth, transforming into an azure dragon soaring around the “wild mushroom balls.” An aura of high-end imperial cuisine rushed head-on. Because the dish’s color was so pure and regal, staring at it felt as though golden light was overflowing from the plate, even giving the illusion of a dazzling glare. Placed before the judges alongside the other three dishes, it eclipsed them completely.

The difference between an emperor and local gentry.

The difference between noble refinement and tacky extravagance.

In terms of presence, Xi Mi’s dish reigned supreme over all the rest.

Following the order in which the dishes were completed, the four judges tasted Gourd-shaped Eight-Treasure Duck, Squirrel Yellow Croaker, and Sea Cucumber with Minced Pork, saving Xi Mi’s Wild Mushrooms in Golden Broth for last.

Having tasted all four dishes, the four judges began to give their evaluations.

The first judge said, “The filling of the Eight-Treasure Duck is glutinous yet fluffy, showing the skill and broth preparation of a professional chef. While the Squirrel Yellow Croaker and Sea Cucumber with Minced Pork taste good, I personally lean toward the Eight-Treasure Duck. Therefore, I cast my vote for Xi Xi Xi Mi. I won’t share my reason for now, lest my thoughts influence the next judge.”

The second judge smiled. “I vote for the Eight-Treasure Duck.”

The next judge said bluntly, “I don’t eat cilantro, so I cast my vote for Uncle jn.”

With Xi Mi, Uncle jn, and Nan Qing each securing one vote, Ye Doudou’s heart leaped into her throat, her gaze locking onto Ying Quhe. If she didn’t get Ying Quhe’s support with the final vote, it meant that, having received zero votes, she would be eliminated.

According to the show crew’s original plan for the four chefs of the Influencer Group, the four judges were supposed to keep all four chefs. But Ying Quhe refused to follow the script. He sat there in silence for a long time, his long fingers continually tapping on the tabletop, beat by beat, heavy as if drumming directly on the hearts of the crowd.

“I vote for Xi Mi.”

A deep male voice projected through the microphone, somehow sounding even more magnetic. It possessed an irresistible power that pulled at people’s hearts, like invisible cat paws softly scratching at one’s ears and tugging at one’s heartstrings.

Although the Traditional Group’s open-air plaza match was also live-streamed, very few people watched it.

This time, the Influencer Group’s live stream drew millions of foodie fans crouching in front of their screens. Netizens were all too familiar with this voice, and the bullet comments went wild: “Oh my god!! This voice!! So swoon-worthy!!”

“This voice sounds just like my hubby!!”

“Who said Culinary Dao wasn’t joining the show?! Culinary Dao is a judge! Oh my god, is Culinary Dao really this handsome? The big boss of Ying Shi Pavilion?”

Ying Quhe pulled his hand back, realizing he might have exposed himself. When he spoke again, he had changed his voice.

Netizens were instantly disappointed:

“It’s not my hubby after all, though the voice sounds pretty similar.”

“Do all handsome men have such swoon-worthy voices? His hands are so attractive too!”

“Starting today, I have one more hubby! Culinary Dao is my first husband, and Ying Quhe is my second husband! Meow!”

“…”

The host walked over to Ye Doudou, extending an arm to wrap around her shoulder. “What a pity. Our adorable Doudou stops here, missing out on the next round. Doudou, is there anything you’d like to say to everyone?”

Ye Doudou lowered her head, her eyes slightly red, though a smile remained on her lips. Turning to Ying Quhe, she said, “I’d like to ask Teacher Ying to explain where my dish falls short compared to Xi Xi Xi Mi’s dish.”

Ying Quhe’s expression was indifferent. “I don’t understand why people who overrate themselves always love to ask questions like this. Where does it fall short? Don’t you have eyes to see for yourself?”

He reached out and slid the two dishes side by side, pointing at them as he said, “The visual presentation is already a level apart. Your dish looks like it’s saying, ‘Ah, I’m so self-conscious, move me away from this noble fellow right now.'” When he mimicked the dish speaking, his tone held not a trace of humor and his expression remained cold, yet it was impossible not to laugh. He pushed the two dishes forward. “As for the taste, come over and try them yourself.”

Unwilling to back down, Ye Doudou walked over, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and tasted her own dish before tasting Xi Mi’s.

The former had indeed achieved crisp skin, tender meat, and a rich, sweet-and-sour freshness. But the latter’s texture elevated her taste buds to an entirely new realm. Set against the fresh backdrop of the latter dish, the former instantly felt greasy and heavy.

The refreshing flavor of the wild mushrooms washed across her tongue, making her feel as though she were standing in a fresh mountain forest right after the rain cleared, surrounded by lush, vibrant greenery.

The silky golden broth glided over her tongue. Before she could process the ingredients, it had already mingled with her saliva. The extravagant umami hit her senses so intensely that tears streamed down her face, unclear whether from the hurt of losing the match or the overwhelming thrill of such extraordinary flavor.

The onlookers were stunned. Just how delicious must it be to bring Goddess Doudou Gourmet to tears!

Quite a few netizens began rewatching the footage of Xi Mi cooking.

In the shot, Xi Mi looked pale because her makeup was incomplete, but her youth worked in her favor; her skin was good and her eyes were clear. Watching her longer, one actually found her quite pleasant, the type who seemed plain at first glance but grew clear as water upon closer look.

Traditional golden broth was made with pureed pumpkin, but Xi Mi used local salted egg yolks instead. She mashed the egg yolks into a paste, simmered them in chicken broth, pressed them with a wooden spoon, and stirred with a unique technique while controlling the heat. The golden broth formed quickly, achieving a remarkably smooth texture.

To preserve the original flavor of the wild mushrooms, Xi Mi skipped blanching them in water and opted for steaming. Once the mushrooms were tender and cooked through, she gently shaped them into round spheres with her hands before placing them into the golden broth.

The footage of her chopping cilantro left the foodies speechless. The kitchen knife flashed rapidly across the cutting board, reducing the cilantro to a fine mince in an instant.

Such knife skills, total respect!!

Netizens found the match’s dramatic reversal thrilling. After it ended, Xi Mi’s Weibo followers surged from a few tens of thousands to two hundred thousand, as die-hard foodie fans flooded in.

Back in the green room to remove her makeup, Xi Mi collapsed from exhaustion, sprawling lazily on the sofa.

Nan Qing looked at her through the mirror. “Nice performance. No wonder you and Quhe are friends.”

Ye Doudou’s eyes were somewhat swollen from crying. Hearing this, her sobbing abruptly stopped, and she looked at Nan Qing as if she had discovered a whole new world. “Xi Mi is friends with the judge?”

Nan Qing ignored her, packed up her things, changed her clothes, and left the dressing room.

Ye Doudou glared at Nan Qing’s departing back and snapped indignantly, “What’s she so smug about? Xi Mi, you have to beat her in the next match! That business with the crab roe was definitely her doing! Her family has power and influence, so pulling off something like that is child’s play for her.”

Xi Mi received a private message on Weibo. The other party sent a set of photos showing evidence that Ye Doudou had bribed the show’s ingredient manager.

After sending the photos, the informant added: “I’m your fan, so please don’t expose my identity! Ye Doudou is the daughter of our show’s chief director. If you blow my cover, I’ll lose my job in a heartbeat. I really like you, and I’ll keep supporting you! Fighting!”

Ye Doudou was still rambling on in Xi Mi’s ear.

Xi Mi looked at the photos, then raised her eyes to glance at Ye Doudou, who appeared mild on the surface yet was muttering like a bitter shrew. After a long pause, she asked, “Big sister, have you ever heard the saying? Good and evil are repaid in the end^[1]; the wheel of karma turns endlessly. If you don’t believe it, just look up,” she raised her head toward the ceiling, “has heaven ever spared anyone!”

The sudden declaration left Ye Doudou stunned.

Xi Mi stood up and patted her shoulder. “Your character dictates your cooking. A rival is an enemy, but also a partner. If your mind is entirely focused on taking down your rival instead of honing your culinary skills, the food you make will be nothing more than trash.”

Saying that, Xi Mi picked up her phone, turned, and walked away. She paused at the door, turned back, and asked, “Have you ever eaten pig slop?”

Ye Doudou froze.

Xi Mi scrunched up her nose, putting on a fiercely menacing expression. “You’ve definitely never eaten it, right? You haven’t eaten dog poop either, have you? The dish you made might actually taste worse than pig slop or dog poop.”

Author’s Note: The dish “Wild Mushrooms in Golden Broth” does indeed exist, but the recipe I wrote is different.

In this chapter, the delicacies expressed how satisfying it was, while Bastard Dao remarked: “As the male lead, I’m actually inferior to a few dishes. :)”