Chapter 22

The live background music shifted into an oppressive, tense rhythm. The watching contestants grew nervous too, and the audience’s hearts were pulled tight with suspense.

Ji Donglin was so tense he nearly crushed his nametag. “Is Ying Quhe sick in the head?” In the presence of a Goddess, male icons were nonexistent; at this moment, he was nothing more than Xi Mi’s little fanboy.

The Old Lady clutched her nervous heart. “How is a young man like that ever going to get a girlfriend?”

Xiao Ming grumbled indignantly, “No matter what, the Goddess is number one! I don’t care what anyone says!”

Lao Qin also frowned. “This is the most critical moment of the match. Let’s hear what the judges have to say.”

Live stream comments:

“Oh God, I’m never going to think venom-tongued judges are cute again. Why hurt my Goddess!”

“…With a mouth like that, couldn’t he put things a bit more tactfully? If you’re not going to vote, then don’t vote. Why be so hurtful? Do you have any idea how crushing it is for a chef to have a dish completely shot down!”

“Haha, so people aren’t allowed to speak up when a dish is bad? Our Goddess Nan Qing is the best!”

“Exactly! In a competition, there are no CPs^[1]! Goddess Nan Qing is the best!”

“…”

Only yesterday they were aggressively pairing them up as a CP, and today they were tearing it down.

The minds of netizens were as fickle as the weather.

Whispers echoed across the audience seats as well.

As a burst of tense music ended, Ying Quhe pointed at Xi Mi’s dish and critiqued, “The grouper meat is fresh, tender, and rich. Using cumin to remove fishiness and enhance flavor, along with searing it in butter: your idea was very good. But just to show off your knife skills, you sliced the fish paper-thin. That was your biggest mistake. Slices that thin will crisp up and burn even if cooked for a single second, losing their original delicate, tender texture. As Mr. Song said, you turned the flavor of this fish into roasted lamb skewers. What are roasted lamb skewers? A simple dish made with a skewer of lamb and a handful of cumin. Yet you used complex ingredients to produce that exact flavor. That is an enormous waste.”

Xi Mi felt a heavy tightness in her chest, her face turning pale.

Any explanation right now would be completely hollow; Ying Quhe’s critique was far too devastating.

“This is a competition, not a personal show.” Ying Quhe hit his voting light. “Therefore, this vote goes to Nan Qing.”

After hearing Ying Quhe’s critique, everyone felt he actually made a lot of sense.

The host marveled with a sigh, “In the first round, Xi Mi took simple ingredients and crafted an exquisite, luxurious dish, earning Teacher Ying’s vote. In this round, Xi Mi took superior ingredients and made them taste like a simple dish, losing Teacher Ying’s vote. The second round of audience judge voting has concluded. Let us look at the big screen to see the final result!”

Tens of thousands of eyes were glued to the flickering screen.

Tense drumbeats struck straight at everyone’s hearts, nearly shattering Xi Mi’s exhausted heart.

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

Ding…

The screen stopped flickering. Xi Mi did not dare turn around to look, but a collective sigh of relief suddenly washed over the audience.

The host came over and asked Xi Mi, “Xi Mi, if I tell you that you’ve been eliminated, what would you most want to say right now?”

“…” A sudden sting hit her nose; she felt like crying.

She felt so disappointed in herself all of a sudden.

Tears shimmered in the young girl’s eyes as she tried her best to suppress her emotions. Opening her mouth, she took a deep breath and said, “This time… was indeed a major mistake on my part. If I had sliced the fish a bit thicker, the inside could have stayed fresh and tender without losing the crispy exterior.”

Her emotions were clearly turbulent, swallowing hard between every few words.

Even the host felt pained seeing her like this and patted her back in comfort. Li Cheng, the chef who had taken first place, took the microphone from the host and said to Xi Mi, “Little girl, you’re already amazing. Knife work is a part of superb culinary skills too. Don’t be discouraged. In the next match, we’ll compete on the same stage again.”

Xi Mi nodded, only to widen her eyes in realization a moment later.

Next match?

She turned to look at the screen. She had actually won with 40 votes against Nan Qing’s 39!

A single vote’s difference.

She… won? She made it into the top ten?

The host handed the microphone to Nan Qing. She glanced at the audience, took a deep breath, and pressed her lips together in a smile. “Actually, I’m not surprised by this result. At this stage of the competition, I have self-awareness and know there is still a gap between Xi Mi and me. Finally, I’d like to thank the audience who supported me and walked with me to this point in the competition. Thank you.”

She bowed deeply, winning a wave of applause.

Compared to Nan Qing, Xi Mi’s psychological fortitude seemed a bit lacking.

All because the one who dealt the blow was Ying Quhe…

*

After the match ended, Xi Mi lay limply on the backstage sofa, watching Nan Qing remove her makeup.

Nan Qing looked at her through the mirror. “You won, so why are you so down? Is it because of what Quhe said?”

Xi Mi remained noncommittal.

Nan Qing wiped away her stage makeup, touched up a light, everyday look, pressed her lips together in the mirror after applying lipstick, and said to her, “Do you like him?”

Xi Mi shot upright, her cheeks flushing red. “Who likes him!” She continued falteringly, “Actually… he’s my master. It’s only normal to feel bad after being criticized like that by your own master, right?”

“Master?” A flash of surprise passed through Nan Qing’s eyes. “Quhe doesn’t take disciples. Making an exception for you means he’s either trying to hit on you or he sees your potential.”

Nan Qing loosened her hair tie, letting her raven-black hair cascade down to her lower back. She grabbed her handbag and pulled Xi Mi up. “Come on, late-night snack is on me.”

“It’s so late, maybe we shouldn’t?”

“Don’t you want to know what my relationship with Quhe actually is?”

Following Nan Qing to an open-air food stall by the river, Xi Mi remained glum. Nan Qing ordered two pots of crayfish and a pitcher of beer, pried open a cap, and handed a bottle to Xi Mi.

Xi Mi glanced at the beer, which was still covered in a thin mist of frost, then looked up at Nan Qing. “I thought you were a lady. You actually drink beer?”

Nan Qing tied her waist-length hair into a ponytail with the elastic, tossed it behind her shoulder, and raised her bottle toward her. “Has the little girl never drunk like this before?”

Xi Mi slouched her head and asked weakly, “So what about the thing you said you’d tell me?”

Nan Qing pointed at the twelve bottles of beer on the table. “Finish two bottles, and I’ll tell you.”

“…” Xi Mi grabbed a beer, tilted her head back with the bottle at her lips, and chugged heavily down her throat.

She didn’t really care for this faint astringency. The alcohol flavor was unrefined and thin like water, tasting rather weak. Finishing one bottle in three deep gulps, she grabbed another, popped the cap off with her teeth, and slammed it down her throat again.

Finishing the last drop of “water,” she slammed the bottle onto the table. “Hic… will you tell me now?”

Nan Qing stared in dumbfounded shock at Xi Mi’s wild chugging.

She was truly… thoroughly frightened by this young girl.

She had assumed Xi Mi would be the type to pass out after a single glass. She never expected that after downing two whole bottles, the girl’s face wouldn’t even turn red.

Nan Qing took a sip of icy beer and said, “Quhe and I were forced into a blind date by our grandfathers. He didn’t know me before that, but I knew of him. He loathed the idea of a blind date, so he kept pushing me away after we met. Later, the two old men had dinner together and told us to try getting along. If things worked out, we were supposed to get married by the end of the year.”

So that was how it was.

After eating some crayfish, Xi Mi felt beer just wasn’t cutting it and ordered two bottles of the local liquor distilled from grain. As the strong alcohol flowed over her tongue, it left behind a rich, mellow flavor.

After Xi Mi plied her with a few glasses of strong liquor, Nan Qing began to feel lightheaded, and her tongue loosened. “Quhe respects his old man a lot and didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so he agreed tactfully. But after that, he practically ran away whenever he saw me. When I ran into you two at the hospital that day and saw him putting on your shoes, I was so jealous. I thought to myself, in what way am I inferior to some ugly girl?”

Xi Mi interrupted her, “Miss Nan, it’s wrong for you to think that! Where am I ugly? Draw it out for me!”

Nan Qing stared at Xi Mi as the girl seemed to split from one into two.

She reached out and poked Xi Mi’s nose. “Stop swaying… hic… Actually, you’re pretty cute. Much better-looking than those flashy, superficial sluts out there.”

“Hey, you’re drunk.”

“Drunk? I… I’m not drunk!” Nan Qing raised her glass, threw her head back, and chugged again. This time she choked, a scorching heat surging down her chest.

Xi Mi cupped her face in her hands, watching Nan Qing act out her mild drunk antics. “Actually, I really envy your long hair.”

“Don’t talk to me about hair! Tell me, do you like Quhe?” Nan Qing slammed her glass onto the table, glaring at her like a fierce little lion cub.

“So what if I do? Isn’t it normal for a girl to fall in love?” Xi Mi sighed wistfully. “Back in school, I never knew what it felt like to have a crush. Now, looking at him, my heart actually goes thump-thump. It’s so strange.”

“Since you like him… then… then…” Nan Qing’s tongue twisted in knots. Her finger traced circles in the air before coming to a stop at the tip of Xi Mi’s nose. “…then sleep with him!”

Xi Mi said, “Hey, aren’t you jealous?”

Nan Qing waved her hand dismissively and sneered, “Like him? Spare me. The way he dodges me all day long has already ground whatever feelings I had for him to dust. This lady has money and looks, so why on earth should I hang myself on his single tree? Dammit, I’m going to find a man who’s younger than him! And sweeter-talking than him!”

She raised her glass and let out a mighty roar, her imposing momentum drawing glances from everyone around.

Xi Mi pulled down her raised hand. “Keep it down! So many people are looking!”

Nan Qing stood up, scanned the people around them, and pointed at them unsteadily. “What… what are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen a beauty before? Stop looking!”

Everyone: “…”

Xi Mi facepalmed.

Compared to Nan Qing, Ying Quhe when drunk was positively adorable.

“Goddess!” Ji Donglin stepped out of the car, tossed the keys to the valet, and walked into the open-air food stall where he spotted Xi Mi and Nan Qing.

When Ji Donglin walked closer, Nan Qing hiccuped and looked at him blearily, pointing at her own nose. “Kid, are you talking to me?”

“Psycho.” Ji Donglin glanced at her, then turned his gaze to Xi Mi. “Goddess, why are you with her?”

Nan Qing shoved Ji Donglin. “Who are you calling a psycho?”

Ji Donglin stepped back, his temper flaring. But out of consideration for Xi Mi, he held it in and simply ignored the crazy drunk woman. Supporting Nan Qing, Xi Mi asked Ji Donglin, “Did you drive here? Can you give us a ride home?”

“Sure, sure, sure, I’d love to.” Forgoing the crayfish, Ji Donglin happily offered to drive the Goddess and the “psycho” home.

Once they were in the car, Ji Donglin asked, “Who do I drop off first?”

Xi Mi said, “Nan Qing first.”

Ji Donglin asked, “What’s her address?”

“I… don’t know either.” Xi Mi gently nudged Nan Qing, who was leaning against her chest. “Miss Nan, where do you live?”

“My home… my home is in…” Xi Mi leaned her ear close to listen carefully, only for Nan Qing to start singing drunkenly, “My home is on… the Yellow Earth Slope^[2]… oh~”

Xi Mi: “…”

Ji Donglin said, “She really is a psycho.”

Xi Mi scratched her head and thought for a moment before saying, “Let’s just go to a hotel nearby.” In Nan Qing’s current state, Xi Mi didn’t dare bring her back to Ying Quhe’s place.

Ji Donglin asked, “Can she really stay alone at a hotel like this? Won’t she wander out in the middle of the night to sleep in the hallway?”

Xi Mi said, “Then I’ll stay with her tonight.”

“Then there’s even less reason to stay in a hotel.” Ji Donglin grinned, revealing his little canines. “Come to my place. It’s spacious, and it’ll be convenient for two girls.”

“Is it really convenient?” Xi Mi asked suspiciously.

“It’s convenient, and it saves a night’s hotel fee.” Ji Donglin added, “We’re friends. Accommodating a friend is accommodating yourself.”

“Then… sorry to trouble you.”

*

The competition ended, and the judges left half an hour before the contestants.

Ying Quhe returned home and cooked, a rare occurrence for him, carefully timing everything so that dishes filled the entire table.

At the place set for Xi Mi sat an exquisite gift box, a fresh rose resting on a white porcelain plate, and a glass of fine red wine he had handpicked.

A gift, wine, a rose, and delicious food: Ying Quhe was very satisfied.

He waited one hour, two hours, three hours…

It was not until one in the morning, when the food had gone completely cold, that he called Xi Mi, only for Ji Donglin to answer.

“Hello? Looking for Xi Mi? She’s in the bathroom, so it’s not very convenient for her to answer the phone. If you have a message, I can pass it along.”

Ying Quhe frowned.

One in the morning, and Xi Mi was sharing a room with Ji Donglin?