Chapter 29

First Senior Brother Zou Chengfeng went by the culinary name Lin Nan. Not only was he famous in the ancient town, but he had also competed in various international competitions, large and small. He was Old Man Xi’s star pupil, someone Xi Mi used to idolize, and now the person she despised most.

Xi Mi’s fingers froze around her phone. The body of the phone was slightly warm, yet to her, it felt as cold as ice. Processing what Zou Chengfeng had just said, she countered, unwilling to accept it, “Why should I give up?”

“Don’t move!” Zou Chengfeng bellowed on the other end of the line.

Through the receiver came Bald Boss shouting, “Brother, if you were looking for Xi Mi, you should’ve said so sooner! Fucking hell, I thought you were some mobster coming to rob me!”

Something must have happened between them. Had Bald Boss been… beaten up? Xi Mi glanced at Ying Quhe, who sat quietly beside her, watching her take the call. Turning slightly away, she continued into the phone, her tone resolute. “Zou Chengfeng, tell the old man that I, Xi Mi, will prove to him that a female chef can carve out a world of her own. I don’t need to rely on the Xi Family’s reputation, nor do I need-“

Before she could finish, the phone pressed against her ear was snatched away by Ying Quhe. Xi Mi frantically reached out for it, but Ying Quhe pressed his palm down onto the top of her head, signaling for her to keep quiet.

He said to Zou Chengfeng on the phone, “This is Ying Quhe. Xi Mi is my apprentice now. If you want her, come find me.”

Zou Chengfeng said, “It seems it really was her that night. Mr. Ying, please hand the phone back to her. I have an important matter to discuss with her.”

Ying Quhe turned on the speakerphone.

Xi Mi leaned close to the phone and demanded, “Say whatever else you have to say. You’re twenty years older than me, there’s no way I’m marrying you!”

“Nineteen. Don’t round up when it comes to age.” Zou Chengfeng sounded somewhat helpless as he told her, “Master is already in Jinyang, and he’s been invited to be a judge for the next match of China’s Supreme Taste. With him there, you won’t win this competition. Xi Mi, First Senior Brother is doing this for your own good. I don’t want your youth destroyed by me. You’re still young, and the world out there is vast.”

The person on the other end paused before continuing, “I’m leaving a bank card with Baldy. Remember to pick it up tomorrow. There’s some money inside, enough for you to live on for a while. The PIN is your birthday.”

“Hypocrite! If you really had my best interests at heart, you shouldn’t have agreed back then. Wanting an old bull to eat tender grass^[1], just thinking about it makes me sick! I never expected you to be this kind of person.”

Zou Chengfeng felt a wave of helplessness. He knew that even if he told Xi Mi he had intentionally let her escape on the wedding day, she wouldn’t believe him.

He wanted to persuade her further, but she hung up with a sharp click, leaving only a busy tone in the receiver. Zou Chengfeng handed the phone back to Bald Boss and asked, “Do you know where Xi Mi lives?”

Bald Boss shot him a look. “How could I just randomly know a girl’s address? I’m not the kind of boss who sleeps with his employees.”

*

Xi Mi’s mind was in turmoil. Giving up at this stage of the competition would be such a pity.

She rested her chin on a throw pillow, looking up at Ying Quhe with wide, pleading eyes, seeking his advice. Ying Quhe understood her gaze, but he didn’t answer right away. He turned around, poured her a glass of lemon water, and handed it over. “Others can’t make this kind of decision for you. You have to decide for yourself whether to give up or keep going.”

Xi Mi took the glass and lowered her head, looking as though all her courage had been drained away.

He continued, “Xi Mi, you have great explosive potential, and deep down you have a stubborn refusal to lose. Whatever choice you make in the end, remember that you don’t have to carry it alone. You can share it with me.”

Xi Mi’s eyelids fluttered slightly. Her chin sank into the soft cushion as her thoughts fell into a chaotic struggle. On one side, she feared Old Man Xi; on the other, she wanted to keep competing. If Old Man Xi really got involved, her chances of winning would be slim. Was this battle really worth it?

The competition had reached a dilemma. Ahead of her was a boundless abyss, and behind her were hungry wolves in close pursuit. Whether taking a step back or a step forward, the outcome looked grim.

“If you really want to leave Jinyang, tell me, and I’ll arrange it for you.” The ringing of the doorbell interrupted their conversation. Ying Quhe got up to open the door, admitting the doctor.

The doctor re-treated Xi Mi’s wound, wrapped it in fresh bandages, and instructed Ying Quhe on dietary restrictions while packing up the medical kit. In passing, the doctor added, “Before the wound scabs over, don’t let that foot touch the ground. Carry her whenever possible.”

Carry her whenever possible…

Ying Quhe had carried her downstairs earlier too. Did the doctor’s words mean… she would have to trouble Ying Quhe to carry her again?

Xi Mi was getting sleepy. She wanted to put these troubling matters aside for now and just get a good rest. She got up, shuffled around the sofa, and hopped on one leg over to the staircase. Just as her hand touched the handrail, Ying Quhe walked over. “I’ll carry you up.”

She promptly refused, “No need, I can manage on one leg.”

Ying Quhe slid his arms behind her back and under her knees. She felt an electric shock, a tingling sensation instantly shooting across her scalp. He picked her up in a princess carry. “If the wound worsens, do you plan on cooking while sitting down on the day of the competition?”

Xi Mi’s face felt as though it had been smeared with chili peppers, burning like fire. Her heart plummeted, then floated up again, light as a feather, sliding softly across the wall of her heart. The tingling itch tore through her heart’s defenses completely.

This night had probably brought the most turbulent emotional rollercoaster of her life.

Reaching the landing on the second floor, Xi Mi saw the shattered vase. A heavy surge of guilt made her drop her head even lower, not daring to look Ying Quhe in the eye. As if sensing her quiet guilt, Ying Quhe spoke so close his lips almost brushed her ear, “No matter how expensive it was, it was just a vase. Aside from pleasing its owner, its existence holds no real value. Placed here, it was bound to break sooner or later, so don’t blame yourself too much.”

Money, it was all money.

Xi Mi took a deep breath. Listening to Ying Quhe’s words, she felt relieved that he wasn’t an antique fanatic. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be as simple as kicking her out of the house; astronomical compensation alone would have driven her mad.

Perhaps spurred by the shock of the broken vase, the moment Ying Quhe kicked open the door, she finally made up her mind. “I’ll continue with the competition. I don’t believe Old Man Xi can cover the sky with one hand^[2] in the production crew. You guys are the investors for this show, so what tricks could one old man possibly pull? Bastard Dao, we’re so familiar with each other. If someone deliberately tries to trip me up, you’ll open a little back door for me when appropriate, right?”

“Rest assured. My existence is precisely to keep the show fair and just.” He set Xi Mi onto the bed and turned on the rose-shaped nightlight by the headboard.

Xi Mi took a deep breath, leaned against the pillow, and clenched her fist. “No matter how treacherous or bumpy the road ahead is, I, Xi Xi Xi Mi, will give it my all! Even if I don’t win the championship, I’ll bring this chapter of my life to a perfect close. I have confidence in myself. I believe I can become an excellent female executive chef, reach my ideal salary, pay you back as soon as possible, and buy anything I want!”

Ying Quhe curled his lips into a warm smile that reached his deep eyes. “Very good. That’s the Xi Mi who scolded Culinary Dao until he couldn’t fight back. Keep that wild edge and save it for the arena.”

*

Xi Mi posted a status on WeChat Moments saying she felt “anxious.”

No matter how fearless she sounded out loud, her fear of Old Man Xi had only grown.

Ji Donglin was always the first to jump in and comment: “Goddess, don’t be anxious! Good luck in the competition! I’ll definitely be there to support you!”

Below that was Nan Qing: “I’ll be going to your match. Looking forward to your advancement.”

Ying Quhe’s alt account, “Bastard Dao,” also commented: “You can be anxious, but you cannot be timid.”

Meeting Ying Quhe was probably the greatest stroke of luck in Xi Mi’s life. Even though he had lied to her, he really had helped her a great deal. Perhaps they were each getting what they needed: he needed an apprentice to carry on his legacy, and she needed a place to stay and rely on. In a way, their relationship resembled that of master and disciple from olden times.

If there were any other feelings involved, Xi Mi truly didn’t dare to hope for them.

Xi Mi sat cross-legged against the headboard, her fingertips gently brushing against the bandages wrapped around her foot as she recalled every single detail of Ying Quhe tending to her wound. It brought back memories of the ancient town, when Ying Quhe had carried her into the hospital and measured the size of her foot with the span of his fingers. The first time his cold fingertips touched the skin of her foot, they had stirred up an unprecedented flutter in her heart.

Pressing a hand over her chest, she tried to trace the outline of Ying Quhe’s face in the air. In her mind’s eye, a sudden warmth washed over his deep, quiet eyes, and his lips curved into a slight arc, as if a beam of sunlight had seeped through the window into the late night.

Her hand clutched the front of her shirt. Her heart felt soft and sweet, like cream melting in the sun, utterly tender.

Xi Mi took a deep breath and rolled back and forth, hugging her pillow. Feeling a flushed heat all over her body that made it impossible to calm down, she simply lay on the floor. The cool surface finally brought her peace, and she stared at the ceiling for a long time before closing her eyes…

She was… already in way too deep.

She was finished.

*

On the day of the 《China’s Supreme Taste》 10-to-3 Competition, Xi Mi discovered she was the only female contestant left among the top ten.

In Chinese cuisine, female head chefs were rare to begin with, and many industry insiders favored men over women, just like Old Man Xi. Before the competition started, Xi Mi compulsively scrolled through Weibo. Seeing the comments from her anti-fans gave her an inexplicable surge of morale.

The three master chefs of the Traditional Group were surrounded by their respective apprentices, who massaged their legs, rubbed their backs, and held tea cups right to their lips. Such was the prestige of a master chef. Xi Mi took a gulp of water and began fantasizing about her own future criteria for taking apprentices. She wouldn’t favor men over women; talent was all that mattered. One to massage her legs, one to rub her back, and one to serve tea and water.

It was a wonderful thought. Xi Mi swallowed her water and chuckled to herself, catching the attention of Li Cheng. “Little girl, if your run ends in this match, are you interested in becoming my apprentice? Come with me to Yang City. I’m retiring in a few years and plan to have an apprentice take over my spot as head chef.”

Xi Mi froze for a second, then shook her head. “I already have a master.”

Chen Ming, another of the three master chefs, teased, “Old Li, you think too highly of yourself. If this little girl beats you, won’t you have to address her as master instead?”

Li Cheng shot back, “Old Chen, are you admitting defeat to a little girl before the competition has even started?”

Xi Mi turned away and continued drinking her water.

The production crew called for entry, and the ten contestants walked onto the stage one by one according to their rankings. On her way up, Xi Mi clenched her fists tightly, her whole body taut with tension. Reaching her assigned station, she glanced at the judges’ bench, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the same four judges without Old Man Xi among them.

Just as Xi Mi let out a sigh of relief, the host extended the microphone toward her. “In the last round, Xi Mi narrowly defeated Nan Qing. As everyone can see today, out of the top ten contestants who advanced, Xi Mi is the only girl left. Xi Mi, are you feeling nervous?”

“Not really.” Xi Mi looked steadfastly into the camera. “I’ll do my best!”

Host: “It seems women truly are just as capable as men! As the only female contestant in the top ten, could you tell us why you decided to join this show? And what is your future goal?”

Xi Mi held the microphone and bowed her head in thought for a moment. When she looked up again, a brilliant starlight seemed to gleam in her eyes. “To prove that my love for Chinese culinary culture is genuine, to prove my strength, and to prove that female chefs are in no way inferior to male chefs.”

The live camera cut to a close-up of Xi Mi. Those resolute eyes seemed to harbor immense energy, ready to explode at any moment.

As usual, comments flooded the live streaming platform for Xi Mi:

“Go Xi Xi Xi Mi! Who says women can’t match men?”

“She’s the Mu Guiying^[3] of the culinary world!”

“Her gaze is so determined!”

“A backer’s lapdog shouting loud slogans. Disgusting.”

“The only female? Hehehe, isn’t she just the only one who slept her way up with an investor?”

“Investor? Hey, watch your mouth up there! The investor for this show is Ying Shengnan, and he has a wife! They’re deeply in love!”

“Heh, who doesn’t know his wife is an idiot? Would she even know if her husband cheated on her?”

“…Holy crap, I can’t control my inner beast^[4] anymore! Why the hell are you guys fighting during a food show?! Tian Jian is my Goddess. Argue about Xi Mi all you want, but leave my Goddess out of it, thank you very much, or I’ll smash my computer!”

“…”

The competition began, and the host announced the rules:

“In this 10-to-3 Competition elimination round, seven will be eliminated and three will stay. Xi Wendao, the intangible cultural heritage inheritor^[5] of Xi Clan Culinary Arts, will randomly distribute a limited set of ingredients on site. Contestants must complete their dishes within 60 minutes. The top three contestants will advance to next week’s Chef King Championship.”

The master ingredient list appeared on the big screen. Upon reviewing it, the contestants realized that these ingredients could not possibly be distributed evenly. For instance, there were only six portions of salt and four portions of sugar, while the rest of the main ingredients varied in quality. Achieving a balanced distribution was downright impossible.

Accompanied by applause from the crowd, Xi Wendao made his entrance via the stage elevator. The old man wore a black Tang suit embroidered with dragon patterns, the golden dragon motifs on his cuffs vivid and imposing. He planted his walking stick firmly onto the stage floor.

Xi Wendao had a white-streaked beard and eyes like a hawk. Reaching the center of the stage, the host handed him a microphone and teased, “Old Master, what a grand entrance! You truly have an imperial air about you. Before distributing the ingredients, is there anything you would like to say to our contestants?”

Xi Wendao’s dark eyes were extraordinarily sharp. He swept his gaze over Xi Mi, quietly pulled it back, and said, “No.”

Host: “Alright then, next we will trouble the Old Master to distribute the ingredients to our contestants.”

Ying Quhe had been unaware that Xi Wendao was invited as a guest, and the rules for this round came as a surprise to him as well. Soon, the ingredients were fully distributed, and none of the chefs ended up with a balanced selection.

For instance, whoever got salt ended up with main ingredients meant mostly for desserts.

Meanwhile, those who got sugar received ingredients that required a great deal of salt.

The ingredients Xi Mi received included hard-to-process jellyfish, with a heavy skew toward seafood. Her main ingredients were plentiful, making her look like she held a distinct advantage, but she faced one major problem: she had neither sugar nor salt.

As each contestant’s ingredient list was announced, even the judges’ bench fell into a quiet stir.

Judge Yang Zong said, “Although I think highly of Xi Mi, this girl might find it difficult to advance to the Chef King Championship this time. After all, salt is the soul of a dish. Without salt, it’ll be very tough for her to proceed.”

Lin Hua agreed. “This match is going to be truly worth watching.”

Song Baoguo reserved his judgment, turning his head to ask Ying Quhe, “Mr. Ying, what do you think?”

“It depends on her level of skill.”

Xi Wendao, that old fox, appeared to have given Xi Mi good ingredients, yet he had stripped away the two flavors most vital to her.

There were already plenty of anti-fans online, and the manipulator behind the scenes would certainly seize on this point to launch another attack on her.

Why did she get the best ingredients? Why did Li Cheng, who ranked first, only get a small amount of meat and vegetables? Sentiments like these would undoubtedly flare up again.

The rules of this round were certainly designed to generate maximum drama, but for every chef on stage, it was an equal contest between skill and luck.