The front row of the audience consisted of six judges, who were seasoned gourmands, followed by ten more judges, all prominent figures in the culinary world.
Jiang Nuan's health sanctuary had been fully booked since its opening, with some orders requiring a month's wait to be fulfilled.
Those in the culinary industry were aware of these details.
During the live broadcast, Jiang Nuan, wearing a mask, was visible only through her bright, beautiful eyes, her focused gaze, and her stunning figure.
Her every move, her slender, jade-like white fingers, captivated the audience's attention.
Jiang Nuan was preparing a chicken soup with morel mushrooms and fish maw, a dish suitable for all ages and balanced in nature. She washed the morels, cordyceps flowers, fish maw, red dates, and goji berries, setting them aside. She began by simmering the chicken soup, and then steamed the fish maw until soft.
Meng Yuan was positioned behind her, solely responsible for cleaning up the waste.
The lighting was bright, and their every action was clearly visible to everyone on the large screen.
Both contestants were using the same ingredients and preparing the same morel mushroom and fish maw chicken soup.
After preparing the ingredients, they moved on to preparing pastries. Simmering the soup required time, and she used the spare moments to make pastries.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ruiming was also making rice noodle rolls for everyone, and his assistant diligently cleaned the cooking station.
Neither of them was idle, and their practiced, skillful movements were a dazzling spectacle, drawing everyone's rapt attention.
The clamor from the audience gradually subsided.
All eyes were suddenly drawn to the two of them.
In the live broadcast chat, [OMG, what's going on? The venue has gone silent.]
[It's because there's no host.]
[Hey! Isn't it more enjoyable to watch beautiful women and handsome men cook? Why do we need a host?]
There was a host for this competition, but even they were captivated.
[Yes, yes, looking at the bubbling chicken soup, I can almost smell it through the screen.]
[It would be even luckier to have a taste on-site.]
[Let's wait and see, don't be proven wrong. Someone like Jiang Nuan can even make health soup, yet she can't even support herself.]
[Mwah mwah, upstairs, do you have a grudge against Jiang Nuan?]
In the audience, Ye Xiang and the other two were also watching the live broadcast comments.
The three of them also fiercely typed comments cursing Jiang Nuan.
A rich, mouth-watering aroma wafted from the venue.
The fragrance stirred everyone's appetite.
"It smells so good."
"I really want to have a taste."
"This flavor, fragrant with a hint of sweetness, is making my mouth water."
Mu Jiuchen watched Jiang Nuan, who was intently preparing pastries on the stage, his eyes filled with tenderness.
He Mingrun, watching Meng Yuan assist and his gaze constantly drifting towards Jiang Nuan's hands, also had his handsome, refined eyes filled with tenderness, occasionally smiling silently.
Yuan Yuan is always so cute!
Xiao Ruiming finally found a moment of leisure, raised his eyes, and looked at Jiang Nuan. She was very charming when focused, and he considered her his ideal candidate for a wife.
"Miss Jiang, if I win, will you go out with me?"
His sudden remark instantly drew everyone's attention.
The entire venue fell into an even deeper silence.
The vice president in the audience felt too ashamed to face anyone.
Mu Jiuchen: "..." He sat up abruptly.
He Mingrun quickly pulled him back and whispered, "Calm down. Jiang Nuan doesn't even look at you, why would she look at that idiot?"
Mu Jiuchen stared at him sharply, blinking his eyes, "What did you say? Am I that bad?"
To think he would say that Jiang Nuan didn't even look at him.
"Do you have to be so critical?" Mu Jiuchen glared at him silently.
With his face, which could easily make women go crazy, if he couldn't charm Jiang Nuan, he wouldn't be named Mu.
Mu Jiuchen glanced haughtily at He Mingrun, then at the idiotic Xiao Ruiming.
He couldn't get angry. He was a capitalist, born into wealth, high status, talented, experienced, and possessed mature skills.
What was some idiot compared to him?!
He was no match for Mu Jiuchen, and certainly not Jiang Nuan's type.
Jiang Nuan slightly raised her eyes, looking calmly at Xiao Ruiming, who was smiling at her.
Jiang Nuan possessed a unique aura; when she was still, an innate nobility and a crisp, clear presence emanated from her, making her incredibly attractive.
"What did you say?" Jiang Nuan asked softly, her bright eyes looking a little confused.
"Hahaha..." The crowd burst into laughter.
Was she genuinely not hearing him clearly, or was she deliberately answering that way?
Watching the broadcast at home, Jiang Yuku and Jiang Xingyu exchanged glances. "Uncle, this big idiot, how could he say something like that?"
Any intelligent person wouldn't say such a thing in this atmosphere.
Jiang Xingyu smiled, "Your mother is too beautiful; everyone likes her."
Jiang Yuku didn't think so. He pointed at the screen with his tender fingers, "Uncle, you're wrong. Many people on this screen are cursing my mother. They seem to know my mother and are deliberately slandering her."
Jiang Yuku squinted his eyes, looking at those who were slandering his mother, his heart aching.
Many people are like this; they can't stand to see others do well. The moment they see a hint of success in someone, they try to discredit that person by any means necessary.
They encountered this kind of situation at school, so he could better understand his mother's feelings.
In the eyes of others, cursing his mother was common, but in their eyes, those people were utter villains. They didn't understand the truth of the matter, so why curse his mother like that?
His mother had trouble even eating when she was little. Because she wasn't their biological child, she received unfair treatment. How did she endure it at such a young age? Every time he thought about it, he wished he could kill those people.
Jiang Yuku looked at Jiang Xingyu again, "Uncle, I don't want to watch anymore. My mother will win anyway. I'm going back to my room to rest."
Jiang Xingyu nodded, "Then I'll escort you upstairs."
The little boy was very smart. He wasn't good at small talk, and at this moment, he felt unable to offer any comforting words. By not bringing up those excessive remarks, he felt a little better.
Jiang Yuku nodded. This would reassure his uncle a bit.
Meanwhile, on stage, Xiao Ruiming felt very awkward because Jiang Nuan was so focused on making pastries that she completely didn't hear him.
At this moment, his assistant stepped forward and shouted at Jiang Nuan, "Miss Jiang, Chef Xiao said that if he wins, you two should go out together."
Jiang Nuan: "..."
She looked calmly at Xiao Ruiming, "And if you lose?"
Xiao Ruiming said with full confidence, "I won't lose. If I lose, I'll become your disciple."
Jiang Nuan put down the mold in her hand, placed the pastries into the oven, and then said, "Let's talk about it when you lose."
She lowered her head and continued with her work.
Meng Yuan smiled at Xiao Ruiming, "Master Xiao, good luck!"
Xiao Ruiming: "..."
Did he look like he wouldn't win?
Could a mosquito win against a fist? Why couldn't he win against Jiang Nuan?
He liked Jiang Nuan because she was beautiful and they shared the same hobby, which was why he dared to say that.
However, it was truly embarrassing. It was the first time he wanted to date a woman, and she hadn't even heard what he said. Was he embarrassing himself in front of the entire nation?