"Miss Jiang, I will definitely win against you. I want you to fall madly in love with me," Xiao Ruiming declared, giving himself a thumbs-up and blowing a kiss to the audience.
Jiang Nuan ignored him and began preparing her soup.
Xiao Ruiming, once again overlooked, felt a pang of awkwardness. He touched his nose with an unnatural expression and focused on guarding his chicken soup, determined to win over Jiang Nuan and capture her attention.
Mu Jiuchen silently gave Jiang Nuan a thumbs-up. "Nuan Nuan, you're amazing!"
Ye Xiang and her two companions felt a surge of envy and resentment. Xiao Ruiming, after all, was a renowned chef, commanding a seven-figure salary at any five-star hotel. The fact that he was on stage professing his desire to pursue Jiang Nuan drove them to madness. In their eyes, Jiang Nuan was utterly unremarkable, save for her beauty. How could someone so devoid of merit deserve love?
"That wretched woman," Ye Xiang thought venomously, "she only knows how to seduce men. Just you wait; once I get that ten million, I'll humiliate you thoroughly."
[OMG, Xiao Ruiming is hilarious! Is he here to compete or find a wife? Are we going to be force-fed PDA?]
[So funny! What if Jiang Nuan wins? He'll have to be her apprentice! I'm waiting for him to lose.]
[Me too! He's always been so arrogant in the culinary world. Jiang Nuan's arrival today is just what he needs. Her pastries look so appetizing. I've tried Jiang Nuan's health soup; it's incredibly delicious. I can't quite describe the feeling. I was in a bad mood that day, but after drinking the health soup, my mood inexplicably lifted. The next day, I won second prize in the lottery.]
[To the commenter above, I'm so envious! It happened to me too. I had just broken up with my girlfriend and ended up with stomach bleeding from drinking. Dazed, I ordered a health soup. After drinking it, my mood improved, and the next day, my girlfriend came back to reconcile with me.]
[Everyone @ the two of you: ...Can you guys say something more believable?]
[It's the truth. Believe it or not.]
[Yes, my girlfriend and I are taking our wedding photos next week. Before we got married, we agreed to have the 'Mandarin Duck and Quail Health Soup' from the health spa.]
[Wishing you a hundred years of happiness and many children. You've made me very tempted, but I can never get a reservation! They only take a hundred orders a day, and Jiang Nuan sometimes pushes back appointments. She doesn't even open on weekends. Jiang Nuan is so dominant in her business.]
[We'll just queue up!]
[I love my sister's domineering attitude.]
Meng Yuan sat on a small stool, watching the livestream. Seeing the positive reviews for the health spa, she felt a surge of delight. "Money, fly into my pockets quickly!" she thought. In this era where one needed money as soon as they opened their eyes, money was truly everything. Look at what life had driven Jiang Nuan to. A graduate of W Country's International University of Medical Sciences and a senior pharmacist, she wasn't practicing medicine but selling food for money. This just showed how alluring the world of cuisine was. Everyone shared the same sentiment: love anything, but don't love being sick. Nuan Nuan's choice was truly brilliant!
Finally, the health soup was ready. The aroma permeated the air, tantalizing everyone's taste buds. The judges at the front were already eager.
At this moment, the host finally came into his own. Tall and handsome, the host stood in the center of the stage, exuding confidence.
"Now, both contestants' health soups are fresh out of the... no, fresh out of the pot! My apologies, everyone, I was truly captivated by Miss Jiang's cakes. Those bite-sized cakes, topped with a bright red cherry, look incredibly enticing."
"Next, please, esteemed judges, taste the health soups of both contestants."
"Hahaha, finally, the moment has arrived," the院长 (President) of Jue Wei Tian Xia declared with a smile. Everyone waited for the results. Ye Xiang was even more excited. Her ten million was in writing; if the other party couldn't pay, she could sue them. Xiaoyan and Yang Liu now intensely envied Ye Xiang. Why hadn't they made the bet?
"President, this is Chef Xiao's health soup," the etiquette ladies, responsible for serving, poured a small bowl of soup for each judge. After rinsing their mouths, the judges began tasting the health soup. The Vice President had immense confidence in his nephew. He picked up a porcelain spoon, took a sip of the health soup, then ate a piece of chicken, and then a morel. The texture was tender, fresh, and smooth, with benefits for the digestive system, aiding digestion, clearing phlegm, regulating qi, and preventing colds. It made the skin glow and look radiant for women. The Vice President looked at Xiao Ruiming with great admiration. "Delicious, very refreshing." The President and several other judges nodded in agreement. It was indeed very good. The stewing time was just right; the fish maw was Q-bouncy and infused with the taste of chicken broth, not greasy at all. The judges quickly awarded Xiao Ruiming scores, all nines, which was considered a high score in the culinary world.
"Haha..." Xiao Ruiming was overjoyed to see the nine-point scores. The netizens, seeing such scores, felt a sense of vindication. Xiao Ruiming was arrogant, but he had the capital for it.
[Damn, this Xiao Ruiming has some skills.]
[Yes, yes, so many judges say it's delicious, it must be really good.]
[It's a shame I wasn't there today. What a pity...]
Xiao Ruiming bowed deeply to the crowd, then looked at Jiang Nuan with pride and winked at her. Jiang Nuan merely glanced at him indifferently and looked away. Xiao Ruiming's expression soured slightly. Jiang Nuan was truly cold, but he was confident he would win. Jiang Nuan, just wait until we're dating! The more Xiao Ruiming thought about it, the happier he became. He instructed his assistant to distribute the rice noodle rolls he had made to everyone.
"Next, please, esteemed judges, taste Miss Jiang Nuan's health soup." As soon as the host finished speaking, ladies in red qipaos, each carrying a small bowl of Jiang Nuan's stewed health soup, presented them to the judges. Everyone watched the judges with bated breath. Ye Xiang, in particular, was convinced Xiao Ruiming would win; Jiang Nuan could not possibly surpass him. She turned and glanced at Mu Jiuchen, whose expression was placid. "Handsome, have that ten million ready!" Mu Jiuchen didn't even bother to look at her. "I've already instructed someone to prepare feces. You said Jiang Nuan can make delicacies, even the feces in the toilet can be eaten. If Jiang Nuan wins, I'll let you eat your fill later."
Ye Xiang: "..." He had such a handsome face, yet his words were so unpleasant. "Hmph!" she snorted coldly. "Ten million, don't you dare go back on your word." Ye Xiang gave him a warning glance, awaiting the announcement of the results. Seeing the judges begin their tasting, Jiang Nuan, standing on the stage, remained composed. She didn't care about winning or losing. Her cuisine was only for special people. Those in a bad mood would feel particularly happy after eating her food. Those who wished to end their lives would change their minds after eating her food; her cuisine possessed such magic.
"Hahaha..." Suddenly, the first judge to taste, the President, burst into laughter. Everyone's attention turned to him.