Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
After the host had introduced all of the participants, they put on their uniforms and began to record.
The show could be divided into six sections, and it began with the first one which was titled Home Cooking. The first section required each participant to create a home dish that they could never forget.
Since Xu Xiyan was born and raised in Peijing, the first food she could think of was Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish in Squirrel Shape.
Since the other participants all came from different parts of Zstan, there were all sorts of local dishes being prepared and Shen Mengyuan had prepared a dish called Golden Yellow Croaker.
Since Xu Xiyan and Shen Mengyuan were the only two that prepared fish dishes, they became aware of each other’s dishes.
Shen Mengyuan peeked at Xu Xiyan and smiled like she had already won the competition.
The judges began to taste all 10 dishes that were presented and would score according to the taste, smell, and look. The participant who got the least total score would be disqualified.
Xu Xiyan’s score was high from the beginning as An Nan gave her a high score and kept praising how good her food was.
But Zhong Qingzi gave a completely different comment on Xu Xiyan’s dish.
“The fish is too dry and lacks umami. I think the yellow croaker is better than this. I’m sorry, but this is as much I can give you,” Zhong Qingzi said.
She gave Xu Xiyan a score lower than 5 and gave Shen Mengyuan a hefty 9.6.
Xu Xiyan believed that everyone had a different view on dishes and thanked Zhong Qingzi.
“Thank you for your comment.”
After being scored by every judge, the one to be disqualified first was one of the most-searched artists, Wu Yaoyu. Xu Xiyan barely passed the first stage.
After the first section had ended, the participants and judges were allowed a brief rest.
Shen Mengyuan snuck off during the rest to Zhong Qingzi’s room.
As soon as she closed the door, Shen Mengyuan hugged Zhong Qingzi tightly.
“Let me have a look at you!” Zhong Qingzi smiled. “Looks like my niece is getting prettier every day.”
“Thank you!”
Shen Mengyuan was very happy that her aunt had secured her a spot on the show. Since Zhong Qingzi was one of the judges, she could make sure that Jing Xi would not get first place.
Xu Xiyan got to know more about other participants before they returned to the main hall.
The second section was titled Celebrity Chef’s Signature Dish, requiring the participants to produce a dish they were best at.
Xu Xiyan noticed that other than Zhong Qingzi, her dish was once again well received by the judges. A score lower than 5 was still given to Xu Xiyan by Zhong Qingzi.
She began to wonder if Zhong Qingzi was doing it on purpose.
She searched through her memory and couldn’t remember crossing paths with Zhong Qingzi even once, and it made her more curious.
Xu Xiyan knew that even one judge could decide the participant’s fate. If that kept going on, Xu Xiyan wouldn’t even make it to the third round.
As soon as the second section ended, Xu Xiyan went straight to look for Zhong Qingzi.
“Ms. Zhong, could I have a moment of your time?”
