Lu Xinyi didn’t understand why He Haotian thought this way. It was her dream to become a chef and patissier, to open several restaurants under her name. Why was this chef telling her attending Silver Leaf was pointless?
“Is there a good reason why?”
“For one, Silver Leaf is a battleground. Not only you need knowledge in cooking, but you also need skills to endure. Students fight each other for fame. By doing so, most top students get the attention of popular chefs, taking them under their wings to train.”
“And?” Lu Xinyi’s frown deepened. There wasn’t anything new at what He Haotian was saying. She knew all of these.
“You have a great sense of taste. Do you know how important that is? Students that might become chefs in the future will bow on your feet. Just like wine tasters, professional food tasters are being looked up in the industry. They will constantly seek you to find mistakes until they perfected their dishes… this… Madam Shen…” He Haotian stared at Lu Xinyi dead in the eye. “Fight me.”
Lu Xinyi blinked several times. Her jaws dropped, words caught up on her throat.
“W-wha-?”
“Let’s make a bet. Didn’t you come here to give back Grace Palace to me? Then Madam Shen, I’ll accept your offer if you can beat me, but if not, I wish Madam Shen to quit Silver Leaf and accept me as her mentor in palate training.”
Lu Xinyi was stunned. This wasn’t what she was expecting to happen when she came here to talk to him. What should she do now? This bet was different from the others she encountered before.
“Madam Shen doesn’t need to decide now. You may come back once you made up your mind.” He Haotian stood up and sauntered to the trail back to the inn, but before that, Lu Xinyi called out to him.
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this, but I need to know what are we going to do.”
“We’re not going to cook. I’ll present you several dishes for you to taste and recreate them. I want you to understand that you are wasting such a gift.”
He left them completely with Lu Xinyi in distraught.
“What are we going to do now?” Mo Lihui tested the water. She sighed in relief knowing that she didn’t need to participate in this bet. While Lu Xinyi was hailed as a top rookie of Silver Leaf, was it possible for her to win against a two-star chef?
“Nothing. We’re going home. We’ve already done the purpose of this visit.” Lu Xinyi replied, feeling a little disappointed with the outcome of their visit.
—
Back to the Peach Blossom Resort…
“Have you decided?” Shen Yi asked, his fingers lightly touching her spine, the man enjoying her warmth beside him. They were sitting on a bench outside, watching the sun set in the far horizon. As the sun hid itself, the temperature got cooler, making Lu Xinyi shiver next to her husband.
She told him what He Haotian said earlier, and this was the first time he saw her in doubt, not sure what she should do. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
When she was younger, people around her complimented her adoptive brother’s cooking skills. Tian Lingyu was considered a genius at such a young age, and yet now, He Haotian had revealed that she had this talent in deconstructing and improving a dish with her tongue.
“His offer doesn’t really give me a choice but to bet my chance to attend Silver Leaf. I don’t think it’s worth it.”
“You don’t believe him?”
“It’s not that I don’t believe him, but I haven’t really given a thought about my skills. I can cook—that I know, but these claims are almost unbelievable to my ears.”
“So what’s stopping you? I really don’t see a problem. Aren’t you curious to know how well you can deconstruct the dishes presented to you? If this is really a talent, then you can surely use this as an advantage once you start attending Silver Leaf.”
Lu Xinyi pushed herself away from his hold and looked at his face.
“What if I lose?”
“Competing with talented students hasn’t stopped you from moving forward; why are you doubting yourself now?”
Lu Xinyi lowered her gaze and bit her lower lip. She admitted to herself that Shen Yi had a point. Why was she hesitant to accept He Haotian’s challenge? Didn’t she believe that she could win this bet?
“You think I can do it?”
Shen Yi reached out a hand and ran his fingers on her hair. If his wife needed some reassurance, then she would have it.
“You can do it, Xinxin. You’ve encountered more difficult obstacles than this. Have you given a thought that maybe he’s also trying to prove to you that you not only have the skills to become a great chef but also a divine tongue that can distinguish everything it tastes?”
Truthfully, she hadn’t really thought about it. Whether she won or lost, He Haotian would still get something out from the bet. If she won, this proved that she had a great tongue like he claimed she had. If she lost, He Haotian would have a chance to give her the proper palate training she needed. It might take years, but at least, she would have a better chance to taste those gourmet foods that she hadn’t tried yet.
“I’ll accept his challenge.” She decided.
“Good, and if it consoles you, I will come with you this time to meet him. And there’s one thing I’m sure.” He smirked.
“What?”
“If he’s right, I’m sure I still taste better than those dishes you’ve tasted.”
Lu Xinyi facepalmed. There was no hope to this husband of hers!
