“Don’t you think Lu Xinyi is being heartless to Meng Jiao?” A student whispered to her friends as they compared the two noodles made by the two sponsored students. It was apparent that Lu Xinyi wasn’t giving Meng Jiao a chance to earn the three hundred points she lost from the penalty.
Her friend frowned, not understanding what she meant from her question.
Earlier, when they watched Meng Jiao knead the dough for the hand-pulled noodles but kept breaking as she continued to work. It was clear that she was lacking in experience in this field. The ratio of the flour and water alone was difficult for her.
Flour mixing and proper kneading took years to master. How could she able to make hand-pulled noodles at this rate?
“What made you think Lu Xinyi is being heartless to her? I don’t see the problem here. Have you heard how Meng Jiao left her to the wilderness in the middle of a storm? If I were her, I would also make it hard for Meng Jiao to stay. If she was really concerned with Lu Xinyi back then, she wouldn’t have led her to the forbidden area. You don’t need to think hard that she was jealous of Lu Xinyi. It was her chance to sabotage Lu Xinyi so no wonder she did it.”
“But this isn’t the first time a sponsored student sabotaged another student, right?”
“Of course, it isn’t; but I’ve never heard of someone leaving the other to the wilderness to die. Meng Jiao is such a sicko. Even if she couldn’t beat Lu Xinyi, she shouldn’t have tried to put her life in danger,” the other student muttered.
This time, Lu Xinyi served her cold noodles before Meng Jiao could make a move.
Four bowls of cold noodles with a side dish of cucumbers were placed on the judges’ table. Just by the look of the deep red color of the noodles, one could expect that mouth-numbing sensation one would experience while eating it. Without waiting for Lu Xinyi’s explanation, the four judges dug on their bowls and started eating without paying attention around them.
The coldness of the noodles contradicted the spiciness of the chili oil that covered each noodle strand. The glossy shine it had when they picked the noodles from the ground was mesmerizing. Those who were seated behind the judges could only watch as the four judges ate the cold noodle dish. One could imagine that fiery hot taste that made one’s lips tingly when the spicy cold noodle dish was eaten.
Ah, if only they could change spot with the judges just to have a chance to taste Lu Xinyi’s delicious dishes. The spicy, savory, and numbing sauce was so addictive and delicious that the judges couldn’t stop at first bite. Eating Lu Xinyi’s dishes had been a great gastronomic experience for them.
The judges didn’t need to say more; all of them recognized how good Lu Xinyi’s noodles were. The empty bowls on the table were proof of how satisfying Lu Xinyi’s cold noodles. Lu Xinyi stayed on her counter, waiting for the points credited on her dish. Each of them thought that Lu Xinyi’s biggest advantage to her peers was her tongue.
While it was true that Lu Xinyi didn’t have much experience and still had room for improvement, she made sure that all the dishes she presented so far used the limits of her palate and her skills. This might be the reason why she took a risk making the imperfect noodle soup during the entrance examinations. Before anyone else, she believed her own skills and capabilities.
Meng Jiao bit her nails after tasting Lu Xinyi’s version of her cold noodles. How could this be? Every dish Lu Xinyi brought happiness and enjoyment to those who ate it. Tasting her cold noodles, Meng Jiao knew at once how inferior her cooking skills against Lu Xinyi.
Simply delicious. Lu Xinyi hadn’t used any meat to make her noodles tasty, but it was refreshing but mouth-numbing at the same time. The smoothness and the freshness of the noodles entered her mouth with explosive and bold flavors.
After each bite, the savory but spicy sauce together with the crunchiness and refreshing taste of the bean sprouts created such satisfying taste and feeling in her mouth. It mortified her to admit, but Lu Xinyi’s version was better than hers. Such a simple dish, but Lu Xinyi could make it special. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
Although it used a lot of hot peppers and was supposed to be very hot, Lu Xinyi was able to balance it with the noodles itself. Meng Jiao didn’t need to become a professional chef to assess how good Lu Xinyi’s version was, but she couldn’t just accept defeat to her that easily.
How could she become a chef if she couldn’t properly assess someone else’s cooking?
Why did it felt like that every dish that Lu Xinyi recreated was a slap to her face? Meng Jiao thought, her slender hands unconsciously twisted together.
Was this the end of her culinary career?
Why did Lu Xinyi have everything she wanted? Why did everything fell on her lap without asking for it while she had to beg and sell her soul to the devil just to get where she was?
The man she loved, the future, and the dream she wanted… compare to Lu Xinyi, was she really nothing?
“Miss Lu, can you comment about Miss Meng’s noodle soup?”
Meng Jiao heard Jun Simin asking Lu Xinyi when her beef noodles were presented. Her face was one with disappointment since Meng Jiao’s noodles didn’t have enough elasticity and flavor on it.
“Firstly, making hand-pulled noodles wasn’t an easy task. I’m not expecting Miss Meng to perfect such a dish on a limited time when I couldn’t even make it last time.” Lu Xinyi paused, taking time to glance at Meng Jiao’s direction giving her a meaningful look.
“Secondly, it was Miss Meng’s freedom to choose and decide on what to use and what to do on every challenge thrown on her way. Whether she succeeds or not, it has nothing to do with me. Lastly, there’s no need to discuss which version of the noodle dish was better. I cannot determine one’s skills and achievement over an imperfect dish.”
As soon as Lu Xinyi said those words, everyone had mixed reactions.
“Huh? Is she saying she’s not recognizing Meng Jiao as a rival?”
“Ouch. What a way to tell Meng Jiao she’s not worth her time.”
“Huh? So this wasn’t revenge on Lu Xinyi’s part? All this time, it was Meng Jiao who wanted to play with Lu Xinyi, but Lu Xinyi doesn’t want to?”
“Hahaha. It must be embarrassing to be in Meng Jiao’s position. She threatened Lu Xinyi, but her victim disregarded her.”
Meng Jiao was furious and was obviously dying from anger. However, she was in no position to say anything at that moment. Facing such humiliation in her life, Meng Jiao threw her apron at her counter and walked out!
