Chapter 26
Mia had been watching the live stream closely, and as soon as she saw some support for her, her confidence shot
Looking at Yanina’s delicate fingers and arms, she realized they were hardly the hands of a cook.
- up.
58%
Feeling energized, she declared. “You don’t lie, so you’re saying my food doesn’t taste delicious. I won’t accept that. Let’s have a cook–off right here.”
Viewers in the live chat quickly divided into two camps: one wagering on the stall owner to win, and the other backing
Yanina
As for the stakes? The loser would have to change their account names to “IAmaFool”
Callie stood on tiptoe in the crowd and whispered to Cameron, “Shouldn’t you help her? I mean, she’s your ex–wife. Can you really just watch her get bullied like this?”
Her concern felt a bit more like a test of Cameron’s true feelings for Yanina.
Cameron remained expressionless and didn’t intervene. Instead, he took Callie’s hand and sat down at a table behind Yanina, casually ordering four dishes.
When Callie saw that Cameron’s order consisted of the same four dishes that were already on Yanina’s table, she felt a pang of jealousy.
The competition kick–off between Yanina and Mia was on.
“Since this is a competition, we’ll need some judges. To keep it fair, I’ll let you pick them,” Yanina suggested calmly.
Mia clapped her hands, clearly waiting for this moment. She casually gestured to the guests at the nearby tables. “Let’s ask those folks over there to judge.”
Yanina’s heart skipped a beat when she noticed Cameron and Callie. ‘Are they flaunting their relationship right in front of me? she thought.
Yetta also spotted Cameron and Callie, unable to hold back her disdain. “What a shameless couple.”
Regaining her composure, Yanina nodded and pointed at the bacon stir–fried smoked asparagus on the table. “Let’s use asparagus. We’ll each make a dish, and let these guests decide which one’s better.”
“Sounds great!” Mia confidently patted her chest. Unlike other dishes, asparagus was her specialty. CrimsonSnow doesn’t know what she is getting herself into,‘ she thought to herself.
Mia turned and headed to the kitchen, with Yanina following closely behind.
Meanwhile, worried comments flooded the live chat from Yanini’s dedicated fans.
(CrimsonSnow’s hands are made for art, not cooking!
Look at the stall owner’s hands–big and rough with tons of cooking experience! How can our CrimsonSnow compete?] This isn’t fair; a pro chef against an amateur is just bullying!]
Naturally, Yanina’s critics enjoyed the drama and began bickering in the comments.
LAre
you scared of losing? Is admitting you’re just a tail–wagging dog too embarrassing? Then just leave the stream!]
[I can’t wait for the stall owner to wipe the flour with CrimsonSnow and show her she can’t be so arogant.]
1/3
1
Chapter 26
[Demand a live stream of the entire cook–off! No cheating allowed for the streamer!]
[This streamer is going down. I’ve been to that stall. It’s been around for over ten years at Yvale’s night market. She should admit defeat.]
Meanwhile, Callie leaned into Cameron, a gentle smile spreading across her face. “Cam, look! Everyone thinks Ms. Fulbright will lose. We have to help her out.”
Cameron glanced at the live feed on Callie’s screen and saw Yanina rolling up her sleeves, revealing her lovely arms. She seemed completely unfazed. There’s no need to help her,” he replied calmly.
Callie’s heart filled with joy. She thought Cameron cared about Yanina, especially since he was sitting there, watching her compete against the stall owner
But hearing Cameron refuse to help Yanina made her feel a lot better.
She fell silent, positioning herself to snap a photo of herself snuggled up in Cameron’s arms.
She posted it on Twitter. [The night is a little chilly, the sky is flickering, and here I am, walking with you at Yvale’s night market.]
About ten minutes later, two dishes were placed on the table, but no one could tell which one was made by Yanina and which came from the stall owner.
More and more people gathered around, and the buzz of conversation grew louder as everyone craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the two dishes.
The first dish was bacon and shrimp braised asparagus. The shrimp glistened, and the bacon was tender, perfectly paired with the shiny tips of the asparagus. It was a sight that whetted everyone’s appetite.
The second dish was bacon stir–fried asparagus. However, the way this asparagus was shredded was something special–it was thin, almost like hair.
As the camera shifted to focus on the dishes, the comments started flying again.
[Can
anyone tell which dish is from CrimsonSnow and which is from the stall owner? I can’t figure it out!]
[Our CrimsonSnow made the shredded asparagus! The stall owner’s rough hands could never cut it this delicate.]
[Stop pretending! This asparagus was shredded by someone with years of experience. CrimsonSnow has never picked up a knife; there’s no way she could cut it this finely.]
The chatter contiqued as the judges prepared to taste the dishes With two dishes and five tables of judges, they quickly divided the plates into five portions to serve.
Only a man sat at the first table. He took a bite of the braised asparagus and immediately nodded in approval.
“Mmmm, this asparagus is cooked perfectly! So fresh, and I can even taste the shreds of dried scallops. The ingredients are top–notch–it’s delicious.”
Then he moved on to the bacon stir–fried asparagus. He took one bite, then another, and continued eating.
Everyone was waiting for his evaluation, but he was so absorbed in the dish that he kept eating until he had polished off all the asparagus on the table. Finally, looking up with a satisfied grin, be asked, “Got more?”
2/0
