Chapter 219 Black Manuscripts Everywhere

Hu Xiaoguang stopped hesitating, cleared his throat, and announced loudly: "The average scores of Su Yingxue's group and Zhu Lili's group are exactly the same. This match ends in a draw!"

The moment those words were spoken, the scene fell into a deathly silence for a few seconds, even the camera shutters paused briefly. Zhu Lili was completely stunned, her face filled with disbelief, her pupils slightly dilated. She had gone to great lengths to snatch the ingredients, resorting to tricks and schemes, even going so far as to personally deliver gifts.

In the end, she only managed a draw with Su Yingxue's group. A huge sense of humiliation and anger surged into her heart, almost overwhelming her.

Shen Yu and Xia Paopao looked resentful and muttered under their breath, "Our food was clearly better..."

After the surprise in Su Yingxue's eyes faded, only a calm expression remained. She knew that recognition earned through strength was far more important than temporary victories or defeats.

Chef Wang's face turned pale and then red, his fingers curling unconsciously. To him, this draw was not a draw at all, but a complete defeat—he, a professional chef, had actually lost to an amateur team that had no oil to use.

"Is the score correct?" Julie asked incredulously.

Hu Xiaoguang nodded to confirm the result.

Zhu Lili clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms, and her knuckles turned bluish-white.

Seeing Su Yingxue and Shen Yu's surprised yet composed demeanor, and recalling her own underhanded actions, a surge of humiliation and anger rose up her spine, burning her entire body.

The generous gift she secretly slipped to Vice President Mu was returned without a word of politeness.

The luxury suit gifted to Detective Shen was readily accepted, but when he commented, he made no mention of favoritism, only casually remarking, "It tastes good, a little salty."

It had absolutely no effect. She spent a lot of money to hire Chef Wang, a well-known figure in the industry.

They thought victory was assured, but they couldn't even beat amateurs Su Yingxue and Shen Yu, ending in a draw.

This was an utter disgrace to her, who was determined to crush Shen Yu and win the lead role in the new drama.

When she accepted this variety show, she was certain that she could use the camera to create momentum, use her cooking skills to outdo Shen Yu, and pave the way for casting her new drama.

But now, Shen Yu and Su Yingxue have turned the tide against all odds, and their reputations are visibly rising.

She herself became a laughing stock, going to great lengths to snatch ingredients and using tricks, only to expose her narrow-mindedness and incompetence in the end.

"Impossible! We absolutely cannot let this go!"

Zhu Lili gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with a frighteningly sinister look. Taking advantage of the staff tidying up the judging table, she quickly walked to a corner, took out her phone, and dialed her agent's number. Her tone was urgent and harsh, carrying an unquestionable command.

"Contact the PR team immediately and tear them apart! First, release smear articles to smear Su Yingxue and Shen Yu, saying things like they're arrogant, ostracizing their teammates, and doing dirty tricks behind people's backs. Make up as many stories as you can, the more traffic the better! Also, use all your connections to put pressure on the production team. I don't care what methods you use, you must make Su Yingxue and Shen Yu leave the variety show in the next episode. I absolutely cannot let them get in my way anymore!"

The agent on the other end of the phone quickly agreed. Zhu Lili hung up the phone and glared fiercely at Su Yingxue and Shen Yu not far away, her eyes surging with intense hatred.

Everything she had meticulously planned could not be ruined by Su Yingxue and Shen Yu. Shen Yu's leading role and her reputation had to be reclaimed by destroying them!

Even if it means resorting to any means, we must ensure that Su Yingxue and Shen Yu can never turn their lives around.

In the post-match studio, the tense atmosphere gradually relaxed.

Director Hu Xiaoguang stepped forward with a microphone in hand and a warm smile on his face, loudly announcing the schedule for the next round: "Congratulations to both groups for successfully completing this round of competition! In the next round, we'll upgrade the format completely and challenge ourselves with a real street vending challenge! The best stall will be selected based entirely on the votes of the audience, so everyone should prepare well in advance and show off their best skills!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhu Lili's face darkened again. She glared at Su Yingxue and Shen Yu, her eyes almost overflowing with resentment. She gripped her designer handbag so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She didn't even bother with the slightest bit of polite pretense and turned to storm off towards the exit.

The scene of the draw replayed in his mind, and humiliation and hatred surged like a tide. He took each step quickly and heavily, and cursed under his breath.

Completely unaware that the wireless earphones on their ears had slipped off and fallen into the corner of the control area, half-hidden by clutter.

Not far from the studio, a cool breeze blew by, and the familiar soundproofing sensation in her ears disappeared. Zhu Lili suddenly realized that her earphones were gone.

"Damn it!"

She cursed under her breath, her anger rising even higher, but she could only suppress her frustration and walk back. Her assistant had just been sent to drive.

She had just tiptoed to the rest area by the side door of the studio when Zhu Lili suddenly stopped, her pupils contracted slightly, and her gaze was fixed on a quiet corner not far away.

Huang Yifei and Su Yingxue were standing side by side, both with relaxed and happy smiles on their faces, chatting warmly and intimately, without any sense of distance in front of the camera.

Huang Yifei was carrying an exquisite wooden insulated food box, which she was gently handing to Su Yingxue, her voice full of genuine gratitude.

"Xiao Su, I really have to thank you this time. Lin Chuan had a severe loss of appetite before, and we saw many doctors without any improvement. Now at least he's eating. He's really helped me a lot."

Su Yingxue accepted the food box with a gentle smile, her tone mild and humble: "You're too kind. It was just a small favor. I'm happy to be able to help Lu Linchuan."

“How could this be just a small favor? To me, it’s a huge deal.”

Huang Yifei smiled even more sincerely, raised her hand and gently pointed to the food box, "These are some fresh ingredients that I specially had prepared. They are all good ingredients that go well with light dishes. You can use them for the next game. Consider it a small token of my appreciation. Please don't be shy."

The two were chatting happily, and Huang Yifei even offered her a food box, all of which was clearly seen by Zhu Lili, who was hiding behind a pillar.

A glint of malice flashed in her eyes, and a twisted, triumphant smile curled at the corner of her mouth. She quickly pulled out her phone, discreetly adjusted the angle, and clearly captured the interaction between the two. She even turned on the recording function to record their conversation word for word.

"Oh, I didn't know there was this connection."

Zhu Lili covered her mouth, lowered her voice and sneered, her eyes full of calculation.

Su Yingxue had been secretly trying to curry favor with Huang Yinghou all along. No wonder she didn't even bother with the expensive gift I gave her before. It turns out she had already hooked up with this girl and wanted to use Huang Yifei's connections to get special privileges!