Xi Xizhi rarely saw An Honghan comment on the dishes, and she wondered to herself, "I wonder what An Honghan's true abilities are."
Dongfang Youyu is even more of a mystery. Xi Xizhi can count the number of times she has met him on her fingers.
What if they really do know about food...? Thinking about her 30,000 taels of silver, she absolutely couldn't let it fall into someone else's pocket. She had earned it by sacrificing her 'beauty'!
The competition gradually began, and the first floor was packed with people, with even the aisles filled with them.
As registration began, more than fifty contestants were already standing on the platform.
Xi Xizhi craned her neck to look around; with 30,000 taels at stake, she had to secure the championship.
A delicate laugh reached everyone's ears. The woman hosting the competition covered her mouth and laughed, "This year is much more lively than usual. According to the statistics from the betting tables, the bets today are four or five times higher than in previous years! The tasting competition officially begins today. Let's look forward to seeing who will win the thousand taels of silver?"
As soon as the woman finished speaking, more than a dozen servants carried many wooden chairs onto the platform and arranged them neatly in order.
"Now, to enter the first round of the competition, please have all contestants stand in front of a table."
Fengxianju served the food very quickly. As soon as they finished making arrangements, a group of handsome men dressed as waiters brought the dishes up.
The table was laden with a variety of dishes, each wafting a rich aroma.
Xi Xizhi was short, so she stood at the very front, next to An Honghan, and to her diagonal right was Dongfang Youyu.
The two men possessed extraordinary bearing, and their innate air of nobility was something that many could not imitate.
"Huh... that seven or eight-year-old kid participated too? Fengxianju, are you kidding me? How could a little brat possibly beat an adult?"
Many people noticed that Xi Xizhi's short stature made her stand out on the platform, and they all cast strange glances at her.
They all expressed their disdain, shouting, "Why is a little kid like you coming to Fengxianju to join in the fun instead of going to school?"
"Yeah, see the third person in the second row? That's last year's competition winner. Let the little kid do whatever he wants."
Xi Xizhi grumbled unhappily at these words, while An Honghan's face grew increasingly cold, showing signs of exploding.
Lynn had just placed his bet when he heard these offensive remarks, and he gritted his teeth in anger.
"What a bunch of blind fools."
The entire Fengxianju was in an uproar, with everyone demanding that Xi Xi be expelled from the government.
The woman hosting the competition seemed a little embarrassed. "This child paid twenty taels of silver, which should be in accordance with the rules."
Xi Xizhi retorted, "Which rule in the tasting competition states that children can't participate? Are you afraid of losing face if a child beats you?"
Her words immediately provoked those below.
"This kid is quite arrogant! We're afraid you'll lose and cry for your parents."
These words struck Xi Xizhi's heart like a knife. Because she was an orphan in her previous life, she was very sensitive to the word "parents." She bit her lip tightly, and her face was deathly pale.
An Honghan couldn't hold back any longer. He narrowed his eyes coldly and sized up the person who had just spoken. "What? You have a problem with the child I'm raising?"
His face was icy cold, his handsome features as if carved by a knife, his heart filled with icy demeanor.
Everyone who saw it was trembling with fear.
An Honghan's imposing aura was the result of years of hard work and cultivation. Even the civil and military officials of the court would tremble in fear upon seeing him, let alone ordinary people who had never seen such a sight before.
Many people immediately booed and dared not mention the matter again.
Dongfang Youyu shook his folding fan and said, "I'm telling you, you're all grown men, why bother arguing with a child? Aren't you afraid of losing face if word gets out? They say heroes come from all walks of life, so why can't a child participate? As long as you have real skills, what is there to fear?"
Having been startled by An Honghan just now, and now another handsome man standing up to condemn their behavior as shameful, many people have lost face and are even more speechless.
The woman hosting quickly tried to smooth things over, chuckling, "It's alright, it's alright, everyone please continue. Look, the food's getting cold. If the child wants to participate, let her. We're not going to go easy on her just because she's a child, are we?"
Some people had already stepped up one step, and the rest naturally followed suit. A few people who wanted to cause trouble were taken away by the person in charge.
Ignoring everyone's gaze, An Honghan walked up to the child and pried open Xi Xizhi's tightly clenched lips with his fingers.
"Don't bite, or it will break."
These words were a complete reversal of the previous coldness; while not exactly tender, they were no longer as bitingly cold as before.
Xi Xizhi slowly released her lips and gave a soft "Mmm," then gestured for An Honghan to return to his seat.
The female host wiped the sweat from her forehead; today's competition was truly thrilling but ultimately safe.
"Fengxianju will give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to taste the five dishes on the table. Afterward, please write down the ingredients needed for each dish on a piece of Xuan paper. The dishes on each table are different, so there is absolutely no possibility of cheating. Now... begin!"
Xi Xizhi's hand injury had almost healed. She picked up her chopsticks and put a piece of food into her mouth.
Fengxianju truly lives up to its reputation as the premier restaurant; the taste of its dishes is in no way inferior to that of the imperial chefs. Moreover, dishes vary in taste depending on who prepares them. Having grown accustomed to the cuisine of the imperial palace, Xi Xizhi found the food at Fengxianju exceptionally delicious.
Enjoying the dish with relish, calmly and methodically devising the ingredients for the stir-fry.
Just as she was about to pick up the pen to write, Xi Xizhi looked up at the host with an embarrassed expression, "Big sister, I can't write, can you write it for me?"
That "big sister" was called so sweetly, it felt like eating a piece of candy.
The female host immediately came over and said with a smile, "What do you need to write? Let me help you."
Xi Xizhi continued to act cute and charming, repeatedly calling out "big sister," which made many people prick up their ears to listen. They wished that the "big sister" the child was calling was themselves.
An Honghan was a little jealous. He glanced over there, took a bite of the dish, and then started writing on the Xuan paper.
Dongfang Youyu's progress was also not slow. Almost the same as An Honghan, he would pick up his pen and start writing immediately after tasting a dish.
Both of them are prodigies who have eaten many rare delicacies since childhood. For them, this kind of "entry-level" dish for selecting contestants is just a piece of cake.
Xi Xizhi secretly glanced at the two of them a few times, feeling immense psychological pressure.
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