"Let's start." Time is precious now. Luo Yu doesn't want to waste any more time and immediately enters the virtual space.
"Welcome! I'm the perfect cooking master, Falak. I'll be competing with you in a cooking competition." A tall, blond-haired foreign man appeared in the virtual kitchen. He nodded gracefully to Luo Yu.
Luo Yu smiled faintly in response, "Hello, I'm Luo Yu."
Falak began to explain, "If you win this competition, your cooking skills will be directly upgraded to the perfect level. However, if you lose, you will be punished. This time, we will be the judges. We will taste each other's dishes and make our own judgments."
"What is the punishment?" There are still more than ten hours left, and Luo Yu has no choice, but he just wants to know what the punishment is.
"If you fail in the competition, you will lose your sense of taste for the next sixteen hours in real time. After losing your sense of taste, you can still challenge. If the task time is up and you still haven't completed the competition, all the attributes on your attribute panel will be cleared. However, you can rest assured that your sense of taste will be restored after all your attributes are cleared. Have you thought about it? Do you want to compete with me?" Falak looked serious and ready to enter the competition state at any time.
Lost his sense of taste? Once he lost his sense of taste, it would be impossible to continue cooking. However, if he didn't challenge, his attribute board would be reset to zero. He would die anyway, so he might as well give it a try.
"Okay, let's start." Luo Yu agreed to the competition.
There is no theme for the competition. Each contestant makes a dish that he or she thinks is his or her best, and the time limit is half an hour.
The virtual kitchen is divided into two halves, one half is used by Luo Yu and the other half is used by Falak, and the two do not disturb each other.
During the competition, Luo Yu carefully observed Falak. Whether it was his knife skills or his control of heat, Luo Yu was superior. He truly lived up to his reputation as a perfect chef. Instead of half an hour, they each prepared their signature dish in just ten minutes. Luo Yu was faster than Falak, but speed wasn't everything; the final taste was what mattered.
Luo Yu prepared a medicinal dish. Having previously been conducting missions in the virtual space, he was now best at making medicinal dishes. This dish was incredibly delicious, infused with many precious herbs. It was both delicious and beneficial for the liver and lungs, making it a rare treat. As always, Luo Yu ensured that the dish was visually appealing, fragrant, and delicious. On the surface, Luo Yu's dish was much more beautiful and refined than Falak's.
Falak made a surprisingly simple vegetarian shredded vegetable dish. He used three common vegetables, but thanks to his exceptional knife skills, he managed to cut each one to the exact same length and thickness. The combination of the three colors didn't look particularly striking, but it gave off a rustic, fresh feel.
The first bite made people feel like they were back to the primitive fields. Their noses seemed to smell the fresh air, and all the pores on their bodies suddenly opened up. That kind of natural comfort made Luo Yu, who closed his eyes, somewhat unforgettable. This was the most delicious dish he had ever eaten, no doubt about it.
Opening his eyes, Luo Yu looked at Falak, who was also savoring his dish, and said seriously, "I lost." It wasn't just his knife skills and control of the heat that had led to his defeat, but most importantly, the flavor of the dish itself. After Falak's combination and cooking, these three vegetables had fully revealed their unique essences. This was something Luo Yu couldn't do, so he simply admitted defeat.
Falak swallowed the food in his mouth and said to Luo Yu with a smile, "Your dish is already very well prepared and the combinations are very reasonable, but because you paid too much attention to the combination of dishes, the essence of some ingredients has been obscured. A good dish does not need overly precious ingredients or well-matched combinations. It only needs to be able to bring out the flavors of the ingredients themselves, that's enough."
"I understand. Thank you." Although Luo Yu lost, he accepted it wholeheartedly. No matter how precious the ingredients, how amazing the knife skills, or how beautiful the dish, it couldn't compare to a simple stir-fried vegetable dish. This was the difference in strength.
"Host..." The system actually felt reluctant, but it was a fact that Luo Yu lost the game, so it had to punish Luo Yu for failure.
"Come on, I also want to know what the dishes I cook will taste like if I lose my sense of taste." Luo Yu smiled, and he didn't seem to care at all about losing his sense of taste and his attributes being reset to zero.
"Ding... The challenge mission failed. About ten hours before the mission ends, the host will lose their sense of taste. During this period, the host can still challenge others. Thereafter, failure will no longer result in a penalty."
The next second, Luo Yu lost his sense of taste, but he didn't feel anything. After exiting the virtual space and opening his eyes, he saw that it was exactly 6:30 in the morning.
In the mornings, Mo Han would work out in the third-floor gym while Luo Yu made breakfast in the kitchen. As usual, Luo Yu prepared breakfast quickly, freshly made soup dumplings and freshly cooked three-ingredient porridge in just half an hour. Mo Han finished his workout, showered, and dressed before heading downstairs.
After Mo Han took a mouthful of porridge, Luo Yu clearly felt that his movements paused.
"What's wrong?" Luo Yu asked.
"No, it tastes great." After saying that, Mo Han raised his head and drank the three-fresh porridge in the bowl in one breath, then said to Luo Yu: "Your wound has stuttered. To prevent allergies, you should not drink the three-fresh porridge today. Eat the soup dumplings instead."
I feel that Mo Han’s excuse is very far-fetched.
After Mo Han finished speaking, he originally wanted to pick up a soup dumpling for Luo Yu, but then he thought of something and put it in his own bowl. He took a bite and chewed it for a while. Luo Yu immediately noticed that Mo Han's chewing movement froze again.
If Luo Yu hadn't noticed anything wrong, he was truly slow to react. He picked up a soup dumpling, and before Mo Han could stop him, he took a bite. The salty, bitter taste inside made Luo Yu frown.
"Spit it out first." Mo Han said anxiously after quickly swallowing the food in his mouth.
Luo Yu looked at him without saying anything, then picked up the three-fresh porridge on the table, took a sip, and almost spit it out.
The taste was as bland as plain water, lacking the usual delicious flavor of the three-fresh porridge. Instead, the fishy taste was accentuated by the blandness of the flavor, making it extremely unpalatable. Thinking of how Mo Han had actually drunk the entire porridge, Luo Yu looked at Mo Han, a complex expression on his face for a moment.
"Xiao Luo..." With Luo Yu's cooking skills, it is impossible for him to make such unpalatable food. Mo Han immediately noticed that something was wrong with Luo Yu and looked at him with a worried look.
Facing Mo Han's concerned look, Luo Yu smiled faintly, "It's okay, maybe I'm not in the right mood today. I'll make some more." As expected, after losing his sense of taste, he could no longer grasp the taste of even the most ordinary food.
"No thanks." Mo Han pulled Luo Yu back and said to Uncle Zhou behind him, "Uncle Zhou, it's still early. Could you please make some more breakfast?"
"Okay." Uncle Zhou looked at Luo Yu with some worry, then turned and went into the kitchen.
Mo Han, worried about Luo Yu, had originally wanted to call a doctor. This time, no matter what Luo Yu said, Mo Han just couldn't be reassured, and in the end, the doctor couldn't find anything wrong. Coupled with Luo Yu's repeated assurances, Mo Han reluctantly believed Luo Yu's words that he was "not in good condition."
After class in the afternoon, Luo Yu walked to the corner of the school and suddenly saw a Mercedes-Benz with a familiar license plate parked on the side of the road. He walked straight over, opened the back door, and sat in.
After making sure Luo Yu was in the car, the driver started the car immediately.
Looking at Mo Han, who was wearing a dark blue suit, Luo Yu asked, "Why did you come to pick me up today?"
"Turn down the air conditioning a little." Although it was already evening, the temperature outside was still very high, and the air conditioning in the car was set very low. Mo Han was worried that Luo Yu would catch a cold from the sudden change in temperature. So he asked the driver to turn down the air conditioning a little. Then he answered Luo Yu's question.
"There is a banquet today, you accompany me."
"Those banquets of yours, I don't think it's appropriate for me to go." As far as Luo Yu knew, Mo Han rarely went to banquets. If he really had to go, he would ask Zhou Wenchong to accompany him. Why did he suddenly ask him to go today? Besides, Luo Yu had no interest in those banquets or anything like that.
"This banquet is different. You'll know when you go there." Mo Han didn't say anything more. He took Luo Yu back to the villa and took out a fashionable white suit that was obviously tailor-made for Luo Yu to put on.
This was Luo Yu's first time wearing a suit. This suit was the most popular style nowadays. It looked solemn yet also had the casual fashion trend. Most importantly, it was comfortable to wear.
His black hair looks well-layered yet a little messy and fluffy, he has a full forehead, and a pair of eyes that are as bright as the heavens and the earth, without any impurities, clear yet bottomless, a tall and heroic nose, well-defined lips, and a complexion as crystal as jade. The white suit makes his elegant and noble temperament more apparent, as if he is a disciple from an ancient family that has been brewing for thousands of years. His every move carries his unique charm.
Mo Han took out the jade pendant that Luo Yu had put in the drawer and put it on Luo Yu himself.
Looking at Mo Han's tall nose, thin lips, and impeccable facial features, the scene in his dream appeared before Luo Yu again. The young boy in his dream had also put the jade pendant on him in the same way.
"Okay." Although the cracked jade pendant did not match Luo Yu's current attire, Mo Han was extremely satisfied.
"Why do you wear this?" Luo Yu asked Mo Han, looking at the jade pendant hanging on his chest. He always felt that something was wrong with Mo Han recently. And whether intentionally or unintentionally, it was all targeting the jade pendant on his body.
Mo Han smiled mysteriously, "You'll know when the time comes. Okay, it's almost time, let's go."
When Zhou Bo, who was waiting outside, saw the jade pendant on Luo Yu's chest, he was stunned. He glanced at Mo Han, who was standing next to Luo Yu, and revealed an expression of sudden enlightenment. So that's why the young master treated Young Master Luo so differently from the beginning.
At first, Uncle Zhou was also puzzled. Although Luo Yu's cooking skills were good, they were not the best. Yet, Mo Han made Luo Yu his personal chef. Even though he was just a personal chef, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Mo Han's attitude towards Luo Yu was completely different. The intentional or unintentional indulgence, as well as the dissident treatment, further demonstrated Luo Yu's status in Mo Han's heart.
Knowing Mo Han well, Zhou Bo couldn't possibly be so kind to a young stranger for no reason. There had to be a reason. But Zhou Bo couldn't guess. Later, after the two of them were together, Zhou Bo thought that this was why Mo Han had fallen for Luo Yu from the beginning. Now that he thought about it, love at first sight simply couldn't happen to the cold and aloof Mo Han, Young Master Mo. Now that the answer was revealed, thinking back on everything that had happened before, everything fell into place.
The subtle changes in Zhou Bo's expression certainly didn't escape Luo Yu's attention, but since Zhou Bo clearly didn't mean to say anything, Luo Yu didn't dare to ask any more questions. His doubts seemed to grow even greater. The strangest thing was that Zhou Bo actually got in the car and sat in the passenger seat.
It seems that this banquet is no ordinary banquet!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
