Chapter 105: Challenge Me Again If You Dare

Han Jiayi confidently strode toward the kitchen of Lanwa House, carrying the air of someone completely at ease. Yet halfway there, her boldness faltered, and she turned back to drag Bai Renzong along with her. “You’re coming with me…”

“You’re…” Bai Renzong opened his mouth but said no more, fully aware that this girl was just a little short on confidence.

In truth, Han Jiayi’s culinary skills were outstanding; it was only her resolve that occasionally wavered. Nevertheless, when it came down to cooking, she threw herself into the task wholeheartedly.

“At first, I was just watching you, pretending not to notice, but my heart was drifting… secretly pleased you hadn’t spotted me hiding in the corner…” Han Jiayi hummed a little tune as she methodically went about her work with remarkable efficiency, everything in perfect order.

Watching from the side, Bai Renzong couldn’t help but raise one eyebrow—he had discerned a pattern.

This girl’s singing rhythm dictated her cooking tempo.

For instance, when making Yun Ni earlier, a stable and gentle rhythm was required, especially when mixing the batter—not too fast, not too slow—so her singing was accordingly mellow. But now, preparing the French vegetable aspic demanded a rapid pace: making the broth, chopping vegetables, cooling—there was hardly a moment to pause, so her song’s tempo quickened.

It was a clever strategy, subconsciously aligning her rhythm to suit the dish—perfectly fitting Han Jiayi.

“Tsk… this girl,” Bai Renzong chuckled, shaking his head. “Truly amusing.”

To be fair, though her voice wasn’t heavenly, it was cheerful and sweet, making the fast-paced melodies particularly endearing.

“At this moment, finally brave…” Han Jiayi focused intently on the plate before her, peeling off the mold. Satisfied, she nodded and sang the final words: “Say I love you!”

Then she turned, presenting the “Rainbow” to Bai Renzong, much like a little girl proudly showing her parents a high test score. “Ta-da!”

The plate shimmered with seven vibrant hues, reminiscent of a rainbow appearing after the rain.

“Excellent, excellent,” Bai Renzong smiled softly, applauding. “Now, let’s have him taste it.”

“Alright!” Han Jiayi responded gleefully, then triumphantly carried the dish back upstairs to the dining room with Bai Renzong.

“Chef Yang Hua, this humble girl will make her offering.” Han Jiayi smiled gracefully, setting the tray down and, imitating Yang Hua’s manner, slowly lifting the dish’s cover.

This act infuriated Yang Hua, who crossed his arms and shook his leg rapidly, eager to see what lay beneath.

At that moment, some dramatic effects like those in Chinese cooking shows, accompanied by background music, would have been perfect, Bai Renzong mused.

When the lid finally lifted, the dazzling seven-colored French vegetable aspic was revealed, drawing an audible gasp from the audience.

Visually, “Rainbow” exuded all the charm of a fairy tale. Though not as meticulously crafted as “Heart of the Forest,” its vivid, rich colors and strong romantic flair made it every bit as impressive, if not more so.

After all, before them was “Heart of the Forest” in all four seasons, yet Han Jiayi’s single dish “Rainbow” managed to overshadow its commanding presence.

“Wow! Sis, how could you keep such a beautiful appetizer from me and give it to Old Bai first? Favoring him over your sister!” Wang Bei exclaimed excitedly, capturing the rainbow from every angle with her camera.

“Alright, alright, I’ll make it for you one day, okay?” Han Jiayi replied with a gentle smile, embodying the graceful, kind chef.

“French vegetable aspic? So what? Even if you improved it, aspic is aspic. What’s new about it?” Yang Hua said flatly.

But Bai Renzong detected a hint of stubbornness in his tone: as a top chef himself, Yang Hua knew that this aspic differed from the traditional French version.

French cuisine values “layering,” and subtle changes in ingredients or presentation can yield entirely new experiences.

“Oh, come on, taste it first, Chef Yang Hua,” Han Jiayi said sweetly, offering him the fork and knife. “Please enjoy.”

“Tsk, I’ll reluctantly try it then.” Yang Hua rolled his eyes, cutting a small piece and tasting it.

His expression was unreadable, but Bai Renzong noticed a slight twitch of his brow.

“Ahem.” Clearing his throat, Yang Hua scoffed, “As I expected, nothing extraordinary, quite ordinary.”

Yet despite his words, he obediently cut another piece and ate it. “For your level, this is commendable, so I’ll begrudgingly praise you. But compared to my ‘Heart of the Forest,’ you’re far behind!”

Speaking as he took another bite.

“Is that so? Thank you for your praise, Chef Yang Hua,” Han Jiayi smiled sweetly, hands pressed to her cheeks. “But you look like you actually quite like it. Don’t force yourself, okay?”

“I just don’t want to waste food.” Yang Hua quickly finished the aspic, putting the empty plate aside. “By the way, have you had enough? Want me to make you something else? You seem quite hungry.”

The two stared at each other for a moment, then both turned their gaze toward Bai Renzong. “Friend!” “Old Bai!”

“Uh?” Bai Renzong blinked, then looked at both of them before glancing down at the “Heart of the Forest” and “Rainbow” before him, frowning. “Well… how to put this… I actually think both appetizers are perfect, absolutely world-class…”

“No drawing a tie!” Han Jiayi protested.

“Indeed, no ties allowed!” Yang Hua crossed his arms, voice cold. “There must be a winner today!”

“Well…” Bai Renzong’s eyes flicked between the two dishes, then to Han Jiayi and Yang Hua.

Han Jiayi looked at him expectantly, while Yang Hua’s face was full of desire for validation.

This was a tough spot.

Bai Renzong closed his eyes, pondering carefully before finally giving his verdict.

“Personally, I believe ‘Rainbow’ has the edge,” he said calmly.

“Friend!” Yang Hua exclaimed in mock despair, “Have you been coerced by her with mating rights!?”

“Mating rights? How vulgar!” Han Jiayi blushed furiously. “I would never use something like that to blackmail him!”

“I know you’re mindful of that woman’s feelings, but in the world of cuisine, love cannot be a seasoning!” Yang Hua gripped Bai Renzong’s shoulder passionately. “You must set aside your feelings for her and give an impartial answer!”

“Even setting aside my feelings for her, my answer remains unchanged.” Bai Renzong said seriously.

Setting aside his feelings for me!? Han Jiayi clasped her face, wondering if he was just humoring Yang Hua or sneakily bending the truth.

“Why?!” Yang Hua challenged.

“My reason is,” Bai Renzong explained, “‘Heart of the Forest’ is beautifully conceived but overly complicated. Guests have to wait a whole year to taste the complete ‘Heart of the Forest.’ From the moment you withheld that information, I felt the appetizer paled in comparison to Han Mumu’s ‘Rainbow’…”

“You…” Han Jiayi grumbled behind him, “calling me Han Mumu again, and in front of everyone…”

“After you told me, I tried the other three seasons,” Bai Renzong continued, ignoring her complaints. “While all four seasons are of comparable, top-tier quality, none individually surpasses ‘Rainbow.’ And since the appetizer portion must be limited, you can’t present all four seasons together.”

He gently tapped Han Jiayi’s head. “In summary, I think ‘Rainbow’ is superior.”

“Ugh…” Yang Hua deflated slightly, clearly hit where it hurt.

“So, from an appetizer standpoint, I think ‘Rainbow’ wins,” Bai Renzong concluded.

“Hehe…” Han Jiayi giggled behind him, “Did you hear that? Admit defeat now!”

Yang Hua glared at her and let out a low growl. The two resumed their standoff.

Bai Renzong quickly added, “But since these are just parts of a multi-course meal, the final outcome depends on the whole set’s harmony.”

“In the end, my entire menu will be better,” Han Jiayi said confidently.

“Hmph, just a one-star Michelin chef trying to talk big?” Yang Hua jabbed.

“It’ll be two stars soon!” Han Jiayi snapped back indignantly. “Maybe even… awoo!”

Bai Renzong lightly tapped her forehead, interrupting. That silly girl had no sense of caution!

He knew Han Jiayi wanted to say, “Maybe even this month!” Yang Hua wasn’t the scheming type, but with so many eyes around, if anyone learned about the Michelin inspection date and tried to interfere, it would be troublesome.

After all, Han Jiayi knew the characteristics of Michelin inspectors, and industry insiders could surely recognize them too.

“Sorry, that’s enough for today,” Bai Renzong smiled. “Looking forward to your next creation.”

“Hmph, the next dish will definitely be mine…” Yang Hua suddenly raised an eyebrow, a spark of inspiration resembling Han Jiayi’s expression.

Then he turned to her with a smile. “How about it? Want to pick a dish and compete?”

“Okay!” Han Jiayi accepted without hesitation, though inwardly nervous: as an inspiration-driven chef, she could create great dishes when inspired, but couldn’t force it when the muse was absent.

“Then let’s make ‘soup’ the theme,” Yang Hua said, looking down at Han Jiayi. “Let’s see who can make the better soup.”

“Deal!” Han Jiayi agreed.

“Old Bai, aren’t you going to stop Jiayi?” Wang Bei whispered anxiously.

“Why stop her? They’re not betting anything.” Bai Renzong shrugged. “Even if she loses, it won’t matter. It’ll just give us good material… why not?”

Wang Bei considered this and nodded. “Makes sense…”

“Now, allow me to serve everyone,” Yang Hua said to Bai Renzong with a smile. “After all, my friend’s visit isn’t for business, and it would be rude to only serve an appetizer and send him off.”

“If it’s half price, I can accept,” Bai Renzong nodded. “Otherwise, it’ll blow the budget this month.”

“No need, on me,” Yang Hua smiled. “It’s my honor to have my friend taste my cooking.”

With that, he bowed slightly and wheeled away his serving cart.

“He’s actually quite decent,” Bai Renzong sipped his wine. “As a friend, that is.”

“He probably only has you as a friend…” Wang Bei muttered with a pout.

“Yay, I won today!” Han Jiayi finally beamed, flashing a victory sign.

“Better start thinking about how not to lose next time, sis,” Wang Bei whispered.

“Oh, you little brat…” Han Jiayi scolded playfully, shooting her a glare. “Can’t you just let me enjoy this moment?”

Soon, the exquisite dishes from Lanwa House arrived in quick succession.

After the three finished eating and exchanged brief greetings with Yang Hua, the evening’s recording wrapped up.

Bai Renzong knew this video would undoubtedly make the front page due to its exceptional quality and the lack of business ties. He planned to edit it carefully and save it for the perfect moment to stun everyone.

Wang Bei drove Bai Renzong and Han Jiayi home, then took a taxi herself; it was already past ten at night.

“Uh…” As Han Jiayi changed shoes by the door, Bai Renzong suddenly spoke.

“What is it?” Han Jiayi asked curiously.

Looking into her beautiful eyes, Bai Renzong scratched his face awkwardly. “I… didn’t quite eat enough.”

He hadn’t dared to eat much before the food inspection visit, only snacking lightly in the sample room beforehand.

Lanwa House’s dishes were indeed exquisite and flavorful, but portions were tiny—many barely a mouthful.

A man weighing one hundred and fifty pounds simply couldn’t get full!

Though Bai Renzong knew Yang Hua wouldn’t mind if he ordered more, he just couldn’t bring himself to ask.

After all, Lanwa House’s minimum average spend was over eight hundred yuan, and the set Yang Hua presented was the best selection, costing over a thousand at least; asking for extra food felt impossible.

Han Jiayi paused, then burst out laughing at his expression—he was adorable!

“Wait here, I’ll make you something else,” she said with a doting smile.

“Uh… thank you,” Bai Renzong replied sheepishly.

(Thanks to Xuanji Unicorn for the monthly ticket, thanks to Wu Wenwo, Only Knows 666, Bookmate 160512065941190 for two monthly tickets, thanks to Summit Fengxiang, and Yes, Qingyi for the rewards.)

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