Chapter 57: Clouds

After dinner, Bai Renzong and Han Jiayi brought a meal for Wang Bei as well, and then returned home.

At that moment, Wang Bei was at home, gnawing on beef jerky while watching her computer. Seeing the two return, she cast a resentful glare at them and said, "Hmph, you still remember me? I thought you’d forgotten all about me and gone off to have fun!"

"We just had a meal at Willow Pavilion across the street..." Bai Renzong replied with a bitter smile.

Han Jiayi hurriedly kicked off her sandals and ran to the kitchen in slippers.

"Tsk, don’t run around the house in slippers! You might trip!" Bai Renzong scolded, frowning, and placed her sandals neatly at the door.

Han Jiayi was already busy in the kitchen, clearly inspired by something. Seeing this, Bai Renzong didn’t want to disturb her and simply set the portion of Hainan chicken rice he’d brought for Wang Bei in front of her.

Today, he wanted to complete the "Lightning Reflex" achievement, and tomorrow he would prepare for a new episode.

Now that the studio was newly established, there wasn’t a single day to relax this month—either making videos or on the road to making them. But once this month was over and enough videos had accumulated, things would become easier.

Just as Bai Renzong had nearly completed his eightieth lightning reflex, Han Jiayi suddenly pushed open the door and entered, placing a cup in front of him with a confident smile. "Try this," she said.

Distracted, Bai Renzong was instantly defeated by a flurry of enemy attacks. On the screen, the old man coldly dropped a line: "Hesitate, and you’ll lose..."

"What’s this?" Bai Renzong looked down at the cup.

"You’ll know when you taste it," Han Jiayi replied with a proud smile.

It was a dessert resembling a soufflé, but white, appearing softer and emitting a faint sweet fragrance.

Bai Renzong realized this must be the "cloud-like" dish Han Jiayi had wanted to make.

"Hmm..." Bai Renzong pursed his lips and looked at Han Jiayi. He wanted to tease her, but it was good to see her spirits revived.

Moreover, Han Jiayi was watching him expectantly, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

Such a sweet and adorable girl... He couldn’t bring himself to tease her.

Bai Renzong shook his head, scooped up a spoonful, and tasted it.

As soon as it entered his mouth, Bai Renzong felt as if a spring breeze had brushed his face: the dessert was similar to a soufflé, but even lighter—almost melting instantly, so light it was like... a wisp of cloud.

Then a subtle coolness spread across his tongue.

Although Bai Renzong had no idea what a real cloud tasted like, this texture was probably the closest match to the "cloud" in his imagination.

"Mm..." Bai Renzong covered his mouth, his brows furrowed as he pondered how to comment.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, apart from praise, he couldn’t find anything else to say.

"Is it good?" Han Jiayi asked, smiling and waiting for his answer.

"Uh..." Bai Renzong hesitated, unable to find the right words.

"Just say it! Any opinion is fine!" Han Jiayi urged him, half pleading, half acting coy.

"It’s... very delicious," Bai Renzong said, frowning. "But..."

Han Jiayi pressed her lips together, a bit nervous as she looked at him.

Bai Renzong looked into her beautiful eyes, their gazes meeting.

"Mm?" Han Jiayi pursed her lips, the corners of her mouth tinged with a smile, both expectant and anxious.

This girl was just too adorable... Bai Renzong turned his face away and rolled his eyes. "No ‘but’—this dish is excellent."

"Really?" Han Jiayi beamed, her smile so sweet it could melt a heart.

Just looking at her, Bai Renzong could feel her joy radiating from within, and though he wished to say something to keep her from getting too smug, nothing came out. He could only turn away. "Really..."

"Oh my gosh!" Han Jiayi jumped up happily, waving her little hand. "I finally made something you can’t criticize!"

"What’s that cool sensation?" Bai Renzong wondered aloud.

"Crushed mint candy," Han Jiayi replied, delighted.

Bai Renzong suddenly understood: so that’s it!

The coolness of the mint candy paired with the lighter-than-soufflé texture gave the illusion of swallowing a mouthful of icy vapor.

A cloud.

Of course, though the goal was the texture of a cloud, this was ultimately a dessert. If one insisted on what a real cloud tasted like, that would be nitpicking, not critique.

With "cloud" as its gimmick, this dessert was nearly perfect. It could be used as a base for countless flavors, enough to satisfy anyone.

Bai Renzong could find no fault with it.

Since the "God’s Tongue" only judges flavors, and this dessert was Han Jiayi’s original creation, there was no culinary standard to measure it against. From flavor and texture alone, it was impeccable.

From a dessert’s perspective, its creativity, flavor, and texture were all outstanding. To nitpick at such a dessert was no longer appreciation but pure sniping.

"How did you come up with this?" Bai Renzong asked, a bit unwilling to admit defeat.

"After failing at soufflé the other day, I wanted to achieve an even lighter texture, since soufflé is actually quite tricky. Then I wondered if a ‘cloud’ would taste like this," Han Jiayi said with a mischievous grin. "Do you like it?"

"Yes..." Bai Renzong rubbed his forehead and sighed. At this point, stubbornness would only seem petty; it was better to admit it frankly.

"Hehe..." Han Jiayi gazed at him happily, her expression free of provocation or sarcasm—only the wish to share her triumph with him.

"Once this dessert is officially launched at your shop, I’ll write a food review for it and send it to ‘Purple Grape’," Bai Renzong said, scooping another spoonful. "You don’t mind, do you?"

"Not at all!" Han Jiayi shook her head cheerfully, her soft hair swaying along.

Now she finally understood the root of her problem: when cooking, she should focus on wanting the other person to enjoy delicious food, not on beating them. She’d gotten it wrong all along.

She’d always been desperate to outdo Bai Renzong, but in truth, chef and diner are not rivals. Her goal wasn’t to surpass the other, but to wholeheartedly think of them, making a dish they would truly love.

Once she grasped this, inspiration was never an issue. She could pick any dish, think about how to make it so the other would like it, and her mind would be flooded with ideas.

Of course, Bai Renzong deserved some credit for helping her realize this.

"Isn’t this great?" Bai Renzong handed her the empty cup. "It’s very much your style."

"Mm!" Han Jiayi took the cup from him, but Bai Renzong didn’t let go right away. "Yang Hua’s cooking is exquisite, but he often relies on flashy appearances to mask a lack of ‘depth’—his understanding of cuisine is flawed. Don’t be intimidated by him. Stick to your style, and you’ll catch up in no time."

"Hmm..." Han Jiayi glanced sideways at Bai Renzong with a smile; she seemed to have figured out this critic’s personality.

"Got it," Han Jiayi replied with a smile. "I’ll go make one for Xiao Bei to try."

Bai Renzong’s expression softened, and he let her take the cup before continuing to work on his achievement.

(Thanks to woaikanshuhehe for the monthly ticket, and to the author Duoshi Taolu Ge and Tiko for their two monthly tickets.)