The live comments erupted into an argument, while the show carried on.
Tan Yaya and Zhang Jue had decent ingredients, but unfortunately, neither was very good at cooking. Even with guidance from the staff, their dishes looked mediocre. You could only tell what they were supposed to be.
As for the taste, probably no one wanted to know.
The live comments weighed in.
[As expected, our Yaya is only cut out for singing. Cooking should be left to the professionals.]
[I get it now. Hands that are good at gaming aren't necessarily good at cooking.]
[Watching these two, I'm suddenly feeling a little sorry for them.]
[Such good ingredients. What a waste.]
[I'm a little worried. Neither of them can cook. Will they argue over this later?]
[You're overthinking it. Do Heavenly Queen Tan and Zhang Jue look short of money to you? If they can't cook, they can just hire a housekeeper.]
Last were Liu Yan and Wang Zihua.
They had good ingredients, and Liu Yan could cook reasonably well. The dishes looked quite presentable.
For the first time, this gave Wang Zihua a favorable impression of his temporary girlfriend.
"I've watched your streams before. I always thought you could only sing and dance. I never expected you could cook, too."
At the compliment, Liu Yan's smile grew a little more genuine. "I usually live alone. Takeout isn't healthy, so I had to try cooking for myself."
"I didn't expect to have a bit of a talent for it."
"Besides, I think being able to cook is nice. At least I'll be able to cook for my partner in the future."
Wang Zihua nodded approvingly. "Absolutely. A girl who can cook gets plenty of extra points."
The two grew considerably closer.
Wang Zihua was a playboy with a smooth tongue. Before long, he had Liu Yan shaking with laughter.
Liu Yan also had high emotional intelligence. She chimed in supportively now and then, thoroughly satisfying Wang Zihua's vanity.
While the two chatted merrily, things were much quieter on Su Wanyue's side.
Looking at the three vegetable dishes before her, Su Wanyue wore a guilty expression. "Brother Yanzhou, it's all my fault you can't even have a decent meal."
Seeing the woman he loved looking guilty made Gu Yanzhou's heart ache. He reached out and clasped her hand on the table. "It's not your fault. You already did your best."
"I'm the useless one. I couldn't even afford to get you meat."
Despite his words, scenes from his dates with Xie Ran involuntarily surfaced in Gu Yanzhou's mind.
Whenever they went on dates, the table was always laden with top-quality ingredients and dishes.
Even when they ate at the Xie Family's home, there were never just three vegetable dishes.
If Xie Ran were here instead, the spread would certainly be dozens of times more lavish. Xie Ran was outstanding. It seemed that everything could find the best possible solution in her hands.
Noticing that the man holding her hand had drifted off, Su Wanyue's eyes darkened briefly. "Brother Yanzhou, what's wrong?"
Gu Yanzhou came back to himself. "Nothing. I was just thinking that I must give you a good life in the future."
Su Wanyue smiled shyly. "To me, being with you is the best life, Brother Yanzhou."
What man wouldn't like hearing words like those, especially from the woman he loved?
Gu Yanzhou's sense of loss vanished at once. "Yueyue, you're so wonderful."
Su Wanyue beamed. "That's because you're such a good person yourself, Brother Yanzhou. It makes people want to be good to you."
Pink bubbles seemed to surround them, and the atmosphere suddenly grew much warmer.
"Brother Yanzhou, try this. See how it tastes." Su Wanyue picked up some egg with her chopsticks and put it in Gu Yanzhou's bowl.
"I haven't cooked in a while. I don't know if I've gotten rusty."
Looking at the egg coated in tomato juice, Gu Yanzhou stiffened briefly, then braced himself and put it in his mouth.
The egg was dry and tough, the tomato flavor faint, and the seasoning haphazard. The salt level was right, but there was no depth of flavor at all.
It lacked savory richness, as well as a refreshing, sweet finish.
It was nothing like the stir-fried tomatoes and eggs he had eaten before.
Gu Yanzhou chewed twice and swallowed it straight down. Looking up into Su Wanyue's expectant eyes, he said, "Not bad. There's still room for improvement."
"Okay, I'll keep working on it." Su Wanyue put another helping of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs in Gu Yanzhou's bowl.
A flicker of distaste crossed Gu Yanzhou's face as he looked at the egg in his bowl, but he still braced himself and ate it.
The hot-and-sour shredded potatoes and steamed egg that followed were equally unremarkable. They were edible, but had nothing whatsoever to do with delicious food.
The entire meal tasted like wax to Gu Yanzhou.
By comparison, things between Xie Yuan and Mu Ze were harmonious and natural.
Xie Yuan put a piece of pork rib in his mouth, and his eyes lit up.
The balance of sweet and sour was just right. The meat was tender enough to fall off the bone without being dry, and so delicious he could have swallowed his tongue.
After finishing the rib, Xie Yuan picked up some stir-fried cabbage.
The cabbage was refreshing with a hint of sweetness, whetting his appetite and cutting through the richness. It was delicious.
The steamed sea bass that followed had no fishy smell at all, and its flesh was tender and silky, not the least bit tough. The dipping sauce wasn't simply soy sauce, either.
After one bite, Xie Yuan couldn't resist taking another. "This isn't soy sauce."
Mu Ze explained, "I mixed the sauce myself. It's my own secret recipe."
"Impressive." Xie Yuan gave him a thumbs-up, then tried the cucumber salad.
The cucumber was crisp, with just the right amount of acidity, and the dressing was unlike anything Xie Yuan had tasted before.
Mu Ze ladled out a bowl of tofu and mushroom soup and set it before Xie Yuan. "This soup is very savory. Try it."
Xie Yuan took a sip, and his eyes brightened further, his small face filled with delight.
There wasn't a trace of beany odor. The mushrooms' savory flavor enveloped the tofu, with distinct layers of flavor that remained wonderfully fresh and savory.
After a bowl of tofu soup, Xie Yuan felt warm all over. "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were a Michelin chef."
Mu Ze paused briefly. "It's just a hobby."
"If you like it, I'll make you something else next time."
Xie Yuan's livestream was filled with comments from people wanting a taste.
[That looks so delicious. I'm drooling.]
[It just looks like home cooking. Is it really that good? I won't believe it unless you let me have a bite.]
[Your little scheme is so obvious it's practically hitting me in the face.]
[The premium steak in my mouth suddenly doesn't taste so good.]
[Young Master Xie is so lucky. I want a partner who can cook, too.]
Some of Su Wanyue's fans in Xie Yuan's livestream immediately became unhappy.
[That Xie Dog is an embarrassment to wealthy families. It's just a little home cooking, and he's acting like he's never had any before.]
[Exactly. Anyone who didn't know better would think the Xie Family had gone bankrupt.]
[So cheap. What a country bumpkin. You can tell he's never eaten anything good.]
[Obviously someone's fans. Their idol is miserably eating three vegetable dishes, and her fans are over here being sour.]
[I won't name names, but someone's clearly been triggered.]
At Livestream Backstage, watching the comments and Xie Yuan's enjoyment of his meal on camera, Director Ma asked, "Is it really that good?"
The Deputy Director said, "When the staff went to portion out the food, they came back saying it smelled amazing. It should taste pretty good."
Director Ma's tone was complicated. "I didn't expect him to be able to cook, too."
Hearing this, the Deputy Director sensed there was more to it. "Director, do you know this non-celebrity, Mu Ze?"
Director Ma glanced at the Deputy Director. "Don't ask about things you shouldn't be prying into."
Before you continue