Refusing to Please, She Becomes a Money-Spending Sensation

"..."

The lackey system had never been so speechless. Well, Master Jiang was not the subject of evaluation anyway.

When Cheng Zhaozhao said this, Master Jiang noticeably furrowed his brows.

However, he still pursed his lips and said, "I would like to hear the details."

[Who is Cheng Zhaozhao? How dare she comment on a top chef? ]

[The chef was hired by the program team. As a guest and diner on the show, why can't Cheng Zhaozhao offer her evaluation? ]

[As long as she's not an ignorant person, I don't see why it's unacceptable.]

Cheng Zhaozhao said, "The essence of soup-filled meatballs lies in replenishing the moisture lost when the gelatinous skin melts while frying the meatballs, resulting in a better texture. But you clearly used too little gelatinous skin, and the meatballs were too thick, making them less smooth to eat and slightly dry."

Her words were forceful, but Zhang Xue beside her couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

In fact, she had secretly investigated Master Jiang a long time ago. His name was Jiang Yan, and at a young age, he had achieved extraordinary accomplishments. Due to his exceptional talent, he caught the attention of Mu Xuanlong, the master of the state banquet, and became his apprentice. He is currently serving as the deputy head chef at his restaurant, Moon Hidden Pavilion.

However, Jiang Yan had a proud personality and disliked receiving criticism from anyone other than Mu Xuanlong.

Sure enough, Jiang Yan stared at Cheng Zhaozhao, and after she finished speaking, he suddenly sneered, "Huh, nonsense!"

Zhang Xue quickly followed suit, saying, "That's right, Zhaozhao. I don't think these meatballs are dry at all. Master Jiang is so skilled, how could he make such mistakes?"

The main reason Zhang Xue was trying to flatter Jiang Yan was that she wanted to get to know Mu Xuanlong, the master of the state banquet.

Mu Xuanlong was at the pinnacle of the culinary world and naturally had connections with celebrities. If she could get close to this kind of influential figure, she wouldn't have to worry about her career.

[Hahaha, Cheng Zhaozhao is simply pretending to be knowledgeable and looking for faults. Did the master chef scold her angrily? ]

[She's showing off in front of professionals; she's bound to be humiliated.]

[I told you, he's a top chef. She probably can't even cook a proper meal. What does she know? ]

Just then, someone reminded Jiang Yan that he had a phone call.

Before entering the set, Jiang Yan had handed a cell phone to the production staff and specifically instructed them to pass the call to him if someone called that number.

He took the phone and saw the caller ID, walking out of the camera's view before answering, "Master?"

A deep voice came from the other end of the phone. It was Mu Xuanlong: "Xiao Jiang, what's going on with you? That girl was right. I noticed the problem while watching your live broadcast of the cooking process."

Mu Xuanlong cared about his apprentice, so he had been watching the live stream all along and naturally saw everything that had just happened.

Jiang Yan pursed his lips. When Cheng Zhaozhao pointed out the flaw in the soup-filled meatballs, he did indeed feel a sense of being understood. However, he held biases against female celebrities like Cheng Zhaozhao, thinking that they were only good-looking and lacked any real substance. Coupled with his dislike of being criticized, he refused to acknowledge her words.

How could Mu Xuanlong not know what his apprentice was thinking? He continued, "You have great talent, and you study culinary arts diligently, but this inability to accept advice is a fatal flaw. How many times do I have to say it? It's crucial! By causing trouble for others on the spot today, you may have maintained some temporary face, but in reality, you have offended an important person!"

Faced with Mu Xuanlong's admonishment, Jiang Yan's aura visibly diminished. After a moment of silence, he said, "Yes."

"Your culinary skills have reached a certain level. What you lack most now is a diner who can point out your shortcomings. Remain humble. Perhaps this is the key to breaking through your bottleneck!"

Jiang Yan seemed to be moved by these words, his eyes flickering slightly. "You're right, Master."

Mu Xuanlong's tone softened a lot at this point. "By the way, Moon Hidden Pavilion will open in a week. It would be great if you could invite that girl to attend the opening ceremony and ask if she has time."

Jiang Yan's eyes immediately revealed uncontrollable astonishment, but even so, he nodded, "Alright."

On the other side.

Xu Ren and Zhang Xue finally seized the opportunity to mock Cheng Zhaozhao and took turns bombarding her.

Zhang Xue assumed a knowing expression and lectured, "Zhao Zhao, when it comes to being a person, the first thing you need to learn is to keep a low profile. Nowadays, society is not as simple as you think. If you don't change your personality, sooner or later, society will make you suffer!"

"Xiao Zhang is right." Xu Ren's face showed a smug look. "Zhao Zhao, did you speak up because earlier I was too focused on talking to Xiao Zhang and neglected you? So, you couldn't help but seek attention?"

"..."

Cheng Zhao Zhao was speechless, looking at the two people in front of her as if they were idiots. Suddenly, a feeling arose within her: "You two actually make a good match."

They both possessed an extraordinary level of self-confidence.

Xu Ren was overjoyed, thinking that Cheng Zhao Zhao was jealous. But before he could speak, Jiang Yan returned.

Zhang Xue's eyes brightened. "Zhao Zhao, quickly apologize to Master Jiang. Master Jiang is tolerant and magnanimous; surely he won't bother with a little girl like you."

Little did Zhang Xue know that when Jiang Yan entered the room, he walked directly to Cheng Zhao Zhao, bowing respectfully and addressing her as "Miss Cheng."

This sudden change stunned Zhang Xue.

From the moment Jiang Yan appeared until now, his tone and attitude have been somewhat arrogant. But now, after going out for a while, he seemed... much more polite towards Cheng Zhao Zhao?

Jiang Yan slightly lowered his head and said, "You hit the nail on the head with your previous question. It was my pride that prevented me from admitting it. I have offended you, and I ask for your forgiveness."

The expressions on Zhang Xue and Xu Ren's faces changed dramatically.

"Well, Master Jiang..."

Xu Ren didn't know what to say anymore. So, was Cheng Zhao Zhao really just speaking up because she was dissatisfied with the food, not to attract his attention?

Jiang Yan didn't pay attention to the other two and continued, "My master called me just now and woke me up. Cheng Miss, please don't mind, but I have been in a bottleneck for a long time. My master said that I should humbly accept advice in order to break through."

This time, Mu Xuanlong sent him out for training, hoping that he could gain some insights.

Jiang Yan then added, "Also, my master feels that he has a connection with you. Next week, there will be a grand opening event at Hidden Moon Pavillion in the northern city. I wonder if Miss Cheng has the time to attend?"

Zhang Xue was thunderstruck.

Hidden Moon Pavillion, the most famous restaurant under Mu Xuanlong's name, was opening a branch in the northern city. The grand occasion was bound to be extraordinary, and usually ordinary celebrities couldn't easily enter. Only those who passed the selection process could obtain entry qualifications. Countless top-notch figures would be present—perhaps the kind of circle she would never have a chance to come into contact with in her lifetime.

Cheng Zhao Zhao, acknowledged by Mu Xuanlong, was invited to attend by Master Jiang.

This was impossible.

Zhang Xue was truly shocked and accidentally blurted out her thoughts: "Master Jiang, did you misunderstand what Master meant?"

Cheng Zhao Zhao was recognized by Mu Xuanlong, and Jiang Yan treated her politely, but it was different for Zhang Xue.

Impatiently, he said, "Miss, I have tolerated you for a long time. Since the beginning, you've been talking nonsense. Do you really think you understand my master's intentions better than I do?"