The Heartbeat at the Tip of the Tongue

Word count: 1851

HaveFun

Lin Ke Song only then understood why Jiang Qian Fan had asked her that day whether she’d be afraid of going against Jessica Quentin. He had already had plans.

Lin Ke Song stared at Jiang Qian Fan’s eyebrows for a long time.

She understood him. This man is not bothered by fame or fortune, and doesn’t mind failures or success, that he would use his name this time to challenge Jessica Quentin for a pk at this “event” , was still for her.

“Did you know the words that Iris had said to me?” Lin Ke Song asked.

“En.” Jiang Qian Fan replied lightly.

“How did you know? Iris told you?”

“Because you were very upset at the results of the competition. If it were the usual for you, the result of totally defeating Viktor and getting 2nd place, would have fulfilled and gone way beyond the expectations you had for yourself, but you were tearing in front of me, and still said that you wanted to always stay by my side, that means someone must have definitely given you pressure. This person must have said to you, that if you’d lost you will affect me greatly, and even shouldn’t stay by my side. This person will not be Mayer. He understands how important you are to me, he will give you pressure, but he will definitely be reluctant to let you leave me.”

“So you think that person is Iris.”

“Yes. also, Goto Nozomi told me, about the incident when you were paralysed by salt water in the waiting room. I requested the security committee to check the security camera footage, the one who secretly put salt in your bottle of water was ShanSha.”

A disappointed expression showed up on her face. The person who did that thing was indeed her.

“So i personally looked for ShanSha. I was very curious, because according to ShanSha’s past, she would not think of such a clever method. So i told her, if she didn’t come clean, i would let the competition committee see the footage. So she talked. She told me that she occasionally heard Jessica Quentin and Iris talk in the restroom. Jessica asked Iris, ‘if there was a way to paralyse a contestant’s sense of taste without a trace, to be able to let them lose her footing in the competition’. And Iris replied Jessica saying ‘then just let their tongues taste overly sweet or salty foods’.”

“ShanSha remembered this point.” Lin Ke Song’s heart was numb, this was only a competition, ShanSha wanted 3rd place so badly? If she didn’t harbour evilness in her heart, it wouldn’t have mattered what she’d heard.

“Yes, but nobody knows if Jessica and Iris purposely or accidentally exchanged those words in the bathroom.”

“So, you want to use this pk to establish my confidence? I am already very confident, you can rest totally assured. And i know my win and loss had nothing to do with the Quentin Co. taking away this food street project, i can now sleep peacefully.”

“Silly. I only want to do a good deed with you.”

At that moment, Lin Ke Song’s heart opened with happiness.

“Do you dare? Are you willing?” Jiang Qian Fan asked.

“Of course I’m willing!”

Lin Ke Song suddenly felt that this pk was starting to get meaningful.

“And even if we lose, it’s no big deal.” Jiang Qian Fan supplemented.

“I know! I wish to give Jessica Quentin a run for her money! If she were to accept the pk, she’ll definitely give her all. She will be like me and think that you will have brody or HanBin for your partner, and to win, she will definitely have Iris as her assistant. When the time comes, and you bring a student with no reputation or experience and lose to the 2 3 star restaurant head chefs, others will only say that you are training your student.”

“Yeah ah.”

“Wait, as Jiang Qian Fan, you have always done things in a way that things ‘must be accomplished’, never leaving an exit for yourself. Why did you have so many considerations this time?” Lin Ke Song asked tilting her head.

“Because I hope that you can feel like usual. And havefun with me.”

Lin Ke Song looked away, smiling even more happily.

The second day, Jessica Quentin agreed to Jiang Qian Fan’s pk suggestion through the official website of 《Gourmet》magazine.

“I am delighted to do this event with chef Jiang Qian FAn. i find it really meaningful to be able to play a part for charity through my cooking. This time, my daughter Iris is also planning to join this event with me. This mother and daughter pair has not cooked together for a long time, we are very grateful to Mr Jiang and s&c for giving us this opportunity to reconnect our feelings.”

Lin Ke Song watched the video on her phone, while thinking to herself.

Jessica Quentin is indeed an old vixen ah, purposely emphasizing that accepting this pk  was for fundraising for charity, even using the excuse of reconnecting feelings with her daughter. Even if she really lost, no one would easily attack her. Afterall, attacking a person who was contributing to charity, is not virtuous at all.

“Ke Song! Hurry come over! Make another Wellington steak!” Pepper’s voice sounded.

“Coming!” Lin Ke Song returned to the back kitchen quickly, and saw the back view of Jiang Qian Fan making meringue, and suddenly felt that life couldn’t be anymore wonderful.

That’s right, the back kitchen of phts was handled by Jiang Qian Fan and Lin Ke Song.

This kind of a busy back kitchen was the best for training a person’s adaptation and organisation abilities.

In the past, she was looked on at Brody and Jiang Qian FAn’s partnership enviously, but now, she had become Jiang Qian FAn’s partner.

Even though it was busy and messy at the start, even having some dishes totally wasted, unable to serve, with every failure, Lin Ke Song understood her own shortcomings better, and even learned many things from Jiang Qian Fan.

In the back kitchen, she was like a clockwork.

After leaving phts, she would lean on the car window and go into deep sleep. And every time she woke up, she would find herself leaning in Jiang Qian Fan’s arms steadily, that kind of feeling of being surrounded but the other party, made her feel unparalleled safety.

With school reopening, Lin Ke Song’s time became a precious commodity. And half her classes were the same as Song Yi Ran, this chap could always easily help her, even groupwork was handled by this chap, allowing Lin Ke Song to ease up greatly.

The time of 3 months passed quickly, in a blink of an eye, it was the opening day of the s&c theme park.

The name of this theme park was called “Age of Innocence”, there were all kinds of entertainment with the main theme coming from fairy tales, legends and myths from different countries. It was different from the “scream zone”, apart from the rides like roller coasters and carousels, there were also all sorts of activities that one could partake. Like the small theatre that had Chinese legends as the theme, and the role-playing of fairy tale characters in themed backgrounds for children and their parents, there were even obstacle courses.

And in this theme park, there was a piece of construction that had a very ancient and traditional feel. The most eye-catching thing was an octagonal pavilion that had a plaque on it that read yuejianghotel.

As the most well-known branch of Chinese cuisine restaurants in New York, the centre of YueJiangHotel was a hall that could contain 100 people.

The big hall held a 3 storey building above it. These floors could be used to entertain guests, but today, they were filled fully with many media and reporters.

In the centre of the big hall, was 60 guests of all sorts of skin colours. Some wore exquisite outfits, coming from the middle class and above, while some wore ordinary blue collared outfits, there were even students. Their eyes were all full of anticipation because this could be the only time in their lives that they’d be able to see the top chefs of the fine dining industries and to be able to taste the food that they have made.

This cooking pk’s host was chief editor Winston of the 《Gourmet》magazine.

The people who had come to watch included other chefs like Montgomery, Brody, HanBin and more, their students sat behind them and so did other people who were important figures in the back kitchen, those who know, all know that this charity fundraiser pk had already become a big event in the world of fine dining.

And many tourists were allowed to watch at the side, totally a moving crowd.

“Have you heard? That chef Jiang Qian Fan can’t see ah! How on earth will he cook?”

“The Quentin mother and daughter pair are both 3 starred chefs ah! Totally looking forward to it!”

“My friend had tasted Jiang Qian FAn’s cooking before at phts, from that day on, he couldn’t forget that taste. But reservations for phts have to be made 3 months in advance! And i can taste it right here today!”

“The Quentin mother and daughter pair are going to pair up, then who will be Jiang Qian FAn’s partner?”

Winston who was donning an exquisite black suit walked to the centre of the hall of YueJiangHotel, and smiled at everyone, lifting his hand to signal everyone to silence.

“Today, you are all god. No matter whether you will be tasting the food, or just seeing with your eyes, you will all be able to experience the highest standard of skill of fine cooking. Let me introduce the categories of today’s competition.” Winston rubbed his chin, very excitedly happy to see all the people who were present, “there are 60 judges present, you will be the determiners of this pkcompetition. Every judge may pick an appetiser, a main dish and a dessert. And the competing parties will present the dishes as requested by each person. Which is to say, each judge will eat the same dish twice. Judges, please take note of the decoration on the plates, and give your vote to the one you support.”

Winston patted the 2 transparent voting boxes beside him.

“now, here are the participants for today’s pk competition! Ladies and gentlemen, let’s please welcome chef  Jessica Quentin and chef Iris Quentin!”

Applause sounded, and the mother and daughter pair appeared in front of the people in white.

Jessica’s gaze slid through the audience, when she realised that Brody and HanBin were among the audience too, she couldn’t help but wrinkle her brows.

Apart from them, who else could Jiang Qian Fan choose as his partner?

After a few words, Winston announced: “now lets welcome chef Jiang Qian Fan and the one who performed shockingly in ‘master’s show’, Ms Lin Ke Song!”

When the words fell, Jessica’s and Iris’ smiles totally froze on their faces.