The Movie Queen's Demon Sect Leader [Transmigration] GL - Chapter 15
No matter how much the live stream viewers disdained Luo Xuange’s boiled fish, An Ruoshui was just glad she wouldn’t be the only one embarrassed in a moment.
When the host Mu Ling and several judges approached the lunches, the judges selected a few dishes that piqued their interest and asked the contestants to introduce them.
First, a robust-looking man was chosen. He had cooked a simple and ordinary bowl of egg fried rice, which, among the male team, seemed to be the only presentable lunch.
Since the man was the first to be chosen by the judges, Luo Xuange curiously looked over. She sharply noticed that it was the guy who could break large stones on his chest.
The man said, “I only know how to cook egg fried rice; it’s simple, convenient, and delicious.”
The judges nodded and moved on to the next one. After a bit of shuffling, they finally arrived in front of Meng Xiaomeng.
Meng Xiaomeng had taken a lot of ingredients from Luo Xuange, but most of them weren’t used. She had only made a bowl of meat soup, with meat chunks ranging from fist-sized to as small as a pinky nail. The judges patiently listened to Meng Xiaomeng’s explanation.
Meng Xiaomeng: “Ah? You asked why the meat pieces are cut this way? Because my hands were trembling when I cut them…”
My hands were trembling…
The judges glanced at her and suddenly realized she was the unforgettable violinist from earlier. They swallowed hard and gave her high scores.
That demon, they couldn’t afford to provoke her. What if she decided to play the violin in front of them if they disagreed?
When they reached An Ruoshui, the judges looked at her bowl of “noodles” and forced out smiles uglier than crying: “Could you introduce your lunch?”
“Boiled noodles,” An Ruoshui stated simply and directly, a name for a food that no one present would have associated with it.
Judge: Boiled noodles, huh? I thought it was lumpy soup. Good thing I didn’t say it aloud earlier.
An Ruoshui saw that the three judges’ expressions weren’t right. She could guess part of the reason, as she was well aware of her own cooking skills. So she immediately gave a look, signaling the judges to check out Luo Xuange’s fish.
An Ruoshui felt that the only one who could rescue her from the title of “kitchen disaster” was Luo Xuange, who cooked even worse than her.
The three judges approached Luo Xuange. They looked at the boiled fish on Luo Xuange’s plate; it looked just like a fish that had just been killed and cleaned, showing no signs of having been cooked in a pot.
If they hadn’t actually seen Luo Xuange light the stove and put the fish in the pot to stir-fry, they wouldn’t have believed it was a cooked fish even if you beat them.
The judges stood there awkwardly. Finally, one judge with gold-rimmed glasses posed a question to Luo Xuange.
“Could you please introduce your lunch to everyone?”
Luo Xuange nodded. In the past, when the emperor ate, he would also ask the imperial chefs to explain the dishes. If they explained well, they would receive generous rewards. In her past life, by some twist of fate, she became the head of the Imperial Kitchen, a fifth-rank official, so she had naturally introduced dishes to the emperor.
“This is a Five Grains Fish, symbolizing an abundant harvest and surplus every year. Just like the present world, where people live peacefully and work happily, with no shortage of five grains and a surplus every year. I hope to use this dish to express my gratitude for the wonderful life we have now.” Luo Xuange’s introduction was no different from buttering up the emperor in the past. The only change was that before, she spoke nonsense with her eyes closed, but now there was seven or eight parts of sincerity in it. Because she was truly grateful for everything she had now.
And for this Five Grains Fish, she also had to thank An Ruoshui. Because An Ruoshui couldn’t distinguish between different grains, she bought everything randomly at the supermarket. Others only bought ingredients, but the wealthy An Ruoshui bought all five grains.
“Very good, very good. This dish has a great meaning.” The judges symbolically clapped. They couldn’t not applaud and praise such a dish. How else could they comment on a dish that celebrated a beautiful life? Besides praising her, they had nothing else to say.
After the judges had made their rounds among all the contestants, everyone’s lunch could begin. However, because some contestants only made side dishes and no rice, the production team temporarily decided to provide plain white rice to the contestants.
But before allowing everyone to eat, host Mu Ling kindly offered special assistance to some “kitchen disasters.”
Mu Ling: “Although everyone here is a rival, you are also the closest teammates. To better foster your relationships, you can exchange your lunch with your friend.”
Hearing this, many people turned their gaze to An Ruoshui.
An Ruoshui’s boiled noodles clearly looked inedible. It was likely that Movie Queen An herself wouldn’t want to eat that awkward-looking pot of “noodles.” If they could exchange their lunch with An Ruoshui’s, they could not only get to know this influential celebrity but also successfully gain goodwill among An Ruoshui’s fans.
So, Jiang Yihan was the first to approach, offering her braised pork to An Ruoshui.
“I made braised pork, would you like to try some?” Jiang Yihan’s enthusiasm was evident in her eyes. Just as An Ruoshui was about to accept, Luo Xuange suddenly appeared.
Luo Xuange offered her prepared fish to An Ruoshui: “Want some fish?”
An Ruoshui: Why does this scene feel so familiar?
Luo Xuange: Last time I rejected her lunch, will she reject me this time too? But this should be her first time cooking noodles, right? Should I let someone else benefit? Never mind, if she refuses me, I’ll just take it by force!
Jiang Yihan: Hmph, a fish that looks unappetizing. And you expect Movie Queen An to accept it? Luo Xuange, who gave you the nerve? Just wait to be rejected.
An Ruoshui looked at the braised pork in Jiang Yihan’s hand, licking her upper lip and silently swallowing. Then she looked at the fish in Luo Xuange’s hand. The fish still looked alive, as if poking it with chopsticks twice would make it jump around.
Hesitating for seven or eight seconds, An Ruoshui reached out and took Luo Xuange’s fish: “I prefer eating fish, thank you.”
To prevent Jiang Yihan from being embarrassed in front of everyone, An Ruoshui, for once, gave Jiang Yihan a gentle, shallow smile.
Live Stream Chatroom:
Netizen 1: Awww~ I’ll claim that smile of Goddess’s.
Netizen 2: Oh my gosh, Goddess’s smile is so gentle. I’m done for~ I’m falling, falling! Goddess, please marry me!
Netizen 3: No, don’t! Is Goddess really going to eat that fish? Will she get poisoned?
Netizen 4: Goddess, release that fish and let me eat it!
Netizen 5: Actually… compared to that fish, we should be more worried about black-bellied Luo eating those “noodles” lol.
Netizen 6: Same here, I’m more worried about black-bellied Luo…
Luo Xuange took the bowl of “noodles” from An Ruoshui’s hand. Although it looked unappetizing, after the first bite, Luo Xuange’s eyes immediately sparkled.
Luo Xuange: …The poison I ate right before I died in my past life tasted better than this bowl of noodles!
However, it was An Ruoshui’s first time cooking noodles. Luo Xuange secretly sealed her own acupuncture points, numbing her taste buds, and with everyone watching in disbelief, she finished eating it with a smile. After eating, she even looked extremely satisfied, which shocked everyone, including a certain CEO in the live stream.
An Junfeng: Could it be that my sister’s noodles only look bad? Is the taste actually quite good? Next time I have free time, I must ask my sister to cook a bowl for me to try!
Later, CEO An was hospitalized and sharpened his knife.
Of course, that’s a story for another time. Right now, it was An Ruoshui’s turn to taste Luo Xuange’s Five Grains Fish.
Live Stream Chatroom:
Netizen 1: Goddess, please don’t eat it…
Netizen 2: My heart aches for Goddess, Goddess, don’t eat it, I’ll bring you food!
Netizen 2: What a terrible show, can that fish even be eaten? Goddess, stop!
Netizen 3: Wuwu~ Don’t eat it, be careful of poisoning!
••••
The moment An Ruoshui picked up her chopsticks, not only were the people in the live stream watching intently, but even some contestants on site were watching her with bated breath.
However, no matter how worried they were, An Ruoshui, as expected, took her first bite of the fish.
“…” An Ruoshui, impatient, took a second bite. And the five grains inside the fish belly were now visible, with rich, enticing broth flowing onto the plate. The fish meat was beautifully infused, completely unlike its previous plain appearance. The dish, now immersed in sauce, looked appetizing even from afar, not to mention the fragrant aroma emanating from it.
Even the three judges a few steps away swallowed in unison.
Mu Ling saw Luo Xuange’s composed and at ease demeanor. She took a sharp breath and silently retreated to the side, Luo Xuange’s words during her exclusive interview echoing in her mind.
Barely! Surpassed! Imperial Chef! Never mind!
The live stream chat was surprisingly empty, with not a single comment. After An Ruoshui had eaten more than half of the fish, a few comments finally floated in.
Live Stream Chatroom:
Netizen 1: Were you all too busy covering your faces to leave comments?
Netizen 2: Don’t say anything else, my face hurts!
Netizen 3: I know that “experts” nowadays easily attract negativity and criticism, but I still have to educate everyone. This dish is called ‘Five Grains Fish,’ also known as ‘Boneless Fish.’ As the name suggests, the fish bones are removed during preparation, and five grains are placed inside the fish body. Legend has it that this was the specialty of an imperial chef during the Great Ming Dynasty under Emperor Xuanming. This chef won the emperor’s favor with this one dish and was personally appointed as the head of the imperial kitchen, a fifth-rank official, by Emperor Xuanming within three days of entering the palace. Unfortunately, this imperial chef died suddenly three months later, and this Five Grains Fish was only recorded in the imperial kitchen’s recipe book, without a specific recipe. Interested friends can check the ‘Great Ming Palace Records,’ where there’s a record of Emperor Xuanming appointing a mysterious young chef.
Netizen 4: I just checked… what the person above said is true. Please stop with the explanations, my face is hurting more and more now!
Netizen 5: I won’t say anything else. Just for this dish, all my votes will go to black-bellied Luo from now on.
••••
Luo Xuange watched An Ruoshui eat with satisfaction. This dish was actually very simple: use internal energy to shatter all the fish bones, then put the five grains into the fish body, and then use internal energy to protect the fish body so it wouldn’t absorb the oily smoke when cooked. Although her cooking technique was unique, her method was secretive, so even in plain sight, no one could successfully learn it.
An Ruoshui finished the plate of fish with great satisfaction. She suddenly looked up at Luo Xuange, realizing something belatedly: “Is this really fish?”
“Of course it’s fish. You bought that fish yourself, did you forget?” Luo Xuange’s mood immediately improved by more than a little upon seeing An Ruoshui’s happy and satisfied expression after eating.
An Ruoshui nodded but still posed a question: “Why are there no bones?”
“Five Grains Fish is also called Boneless Fish. So of course there are no bones,” Luo Xuange explained earnestly.
An Ruoshui opened her mouth, wanting to ask how she did it. If possible, she really wanted to learn. But thinking about her own cooking skills, An Ruoshui smiled silently at Luo Xuange: “Your cooking is really good.”
“Do you like it? I can cook many other dishes. If there’s a chance, I’ll cook for you again,” Luo Xuange didn’t think of anything else. Seeing An Ruoshui so happy, she casually offered.
However, An Ruoshui was keenly aware that they were currently on live broadcast. To maintain her idol image, An Ruoshui suppressed her smile and replied coolly and politely: “Thank you. If the opportunity arises, I will definitely trouble you again.”
“Mm.” Luo Xuange nodded, then conveniently cleared An Ruoshui’s eaten dishes.
Live Stream Chatroom:
My Values Recomposed by Me: Does anyone else feel sorry for the foolish Xiaomeng in the corner?
Seven Cool: What… what’s with this feeling of the Goddess snatching someone else’s partner?
So Lame: If I really had to choose, I’d stand with Goddess and black-bellied Luo!
Tired and Weary: Just realized black-bellied Luo actually has the potential to be a virtuous wife and good mother.
Bajie, Pretty Girl Lover: Can the person above be more firm? Goddess belongs to everyone, black-bellied Luo belongs to foolish Xiaomeng!
Author’s Note:
Meng Xiaomeng in the corner: I want to eat fish too!
Sect Leader Luo: Do you have a partner? If not, why are you eating fish? Go eat dog food!
Movie Queen An: Hmph, my wife is right!