The rooms for contestants and staff had long been arranged in the exhibition hall. The furnishings were no different from that of a hotel. After entering the room, they sat down at the table.

“The next match is in three days. It’s getting late. Lele, go to sleep first. There are too many people outside. If there’s anything, you can settle tomorrow.”

Shen Hui’s expression was solemn. She was very worried about the situation in the finals. She looked at Lu Yuxuan, who was sitting at the side very reservedly, and forced a gentle smile. “I didn’t expect you to know Lele. What a coincidence, but Little Lu is planning to…”

“Auntie.” Lu Yumin waved her hand and said, “I have no intention of going on stage to help. I’m not very good at cooking.”

“Mmhm.”

After Shen Hui’s gaze wandered between her and Xu Le, she stood up and said, “Then I’ll go back to my room first. Lele, if there’s nothing else, you guys should rest early.”

“Okay.”

Shen Hui walked to the door and it was pushed open from the outside. Xu Zhexian’s thin glasses reflected the light as he said sternly, “Wait, I have something to say.”

He held a small takeaway box in his hand. After placing the items on the table, he said to Xu Le, “Lele, go find a few toothpicks.”

“Sure.”

Xu Le went to look for them. Li Qing said curiously, “Is this the dish that was sent out for the audience to taste and vote? It’s already cold.”

He guessed that Xu Zhexian had secretly taken it out to let them have a taste, so he tactfully suggested that the texture would change after it cooled down.

“Whether it’s hot or cold, the taste is the same.”

After Xu Zhexian explained, Zhang Tong asked for a toothpick from Xu Le and said suspiciously, “Could it be…”

He forked a piece from the box into his mouth. The lychee meat was sour and sweet, and the sauce was rich. Even when it was cold, it was still delicious.

“This is what we made.”

Zhang Tong’s expression was even more puzzled. He could not guess what Xu Zhexian meant.

“Li Qing, Lele, try it.”

After the two of them tasted it, Li Qing said, “We made this. I’ve tried it after it was fried. Is there a problem?”

Xu Le carefully pondered over the sweetness and sourness on his taste buds. The crispness of the oil, the sourness of the sauce, the fire control… They were all exactly the same as what he had made. He was about to nod when he suddenly frowned and changed his words.

“I didn’t make this. When I made this, I specially poured oil on it. The outer layer is still crispy after a few hours. This one is obviously soft.”

“Is there a difference in taste?” Xu Zhexian looked up and said.

“Not at all.”

After Xu Le finished speaking, he suddenly realized something and said, “Dad, don’t tell me that this was made by the master chef.”

“Yes, after I got it, I felt that it was strange. How could the finished product taste exactly the same? There was no difference at all.”

Xu Le gasped and frowned even more.

Although they were puzzled, after discussing for a while, it was already midnight. Li Qing could not take it anymore and went back to sleep. Then, everyone returned to their rooms and planned to discuss again the next day.

Lu Yuxi stayed behind and said, “I watched the live broadcast of your competition.”

“Mmhm,” Xu Le said. “After my competition ends, it’s up to you if you want to go back to your hometown or continue working here.”

“Alright. I still plan to go back.”

After Lu Yuxi finished speaking, she racked her brains and couldn’t think of anything else to say. She could only say, “Then you should prepare for the competition in peace. When the time comes, I’ll sit in the audience and vote for you. Don’t worry, I can tell your dishes apart.”

Lu Yuxi stood up confidently, but before she could steady herself, she became dizzy and fell to the ground.

Xu Le was caught off guard. He rushed forward to help her up. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m a little dizzy…” Lu Yuxi found it funny and thought that she just lost her balance. She tried to stand up with her arms, but after two or three tries, she realized that something was wrong, so she obediently allowed Xu Le to help her up.

“It’s probably because I came over immediately after the blood transfusion. That’s not right though, I’ve already replenished with salt water.”

Lu Yuxi waved her hand, indicating that she was fine. She was just a little weak.

“Do you want supper?”

Lu Yuxi asked, “Now?”

“Mmm.”

There were still people gathered outside the exhibition hall. After Xu Le found the kitchen, he turned on a small lamp. Under the dim yellow light, he found a piece of duck blood, pig liver, chili, and many other condiments from the large refrigerator where the ingredients were stored… They were all high-quality ingredients left over from the previous day’s competition.

Lu Yuxi’s sharp eyes saw the cold beer in the fridge and said, “Make a stir-fried pork liver with chili. We’ll drink it with beer. It’ll definitely be delicious.”

“It’s not recommended to drink alcohol within 8 hours after your blood is drawn.”

“Aiya, it will be over in a few hours. It’ll definitely be fine.”

As Lu Yuxi spoke, she reached out for the beer. Xu Le brought up his age and said, “I’m still underage. You’re tempting a child to drink.”

Lu Yuxi knew that he was joking. She pouted and didn’t say anything else.

“There is vermicelli.”

Xu Le pointed, indicating that he would make some vermicelli soup later.

“Ah?”

The light was too dim, so Lu Yuxi did not understand what he meant. She immediately turned around and asked, “Where are the fans? Did they run in?”

Xu Le was speechless for a moment. He looked at her and picked up the vermicelli that he was about to soak in hot water. “I’m talking about the ingredients.”

The two of them were silent for a few seconds before they couldn’t help but laugh.

After the vermicelli was soaked in hot water, he placed it aside.

He minced the wild pepper and pickled cabbage leaves, cut the duck blood into one to two centimeters thin slices, and cut them into strips.

He poured water into the pot and turned on the fire. When it was 70 to 80% hot, he put the duck blood strips in. The water temperature had to be hot but not boiling. Otherwise, the surface of the duck blood would be scalded until it looked like a beehive.

In about half a minute, he could scoop out and drain the water.

He started the fire again and poured in a little oil. He then poured the diced pickled vegetable and wild pepper into it and stir-fried. He then added two spoonfuls of yellow bell pepper sauce and ginger powder. He stir-fried it until it was dry.

At this time, he could add two bowls of clear water, salt sugar, and pepper to season.

Then, he added the duck blood strips and stewed them for two to three minutes. Finally, he added the vermicelli and sprinkle a handful of spring onions to enhance the colors.

The duck blood vermicelli soup was simple to make. It was fresh with a hint of spiciness. One would sweat after drinking half a bowl of it. Moreover, duck blood itself was a thing to replenish blood. It was very suitable for Lu Yumin to eat.

Lu Yuxi leaned against the side and watched quietly. After Xu Le washed the dark red fresh pig liver, he cut it into thick slices of about three millimeters. After putting them into a bowl, he added salt, pepper, and soya sauce to marinate it. After mixing it evenly, he poured a spoonful of clear oil into it to prevent it from sticking to the pot.

He sliced the garlic, diced the ginger slices, tabasco pepper and red bell peppers, and set them aside for later use.

He poured oil into the pot and heated it until it smoked.

Xu Le asked casually, “How’s your classmate?”

“Li Shengsheng ah, it’s nothing serious.”