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His ice-cold gaze met her anticipating gaze. After a long moment of stalemate, he showed signs of softening. "You're cheating like this, don't you know?"

"Cheating?" Xia Xiaomin frowned. "How could that be cheating?"

Seeing her confused expression, Zhong Luozheng patiently explained, "Since I have the ability to be a judge, then I can naturally find out what's lacking in the dishes you make. Isn't this to help you cook?"

Xia Xiaomin thought for a moment before nodding her head. "That's right, I just want you to help me open up a little more trouble!"

Zhong Luochen let out a deep breath, threw down the word "no" and went upstairs quickly. The people he hated the most in his life were people who relied on the strength of outsiders to take shortcuts. If he wanted to win, then he would have to work hard.

Xia Xiaomin ran up to him and hugged his arm, her face pleading, "Zhong Luochen, just tell me if it's good or not, and don't tell me where it's not good enough." "This isn't considered cheating, right?"

Seeing Zhong Luozhan not shake off her hand but also not agreeing, Xia Xiaomin wasn't sure what he was thinking. Her expression turned sad again, "Can you just help me?" Ever since I lost Master's recipe, I didn't have any confidence in myself. If you don't help me, I won't even dare to participate in the competition. "

As she finished speaking, Xia Xiaomin stole a glance at his expression, unsure if her acting was successful enough.

Zhong Luozhan clearly knew that she was pretending to be pitiful and sympathizing with him. He clearly knew that his decision to leave was just a cold question of turning around, but what was going on now? Why was he sitting across from her with chopsticks in his hand?

"How, how is it?" Xia Xiaomin asked in anticipation as she watched him put the food he cooked into his mouth.

The taste was alright, it was okay for Xia Xiaomin to be Xu Shangwu's assistant.

But the thought of himself jumping into her trap when he knew she was acting pathetic made Zhong Luozhan angry.

"It's not good to eat."

Xia Xiaomin said anxiously, "Zhong Luochen, don't talk nonsense!"

She did not believe that the things that she had meticulously made would carry the burden of the word 'horrible'.

Zhong Luozhan didn't seem to be annoyed, he just said lightly, "If you don't believe me, then I won't taste it."

"Alright, alright, alright. I'll believe you, alright? You can continue to eat. " How could Xia Xiaomin dare to say she didn't believe him? Didn't he just throw the chopsticks and leave?

However, she still held back her evaluation of Zhong Luozheng. After all, she was still well aware of her own culinary skills. If she could get Zhong Luozhan's confirmation, then she would have even more confidence.

Although she thought this way, but seeing the impatience on his face, Xia Xiaomin couldn't help but think Zhong Luozheng was chewing him up like a cucumber. In the end, she didn't even think of him as a tomato and started to pinch him.

"I heard that all of you are preparing to do 'Qingcheng Time' this time around?" Zhong Luozhuang raised his eyes.

Xia Xiaomin nodded. "Yes, Master said we won't lose on this."

"Yes." Zhong Luozhan suggested, "Go and do 'Qingcheng Time' once."

Zhong Luozhan didn't answer her question. Instead, he sat back down at the same place as before. He gazed at the dishes in front of him for a good while before beginning to eat.

After chewing a few times, he put down the spoon. "It doesn't taste right."

"Yeah, I know that too." Xia Xiaomin was a little sad. "There's only one ingredient missing. I barely managed to make it from my master's recipe." But now that the recipe's gone, I... I don't remember everything. "

Zhong Luozheng cast a resentful glance at her, which made Xia Xiaomin lower her head in shame.

Zhong Luozhan took another bite, then said, "Tell me all the ingredients you remember."

Xia Xiaomin recited it honestly, pausing only a few times in the middle as her thoughts became muddled.

"Alright, no need to carry it." Zhong Luochen interrupted her and said, "Make it again."

If Xiao Min didn't know what Zhong Luozhan was up to, then she was too stupid.

Without another word, Xia Xiaomin slipped into the kitchen and did the same thing Zhong Luozhan told her to do. When he brought it out again, his expression was no longer as unconfident as before, and there was a smile on his face.

Zhong Luozhan glanced at her, took a sip of water, and tasted it again. He still felt that it was different from what he remembered, and even changed the ingredients he mentioned just now for Xia Xiaomin to try again.

For the first time, Xia Xiaomin didn't think Zhong Luozheng was being picky, nor did she think he was deliberately making things difficult for her. On the contrary, he felt very embarrassed for repeatedly tasting the "Qingcheng Time" that he had written.

Xia Xiaomin looked up, worried that he would lose his patience. "Forget about today. We'll try again in a few days."

"How many days do you have left?" Zhong Luochen asked without raising his head, one hand kept knocking on the table.

At first, Xia Xiaomin thought that he was angry, but then she noticed that his knocking was rhythmic. She felt relieved.

It is true that men are the most charming when they are serious.

In Xia Xiaomin's eyes, how could Zhong Luozheng not be annoyed? She suddenly felt a little bit of awareness. The man in front of her was quite charming. No wonder other girls would blush when they saw him.

A knife flew over and Zhong Luozheng yelled, "Xia Xiaomin, I'm here to help you think of food. You're in a daze, aren't you?"

Eyebrows... How was she in a daze? She must have been addicted to love, alright? Xia Xiaomin, you're really stupid. How could you be crazy about him?

"I... I didn't. " Xia Xiaomin was clearly lacking in confidence, and after she said that, she lowered her head and no longer looked at him.

Zhong Luozhan was too lazy to argue with her. He frowned as he stared at the five "beautiful times" in front of him. He thought to himself, "These five tastes are almost the same, but the taste is a bit different. Why is that?" What went wrong?

Zhong Luozhan ate another five servings. His eyes lit up as if he was thinking of something, and he couldn't help but smile. Glancing at Xia Xiaomin, who still had her head down, he pushed the five times to her. "Try it yourself."

He had the intention to test her. It wasn't enough for the chefs to only cook, they should also know how to eat.

Hearing Zhong Luozheng's words, Xia Xiaomin ate a little of each piece and shook her head. She didn't feel there was anything wrong with it.

"You can't eat it?" Zhong Luozhan smiled and slowly spat out a sentence, "The answer is in these five 'Qingcheng days'. You have to slowly study it. I'm going to sleep."

Zhong Luozhan stood up and went upstairs. When he turned the corner, he looked down at Xia Xiaomin.

She was resting her chin on the table. Then, as if she had suddenly thought of something, she stood up and tried it again, lowering her head in disappointment.

Xia Xiaomin, I believe you will find the answer. Zhong Luozheng thought like this, his lips curving into a smile as he walked towards his own room.

What could be more impressive than the answer he had found?

Xia Xiaomin didn't sleep all night, she had been searching for Zhong Luozhuang's answer. Finally, just before dawn, she opened her mouth and rushed into the kitchen to make another serving.

Zhong Luozhang woke up very early. When he saw the leftovers on the table, he thought Xia Xiaomin might have already known the answer, so his lips unconsciously softened. He didn't even notice when Wu Bo walked over to his side.

"Young Master, what answer did you leave for Miss Xia last night? Miss Xia spent almost an entire night searching for it. " Wu Bo recalled that when he went to sleep, Xia Xiaomin was still thinking. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the little girl.

Hearing that she had thought about it for almost an entire night, Zhong Luozhan's heart wavered. This stupid girl couldn't have been unable to figure it out even in the end, right?

"Did she finally find it?" Zhong Luochen asked.

"I don't know, but this morning I saw Miss Xia busying herself in the kitchen."

Zhong Luozheng sighed. She thought that if she could not find the answer, she should just tell her so that she wouldn't have to suffer so much.

He turned to see Xia Xiaomin standing in front of him, smiling.

Zhong Luozhan noticed the green in her eyes and felt guilty. When he opened his mouth, his voice also softened, "Why are you standing here?"

"I know the answer. It's vinegar, right?" Xia Xiaomin's smile deepened.

Zhong Luozheng's black eyes brightened up, and Xia Xiaomin knew she was right.

"Go rest." Zhong Luochen ordered.

However, Xia Xiaomin refused. "You first have a taste of what I've done, right? Then I'll go to sleep."

Zhong Luozheng helplessly walked over to the table and sat down.

The warmth in his eyes was not noticed by the two of them. Instead, they were clearly understood by Wu Bo and the other servants. They couldn't help but pay more attention to Xia Xiaomin.

Zhong Luochen took a bite, and revealed a faint smile, "That's the taste."

"Yay, very good ~ ~ very good ~" Xiao Min was excited for a moment. She actually held Zhong Luozheng's hand and cheered him on. Zhong Luozheng was still sitting there calmly, but the slight curve on the corner of his mouth betrayed his true feelings.

One of his men pulled on Xia Xiaomin until she came to her senses. "Don't go to the hotel today. Have a good rest."

"But …"

"The match is in three days. If your body falls, who do you want your master to take on the stage?" Zhong Luochen interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

Xia Xiaomin felt her words made sense, so she didn't insist. She turned around and went upstairs. After thinking for an entire night while her body was busy cooking, she was extremely tired.

However, she suddenly thought of something. She had to get to the bottom of this.

"Zhong Luochen." He stopped him at the door to put on his shoes, but Xia Xiaomin didn't step up. She only stood in the middle of the stairs and asked, "Do you mean that you're giving me a small treat?"

Xiao Min and Wu Bo looked at each other and smiled.

Because of this small incident in the morning, Zhong Luozhan had been in a good mood all day. Even though his subordinate had committed a mistake, he did not receive any heavy punishment.

Everyone in the company could see the same conjecture from each other's eyes: "Did Chief Zhong encounter some luck in life? How come he has such a good temper?"

Although Yun Xiang remained calm and collected, he was able to catch the smirk on Zhong Luozhuang's face as he was reading through the document. Xia Xiaomin's face suddenly flashed across Yun Xiang's mind. Could it be because of her that Director Zhong was so abnormal?