…H-How many points?
Su Wanli, who had been waiting with her eyes closed for the verdict, suddenly opened them wide.
Out of a full score of ten, Meng Wange gave her a nine?
R-Really!?
Well, that made sense! Even though this was her first time seriously following a recipe, she had managed to cook something that was at least edible. In fact, considering she only made a few mistakes, that was actually pretty impressive!
Su Wanli let out a deep breath and patted her chest.
“Heh, hehehe. I knew it! With a dish personally made by me, it’s only natural to score this high!”
Seeing Su Wanli finally relax, Meng Wange narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled.
“But I could’ve sworn I just heard Miss Su say something like, ‘Next time, you won’t beat me so easily again’…”
“I-I said, next time you won’t be able to taste my cooking so easily again! Don’t think I can’t tell you’re trying to provoke me—I’m not that easy to trick!”
Su Wanli quickly interrupted her, trying to save face as she sat back down and crossed her arms.
“…Still, Meng Wange, you’ve got some nerve giving me such a high score. Aren’t you afraid I might actually win?”
“Hmm? Of course I’m afraid,” Meng Wange replied as she pinched her chin and struck a thoughtful pose, before giving Su Wanli a gentle smile and shaking her head.
“But until you’ve tasted my dish, nothing is certain.”
‘Seriously? She gave me a nine and still says that so confidently?’
Looking at Meng Wange’s calm, unbothered demeanor, Su Wanli began to feel a little unsure.
She knew full well that her own dish had obvious flaws. If Zhang Ma judged objectively, she’d probably give her a failing score—maybe five points at best, and even that only because of her connections. Maybe six or seven if she was being extra generous.
So even with the nine Meng Wange had given her, that would only add up to fourteen points…
‘Damn it! Just what did she make to be this confident!?’
And she had even hinted that it was some kind of surprise, just for her…
She couldn’t take it anymore. Su Wanli took a deep breath and, mimicking Meng Wange’s earlier movements, swiftly lifted the heavy iron lid in front of her.
What appeared before her was…
—a small, round stew pot, still covered with a lid.
Even after all this time, a faint trail of steam continued to rise from its ceramic cover.
“…”
The obvious truth hit her in the face. Su Wanli paused, then silently smacked her own forehead.
‘So that’s it. No wonder there was no smell. No wonder Meng Wange didn’t seem to care about timing.’
She hadn’t made something that got better the longer it sat—she had made something that needed to cool down before it could be eaten.
A stew.
Su Wanli held her forehead and let out a heavy sigh.
‘She totally baited me.’
This was it—the end.
Meng Wange hadn’t been trying to impress her or prove anything about winning or losing. She had just wanted to make a pot of stew, let it cool a bit, and then challenge her with it.
And Su Wanli? She’d spent the entire time overthinking things, even congratulating herself, thinking Meng Wange was trying to win her favor…
“What are you waiting for, Miss Su?”
Meng Wange leaned forward, her hands resting on the table, chin nestled in her fingers, a bright smile on her face as she looked straight into Su Wanli’s eyes.
‘Fine… Just like I thought from the beginning, this cooking showdown was nothing more than an overconfident challenge. Losing this one doesn’t matter. There’ll be plenty of chances later…’
With Meng Wange watching her expectantly, Su Wanli picked up a piece of tissue to use as a heat pad and reached for the stew pot lid.
She could guess what was coming—it was the usual setup. No smell at first, then once the lid was opened, a sudden burst of rich aroma, followed by a melt-in-your-mouth texture and flavors so good they’d stun anyone who took a sip.
That wasn’t so bad either. At least she got to taste something made by a beautiful girl herself—maybe that made up for not being fed by Meng Wange last time.
Finding a spot downhill to brace herself, Su Wanli swallowed nervously and prepared to be greeted by a fresh, mouthwatering aroma.
However, even as the mysterious pot lid was lifted halfway, there was still no smell coming from it.
“…Huh?”
She leaned in and sniffed carefully, confirming there really was no aroma. Su Wanli narrowed her eyes and looked suspiciously into Meng Wange’s.
Meng Wange still wore that perfect, unshakable smile, like she was absolutely certain she would win. There wasn’t even the slightest flicker of uncertainty in her gaze.
‘All right, bring it on. Let’s see what kind of trick you’re hiding.’
Su Wanli gritted her teeth and flung the pot lid open all the way, setting it down on the table beside her.
What appeared in front of her was…
A bowl of… plain porridge?
A white porridge with a few goji berries and red dates floating on top.
Aside from a faint, rice-like fragrance, it had no complex scent at all. Just plain white porridge.
“…Meng Wange?”
“What is it, Miss Su?”
Su Wanli pointed at the pot in front of her, hesitating for a moment before speaking.
“This… is the dish you made for this cooking duel? Are you sure the kitchen didn’t mix it up or bring the wrong one?”
“No mistake,” Meng Wange said calmly. “This is the dish I made with Zhang Ma’s guidance. Miss Su, why don’t you give it a try?”
That flawless, picture-perfect smile was still on her face, as if what she had cooked wasn’t simple porridge, but some world-class delicacy.
‘Is there something hidden in the bowl? Is it just disguised as porridge on the surface, but the flavor is actually something amazing, like a deceptively simple clear soup?’
‘But with only ten minutes of prep time, how is that even possible…’
Su Wanli picked up a spoon from the side and scooped up a spoonful, gently blowing on it.
The thick porridge contained soft, mushy white chunks and carried a faint sweetness from the red dates…
Under Meng Wange’s expectant gaze, Su Wanli placed the spoon into her mouth.
The texture was smooth and warm, with a hint of silkiness. The taste wasn’t just plain rice water—it was slightly more refined—but far from complex.
“Meng Wange, isn’t this just white porridge?”
“Miss Su, don’t rush to conclusions. Why don’t you try it again?”
Meng Wange continued to reassure her, eyes still filled with gentle anticipation.
‘Could there be some detail I missed? Is there some kind of layering to the dish?’
Su Wanli hesitated, then took another spoonful.
Still porridge.
Another.
Still porridge.
One more.
Still. Just. Porridge.
“……”
By the time the bowl was nearly empty, it remained plain porridge all the way to the bottom.
Su Wanli quietly took a deep breath, stood up, and looked down at Meng Wange in front of her.
“Meng Wange.”
“Yes?”
“What is this?”
Meng Wange calmly opened her hands and gestured toward the small pot that Su Wanli had nearly emptied.
“This is yam and white fungus porridge with red dates and a few goji berries.”
…That’s it?
Meng Wange really entered a cooking contest with this? With just this plain sweet porridge?
Before Su Wanli could even voice her full complaint, Zhang Ma had already silently raised her scorecards—
Su Wanli: 7 points.
Meng Wange: 6 points.
“Even though this was Miss Su’s first time cooking, she followed all the steps carefully. Her garlic butter shrimp, while slightly flawed, still had a decent appearance, a rich aroma, and acceptable flavor overall. As for Miss Meng, while your yam and white fungus porridge was made very skillfully, it’s ultimately just a simple bowl of porridge—so the score reflects that.”
With that, Su Wanli’s total score came to 9 + 7 = 16 points.
Even if Su Wanli had given Meng Wange a perfect 10, the best Meng Wange could have done was tie.
Meng Wange gave Zhang Ma a gracious nod, then turned back to Su Wanli with a warm, congratulatory smile. She even clapped politely.
“Congratulations, Miss Su.”
“It seems this round… truly belongs to you.”