Ch. 551..560
Chapter 551: Male Janus-faced
“Don’t go too far!” Blake Walker said coldly, “I just want to borrow some spices. What gives you the right to curse me like this?”
“Last time in the competition, Iris Doone was cursed to death because she didn’t lend you any. Now that it’s your turn, you’re not willing to lend to me either?” Blake Walker mocked, “Don’t be one to laugh at others’ misfortune.”
Looking at this way, no one should curse anyone.
Yellen Brooks was relieved that she hadn’t promised him yet.
Of course, she couldn’t promise either.
Yellen Brooks directly turned her bag upside down and poured everything out.
As a result, there were only a flashlight and a matchbox with a few remaining matches. Her salt didn’t look much either.
“This is all I have left. If you still want salt, I can share a bit with you, but as you can see, I don’t have much left.” Yellen Brooks said, “As for the spices you mentioned, I’ve used them all up.”
“That’s it?” Blake Walker didn’t quite believe.
Yellen Brooks just didn’t want to give him any, and deliberately hid them, right?
“You collected so many spices, and you used them all at once?” Blake Walker sarcastically didn’t believe, “How heavy must your cuisine taste, then?”
Yellen Brooks said coldly: “Because they are all fresh spices that have not undergone processing, there are many miscellaneous items; after removing them, only a little remains.”
“If you don’t believe me, do you want me to search my bag for you?” Yellen Brooks turned all the pockets of her clothes inside out, “It’s impossible for you to search my body, but I can turn out my pockets for you to see; I didn’t hide any spices.”
“Hey, Blake Walker, aren’t you going too far? Yellen Brooks has proved herself to such an extent, and you still don’t trust her. Are you here to borrow spices or to force your way in? Who would lend you anything with such a bad attitude! You’ve pushed people to their limits!” Daniel Vahn couldn’t stand it anymore.
Blake Walker unhappily said to Yellen Brooks: “Okay, you don’t have it anymore. What’s the point of doing this? It seems like I’m forcing you. Yellen Brooks, I really didn’t expect, you’ve mastered this quite well.”
One is really tainted by association.
She’s only been friends with Cindy Clarke for a few days, right?
She learned from Cindy Clarke’s tricks.
“Holy shit, a male Janus-faced? I’ve seen a lot of Janus-faced girls, but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a Janus-faced boy!” Bartholomew Bailey smirked and mocked.
Jasmine Hudson said to Ava Brown: “No wonder they get along so well with Iris Doone? Male Janus-faced, female Janus-faced, a perfect match.”
“Don’t go too far!” Blake Walker gasped, “I’m asking Yellen Brooks, not you guys. Why are you always chattering on the side? Did I offend you?”
Blake Walker really felt innocent.
These people, how dare they gang up on him!
It’s just too much!
No one replied to him.
It’s a competition, and no one wants to waste time arguing with him during the game.
An endless tit-for-tat verbal fight.
Who would have thought that Blake Walker would have the nerve to approach Cindy Clarke again for spices?
Everyone was stunned when they saw him stop in front of Cindy Clarke.
What a one-of-a-kind weirdo!
He’d had a great time cursing her earlier, and now he intends to ask Cindy Clarke for spices?
His face is skin absolutely thick!
No one said anything.
One side was so shocked by Blake Walker’s actions that they were speechless.
The other side was curious to see how Blake would ask.
“Cindy Clarke, I see you have quite a bit left; do you still need the remaining ones?” Blake Walker asked.
He had witnessed with his own eyes that Cindy Clarke had already thrown the chicken into the fire made from a mixture of tree branches and dry leaves.
It was impossible to season it again.
Would she sprinkle seasoning on the mud?
So, there’s absolutely no reason for Cindy Clarke to refuse him.
And, she can’t lie.
Because her spices were displayed right there.
If she lied, she would be exposed.
“I don’t need them,” Cindy Clarke said indifferently.
Everyone was extremely frustrated.
The angrier they listened, the more they choked themselves.
They knew Cindy Clarke had been pushed to this point and couldn’t say otherwise.
This made them feel even more disgusted with Blake Walker!
Hearing Cindy Clarke’s answer, Blake Walker’s face immediately brightened: “Then, can you give me the remaining spices?”
“No,” Cindy Clarke replied without thinking.
She replied so quickly that she didn’t use even a second to think.
Blake Walker’s joyful expression froze instantly, “Why? You gave Yellen Brooks some in the last competition; why not me this time?”
Blake Walker sneered: “What? You got a good reputation in the last competition, so now you think it doesn’t matter and immediately show your true colors?”
“Blake Walker, enough is enough! You are asking for materials, yet you turn hostile when she doesn’t give them? With your attitude, who would want to give it to you?” Leon Hernandez, who has the quickest temper among them, blurted out.
“I didn’t ask you,” Blake Walker immediately said, “Since Cindy Clarke doesn’t need them anymore and she still has so much left, why can’t I use them? She’s too selfish!”
Everyone was amused and angered by his words.
“Why should I give them to you?” Cindy Clarke raised her eyebrows, “You don’t like me and you have always targeted me. What would make me want to give them to you?”
“I’m not the Virgin Mary, so even though you mock me and have a hostile attitude towards me, I won’t smile and welcome you. Do you think I’m cheap?” Cindy Clarke said bluntly.
Blake Walker: “…”
“Yellen Brooks has no materials left; it’s impossible for her to lend to you. But even if she had any left and gave them to you, would you appreciate the favor, though?”
“People like you, when you get benefits, you think it’s what you deserve. They’re all supposed to be given to you. When you receive help, you immediately forget people’s kindness. In fact, you think others are humiliating you or being condescending, thinking it should be given to you since they don’t need it anymore.” Cindy Clarke said coldly.
“In short, you’re the kind of person who holds grudges but doesn’t remember favors.” Cindy Clarke looked at Blake Walker coldly, “Doing good deeds without seeking rewards is a bottom line. This means that when you do a good deed, don’t hope that the other person will reward you; that way, your mentality will be much better and balanced.”
“But who wants to do a good deed and then be disgraced and belittled by you in their heart?” Cindy Clarke said coldly, “I mean, who’s that cheap?”
“So, I don’t want to give you these materials. I’d rather throw my dad’s materials into the fire than give them to you.” Cindy Clarke sneered, “I’ve made myself pretty clear, you can go.”
“Whatever you want to curse, you curse it in your heart, we who are present here, have no obligation to listen to your foul-mouthedness.” Cindy Clarke said.
“You think I’m terrible, it’s up to you. I don’t care what you think of me.” Cindy Clarke showed a totally laid-back attitude, which angered Blake Walker very much.
Chapter 552: The person who scolds Cindy Clarke, slap their face or not?
It was obvious that Cindy Clarke didn’t take Blake Walker seriously at all.
Want me to remember your name?
You’re not worth it.
Cindy didn’t say it all.
But everybody got the message.
Parker Honi turned the tree-branch grill and said to Cindy, “You have a tough personality, that’s great, I really like it.”
“…” Cindy held back a laugh and said, “Thank you.”
Ava Brown’s mouth twitched, and she hurriedly stepped forward to cover Parker Honi’s mouth.
She hadn’t been quick enough to stop Parker Honi just now.
Aiming for a loving atmosphere among classmates and wanting to save face, Ava Brown was afraid Parker Honi would say something suicidal, so she quickly covered his mouth to prevent any further damage.
“Mmm, mmm, mmm…” Parker Honi indeed had more to say, but Ava Brown had already covered his mouth, and now he could only protest with difficult “mmm” sounds.
“Would you please calm down? Be careful or Adrian Zhekova will make things difficult for you!” Ava Brown was afraid their voices would be picked up.
With one hand on the microphone clipped to her collar, she lowered her voice to a whisper.
Parker Honi was shocked, JPG style.
“What?” Parker Honi turned his head abruptly.
Ava could no longer cover his mouth.
Ava quickly put her index finger to her lips: “Shush! I’ll tell you after the competition.”
Adrian Zhekova’s pettiness was notorious in Pingla.
Even though they hadn’t yet graduated from Pingla Academy and hadn’t personally experienced Adrian Zhekova’s beatings,
they were well aware of it.
After all, under Pingla Academy, it was highly probable that they would join Pingla Restaurant or its research department in the future.
They had to know their future boss well.
Now Parker Honi dared to tell Cindy that he really liked her?
That was gutsy!
Although everyone knew that Parker Honi, that fool, was expressing his liking for Cindy as a friend and not in a romantic way,
he just liked her personality and thought she was a good fit for a friend.
But would Adrian Zhekova, that dog, care about the meaning behind his words?
Ava Brown hadn’t yet had the chance to tell her classmates about the relationship between Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke.
Since it was during the competition, there were cameras following and live streaming it.
Ava couldn’t reveal such information in front of a national audience, could she?
So she planned to wait until the competition was over and then tell them.
Who knew Parker Honi’s mouth would be so fast!
Still, the mere mention of Adrian Zhekova’s name was enough for Parker Honi to close his mouth in alertness.
Wisely, he remained silent.
Blake Walker sneered at Cindy and said, “Cindy Clarke, you acted like a good person in the last competition, why aren’t you pretending anymore? Aren’t you afraid of being scolded in front of a national audience?”
“Because I don’t care. Even if they say I’m bad and scold me, what does it have to do with me? I may never meet them in my life, so why should I care?” Cindy was nonchalant.
At this moment, Blake Walker was truly at a loss for words.
At the moment, audiences’ opinions on Cindy Clarke were indeed divided.
“Cindy Clarke is indeed going too far. Even if she doesn’t want to lend something, does she have to be so rude?”
It’s me, the Prettiest Kid: “Mother Teresa spotted upstairs. If someone were like Blake Walker, constantly ridiculing you, disliking you, demanding things from you and scolding you, would you still give in? Better to be genuinely kind!”
Music: “I love Cindy’s attitude! Why should she help Blake Walker when he’s being so impolite? If she helps him, he won’t appreciate it anyway. Helping him at this point would be foolish, Cindy is absolutely right.”
“But Cindy Clarke offered help to Yellen Brooks in the last competition.”
Whispering Wind in South Lane ~: “Did Yellen Brooks ever scold Cindy Clarke? Yellen appreciates Cindy’s kindness, clarifying things about her in the last competition, and is now friends with Cindy. Can Blake Walker do that? Please don’t insult Yellen Brooks.”
In the stands, Christy Xenos, eyes glaring, said to Joshua Clarke, “Look at your little girl, she’s quite something. She can’t even help with this small favor, what makes you think she’ll help our family?”
“Her mouth sure knows how to bicker with people smoothly.” Christy Xenos said, “She’s been like this since she was little. If someone offends her, she can hold a grudge for a lifetime, and you can forget about her ever giving you a chance to turn things around.”
According to Christy Xenos, “It’s just a little favor to lend those materials, a simple gesture without any loss to her, yet she’s unwilling to do it. This just proves she’s a bad person!”
Joshua Clarke sighed, unable to defend Cindy, “How did Cindy… how did she become like this?”
“Although she was a bit stubborn before, she wasn’t so aggressive and unyielding.” Joshua Clarke shook his head, extremely disappointed, “Why has she become like this now?”
“Humph! It’s because she’s got some achievements and became arrogant.” Christy Xenos said in a weird tone.
Meanwhile, on the racecourse.
“Come on, you can ask me for help.” At this moment, Aiden Huxley waved at Blake Walker.
Blake Walker’s expression changed, thinking Aiden Huxley was actually so kind?
However, before he could even take a step, Aiden Huxley said, “Just see if I give it to you or not.”
Blake Walker: “…”
“You…you are too bullying!” Blake Walker said angrily.
“Heh!” Daniel Vahn sneered, suddenly turning to face the camera, “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell you that it’s not just Cindy Clarke who is against him, it’s all of us.”
Daniel Vahn exaggeratedly raised his hand and drew a big circle: “All of us!”
“So, if you want to scold, just scold us all. There’s no need to specifically target Cindy Clarke.” Daniel Vahn added.
At this moment, the bullet screen was flying.
“Hahaha! What about those who just scolded Cindy Clarke? Are you gonna take that back now?”
“If it’s just Cindy Clarke targeting Blake Walker, there might be problems on both sides. But now, it’s 14 people ganging up on Blake Walker.”
“14VS1, Blake Walker is quite a player, attracting so much firepower all by himself. That’s no ordinary skill.”
“Hmph!” Blake Walker knew that he was fighting alone here, weak and powerless, and no matter what he said now, it would be useless.
It wasn’t just Cindy Clarke confronting him now.
It was also the people from Pingla Academy.
Although Larry Bennett and Natalie Campbell didn’t speak, he didn’t think their attitudes would matter much.
With the support of 10 students from Pingla Academy and Cindy, they’d already won.
“Alright, alright! You have the advantage of a large number of people, so what?” Blake Walker said, nodding repeatedly in anger.
“Of course we’re powerful since we have the numbers.” Leon Hernandez raised his chin, looking very proud.
Blake Walker: “…”
Damn!
Do the Pingla Academy students all have problems?!
Don’t forget, they and Cindy Clarke are opponents!
What’s the point of having such a good relationship with Cindy Clarke?
Isn’t one of them going to be eliminated anyway?
Either Cindy Clarke gets eliminated, or they get eliminated!
Chapter 553: Disappointment
At that time, no matter who was eliminated, it would not be a pleasant experience.
Would they still be friends then?
Blake Walker, filled with anger, returned to his position and continued turning the grill.
Blake occasionally cut into the lamb leg to ensure the inside was cooked as well, while also sprinkling salt.
However, everyone else had plenty of seasonings.
The aroma was already filling the entire area.
With only salt, his dish was bound to lose.
Unless other contestants’ dishes were undercooked.
But by now, only a few competitors were left in the game.
How could anyone who made it this far make such a basic mistake?
Blake Walker knew that he was going to lose!
The anger in his heart grew stronger, and he became increasingly irritable.
He couldn’t help but think, why was he still competing?
No matter what he did, he was going to lose!
Why did he have to work so hard!
With this thought, Blake’s performance inevitably became less serious.
He just handled his dish haphazardly.
Cindy Clarke noticed that the time was almost up, so she put out the flame.
After all, the dish was wrapped in so many layers, it wouldn’t cool down quickly.
Then, she calmly waited for the time to pass and the judges to come over.
Grace Green and the five judges came to their side.
“Thank you all for your hard work today,” Grace said with a smile.
“The group had invested a lot in today’s competition, but little did we know that as soon as Cindy arrived, she saw through our arrangement,” Michael Greene laughed. “It really caught us off guard.”
“Yes, we thought you would only begin to suspect something when you found the ingredients. It turns out our cover was blown right from the start,” said Wesley Gordon, dejectedly.
Cindy felt a bit embarrassed, as if she had destroyed the organizer’s layout and plan.
“I’m sorry,” Cindy said apologetically.
“Hey, we’re not blaming you,” Rosaline Parker said with a smile. “It’s your ability to analyze that made you discover the truth. We can only blame our arrangement for not being careful enough for you to find out so easily.”
“You didn’t break any rules, and you even shared your findings with other contestants,” Rosaline said, still amazed at how much time had passed.
People would usually keep such decisive-winning factors a secret, but Cindy actually had the courage to share it.
Cindy became even more embarrassed by the praise and quickly waved her hand, saying, “Actually, I just found out earlier. Even if I hadn’t said anything, just as Chef Gordon said, everyone would have noticed something when they were looking for ingredients.”
“In fact, whether I say it or not, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. So I might as well tell everyone to save them the trouble of taking the wrong path,” Cindy said.
This was just an excuse she had thought of at the moment.
However, early in the competition when she had just discovered the secret, Cindy hadn’t had time to think that much.
She simply believed that there was no harm in sharing the information.
Moreover, she thought everyone else was pretty good, except for Blake Walker.
If she found something useful, she never even thought about hiding it from them.
But now, if she were to say this, many people probably would not believe her.
They would think she was putting on an act to create a good image and appeal to others.
As a result, they would think that she was fake.
After being a food blogger for so many years, Cindy understood the mindset of netizens all too well.
So now, when the judges brought up the issue, Cindy came up with this temporary reason.
As expected, after Cindy explained her reasoning, nobody in the live chat criticized her.
In the audience, Christy Xenos seized the opportunity to say to Joshua Clarke, “Look at her. She’s so smart. In such a short time, she can think of so many things. How fast can her mind work?”
“Her mind is full of cunning ideas. The intelligence of our entire family combined can’t match hers,” Christy said sarcastically.
“You really think she could have become this clever with just five years of practice? Stop lying to yourself,” Christy added.
Joshua sighed deeply.
He could no longer deceive himself.
Cindy had always been very smart.
Going through hard experiences might teach a person a lesson and help them avoid making mistakes in the future.
After being in the workplace, one might become more polished, worldly, and gain a lot of experience.
People would try their best to avoid repeating past mistakes in the future.
However, intelligence wouldn’t increase by gaining experience alone.
So, from a young age, Cindy had been very smart.
“She’s so smart that if she really wanted to help our family, she could have definitely done so. Instead, she pretends to be stupid all the time and relies on her sister to handle everything.”
“Now I even doubt whether her hard work in school was just a show she put on to make us believe that her good grades were due to hard work, not because she’s innately talented and learns things easily,” Christy sneered.
“I don’t understand her. What has she got to hide? Being smart is a good thing, and learning things easily is also a good thing. Why would she even have to be so guarded towards her own family? What is she thinking?”
“Even if we knew she was smart, what could we do to her? If we knew she was talented, we would be even more supportive of her. How could we harm her?”
“By being so guarded against us, she doesn’t treat us like family. We’re still her parents. What kind of child would be so suspicious of their own parents?” Christy said angrily. “It’s so strange. We’re both just ordinary people.”
“We can’t say we’re stupid, but I must admit, our intelligence is just at the level of normal people. How could we have given birth to someone as smart as Cindy?” Christy felt puzzled.
Did Cindy inherit the intelligence of both her parents?
“She’s so smart that when she first came to Belfard, she had no connections and built a successful career. Our family had a restaurant beforehand, so I don’t believe that she couldn’t have made the family business even better.”
“Instead, she did nothing and let her sister handle everything. She was always unhappy when we asked her to help out at the restaurant,” Christy rolled her eyes.
“Enough,” Joshua said, feeling more and more disappointed with Cindy the more he heard.
It just wasn’t the same as what he had thought before.
“Let’s keep watching the competition. The judges are starting to taste the dishes,” Joshua said.
Due to the limited conditions of this competition, the contestants couldn’t present their dishes to the judges one by one.
So, the judges went to each contestant’s work station to taste their dishes directly.
While Parker Honi’s roast chicken was still on the branch-turned grill, a staff member brought a plate to place the chicken on.
Wesley Gordon used tongs to cut the chicken open from the middle, and the juice immediately flowed out from the inside.
Chapter 554:
“There’s a hint of mint, which is a really unique taste.” Michael Greene was pleasantly surprised, “I didn’t expect you to add mint.”
“After grilling, the chicken heats up, so the coolness of the mint disappears, but its slight bitter and spicy flavor remains, giving the roast chicken a unique taste.”
“Not bad.” Michael Greene nodded.
Although everyone roasted chicken and duck,
the different seasonings and proportions used brought out different flavors in each.
“Is this mashed potatoes?” Rosaline Parker cut open Cynthia Florine’s roast chicken and found half of it filled with mashed potatoes.
The upper part was left empty, and Cynthia Florine had cleaned the chicken cavity thoroughly, not leaving a single trace of the innards.
As she sliced it open, the chicken juice flowed into the mashed potatoes, as the savory, fragrant chicken broth seeped in.
The originally golden-yellow mashed potatoes gradually took on a caramel color.
Rosaline Parker was quite surprised by this ingenuity.
Cynthia Florine explained: “I thought of chicken gravy mashed potatoes, which is a common appetizer. We might not think about it much during normal cooking, but today’s conditions were limited, and I happened to find some potatoes, so I thought of chicken gravy mashed potatoes.”
“It’s a perfect pairing with the roast chicken — while grilling, the chicken broth and oils are cooked out, and when cut open, the juices will flow out and will inevitably be wasted. So why not let them infiltrate the mashed potatoes instead? That way, the chicken juice is not wasted, and we have an appetizer to go with it.”
“I only filled half of the cavity with mashed potatoes to leave space on top for the chicken juice to slowly drip down,” Cynthia Florine explained.
“The mashed potatoes are smooth and creamy, with a fruity fragrance from the grilling, and the added spices elevate it beyond just chicken gravy mashed potatoes.” Rosaline Parker nodded, “This idea is brilliant.”
One by one, the judges tasted the dishes, and then it was Jasmine Hudson’s turn.
Jasmine Hudson only roasted a duck.
It looked quite ordinary at first glance.
Just like what you’d see in a restaurant.
The duck skin was roasted to crispy perfection, displaying an enticing caramel color and a glossy sheen.
Jasmine Hudson took the duck and placed it on a plate.
Hunter Clarke first tapped the knife lightly on the duck skin, and the crispness of the skin was instantly showcased.
Then he began to slice.
As soon as the knife touched the duck skin, the crackling sound was heard.
“This is right up there with the Peking roast duck.” Hunter Clarke said.
“In fact, grilling like this is similar to using a hanging oven, and the fruity wood flavor is an added bonus,” Jasmine Hudson said.
“There’s something else inside the duck,” Hunter Clarke discovered as he sliced.
Jasmine Hudson had filled the duck cavity with scallions,
which had been softened by the heat, emitting a fragrant onion scent, without the pungency of raw scallions.
“I found some Korean perilla leaves,” Jasmine Hudson said. “You can use them to wrap the roasted duck and eat it with the scallions. My suggestion is to wrap the duck slices with scallions.”
Hunter Clarke nodded, sliced off a piece of duck meat, added a soft, charred scallion, and wrapped it all in the Korean perilla leaf.
“Korean perilla has a unique texture and aroma that helps cut through the greasiness of the duck meat.” Hunter Clarke paused, delighted, “When I bit into the scallion, the duck broth that had accumulated in it burst out.”
“Although the broth is hot, the Korean perilla acts as a buffer,” Hunter Clarke said. “I personally enjoy hot dishes.”
“Especially on a chilly autumn night like this, the warmth of this steaming hot cuisine is very comforting, and it seems to warm up the entire body,” Hunter Clarke praised.
“The Korean perilla is crisp, the duck meat tender, the scallions soft from roasting, and the duck skin crispy — the textures are beautifully layered.”
Finally, the five judges came to Cindy Clarke’s dish.
“I made a Beggar’s Chicken, but I adapted it to local conditions,” Cindy Clarke explained.
The outer layer of mud on the Beggar’s Chicken had been roasted until black and hard.
Cindy struck it several times with a knife.
The mud cracked open, revealing the tightly wrapped Indocalamus leaves inside.
She peeled off the layers of Indocalamus leaves one by one.
The chicken in the middle was a light golden brown, not charred like the ones directly placed on the grill.
There were no burnt parts, and the chicken skin was still soft.
There was no mud on the chicken skin, as Cindy had wrapped it so tightly.
Cindy placed the chicken onto a plate.
Michael Greene held the chicken leg in one hand and cut through the joint with a knife in the other.
When he gently pulled with his left hand, the bone came out instead of the chicken leg.
There was not a bit of meat left on the bone.
The deboning was impeccably clean.
Michael Greene’s astonished expression appeared on the big screen.
The audience laughed.
“Your deboning is a bit too quick, isn’t it?” Michael Greene said with a bitter smile.
“Because of the many layers between the chicken and the heat, even if it’s roasted for a long time, the meat won’t be overcooked. Rather than roasting, I think it’s more like steamed chicken,” Cindy laughed and continued, “slow cooking over low heat, the muscles slowly tenderize. The tight wrapping traps the juices inside, with no moisture escaping, and the juices are then reabsorbed by the chicken. It turns out to be very tender.”
Michael Greene was eating with a “slurp slurp” sound.
“You’ve roasted it for a long time, but the heat is just right, not too high, and you’ve even incorporated the bamboo fragrance from the Indocalamus leaves into the chicken. The aroma has permeated every bit of the chicken, making each bite full of bamboo fragrance.” Michael Greene ate the chicken like a soup, constantly making a “slurp slurp” sound.
“You’re really exaggerating with that sound,” Charles Dean looked at Michael Greene with contempt.
“Try it yourself,” Michael Greene pointed at the chicken.
Charles Dean announced that he was a very strict judge.
What’s the least tasty part of the chicken?
As everyone knows, it’s the chicken breast.
No matter how it’s cooked, it’s often dry and tough.
That’s where the least fat is, and the meat is the driest.
That’s why it’s the most suitable meat for a low-fat meal.
So, Charles Dean cut a piece of the chicken breast.
But as soon as he cut it, he realized something was unusual.
He couldn’t even see the familiar stringy texture of the chicken breast.
When he pressed the whole piece, juices were squeezed out of the meat’s texture.
Charles Dean immediately popped a piece into his mouth and took a bite.
He suddenly paused, unable to help but widen his eyes, “It’s even juicy.”
“No, there’s not just the flavor of the spices you added in the chicken, but also a hint of apple, slightly sour,” Charles Dean said.
“I picked some apples on the way. However, the small apples were not ripe yet and were slightly sour, so they didn’t taste good on their own. There were also no suitable tools here to make desserts. But since there was no sugar provided by the organizers today, I thought I’d use the apples as a substitute for sugar.”
Chapter 555: Big Sister, I’ve Been Tolerating You for a Long Time
“After being heated and cooked, the apple’s sourness will be brought out. Even if it’s a sweet apple, it would become sour. I wanted to try using this sourness to cut through the greasiness of the dish. Since there are no lemons, I’ll use the sourness of the apple as a substitute,” Cindy explained.
“This combination of flavors is really unique, especially the chicken, which is incredibly tender and smooth. It feels like a combination of egg and fish tofu, but with a rich, juicy texture that bursts with every bite.”
“The rosemary flavor is not overpowering; it doesn’t cover the flavors of the other spices. The pepper’s spiciness can be most clearly tasted in the innermost layer of the chicken.” Rosaline Parker’s lips were covered with a layer of oil as she ate, “The chicken is so tender, the texture is amazing. It’s so good that you’ll accidentally eat too much of it.”
The chicken was small, so the five judges were easily able to finish it.
When Wesley Gordon reached for another piece, he realized he was left with just bones.
Wesley Gordon: “…”
“Hahaha, I think our evaluation of Cindy’s dish is unnecessary. Our actions speak for themselves.” Charles Dean laughed as he spoke.
“You’re right.” Wesley nodded.
As the five judges tasted each dish, even though there were many dishes to try, they still managed to eat quite a bit.
But Cindy’s dish left them with enough appetite to devour an entire chicken.
This fact spoke volumes.
Thus, the five of them approached the last contestant, Blake Walker.
Blake looked dispirited, with no fighting spirit left, since he had anticipated the outcome.
“It seems you’ve already given up hope?” Wesley noticed Blake’s reaction and raised an eyebrow.
Blake replied solemnly, “I couldn’t find any spices along the way, so I only used salt to roast it. The flavor will definitely be lacking.”
“If the temperature is properly controlled, even the original flavor can make an excellent dish,” Hunter Clarke said. “Of course, the premise is that the chef’s original intention hasn’t changed.”
“During cooking, you already thought you were going to lose. Your mentality changed, and your attitude towards cooking became negative. In this situation, you can’t concentrate on your dish. How could the outcome be delicious?” Hunter shook his head, “Blake, if you want to continue on this path, you still have a long way to go.”
Then, he cut a piece of the lamb.
“The lamb doesn’t have much fat, and the meat’s smell is relatively light, which is advantageous for you. In particular, since you lack spices, this ingredient has already helped you a lot.”
One could say that the lamb leg had already done everything it could.
“If Cindy had lent me her spices, my dish would have been much better,” Blake still couldn’t help but say.
Hunter glanced at him and then lowered his head to taste the lamb.
Everyone thought that he wouldn’t respond to Blake’s words,
but a moment later, Hunter said, “Is it other people’s fault that you didn’t find the ingredients? Others helping you is just due to your good luck, and of course, it can also prove that you have good interpersonal relationships. But not helping you is not the fault of others.”
Blake’s face darkened.
At this point, Hunter no longer had an appetite for Blake’s lamb.
Seeing Blake’s sulking face, who else would have the mood to taste his dish?
As a judge, Hunter reluctantly took a bite.
“The lamb is cooked unevenly,” he said, “this part is overcooked, dry, and even burned.”
“You probably didn’t carefully watch the temperature of the lamb because you thought there was no hope for this competition.” Hunter said coldly.
“Attitude like this is not what a qualified chef should have.” Hunter shook his head in disappointment.
“You let your mood affect your dish, and because it involves grades, you don’t take it seriously when you think your grades will be poor. All you care about is your scores and your gains and losses. Have you ever considered your diners?”
After that, Hunter didn’t wait for Blake’s answer and stepped aside to allow other people.
After the five judges tasted Blake’s roasted lamb, they did not leave any further comments.
They convened for a moment at the center of the stage.
Wesley then said, “Since no contestants withdrew during the competition, only one person is going to be eliminated this time. The remaining contestants will not be ranked.”
“Although the nature of this competition was engineered, it still limited everyone’s performances in certain aspects. Despite these setbacks, everyone was able to complete their dishes successfully. Every one of you has performed well and deserves praise.”
“Now, I will announce the eliminated contestant for this round,” Wesley continued.
“In this round, the eliminated contestant is Blake Walker,” Wesley announced loudly.
Nobody was surprised by the result, including the audience and Blake himself.
“Cindy, if you had lent me the ingredients, I would have had a chance,” Blake still argued unwillingly.
“Even if she gave them to you, you wouldn’t have had a chance,” Leon Hernandez said. “Why don’t you have a clear understanding of your own level?”
“You made it this far during the last competition due to luck. There is a significant gap between us. Don’t try to compare yourself to our level,” Parker Honi said with a look of disgust.
Blake: “…”
How could Parker be so infuriating!
How could he not have any emotional intelligence!
“Please follow the staff to the exit and take a good rest,” Grace Green hurriedly said.
She couldn’t let them start arguing here.
The students under Pingla Academy seemed to not be aware they were being broadcasted.
They didn’t seem to notice the cameras at all!
Cindy and the others followed the staff to the exit and headed backstage.
Only then did the audience in the stands slowly prepare to leave.
Christy Xenos huffed, “There are no rankings in this competition. Cindy is really lucky.”
“As the number of people left dwindles, she won’t be able to get a good ranking with those from Pingla Academy still around,” she said.
“Hey, lady, I’ve put up with you for a long time,” a girl suddenly spoke up, with her boyfriend beside her.
“Today I sat next to you and heard you badmouthing Cindy throughout the entire competition,” the girl said, “What grudge do you have with Cindy?”
“Oh, you’re annoyed because she’s smart and a good cook?”
Chapter 556: Falsely Recognizing a Daughter
“When someone kindly lends materials to the competitors, you said she’s pretentious. When she doesn’t, you call her mean. You’re full of criticism.” The young girl was blunt.
But she just couldn’t hold it back any more.
“If it were just some occasional comments, I wouldn’t say anything, I don’t want to cause trouble for myself. But I’ve sat here for six hours, and you’ve spent six hours bad-mouthing Cindy Clarke. I’ve heard so much I’m practically deaf.”
“I just want to watch the Competition in peace, can’t you just remain quiet? If you need to gossip, do it privately with your husband on his mobile phone. Why disturb others?”
“Who do you think you are!” Christy Xenos shouted, “I’m talking about Cindy Clarke, it’s none of your business. And I’m not cursing you! Why are you meddling in other people’s affairs!”
“Why are you shouting so loudly? Trying to prove that you have a loud voice?” The person sitting on the other side of Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke also couldn’t hold it back, “I’ve put up with you for some time. I can’t hear the competitors clearly during a perfectly good competition, all because of your incessant babbling”.
Additionally, this man, Joshua Clarke, was a pushover.
He thought that everything his wife said was right, totally devoid of any opinion of his own, it was truly nauseating.
“What’s it to you!” Christy Xenos retorted angrily, “Cindy Clarke is my daughter! I’ll talk about her as I please. Are you also going to interfere in how we handle our own daughter now?”
“If my daughter’s actions are not right, can’t I, as a mother, discuss it? You’re all so busybody, but you can’t interfere in our family matters!” Christy Xenos raised her voice.
“You’re Cindy Clarke’s mother?” The person suspected it when he heard Christy Xenos talking during the competition.
But when he heard it from Christy Xenos herself, he was astounded: “What type of mother looks down on her own daughter this way!”
“If your daughter were truly undutiful, I would understand if you found fault in her. But go and ask, who doesn’t think Cindy Clarke is excellent? You’re complaining even about this, are you really a mother?”
“That’s none of your business! Don’t I know more about her than you do?” Christy Xenos shrieked, “You’re an outsider, you’re just meddling in other people’s private affairs, it’s like you’re trying to find fault with something.”
“With the time you have to spare, go discipline your own family!” Christy Xenos glared at the person, and said nastily, “Is it because you can’t have your own children, so you’re envious when you see others disciplining their daughters!”
“You… you…” The person’s face turned red with rage at Christy Xenos’s words, “Why is your mouth so nasty!”
“How am I being nasty? Did I curse at you? Did I use any foul language?” Christy Xenos gestured with her big hand, “Everyone, judge for yourselves. I didn’t say anything, yet they started to meddle in how we discipline our daughter. Who’s the one being outrageous here!”
“Am I being wronged here? Am I being wronged here for merely discussing my own daughter! How is it upsetting to others? Is it because you hear my foreign accent, you are bullying me? Or is it because I’m old?” Christy Xenos shouted, sounding as if she was about to cry.
People were genuinely afraid that she might break down and cry on the spot.
“Are you all bullying me because I’m old and don’t know anyone here?” Christy Xenos yelled with all her might.
The person’s face turned pale, then green, his scalp tingling.
Christy Xenos was blocking the way, and people behind her couldn’t move.
Someone said: “Alright, let’s just move on.”
Why bother provoking this shrew?
The person also felt ashamed, thinking, how could she behave in such a shrewish manner!
Joshua Clarke hurriedly said to Christy Xenos: “Let’s not argue here, what if we’re late and Cindy has left?”
Christy Xenos originally wanted to continue arguing, as she felt unsatisfied and wanted to lash out at those meddlers until they break into tears. She wouldn’t be content otherwise.
But, Joshua Clarke’s reminder was also valid.
She was wasting time here and if they arrived too late, Cindy might leave.
If they missed this good opportunity, they’d have to wait until the next Competition to see Cindy Clarke again.
That would mean waiting another week.
Waiting for another week isn’t really an issue, but they’d have to stay in the hotel another week, which means spending money for another week.
If they could see Cindy Clarke today and things went smoothly, they could move into Cindy Clarke’s home today itself.
Wouldn’t that be a way to save money?
Once Christy Xenos thought of this, she no longer wanted to argue on the spot.
“Yes, let’s go, let’s go.” Christy Xenos grabbed Joshua Clarke’s wrist, thinking that for once, Joshua Clarke’s suggestion actually made sense.
As she grabbed Joshua Clarke’s wrist, she pushed people aside in front of her: “Excuse me, excuse me, quickly make way, we’re in a hurry.”
“What are you doing?”
“Stop pushing!”
“Everyone is leaving, what’s your rush?”
“Can you please keep the order? There are so many people, it’s very dangerous to push like this.”
“Who’s not in a hurry? Everyone wants to leave quickly, what are you pushing for!”
The crowd started to complain about her actions.
“We really are in a hurry!” Christy Xenos hadn’t stopped pushing forwards, she continued to push through the crowd, “I have to meet my daughter urgently, my daughter is Cindy Clarke! I need to see her!”
“Cindy Clarke is her daughter? Can Cindy Clarke’s mother actually be like this?”
“My God, is this real? Is Cindy Clarke mother like this?”
“I can’t believe it, must be fake.”
“Could she be falsely claiming someone else’s daughter?”
“Who knows? Seeing how shrewish she is, this…”
“Excuse us, excuse us.” Joshua Clarke also followed behind Christy Xenos and kept apologizing, “We really are in a big hurry, we have to go find Cindy Clarke quickly, excuse us, excuse us.”
Every time Christy Xenos pushed someone aside, Joshua Clarke followed with an apology.
On the way, he said: “We have come all the way from Belfard to find Cindy Clarke.”
“Yes!” As Christy Xenos continued to make her way through the crowd, she loudly declared, “Cindy Clarke does not recognise us as her parents, she left us and ran off to Belfard without any message. We don’t even have her contact details now, don’t know where she lives, we can only use the opportunity of today’s competition to see her.”
“Sorry, we’re sorry.” Joshua Clarke immediately followed up.
“This unfilial girl! I don’t know what we did to wrong her, made her choose to abandon her parents. She’s all nice and comfortable in Belfard, leaving us behind in Nork City, not caring for us. Even if we were to die there, she wouldn’t know!”
“Sorry, we’re sorry.”
“If we hadn’t seen her during the live broadcast, we wouldn’t have known she’s in Belfard, wouldn’t have known that she’s living so well.” Christy Xenos spoke loudly, “For all these years, we’ve been looking for her, worrying that she might be kidnapped by bad people, worried that she might have encountered danger outside. We worried day and night, we were so concerned! Yet look at her, living so well in Belfard, without even informing us.”
“Sorry, we’re sorry.”
Chapter 557: Finally Meeting Cindy Clarke
“We’re not asking her for money, and we don’t want to take advantage of her. We’re just worried about her. She could at least contact us to let us know she’s all right.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“If she had contacted us in time, we would have known her situation, and we wouldn’t have had to come all the way to Belfard.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“It’s just because she doesn’t tell us anything that we have to come and find her. We just want to ask her face to face why she hasn’t been in contact with us for all these years.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“What did we do wrong? As her parents, where did we disappoint her? She should just tell us!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Christy Xenos spoke with genuine emotion.
Although she had made a scene earlier, it was in a small area.
There were so many audience members, the range was so wide.
Only those in that small area had heard it.
As they walked away, the audience here had no idea that Christy Xenos had made a fuss earlier.
Instead, they listened to her speaking with such genuine emotion and felt that Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos faced difficulties as a couple.
They all whispered among themselves.
“So, Cindy Clarke is that kind of person?”
“You really couldn’t tell during the Competition.”
“It’s like celebrities who act differently in front of the camera and in private, Cindy might just be maintaining her image.”
“Her parents are quite unfortunate.”
As Christy Xenos wailed along the way.
Her voice was loud, and it spread quite far.
The audience couldn’t help but want to hear more gossip and slowed down their pace.
Christy Xenos took advantage of this to browse through the crowd one by one.
Finally, with Joshua Clarke, they surpassed all the audience members and followed the blueprint that Zoe Silverstone had given them in advance.
Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke found their way using the map.
Zoe Silverstone had actually bought off a staff member.
She didn’t demand to know the competition’s content, only where the contestants would rest after the competition.
The staff member thought the question was harmless.
As long as it wasn’t related to the competition, everything else was fine.
They would never disclose anything about the competition.
So, they told Zoe Silverstone where the contestants would rest.
Zoe Silverstone wanted to come with Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke.
But she wouldn’t pay for her own ticket.
Christy Xenos didn’t offer to buy a ticket for her to come along.
So, Zoe Silverstone just gave Christy Xenos a map and let them find their way.
Who told Christy Xenos to be so stingy? If they missed Cindy because they didn’t know the way, it would serve them right!
After squeezing through, Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke were both quite disheveled.
Christy Xenos panted, “Zoe Silverstone is so unreliable in doing things. She actually bought us such rear tickets. And we spent so much money.”
“Didn’t you not buy the front tickets?” Joshua Clarke couldn’t help but say.
“The cheapest tickets she got were 2000 per person, and the ones in front were 10,000. Am I crazy to spend 20,000 on two tickets?” Christy Xenos immediately raised her voice.
“I don’t know how much Zoe Silverstone took from the inside.” Christy Xenos accidentally revealed the truth.
“Don’t make people out to be so bad. Besides, Zoe Silverstone showed you the chat records with the scalper directly on her mobile phone. The scalper quoted this price.” Joshua Clarke, as a good person, said.
“Zoe Silverstone even helped us bargain with the scalper, but the scalper didn’t agree,” Joshua Clarke reminded Christy Xenos.
“Who knows if it’s a real scalper? Maybe they found someone to stage this play on purpose, or they conspired with the scalper to deceive us.” Christy Xenos thought that with their seats, spending 2000 on tickets was really too expensive.
She found her seat, sat down, and asked the people around her.
The seats around theirs cost only 188.
A 188 ticket was sold to her for 2000.
How ruthless!
So, Christy Xenos couldn’t help but think that Zoe Silverstone had taken their money in the process.
“Okay, whether or not Zoe Silverstone took any money, you’ve already given it to her, bought the tickets, and watched the competition. Now, even if we pursue it, it’s useless,” Joshua Clarke said. “Let’s hurry and find Cindy.”
Christy Xenos knew that it was useless to pursue it now, she just couldn’t swallow her anger.
“I got it.” Christy Xenos replied sullenly.
They continued walking with Joshua Clarke.
“It’s right up ahead!” Christy Xenos saw the sign and was immediately delighted.
“That’s great, we can see Cindy now.” Joshua Clarke also happily said.
Who would have thought that just as they finished speaking, a sudden crowd of people surged out from nowhere.
They looked like audience members.
But Christy Xenos specifically checked left and right, and there was no exit from the stands here.
If they were audience members, where did they come from?
Was there a shortcut nearby?
If they had known there was a shortcut, they wouldn’t have gone around!
Christy Xenos once again complained that Zoe Silverstone was unreliable in doing things.
However, the audience members rushed straight towards her and Joshua Clarke.
“Hey! What are you doing!” Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke suddenly found themselves trapped in the crowd.
She screamed immediately.
But no matter how hard Christy Xenos tried to push the crowd away, the crowd didn’t budge.
Christy Xenos watched helplessly as Cindy’s location was right before her eyes.
But, separated by layers of people, she couldn’t get through.
Quickly, Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke were separated by the crowd.
“Joshua Clarke!” Christy Xenos shouted.
“Hey, don’t push, don’t push!” Joshua Clarke became anxious.
Just now, at the stands, people were telling Christy Xenos not to push.
But now, they were telling others not to push.
Joshua Clarke couldn’t maintain his image as a good person, as he was being pushed around miserably.
Joshua Clarke clenched his teeth, ready to charge through regardless of politeness.
But before he could exert force, he had already been pushed away.
“What are you doing? Don’t push me! Don’t push me!” Christy Xenos screamed.
Joshua Clarke heard the sound, turned his head, and saw that even the fierce Christy Xenos was helplessly pushed away.
Moreover, these people surprisingly did not disperse.
If they said that the passage here was not wide enough, so everyone squeezed together, it could be understood.
But they had come out of the passage and arrived in an open area.
Yet, they still did not disperse.
They kept walking together in a squeeze.
“What are you pushing for? Make way! Make way!” Christy Xenos yelled.
But no one listened to her at all.
Christy Xenos realized that this was not going to work.
Chapter 558: Because I am Strong
Being pushed through the crowd, it seemed impossible to meet Cindy backstage for a while.
Christy Xenos shouted directly: “Cindy, it’s me, I’m your mom! Can you hear me? Come out now!”
“Cindy, your dad and I are here!” Christy Xenos yelled at the top of her lungs, using all her strength.
“Joshua, stop staring and yell! Let Cindy hear you. She must be able to hear us from this close distance, even if there’s a door in between!” Christy Xenos said.
At this moment, Christy Xenos was incredibly quick-witted.
Joshua Clarke quickly came to his senses, nodded, and joined in the shouting: “Cindy, it’s me, your dad! Your mom and I came to see you! Can you hear me? Come out if you can!”
Backstage in the resting room, Daniel Vahn blinked and pulled on his ear, saying, “Am I hallucinating? Why do I hear someone calling Cindy to come out?”
“I heard it too, and they said they were her parents.” Leon Hernandez also said.
Cindy was reporting the situation to Adrian Zhekova and had just sent him a message on Whatsapp.
“My parents are outside, but it sounds like they’re being pushed away according to your plan.” Cindy said.
Now hearing Daniel Vahn and Leon Hernandez, Cindy raised her head and said, “No, you must have heard wrong.”
“Really?” Leon Hernandez asked Parker Honi, “Parker, did you hear it?”
“I heard it.” Parker nodded honestly.
Others also nodded: “I heard it as well.”
“Really?” Only then did Cindy get up to open the door.
However, by this time, the corridor outside the door was empty.
Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos had already been pushed away by Adrian Zhekova’s people.
“There’s really no one at the door.” Cindy said.
Everyone came to the door.
Indeed, there was no one.
Leon Hernandez shivered: “My God, am I hallucinating?”
Aiden Huxley whispered, shivering: “Maybe there’s something even more terrifying. Is there something there?”
Parker Honi jumped up and shouted: “Shut up!”
He had been scared the whole way here.
And now it came again!
Beat him up!
“It’s possible that someone was really calling me but I didn’t notice because I was chatting.” Cindy said, “I’ll go out and have a look now.”
“We’ll go with you.” Cynthia Florine quickly said.
It seemed that Cynthia Florine believed Aiden Huxley’s words and thought there must be something invisible there.
Cindy: “…”
You guys really turned it into a horror movie!
“It’s okay, there won’t be anything.” Cindy said, “Besides, there are so many people here.”
Everyone thought about it, and it seemed reasonable.
Cindy didn’t let them follow her, she went out alone.
She happened to see the crowd already at the entrance of the Sports Stadium.
Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos were both short, submerged in the crowd.
Cindy couldn’t see them, and they couldn’t see Cindy either.
Cindy then returned: “There’s really no one there. I think the audience has mostly left, so we can probably leave too.”
So, everyone started packing up and preparing to leave.
Parker Honi suddenly remembered something and asked Ava Brown: “By the way, you mentioned earlier that you wanted to talk to me about something after the competition. What’s it about?”
Because Ava Brown was tired right after the competition, she had forgotten about it.
However, now that Parker Honi asked, Blake Walker had already left. When he came out, Blake Walker, furious, left.
But Cindy was still there.
Ava Brown felt a bit awkward and didn’t know how to start the conversation.
She looked at Cindy uneasily.
Cindy smiled and said: “She wanted to tell you that Adrian Zhekova is my fiancé.”
“What the hell?”
Except for Yellen Brooks and Ava Brown, everyone stared at Cindy in shock.
Leon Hernandez even cried out loud.
Parker Honi was dumbfounded.
Next to him, Aiden Huxley considerately pushed his jaw up and closed his mouth.
Bartholomew Bailey asked: “Ava, how did you find out?”
Ava Brown briefly mentioned the incident of killing the chicken.
“Adrian only came to see when the camera switched to the other contestants.” Cindy followed up with an explanation.
Ava Brown said: “Cindy also told me and Yellen Brooks that if we minded her relationship with Adrian, she could withdraw from the competition.”
“Yellen and I didn’t think it mattered. After all, we’ve seen Cindy’s strength in these three competitions, and she doesn’t need Adrian’s help to win.” Ava Brown said.
“So, it depends on your attitude.” Ava Brown said.
Cindy also looked at everyone.
Actually, she wasn’t worried about the people of under Pingla Academy.
Today was the longest actual interaction she had with them.
During the previous two competitions, they came and started competing after makeup.
Moreover, there were more contestants in the previous two competitions, and the people of Pingla Academy seemed aloof when they didn’t speak.
Cindy didn’t have a chance to have much contact with them.
But today, there were only 15 contestants left.
From the ride in the car to spending a long time on the racecourse, she realized that the people from Pingla Academy were genuinely cute.
It’s not right to say they were naive.
Because they had strong opinions and were actually very smart.
Moreover, they were very confident.
Cindy believed that they wouldn’t mind her relationship with Adrian Zhekova.
The attitude they needed to see belonged to Larry Bennett and Natalie Campbell.
Natalie Campbell spoke first: “I don’t care. Actually, I’ve exceeded my expectations by making it this far. I know my abilities very well.”
“Going forward, I may not be able to hold on much longer. At most, I will compete in two more rounds.” Natalie Campbell said with a smile, “So it doesn’t affect me. Besides, looking at Cindy’s current strength, it’s hard for her to be eliminated anytime soon.”
Larry Bennett laughed: “Natalie is being quite polite. To put it simply, the next competition is a contest between the two of us to see who can get a ticket to the next round.”
“Anyway, both of us have a fifty-fifty chance. Like Natalie, I can only hold on for two more rounds at most.”
“Cindy’s participation or departure has no effect on either of us. The real impact is on you guys from Pingla Academy,” Larry Bennett said, “So it’s up to you. But I can state my opinion: I don’t care, and Cindy doesn’t need to withdraw from the competition.”
Parker Honi nodded and said to Cindy: “Thank you for telling the truth. But I’m not worried because I’m very strong.”
Aiden Huxley hissed and said to the others: “Don’t you think this guy is so annoying when he acts like this? I really want to beat him up.”
Chapter 559: Can’t figure out the reason
Cynthia Florine chuckled carefreely, “I’m not scared, I believe that Cindy won’t rely on Adrian’s power. Don’t ask me why, it’s just a woman’s intuition.”
Jasmine Hudson spoke boldly, “I won’t accuse someone of a crime that hasn’t happened yet. If Cindy does end up utilizing Adrian’s power, causing the competition to be unfair, I’ll be powerless in the racecourse, but off the racecourse, I won’t let her go.”
So, what Jasmine Hudson meant was, she didn’t need Cindy to withdraw.
Aiden Huxley stated, “I do possess that much generosity.”
Gladys Joy beamed, “If Cindy really cheated, Pingla Academy’s students will speak up together, definitely stronger than Zoe Silverstone and Iris Doone. But before that, I trust Cindy.”
Although Pingla Academy is part of Pingla Group.
Most of the time, the students don’t really care about Pingla Group’s matters.
Should all students make a move together, Pingla Group might struggle to control the situation.
Everyone had made their stance clear.
The relationship between Cindy and Adrian didn’t influence or pressurize them.
Though Jasmine Hudson and others did mention that they wouldn’t let it slide if the competition ended up being unfair.
However, it was just a warning, mere words.
They actually weren’t the least bit worried about Cindy resorting to such tactics.
At that moment, the door to the lounge was suddenly opened.
They had just heard some explosive news and were still tense.
Upon hearing the noise of the door, they all nervously looked over.
Adrian Zhekova walked in with Morgan.
“Cindy!” Morgan saw Cindy and immediately let go of Adrian’s hand and pounced towards her.
The little one stretched out his arms, ready to give Cindy a massive hug.
Just as his feet left the ground, he was caught by the back of his collar and lifted up off the ground.
Without even looking, Morgan knew who had done it.
“Dad!” Morgan flapped his hands and feet like a little turtle, struggling exasperatingly.
“Gently,” Adrian Zhekova said disdainfully.
Only then did he release Morgan into Cindy’s arms.
“Cindy, are you tired?” Morgan held Cindy’s slender waist, resting his chin on her soft belly as he asked.
Cindy gently ruffled his hair, “A little, yes.”
Hearing that, Morgan immediately got off Cindy, “Then I won’t ask you to hold me. Great Grandfather said I’ve grown heavier.”
“You’re growing, so of course you’re getting heavier by the day.” Cindy said with a chuckle.
And also, growing taller every day.
Since they see him all the time, it’s hard to notice.
However, Adrian Zhekova marked a growth chart on the wall in Morgan’s bedroom.
Every now and then, he’d measure Morgan’s height
And the changes would be marked on the chart.
“How come you guys are here?” Cindy looked at Morgan and then at Adrian Zhekova.
Adrian walked over and replied, “Seeing as there was no one here, we’ve come to check and also to pick you up.”
People like Leon Hernandez were dumbfounded.
Even Ava Brown and Yellen Brooks, who had seen them during the competition, were astounded too,
Because they hadn’t seen Morgan back then!
Now, having seen him,
Everyone was crowding around Cindy and Adrian Zhekova, gawking in astonishment, their open mouths large enough to fit an egg.
Right when everyone’s eyes were on Morgan,
Just so coincidentally, Adrian Zhekova and Morgan turned to look at the crowd together.
The father and son duo had very similar faces. Despite Morgan’s face still being cherubic,
His facial features were very similar to Adrian’s.
Especially their eyes. As they looked over together, it was almost surreal
Under everyone’s astonished gaze, young Morgan shyly gave a small smile and said, “All of you are staring at me like this, it’s making me shy!”
Everyone came back to reality.
They had heard the little one call Adrian Zhekova ‘Dad’, just a few moments ago.
So, everyone’s gaze shifted from Morgan’s face to Adrian’s, then back to Morgan’s and finally at Cindy’s.
What was going on?
Cindy then explained, “This is my son, Morgan.”
“Hello, Uncles and Aunts,” Morgan gave a soft greeting.
“Hello, hello.” Everyone greeted Morgan back, unable to keep their expressions in check.
Adrian reminded him, “Introduce yourself properly.”
“Oh.” Morgan obediently responded, “My full name is Morgan Zhekova.”
Adrian’s lips curled up in satisfaction.
As it turned out, this was the first time Morgan had formally introduced himself with his new name.
“Hello, hello.” They responded to Morgan all at once.
“We have to go now, our elders are waiting for us outside.” Adrian said.
“Alright, alright.” Everyone was at a loss for words.
Adrian Zhekova and Cindy left with Morgan first.
However, everyone remained silent, not daring to speak.
It was only after waiting for about ten minutes, thinking that they must have gone far,
They finally let out a sigh of relief.
“What’s the deal? They’re engaged, and they even have a child together?” Leon Hernandez asked.
“Could Morgan be Adrian’s blood son?” Daniel Vahn asked quietly.
“Definitely, they look so alike, you can’t deny it.” Aiden Huxley responded.
Cynthia Florine asked, with eyes sparkling at the prospect of gossip, “Then, is Cindy his step-mom?”
“Ahem.” Yellen Brooks raised her hand, “I watched Cindy’s cooking videos too, seems like she’s always been a single mom. She has been since the start of her videos, all her fans know.”
“Although her child has never appeared on camera, it should be Morgan.” Yellen Brooks added.
“So she and Adrian have a child but are not married?” Yannick O’Brian asked, intrigued.
“We can’t say that the Zhekova elders don’t approve, because Adrian just mentioned that the elders are waiting outside.” Gladys Joy analyzed, “Besides, during these three competitions, the first one was attended by Mrs. Zhekova and the Old Madam together. After that, the entire Zhekova family attended together, including the Old Master and Maverick Zhekova.”
“When they first came, everyone was surprised, we’ve never seen them attend the previous competitions. Even Adrian didn’t come, but this time, the Zhekova family members attended every single event, including the elders.”
“We initially found it weird but now that we see it, they must have come to see Cindy.” Gladys Joy scratched her chin in thought.
“This eliminates the possibility that they’re not married because the Zhekova elders don’t approve.” Bartholomew Bailey stroked his chin.
They couldn’t figure out the reason why, it was frustrating.
“Alright, alright.” Jasmine waved her hand dismissively, “There’s no point in pondering this. Whether Cindy and Adrian are getting married because of the kid, or who the kid belongs to, it’s none of our business. It’s all just speculation. Can our speculations change their relationships anyway?”
Chapter 560: Their Daughter, Cindy Clarke Comes to Find
“Anyway, let’s just focus on the competition.” Jasmine Hudson said.
“Right, Little Jasmine has a point.” Cynthia Florine nodded.
Jasmine Hudson: “…”
“Don’t call me Little Jasmine!” Jasmine Hudson snapped.
Cynthia Florine completely ignored her, and turned to Parker Honi smilingly: “Old Honi, I think you need to worry about yourself.”
Parker Honi clenched his fists: “Don’t call me Old Honi!”
What the hell is Old Honi?!
Those who knew him knew he had the surname Honi, like a field.
Those who didn’t know might think he was sweet, like honey.
Old Honey.
Cynthia Florine still pretended not to hear Parker Honi’s protest, saying, “You did say in the competition that you really liked Cindy Clarke.”
“I was admiring her strength and character!” Parker Honi rolled his eyes, there was no other meaning, okay?
“Cynthia, what you said makes a lot of sense.” Ava Brown said.
Being called Cynthia, Cynthia Florine happily accepted it without any resistance.
“Why else would I cover your mouth at that time?” Ava Brown said, “You know Adrian Zhekova is petty. He doesn’t care what you mean, anyway, he just takes it literally.”
Parker Honi: “…”
“So he didn’t say anything just now?” Parker Honi said, shivering.
“Who knows.” Aiden Huxley shook his head and said, “To know Adrian Zhekova so well, Sheldon Rowland’s position could be taken by someone else.”
Parker Honi: “…”
“Can I still chase after him and explain now?” Parker Honi asked again.
As long as someone nodded, he would immediately rush out at a hundred meters sprint speed.
“Forget it, it’s been so long, they’re gone.” Daniel Vahn pressed his shoulder, “Adrian Zhekova is petty, but he won’t make things difficult for you in serious matters, don’t worry.”
“Yeah, yeah, at most, if you have a chance to meet him next time, you’ll just be scolded by him, and it’ll be fine once he finishes scolding.” Yannick O’Brian followed.
Parker Honi: “Well, that’s fine, just scold me.”
Yellen Brooks: “…”
Parker Honi has become so easy-going!
***
The next competition will be held in a week’s time.
Because this time Pingla went all out, dismantling the simulated jungle and then maintaining the sports stadium, so it took a bit longer.
So, Cindy Clarke had nothing to do at home.
She had to wait another two days to see if Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke would go looking for Adrian Zhekova.
Only then can she determine what to do next.
These two days, Cindy Clarke had nothing to do, so she sorted out the previously filmed and edited videos.
She uploaded one from the stockpile.
Because of the competition, she didn’t upload videos as promptly as before.
However, luckily, due to the live competition broadcast, the fans were all watching, so the fan count didn’t decrease.
In these stockpiled videos, there was one she specifically filmed about making mooncakes for Valentine’s Day.
It’s just that later she went to the family mansion and forgot about it when she came back.
By the time she remembered it the next day, Valentine’s Day had passed.
It was too late to publish it, as the holiday was over, and it couldn’t match the theme.
Cindy Clarke thought about posting it next year.
After all, the taste of mooncakes is more or less the same every year.
Even if there were some new, peculiar flavors, Cindy Clarke couldn’t possibly make them and teach her fans.
As it turned out, the kitchen background of Adrian Zhekova’s house was too luxurious.
Even if she only filmed parts of it and exposed some of the background, it would be obvious to those who saw it that it was different.
If she had posted the video during Valentine’s Day, Wendy Clarke would have seen it online.
It would have made the rest of the plan more difficult.
Cindy Clarke couldn’t help feeling relieved, it was a good thing she didn’t have time to post it.
She selected a previously filmed video from home and posted it.
Waiting at home for two days, she found that Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos never went to see Adrian Zhekova.
It seemed that the two really didn’t know about the relationship between her and Adrian Zhekova.
Cindy Clarke then told Adrian Zhekova her plan.
So on Friday, Cindy Clarke wore the clothes she bought from the wholesale market.
She had specifically went to the wholesale market yesterday to buy them.
Although Cindy Clarke didn’t pursue designer brands, she usually just went to fast-fashion brand flagship stores for clothing, buying enough clothes for one or two seasons.
But those fast-fashion brands were definitely more expensive than the wholesale market.
Cindy Clarke thought that since she was acting, she should be more serious about it.
At this time, she was wearing a simple plaid shirt and jeans, with a thick denim jacket on the outside.
She put on canvas shoes and finally carried a backpack, then went out.
Cleave Roland waited downstairs.
Seeing Cindy Clarke’s outfit, Cleave Roland couldn’t help but twitch the corners of his mouth.
“Mrs. CEO.” Cleave Roland called out.
The CEO’s Wife was really going all out.
Cindy Clarke just asked him, “How do you think I look in this outfit? Quite plain, right?”
Cindy Clarke was dressed according to her old standards when she was studying in Nork City.
“It’s absolutely perfect.” Cleave Roland said, “Nowadays, even ordinary college students with limited living expenses dress less plain than this.”
Even if they don’t buy very expensive clothes, at least they tend to lean towards fashionable ones.
Even cheap clothes can be stylish.
The clothes Cindy Clarke was wearing were just too plain.
If only there was more time, Cindy Clarke would have loved to wash the clothes and jeans multiple times to make them fade.
So, Cindy Clarke got in the car.
Cleave Roland drove her to the vicinity of the hotel.
Seeing the hotel not far ahead, Cindy Clarke said, “Stop here, although it’s unlikely to bump into them at the hotel entrance so coincidentally, what if.”
“Okay.” Cleave Roland parked the car by the side and said, “I’ll keep following you from behind.”
Obviously, Cleave Roland also knew about Cindy Clarke’s plans.
“Alright.” Cindy Clarke nodded and got out of the car.
She walked a distance before arriving at the hotel entrance.
Although the hotel where Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke were staying was not the top hotel in Belfard City, it was still quite classy and rated as a five-star business hotel.
Cindy Clarke entered the hotel lobby and went straight to the front desk.
“Hello, I want to go see the guests in room 1103.” Cindy Clarke said.
Nowadays, hotels mostly use cards to activate elevators.
Without a room card, Cindy Clarke really couldn’t go upstairs.
“Wait a minute, I’ll contact them first.” The staff member said, and then called the room’s landline.
Cindy Clarke said, “Just tell them that their daughter, Cindy Clarke, is here to see them.”
The staff member thought it was a bit strange, since it was the daughter coming to see them, she should have contacted the parents directly, so why go through them?
With Adrian Zhekova’s help, Cindy Clarke of course knew the contact information for Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke.
However, Cindy Clarke didn’t want to expose her mobile phone number.
Soon, the call to the room was connected.
Joshua Clarke picked up the call.
The staff member said, “Hello, Miss Cindy Clarke is here to see you.”