Chapter 191 Preparations
After Li Yan finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the food storage nearby to carefully select the ingredients.

Xu Qing also began to think about what kind of dish he should make.

At this moment, he suddenly heard a few slight coughs behind him. Xu Qing quickly turned around and found that Master Jidi had finally woken up.

Meili's face was full of surprise: "Dad, you're awake! How do you feel? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

Master Jidi was a little confused, "Am I not poisoned?"

"It was Xu Qing! He defeated that armored weirdo, got the antidote and saved you."

Meili told Master Jidi what happened next.

Even if he only listened to Meili's oral narration, Master Jidi was still deeply shocked.

Xu Qing actually won the first two games of the three-game lobster competition, completely securing his victory.

Having competed with Li Yan before, he knew Li Yan's strength very well and thought he was on par with Li Yan.

And Xu Qing won the first two games effortlessly. His strength is truly unfathomable.

It turned out to be the right thing to entrust everything to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing hurried over at this time, "Master Jidi, how is your health?"

Master Jidi shook his head and said, "It's fine now, but my hands and feet are still a little weak."

After that, Jidi forced himself to stand up, clasped his fists towards Xu Qing, and said seriously: "Xu Qing, thank you very much."

Xu Qing smiled and said, "You don't have to be so polite, Master Jidi."

However, this was not the first day he had known Master Jidi, and he knew very well that he was a very strict person.

Jidi looked up at Li Yan standing opposite him and asked in confusion, "Isn't the Lobster Three Competition over? Why is it still going on?"

Xu Qing told Li Yan about how he had used the truth to lure him into the trap, and asked, "Master Jidi, I know you are not the kind of person who would use conspiracy and trickery to harm others. What exactly happened back then?"

Master Jidi hesitated for a moment and glanced at Meili beside him.

Meili frowned and said, "Don't try to chase me away and then have a secret conversation between the two of you. I also want to know the truth of that year! Father is definitely not the kind of person who would poison others!"

Master Jidi remained silent.

At this time Xu Qing said: "Master, was it Meixiang who did that thing back then?"

Master Jidi looked at him in surprise and sighed.

Meili exclaimed, "You mean, my mother did it?"

Master Jidi saw that Xu Qing had guessed the truth, so he had to say, "In fact, Meixiang and I had promised to spend our lives together, but Meixiang's father was a very strict person. He believed that only the best cook was qualified to be Meixiang's husband, so he decided to hold a cooking competition to select a son-in-law. I didn't expect that Li Yan would participate."

"Li Yan is a very reserved person. He kept everything in his heart and didn't tell anyone. It was only later that I found out that Li Yan had such deep feelings for Mei Xiang."

"Mei Xiang has been with Li Yan and I for such a long time, and she knows Li Yan's strength very well. It can be said that at that time, the only person who could threaten me was Li Yan. Mei Xiang was too scared. She was afraid that I would lose, and that she would be forced to marry someone she didn't love. Fearful and extremely distressed, Mei Xiang finally hid it from me and put the poison needle dipped in anesthetic into the lobster."

"I didn't notice Meixiang's pain and abnormality at the time. I was only focused on preparing for the duel with Li Yan. If I had noticed it earlier, perhaps things would not have turned out like this."

Meili asked anxiously: "If that's the case, why didn't you tell the truth at that time?"

Master Jidi looked at Li Yan's busy back and said, "You can't understand how perfect Meixiang is in Li Yan's heart. He regards Meixiang as the only motivation for learning cooking. If I told the truth at that time, Li Yan's career as a chef would be completely ruined, and perhaps the meaning of his life would also be gone. So I concealed everything and took on Li Yan's hatred. However, this hatred pushed Li Yan into the abyss."

Master Jidi looked at Xu Qing and pleaded, "Your cooking skills surpass mine, and more importantly, you have the power to convey your thoughts to the bottom of your heart. Please help Li Yan and save him from the abyss!"

After hearing this, Xu Qing nodded gently and said, "I understand, Master Jidi. But all I can do is give Li Yan a chance. Whether he can really walk out of the abyss depends on him."

Master Jidi sighed and said, "That's enough." At this time, Li Yan had already selected the ingredients. Seeing that Xu Qing didn't move and was still whispering to Jidi, he said angrily, "How can you have time to chat there? If you dare to underestimate me, you will definitely fail miserably."

Xu Qing stood up and said, "Don't worry, I never look down on anyone. In every cooking duel, I will go all out."

After saying that, Xu Qing walked towards the food storage.

After listening to Master Jidi's explanation, he already had the answer in his mind.

This truth may be painful for Li Yan, but he has to accept it, because only by accepting it can he put aside the past and move forward.

Otherwise, you will always be imprisoned by the ghost of the past.

Every time a person grows up, it is always accompanied by pain.

Escaping may bring temporary peace, but it will only make you go around in circles.

Only by facing the pain can we truly move forward.

On the other side, Li Yan placed the ingredients in his hand on the chopping board, a look of nostalgia in his eyes.

This was the recipe he once prepared carefully, but after so many years, it had become much more unfamiliar.

This dish represents the feelings he hopes to convey to Meixiang.

Li Yan knew that he was not good at speaking, so he could only pour everything into the dishes and express his feelings through the dishes.

This is the warmest expression a reserved person can make.

So many years have passed, and this feeling may no longer be as pure as it was back then. Xu Qing's words of truth also made Li Yan feel a little panic for some reason.

How would the dish taste in this case? Would it taste better or worse than it did then?
Even Li Yan himself was not sure.

But this was the only dish he wanted to cook.

As the two of them were busy preparing, time passed by.

Boiled lobster doesn't take too long to cook, so both of their dishes were finished almost at the same time.

Two casseroles of different colors were placed on the table at the same time.

And they were the two who were responsible for the food tasting.

Li Yan said, "My dish is called Moon in the Sea. Please take a look."

After saying that, Li Yan gently opened the lid of the casserole.

In the casserole, the white and tender lobster balls were floating in the water like the bright moon.

The lobster is the undisputed star of this dish, but the rest of the ingredients surround it like the moon surrounded by stars.

These ingredients include kelp and jellyfish, which surround the lobster balls like colorful clouds.

There are also golden fish roe dotted like stars in the sky.

The shrimps, scallops and other seafood are sinking below the surface, just like living creatures swimming freely in the sea.

The bright moon, stars and clouds are reflected together on the vast ocean. This dish is extremely stunning and eye-catching, both in terms of its appearance and the artistic conception it wants to express.

Li Yan said: "Please taste this moon in the sea."

(End of this chapter)