Bai Nuanxi had already resigned herself to losing, but when she heard the judge's announcement, she was utterly astonished!
What on earth?
She just made a simple tomato dish and inexplicably won? This was beyond comprehension!
"What did you say?!" Sun Miaomiao's smile immediately vanished from her face. How did a sure win turn into a loss at the last minute?!
"Why should Bai Nuanxi win? She just put together a plate of tomatoes. No matter how you look at it—appearance, aroma, taste—her dish is far inferior to mine. What kind of judge are you?!"
Sun Miaomiao slammed her hand on the table, so furious she could hardly speak!
The judge calmly pointed to Bai Nuanxi's plate of tomatoes. "Miss Bai's dish is right there... but where is yours, Miss Sun?"
"My..." Sun Miaomiao instinctively glanced at the spot where her dish had been, only to realize that the plate was now empty, save for a bit of sauce.
"You all... you did this on purpose?!" Sun Miaomiao suddenly realized what had happened!
With her dish eaten up, there was nothing left for the competition. In this way, no matter how terrible Bai Nuanxi's dish was, she would be the only one remaining and thus declared the winner!
How ridiculous—when she saw the crowd flocking to taste her dish, she even shot a provocative look at Bai Nuanxi.
At that moment, Bai Nuanxi was probably cursing her for being a fool!
Bai Nuanxi glanced subtly at Huo Muchen beside her, seeing him standing tall in his suit behind her, like a loyal sentinel, always guarding her.
Bai Nuanxi chuckled softly. She had thought Huo Muchen believed she was bound to lose, hence his earlier remarks. Little did she know he had it all planned out, deliberately making her think she was certain to lose.
One had to admit, this man was exceptionally cunning!
Sun Miaomiao steadied herself, forcing her emotions under control. Panic would only lead to a chaotic mind; only by staying calm could she hope to turn the tide! "This is rigged! If you've already decided that Bai Nuanxi would win, why even bother with this farce of a competition?!"
Bai Nuanxi's fingers twitched slightly. It must be said that Sun Miaomiao was clever with that remark. Having lost two rounds already, declaring the result now would mean Sun Miaomiao would completely vanish from Huo Muchen's sight!
However, with just one statement, Sun Miaomiao had cast doubt on the significance of this competition!
What is the point of a meaningless competition? What use is a wager?
"Was this competition my idea? Were the contents of the competition set by me?" Bai Nuanxi calmly retorted. This competition was never her suggestion. She was merely a pawn in someone else's game. However, this pawn had begun to move beyond the board!
Sun Miaomiao was still unwilling to let go of the idea of foul play. If there wasn't any cheating involved, how could Bai Nuanxi have won the second round? Those people who came over to eat her food must have been hired by Bai Nuanxi! "But the cheating was orchestrated by you!" Sun Miaomiao stated emphatically, her voice full of conviction.
"Cheating? This competition was organized by Mrs. Huo herself. Are you suggesting that Mrs. Huo is unfair?" Bai Nuanxi chuckled lightly. Unfair? It wasn't unjust, was it? But then again, Mrs. Huo's favoritism was always towards Sun Miaomiao, right?
She was curious to see how Sun Miaomiao would claim that Mrs. Huo was being unfair!
At that moment, Mrs. Huo intervened, easing Sun Miaomiao's awkward position. "Miaomiao, you are a child with a simple mind. I've kept you by my side all these years because of your obedient nature. You just can't compare to others. Come over here."
Bai Nuanxi looked at Mrs. Huo, utterly perplexed. Why did Mrs. Huo have such a peculiar bias against her?
As an elder, speaking in such veiled terms to paint Bai Nuanxi as scheming while highlighting Sun Miaomiao's innocence—was this really appropriate for Mrs. Huo?
Suddenly, Bai Nuanxi felt a tightening around her waist. She looked up to find her phoenix-like eyes meeting the deep, dark orbs of Huo Muchen.
His gaze was profound, like an endless tunnel shrouded in darkness, yet it tempted one to explore its secrets.
"What's wrong…" Bai Nuanxi found herself entranced, staring blankly at Huo Muchen.
Seeing her dazed and enchanted expression, Huo Muchen chuckled softly once more. "There's never been any bond between me and Mrs. Huo since childhood, but she has always disapproved of the things I favor, of the people I like. Don't worry too much about it."
"...Are you explaining yourself to me?" Bai Nuanxi fiddled with her fingers, feeling that Huo Muchen seemed unusually gentle at this moment.
Huo Muchen gently ruffled her hair, speaking softly, "If you think I am, then I am. If you find it bothersome, then just consider it a casual remark."
"Huo Muchen... you seem very gentle now." Bai Nuanxi's voice grew faint, as if she were in a dream, afraid that speaking too loudly might shatter the illusion.
"I'm only gentle to people, not to situations."
Sun Miaomiao's voice abruptly shattered the intimate moment between Bai Nuanxi and Huo Muchen, like a discordant note, "Brother Muchen! It's one thing for Bai Nuanxi to cheat, but how could you condone it?!"
The man's brow furrowed, and the room's temperature seemed to drop. His burgeoning anger felt as if it might consume everything in its path, scorching or tearing apart anyone in its wake.
"Silence!"
"I…" Sun Miaomiao's voice caught in her throat, as if an invisible hand clutched her neck, making it impossible to breathe or utter a word.
The oppressive tension made Sun Miaomiao shrink back.
This… was the true Huo Muchen!
The Huo Muchen who faced Bai Nuanxi was merely the softest side of him!
The real Huo Muchen… was ruthless!
"Enough! What are you all arguing about?!" At this tense moment, Old Master Huo finally arrived, a bit late. "I just went to change my clothes, and here you are, causing a commotion?!"
"I've said it multiple times before—our Huo family doesn't need to use marriage alliances to maintain the company's status. Let Muchen love who he wants; no one should interfere! Yet here you are, fixated on grooming this girl from the Sun family. The children's relationships should be left for them to handle!" Old Master Huo had always known about Mrs. Huo grooming Sun Miaomiao.
She wanted Sun Miaomiao to marry Huo Muchen, but he had opposed it from the start. Yet he couldn't overcome Mrs. Huo's determination. When he barred her from doing it openly, she went behind his back!
Eventually, Old Master Huo just turned a blind eye, letting her be, knowing that in the end, Huo Muchen wouldn't necessarily fall for Sun Miaomiao.
This Sun Miaomiao, no matter how Old Master Huo looked at her, seemed full of schemes.