Han Zhiling didn’t know what to expect from Lu Xinyi. While Lu Sibai’s adopted son—Tian Lingyu—was already on his senior year at Silver Leaf, never did she expect to see another child of Lu Sibai attending the academy. Of course, Lu Xinyi had to prove to everyone that she could pass today’s examination before she could join Silver Leaf.
Tian Lingyu was Silver Leaf’s pride, for he was a child prodigy in cooking when he was younger. He had natural talent and gifted taste buds to know how to combine each ingredient in harmony. It wasn’t surprising that Lu Sibai took him under his wing to nurture his talents. Han Zhiling wondered if Tian Lingyu convinced the younger Lu to take this year’s entrance exams.
Han Zhiling shook her head. No, that would be impossible. Tian Lingyu was too proud to do something like that. She doubted that he kept communications with Lu Xinyi after their father’s passing. If he was aware, he would have escaped from that training camp where he was right now to watch this event. Even his sudden interest to take a course at Silver Leaf had raised questions as to why he was only taking it now.
Although Silver Leaf Academy was open to all ages, she still couldn’t convince herself that he was just bored. Chairman Han had been trying to convince Tian Lingyu to join Silver Leaf to formalize his profession as a chef, but he only agreed to the request a year ago. He took last year’s examinations under the Li family’s sponsorship.
“Did he know she’s here?” Han Zhiling couldn’t stop herself to ask her father. She needed to know the truth. It irritated her to know that two of Lu Sibai’s children were capable of giving her a headache.
Chairman Han laughed at his daughter’s irritated expression. He knew that anything related with the rival she’d never beaten could take her interest. More than twenty years had passed, but still, Han Zhiling couldn’t forgive Lu Sibai for leaving Silver Leaf for another woman’s sake. No, she didn’t hate him. It was the opposite, to be honest. She became depressed after Lu Sibai’s departure and even blamed herself for not helping him.
In Lu Sibai’s eyes and to everyone else’s, she would be his forever ‘Miss Rank Number 2.’ Until his last days at Silver Leaf, she wasn’t able to beat and surpass him.
“I don’t think he knows that his little sister is here. He would surely be mad if he knew that I sent him away to that training camp for two weeks.”
Han Zhiling gasped in disbelief. She knew her father loved to play tricks and mischief to their students, but this was different. Why was her own father scheming against the Lu siblings?
—
Smartly disguised as another spectator on the audience, Shen Yi sat beside Little Yuyan and Shen Zhichen as they watched Lu Xinyi from the sidelines. Little Yuyan was thrilled when she saw her mother stepped in the kitchen counters with the rest of the examinees. Beside her, Shen Zhichen yawned as he felt that all of these pleasantries weren’t needed.
“Ah… I hope everything works well for Xinxin. I can’t believe that she actually managed a spot from the last exam.” Xiao Lan commented. Her protruding belly was already noticeable, and she hoped that Lu Xinyi hadn’t jinxed her for telling her she might be carrying twins.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about her if I were you,” Yuan Jin said, but he was preoccupied, looking around as if waiting for someone.
“Why? I mean we know Xinxin can cook a good meal, but I don’t trust anything if it involves Sun Feiyan.” Xiao Lan rubbed her belly and stared at Lu Xinyi’s place. She was worried that Lu Xinyi might get in trouble this time, though she knew that Shen Yi would make sure nothing could harm her in his presence.
“We’re talking about Lu Xinyi. She might be a bit of troublesome sometimes, but when she made up her mind, she will fight for it.”
His eyes found Lu Xiulan who was making her way towards him. She was wearing a white shirt, a black leather jacket, and denim pants. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, which made her dark circles noticeable.
“Finally, you decided to show yourself. I thought I have to dig you up from your hole called home.” Yuan Jin reprimanded Lu Xiulan for being late. They were supposed to meet an hour earlier, but Lu Xiulan was nowhere to be found.
His nose took a quick sniff at Lu Xiulan when she sat beside him. While she smelled like she just stepped out from the shower, he could faintly smell alcohol from her. He shook his head in disappointment; Lu Xiulan was still having issues that she couldn’t resolve herself. Maybe after this event, he could seek Lu Xinyi’s help to talk to her cousin.
“Am I late?” Lu Xiulan asked like she didn’t know the answer to that.
“Yes!” Yuan Jin exclaimed. She was too late for their call time. “But if you’re asking if they had started, not yet. They just announced the panel of judges. You just came right on time.”
Following Yuan Jin’s eyes, Lu Xiulan saw two women and two men standing in the stage and the emcee was about to announce the dishes examinees have to cook today. She was glad that she had made it in time before the actual exams started.