CHAPTER 716: CHAPTER 715: ENHANCING THE DRUG’S POTENCY

After twelve o’clock, closing time, the atmosphere inside the Far Moon high-rise was somewhat off.

Qian Rixiangzi quietly sobbed as she ate, her pretty face streaked with tears.

At first glance, one might think she was eating something spicy like Mapo tofu, but in fact, the revamped Xia’s Tofu Trio was not spicy at all nor did it have a strong, pungent flavor.

Instead, the sour and sweet flavors, vigorously rendered with osmanthus, hibiscus, and plum preserves, were quite delicious and stimulated the appetites of these family and friends significantly.

But Qian Rixiangzi wasn’t the only one sobbing.

The graduates, Dojima Yin, Shinohara Shigetaro, Aoki Motota, as well as food industry giants Catherine and Andrea, were all behaving differently than usual.

"Amazing!"

Andrea, treating the last bite of stir-fried noodles in her small bowl like a treasure, carefully chewed and swallowed it, savoring the unique essence of the dish, which was a nostalgic, memory-evoking, warm flavor called "food righteousness."

She exclaimed, "Perhaps this is the true profound meaning of this dish!"

"It’s completely different from the previous one!"

Indeed.

As someone who had tasted two different versions of the ’Tofu Trio,’ Andrea had the most say.

If the previous ’Tofu Trio’ was akin to tasting Heavenly Country, simply deriving shock and enjoyment from satisfaction, then this revamped dish was a classic masterpiece.

"Yes, exactly, a masterpiece!"

Andrea put down her chopsticks, clasped her hands together, and sincerely bowed to the chef behind the counter, "Thank you for the meal!"

"This dish, in my opinion, surpasses any of your previous creations, of course, that’s just my personal opinion," she commented, hesitating before adding, "This might just be the fundamental difference between a Food Dominator dish and a supreme ’food righteousness’ dish. Essence!"

"Thank you!"

Catherine, another female giant, echoed.

As for the others, they were still immersed in that food world with a strong childhood déjà vu, listening to that gentle, motherly voice, unwilling to snap out of it.

"Complete... food righteousness!"

After a while, Tiqie Xianzuowen said somberly.

There were no "garments bursting at their seams."

At this moment, Far Moon Commander, the always stern and resolute Food Demon King, exhibited the faint sign of tears at the corners of his eyes, rendering it even more heart-stirring!

Yes, Xianzuowen was crying!

And he did not try to hide these emotions, openly showing his true reactions to tasting the revamped Xia’s Tofu Trio.

Xia Yu could see the disbelief in Xianzuowen’s eyes.

"Food righteousness!"

"Complete food righteousness!"

Tang Yuqiong also came to her senses, having finished eating, her hands free, she wiped below her eyes and her fingertips immediately became wet and a bit cold.

In the dish, she heard more than just that familiar dinner query.

The scent of osmanthus.

And the hibiscus, along with plum preserves, before Tang Yuqiong’s eyes, it seemed as if a gentle woman had appeared, using osmanthus to make sauce, and preserving fresh green plums into preserves...

So many déjà vu-filled scenes.

And still key was the lingering sound in her ears.

Does it taste good?

Is it sour or sweet?

Is the tofu still fresh? Is the tofu skin, with its elastic texture, a pleasant surprise? Is the fried tofu skin cooked well...

The overlapping voices seemed to form a gentle wave, entwining up her legs, one wave stronger than the last, making Tang Yuqiong helplessly indulge under this super gentle assault, with her cheeks flushing and her eyes misty.

"Tha-thank you!"

At that moment, a trembling voice spoke.

Xia Yu turned her head, but saw the heroine turning her back to leave, her footsteps quick and slightly frantic, and perhaps it was an illusion, but it seemed as if a few glistening droplets fell through the air. Were those tears?

The heroine would leave early.

A strange atmosphere lingered for a quarter hour.

After regaining consciousness, the graduates immediately surrounded Xia Yu, eagerly questioning him about the secrets of his dishes.

At the entrance.

The three leaders of the Gourmet Club planned to slip away quietly.

At the table they previously occupied, they left a document bag and two golden cards.

Once outside, Andrea stood on the highest step of the mountain pathway, facing the night wind, stretching her waist, allowing her long dress and hair to flutter, appearing clear-headed and refreshed.

"Tonight was worthwhile!" she said.

"Yes!" Catherine looked back at the brightly lit yet silent building, her expression complex, "He demonstrated something beyond his culinary skills, perhaps..."

She stopped mid-sentence.

Andrea and she exchanged a complex look, both understanding.

"To comprehend the essence of food at such a young age..."

Terrifying!

"What a joke!" Lei Zhe, awakened by the wind, scoffed coldly, "I don’t think in this era there will be any chefs under eighteen achieving understanding of food essence and stepping into the Qilin Chef level!"

There was, however, a slight tremble in his words that he couldn’t suppress.

He himself lacked confidence.

It couldn’t be helped; the two fellow Female Qilin Chefs from Lin Giant were present, and, moreover, there was Tiqie Xianzuowen’s genuinely emotional reaction to the tasting.

All these things Lei Zhe had observed, and now his harsh words seemed more like an attempt to bolster his own courage.

Thud, thud, thud.

Lei Zhe hurried away.

Catherine and Andrea watched him disappear, exchanging glances, in silence.

"Catherine, how do you think the leader will react when he hears of this information?"

"...Hard to say."

With eyes flashing rapidly, Catherine had not forgotten her position as an inspector, appointed personally by the leader during the Sapporo event. As the Gourmet Club decided to blow the horn to attack the Japanese Food Industry, the emergence of a new Qilin Chef from the Far Moon Lineage would surely damage the momentum of the Gourmet Club.

"That will be something to watch!" Andrea said with a schadenfreude laugh.

...

Approaching one in the morning.

At the Tiqie Mansion, a corner of the garden, Xia Yu stood by the pond, making a phone call.

"Yes, Aunt Qing, business ran late, and I couldn’t make it back. I’ll be staying at the Tiqie Mansion tonight, probably until the end of the Community Festival. ’Jade Dragon Pot’ and our own place will need your attention."

"Alright, alright, calling so late to disturb my beautiful dreams. Don’t worry about home!" A yawning lazy voice replied and then the call was disconnected.

Xia Yu stood in the courtyard and looked towards the scenic pavilion on the mountain peak. Under the moonlight, though the lights were out, the outline of the pavilion was dimly visible.

"Tonight’s business was a success!" he said in a cheerful tone.

"And..."

"I roughly understand what ’food essence’ is now."

The culinary heart, the essence of food.

These two could not be separated.

The essence of food seemed like an elevation of the culinary heart, understanding it in Xia Yu’s own terms, the culinary heart lent a dish a world of its own, while the essence of food lent voices to various fantasies, like the secret of the ’Tofu Trio’ being metaphorically referred to as the ’Shell Fairy’s flavor’, which broadly meant the flavor of motherhood.

Of course, the voice was just a direct manifestation of the essence of food, and Xia Yu could summarize the essence of food in one word—

Step-up intoxicating power.