Chapter 12: The Challenge of Achievement

He hadn’t seen Han Jiayi all evening, and the moment she walked through the door, that familiar, breathtaking presence seemed to surge toward him once again.

Han Jiayi had gotten her hair done; the once waist-length waves now fell in softer curls just past her shoulders, giving her an extra touch of femininity. She wore a simple white T-shirt paired with high-waisted pencil pants—down-to-earth, approachable, without a trace of aloofness.

She’s just too beautiful… Bai Renzong muttered inwardly, then asked, “Weren’t you going to work?”

Han Jiayi curled her lips, muttering under her breath, “Not that it’s any of your business…”

In truth, she had gone to work, but upon returning to Yijia Pavilion, she realized something troubling: she was completely unnecessary.

The new head chef had been running Yijia Pavilion for over a year now. Though there hadn’t been any new menu items, the chef was diligent and attentive. She couldn’t just fire the person because she was back, could she?

But as a chef herself, she found she couldn’t contribute much just standing around the restaurant... She was superfluous wherever she went, reduced to little more than a mascot.

So, after wandering around Yijia Pavilion for a while, Han Jiayi returned home feeling dejected.

She glanced at the table, frowning at the assortment of spices and bizarre ingredients. “What on earth are you doing now?”

Bai Renzong shot her a glare. He wanted to retort with a “None of your business,” but decided that would be petty. Instead, he replied, “I’m sampling all kinds of ingredients. It’ll come in handy for food reviews in the future.”

“Are you really planning to make this internet content creator thing your career?” Han Jiayi eyed him skeptically.

Bai Renzong kept his patience. “Yes, so what? Is there a problem?”

“Aren’t you worried you’ll starve doing this?” Han Jiayi frowned.

He stared at her for a moment, then asked, “Do you know how many views my videos have gotten?”

Han Jiayi shook her head.

He began to tally things up for her. “My three videos have a total of four million views so far. With the combination of likes and views, my current earnings are over twenty thousand. And that’s just since I started making and uploading videos on July twenty-sixth. I don’t know if I’ll become famous, but I definitely won’t starve. So you don’t need to worry, but thanks anyway.”

“But you only have a little over twenty thousand followers, right? How do you have so many views?” Han Jiayi asked in surprise.

“I’m still new, so my follower count is low, but it’s growing quickly.” Bai Renzong’s patience was wearing thin. “Alright, I need to get back to work. Maybe you should find something more productive to do yourself?”

What’s that supposed to mean, as if I’m just causing trouble… Han Jiayi thought indignantly.

But what annoyed her most was that she truly didn’t have anything productive to do. She pressed her lips to her slender forefinger, pondering for a moment, then nodded to herself. She switched out of her freshly changed slippers and slid on her sandals, heading out the door once more.

Bai Renzong watched, puzzled, as the woman who’d just returned changed her shoes and left again. He shrugged and turned his attention back to his own tasks.

He surveyed the array of ingredients before him, then focused on the fish mint.

This plant had quite the reputation—those who liked it adored it, those who didn’t wouldn’t touch it.

He stared at the small bowl of fish mint, delivered with his takeout, took a deep breath, and picked up a piece to taste.

A strong, fishy aroma filled his mouth, mingling with a faint bitterness reminiscent of wild greens, and a slight sourness. Yet, with all the seasonings, the combination wasn’t unpleasant…

Hey, this isn’t bad at all? Bai Renzong raised his eyebrows in surprise, took a big bite, and chewed.

It crunched with a certain toughness and was quite satisfying to chew, but the intense fishy and bitter notes quickly spread throughout his mouth, almost too much to bear. He swallowed hurriedly, and a unique aftertaste lingered, sweet and fragrant, almost indescribable in its appeal.

“Not bad at all!” Bai Renzong chuckled. “Maybe this challenge isn’t as tough as I thought…”

Unfortunately, the only challenge that could be mastered quickly was the “God’s Tongue” one. The others—watching a hundred bad movies, achieving platinum trophies in fifty games, reading a hundred top-rated web novels—all required time and effort.

He went on to taste some other spices, finding that comparisons were most effective when tasting contrasting ingredients together.

For instance, sea salt, rock salt, smoked salt, and bamboo salt—when tasted side by side with regular table salt, their differences became strikingly clear.

Sea salt had a richer flavor, making “salty” the star, while rock, smoked, and bamboo salts each offered their own unique aromas.

These tastings were easy, not filling in the least. But after sampling so many spices, the flavors began to mingle, leaving an odd aftertaste in Bai Renzong’s mouth. However, when he tasted a particular ingredient…

Huh? To his surprise, all the lingering aftertastes vanished as if he’d just brushed his teeth. He checked what he’d just eaten: Jerusalem artichoke.

Looking it up on his computer, he discovered that this was the very same pickled ginger served at upscale sushi restaurants, meant to cleanse the palate and prevent flavors from mixing.

So there’s something like this… Bai Renzong couldn’t help but marvel. I learned something new today.

Just as he was about to continue, Han Jiayi returned, this time carrying a load of shopping bags.

Bai Renzong glanced at the bags and saw that they were filled with all sorts of ingredients. He didn’t think much of it, assuming she was just cooking for herself.

But as soon as she got back, Han Jiayi began tinkering in the kitchen, though he had no idea what she was up to.

He left her to her own devices—he wasn’t filming a video, so she could do as she pleased.

After tasting the rest of the spices, Bai Renzong completed his tasks for the day.

All in all, today’s achievement challenge had gone rather smoothly, though the hardest parts were still ahead.

Fried scorpion, cicada pupae, roasted locusts—these culinary oddities were daunting enough, but what truly worried him were the “A5 grade Wagyu” and “M12 grade Wagyu” challenges. After checking the prices online, he realized he’d have to wait until he could withdraw last month’s video earnings in two days before he could even think of trying them.

Just then, as he was planning to head downstairs to Willow House for lunch, Han Jiayi suddenly placed a beautifully plated beef short rib in front of him.

“This is for you,” Han Jiayi said, folding her arms and smiling proudly.

This dish was her latest creation, intended to be launched on the restaurant’s menu when she returned—a point of pride for her.

Bai Renzong eyed her warily. “Isn’t murder illegal?”

Han Jiayi glared at him, confused. “I didn’t poison it! I’m just offering you a meal!”

“Why? Out of the blue…” Bai Renzong took a cautious step back.

“It’s just…” Han Jiayi fiddled with her hair, her gaze evasive as she searched for a plausible excuse. “Yesterday… I snapped at you. This is just to make up for it, that’s all.”

An apology was out of the question. Han Jiayi spat inwardly.

Bai Renzong hesitated, but as he looked at the beautifully presented ribs before him, he shrugged and accepted.

Come on, let me hear your words of praise! Han Jiayi was silently cheering herself on. Today, with my cooking, I’ll finally render this relentless critic speechless!