Chapter 17

"Cough! Cough!" Lily Green choked on the thick smoke, covering her mouth as she hurried out of the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lucy White effortlessly helping Robert Lee and his companion light the stove, and her heart sank.

Five minutes later, Lily reappeared at the kitchen doorway, forcing an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, everyone. I have mild asthma—I had to step out for a moment."

Robert waved it off. "No worries. Lucy already got it sorted for us."

Lily gritted her teeth. Lucy had stolen her moment. She plastered on a smile. "Shall I start cooking, then?"

"Go ahead," Robert said before heading out to the yard to help with other tasks.

Lily quickly snatched up the easiest ingredients—pork, chicken, eggs—then turned to Lucy. "Lucy, why don’t you handle the rice while I cook first?"

Lucy didn’t even look up. "Whatever." She glanced at the remaining fish and cured meat, a faint smirk playing on her lips.

[Wow, Lily’s fast!]

[Lucy’s so chill—I’d have argued over that.]

Lily had expected Lucy to snap, but her calm indifference only made her more frustrated. She huffed and started chopping the chicken, her knife skills visibly shaky.

Meanwhile, Lucy had already sliced the fish into perfect, paper-thin fillets with effortless precision.

[Her knife skills are insane!]

[Is Lucy a professional chef or something?]

Lily struggled with the heavy wok, nearly flipping the chicken out several times.

[Lily doesn’t seem used to cooking.]

[That wok’s tricky, but Lucy makes it look easy.]

Olivia Davis stood nearby, watching the contrast between them—Lucy moved like water, while beads of sweat formed on Lily’s forehead.

With a loud clang, Lily plated her spicy chicken, though the edges were burnt. She forced a smile and moved on to the next dish.

By then, Lucy had prepped all her ingredients. She pulled out a jar of pickled vegetables and began making Sichuan fish stew. Soon, the rich aroma filled the kitchen.

[My mouth is watering.]

[Lucy left half in the pot?]

Olivia tilted her head. "Why not serve it all?"

Lucy tossed in a handful of dried chili peppers. "This batch’s for those who like it extra spicy."

Olivia’s eyes lit up. "That’s so thoughtful!"

[Lucy’s considerate.]

[The difference is stark—Lily only catered to Ethan and Michael.]

Lily nearly dropped her spatula at the exchange. It dawned on her—she’d been so focused on impressing Ethan Smith and Michael Johnson that she’d ignored everyone else.

Two distinct scents mingled in the kitchen, an unspoken battle between the actresses. And in the livestream, the audience’s reactions painted a clear divide.