Daddy! Come Home for Dinner!-Chapter 550: Forcing

They were grilling on a rack, fire underneath, so the bottom got more heat and cooked faster, while the top was still raw.

To ensure even heating, they had to turn it from time to time.

But while turning it, they had to be careful not to topple the makeshift rack of branches.

Unlike Ye Fei, who just tossed it in, then buried it with some branches and leaves on top.

The chicken was essentially baked inside, receiving even heat from all angles, even more convenient than an oven.

Everyone saw this, and Zhou Junhao laughed, "Otherwise, why was Ye Fei the first to notice something off about the environment here? If Ye Fei hadn’t analyzed it, we’d all be like someone, just sprinkling some salt."

"Pfft!" Zeng Jieyun couldn’t help it, bursting out laughing, "Now that you mention it, it’s true. Good thing I stayed to listen to Ye Fei."

"I say cut back on the sarcasm," Ba Zhekai said.

Ye Fei thought Ba Zhekai was trying to persuade Zhou Junhao to stop arguing with Fu Jiaxu.

Unexpectedly, Ba Zhekai, eager to join in, said, "Look at him with just his bottle of salt, he’s already fuming, looking at us like we’re his enemies. If you keep reminding him, he’ll be too pissed to compete properly. If he messes up, he’ll blame us for unbalancing him mentally. Wouldn’t that be unfair?"

"Wow, for once you actually make some sense," Zhou Junhao nodded in agreement, "Then I won’t say it."

However, as they bantered back and forth, their voices weren’t quiet.

Fu Jiaxu could hear everything clearly.

Seeing others adding all sorts of seasonings, enjoying themselves as if deliberately trying to provoke him.

Fu Jiaxu’s face was almost as dark as the night sky.

He glanced at the time and thought there was still some left.

He could still go look for seasonings; it wasn’t necessarily too late.

But it was already dark, and according to others, the seasonings were often in inconspicuous places.

Looking now, given the lack of light, would make it difficult to find.

But watching others’ dishes bursting with aroma while his only had a sprinkle of salt.

Clearly, he was going to lose.

How could Fu Jiaxu accept that?

However, the lamb leg was already grilling over the fire.

He had to turn it now and then.

If he left it unattended for long, one side could easily burn.

Even if there was enough time, he couldn’t leave.

Fu Jiaxu glanced at everyone, his eyes resting on Xue Jieyu’s face a few seconds longer.

He remembered the last competition, where Xue Jieyu also lacked ingredients and had borrowed from Ding Ruyun.

In the end, Ding Ruyun didn’t help; instead, Ye Fei did.

Ye Fei cleared his name through this, winning the favor of the audience and contestants.

The last competition, Xue Jieyu had received help.

She was the one being helped then.

Now the roles were reversed, she should be more empathetic.

Asking her to borrow ingredients, would she be embarrassed to refuse?

In the last competition, she borrowed from others, and Ye Fei helped her.

If in this competition she doesn’t help, won’t she get scolded to death?

Thinking this way, Fu Jiaxu glanced at the lamb leg grilling on the rack one more time.

It wasn’t done yet, so he got up to find Xue Jieyu.

Xue Jieyu was intently focused on her cooking.

"Xue Jieyu," Fu Jiaxu called out as he approached her.

Hearing the voice, Xue Jieyu looked up, only to find Fu Jiaxu right in front of her.

Hovering over her, blocking her view, even of the sky.

"What’s up?" Xue Jieyu remained seated, not standing up.

Fu Jiaxu appeared somewhat hesitant to speak, but after deliberating for a few seconds, he said, "I didn’t know you could find so many spices along the way."

By saying this, he admitted that the competition wasn’t being unfair.

The spices were found by the contestants themselves.

Especially since Ye Fei had remarked about revisiting the competition footage.

Ye Fei spoke with certainty, and indeed, the live stream had so many viewers.

The competition officials couldn’t possibly show obvious favoritism.

If they did, the competition wouldn’t last long.

It would’ve been condemned by netizens long ago.

Besides, he could indeed check the footage afterwards to confirm any issues with the competition.

If needed, expose it online.

Anyway, obvious favoritism would not be beneficial for the organizers.

Xue Jieyu remained silent.

So, what was Fu Jiaxu up to?

"Why don’t you go look around again? There might still be time," Mi Ruoyun, standing next to Xue Jieyu, chimed in after hearing Fu Jiaxu.

Mi Ruoyun instinctively felt that Fu Jiaxu approaching Xue Jieyu wasn’t a good thing.

To everyone’s surprise, Fu Jiaxu completely ignored Mi Ruoyun.

Almost as if he hadn’t heard her, he repeated to Xue Jieyu, "Can you lend me some spices?"

"It’s dark now, even with a flashlight, searching now is much harder than during the day. I’d need a long time with a flashlight. By the time I find them, the competition might be over."

Fu Jiaxu gestured behind him, "Besides, my lamb leg is already grilling, I need to watch the fire, can’t let it burn."

"So, can you lend me some? I don’t need much," Fu Jiaxu continued.

After speaking, seeing Xue Jieyu hesitate, Fu Jiaxu mentally cursed her for being so selfish.

The last competition, she lacked ingredients and had to borrow from others.

And now when it’s his turn to ask, she hesitates?

"Last competition, didn’t you also get ingredients from Ye Fei?" Fu Jiaxu brought up again, "The anxiety and frustration of lacking ingredients, you’re the one who should understand that the most. I thought, since you experienced it last time, you’d understand, which is why I came to you."

"You’ve felt that way, right? I think you won’t refuse me, right?" Fu Jiaxu said, "You’ve been helped; you can understand the feeling, so surely you can help me, right?"

Fu Jiaxu’s message was crystal clear.

If you don’t help, you’re wrong.

Throwing a moral burden right on Xue Jieyu’s shoulders.

Huo Jiarong, with her fiery temper, nearly wanted to fling a piece of wood at Fu Jiaxu’s face.

"How big a nerve he has? Putting the burden on Xue Jieyu, not helping him is wrong," Huo Jiarong fumed, "Helping others is fine, helping Fu Jiaxu? Feels like being fed dirt!"

"Not a real man, pressuring a young girl like this. This isn’t about having enough ingredients. It’s about if you give him, you feel awful inside. But if you don’t, he’s put you on a moral high ground to be criticized." Hua Ciyue spat, "It’s truly sickening."

"I was only disgusted by Chen Zhengping before, but didn’t expect Fu Jiaxu to be even more disgusting than Chen Zhengping," Shang Heyue remarked, "No wonder he gets along so well with Ding Ruyun, truly birds of a feather."