Chapter 26: Becoming an Intermediate Nutritionist

After Qiao Xin turned off the heat and took the dishes off the stove, she looked up to find everyone staring at her. She blinked in confusion; was she the first to finish? If so, she felt a little embarrassed!

"Which dish should we serve first?" Lin Yifeng swallowed hard. If these weren't examination dishes, he would have packed them all up to eat himself!

"Serve the steamed fish first," Qiao Xin said, gesturing for him to take the large platter over. Even with the sauce drizzled on top, the steamed fish had the most delicate flavor and needed to be tasted first to appreciate its quality. Only then could the freshness of the silverfish be truly savored.

"Eat up!" Lin Yifeng used his wind ability to carry the large platter over to the examiners, speaking with a fierce intensity. The five examiners glanced at each other, gulped, and began to dig in. One bite, two bites... the five of them couldn't stop.

Lin Yifeng: ...

The braised fish chunks and the clay pot fish slices could be separated. Qiao Xin set aside a small portion for Lin Yifeng and had him send the rest over. As soon as Lin Yifeng saw that there was some for him, he didn't even move; he simply used his wind to blow the other two dishes over. Qiao Xin watched in alarm, and the five examiners were startled as well, but once they started eating, they forgot everything else. Lin Yifeng ate the portion Qiao Xin had saved for him happily, thinking to himself, "Xin-xin still has me in her heart!"

Every chef loves to see their food enjoyed. Seeing all three of her dishes finished and receiving the notification that her "Affection Points" had arrived, Qiao Xin felt relieved and confident.

"Finish eating and get to work!" Lin Yifeng waited with Qiao Xin for a while, but seeing the five examiners still lost in the aftertaste, his face darkened. Prompted by his reminder, the five examiners finally turned to their evaluation.

"Congratulations, Ms. Qiao Xin. You have passed the intermediate examination. We wish you a bright future!"

"Thank you!" Qiao Xin replied politely. As soon as she left the examination hall, she grabbed Lin Yifeng and ran toward where her parents were waiting.

"Mom! Dad! I passed!" As soon as Qiao Xin saw her parents, she let go of Lin Yifeng, leaving him feeling both disappointed and amused. Hua Qinmo and Lei Wuxie had naturally seen her running back while pulling him, but they both glanced away indifferently at his smug expression. This was Qiao Xin's moment of joy, and they didn't want to ruin the atmosphere.

"Let's go exchange for your intermediate nutritionist badge first," Xiao Linshuang said, happily pulling her along. Being an intermediate nutritionist meant that even as an ordinary person without special abilities, she would no longer be looked down upon.

If news of this reached the Qiao family, their faces would be slapped red with shame! What was Qiao Ru’s A-grade talent worth? It would be impressive if she could even reach the second level of the primary stage in two years! Even someone like Xiao Ruyi, who had been trained since childhood, was currently only at the fourth level of the intermediate stage.

With her family surrounding her, Qiao Xin went to exchange her badge. Before they even stepped out of the examination venue, a group of people rushed over and blocked their path.

"Little girl, would you like to join our Nutritionist Association?" A gray-haired, rugged man squeezed out a difficult smile and rubbed his hands together; he looked nothing like a good person.

"Old Man Zhang, are you trying to snatch someone from the Seventh Army?" Lin Yifeng knew that Qiao Xin intended to apply to military school.

"Kid, don't try to bluff me! The girl doesn't even have any innate abilities!" The man clearly recognized Lin Yifeng.

"It's precisely because she lacks innate abilities that she came to take the intermediate nutritionist exam; otherwise, would you even be able to see her?" Lin Yifeng crossed his arms.

The man paused, then fell silent for a long time. His gaze shifted complexly as he looked at Qiao Xin. Finally, gritting his teeth, he put on a thick-skinned expression and asked, "Little girl, do you take apprentices?"

When he said this, everyone was stunned. Qiao Xin felt a chill crawl up her scalp and offered a sheepish smile. "Sir, if you have something to say, please be direct. At your age, you shouldn't be making things difficult for a young woman like me!"

Lin Yifeng came to his senses, his face darkening further. "Old Man Zhang, have you no shame? You want to apprentice yourself to Xin-xin at your age?"

"If you don't know how to teach people yourself, are you going to stop others from doing so?" The man retorted righteously, looking at him with disdain.

Seeing that Lin Yifeng was about to explode, Qiao Xin pulled on him and held out her light-brain. "Sir, let's add each other as contacts. If you have any questions, just ask directly. Apprenticeship isn't really appropriate."

"Holy cow! Has he lost his mind? Zhang Tianliang, the president of the Nutritionist Association, actually wants to apprentice himself to a little girl!" Someone shouted dramatically, bringing everyone back to their senses. The people who had come with Zhang Tianliang were also dumbfounded and spoke up one after another.

"President, weren't we here to invite her to join the association? How did it turn into you becoming an apprentice?"

"President, mind your reputation! Haven't you been complained about enough already?"

"President! Don't do anything crazy!"

Clearly, this president caused his fair share of trouble.

"What are you all bickering about? She hasn't even agreed to take me on!" Zhang Tianliang roared angrily. Those people immediately looked at Qiao Xin, which made her feel a bit intimidated.

"Hehe, don't be afraid, little girl. Could you give me a copy of that barbecue seasoning recipe?" After shouting, Zhang Tianliang turned back to Qiao Xin with a fawning smile.

Qiao Xin nodded quickly and sent the recipe via her light-brain. Barbecue was something where even the exact same seasoning wouldn't produce the exact same taste—even if the same person cooked it—so whether it leaked or not didn't really matter.

"Yes, yes, thank you, little girl. I won't disturb you any longer." Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Tianliang waved at her and hurried off with his group.

"Xin-xin, you're in trouble! Old Man Zhang is the most troublesome one of all!" Lin Yifeng sighed gloomily beside her.

"If it's about food, it's not a problem," Qiao Xin said, not worried in the least. She had researched so much about the compatibility and conflicts of ingredients for her pre-made meals, and she had even studied health-focused recipes for custom orders; she was truly too busy to be bothered by such things.

Lin Yifeng looked at her confident demeanor. Remembering how Zhang Tianliang had said he couldn't teach anyone, he felt even more admiration for her. Her temper and patience were extraordinary, and at that moment, she seemed to be glowing.

As the group walked out and prepared to board their vehicle, Wen Zhiliu came running out. "Qiao Xin, you finally came out!"

"Are you alone?" Qiao Xin was a bit surprised.

Wen Zhiliu nodded, her smile strained. "Yeah, I didn't pass..."

"If you don't mind, would you like to come to my place for a meal?" Qiao Xin didn't ask further, inviting her along instead. Aside from her cousin, she didn't have any female friends. Wen Zhiliu's personality was quite to her liking, and if possible, she would like to be friends with her.

"This... wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Wen Zhiliu looked at the people around her. They all seemed like significant figures; would it be too presumptuous for her to tag along?

"When you're feeling down, a big meal is the best remedy! I became an intermediate nutritionist today, so I need to celebrate. If you mind, just forget I said anything," Qiao Xin said with a shrug.

"I don't mind! I'll go!" Wen Zhiliu had come to congratulate her in the first place; how could she mind going to a feast? She had expected to fail, and she didn't want to bring down anyone else's spirits.

"Get in the car!" Qiao Xin invited her to sit in her own flying car. Wen Zhiliu didn't hesitate anymore and hopped in joyfully, not even afraid of being sold off!