After taking attendance and ensuring all students were present, the instructor held the last class meeting, informing them of various matters. After that, the day was free.

Once the instructor left, some students left in small groups with close friends, while others gathered around Yu Antong for a lively chat.

"Antong, could I have your autograph?" asked the class monitor. "My mom's a huge fan of the cooking show 'Chef's Arrival!' you participated in. When she heard you're my classmate, she insisted I get your autograph."

"Antong, you were so secretive about your wedding," a male classmate exclaimed. "That's not fair. You'll have to treat us all at our graduation dinner, so we can gift you some money in return."

Yu Antong chatted with his classmates for a bit before heading back to the dorm with his three roommates.

Yu Antong and Han Lele didn't stay on campus, so their dorm was rather empty. Zhao Peng and Sun Ming had already packed their belongings.

Sun Ming opened a cabinet and took out a small electric cooker. "Good thing I couldn't carry everything when I left. I left this pot here in the dorm."

As Sun Ming went to wash the pot, he asked, "Lele, where are the ingredients you brought?"

Han Lele remained silent but started pulling out his suitcase.

Yu Antong, puzzled, asked, "Lele, why did you bring luggage? Aren't you going home tonight?"

Han Lele replied, "No, no. Remember, I said I'd take care of the hotpot ingredients."

"What do you mean?" Yu Antong pointed at the suitcase in disbelief, "You can't possibly have the hotpot ingredients in there, can you?!"

Although Han Lele's suitcase wasn't particularly large, it could still hold a substantial amount of food.

Han Lele laid the suitcase flat on the floor, unzipped it, removed a layer of ice packs from the top, and proudly revealed, "Ta-da!"

Inside were neatly arranged boxes of lamb rolls, luncheon meat, shrimp paste, enoki mushrooms, baby bok choy...

It was a full spread of hotpot ingredients.

"Tongtong, when you mentioned in the chat that you'd bring the hotpot base, I started thinking about which ingredients to bring," said Han Lele.

Han Lele, always eager for a good meal, spread his hands, gesturing to his collection with pride. "Just tell me, is anything missing? Isn't this impressive?"

The three of them gave him a thumbs up in unison. It was top-notch! Almost as good as eating at a hotpot restaurant.

Zhao Peng: "Thanks, Boss Han! You've outdone yourself!"

Sun Ming: "True to form, Boss Han, always classy!"

Yu Antong remarked, "No worries about running out of food now."

A little while later, as the pot heated up, aromatic steam rose, the rich scent of spicy beef tallow filling the air. This improved recipe was even more delicious than what they had had before.

The group joyfully feasted. The overhead fan offered little relief, and soon beads of sweat formed on their foreheads. Yet, their enthusiasm remained undeterred.

"It's so hot," Yu Antong commented, wiping his brow and fanning himself, "If only we had air conditioning."

Picking up a piece of beef, Sun Ming said, "It's okay. I checked earlier, and the dorm's water heater still works. We can take a cool shower after eating."

Yu Antong, slowing his chewing, replied, "I didn't bring a change of clothes. Wearing sweaty clothes after a shower doesn't feel right. Maybe I'll go home and shower after the meal."

Han Lele said, "I'll head home after eating too."

Zhao Peng added, "Alright then, in a few days let's find time to have a proper meal out. We're graduating soon; who knows when we'll meet next?"

Both Zhao Peng and Sun Ming had found jobs in their hometowns. Unless plans changed, it would be tough to meet again.

Raising his beer, Sun Ming toasted, "Enough of that. Cheers! To happy graduations and bright futures!"

"I've had some health concerns recently and can't drink alcohol," Yu Antong said, holding up his bottled water, "Water in place of wine for me."

Neither Zhao Peng nor Sun Ming pressed the matter, just expressing their concerns about Yu Antong's health, which he brushed aside.

The group clinked glasses, chanting in unison, "Happy Graduation!"

As the meal neared its end, Yu Antong checked the time and called Xin Lixuan, "Hello, honey, have you eaten?"

"Just finished," Xin Lixuan replied, "Shall I come to pick you up?"

"Yes, come over. Call me when you're here."

After exchanging a few words, Yu Antong ended the call, only to find the other three guys in the room making teasing faces at him.

"What are you guys up to?!"

"Us three single souls are so envious. Achieving both career and love success before even graduating? Talk about a life winner!" Sun Ming laughed, "I've witnessed your meteoric rise throughout these four college years."

"Hey, hey! Don't lump me in with you two." Han Lele jumped up, distancing himself from Sun Ming and Zhao Peng, "I also have a boyfriend, you know."

Zhao Peng exclaimed in indignation, "Why do both of you, despite not being straight, have partners? The world is so unfair to straight guys!"

Han Lele jabbed, "It's not about orientation, it's about looks."

Zhao Peng retorted, "That's so unfair, you narcissistic rooster!"

The group had a lively banter, pushing aside their graduation parting blues. After dinner, Zhao Peng and Sun Ming went for a shower to cool off. Yu Antong sat, waiting for Xin Lixuan to pick him up, while Han Lele planned to leave with him.

As Han Lele chatted with Yu Antong, he glanced at Yu's stomach, "Tongtong, have you gained weight? Or did you just eat too much today?"

Yu Antong looked down; his slightly protruding belly was more evident after the hearty meal.

He replied solemnly, "I'm not fat; I'm pregnant. Didn't I tell you? Do you believe me now?"

Most would take such a statement from a man as a jest, and Han Lele was no exception.

The more earnest Yu Antong appeared, the more Han Lele believed it was an act, commenting, "So you've gained weight. No need to make up such an outlandish reason."

Yu Antong was silent.

It seemed he didn't have to worry about others' doubtful glances; nobody would believe him even if he told the truth.

Even if people thought he looked peculiar, they'd assume he'd gained weight, slightly tarnishing his heartthrob image. They'd never think beyond that.

For the sake of his unborn son, let the dreamy image shatter. My son will astonish everyone once he's here.

Han Lele added, "See? Men tend to gain weight after marriage. That's the fat of marital bliss."

"Qi Jingyao plans to propose right after my graduation. I'm reconsidering whether to accept so soon. I don’t want my slim waist to turn into a beer belly after marriage. If Qi Jingyao ever gains weight, I'll kick him to the curb!"

When it comes to looks, Han Lele is ruthlessly picky.

Yu Antong felt a tad sympathetic for Qi Jingyao. It isn't easy dealing with Han Lele.

A ringtone sounded, signaling Xin Lixuan's arrival. Yu Antong and Han Lele descended the stairs. Han Lele, who came in his own car, headed to the parking lot, while Yu Antong walked to the main gate.

"Why is your face so flushed?" Xin Lixuan asked, noticing Yu Antong's reddened face speckled with sweat, once he got into the car.

The car’s air-conditioning brought a comforting chill. Yu Antong leaned back contentedly, "The dorm lacked AC, and I forgot my umbrella. Walking that distance in the sun was a bit too warm."

I haven't been out for so long; forgot to bring an umbrella.

Early June isn't that hot. But they had just had a hotpot meal in the dormitory, and being pregnant, Yu Antong felt hotter than usual.

Concerned about the temperature shift, Xin Lixuan turned off the air-conditioning, cracked open the windows, letting in some of the outside warmth.

Yu Antong asked, "Will the next episode of 'Chef Supreme' still be shot outdoors?"

He felt a bit apprehensive. Just being outdoors in this weather was enough to make one break into a sweat, let alone standing before a stove, cooking with fervor...

The mere thought was discomforting.

Xing Lixuan considered this issue: "I'll get in touch with the production team."

Once they were home, Xing Lixuan contacted the person in charge of the show.

The person in charge said, "For the next episode, we plan to film on the famous food street of Jiang City."

Although on the surface, the show seems to be about competitors vying for the title of 'Top Chef' and the grand prize, its main goal is to promote Jiang City's culinary culture. This intent from the show's conception aligns with the Jiang City government's hopes of boosting the local culinary industry, thereby promoting economic growth.

This means the show shouldn’t merely produce upscale dishes in polished studio settings, detached from the realities of everyday life.

They needed to be "grounded", aligned with the average person's spending capabilities, making outdoor filming indispensable.

"So, how is it?" After Xing Lixuan finished his conversation, Yu Antong, holding a water glass, walked over and asked.

"It's kind of a semi-outdoor setup," Xing Lixuan said. "The cooking area is air-conditioned, so it won't be too hot."

The Reading Nook.

On the day of the filming, the production team took the two of them to the food street, which showcases Jiang City's varied street food and small eateries.

"The location we are currently in is the most famous food street in Jiang City. Despite its compact size, it ranks among the top three busiest food streets in the country, attracting numerous gourmands."

The host introduced the filming location for this episode to the contestants before saying, "The rules for this round, where we'll move from six to four contestants, will differ from before."

"See these envelopes I'm holding?" The host held up six envelopes high. "Each contestant will draw an envelope at random, and inside each is the name of a snack. The challenges for each are roughly of the same difficulty."

The host continued, "Based on the snack you draw, you'll go to the corresponding vendor to learn their preparation methods. Then, within a set time, you must prepare at least twenty servings of that snack, which will be judged and scored by volunteers we've invited from the food street."

One of the contestants, Zhuang Zhuyang, protested, "Director, that's unfair! Locals from Jiang City have a distinct advantage."

Among the top six contestants, only Yu Antong and Yu Xingmin from Bai Fang Zhai were locals from Jiang City.

Yu Antong said, "Honestly, this is my first time here. I’m more of a pseudo-Jiang City resident."

He was being truthful, but it seemed no one believed him.

The true local, Yu Xingmin, was also unfamiliar with the area. Being a chef from a high-end restaurant, he looked down on such places.

The host said, "You have ten minutes to learn. After ten minutes, you can't ask the vendor any more questions. The preparation time is two hours. Who wants to draw the envelopes first?"

"It doesn't matter who goes first."

The contestants took turns drawing envelopes, eager to see the challenge they would face.

A note from the author:

Tongtong: There once was a delicate lad, and then he... well, he seemed to have put on some weight.

Han Lele: Oh, I know, it's the weight of happiness!

Thank you to the lovely angels who supported me with a king's vote or nourishment between 2020-02-21 23:44:48 and 2020-02-22 23:46:58~

Grateful to the angels who donated grenades: Cherry Fish Roe 2 pieces;

A big thanks to the angels who sent landmines: asura 2 pieces;

Gratitude to the angels who provided nourishment: Qiran 30 bottles; The Rest of My Life Will Not Have Anymore 10 bottles; None, 28365525 3 bottles; Zeshu 2 bottles; Even If I Don't Go, Xuan i 1 bottle;

I deeply appreciate all the support. I will keep up the hard work!

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