"Friendship over! Goodbye!" An infuriated Yu An-Tong ended the call with Han Le-Le.

A moment after hanging up, a thought struck Yu An-Tong, and he redialed, this time initiating a video call.

"Why did you hang up so abruptly?" asked Han Le-Le.

Yu An-Tong said, "I want to show you my future son's room, to prove what I said."

Holding his phone, Yu An-Tong walked into the adjacent guest room, showcasing the clothes and toys he and Xing Li-Xuan bought for their child.

Reversing the camera, he displayed the assortment of children's items, "See? Now do you believe me?"

Han Le-Le's eyes widened, taking in the sight of tiny clothes, duck toys, and a baby crib.

Speechless, the only word running through his mind was: "What?!"

The idea that a man could become pregnant truly shattered his twenty years of scientific understanding. He stuttered, "Tongtong..."

"Hmm?" Yu Antong tilted his chin up, a smug lilt in his voice.

Gotcha! Surprised, aren't you?

Han Lele's mind raced for a moment before an idea struck him, providing a plausible explanation.

He regained his composure and said casually, "Let me guess, you and President Xing are planning to adopt a child?"

Yu Antong: "..."

Classic Han Lele!

Yu Antong lifted a tiny outfit, "Look closely! This is for a newborn!"

Han Lele quickly responded, "You guys didn't opt for surrogacy, did you? That's illegal and inhumane!"

Yu Antong: "Are you teasing me on purpose?!"

Scratching his head, Han Lele earnestly said, "Tongtong, are you seriously not joking with me?"

He couldn't be blamed for his wild guesses; anything he could think of was more probable than Yu Antong having a child himself.

Han Lele quickly added, "Don't get me wrong. It's just hard to believe. Give me a moment to process it."

Knowing Han Lele as he did, Yu Antong was aware that his friend wouldn't judge him, but was merely grappling with the shock.

If it hadn't happened to him, Yu Antong would've found it hard to believe too.

Minutes later, Han Lele finally spoke, his voice a mix of curiosity and caution, "Tongtong, can I see your belly?"

Yu Antong lifted the hem of his shirt to show him, "Believe me now?"

"I do, I do." Han Lele nodded vigorously, realizing it wasn't just weight gain, "How many months along are you?"

Yu Antong replied, "Over six months. It's a boy."

Han Lele suddenly looked worried, "Doesn't that mean you were already pregnant when I invited you to the variety show? And you still accepted?!"

Yu Antong responded, "It's not like I've contracted a debilitating illness. Why shouldn't I accept?"

Despite Yu Antong's reassurance, Han Lele still felt anxious for him, "Had I known, I wouldn't have asked you."

As the show progressed, the challenges and pressures increased for the contestants. Meanwhile, Yu Antong's physical strain was evident. It must have been exhausting.

After learning about Yu Antong's pregnancy, for the next two episodes, Han Lele accompanied him on set, treating him delicately, much to the chagrin of Yu Antong's partner, Xing Lixuan.

Fortunately, during the fourth round, Yu Antong and Xie Wenchang managed a stunning comeback, defeating the more formidable team led by Zhuang Zhouyang.

In the subsequent match between Zhuang Zhouyang and Fu Fengxing, Fu emerged victorious by a narrow margin, eliminating Zhuang, thus reducing one major competitor for Yu Antong.

In the subsequent semi-finals, Xie Wenchang wasn't as fortunate, being dominated and knocked out by Fu Fengxing and Yu Antong.

Soon, the finale of "Chef's Arrival!" was upon them.

"After three months, through eleven episodes of increasingly challenging tasks, only the two of you remain standing here. Today, one of you will leave while the other will claim the title of 'Chef God'.", the host inquired, "Are you both feeling nervous? Who do you believe has the upper hand to win the championship?"

Fu Fengxing responded nonchalantly, "Not particularly nervous. As for the championship... Yu Antong is a formidable opponent, but I'm no slouch either. I'm eager to compete with him. Only the match will reveal the true outcome."

The host then turned to Yu Antong, "What about you, Yu Antong? Are you nervous?"

Yu Antong smiled, "I'm not nervous. At the beginning of the show, I might not have been entirely focused on winning, but having come this far, being one step away from the title, I want to give it my all."

"Both of you seem calm and determined. We hope that with this confident attitude, you'll present us with a culinary feast in this final battle."

The host announced, "For this round, you can choose any ingredients and decide your dishes. You need to prepare a hot dish, a cold dish, and a main course within two hours. No other restrictions apply. Now, let the timer begin!"

After the host announced the start of the timer, neither participant immediately started cooking. Instead, they both began consulting with their teams.

Yu Antong declared, "For the grand finale, we must bring our A-game. We began this competition with a victory, and we should end it the same way — maintaining consistency throughout."

"Right!" Jiang Yuxiu and Lin Haoning nodded in agreement.

Quickly finalizing their menu, Yu Antong said, "For the hot dish, we'll prepare 'Ruby Grandeur.' Spicy duck feet will be our cold dish, and for the main course..."

After pausing for a second, he decided, "We'll make cured meat rice!"

The three fist-bumped in agreement and swiftly began selecting ingredients. At the ingredient supermarket, Yu Antong noticed its vast array of options, even including pickled beans. Seeing it as a delicacy, he took a handful.

Collaboratively, the trio gathered their ingredients and returned to their cooking stations.

"Yuxiu, start boiling the cured meat."

The dried and cured meat is tough and chewy. Cooking it directly with rice would make it inedible — tasting more like rubber.

It needs to be boiled in fresh water for 10 minutes first to soften it and diffuse the saltiness.

"Haoning, clean the duck feet and blanch them."

After issuing the commands, Yu Antong began preparing taro, washing and peeling the small tubers and cutting them into chunks similar in size to braised pork.

"Ruby Grandeur" was a dish he had innovated from the traditional braised pork, which he had recently perfected at his restaurant, Xianren Banquet, to much acclaim.

The primary ingredients of this dish are pork belly and taro. The pork belly is cut into chunks and soaked in vinegar-water to remove any unpleasant odors.

"Sizzle!" Hot oil in the wok encountered the water content of the pork belly, causing it to crackle. In no time, the aromatic scent of the pork filled the air.

Yu Antong quickly stir-fried the meat, noticing the increasing amount of oil in the wok — a result of the pork's fat melting, which would make the final dish rich but not greasy.

Draining most of the oil and setting the meat aside, he added rock sugar to the wok, letting it caramelize.

At this juncture, controlling the heat is paramount. If the rock sugar is overcooked, it becomes bitter; undercooked, it will clump together. Wait until it melts into the oil, turning a tawny hue; that's the perfect moment to reintroduce the pork belly.

Yu Antong stirred, ensuring the shimmering, caramelized sugar enveloped the pork belly, showcasing an enticing sheen.

He swiftly added chopped scallions, ginger slices, and various spices to the pan, stirring to release their aroma. He poured in half a pot of boiling water, seasoning with salt and aged vinegar for a simmer.

As this process neared completion, Jiang Yuxiu had just finished chopping sour string beans into segments and slicing the already boiled cured meat.

Yu Antong took the oil he had set aside from the pork belly stir-fry. This oil, rich in flavor, was too good to waste for cooking.

He heated it, stir-fried the sour beans briefly, then layered them at the bottom of the rice cooker. He placed half of the cured meat on top, added some fragrant rice from this year's harvest, topped with the remaining meat, and more rice, allowing the cured meat's aroma to permeate more thoroughly throughout.

He added an appropriate amount of water, hit the cook button, and estimated that the braised pork was nearly done. Lifting the lid, steam billowed out, with the pot bubbling, and the pork belly trembled, its fatty layers transitioning from a firm, creamy color to a translucent state.

Yu Antong then added diced taro to continue the simmer.

On the other side, Lin Haoning blanched duck feet and shocked them in icy water, ensuring a crispy and elastic texture.

The duck feet were then immersed in a spiced braising liquid, teeming with Sichuan peppercorns, chilies, star anise, bay leaves, and cassia bark.

Juggling three pots, Yu Antong was kept on his toes for an hour before finally catching a breather.

Taking a seat, he drank some water, set the cup down, and rubbed his sore lower back.

As his child grew, he felt weariness more quickly than before.

Roughly twenty minutes later, the spicy braised duck feet were the first to be ready.

The feet, turned a rich brown and soaked in a piquant sauce, were segmented by Yu Antong for easier consumption and a more aesthetic presentation.

After cutting, he allowed them to cool on a plate, knowing that they would become even more chewy and crisp once cooled, their numbing and spicy flavors irresistible.

Kelp, added to the braising liquid shortly after the duck feet, was now perfectly tender.

The green strands of kelp encircled the plate, surrounding the segmented duck feet in the center, adding a vibrant touch that enhanced the dish's visual appeal.

Romance Novel Network.

"Ten minutes remaining, contestants, please manage your time," reminded the host.

As the announcement was made, Yu Antong's cured meat rice was ready. Upon opening the rice cooker, the rich aroma of rice mixed with the fragrance of cured meat, with a hint of the sourness of the pickled beans, wafted out.

Yu Antong stirred the dish, ensuring the beans, cured meat, and rice were well-mixed before serving it in bowls.

The lustrous rice grains, coupled with the firm cured meat, complemented by the tangy and crunchy beans, looked delectably appetizing; even Yu Antong suddenly craved a bowl.

The final dish to be ready was "Ruby-filled Hall".

The braised pork was now entirely tender, drenched in a glistening, reddish sauce. On high heat, he reduced the sauce, tossing the meat and taro pieces until they were coated in the lustrous reddish-brown gravy.

As he plated the dish, the braised pork, whose fatty layers had reached a state of translucent melt, jiggled tantalizingly, making even Yu Antong swallow in anticipation.

I can't believe I'm drooling over my own dish!

Unable to resist any longer, Yu Antong picked up the chopsticks, pretending to taste-test the dish.

The succulent braised pork, drenched in a sweet sauce, melted in his mouth. First, there's the burst of sweetness from the sauce, then the fat simply dissolves on the tongue. The lean meat, on the other hand, retained a slight resilience, providing a delightful contrast.

Before he knew it, he had already finished a big piece, leaving behind a lingering savory taste that made him crave another bite.

Yu Antong refrained from indulging further in the pork and instead picked up a piece of taro. The taro was soft, starchy, and had a unique sweetness different from the sauce outside, offering a diverse palate of textures.

The taro had absorbed the rich flavors of the pork, while the pork, in turn, drew out the taro's aromatic essence. They complemented each other perfectly.

This combination of glistening red braised pork with a bowl of steaming cured pork rice could be so delicious it might make one bite their own tongue!

Yu Antong, still not satiated, glanced at the clock: only two minutes left.

He grabbed a leftover braised duck foot and started eating.

The duck foot, soaked in the marinade, first introduced a spicy flavor. Biting down on the joints provided a satisfying crunch, audibly resonating in his ears.

After a couple of bites, a numbing sensation began to spread in his mouth, incredibly soothing.

As Yu Antong finished the spicy duck foot, the host announced, “Time's up! Contestants, please present your dishes!”

Yu Antong wasn’t concerned about Fu Fengxing’s dish. He believed that his culinary creation would surely captivate every judge's palate.

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