Ivy Shen never imagined she’d end up competing like this. When it comes to roast duck, nobody knows it better than she does—and nobody is pickier about it, either. She still remembers the pure satisfaction of tasting Beijing Roast Duck for the very first time.
For a whole month after that, she ate roast duck basically every single day, until she got so close with one of the old chefs that he started sneaking her ingredients from the kitchen. But those ingredients were all blended together, and cracking the secret recipe was ridiculously hard.
But for her, it wasn’t a big deal—because she had the perfect assistant: her bookworm brother, Shane. He loved tinkering with things, no matter what it was, and would obsessively figure out how everything worked.
So when she handed him the secret recipe, it only took him three days to crack it. Looking at his formula, Ivy had to admit the roast duck shop’s technique was impressive—these mysterious tricks weren’t something an ordinary person could ever come up with!
Thinking about all that, Ivy started missing her brother again. She wondered if her nerd had managed to win over Xiao Kui, how they were doing now, and whether her parents were okay after she’d gone missing.
"Ivy, need us to help out?" Adrian Night saw Ivy suddenly go quiet and wandered over, concern written all over his face.
Ivy looked at him and smiled. “No need. You guys just sit here and wait.” With that, she rolled up her sleeves and headed for the backyard. Of course, just because she said she didn’t need help didn’t mean they were actually going to sit around. Adrian Night, Lucian Vane, Caleb Miles, Liam Willow, and Ethan Chu—the whole harem squad—immediately marched right after her into the kitchen.
“Hey, didn’t I tell you guys to go sit down?” Ivy turned around and frowned at the group trailing after her.
"We wanna help!" Lucian Vane blurted, practically bouncing in place.
Seeing this, Ivy let out a dramatic sigh. "Alright, since my big brothers are so desperate to help, you guys get to catch me a nice fat duck—and make sure it’s squeaky clean!"
"Huh? We have to kill the duck ourselves?" The men all stared at each other, faces full of existential crisis. Killing people? Easy. Killing a duck? Uh... system error!
“So do we pluck it first, or kill it first and then pluck?” Ethan Chu asked, eyeing the ducks uncertainly.
"Just watch me! Knife goes snip—problem solved, right?" Butterfly Rogue declared, all bravado. Why so complicated? Chop! Done! Next!
"No way. If you do that, the roast duck’ll taste all wrong. Let me handle it," Liam Willow said, nodding with calm confidence before plunging into the duck cage like a seasoned pro.
A moment later—
“Hey, someone come hold this duck for me so I can do the killing,” Liam Willow said, emerging from the cage covered in duck feathers and looking at the other five.
“You sure you know what you’re doing?” Adrian Night strolled over and casually grabbed the duck for him.
Liam gave him a reassuring smile. “Relax. I grew up in a poor family, so I know how to do all this housework.”
The group went silent for a moment. Out of all six of them, he was probably the only one who’d ever done this kind of thing. His childhood must’ve been rough. Sure, some of the others hadn’t had happy childhoods either, but at least they’d never had to do this kind of menial work themselves. In that moment, everyone felt a new respect for their bookish friend.
“Die early, reincarnate soon, and become a palace guest in your next life.” Liam murmured a little prayer as he held the knife, then got to work on the duck.
"What were you muttering just now?" Butterfly Rogue popped up, nosy antennae twitching, clearly dying for gossip.
“Big Bro, let me handle it.” Liam Willow took the duck from Adrian Night and dunked it into boiling water, then started plucking. “Back home, whether it’s chickens, ducks, or fish, we always say a little blessing first. That way, in their next life, they can be people and eat well too.” The kind-hearted Liam explained while he worked.
The other five crowded around, watching curiously. This was the first time they’d ever seen duck feathers get plucked so cleanly.
Ivy watched the scene without saying anything—just smiling to herself. Moments this harmonious were pretty rare.
Soon enough, Liam finished prepping the duck. Luther Liu lit a stick of incense in front of everyone, signaling the start of the contest.
At that, Ivy shooed all six of them out of the kitchen. "Out, all of you! Wait outside and don’t even THINK about disturbing me, or I’ll go full kitchen demon on you!" She stood there, hands on hips, channeling her inner bossy auntie.
The six men exchanged glances and could only sit outside and wait. Luther Liu, overhearing Ivy’s warning, stroked his barely-there chin stubble and smirked. ‘Let’s see what tricks you’ve got, little girl. Soon enough, you’ll be handing over your Disco Nightclub to me.’
Luther Liu was still riding his smug wave when—bam!—he felt a laser-beam stare hit him. Ivy was grinning like a fox plotting world domination. That smile? Maximum mischief unlocked.
“After you, Boss Liu.” Ivy gestured theatrically, then headed straight into her kitchen. Luther shook off his unease and went into the neighboring kitchen.
Time ticked by. Before long, Luther Liu came out—years of roasting ducks had made him lightning fast. No matter how long or short the contest, his ducks were always the tastiest.
Luther Liu strutted out, making Ivy’s six ‘husbands’ instantly nervous. Half the incense had burned down already, but their precious Ivy was still MIA in the kitchen. They wanted to sneak a peek, but the memory of her kitchen demon act kept them glued to their seats. All they could do was pray.
The crowd had long since moved from the main hall to outside the kitchen, chattering away. Most of them thought Ivy was out of her depth—how could anyone compete with such delicious duck?
At a square table sat four of Ruiland City’s most respected elders—famous food judges known for tasting countless delicacies. They nodded in approval at the aroma wafting from Luther Liu’s kitchen, eyes full of confidence. Seeing this, Luther’s smile grew—he was sure he had the contest in the bag.
(Irrelevant system message skipped for translation.)
But just then, a strange new fragrance drifted out from the other kitchen, and suddenly the gossiping crowd fell silent.
It smelled amazing—so fresh, so tempting. Why did their mouths start watering the moment they caught a whiff?
Why did their stomachs start rumbling just from the scent?!
Inside, Ivy was working up a sweat, face streaked with flour and sauce, wiping her cheeks with her sleeve until she looked like a total flower-cat disaster. Peak kitchen chaos beauty!
"Alright, just gotta slice up this duck and we’re golden!" Ivy muttered, then lined up her accompaniments: scallion segments, sweet bean sauce, minced garlic, cucumber sticks, green radish strips, and—most crucial of all—the wheat pancakes. (Because a real Beijing Roast Duck is nothing without its pancakes, trust me.)
Once everything was ready, Ivy took the roast duck off the spit, plated it, and carried it out. The moment she stepped outside, the aroma flooded the whole kitchen area.
Luther Liu stared in disbelief at the unremarkable-looking duck. He could hardly believe that incredible aroma was coming from something so ordinary.
The moment Ivy walked out, all six of her handsome men looked at her with adoration. Even with her face smudged like a little flower cat, she was somehow even more beautiful and charming. Who knew a woman could be so attractive while cooking?
Ivy glanced at the incense and smiled. “Perfect timing. Boss Liu, have a seat—come try my duck first.” With that, she began slicing the meat.
Actually, there are two main ways to slice roast duck. One is to slice with the skin on—either into neat pieces or strips. The other is to separate the skin and meat, slicing the skin first, then the meat.
Ivy’s knife moved as fast as lightning, each slice carrying both skin and meat—her technique was breathtaking.
“I can’t believe duck can be sliced like that—it’s amazing!” one of the elders exclaimed, while the other three nodded eagerly.
Luther Liu snorted. “All show and no substance. Roast duck isn’t about flashy knife work—it’s about flavor.” With that, he grabbed a piece and took a bite.
“Boss Liu, you’re supposed to wrap it up like this—that’s the authentic way to eat it.” Ivy took a wheat pancake, wrapped up the duck, added scallion and cucumber, dipped it in sweet sauce, and popped it in her mouth. “Mmm, not bad!” she praised herself shamelessly.
Seeing that, the four elders quickly copied her method, and even Luther Liu followed suit.
Suddenly, the room went silent—everyone was waiting for their verdict.
“Wow, heavens, how can it taste this good?” One elder shot to his feet, eyes suddenly brimming with tears. “This… this flavor takes me back to my youth. My god, it’s incredible!”
“The color is deep red, glossy with oil, the skin crisp, the meat tender, rich and fragrant—crisp outside, juicy inside, the aroma is irresistible. This is the best duck I’ve ever tasted. Miss, thank you for letting me enjoy such a delicacy in my twilight years.” Another elder stood up, gratefully.
The other two elders joined in with perfect praise. Seeing this, Ivy’s six handsome men grew curious and each grabbed a piece to try. In the next second, they all stared at each other in wide-eyed shock.
"Holy moly, this is next-level delicious!" All six men gasped in unison, eyes bugging out like cartoon characters.
The crowd erupted—they wanted a taste too. The four elders started fighting over the food, making the crowd even more excited.
Seeing this, Ivy smiled. “Everyone can go to the kitchen—there are still four ducks left!” The first to rush in were her six handsome men, followed by the crowd.
After tasting Ivy’s duck, Luther Liu fell silent. Everything was beyond his expectations. This unassuming girl had somehow made duck a hundred times tastier than his—and you could eat it so elegantly, too. In that moment, he finally understood: there’s always someone better out there.
Beijing’s ultimate gourmet glory? Duck—especially when roasted. That’s the legend behind 'Beijing Roast Duck.' International friends call it 'the world’s #1 delicacy.' Every tourist, local or foreign, counts eating it as a life achievement. There’s even a saying in Beijing: 'If you haven’t climbed the Great Wall, you’re no hero. If you haven’t eaten roast duck, you’re missing out big time.' In 1986, at the Fifth International Culinary Skills Exhibition in Prague, Beijing Roast Duck took home the gold medal. So yeah, this dish is basically royalty.
With so many honors, how could she possibly lose to some ancient snake?
"Ivy’s gone..." Butterfly Rogue yelped, squished out of the crowd and looking totally pitiful. Not only could Ivy cook, she made food this mind-blowingly good—he must’ve picked up the rarest treasure in the world!
"I admit defeat!" Luther Liu blurted, just as everyone finished licking their fingers and looked his way. The drama!
He stood up and looked at Ivy, all his pride gone, replaced by genuine respect. “Miss, please forgive me for not recognizing your talent before. I never imagined someone so young could make duck this delicious—and with such a unique way of eating it. I’ve lost, fair and square. Don’t worry, I’ll honor the contract and hand the shop over to you.”
“Wow, we get to eat delicious duck now!” The crowd cheered, their voices bursting with joy.
“Thank you for letting me win,” Ivy said with a polite bow.
“Miss, when can we eat your amazing duck again?” the four elders asked eagerly—the same question everyone else wanted to know.
Ivy flashed a bright smile at everyone. “We’ll open in three days—come hungry!”
“Hooray!” the crowd shouted in unison.
Off to the side, Lan Moxuan stared at Ivy, unable to look away. Just how many sides did she have? How could she cook, and cook so well? Suddenly, he realized she had more and more strengths—and maybe she’d always had so many irresistible qualities.