After four years of living alone after marrying far away, he went back to his parents' home and

Lan Yujuan thought for a moment, then glanced at the lead singer of the band on stage, and instantly understood.

This band sings quite well, but they all look very ordinary; they clearly rely on their talent.

In the blink of an eye, the second competition began.

Lan Qingqing took a deep breath and, mimicking Qi Lei's posture and expression when he went on stage, calmly stepped onto the stage.

Although, from Lan Yujuan's perspective, Lan Qingqing's calves were still visibly trembling.

However, if you don't pay attention to these details and just glance at it, you'll still have the air of a great general.

"Manager Qi, you've taught your apprentice very well; he's becoming more and more professional," Lan Yujuan praised sincerely.

Qi Lei stood to the side, watching his apprentice go on stage, even more nervous than if he were on stage himself. He wiped his sweat and said:

"Boss Lan, don't rush to praise him, let's observe first!"

"Qingqing has only been working with coffee for a little over a month. She has only seen me do latte art before, and has never tried it herself."

"If I can successfully create the finished product during the competition on stage later and not spill any materials, I'll be incredibly grateful!"

The two stood quietly by the stage, watching Lan Qingqing calmly begin the competition in the center of the stage.

One didn't have high hopes for his apprentice; the other didn't have any expectations at all.

In Lan Yujuan's mind, as long as Lan Qingqing can go on stage and doesn't miss any matches, she has achieved her goal.

However, Lan Qingqing's performance far exceeded their expectations.

Before she could even finish the latte art, Lan Qingqing had practiced countless times while working as an assistant in the coffee shop. Practice makes perfect.

Finally, it's time for the latte art.

Although the two were far apart, they couldn't see each other very clearly.

But for some reason, the live broadcast projection on the large screen behind the stage suddenly switched from a distant view to a close-up.

And then the main camera cut to Lan Qingqing.

In an instant, Lan Yujuan's palms were sweating.

Without a doubt, this was someone who knew the inside story and deliberately wanted to see Lan Qingqing make a fool of herself.

If their secluded cafe in the hillside hadn't won a prize today, that would have been understandable.

If the entire internet were to see that their team of three included a new apprentice, yet they still managed to win an award despite being an exception.

There's no need for other contestants to say anything; the overwhelming "sharp comments" from netizens would drown the three of them out.

It might even shift from online to offline stores.

Traffic is a double-edged sword; it can easily make someone famous, but it can also destroy someone in an instant.

Just as the two of them were deep in thought, Lan Qingqing on the stage made a move.

Lan Qingqing's hand holding the coffee cup was as steady as a fixed support. The smooth, creamy milk was like a magical paintbrush, her hand moving as she pleased.

"My God, when did she learn that?"

Lan Yujuan's eyes widened, and she gently nudged Qi Lei beside her, asking in a low voice:

"Didn't you just say you hadn't taught her?"

"How come her technique is so steady and skillful? She's even better than the two veteran baristas next to her!"

Qi Lei stared at his apprentice on the big screen, swallowing hard in astonishment, and muttered to himself:

"I can't be mistaken, I definitely didn't teach this..."

"To be precise, she hasn't learned this part yet."

"Learning a skill is a gradual process; no one can become an expert overnight."

Lan Yujuan pointed to the gradually emerging clear pattern in the coffee cup on the screen and said incisively:

"But the latte art she creates is exactly what you're good at."

"If we hadn't practiced beforehand, even if I were to perform in person, I might not be able to do it as well as her or do it as perfectly."

The second item in the competition does not need to be presented to the judges.

Instead, the judges lined up and stood up, voluntarily walking to the workbench to score the contestants.

In this competition, everyone performed relatively consistently, and the results were not too different.

As the host took the stage and announced the results, applause erupted from the audience.

"Contestant number 7, second competition, final score 9.2 points."

"Contestant number 8, final score: 9.5 points!"

"Contestant number 9, final score: 9.3 points."

Thanks to Lan Qingqing's exceptional performance, Banshan Xiaoyin Cafe once again took the lead in the second group stage.

Upon hearing her score, Lan Qingqing's knees buckled, and as she stepped off the stage, she walked with her arms and legs moving in unison, her steps becoming noticeably unsteady.

"When I looked at the big screen, I saw that the latte art patterns for the three cups of coffee were all quite well done, and the skill level of their movements was not much different."

"Why does the middle number 8 get a high score of 9.5?"

"Yeah, wasn't it said that the barista in the middle was a complete newbie?"

"Who's spreading this rumor? Can't they give us some accurate information? It's completely unreliable!"

The other members of Team 7 and Team 9 next to them clearly expressed their dissatisfaction with the result.

The implication was clear: their team, number 8, had a complicated background, and there was definitely something fishy going on with the judges' scoring.

If they were far apart, Lan Yujuan would pretend she didn't hear it.

But these people were practically whispering in her ear, and if she didn't respond, it would seem like they were guilty.

Lan Yujuan immediately turned around and addressed the group of people who had been gossiping:

"If you're not good enough, go home and keep practicing!"

"The images of the three coffee cups are displayed on the big screen. Anyone with a fair and honest heart who knows their stuff can tell them apart at a glance."

"The cup of coffee that has the highest difficulty level, the most creativity and originality should get a high score."

"However, you don't even have this much discernment, but you're quite good at telling the stories of the people behind the scenes. No wonder you can't produce any good works."

Lan Yujuan's clear and articulate rebuttal left those who had been gossiping behind her back blushing and speechless for a long time.

With the third item about to be prepared, he sheepishly left with a single sentence.

"You only won two games, what's so great about that?"

"Exactly, there's still a third blind coffee tasting event. You guys are getting ahead of yourselves. We'll see how it goes on the competition stage!"

Lan Yujuan remained unfazed and calmly replied, "Alright, then see you on the field."

She noticed that the members representing Team 7 and Team 9 were mostly young people in their late teens or early twenties.

At such a young age, they have already established a well-known coffee shop and achieved considerable success in the coffee industry.

Pride is inevitable, and there is indeed reason to be proud.

At the same time, it's no wonder they don't recognize themselves; there are many years between them.

Because during the years when she was most famous for her competitions, she participated in competitions in Beijing and won national awards.

Only baristas who made it to the national finals in a competition and were around the same age as her might have some recollection of her.

Finally, with the end of the interspersed programs, the final event of the finals: blind coffee tasting, officially began.

The host stood to the side of the stage and carefully explained the competition rules to the three of them again.

"A total of 30 types of coffee beans, representing the best of all the world, have been prepared on the stage."

"Behind each coffee bean is a number, and the type of coffee represented by each number has already been delivered to the judges in advance."

"First, please have the three baristas on stage each select 10 types of coffee beans in the order they drew lots."

"Everyone can use the coffee equipment provided on the worktable to brew and taste coffee as they please, and finally give their own answers."

"One point is awarded for each type of coffee answered correctly within the time limit, with a maximum score of ten points."

"At the same time, there will be dedicated volunteers who will count the time each barista spends in blind tasting, and finally rank the 15 teams according to the length of time."

"The three baristas with the shortest blind tasting time will have their teams awarded 10, 5, and 2 points respectively."

"Have all the contestants understood the rules for the third competition?"

The three contestants, standing in the center of the stage and ready at all times, nodded one after another.

"Okay, I understand!"

Lan Yujuan thought about it for a moment and then roughly understood.

The scores from the first three events were not enough to create a significant gap.

In order to determine the final top three and widen the gap, they started to manipulate the time allotted for blind tasting.

However, this is indeed a true test of coffee-making skills.

Before choosing your coffee, you draw lots.

The host walked over with a smile, holding three bamboo skewers.

"Let's draw lots, who goes first?"

"I'll go first!"

Before she could react, Number 7 and Number 9 swarmed forward and pushed her behind them.

As expected, number 7 drew the longest lot, number 9 drew the second longest, and number 8, Lan Yujuan, drew the shortest one.

Finally, judging from their appearance alone, the coffee varieties that were almost instantly recognizable were all chosen by numbers 7 and 9.

The remaining 10 types of coffee are all varieties that are not easy to distinguish at first glance.

When the three of them were getting coffee beans, number 9 brushed past her and deliberately bumped into her.

Then, in a low, mocking tone that could only be heard by the two of them:

"At your age, once you're married, you should stay home and take care of your husband and kids. Why are you coming here to join in the fun with us young people?"

"Coffee, do you understand?"

As he spoke, he deliberately turned his back to the camera, held up the coffee beans he had grabbed first, and said smugly:

"In competitions, luck is also a part of skill!"

"Hey lady, looks like your luck today...tsk tsk, not so good..."