Could it be that the abilities she had learned would vanish instantly? Gao Qiang found this most puzzling. At just this moment, she was about to face a peak-level showdown. Three days later, Dong Jiao would attend the final round of interviews at Jingyi Garden, which was being live-broadcast nationwide by Jingdu City TV. The atmosphere was therefore exceptionally vibrant. "Good evening, dear viewers! This is Jingdu City TV. Behind me is Jingyi Garden, where all the guests and contestants have now gathered and are ready. Wow! The top ten beauties are stepping onto the stage, each vying for the lead role in 'Dreaming of the Red Chamber'! Here comes contestant Dong Mengfei!" The TV reporter delivered the live updates with enthusiastic energy. The audience, both in the venue and at home, erupted into warm applause. Dong Mengfei, from W City in Zhe Dong Province of the Chinese nation, was naturally beautiful, and her performance of 'Moscow's Tears' immediately won the heartfelt approval of many. Next came the second female lead, performing a lively song, "Nocturne," which also won many cheers. The third and fourth performers took the stage one after another. It was now Dong Jiao's turn, but things went terribly wrong—she found her voice hoarse as soon as she tried to sing. Moreover, she felt slightly dizzy. At that moment, Li Xiang arrived, maintaining a calm, unimpressed expression. He pretended to be very concerned and said, "I have a throat-softening remedy imported from abroad! Try it!" Dong Jiao took it, and immediately felt much better. This time, realizing how precious the opportunity was, she sang with remarkable precision—each note was not only clearly articulated but also beautifully expressed through her lyrical, nightingale-like vocal tone. She performed "Inherently Radiant," captivating everyone in the audience. "Wow! This truly is 'Inherently Radiant'—outshining Mochou!" one audience member exclaimed. "Absolutely! The tone is flawless, the dance movements graceful—she's perfectly suited for the leading female role. I'm voting for her!" One committee expert immediately pressed the green light for approval. Then, the other four judges also unanimously approved. This was one more vote than the one received by Dong Mengfei earlier. Dong Jiao secured the lead female role smoothly and instantly became a star. A bright spotlight enveloped her, and the cameras flashed continuously in front of her. Thanks to the early and intensive promotion of "Dream Broken in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms," this female lead casting event attracted nationwide attention. Dong Jiao's triumphant victory in the final, highly anticipated round of the national audition immediately made her unforgettable to audiences across the country. Dong Jiao's parents were deeply moved, watching on television. Gao Liang, watching Dong Jiao's outstanding performance via live online video from his apartment rental, smiled with approval, though he was quite tired. Zhang Yупing returned, bringing a large bunch of bananas, but Gao Liang didn't go to eat. Gao Liang seemed to be thinking about something. Zhang Yупing, being a thoughtful person, said to him, "Husband!" "Are you thinking of Dong Jiao?" Gao Liang nodded, then shook his head. "Dong Jiao is indeed a truly talented and beautiful girl—colorful and accomplished. But in order for her to develop even further, I won't interfere with her career at all. I'll simply watch her quietly and support her from the heart." Zhang Yупing admired her husband's response, though she felt a bit concerned, knowing that the operations of Mengzhu Hotel were facing difficulties. Gao Liang, however, spoke with great confidence: "The media can make someone famous overnight, and just as quickly turn a thriving hotel into a struggling one. From now on, I'll run my hotel—my life, my own arrangements!" Zhang Yупing gave Gao Liang a look that seemed to say, "Really? Can you really do it?" Yet Gao Liang met her gaze with steady determination, as if to say, "Yes, I truly can." The next day, Zhang Yупing was pulled by Gao Liang to meet with Chen Yuting, who was at a loss, and they headed off toward Jingyi Garden. At this moment, Jingyi Garden is in full swing filming a banquet scene. This scene portrays the female lead pursuing love, defying both her parents and her romantic rivals, stepping down from her status as a wealthy heiress, and personally preparing a variety of dishes for the male lead—someone of ordinary background—each one being a favorite of his. During董姣's performance, unexpected changes occurred. It turned out that Li Xiang, working behind the scenes in his capacity as an investor, had revised and edited the scene to reflect his own culinary preferences. Naturally, many of the dishes were unfamiliar to董姣, as they were quite new to her. Nevertheless, in gratitude for Li Xiang's support during her previous interview, she made a determined effort to learn and prepare these dishes. Li Xiang, now playing the male lead, delivered a convincing performance. Highlight and his team watched from the sidelines. Zhang Yупing and Chen Yuting both scolded High Light for bringing them here, yet High Light smiled cheerfully and said, "Let's go on stage! We're sure this scene will be excellent!" After speaking, he shared his idea with them, and they nodded in agreement. Gao Liang was about to take the stage, alongside Zhang Yупing and Chen Yuting. As he stepped on stage, just when Li Xiang, the young lord, was boasting proudly, the scene was wide and impressive. Gao Liang, Zhang Yупing, and Chen Yuting bowed politely to the audience, standing together with one man and two women beside Gao Liang—such a striking sight. Li Xiang’s gaze was immediately drawn away; damn it, they were stealing the spotlight from him. Dong Jiao widened her eyes—what was this accomplished man doing here, joining Zhang Yупing and Chen Yuting? She had been busy with her own affairs these days, and hadn’t seen Gao Liang for a while—familiar yet somehow fresh. "Look! The two female leads are demonstrating their cooking skills! Haha! They’re performing for our beloved male leads!" Many audience members shouted, full of excitement. "Get them off the stage! Director! Hurry and send them off!" Li Xiang, now furious, pressed hard on the thick-bearded director. Yet the audience erupted in applause! "Wow! What a skill!" They watched in amazement as the two beauties danced with their vegetable knives on the cutting board, slicing cucumbers tossed into the air—perfectly, each piece landing precisely into the serving plates. Fish preparation required precision: with just one clean cut through the fish's belly, they would then remove the internal organs, leaving the fish hollow. As for the Muslim cuisine competition, the two women prepared distinct dishes, which were swiftly brought to the husband, Gao Liang, who together said, "Husband, please try them!" The steaming, fragrant, beautifully presented dishes made Gao Liang rub his nose and gently lick his lips, yet he refused to take a bite. This left the audience unimpressed, calling out, "Try it! Tell us what it tastes like!" Gao Liang smiled warmly at the audience and said, "I'm still missing one dish!" Which dish was that? The audience now grew even more curious, eager to find out. Gao Liang pointed to Dong Jiao, who smiled—yes, Gao Liang had asked her to prepare a dish specifically for him! That was wonderful! I remember Hualiang really likes stir-fried beef with potato strips—something I can definitely make! Right away, I started preparing it right in front of all the audience members.