Mianmian's fingers brushed against the cool, smooth skin of the bamboo shoots at the same instant Gu Xuelan's hand closed firmly around them.
Their eyes locked.
For the briefest moment, it was not two chefs in a pantry but two blades crossing in silence.
"Ah, sister Mianmian.." Xuelan said softly, her tone dripping with feigned innocence. "You wanted these too?"
Her grip tightened possessively on the shoots. To the casual observer, she looked almost gentle, but the pressure in her hand was a silent declaration: This. Is. Mine.
Mianmian didn't yank or fight for it. She only regarded her for a long second, then released her fingers with quiet ease.
"Take them.." she said simply, moving past.
Xuelan blinked, caught off guard by her calm surrender. She had expected resistance, perhaps even a quarrel to draw the evaluators' notice.
Instead, Mianmian's composure left her feeling oddly unsettled. She masked it quickly with another sweet smile.
