At this moment, Su Wuyao's livestream chat system was urgently repaired by the platform's technical team. As soon as it was back online, the screen was flooded with apologies, filling the chat like snowflakes.
"Sorry!"
"We owe you an apology."
"My apologies."
Su Wuyao stared at the barrage of messages, utterly confused. What was going on? Why were people apologizing out of nowhere?
Then came the gifts—rockets, planes, super rockets—pouring in like there was no tomorrow. The viewers were determined to express their remorse to both Qin Hao and Su Wuyao through this extravagant gesture.
"No, we're going wild with gifts!"
"Sorry, streamer, we believed the lies and misunderstood you."
"I'll send some too, as an apology to you and your husband."
The heat of Su Wuyao's livestream skyrocketed, breaking the one-million mark. Fans from ChuChu Baby's stream deleted their badges, unfollowed her, and flocked to Su Wuyao's stream, applying for fan badges and hitting the follow button.
"Stand up, no need to kneel. Just remember not to bother me again," Qin Hao said as he helped Chu Qing to his feet.
Youthful arrogance is a hallmark of being young, isn't it? And for someone like Chu Qing, adorned with honors and accolades, it was natural for him to disregard others. Qin Hao only hoped this incident would teach him a valuable lesson.
"Master Qin, there's one thing I still don't understand," Chu Qing said, his tone now respectful, addressing Qin Hao as "Master" instead of calling him by name.
The way Chu Qing looked at Qin Hao had changed—from initial arrogance to admiration and reverence.
"What is it?" Qin Hao asked.
"Why didn't you participate in that duel back then? I've thought of countless reasons, but I still can't figure it out. Could it be, as the rumors say, that you were afraid?"
Qin Hao responded with a faint smile, turned, and retrieved the Dragon Head Knife from the kitchen.
"Take this back. I don't want to explain too much about that matter. This knife is useless to me now; it's just gathering dust here," Qin Hao said.
"You've got talent, kid. Work hard, and the future is bright!" he added, handing the knife to Chu Qing and patting his shoulder.
Chu Qing hesitated for a moment before accepting the knife. At that moment, the Dragon Head Knife in his hands felt incredibly heavy.
Looking at Qin Hao, Chu Qing's eyes reddened, tears shimmering in his gaze.
Since Qin Hao didn't want to elaborate, Chu Qing held back his curiosity and didn't press further. Instead, he turned his attention to the tofu Qin Hao had sliced.
"Master Qin, may I take this tofu with me?" Chu Qing asked cautiously.
"Take it. Leave your portion here—I need to make supper for my wife," Qin Hao replied casually.
Chu Qing nodded, picked up the tofu Qin Hao had prepared, and bowed deeply at the door before leaving.
The entire scene had been witnessed clearly by the livestream audience, including the conversation between Qin Hao and Chu Qing.
Qin Hao's status as the number one chef in the culinary world was now indisputable.
However, Chu Qing's words sparked immense curiosity among Su Wuyao and the viewers.
"Did Chairman Chu just mention a duel in the culinary world that Qin Hao didn't participate in? What's that about?"
"Judging by Chu Qing's expression, that duel seemed significant. How could Qin Hao, the top chef at the time, not take part?"
"There must be a story behind this. Could Qin Hao's sudden disappearance be related to it?"
Su Wuyao rested her chin on her hand, her big, curious eyes darting around.
How many secrets was Qin Hao hiding? Why hadn't she noticed any of them?
Was this Qin Hao still her husband? How many mysteries did he carry?
Her emotions were a whirlwind of complexity. Just when she thought she had come to terms with everything, her curiosity was reignited.
It seemed she would need to spend more time focusing on her husband, determined to uncover all his secrets.
With this resolve, Su Wuyao decided to start by solving the immediate mystery. Chu Qing's mention of the duel intrigued her deeply.
She had to find out what happened in the next few days—otherwise, she wouldn't be able to sleep.
And it wasn't just Su Wuyao who couldn't sleep; the livestream viewers were equally restless.
"Are there any culinary experts in the chat who can dig up what happened back then? I'm super curious too."
"I tried searching, but there's nothing. This kind of information might only be known to members of the Huaxia Culinary Association."
"Why not ask the streamer to inquire? Qin Hao surely knows."
"If Qin Hao wanted to talk about it, the streamer wouldn't have been married to him for three years without realizing her husband is the top chef in Huaxia."
After Chu Qing left, Qin Hao didn't idle.
He boiled water to remove the beany taste from the tofu, blanched the other ingredients, and used Chu Qing's pot of water to cook everything together, seasoning it lightly with salt.
A dish of Wen Si Tofu, worthy of a state banquet, was ready.
Qin Hao rummaged through the kitchen and found a takeout container in the corner.
He poured the Wen Si Tofu into the container, cleaned the kitchen thoroughly, and checked the time.
His wife would be home soon.
Done and dusted!
He sprawled on the sofa and turned on the TV, acting as if nothing had happened.
If it weren't for the livestream audience witnessing the entire process, no one would have guessed that a culinary association expert had just challenged Qin Hao at his home—and lost.
Not long after, Su Wuyao returned home.
She glanced at the Wen Si Tofu on the table and then at Qin Hao, who looked as harmless as ever.
Her emotions were a mix of frustration and amusement.
He was too good at pretending.
He even kept takeout containers to disguise his cooking.
Wait a minute!
Were all those delicious takeout meals she'd had before actually made by Qin Hao?
For three years, Qin Hao hadn't cooked for her—not because he didn't, but because he did without letting her know.
Realizing this, Su Wuyao's heart suddenly felt lighter.
It turned out Qin Hao had always loved her silently, just in his own subtle way.
"Welcome home, honey. Let me give you a hug," Qin Hao said, pulling Su Wuyao into his arms and planting a kiss on her cheek.
Su Wuyao's face turned red instantly. She hadn't turned off the livestream camera yet.
Who knew how many people were watching them being lovey-dovey?
But it wasn't the first time. The platform moderators hadn't issued warnings before, clearly allowing such displays of affection as long as they weren't excessive.
Why not show affection? They were a legally married couple.
Why shouldn't they be allowed to?
With this thought, Su Wuyao felt justified.
"You've worked overtime for so long, honey. You must be tired. I ordered takeout for you—eat it before it gets cold," Qin Hao said, seating Su Wuyao at the table.
Su Wuyao was indeed hungry. The aroma of Wen Si Tofu made her mouth water.
Qin Hao served her a bowl, and she took a sip.
She felt as though her soul was ascending.
The tofu melted in her mouth, its fresh flavor dancing on her tongue, stimulating every taste bud.
She seemed to dissolve into the Wen Si Tofu, utterly captivated by its taste.
State banquet dishes truly lived up to their reputation.
Su Wuyao took another big sip, but in her haste, a bit of tofu lingered at the corner of her mouth.
Qin Hao gently wiped it away.
"Try some too, honey," Su Wuyao said, smiling as she offered the bowl to Qin Hao.
The two gazed at each other lovingly, creating a warm and tender scene.
For the single viewers in the livestream, this was almost too much to bear.
"Run! It's a massacre of singles!"
"Why are they showing off again? Can't they let us live?"
"I was curious about the taste of Wen Si Tofu, but after seeing this, I'm suddenly not hungry anymore. I'm full!"
"Not watching anymore. Going to sleep. Dreams have everything I need."