Si Qianqiu’s face changed instantly. “Qin Sizheng, what do you mean by that?!”
Qin Sizheng shut his mouth instinctively. Before coming, Xu Zhao had told him not to tell the truth—stick to polite, commercial flattery and say nice things. He’d forgotten for a moment.
【Hahaha, didn’t I say it? Qin Sizheng finally couldn’t hide his tail. Here comes the sarcasm—same old flavor. Bet he just got scolded by Fourth Bro earlier and is venting on someone else. Poor Si Qianqiu, wrong place, wrong time.】
【I told you there’s no way he finishes a full episode. The program even invited Qin Sizheng and made it a live broadcast—are they afraid he won’t flop hard enough? I’m dying laughing.】
【Is Qin Sizheng sick? Can he even talk like a normal human? If you can’t talk, go die, okay? Idiot, idiot, idiot!!! Qianqiu-ge, ignore him—hug hug hug. It hurts so much. Can someone just kill Qin Sizheng already, damn it.】
【Does Qin Sizheng have no mother? No one ever taught him how to speak? Fuck, he disgusts me to death. Yeah yeah, you’re pretty, you can fight—so you smashed some trash glass and did a little show, big deal? Can this brain-dead loser get out of the entertainment industry already? Like a rat turd.】
【Qianqiu fans are panicking! Weren’t you the ones always bragging about your idol being soft-waisted and ready to be fucked, crying afterward? My baby just told the truth—what, your guy doesn’t allow the truth to be spoken?】
【That’s all it took to break you? Hilarious. Do you really think no one noticed when he was taking jabs at my baby earlier? We didn’t want trouble, so we kept quiet. If your guy isn’t weak, why didn’t he go get the stove and wok himself? Why make my baby do it? And then throw shade like “since you’re strong you should do it.” Everyone’s here for a variety show—who’s “supposed” to do what? Is your guy the crown prince or something?】
【Kite, don’t be scared—we’ll always support you. Snap back at that green-tea Si Qianqiu. Punch him once. If he ends up crippled, we’ll crowdfund his treatment. Been holding it in forever.】
Qin Sizheng felt he’d really said the wrong thing. After thinking for a moment, he added, “Sorry. Um… if you really want to learn, I can teach you.”
Si Qianqiu was beyond speechless. He was still going on? Was he deliberately trying to piss him off?
Qin Sizheng pressed his lips together. Why did he seem even angrier?
“What, this variety show doesn’t allow the truth?” Lu Xianqing snorted softly, eyes lowered. “Pick up this stove, and I’ll make him apologize to you.”
Si Qianqiu stared wide-eyed at the absurdly heavy stove. How could he possibly lift that?!
Lu Xianqing curled his lips into a mocking smile and said nothing more. His gaze lingered for a moment on the reddened knuckles of Qin Sizheng’s hand, Adam’s apple shifting slightly. “Does your hand hurt?”
Qin Sizheng immediately shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt!”
Just then, the kids came back. Little Tomato had gathered the most ingredients, wobbling along at the back, panting as he called for Dad.
Little Strawberry had walked the fastest, but there were only two mushroom slices in her basket—pitiful beyond words.
With nowhere to vent his anger, Si Qianqiu frowned and slammed the basket onto the ground. “Why is there only this much? Didn’t I tell you to ask for more ingredients?”
Little Strawberry pressed her lips together and didn’t dare say a word.
Qin Sizheng went to pick up Little Tomato. The big basket was filled to the brim with vegetables, eggs, meat, and even a huge fish—truly a bumper harvest.
Little Tomato’s cheeks were flushed red with sweat. Qin Sizheng reached out to wipe it away, then hoisted him onto his shoulder with one hand, lifted the big basket with the other, and walked back with effortless ease.
【Qin Sizheng can only carry things, haha—he carries stoves and now he carries kids too? Kid = stove?】
【He lifts things so easily, his strength is incredible. Look at his stance—effortless, his waist doesn’t strain at all. If it were me, I’d probably throw out my back.】
Qin Sizheng set Little Tomato and the ingredients down. The host began counting what each child had brought back. After sorting, Little Tomato proudly claimed first place.
The two high-fived, looking like they were barely ten years old combined.
“Now that the kids have brought back the ingredients, it’s time for the dads to cook. Please prepare a sumptuous dinner for your little ones,” Wan Lai announced.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.
They were all busy with work, and home-cooked meals were rare—who actually knew how to cook?
Liu Mianmian, being the only woman, volunteered. “I’ll do it.”
He Du naturally didn’t compete and immediately stepped aside.
Si Qianqiu hurriedly said, “Then I’ll help prep the vegetables!”
That left only Qin Sizheng and Lu Xianqing. Nobody else would light the stove, and Lu Xianqing, looking a bit grimy, probably wouldn’t. So Qin Sizheng took the initiative: “Senior Lu, I’ll handle the fire.”
Just as he said this, Liu Mianmian screamed. The fish was still alive! She grabbed a knife to deal with it but got startled as it jumped, and she dropped the knife.
Qin Sizheng finally understood—no one here could actually cook.
Or rather, no one wanted to.
Si Qianqiu, already in a foul mood, didn’t want to waste time. He frowned. “What now? None of us know how to cook. Then let’s just make something simple and skip the fish.”
Little Strawberry tugged his sleeve. “Daddy, I really want fish. Sweet and sour fish.”
Si Qianqiu’s expression softened slightly but he quickly composed himself. “Daddy can’t make fish either. Let’s wait and have it next time, okay?”
Though she wanted it badly, Little Strawberry obediently nodded. “Okay.”
【I feel like Si Qianqiu is really cold to the kids. Last time he let her hand go to talk to Fourth Bro, just now he scowled at the ingredients, and now he says wait until next time? Qin Sizheng is much better.】
【Fourth Bro didn’t even care. Hilarious. Warm face, cold shoulder.】
【Stop criticizing. If you can’t cook, you won’t eat. Raw fish? Let Qin Sizheng handle it—there’s no way he can’t manage fish.】
Qin Sizheng looked at the flustered group, rolled up his sleeves, and said, “I’ll do it then.”
Liu Mianmian brightened, as if she’d found a savior. “Qin Sizheng, you can? I really can’t cook—if you can, I’ll help out.”
“Jie Mianmian, can you get me a plastic bag? I’ll put the waste in there later.”
Qin Sizheng rolled up his sleeves, grabbed the fish with one hand, and held the knife with the other. He tapped the fish’s head twice with the back of the knife, and the lively fish immediately went still. Liu Mianmian was stunned.
Really? That’s allowed?
Earlier, when she touched the fish, it jumped like crazy. But now, Qin Sizheng just touches it and it behaves perfectly? Incredible.
He bent down and carefully finished preparing the fish. When Liu Mianmian tried to help, he said, “Jie Mianmian, don’t touch it—it’s very fishy. Hard to wash off. I’ll handle it.”
Liu Mianmian admired his meticulousness. She was touched but also a little worried. Such a polite, careful boy—how could people online be so cruel? They must be jealous of how good-looking he is!
Who wouldn’t curse when angry? He was just venting in words before.
He Du went to tend the fire, and Si Qianqiu, avoiding mess, chose to handle the vegetables instead.
The kids were squatting together, playing. Older Dou Dou curiously poked the prepared fish. Suddenly, he touched the knife!
“Be careful!”
Qin Sizheng turned, but it was too late. Reflexively, he reached to grab the knife. It slipped, and his finger immediately bled profusely.
“Daddy!” Little Tomato screamed in fear.
“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt.” Qin Sizheng didn’t want to scare him. He quickly held his finger and stepped aside. Injuries were routine in his previous life of competitions. A little cut was nothing… right?
Qin Sizheng stared blankly at the person in front of him, at the hand that had grabbed him, blinking twice.
Lu Xianqing’s expression darkened. He seized Qin Sizheng’s wrist and pulled him close, taking the bleeding finger into his mouth. The warmth of his tongue pressed against the wound, sending a shiver through him like electricity.
“Se-Senior Lu?”