Eight meticulously arranged dishes adorned the dining table, each exuding the fresh, smoky aroma of just-cooked food. Their vibrant colors silently proclaimed their deliciousness.
The braised short ribs gleamed a rich red, their glossy surface revealing delicate textures. The steamed crab claws, snowy white and translucent, blended perfectly with the savory aroma of black bean sauce and the crab’s natural sweetness.
The dishes were a triumph of color, aroma, and flavor.
Yet, the petite chef in front of them outshone them all, becoming the scene’s most captivating presence.
…
“Ahem, Boss Su, thank you for cooking so hard for us. Uh… can we start eating now? You’ve been busy for a while—join us!” Da Shan, the steadiest member of the Cangyou Wildcat Team, spoke up.
Initially drawn by the kitchen’s enticing smells, he’d come to see what Su Qi was making. But her graceful, wifely cooking style and soothing aura held his gaze until she finished.
Catching her surprised look, he snapped out of his “perfect wife” fantasy, awkwardly asking permission. After her nod, he rapped Haozi and Wei Mian—who’d also wandered in, entranced—on the head, herding the three men to the table.
Watching them head over, Su Qi, who hadn’t eaten dinner and had worked for nearly an hour, felt hungry, especially with rare seafood on the menu.
Wiping her fair hands on the apron, she moved to join them.
But as she removed the apron, someone gently tugged her shirt from behind.
Turning, she saw An Xiao Ling, a head shorter, blinking hesitantly with her lively eyes.
‘Emmm, what’s this loli up to? Did she notice something?’ Su Qi wondered.
As she puzzled, Lin Xue approached with a serious expression.
Surrounded by the sweet and fragrant auras of two distinct beauties, their closeness made the perpetually single Su Qi nervous.
“W-What’s up?” she stammered.
Seeing Su Qi’s clueless expression, oblivious to her own allure, Lin Xue sighed.
Though Su Qi was a boy, he was dangerously unaware of his charm.
During cooking, even she, a girl, had struggled to resist reaching out to touch that slender waist. The male team members, practically drooling, were even worse.
If not for others in the kitchen, Lin Xue figured an 80% chance Su Qi would’ve been “attacked” alone with any of them. Her focused cooking and comforting “wife” aura were too tempting.
To protect Su Qi—whom she liked both emotionally and… physically—Lin Xue linked arms with her, saying, “Boss Su, this is your first time cooking in front of others, right?”
Su Qi nodded naturally.
Even when selling Crisp Wife bentos, she prepared them at home and boxed them before selling. Cooking publicly was new.
Unsurprised, Lin Xue noted Su Qi’s innocent confusion confirmed her inexperience.
“Boss Su, you should be more cautious when cooking, especially alone with guys,” Lin Xue advised, tightening her grip on Su Qi’s slender arm, pulling her closer to block An Xiao Ling’s view.
Leaning in, she whispered, “Otherwise, even as a little nan-niang, you might get… bent.”
Bent…
The loaded verb hit Su Qi’s male instincts like a spark, instantly grasping its meaning. She tensed, alert.
Meanwhile, An Xiao Ling, behind Su Qi, caught their interaction.
Though she missed Lin Xue’s whispered “bent” due to her low voice and blocked view, her elf scout ability picked up fragments like “bent” and “little niang.”
She didn’t dwell on it—girls have their secrets, after all.
More intriguing was Su Qi’s apparent obliviousness to romance, her pure, almost ditzy charm.
‘This is the innocent heroine I dream of in my novels!’ An Xiao Ling thought. ‘No way! I must protect Su-jie from the team’s three “big black flies” and other creeps!’
Determined, she grabbed Su Qi’s other arm, her doll-like face beaming. “Su-jie, Lin Xue-jie’s right. Guys are dangerous and awful. Don’t be fooled by their looks!”
To drive home the point, she searched for an example and landed on her classmate Su Qi—the “liar” who claimed her novel’s authorship. “Su-jie, I recently met a shameless liar, also surnamed Su. He looks honest but lies boldly, claiming things he didn’t do. He’s pure evil! Tomorrow, I’ll step on him again—no, one step’s not enough. Two… maybe three!”
As she ranted about the “real” Su Qi, her white-stockinged feet stomped cutely.
Su Qi, hearing himself vilified, felt a surreal mix of emotions.
‘Being used as a bad example to my face… this is too weird.’
‘And why’s she getting angrier? If this keeps up, I’m in trouble at school!’
To de-escalate and stop her revenge plans, Su Qi prepared to nod and acknowledge the “danger” of guys.
But then, a purple notification appeared in her upper-right vision:
[Ding! For using a spirit item to make a Crisp Wife bento for the first time, you’ve earned 200 Crisp Wife EXP. Current EXP: 621/1000. Congratulations, host, you’re closer to mastering Crisp Wife!]
Su Qi: ???