Chen Qi spent over 40 minutes preparing four dishes.

Plum Sauce Ribs, Meat-Stuffed Tiger Skin Green Peppers, Oyster Sauce Mushrooms, and Vinegar-Glazed Cabbage Hearts.

At the same time, he also steamed a pot of steaming hot rice.

The dishes were a feast for the senses, and during the process, Chen Qi displayed a relaxed, skillful, and expert cooking style. His extreme sense of ritual, expressed through his expressions and language, added a great deal of sincerity to this seemingly simple yet truly complex meal.

All of this made the meal seem like more than just a meal.

[I'm amazed! If someone could cook for me like this, how could I still be unmarried at 48?]

[I'm so in love! He's literally the perfect man! If it were me, I’d be more than willing to let him eat my douf—uh... I mean, be my house husband and live off me!]

[This guy is really something, raising the bar for being a gigolo and living a laid-back life. If all the women in China saw this live stream, where would I find a rich woman to support me?]

Li Huange felt incredibly conflicted inside.

Chen Qi had met her expectations, which was something to be happy about.

But Li Huange never knew that every meal Chen Qi made for her was so heartfelt. Even when she wasn't home, Chen Qi cooked with such devotion and seriousness.

Li Huange was deeply moved.

This meal made Li Huange feel more desire than usual.

...

Chen Qi habitually called out, "Huan..." then chuckled and scratched his head.

"She's not home..."

Li Huange felt a pang in her heart.

Chen Qi, oh Chen Qi, we're just in a contractual marriage, and yet...

Could it be that you've fallen for me?

Li Huange's face flushed slightly, but she saw Chen Qi glance towards the stairs.

"If it weren't for tempting Chen Xiaokun, would I bother making such an effort to cook?"

Li Huange: ...

"Speaking of which, why hasn't that kid come down yet? How am I supposed to tempt him if he doesn't come down?"

[Pfft, hahaha, Chen Qi is too funny. I can't wait to see Chen Xiaokun's reaction.]

[How cruel, Xiaokun is so handsome, and you can bear to let him go hungry?]

[After watching Chen Qi cook, I've changed my mind. If Chen Qi does everything, can't Chen Xiaokun at least wash the dishes?]

[Kun is only five, he's been practicing calligraphy and piano, doesn't he deserve a meal?]

Finally, Chen Xiaokun came downstairs.

Chen Qi seemed to be waiting for this moment, only starting to eat when Chen Xiaokun looked over.

"Ssss... Delicious!"

Chen Xiaokun's face immediately darkened.

"If I'm not mistaken... you're speaking English?"

Chen Qi chuckled.

"Delicious in English might just turn into hysterical, and you might just experience it firsthand."

Seeing no utensils for himself on the table, Chen Xiaokun went into the kitchen to get a set and then headed to the rice cooker to serve himself.

A large hand suddenly pressed down on the rice cooker lid.

Chen Qi spoke sternly, "I told you, no dishwashing, no food!"

"You..." Chen Xiaokun was furious.

"Even though you're young, I need to treat you like a man!"

"As a man, you need to keep your word. If you eat this meal, in the future, you'll automatically disregard what I say."

"As a father, I need to maintain my authority, and you need to earn your food through your efforts."

Chen Xiaokun stared blankly at Chen Qi, not expecting that with Li Huange away on a business trip, Chen Qi would actually get tough.

"You're really serious?"

Chen Qi nodded.

"Better I teach you to understand now at home than for society to teach you the hard way later!"

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

[This... Chen Qi makes sense, but why does it feel a bit over the top?]

[Actually, I think Chen Qi is right. Kids are good at finding adults' weaknesses. If adults can be firm, kids will develop good character.]

[Too cruel, having exquisite dishes right in front of you and not being able to eat them is torture.]

Lin Xiaolu was angrier than before, "This is ridiculous! Chen Qi is going too far!"

"The child's health should come first. You can teach them to do chores with gentle persuasion, why be so extreme?" Bai Qinghe stood up in anger.

Zhuo Yiyi shook her head slightly, feeling that Chen Qi wasn't wrong.

It's just one meal, perhaps it would instill a good habit of doing chores in Chen Xiaokun.

Li Huange was conflicted once again.

She treated Chen Xiaokun as her own, hoping that while nurturing his talents, he would also be well-mannered and disciplined.

But she felt Chen Qi's approach was a bit excessive.

No matter what, you can't deny a child food.

Chen Xiaokun usually had a good appetite because he spent a lot of energy on his hobbies every day.

But Chen Qi was firm and unyielding, and no one thought Chen Xiaokun would succeed in having lunch.

We are "pawread.com", find us on google.

Yet, Chen Xiaokun was mature for his age and wouldn't resort to tantrums like other kids to solve problems.

Chen Xiaokun knew well that if Chen Qi wouldn't give him lunch, crying wouldn't soften his heart.

Gurgle...

The rumbling from his stomach made Chen Xiaokun blush, and the fragrant dishes on the table made his mouth water.

"Chen Qi, what do I have to do to get lunch?"

[???]

[Holy cow! Can you believe this is how a five-year-old solves problems?]

[I've long noticed Chen Xiaokun is mature for his age, he can even analyze people and negotiate?]

[Damn, tricked into having a son again.]

Chen Qi chuckled.

"You didn't wash the dishes from the last meal, so technically, you can't eat this one!"

"But now you're negotiating with me like an adult, which I appreciate, so I'll give you a chance."

"The socks you took off last night are still in your shoes, go wash them now!"

Chen Xiaokun nodded.

"Okay, after all, they're my socks, I should wash them."

Just as Chen Xiaokun was about to leave, Chen Qi suddenly shouted, "Exactly."

"Hmm?" Chen Xiaokun looked at Chen Qi.

Chen Qi suddenly said:

"Those are your socks, you should wash them, what does that have to do with this meal?"

"So what do you mean?" Chen Xiaokun regretted saying too much.

Chen Qi pointed to the shoe cabinet by the door.

"You need to wash my socks, which means you're earning the meal I prepared by contributing to me!"

"How about it?"

Chen Xiaokun shouted, "No way!"

"Alright then, it seems you don't want to eat this meal."

Chen Qi sat down and began to eat.

Chen Xiaokun swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

[This... this dad is too harsh!]

[Definitely not his biological son! My socks once knocked out my biological son.]

[This father-son dynamic is completely like adults negotiating and bargaining.]

[Female lead, come out quickly, your son is about to be poisoned.]

Li Huange was dumbfounded, as if she realized something.

At home, Li Huange never washed clothes other than her underwear, not because Chen Qi wouldn't, but because they were only in a contractual marriage, and she didn't want Chen Qi washing her underwear.

But Chen Qi did wash her socks.

Chen Qi was willing to wash Li Huange's clothes and socks because she paid him, and he felt it was his job.

So now...

Does Chen Xiaokun also need to contribute to receive something in return?

Li Huange seemed to understand Chen Qi better, but she didn't think the proud Chen Xiaokun would wash Chen Qi's socks.

In the scene, Chen Xiaokun gritted his teeth and looked towards the shoe cabinet.

"Then I need to first confirm if your socks... stink..."

---

Proofreader: Peter Pan