In stark contrast to Jiang Qiuqiuâs leisurely pace, Wang Henli was about to explode.
He had eaten the food from Jiang Qiuqiuâs livestreams before...
He knew full well that even though he had the recipes, comparing his overall skill level to Jiang Qiuqiuâs would lead to a brutal result.
Unless Jiang Qiuqiu broke her hands, there was no way he could possibly win.
At the thought of broken hands, his expression twisted.
If it werenât for... if it werenât for hiring a hitman on the dark web, he would still have some money left over. He wouldnât be in such a tight spot financially.
Qian Song was also pressing him hard, saying that if he didnât get first place, heâd have to hand over the recipes. There was no way he was giving up the recipes, but dealing with that cheapskate if he refused...
If he had known it would come to this, he never would have signed such an unfair contract. It funneled all his earnings into the studio. His livestreams looked glamorous, but the company took most of the money in fees.
He was left with only a meager portion. On top of that, Wang Henli wasnât exactly frugal, so when the company cut off his subsidies, life became very difficult. He thought that fighting tooth and nail for second place would make Qian Song back off, butâ
He was adamant about getting the recipes.
Late that night, Wang Henli angrily threw off his covers and stormed into the adjacent room. Inside, his wife and Wang Tuantuan were curled up together, fast asleep.
The peaceful scene made him seethe. âIâm out here, working my ass off and stressed to death, and these two freeloaders are sleeping so peacefully?!â
Rage flooded his mind, and a vicious impulse took over. Wang Henli lunged forward and viciously pinched the flesh on the womanâs neck.
The soft flesh of her neck couldnât withstand such an attack. The womanâs eyes flew open in pain. Her quick reaction only served to excite Wang Henli further.
Because Wang Tuantuan had to appear on the livestream the next day, Wang Henli shoved her aside.
This wasnât the first time such a scene had played out. Wang Tuantuan clutched her little doll, her eyes fixed on the unfolding events in the semi-darkness.
After a long while, the crying in the room slowly faded. Cursing under his breath, Wang Henli went back to his own room to sleep.
Only then did Wang Tuantuan run to her motherâs side. She called out softly, "Mama."
"Tuantuan..."
"He hit you again."
Wang Tuantuan threw herself into the womanâs arms. "Mama, I donât want this daddy anymore. Can we make him disappear?"
"Please, can we just make him disappear?"
"I donât want a daddy who hits people. Can we live without a daddy?"
"Mama, are you worried thereâll be no one to provide for me? All those uncles and aunts really like me. Even without a daddy, I can support you, Mama."
Her daughterâs innocent words echoed in her ears, and the woman began to cry, trying to stifle her sobs.
...
âShe hadnât wanted to do something so drastic.â
After all, many years ago, Wang Henli had been her Prince Charming.
"Alright."
"Tuantuan, from now on, itâll just be us."
Having gotten the answer she wanted, Wang Tuantuan hugged her mother and her doll, and smiled.
-
ăThe next day.ă
Jiang Qiuqiuâs day was packed. After her mandatory training session, she began to sort through a pile of ingredients delivered by Taotao Fresh.
Barbecue operates on the principle that you can grill just about anything, so the selection was wide open.
From familiar meats to less common items like lotus root, eggplant, and shrimp, Jiang Qiuqiu prepared a bit of everything.
At seven in the evening, the final showdown finally began.
Discussions about the final showdown were buzzing in all the major food circles, but tonight, when the livestreams actually connected, everything was calmer than expected.
They couldnât hear each other, and with hundreds of millions watching, starting drama would not only be pointless but would also earn them nothing but disgust.
So, the beginning of the stream was peaceful. But beneath the calm, the undercurrents were still raging.