Chapter Fifty-Eight: A Display of Ability

Meanwhile, Sang Qiwu quickly exited his chat with Sang Yijia and pulled the other four into a group chat.

[Second Brother: Mom, Dad! Little sister just came to me!]
[Second Brother: She asked if I still remember what happened when we were kids!]

Sang Qiwu remembered. He remembered everything that happened that year—memories that were terrifying and unforgettable. None of the Sang family wanted Sang Yijia to recall them.

[Sang Family’s Blossom (Sang Zheng): What’s going on?]
[Petal (Mother Sang): How did Jia Jia start remembering?]
[Second Brother: It has something to do with Lu Wenchuan.]
[Sang Family’s Blossom: We need to figure out a way to keep Jia Jia from remembering.]
[Petal: Ask Third Brother.]
[Petal: Also, check out what’s going on with Lu Wenchuan. Didn’t we agree back then?]
[Petal: Wasn’t it decided he’d never appear before Jia Jia?]
[Sang Family’s Blossom: I’ll go to the Lu family and find out what happened!]

Seeing his parents so proactive, Sang Qiwu felt a sudden sense of relief.

[Second Brother: Okay, I’ll go look for Third Brother after work.]
[Second Brother: Mom, Dad, don’t worry. We’ll protect little sister, and we’ll never let what happened before happen again.]

At crucial moments, Sang Qiwu proved dependable. Yet, ever since Sang Yijia saw Lu Wenchuan, those buried memories were like a ticking time bomb—no one knew when they might suddenly explode and bring everything hidden beneath to light.

——

Sang Yijia looked into Lu Wenchuan’s dark eyes, her brows knitted tightly. She felt as if she had seen him somewhere before; fragments of memory flashed through her mind—dark and indistinct, nothing clear.

“Are you alright?” Lu Wenchuan noticed her headache. “Is your cold still not gone?”

“I’m fine,” Sang Yijia shook her head. “I just remembered something else.”

“What was it?” Lu Wenchuan’s heart skipped a beat, his gaze complex as he probed, “Was it a bad memory?”

Sang Yijia shook her head again, “No, it was something about work.”

For some reason, Sang Yijia wanted to keep it from him—or, more precisely, from the family members watching behind the camera. She couldn’t let them know.

The thought struck her as odd, but she still trusted her intuition.

Lu Wenchuan relaxed a little, but remained alert. “Is it about your schedule?”

“What plans do you have coming up?”

Sang Yijia murmured, “None for now. I want to rest for half a year.”

The sound of knocking echoed again. Sang Yijia thought it might be another surprise, but it was only the waiter bringing the dishes.

One after another, exquisite plates arrived. Sang Yijia glanced at them—the porcelain plates seemed enormous, but the portions in the center were so small they could be finished in a single bite.

Lu Wenchuan thoughtfully cut the steak into small pieces and moved them in front of Sang Yijia.

“Thank you.” Sang Yijia had been about to try cutting it herself, but as soon as she picked up her knife and fork, Lu Wenchuan placed the neatly sliced steak before her.

Each piece was perfectly bite-sized.

Sang Yijia looked at him with surprise, not expecting Lu Wenchuan to be so attentive.

One should not speak while eating, nor talk in bed.

Sang Yijia and Lu Wenchuan were very quiet at the dining table, exchanging only a few words now and then, but otherwise saying little.

Viewers in the livestream grew anxious.

[A rare candlelit dinner, why so silent?]
[I couldn’t do it—I’m a chatterbox, eating without talking is torture.]
[Did you notice? Their table manners are impeccable.]
[The man is refined, the woman elegant. Honestly, it’s quite pleasing to watch.]
[Haha, why not just say beautiful people look good doing anything?]

The group director saw the chat under control and sighed in relief, only then realizing that Sang Yijia was finally gaining some popularity in this episode.

“Director, Director Chen just sent word—they’ll be sent to the top floor of the ancient pagoda later, where a surprise awaits,” a staff member reported to the group director.

The director nodded, remarking to a colleague, “Since when did our show get so generous?”

“…” The staff member explained, “Actually, these were arranged by President Wei, not by our production team.”

The director understood—they were still quite poor, which was why the first destination was set in Qingyao Ancient Town.

——

At the countryside courtyard, Lan Qing demonstrated her skilled culinary techniques before the cameras, producing dishes that looked, smelled, and tasted delicious—earning praise from everyone.

“Qing Qing, I never imagined you’d be such a talented cook,” Shen Jin complimented her before even picking up his chopsticks.

Lan Qing shook her head shyly. “It’s nothing special, just home cooking.”

“How could it be?” Shen Jin protested, “In my eyes, you’re the best.”

Lan Qing’s cheeks reddened, and she was too embarrassed to continue. “Let’s all start eating, or it’ll get cold and won’t taste as good.”

Bian He responded first, picking up his chopsticks and taking some fish. “Pretty good,” he said.

“Thank you.” Lan Qing was confident in her cooking. “Sisi, why aren’t you eating?”

“Huh?” Yan Ningsi smiled, “No, I was just thinking about something.”

As she spoke, Yan Ningsi picked up a piece of fish. Before tasting it, she smelled the strong fishiness—she could only imagine how it would taste.

Lan Qing watched expectantly.

Yan Ningsi closed her eyes and swallowed it in one gulp.

[What does that expression mean?]
[Qing Qing is a great cook.]
[Hehe already said it’s delicious.]
The camera then focused on Shen Jin. He took a bite of the fish, and before he could react, spat it out.

Lan Qing’s expression changed as well. She quickly tried a piece herself. “How could this happen?”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault,” Lan Qing admitted immediately. “I forgot to add ginger slices when cooking the fish.”

Lan Qing wasn’t incapable of cooking—she had simply grown accustomed to her assistant preparing everything these past years. While cooking just now, Yan Ningsi was helping her, and Lan Qing had assumed all the condiments were ready.

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault,” Lan Qing apologized even more. “Don’t eat this.”

With that, Lan Qing stood to clear all the fish away.

Shen Jin reached out to stop her, “It’s not your fault.”

“It’s us who weren’t prepared.”

Bian He realized as well, “It’s my and Sisi’s mistake.”

“We forgot to dig up ginger in the vegetable patch.” Bian He had seen the ginger, but hadn’t thought to use it.

Yan Ningsi recalled and admitted her mistake with a troubled expression. “Sorry, it was my fault. I dragged Bian He to look at the ginger.”

At such a moment, Lan Qing couldn’t possibly let them take the blame—she naturally assumed responsibility for everything.

“It’s not your fault—I said I’d take care of it,” Lan Qing shook her head gently. “Don’t eat this.”

“Let’s just use the greens for now.” The vegetables were fine, but the two fish were a pity.

Lan Qing lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together, deeply disappointed. “It’s all my fault, I didn’t think of it.”