I'm in Wuha, and the whole internet is shipping me and Song Yuqi as a couple.

Wu Zheng tore off the sealing wax seal on the challenge letter and unfolded the Xuan paper.

"Tonight's martial arts banquet will be held at Fuyuan Restaurant, the largest restaurant in the ancient town."

"The winner will enjoy twenty famous Sichuan dishes, while the loser will only be able to eat coarse grain buns."

"The two teams will compete for the dishes through both intellectual and physical battles, and also have the chance to win double the amount of in-game currency from the other team's blind boxes."

Chen He put the empty bowl on the table and rubbed his stomach.

"Old Wu, you're trying to slap me in the face with your abacus beads."

"They confiscated fifty of our coins this afternoon, and now they expect us to eat cornbread tonight?"

Deng Chao patted his chest and stood next to Qin Xiao.

"Old Qin, I'll leave the literary debate to you tonight; you're the expert."

"Leave the fighting to me and Chen He; we'll win back what we lost!"

Qin Xiao tapped the folding fan in his palm, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Brother Chao, don't speak too definitively."

"I just saw the shadow puppet opera lyrics that Jiang Che wrote; his skill is truly profound."

Jin Chen laughed so hard he bent over and took Song Yuqi's arm.

"Yuqi, let's just sit back and wait for a big meal tonight. With Jiang Che around, we're guaranteed to win!"

Song Yuqi tightened the strap of the cloth bag, a smile playing on her lips.

"That's for sure, our Hundred Entertainments House is quite wealthy now."

As the setting sun casts its rays upon the ancient town's green-tiled rooftops, red lanterns are hung in front of the restaurants.

Two square tables were placed together in the center of the hall, with a copper hot pot and a porcelain plate on them.

Cameras were set up all around the lobby, and tourists practically wore down the threshold.

Wu Zheng changed into a shopkeeper's robe and held a gavel in his hand.

He slammed his hand on the table, and the sound of a gong rang out.

"The first round of the literary contest: guess the theme song from a martial arts film or television show based on the intro."

"The person who can sing three consecutive lines gets one point, and the winner gets to choose three main dishes first."

Chen He was slumped over the table, his fingers already resting on the copper bell in front of him.

"I know this one well; I used to watch those old shows every day!"

The first guzheng glissando came from the speakers, the rhythm just half a beat in.

Chen He slapped the copper bell down.

With a crisp clang.

"I know!"

Chen He cleared his throat and began to sing at the top of his lungs.

"A hearty laugh echoes across the vast ocean, as tides surge on both shores!"

After singing two lines, he stood there scratching his head, then turned to look at Deng Chao.

"What was that next line again? 'Floating and sinking with the waves, only remembering today'?"

Wu Zheng shook his head expressionlessly.

"If the order is reversed, deduct five coins from the Food God Hall."

Chen He opened his mouth wide, clutched his chest, and slumped back into his chair.

"Old Wu, are you robbing me?! You're deducting five points for every wrong line you sing?"

Song Yuqi smiled with her lips pursed and nudged Jiang Che's arm with her elbow.

"Jiang Che, it's all up to you."

The second prelude begins with a desolate flute melody.

Jiang Che raised his hand and tapped the copper bell.

With a clang.

"A difficult scripture to recite."

He grasped the microphone on the table, his Cantonese pronunciation clear and crisp.

"I have never seen the wind and rain swallow the setting sun, nor have I ever seen the snow-covered path that defies mountains and chases the sea."

"Facing each other at the summit, drawing swords in extreme danger, the world is full of interdependent relationships, making it difficult to extricate oneself."

He speaks very fast, enunciates clearly, and every syllable is perfectly timed.

The surrounding tourists burst into enthusiastic applause and cheers.

Song Yuqi's eyes sparkled, and she clapped her hands vigorously.

"Perfect score! My chef is amazing!"

Jin Chen stood to the side, resting his chin on his hand and shaking his head repeatedly.

"Alright, alright, we know it's yours, but the applause is deafening."

Deng Chao sighed across from him and nudged Qin Xiao beside him.

"Old Qin, why don't you just take it? You're a professional actor, after all!"

Qin Xiao adjusted his glasses and spread his hands.

"Brother Chao, Jiang Che's tongue is even smoother than mine, that's called a dimensional reduction attack."

In the next four songs, Jiang Che won three, while Song Yuqi won one.

Baixifang won the literary battle round with a score of 4 to 0.

The assistant director came up carrying a tray.

Three main dishes—Dongpo pork knuckle, Kung Pao chicken, and camphor tea duck—were placed directly in front of Baixifang.

The aroma of meat filled the table, and the sauce glistened enticingly under the light.

Chen He stretched his neck and inhaled the aroma, his mouth watering.

"Yuqi, give me a piece of pork knuckle skin, and I'll show you how to swallow a whole scallion raw."

Song Yuqi picked up a piece of tender pork knuckle with her chopsticks and blew on it to cool it down.

She didn't put it in her own mouth, but instead handed it to Jiang Che's lips.

"Chef Jiang, you've worked hard. This is the first bite to reward you."

Jiang Che opened his mouth to take it, chewed it twice, and swallowed it.

"The meat is just right, you should try some."

He picked up the serving chopsticks, selected the tenderest piece of lean meat, and put it into Song Yuqi's small bowl.

Song Yuqi bit into her meat, her eyes curving into crescents.

Chen He covered his eyes and turned his head to the side.

"It's unbearable to watch, it's really unbearable to watch!"

"Old Wu, hurry up and start the second round, I want to win!"

"The second round of combat, the tacit blind box feeding."

"Each team sends two people, one blindfolded, and the other feeding the child with long chopsticks."

"Guess the name of the ingredient correctly to get one point, guess wrong and you have to drink a whole cup of bitter melon juice."

Deng Chao immediately stood up.

"Little Deer, let's go for this round. Our ten years of teamwork haven't been for nothing!"

Lu Han put on a black blindfold, and Deng Chao grabbed a pair of specially made long bamboo chopsticks.

The assistant director brought out the first plate.

Deng Chao picked up a dark, grimy object, his hand trembling violently, and poked it all the way to Lu Han's face.

"Brother Chao, where are you putting that? Those are my nostrils!"

Lu Han opened her mouth wide and finally managed to bite it.

After chewing for a bit, Lu Han's face scrunched up, and she tilted her neck back.

"Wasabi-soaked preserved egg! Cough cough cough..."

Deng Chao shouted:

Did I guess right?

Wu Zheng spoke expressionlessly:

"The product name is inaccurate; it's actually ultra-concentrated wasabi preserved egg. Penalty!"

Two glasses of light green bitter melon juice were served.

Deng Chao and Lu Han forced themselves to drink it down, and the bitter taste made them stomp their feet on the spot.

At the Hundred Plays Hall, Jin Chen nudged Jiang Che.

"You two go and set an example for them."

Jiang Che picked up the black eye mask and put it on Song Yuqi.

He reached out and gently tucked the stray hairs behind her ear.

Are you afraid of hardship?

Song Yuqi tilted her head back, a smile playing on her lips.

"Don't worry, you definitely won't make me drink bitter melon juice."

Jiang Che tied the blindfold knot and picked up the pair of long bamboo chopsticks.

The tray was lifted, revealing a small pastry inside.

Jiang Che's wrist was extremely steady; he used bamboo chopsticks to pick up the pastry and accurately brought it to Song Yuqi's lips.

He placed his other hand under Song Yuqi's chin to prevent the soup from dripping.

Song Yuqi took a small bite.

"It's soft, with the flavors of brown sugar and osmanthus, and filled with nuts."

"Osmanthus-flavored chilled rice cake, an intangible cultural heritage of the ancient town!"

Wu Zheng opened his mouth, but it took him a long time to utter a single word.

"right."

The second piece, the third piece, and the fourth piece.

Whether it's beef cubes coated in chili powder or bamboo fungus soaked in sour soup, Jiang Che delivers them steadily and accurately.

Song Yuqi chewed with relish, getting each bite perfectly.

The bitter melon juice on the table remained untouched.

Chen He, standing opposite, was dumbfounded.

"Old Wu, are you preparing this blind box as a couple's afternoon tea for them?"

"We're being tortured, they're having a picnic!"

Song Yuqi took off her blindfold, blinked her eyelashes, and adjusted to the light in the lobby.

She clapped and cheered when she saw the extra boiled fish and Mapo tofu in front of her.

"We won everything!"

Jiang Che picked up a wet wipe and wiped away the little bit of red oil that had gotten on her lips.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Song Yuqi picked up a piece of fish, removed the bones, and put it into Jiang Che's bowl.

"You should eat some too, this fish fillet is especially tender."

Four people from the East Street Food God Hall were staring at each other, looking at each other with wide eyes.

Qin Xiao picked up a cornbread, took a small bite, and coughed repeatedly.

"Brother Chao, being a leader in this sect is just too miserable."

Lu Han looked at the steaming hot pot across from her, her stomach rumbling.

Chen He finally couldn't resist any longer and sidled up to the table at Baixifang with an empty plate in hand.

"Brother Che, Uncle Jiang, please give me a meal."

"Give me a piece of meat, and I'll write a poem praising you and Yuqi tonight!"

Jiang Che raised his eyelids to look at him.

"What kind of hymn should I write?"

Chen He blurted out:

"A match made in heaven, Wu Zheng was utterly captivated!"

The whole room burst into laughter.

Even Wu Zheng, who was standing behind the camera, couldn't hold back and his lips twitched twice.

Song Yuqi laughed so hard she rubbed her stomach, then reached out and picked up the plate of camphor tea duck and handed it over.

"Brother He, since you're so sensible, this plate is for you."

Chen He was overjoyed and rushed back to the table with the duck in his hand.

Deng Chao and Qin Xiao immediately started eating, and the group scrambled for the food.

The atmosphere in the lobby became very lively, and the two square tables were eventually joined together to form a long table.

Jiang Che brought over two pots of hot tea from the side and filled everyone's cups.

Chen He chewed on a duck leg and raised his teacup.

"Come on, let's celebrate the successful conclusion of the Wuha Ancient Town Night Banquet!"

"Cheers!"

A dozen or so teacups collided in mid-air, making a crisp sound.

As Song Yuqi sipped her hot tea, she quietly reached under the table and grasped Jiang Che's hand, which was hanging by his side.

Jiang Che gripped her hand tightly and pressed his thumb against the back of her hand.

The two exchanged a glance, surrounded by a bustling crowd and rising steam.

Wu Zheng stood in the main seat, watching the guests mingling together, and rolled up the program book in his hand.

He winked at the assistant director.

The assistant director understood immediately and quietly pressed the button on the walkie-talkie.

Wu Zheng cleared his throat and slammed the gavel on the table.

"Everyone, now that we've eaten and drunk our fill, it's time to settle the score."

Deng Chao put down his chopsticks.

"Old Wu, what kind of mischief are you up to now?"

Wu Zheng's face revealed his signature cunning expression.

"The bill for tonight's restaurant totals one hundred and eighty Shu Tong coins."

"All the coins your two teams have combined are just enough to pay for this meal."

Chen He almost choked on the meat in his mouth before he could swallow it.

"What the hell? We won the game and we still have to pay for it ourselves?"

Song Yuqi gripped her small cloth bag tightly, watching Wu Zheng warily.

"Director Wu, are you trying to renege on your promise?"

Wu Zheng slowly picked up his teacup and blew away the foam.

"This isn't about defaulting on a debt; it's the rule of the ancient town's underworld."

"Anyone who dines and dashes will be locked up in the ancient town's jail tonight and made to clean all night."

"unless……"

Jiang Che put down his teacup and calmly met Wu Zheng's gaze.

"Unless what?"

Wu Zheng raised the corner of his mouth and pulled out a scroll of bamboo slips from his sleeve.

"Unless you can solve all the puzzles on the ancient town's treasure map within half an hour."

"I got the free order token."

Chen He let out a wail and buried his head in his arms.

"I knew it! Old Wu would never let us get a good night's sleep!"

Song Yuqi turned to look at Jiang Che, her eyes full of eager anticipation.

"Jiang Che, should we answer the call?"

Jiang Che squeezed her soft palm and stood up.

"catch."

"Tonight, not only will the meal be free, but Director Wu will also have to pay back double the amount of Tongbao he owes us."