Chapter 977 - 996: Fried Hairtail is Super Delicious

In the small city where Qiuqiu lived, her grandparents used to cook hairtail with green peppers as seasoning. Once fried to a fragrant crisp, the hairtail would go into the wok to be stir-fried with green peppers and a savory sauce, quickly soaking the originally crispy skin with the rich juices. The extreme crispiness would soften slightly, but the flavor profile became far more complex and diverse. Once cooked, a gentle bite would separate the meat from the long bones, filling the mouth with nothing but tender flesh. It was incredibly satisfying.

With a sizzling toss of the wok, the dish was just about done. At that moment, a man’s hands appeared on the livestream broadcast.

Unlike her usual streams, Qiuqiu wasn’t accompanied by her familiar robot assistant today, but by Mo Si. Of course, his face remained off-camera. Viewers could only tell from the fixed camera angle that he seemed to be a tall and considerate man. He portioned out the hairtail and then, albeit a bit clumsily, used the scanner to upload the dish to the livestream’s tasting channel.

The barrage of comments gossiping about her romance instantly vanished as everyone began frantically sniping the virtual portions. Comments like, "[I feel like I’m already full on dog food]," "[Even though I knew Juju had a boyfriend, it still hurts to see it! Waaah, my goddess is taken!]," and "[Ah, I’m heartbroken! I’m logging off for exactly one minute to cry in secret before coming back!]" were pushed completely out of sight.

They were rapidly replaced by a new wave of messages:

"[Mhm! Is it because her boyfriend is here? I feel like the food is even more delicious this time!]"

"[...Why did I log off for that one minute?!]"

"[It’s all my gossipy hands’ fault for slowing me down! I didn’t get any?! The little prince of food-sniping has fallen!]"

The comments flew by at lightning speed. Qiuqiu would glance at them while cooking, and occasionally, upon seeing a funny one, she would reply, "That’s right, gossiping too much will distract you.

"These are just the appetizers. Today’s livestream will go right up until midnight. While I can’t ring in the New Year with you all, I’ll do my best to make sure everyone is stuffed before the countdown begins."

Someone then asked Qiuqiu if she was going to spend New Year’s Eve with her boyfriend.

"I am," she replied.

She wasn’t stingy about sharing her happiness. Mo Si’s face was kept hidden, but her own joyful expression was broadcasted openly to everyone. It is often said that true happiness cannot be concealed. Joy is infectious. Sometimes, a happy person doesn’t need to say a single word for everyone around her to feel that radiance and relax in its warmth.

Just like Qiuqiu in this very moment.

With a beaming smile in her eyes and an aura as warm as a spring day, she said, "We don’t get to see each other often. I spend a lot of time with you guys, so naturally, I have to spend the rest of my time with him."

Mo Si remained silent. He simply placed a hand on Qiuqiu’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. The touch was light and slightly ticklish, making Qiuqiu chuckle.

With the hairtail finished, the next dish was the braised Gugu meat that many new fans had been drooling over. This recipe was an old favorite. She had made it so many times that Taobao Food was practically flooded with braised meat deliveries.

Qiuqiu prepared it quickly. While the meat was simmering, she fired up another stove to make stir-fried pork kidneys. She rarely cooked this dish in the past, but today she suddenly felt like showing off her skills.

Stir-fried pork kidney was a dish that severely tested a chef’s technique. The slightest mistake would leave it with an unbearably foul, fishy smell. However, this level of difficulty was nothing to Qiuqiu.

Removing the fascia, washing the meat, meticulously cleaning the insides, and scoring it into a delicate flower pattern—she dedicated this moment entirely to the culinary arts. Her eyes were fixed intently on the cutting board. Perhaps it was precisely this deep focus on the ingredients that compelled the food to reward her with its soul in return.

A truly delicious soul.