“Everyone, this is the ‘Haunting Midnight.’ Please enjoy.”

A waiter came over carrying a tray of vibrant cocktails and served them to the group.

Without hesitation, Wang Qiang picked up his drink, took a sip, and prepared to identify the ingredients.

Just as he was about to speak, he felt a light kick to his foot, which made him pause for a moment in surprise.

Taking advantage of Wang Qiang’s distraction, Qin Feng quickly jumped in and said, “The drink contains vodka, lemon juice, tomato juice, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cheers.”

Wang Qiang immediately realized it was Qin Feng who had kicked him. His eyes flared with anger, nearly shooting flames.

Qin Feng, seeing Wang Qiang’s frustrated expression, was secretly delighted. He poured him a glass of vodka and said, “Drink up!”

Wang Qiang hadn’t anticipated this turn of events and vowed to be faster next time.

“Sorry, everyone, but we’ve got to head out now. You all keep playing,” Qin Feng suddenly announced, pretending to check his phone, then helped Xu Fei up to leave. He knew that if he kept competing, he wouldn’t stand a chance of winning.

“Leaving so soon? That’s boring! Come on, keep playing! Or… are you just scared to lose?” Wang Qiang tried to stop them from leaving, unwilling to let his plans fall apart.

“Not playing anymore. Got things to do. Let’s meet up another time,” Qin Feng dismissed him with a wave and walked out with Xu Fei.

Outside, he started to feel dizzy, likely from having too much vodka.

Seeing him stumble, Xu Fei quickly steadied him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just a little tipsy,” Qin Feng said, trying to wave it off. He forced himself to walk, but after just a few steps, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

“Yeah, right. You can’t even walk straight.”

Shaking her head, Xu Fei helped him up and hailed a cab to take him home.

When they got there, she found that Qin Feng had passed out completely, reeking of alcohol. She sighed, stripped him down, and dragged him into the bathroom to give him a bath.

“You owe me big for this,” she muttered as she hauled him to bed afterward, exhausted.

Once Qin Feng was settled, Xu Fei went to sleep in Nan Nan’s room.

It wasn’t until noon the next day that Qin Feng finally woke up groggily, his head pounding.

As he sat up, he realized he was stark naked. For a moment, he was dumbfounded—he couldn’t remember anything from the night before.

Just then, Xu Fei poked her head through the door. “Time to eat. Get up!”

“What happened last night? Why am I not wearing anything?” Qin Feng asked, puzzled.

“You reeked of alcohol, so I gave you a bath. Why? Feeling shy now?” Xu Fei chuckled, clearly amused at his reaction. She’d seen everything anyway.

Hearing this, Qin Feng smiled awkwardly and pressed further. “So… did we…?”

“Don’t overthink it. I slept in Nan Nan’s room. Besides, you were out cold, like a dead pig.”

With that, Xu Fei closed the door behind her.

Scratching his head, Qin Feng sighed. If something had happened, it might’ve been a chance to mend their relationship.

He smacked his forehead, regretting drinking so much. Why couldn’t he have stayed sober?

Meanwhile, at A Spoonful Moment, Qiao Lu had been frantically calling Qin Feng all morning, but there was no answer. The lack of noodles during breakfast had already disappointed many customers, and if they didn’t open for lunch either, she wouldn’t know how to handle it.

Outside, the queue of waiting customers was growing restless.

“Where’s Boss Qin? I’m starving here!”

“Yeah, I’ve been standing in line for half an hour just for his authentic Twice-Cooked Pork!”

“Maybe he’s not coming today?”

Someone approached Qiao Lu. “Hey, Xiao Qiao, you’ve been learning from Boss Qin for a while now, right? Why don’t you cook us some Twice-Cooked Pork?”

Qiao Lu quickly shook her head. “No way! I’ve never actually cooked it myself—I’d mess it up!”

“Come on, give it a shot! You’ve been trained by a master chef, haven’t you?”

Encouraged by the crowd, Qiao Lu hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. “Fine, I’ll try.”

Steeling herself, she stepped into the kitchen. Though nervous, she remembered the process clearly from watching Qin Feng do it countless times.

Before long, she brought out a plate of Twice-Cooked Pork and placed it in front of a customer, nervously asking, “How is it? Does it taste good?”

“Not bad. Pretty good, actually,” the customer nodded and continued eating.

Buoyed by the positive feedback, Qiao Lu felt a surge of confidence and went back to the kitchen to make more.

When Qin Feng arrived at A Spoonful Moment after lunch, he noticed customers eating and immediately frowned. Without a word, he went straight to the kitchen.

“Shifu, how’s this? Everyone said it’s delicious!” Qiao Lu greeted him excitedly, presenting a plate of Twice-Cooked Pork.

“Throw it out. All of it.”

Qin Feng’s face was expressionless, his tone icy cold.

“What?”

Startled by his stern demeanor, Qiao Lu froze.

Taking the plate from her hands, Qin Feng dumped it straight into the trash.

He then walked into the dining area and addressed the customers. “I’m sorry, but this Twice-Cooked Pork wasn’t made properly and has to be recalled. My sincerest apologies.”

“It tastes fine to me. No need to waste it,” one customer protested.

“Sorry, but it must be recalled,” Qin Feng said firmly, taking the plate and tossing it in the trash.

Within minutes, every plate of Twice-Cooked Pork that Qiao Lu had made was thrown out.

Back in the kitchen, Qiao Lu was in tears, sobbing like a child. She couldn’t understand why Qin Feng was so angry over a dish.

Qin Feng handed her a tissue and said calmly, “There are only two kinds of people who wear white coats: doctors and chefs. As chefs, the food we present to our customers must be perfect. Remember, you’re not just any cook slapping dishes together at some random diner. You’re my apprentice, destined to be one of the top chefs in the culinary world. Got it?”

“Got it,” Qiao Lu sniffled, nodding earnestly as she wiped her tears.

“Alright, stop crying. That Twice-Cooked Pork was a bit overdone, but your knife skills have improved. Every slice was perfectly uniform. Keep it up.”

Hearing his words of encouragement, Qiao Lu’s mood brightened considerably.