"Darling, quick, greet my fans," Su Wuyao said playfully, turning her streaming equipment toward her husband, Qin Hao.
"Uh… Hello, everyone. Hi there," Qin Hao forced a smile, giving a casual greeting.
He glanced around and noticed several curious gazes directed their way.
The restaurant they were in was modest—neither large nor small. Occasionally, famous streamers would visit for food reviews or live mukbang sessions. But Su Wuyao was different.
The couple had ordered just a plate of braised pork, sweet-and-sour fish, shredded potatoes, and two bowls of rice. It seemed hardly worth streaming.
Yet Su Wuyao found joy in it.
An amateur streamer, she would occasionally fire up her live channel to share snippets of daily life.
She wasn't in it for the money, so her streams were hardly high-production affairs. Beauty tips, cooking, even doing laundry—she streamed whatever struck her fancy.
Today, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. After hiking in the countryside, the couple had stumbled across this restaurant on their way back and decided to stream while eating.
By now, they were nearly done with their meal.
A glance at the live room showed just over three hundred viewers. Only a dozen or so were active in the chat, sporadically commenting.
"Such a pretty streamer—what a waste not being in the entertainment or dance categories."
"And she's got a husband? Big no-no for streamers. Who's gonna send her gifts now?"
"Actually, she's been streaming for six months already. Haha…"
"Amateur streamer—pretty refreshing. Not over-the-top like some others."
…
Amid the chatter, the waiter arrived with the bill.
"Hello, your total is 175 yuan. Will you be paying in cash or by card?" The waiter, a young man, maintained a courteous demeanor.
Then, he shared an awkward stare with Qin Hao.
"I'm married. Three years now," Qin Hao blurted out, bemused.
"Oh, congratulations! So, cash or scan?" The waiter clearly missed his point.
"Uh…"
Qin Hao was speechless. At that moment, another waiter noticed the awkward exchange, hastily stepped in, took the bill, and turned to Su Wuyao. "Here's the bill, ma'am."
The entire scene played out live, much to the viewers' amusement.
"Haha… I can't stop laughing. Married men are broke!"
"How did he not pick up on it? So naive."
"I don't believe the streamer's husband has no money. He must have a stash somewhere."
"These days, what man doesn't squirrel away a secret fund? Doesn't exist."
…
While settling the bill, Su Wuyao glanced at the chat comments. Suddenly, she looked up at Qi Hao and asked, "Do you have a secret stash of money?"
"What? A secret stash? Of course not," Qin Hao responded immediately, shaking his head with
utmost seriousness.
"As I thought," Su Wuyao said with a grin.
It was all in good humor. Qin Hao had little concept of money, nor did he have extravagant needs. His hobbies, like the occasional fishing trip, were simple and inexpensive.
Whenever he needed money, he only had to ask, and Su Wuyao would provide it without question.
"You all heard that, right? My husband doesn't hide any money because if he needs it, I always give it to him," Su Wuyao said to the chat.
"Still don't buy it. Even pocket money needs a reason."
"Come on, men always have little hobbies—and funding those hobbies takes a bit of secret cash."
"Like a massage or a foot rub at a spa."
The comments were light-hearted, but Su Wuyao couldn't help but wonder—was it truly universal for men to hide money?
Her curiosity remained just that. She trusted Qin Hao deeply.
After three years of marriage, she was confident she understood him well. There was nothing he kept from her—not even a hidden fund.
After their meal, they took their selfie stick and walked home.
Their apartment complex wasn't far, just outside the neighborhood. It was a short walk back.
After a brief rest at home, Qin Hao headed out.
This was his usual time for grocery shopping.
Unless they were out, lunch was rarely eaten at a restaurant. Delivery was infrequent too. Su Wuyao enjoyed cooking and took pride in experimenting with new recipes. The compliments Qin Hao gave her afterward brought a sense of satisfaction that eating out simply couldn't compare to.
"It's not that I'm picking on him; we just have a clear division of labor. He buys the groceries, and I cook," Su Wuyao explained after Qin Hao left, smiling at the camera.
"Is your family's streamer also the one who cooks? Wow, women who can cook are rare these days."
"Poor me—I buy groceries, cook, and wash dishes. I can't take it anymore!"
"Having clear division of labor isn't bad. And it's lucky the streamer knows how to cook."
…
"Well… it's not that hard. I learned it online after getting married," Su Wuyao murmured.
At that moment, a mischievous comment popped up in the chat.
"Streamer, didn't you say your husband doesn't hide secret funds? Now that he's out, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! Go search for them! I don't believe he doesn't have any. Anyone want to bet with me?"
The comment was paid to be highlighted in red and pinned to the top, making it even more conspicuous in the sparsely active chatroom.
"That… doesn't feel right. My husband definitely wouldn't hide anything," Su Wuyao replied, feeling it bordered on distrust toward Qin Hao.
"What's there to worry about? You're not digging for secret funds; you're proving to the viewers that your husband doesn't hide anything."
Hearing this, Su Wuyao reconsidered.
"True. Alright, let's take a look together."
Excited, she grabbed her selfie stick, glanced around, and said, "Where should I start searching?"
The viewers, seeing the streamer spring into action, eagerly chimed in with suggestions.
"My secret stash is usually under the sofa cushions."
"I hide mine behind the TV cabinet."
"Check the toilet tank."
"Basically, places that aren't frequently touched or visited are prime spots for hiding money."
…
Following their advice, Su Wuyao began pacing the living room, checking under sofa cushions, behind the TV cabinet, the coffee table—everywhere. But she found nothing.
"Places that aren't frequently visited…"
She muttered to herself, turning her gaze toward the far end of the living room, where a door stood at the hallway corner.
It was the storage room, originally a spare bedroom. Since they didn't need it, the couple had turned it into a storage space. They rarely went in there.
Su Wuyao walked over, opened the door, and said, "This is the storage room. There aren't many items here, so we seldom come in."
As she spoke, she scanned the room—shelves, leftover renovation materials, tools, discarded boxes.
She rummaged through the clutter until her eyes landed on a black leather suitcase, partially buried under an unused mattress in the corner. The exposed part was covered in dust.
"What's this suitcase for? I don't remember it," she said, pulling the mattress aside and unzipping the suitcase.
Inside, she found odd items whose purposes she couldn't discern, along with a black plastic bag.
Casually, she opened the bag.
It contained a thick stack of something. The first item that caught her eye was a bright red booklet with bold characters on the cover.
Instinctively, Su Wuyao read aloud, "National Special Grade Chef Certification…"