Upon reading the details of how Su Wuyao uncovered Qin Hao's identity as a master chef, Baby ChuChu, a rival streamer, dismissed the entire story as a publicity stunt. She claimed it was nothing more than a scripted drama designed to attract viewers.
Baby ChuChu, a veteran in the streaming world, was quick to recognize the tactics at play. In her view, Su Wuyao's viral success was a calculated move to steal her audience. The sudden drop in her own viewership confirmed her suspicions—her fans had flocked to Su Wuyao's stream, leaving her numbers to dwindle.
Feeling threatened, Baby ChuChu stirred up her fanbase, planting seeds of doubt about Qin Hao's culinary skills. While outwardly maintaining a façade of humility, she subtly fueled animosity, framing Su Wuyao's rise as an attack on her position as the top streamer in the category.
Her fans, loyal and easily influenced, took to Su Wuyao's chat to disrupt the stream. They flooded the comments with accusations of fakery and staged drama.
"This is obviously just a publicity stunt. Who believes this nonsense?"
"Seriously? A regular guy being hyped up as a master chef? Give me a break."
"Don't worry, streamer. We'll go to her stream and set things straight."
Meanwhile, Baby ChuChu feigned innocence, claiming she wasn't upset and even suggesting she could cook Lantern Shadow Beef herself. Her carefully crafted remarks, seemingly harmless, were designed to provoke her fans further.
The chaos in Su Wuyao's stream grew as Baby ChuChu's fans continued their onslaught. Despite the disruption, Su Wuyao's viewership soared to an unprecedented 300,000—a testament to the intrigue surrounding Qin Hao's skills.
Amid the turmoil, calls for Qin Hao to prove himself further intensified. Baby ChuChu's fans demanded he attempt an even more challenging dish, Peony Fish Fillet—a legendary recipe known for its extreme difficulty.
Behind the scenes, Baby ChuChu orchestrated this escalation, hoping to expose Su Wuyao's stream as a scripted act. If Qin Hao failed to deliver, it would validate her claims of fakery. If Su Wuyao refused the challenge, it would fuel further skepticism.
The stage was set for a dramatic showdown, with Peony Fish Fillet as the ultimate test of Qin Hao's culinary prowess. Would he rise to the occasion, or would the skeptics have their day? The tension was palpable, and all eyes were on Su Wuyao's stream.
Su Wuyao's livestream saw an unprecedented rise in popularity, climbing to over 300,000 viewers. What had started as a modest stream with just a few hundred watchers had turned into an internet sensation—all thanks to Qin Hao's exceptional skills in crafting Lantern Shadow Beef.
The meteoric rise puzzled Su Wuyao herself; she never anticipated such overwhelming attention, especially without any backing from companies or professional management. It seemed people were drawn to the genuine unraveling of a mysterious secret.
But the moment of triumph was short-lived. Discord soon crept into the chat as hostile comments flooded the stream.
"Seriously, just one dish, and everyone's acting like he's the greatest chef alive? If he's that good, why isn't he famous?"
"This is obviously just a setup. How can anyone not see that? The 'hidden chef husband' story screams scripted drama."
"Lantern Shadow Beef isn't even hard. Tons of food bloggers have done it. With some practice, anyone could learn that knife technique."
"My slicer machine can produce beef as thin as paper—why call that a skill?"
The negativity stemmed largely from Baby ChuChu's fanbase, and their disruptive comments sparked backlash from Su Wuyao's supporters.
"Whose dog got loose? They're barking all over the place. Have some respect!"
"Where are the moderators? Get to work—clean up the mess."
"Watch the stream quietly! Stop trying to stir up drama."
As the chat descended into chaos, some commenters even resorted to personal insults. Without moderators in place, Su Wuyao had to manually mute accounts, but the sheer volume of disruptive messages was overwhelming.
Meanwhile, Baby ChuChu, satisfied with the chaos, wasn't content with just stirring up trouble. She decided to escalate the situation further. Using the excuse that Qin Hao was supposed to be a top-tier chef, she encouraged her fans to challenge him with a far more difficult dish.
Her choice? Peony Fish Fillet.
Dubbed one of the Eight Imperial Dishes, Peony Fish Fillet was renowned for its staggering difficulty, even more so than Lantern Shadow Beef. According to culinary lore, the dish required mastery of knife skills, temperature control, and flavor composition—a combination that pushed even elite chefs to their limits. Some claimed the recipe was so intricate, it had been lost to time.
Determined to discredit Su Wuyao's stream, Baby ChuChu instructed her fans to flood the chat with demands for Qin Hao to prepare Peony Fish Fillet. Her plan was simple: if Qin Hao failed, it would confirm the entire narrative as staged. If Su Wuyao refused the challenge, doubts about her authenticity would grow even stronger.
The viewers followed her lead, bombarding the stream with challenges.
"If this isn't staged, prove it. Let Qin Hao make Peony Fish Fillet."
"Come on, no scripts, right? Show us."
"Wow, a national-level chef who only knows Lantern Shadow Beef? Even I could do that!"
Meanwhile, in the courtyard house, Wei Tianlin—the legendary master chef—watched the stream intently. The mention of Peony Fish Fillet struck a chord, and a spark of realization lit his eyes.
"Why didn't I think of that!" Wei Tianlin exclaimed, his fist pounding his palm. "If Qin Hao is truly the person I suspect, it'll be evident in the way he prepares this dish."
Turning to his apprentice Zixi, he urged, "Can you convince the streamer to ask her husband to make Peony Fish Fillet?"
Zixi paused briefly, understanding the significance of the dish. Like Lantern Shadow Beef, Peony Fish Fillet was one of the Eight Imperial Dishes, but it tested not just knife skills—it demanded excellence across all culinary domains. It was a recipe that could expose the true caliber of a chef.
Determined to see the truth revealed, Little Chef of Huaxia (Zixi) sent five rockets—a substantial monetary gift—to Su Wuyao's stream to push the request forward.
The chat buzzed with excitement, fueled by curiosity and drama alike. Even casual viewers were now eager to witness Qin Hao take on this seemingly impossible challenge, the Peony Fish Fillet.