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After exchanging pleasantries, the young lady finally announced the theme of today’s competition, "Ladies, today’s competition theme is ’Gourmet Cuisine.’ Start the timer."

With a slight parting of her red lips, the audience below buzzed with astonishment.

Gourmet cuisine? This topic seems a bit unrefined!

Madam Cheng, who was sipping tea, almost choked in surprise and shot a glare at Cheng Haoxuan, who was smugly pleased with himself. Madam Cheng truly wanted to throw her teacup at his head!

Gourmet cuisine, gourmet cuisine, was it just because she did not agree to let him apprentice to learn cooking? Now he turns the tables on her here!

How infuriating!

Lin Yuan and Xia Zheng, who knew Cheng Haoxuan’s true nature well, both laughed out loud, remembering how the fellow had once taken out a ruler to measure whether two strands of potato were of equal thickness—there was truly nothing he wouldn’t do!

Although the topic might be seen as unrefined, it was not difficult.

Tian Xuan blinked her eyes, muttering softly, "Gourmet cuisine? Am I supposed to embroider a bunch of cucumbers? Eh, cucumbers are all spiky, that’s too hard!"

Not just Tian Xuan, but other women who had participated in previous competitions also began to mutter to themselves.

"Why are the topics so strange this year? Last year, weren’t we asked to embroider snowy landscapes? I even practiced various plum blossoms and cold pines specially. Why has it changed to this now?"

"Gourmet cuisine, gourmet cuisine? It has to embody color, aroma, and taste!"

Lin Wei’s gaze drifted away from the teahouse; she took a deep breath, roughly planned the design she was to embroider in her mind, and started to prepare her threads.

"Big sister, go for it!" Xiao Linshuang exclaimed excitedly as Lin Wei began her work.

Xia Zheng nodded silently, smiling reassuringly at a somewhat nervous Lin Yuan, "Don’t worry, this topic is not difficult for eldest sister at all. Having eaten the dishes you make every day, how could you not be capable?"

That was indeed true; with Lin Yuan’s skills, every dish she made was extraordinary, more than worthy of the ’gourmet cuisine’ label.

Adding to that Lin Wei’s increasingly sophisticated double-sided embroidery techniques—provided she didn’t panic or deviate today—the competition was almost certain.

While she considered this, Chen Leyao and others also began preparing their threads.

Seeing everyone starting, Tian Xuan bit her lip and turned her head to give Cheng Haoxuan, who was slouching improperly in his seat, a deep look before she too began preparing her threads.

After all, this was her last competition; whether or not she could enter the Red Smoke Pavilion, she was going all out!

As everyone else had begun, only Wu Hanyu, seated at the very front, seemed somewhat frantic, her red lips slightly pursed, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Many who saw her thought she might be feeling unwell, but Lin Yuan, who knew the truth, was well aware that Wu Hanyu was perhaps not as multi-talented as everyone imagined.

She glanced at the embroidery signed with Wu Hanyu’s name hanging on the display beside the stage, the corners of her lips curling slightly—it seemed that embroidery was perhaps Wu Hanyu’s "exceptional performance."

As time ticked by, most people had already sketched out the basic contours of their embroidery. Two hours seemed neither long nor short, but it was certainly impossible to complete a very complex embroidery piece in that time frame.

Fortunately, the weather wasn’t too cold today, and because there were quite a few people gathered around, everyone didn’t feel very cold.

Lady Jiang felt sympathetic towards her daughter and thoughtfully had a maid bring her the ginseng soup that had been prepared in advance.

Lady Liu and Madam Tian also had the prepared ginseng tea for Lin Wei and Tian Xuan delivered, and Xiao Linshuang and Xiao He eagerly volunteered to take it up to the stage.

Across from the tea house, Chen Haigang had his butler see off another visitor, his face beaming with excitement.

"Ruochu, the success of Cicada Wing owes a lot to your idea."

Chen Haigang kept nodding towards Chen Ruochu, who stood by the window. He hadn’t expected much from this concubine’s son, but a simple idea had made their newly developed Cicada Wing so popular. In less than an hour, seven noble households had already placed orders.

Chen Ruochu’s gentle gaze fixed on someone on the competition stage, the smile on his lips unwavering, yet his tone was exceptionally cold, "That’s thanks to mother. Had she not noticed that something was off with Miss Wu, I wouldn’t have thought of this method."

At this, Chen Haigang’s smile grew even broader, and for the first time, he poured a cup of tea for this son he had never looked straight at, "Humph, that Wu Tianli got the title of Imperial Merchant, did he? Now that I have both flowing light brocade and Cicada Wing, I’d like to see how the Wu family can contend with me!

Haha, well done, Wu Tianli. You just had the backing of the Second Prince, didn’t you?

Even without a backer, I, Chen Haigang, can still crush your business! "

Chen Ruochu, who had been paying close attention to the contest, turned around upon hearing this, his eyes shifting from gentle to indifferent, and said softly, "Father, there’s something I’m not sure whether I should say or not."

"Speak your mind," Chen Haigang was in high spirits, took a sip of tea, and nodded happily at Chen Ruochu.

With a raise of his eyebrows, Chen Ruochu said, "Please forgive my bluntness, but now that the Wu family has the support of the Second Prince, even if we crush their business, I fear we might be the ones to suffer in the future."

"What do you mean ’we’!"

Chen Haigang interrupted his son before he could finish, his face darkening as he retorted, "As businessmen, we should focus on business; whoever has the superior products gets to talk! Since when does having a more powerful backer matter? You think you know better than your father, with just one insignificant idea going to your head? Let me remind you, you’re still green in the ways of business.

Even your mother and your elder sister understand things far better than you do. You’d better learn well!"

Chen Ruochu slightly bowed his head, showing utmost compliance as he nodded, "Father is right."

"Good, as long as you understand." Chen Haigang felt satisfied with his son’s attitude, thinking that ever since the boy returned home from running away, he seemed much more obedient.

"Now, if you have time, practice your calligraphy. Your mother told me that your handwriting is really quite embarrassing. How can I trust you with the Chen family’s business in the future?"

Chen Ruochu’s brows furrowed slightly, and he inwardly scoffed. He knew that gossip-monger would tattle, but keeping his true abilities a secret from her was to his advantage, letting them remain in the dark.

"Yes, father. I will remember," said Chen Ruochu obediently, bowing formally.

Satisfied, Chen Haigang glanced at the crowd outside the window and pursed his lips slightly before rising to leave, "The new store will open in a few days, and I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll leave first. Take care of your sister’s matter."

Watching Chen Haigang’s retreating figure, Chen Ruochu’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. In his younger days, he thought his father truly cared for his legitimate daughter Chen Leyao, but now he saw clearly that in his father’s heart, nothing was more important than the Chen family business.

"Not looking for a backer, really?" Chen Ruochu’s lips curled slightly, disagreeing with his father’s upright and unyielding stance on the matter.

As he pondered, a sudden commotion erupted outside.