HDRDTH -Chapter 5 Why Is It So Hard Just to Eat a Meal?

The kitchen was filled with rolling black smoke, so thick it stung the eyes.

Yu Xian rushed in to find Su Wanyi clutching a pot lid like a knight facing down a dragon. She clearly wanted to smother the flames, but was too afraid of getting burned, hopping around helplessly in panic.

“Move aside!”

Yu Xian yanked her behind him and smoothly turned off the gas, covered the wok, and opened the window for ventilation.

Fluid and effortless. One motion after another.

The fire was out.

But the fish in the wok had officially become a “charcoal fish.”

Yu Xian stared at the crucian carp that had died such a tragic death, his heart aching.

He had specifically picked out that wild crucian carp at the morning market!

Originally, he’d planned to make a creamy white fish soup to comfort his wounded soul. Now it had been fully cremated.

“Xiao Yu… I… I just wanted to pan-fry it a little…” Su Wanyi stood behind him like a schoolchild who’d done something wrong, a streak of soot smeared across her face. “The oil suddenly caught fire…”

Yu Xian felt another headache coming on.

He turned around and looked at her miserable state. The sarcastic remarks at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

He sighed.

Forget it.

What was the point of arguing with a kitchen disaster?

“Out,” Yu Xian pointed toward the door. “From now on, the kitchen is a restricted area. Especially for you.”

“Oh…” Su Wanyi retreated dejectedly.

Yu Xian sighed again as he surveyed the battlefield that used to be a kitchen.

The crucian carp was gone, but there was still tofu. And some scallions.

“Looks like I’ll have to make that instead.”

Twenty minutes later—

Another strange aroma drifted through the cramped rental apartment.

Unlike yesterday’s stir-fried fragrance, this smell was richer and gentler, carrying a faint roasted scent mixed with an incredibly fresh bean aroma.

Gulp.

In the living room, Su Xi—pretending to do homework while secretly staring toward the kitchen the entire time—swallowed hard again.

Su Wanyi had been wiping her face clean, but the moment she smelled it, her hand froze.

What heavenly scent was this now?

Yu Xian walked out carrying a large clay pot.

“Mapo tofu?” Su Wanyi glanced at it, puzzled.

Bright red chili oil, tender white tofu, green scallions—it certainly looked like mapo tofu.

“That’s what mortals call it.” Yu Xian scooped himself a bowl of rice. “This is called ‘Gold Inlaid with Jade.’”

In reality, after the fish burned, he’d peeled off the charred skin, minced the salvaged fish meat into the ground pork, and used the fish bones to make a broth for braising the tofu.

A top-tier gourmet’s emergency recovery technique!

Su Xi couldn’t wait. She scooped a spoonful over her rice and shoved it into her mouth.

The next second, her eyes widened like bronze bells.

“Waaah!!”

“There’s fish! Mom! The tofu tastes like fish! It’s so fresh and delicious!” Su Xi exclaimed incoherently. “It’s a hundred times better than yesterday’s eggs!”

Su Wanyi tasted a bite skeptically.

The moment it entered her mouth, the spicy, numbing, savory flavor exploded across her tongue.

Then came the silky tofu wrapped in the sweetness of fish, wave after wave crashing against her taste buds. The grainy texture of the fish and the softness of the tofu created a perfect contrast.

That freshness was so intense it felt like it might swallow your tongue whole.

Su Wanyi stared at Yu Xian in shock.

A fish she had reduced to charcoal… had somehow been transformed into a heavenly dish by this man?

Was this man actually a god?

“If it tastes good, eat more and shut up,” Yu Xian said calmly while eating. “After dinner, I’ve got something to announce.”

Mother and daughter instantly fell silent, leaving only the sound of spoons clinking against bowls.

They devoured everything like a whirlwind.

The clay pot was scraped clean. Even the remaining sauce was mixed into rice and eaten by Su Xi.

After they finished eating, Su Wanyi shyly began clearing the dishes.

Yu Xian leaned back in his chair, picking at his teeth—the familiar lazy salted-fish version of him had returned.

“So… I’ve got two things.”

Yu Xian spoke lazily.

Su Wanyi immediately sat up straight as if listening to a superior giving instructions. In her heart, Yu Xian’s status had already risen infinitely.

“First, if that Fatty Wang—uh, I mean Wang Dafu—calls looking for me, tell him I’m in secluded cultivation. Not seeing visitors.”

“Huh?” Su Wanyi blinked. “Why? He’s a big boss, and he even wants to give—”

“Give my ass.” Yu Xian rolled his eyes. “People don’t flatter you for no reason. That guy’s sharp. I don’t have time to deal with him right now. Let him stew for a few days. Once he gets desperate, then we’ll talk.”

This was the so-called “hunger marketing.”

For rich bosses terrified of dying, the colder and more aloof you acted, the more convinced they became that you were a true master. Chase after them too eagerly, and they’d assume you were a fraud.

“Second,” Yu Xian pointed toward a dusty guitar case in the corner of the storage room, “does that busted guitar still work?”

Su Wanyi froze. “The guitar? Probably… though one of the strings is broken.”

“Oh, broken huh…” Yu Xian frowned. “Forget it then. Buying a new one’s expensive.”

“You want to play guitar?” Surprise flashed in Su Wanyi’s eyes. “You know how to play?”

“Nope,” Yu Xian answered confidently. “I wanted to take the strings off and see if I could turn them into fishing line. Looks like nylon. Pretty durable.”

Su Wanyi: “…”

Su Xi: “…”

Use guitar strings as fishing line?

Nobody else in the world could come up with a thought process like that!

“No!” Su Wanyi objected instinctively. “That guitar… even if it’s old, it’s still a Yamaha! It cost several thousand yuan! It’d be such a waste to dismantle it!”

Back in those days, a Yamaha guitar was definitely a luxury item.

“Letting it collect dust is the real waste,” Yu Xian said dismissively. “Besides, if I can’t catch fish, what’s the point of a guitar? Can you eat it?”

“You…” Su Wanyi was speechless. “All you ever think about is food and fishing!”

“What else is there?” Yu Xian shrugged. “Life’s all about eating and drinking. Oh right, while cooking just now, I thought of a melody. Seems like it’d suit that little girl humming it.”

“A melody?” Su Wanyi instantly caught the key word.

She worked in the arts—anything music-related caught her attention immediately.

“What melody?”

“Just something I hummed randomly while cooking.” Yu Xian stood and walked toward the storage room. “Since you won’t let me dismantle the guitar, I’ll see if I can reconnect the broken string. If I can’t, I’m taking them all off.”

Watching Yu Xian enter the storage room, Su Wanyi’s thoughts began racing.

A melody he casually hummed?

His cooking was godlike. His math skills were godlike.

Would the songs he hummed… also be godlike?

“Xi Xi, do your homework first.”

Su Wanyi quietly picked up the cassette recorder on the table—the one she used for practicing lines and listening to demo tapes. It was old, but the recording function still worked.

She tiptoed to the storage room door and pushed it open just a crack.

Inside the room, Yu Xian was holding the battered guitar, tinkering with it while producing random clinks and twangs.

As he fiddled with it, he casually hummed under his breath.

“…Every time, I stay strong through loneliness and wandering…”

“…Every time, even when deeply hurt, I refuse to let my tears shine…”

His voice was low and husky, carrying a lazy, careless charm.

But—

Su Wanyi froze completely.

That melody… those lyrics…

Even though it was just an unaccompanied hum, even though it was only a few lines, the emotional power behind it pierced straight through her heart!

The melody was beautiful. Inspiring. Powerful.

It felt tailor-made for her and her daughter’s current life!

“I know… I’ve always had a pair of invisible wings…”

“Carrying me forward… beyond despair…”

SNAP!

A crisp sound rang out.

The string broke.

The singing stopped abruptly.

“Damn it!” Yu Xian cursed irritably from inside. “What kind of garbage guitar is this?! Can’t even reconnect the string! Might as well dismantle it for fishing line!”

Outside the door, Su Wanyi tightly clutched the cassette recorder in trembling hands.

She got it recorded!

Only half the song—but she recorded it!

This wasn’t random humming.

This was a hit song.

A legendary classic capable of sweeping every music chart!

“Xiao Yu…” Su Wanyi pressed a hand to her chest, eyes burning with excitement. “Just… how many surprises are you hiding from me?”

In an era when the entertainment industry was only beginning to grow, when good songs were incredibly rare, what did a song like this represent?

Fame.

Wealth.

A future where Su Xi could truly become a superstar.

And the man who created it was currently inside cursing because he wanted to turn the guitar strings into fishing line.

“No! Absolutely not! I can’t let him dismantle that guitar!”

Su Wanyi shoved the door open and rushed inside.

“Xiao Yu! Xiao Yu! Don’t dismantle it!”

Yu Xian jumped in surprise, nearly dropping the pliers onto his foot.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting crazy?”

Su Wanyi snatched the guitar away and hugged it tightly like a priceless treasure.

“You can’t dismantle this guitar! I’ll buy them! I’ll buy you the best fishing line! The best fishing rod! Just please don’t touch this guitar!”

Yu Xian stared blankly.

Had this woman lost her mind?

A moment ago she was crying about having no money, and now she wanted to buy him the best fishing gear?

“Did you win the lottery?” Yu Xian eyed her suspiciously.

“It’s more important than winning the lottery!” Su Wanyi’s eyes sparkled with ambition. “Xiao Yu, that song just now… did you write it?”

“The song?” Yu Xian blinked. “Oh, that? Just humming randomly. Why?”

Randomly humming…

Su Wanyi took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart.

“I want that song! I want to buy it! I want Xi Xi to sing it!”

Yu Xian looked at her as if she’d just injected herself with adrenaline and felt speechless.

It was just Invisible Wings, one of the most overplayed inspirational songs from his previous life. He’d only hummed it subconsciously while testing the guitar strings.

Who knew this woman would overhear it?

“You want it?” Yu Xian raised a brow. “What are you going to use to buy it? You got money?”

“I don’t right now, but…” Su Wanyi gritted her teeth. “Once this song gets released, it’ll definitely make money! All the profits will be yours! I just want Xi Xi to become famous!”

Yu Xian looked into her determined eyes and suddenly found it interesting.

This cheap wife of his might be loud and frantic, but when it came to her daughter, she truly gave everything.

And besides…

If they made money, wouldn’t he finally be able to buy that dream fishing yacht?

Maybe even a private fishing lake?

A deal where he only needed to contribute a little saliva and get enormous returns in exchange…

Didn’t sound bad at all.

“Fine.”

Yu Xian flopped back onto the creaking single bed, hands behind his head.

“If you want it that badly, take it. But…”

“But what?” Su Wanyi asked nervously.

“I want a full set of top-tier Shimano fishing gear. And an off-road vehicle so I can drive to reservoirs. Oh, and I also want a piece of lakeside land from that Fatty Wang’s development project.”

Su Wanyi was stunned.

That was way too outrageous.

Fishing gear, a car, land?

Could one song really be worth that much?

“What? Don’t want to?” Yu Xian rolled over. “Then forget it. I’ll keep dismantling the guitar.”

“I agree! I agree!”

Su Wanyi shouted immediately.

Whether it was worth it or not, she’d agree first and think later.

This was a gamble.

A gamble that the song would become a hit.

A gamble on the true worth of Yu Xian, this “hidden master.”

“Deal.”

Yu Xian snapped his fingers.

“The lyrics and melody are all in my head. I’ll write them down tomorrow. Now get out, turn off the lights, and let me sleep.”

Su Wanyi hugged the guitar and backed out of the room as though carrying sacred treasure.

The moment the door closed—

In the darkness, a playful smile curved at the corner of Yu Xian’s lips.

“The entertainment industry, huh…”

“I originally didn’t want to get involved. But this fish pond’s too small to raise the kind of big fish I want to catch.”

“If you people insist on dragging me into this, then… I guess I’ll play around a little.”

Right then, Su Wanyi poked her head back through the door.

“Um… Xiao Yu, tomorrow there’s a music producer coming to the film set for casting auditions. I want to take Xi Xi there to try out… could you maybe… come along too?”

“Not going.” Yu Xian rejected her instantly. “I’m going fishing.”

“That producer… supposedly owns a limited-edition collectible fishing rod. He said he’s planning to give it to someone fated…”

Yu Xian sat bolt upright.

In the darkness, his eyes practically glowed green.

“What time? Where? I’m getting dressed right now!”