Renz's expectations for Erina Nakiri weren't high. In fact, showing affection was inherently easy; any couple could do it. The difference lay in high-level versus low-level displays.
A high-level display of affection could make others genuinely envious, inspiring admiration and heartfelt blessings. A low-level display, on the other hand, likely made others wish the couple would just disappear.
Here, Erina's required action was simple: publicly acknowledge Renz as her husband, introduce him to everyone, and let them get to know him. A simple display of affection, well done. Even if Erina used a tone that suggested Renz's status in the family wasn't high, Renz could accept it, as that was Erina's usual personality. In their daily interactions, Renz had to adopt a humbler attitude because Erina was too strong-willed. When will I be able to rise above her?
Renz felt his family status was as bleak as his son Haruki Nakiri's—one "bullied" by his wife, the other "bullied" by his sister.
"Hello everyone, I am Erina Nakiri," Erina didn't give a lengthy self-introduction. Her aura was filled with a heroic, decisive confidence and directness. Everyone in the culinary world who knew the Nakiri family knew who she was. There was no need for any extra, confusing introductions.
"Um, this person next to me is my husband," Erina hesitated slightly when introducing Renz, but after spending these past few days together, her impression of Renz was good. "He's a person who's pretty good at everything and quite compatible with me." Having been educated in an elite environment since childhood, and without much contact with male peers in her daily life, Erina could still sense that Renz was different from others. Aside from his occasional strange thought processes, his way of handling important matters was quite comfortable for Erina.
She recalled the entrance of the passage just now, where some unknown person was openly criticizing her, saying she bullied her husband. A surge of anger pressed in Erina's heart.
Who could think of her as being so bad? If it was someone she truly liked, how could she possibly bully him? She would definitely get along with him as if he were family.
Besides, even if Renz's family status was lower than her daughter Rina Nakiri's, lower than her son Haruki Nakiri's, it was still higher than those gossiping outsiders!
Renz froze. No. Big tsundere, you've changed. Given your personality, shouldn't you be calling me a "humble son-in-law" to highlight yourself? Yet you used the equal term "husband." You're not like yourself anymore.
Renz's startled gaze met Erina's. At this moment, Erina's eyes were also fixed on him. The twinkle in those beautiful eyes seemed to say, "In my territory, no one dares to bully you." Where did this inexplicable sense of security come from? Get away from me quickly!
I, Renz, am a man of integrity, upright and bold, with unwavering pride. How can I be an unknown man lurking behind Erina? I! Refuse! To be a kept man!
However, although Erina used an equal term in her introduction, Renz somehow felt it wasn't strong enough to make an impact. Reacting quickly, Renz said with a smile, "After all, we've been together for ten years. If we weren't compatible, how could we have made it this far?"
As Renz's words fell, the faces of everyone at the Food Soul Competition had already changed two or three times.
The first change occurred when Erina used the term "husband" to describe him. Everyone was slightly surprised. It was well-known that Erina's husband was a live-in son-in-law.
Live-in sons-in-law generally fell into two categories: one was someone with great personal ability but no background. Some large families would bring in such a son-in-law to help manage the family, and this type of son-in-law would actually have a very high family status, potentially even becoming the next head of the household.
The other situation was when two people simply fell in love, but the man's family background wasn't strong enough, so the woman could only accept him marrying into her family; otherwise, if the woman married into his family, whether the man could support her would be a big problem.
Clearly, in everyone's eyes, Renz belonged to the latter category, as he hadn't shown any particular talent so far. Such a free love relationship, where the marriage was due to a significant disparity in family conditions, was clearly the lowest tier of live-in son-in-law.
Their status was generally lower. Erina using an equal term to describe Renz was the greatest "favor" she could show.
The second change in their expressions happened after observing Erina and Renz's actions. It was generally understood that couples who had been married for a long time would show affection in their subtle movements, but after living together for so long, their emotional bond might naturally become a bit dull.
But Erina and Renz?
They had been linked arm-in-arm since their entrance, never letting go, exchanging smiles and holding hands. This didn't look like an old married couple at all; it was more like newlyweds, further affirming the strong emotional connection in their relationship.
The third change in their expressions was triggered by Renz and Erina's conversation. They were truly broken.
They were truly broken.
"Together for ten years!" Not "acquainted for ten years!" The phrase "together" already conveyed the maximum extent of their relationship. Not only was their marital relationship harmonious, but it might even have reached a point of mutual interdependence.
This man in front of them had not only won the Nakiri family's favor but also Erina's "doting affection."
For some reason, all the chefs in the audience suddenly felt a bit sour. Initially, there might have been some disdain for a live-in son-in-law, but Erina's firm attitude and stance left them no room for even a hint of contempt.
Before, Erina's figure alone had attracted all the cameras, but now? The photographers were no longer giving individual shots of Erina. Instead, they framed both Erina and Renz together. The contestants felt the direct impact on-site.
But it wasn't just them who couldn't escape this emotional onslaught; the online viewers watching the live broadcast also got hit with a widespread area-of-effect attack, and they were even worse off. The contestants were there to compete; they had a competition to fight.
But the viewers were just innocent bystanders, purely there to watch a cooking live stream, and they were getting showered with dog food with high sugar?
This is allowed?
The soda in their hands was turning sweet enough to rot their teeth!
Please, can you two show your affection on a different channel? This is a cooking live stream. Be human!
What?
"Dog food is also delicious"?
"The best sweet food"?
Then I'll surely wield my forty-meter long katana and chase down those scoundrels who talk trash in the comments to the ends of the earth!
---Support with power stones