The contents of the first tasks were announced: those who chose to tackle outdoor tasks would compete in archery, and those taking the indoor tasks would have their sewing skills evaluated.

The gleeful Yan Yixuan and a blank-faced Ning Wei only had the chance to exchange a single glance before they were whisked away in opposite directions along with their respective groups.

The contest thus commenced.

Indoor Task 1, Sewing―

Ning Wei was taken to sit on a long table alongside the others competing in the indoor tasks. The man his subordinate Qiu Qingyue had dragged along was sitting nearby, looking around in a bewildered fashion.

On the table in front of each contestant, there rested a square piece of coarse, common cloth that was partially ripped down the middle. A single needle and a long thread in a similar color to the fabric sat separately at the side.

After they were given a minute to survey it, the announcer explained, “Your first task is this: You must repair the tear on the cloth assigned to you using the means we’ve provided. When the results are evaluated, durability will be given a higher priority over the overall prettiness. This isn’t an art or embroidery competition after all, but rather about testing practical housework skills. However, if two contestants produce work with the same strength, then we will consider its appearance as well when assigning points.

“You have half an hour to finish. You may now begin!”

The incense stick used to measure time was lit and the red-robed announcer briskly walked away, presumably to preside over the outdoor task taking place on the other side of the competition grounds.

Some of the contestants rushed to thread the needle, some others decided to carefully study the fabric, while a couple just stared at the needle and cloth as if they’d never seen one in their life. The man brought by Qiu Qingyue was of the third type.

Ning Wei let go of his tension and picked up the needle and thread. He was relieved that this task tested an ability he was relatively confident in.

He first wetted his fingertips with a lick and rolled the fraying end of the thread to make it stick together tightly and grow narrower. He then threaded the needle after a couple of tries. Ning Wei carefully matched the torn edges of the cloth, then took up the needle and began sewing.

Due to his conspicuousness when compared to the other contestants in the indoor tasks group, Ning Wei had already attracted some attention. The people watching him expected him to either have a difficult time or directly give up. Now, they couldn’t help but be surprised at how calm and practiced his movements were. Could it be that he was really the househusband while his younger and frailer partner was the actual breadwinner?!

But Ning Wei didn’t care about the looks he was getting, his focus completely on sewing.

As his hands worked methodically, his thoughts drifted nostalgically to the war. Back then, he had similarly sewn together his comrades’ torn skin as quickly as possible while under attack, making sure they wouldn’t bleed out or have their guts spill all over. If they had waited for medics, it would have been too late. Due to necessity, most of them had more or less mastered the skill of securely stitching closed large wounds and gaping cuts in the shortest time possible, along with other methods for treating injuries in an emergency.

Compared to that, Ning Wei found the current situation very relaxing.

No lives were at stake and there were no enemies to watch out for. He didn’t need to be careful about stitching too deep or shallow. The needle wasn’t sticky or slippery with warm blood and the cloth didn’t wriggle around restlessly like a person in pain would.

On the other hand, Ning Wei had to admit that his subordinates’ skins were much thicker and tougher, both metaphorically and literally, when compared to this thin hemp cloth. However, the lack of danger and urgency was really comforting. It was easier for him to devote his attention to delicately pulling the torn cloth together while his mind wandered peacefully.

As Ning Wei thus let his thoughts float aimlessly to memories of screaming comrades with bloody gashes and the experience of shoving organs back into thrashing bodies and stitching them back up, his eyes softened with reminiscence while his lips grew tinted with a small smile.

Those that were paying attention to Ning Wei looked at his expression and thought, As expected, this contestant must be really used to doing housework for his partner!

While the others with him just seemed exhausted, unenthusiastic, or bored at the chore, Ning Wei appeared almost fond as he peacefully stitched. Despite his warrior-like appearance, he seemed like such a gentle and virtuous soul who actually took pleasure in doing chores for his lover. He must attend to his partner with the same dedication and devotion every day. How romantic!

The stipulated half an hour passed quickly as the incense stick burned down, and the red-robed man came to announce the end of the task. All of the cloth pieces, regardless of whether they were fully mended or not, were collected and given to the judges for evaluation.

Though the stitches in Ning Wei’s cloth were too large to be inconspicuous, they were nevertheless done in an orderly manner, causing them to look neat and sturdy. The general was satisfied that he’d done his best and patiently waited to see how his efforts would score.

Within ten minutes, the results were announced: With his stitching being the most durable when tested, Ning Wei earned the title of winner.

As the others looked at him disbelievingly, Ning Wei was unsurprised. If his stitching could withstand the flailing of a soldier in pain who was stupidly convinced they could fight for a few more rounds, then it could certainly endure such a mild test. If there was one thing he was actually unsatisfied with, it was that he couldn’t show off his skills to his beloved.

Ning Wei sighed and looked at the archery range set up in the distance. Since it had started simultaneous to the indoor task, the outdoor task over there must be reaching its end too.

Outdoor Task 1, Archery―

Yan Yixuan finished testing his bow’s flexibility to see if he could use it without too much strain. He picked up three arrows like the others and went to take his place before one of the targets. The targets were all painted with concentric rings. At a distance from the row of targets, a white chalk line was drawn on the ground to indicate where the participants should stand.

The announcer had been by just a few minutes ago to explain that they would have to shoot three arrows at the target from a distance of ten meters, and the one with the most accurate hits would win.

Though Yan Yixuan disdained ten meters as a paltry distance unworthy of mention, he knew that many of the contestants with him might not have even shot an arrow before this in their lifetime. As people who could afford to live on the capital’s edge, but weren’t wealthy enough to buy a house at the center, the participants wouldn’t have ever had to hunt for food, yet their households weren’t big enough that they would be made to master skills like archery either. As a result, ten meters might indeed be an insurmountable hurdle for some of them.

Just as Yan Yixuan was waiting for the others to take their places and the task to start, someone came to occupy the target beside him. Yan Yixuan turned to see that it was Qiu Qingyue.

The young man dipped his chin at her in greeting. “Lieutenant General Qiu, I didn’t expect us to meet so soon.”

Qiu Qingyue glanced at the bow and arrows in his hand, then looked at the target. “Can your skinny arms shoot that far, Little Duke Yan?”

Yan Yixuan sighed. It seemed she was determined to keep calling him that. “Yes. I’m not as weak as you think I am.”

Qiu Qingyue looked at him doubtfully. But before she could casually insult him again, the call went up for them to take positions and begin.

Glad to be free of polite small talk, Yan Yixuan immediately nocked an arrow, narrowed his eyes, and aimed at the center of the target. He sensed Qiu Qingyue getting ready as well, but didn’t bother to look. Since there was no time limit, everyone took their own time to figure it out and take aim.

Yan Yixuan blocked out the rest of the world, concentrating only on the bow and arrow in his hand and the target in the distance. Once he was sure of his aim, he let go. The arrow shot forward with a shrill whistle and embedded itself right into the middle of the centermost circle with a thud.

Yan Yixuan didn’t pause to rejoice or react. He silently drew back the bowstring with another arrow, then let it fly. Another bullseye.

Taking up the last arrow, Yan Yixuan nocked it and shot it with complete calmness, assured of his accuracy. Without any suspense, the arrow lodged itself right beside the other two. The three arrows formed a perfect triangle, the arrowheads touching each other at the very center of the target.

Lowering the bow, Yan Yixuan exhaled to relax his body and let his awareness of the surroundings return. He finally realized that many people were gawking at him with stupefaction. The young man blinked bewilderedly. Did he do something wrong?

Qiu Qingyue stared at him with crossed arms, her eyebrows high on her forehead. In an appreciative voice, she remarked, “It seems I misjudged you, Little Duke. You’ve certainly got some skill. I hope you’ll continue surprising me and keep this challenging.”

“I’ll try to not let down your expectations,” Yan Yixuan replied drily. He glanced at her target to see that though she had a bullseye, two of the arrows were slightly off-mark. He turned to her and complimented, “Lieutenant General Qiu has scored well too.”

Qiu Qingyue shrugged. “I’m better with close combat weapons that with projectiles.”

“I’ve no doubt,” Yan Yixuan offered absentmindedly as he began pondering his beloved’s plight. He started to regret being stubborn in taking the outdoor tasks. Would Ning Wei feel humiliated due to his inability to complete the indoor tasks and resent him? Though Ning Wei usually seemed to have a thin skin around him, Yan Yixuan knew that his lover was a good sport and wouldn’t take a few losses to heart. But still…

“Are you worried about the General?” Qiu Qingyue asked after noticing which direction he was gazing in.

Yan Yixuan nodded.

Qiu Qingyue chuckled, her eyes much warmer when she looked at Yan Yixuan now. “Don’t be. He might look like he’s only good at fighting or physical labor, but don’t forget that he had to survive by himself during the war like the rest of us. It would be difficult not to pick up certain life skills in that situation. Cooking or whatever, I’m sure that even if he can’t do it well, it’ll at least be passable.”

Yan Yixuan blinked at her in surprise. Was she reassuring him? He smiled. “Thank you, Lieutenant General.”

Qiu Qingyue patted his shoulder amicably and turned to walk away. She muttered under her breath, “I’m the one who should be worried that the moron I chose will screw this up badly…”

After the results for the archery competition were decided, the announcer unsurprisingly declared Yan Yixuan as the winner.

“With this, the winner for the first tasks is the Ning-Yan couple!” the red-robed man proclaimed with aplomb. He paused to give everyone a chance to digest that the couple they’d thought the most unlikely had actually placed first so soon.

The announcer then went on, “We will now commence with the second round of tasks! The outdoor group will compete in fishing while the indoor group will test their skills in washing vessels!”

The people in the indoor group looked at the organizers strangely. Was that something even worth competing in?!

Clearing his throat, the announcer gave them a practiced smile and warned, “Since you will have to eat meals cooked in the vessels you are going to wash, the contestants in the indoor group are advised to clean them thoroughly. You have one hour. I wish you all luck. The second round will now begin!”

With that ominous statement, the next set of tasks commenced.

Indoor Task 2, Cleaning―

When the contestants saw that the vessels they had to clean were crusted thickly with a burnt black substance, they finally understood why the announcer specifically warned them. They wanted to curse out the organizers for being too black-hearted and cruel. Was it even possible to clean this in time to make it safe enough to eat out of?! They were asking for too much!

Aggrieved and grumbling, the contestants went to where buckets of fresh water and cleaning supplies were arranged for them. With a mix of expressions that ranged from weeping and unwillingness to downright resentment, they crouched down and began scrubbing at their respective vessels.

In this gloomy atmosphere, Ning Wei’s small smile especially stood out.

As his hands scrubbed the metal pot with repetitive motions, he thought back to how he once had to fight for two days and three nights straight in a dense forest. At that time, he’d gotten his sword encrusted with layers of blood, flesh, dirt, and even tree bark and sap while swinging it around. He barely had a few minutes in between the bouts of fighting to catch his breath, much less have the time to clean his blade. In the end, the enemy commander had knocked the sword out of his hand and into a nearby ravine.

Ning Wei had used a spare long knife he carried with him to finish off the commander, and once victory was assured, he went to search for his sword and finally found it stuck in a puddle of viscous mud. It was absolute hell to get rid of all the mess sticking tightly to the blade, but he had somehow managed it.

Compared to that, it felt like all he had to do right now was caress the blackened pot a few times for the metal to be scraped into a gleaming luster. As he’d expected, for someone with his strength, cleaning this much crust was an easy enough job.

Seeing how effortless he made it seem, the other contestants looked down at their own comparatively thinner arms thoughtfully. They began to wonder if strengthening their bodies was actually a necessary step for a homemaker since it would help them deal with housework more easily.

And so, an hour later, it came as a surprise to no one that Ning Wei won yet again, his vessels having been scrubbed into a spotless shine within the fastest time.

Ning Wei smiled and graciously accepted his fellow contestants’ congratulations. However, he couldn’t help but start worrying about Yan Yixuan now. Unlike with the previous round’s archery, this round’s fishing would directly test the young man’s stamina against the others’ in the outdoor group.

Would he really be alright?

Outdoor Task 2, Fishing―

At the same time the indoor group started their task, so did the outdoor group.

Similar to how the contestants in the indoor group were incentivized by the prospect of having to eat from the vessels they cleaned, the people in the outdoor group were similarly motivated by being informed that they would be allowed to keep and eat whatever they caught. And so, as soon as the call went out for them to begin, the contestants were full of enthusiasm as they hurried to grab fishing poles, baskets, and nets before rushing towards the fishpond.

Though Yan Yixuan didn’t want to have to eat the fish, he decided he could just give it all to Ning Wei and leave the rest for his sister to take back later.

Unlike the other contestants, both Yan Yixuan and Qiu Qingyue chose spears to catch fish. Both of them had experienced fishing for food in the wild using nothing but sharpened wooden sticks and quick reflexes, so they were more comfortable with using spears.

After studying the water currents, water quality, distribution of depth, and other criteria, Yan Yixuan calculated where the fishes were most likely to gather and found a suitable place to wade in. Raising his spear, Yan Yixuan channeled all his hatred for fish into it before bringing it down in quick jabs. He took great vindicatory pleasure in impaling the squirming and slippery fish right in the middle as if taking vengeance for himself.

Looking at the young man’s focused gaze and swift actions that almost burst with violence, the ones watching couldn’t help but wonder at how this person who appeared like a refined and distant noble at first glance was actually so valiant and aggressive.

Despite choosing the unpopular spears, Yan Yixuan and Qiu Qingyue quickly racked up count and soon left the others behind in the dust. However, though Yan Yixuan was able to catch plenty of prey in a short time due to his naturally sharp vision and quick reflexes, as time went on, the exertion began taking a toll on him.

Qiu Qingyue didn’t fail to notice this and sent him smug smirks full of provocation. Yan Yixuan could only grit his teeth and press on. In the end, his lower stamina slowed him down and caused him to lose to Qiu Qingyue by six fishes.

Though Yan Yixuan only placed second in this task, his and Ning Wei’s continuing good scores meant that they still dominated the rankings.

Before Yan Yixuan could heave a breath in relief due to retaining their rank, Qiu Qingyue came over to gloat.

Even as she patted him on the shoulder with sympathy, she couldn’t contain the smile in her eyes. “Don’t worry that you lost to me this time, Little Duke Yan. Seeing how puny you are, it’s already a wonder that you scored right below me in this task.” With that, she swaggered off.

Yan Yixuan looked at her retreating figure with narrowed eyes. His competitive spirit ignited, Yan Yixuan quietly rubbed his sore arm and decided that he had to win the next round! It wasn’t just about getting the prize anymore!

Without keeping the waiting contestants in suspense for long, the announcer gave out the next tasks, “In the third round, the outdoor group will play a game reminiscent of hunting. You will have to catch a monkey to obtain the small bead tied to it. The one who has the bead will be considered the winner.

“In the meantime, the indoor group will use the vessels they just cleaned and the fish their partners caught to cook a meal. All other necessary implements and food items will be provided. The dishes the contestants cook will be shared with their beloved and any family they have brought to watch, during the break after the end of the third round. The most well-made and delicious meal will be deemed the winner!”

Disregarding whatever looks of surprise or grievances the participants had due to the contents of the tasks, the third round smoothly began.

Indoor Task 3, Cooking―

Steam steadily rose in slow curls as the various contestants in the indoor group started cooking. Either by coincidence or on purpose, each of them had managed to clear up at least one vessel enough to safely make food in. As they all carefully planned out recipes in their minds to make their food taste as good as possible, Ning Wei had different priorities.

Ning Wei knew that Yan Yixuan hated fish, so he prepared the fish separately as an accompaniment while making rice garnished with several nutritious ingredients as the main dish. He made some thick soup and eggs at the side that they could split among themselves. He took care that the fish wouldn’t touch any of the other dishes to avoid contaminating them with its taste or smell.

While his hands were cutting the vegetables and stirring the pot, Ning Wei’s mind naturally wandered to his experience in the war again.

He thought back to when he, Jian Lan, and Qiu Qingyue were separated from the main troops and had to fend for themselves in the wild while being pursued by enemy soldiers. As the son of a restaurant owner and a great cook, Jian Lan was forced to make food for them all. However, Jian Lan was injured and couldn’t spare the strength to be in charge of their food all the time, so he instructed them as they took turns to make the meals. That was how Ning Wei had first learned cooking.

At that time, he and Qiu Qingyue would have to sneak out from their hiding place and catch small prey to roast, using not only the meat but also the blood and bones to make food. Since they didn’t have condiments, they picked any herbs they spotted nearby to add whatever flavor they could. They also had to make sure that they wouldn’t let smoke rise up while cooking so as to avoid indicating their location to their pursuers.

It felt like they had lived like that for months, but it had only been two and a half weeks.

Thinking about how they’d bickered over silly things back then and how much stronger that incident had made their bonds, Ning Wei smiled nostalgically. Compared to those conditions, it was pure bliss to have clean vessels, drinking water, rice, and proper condiments, not to mention the lack of stress or danger. Ning Wei almost felt like humming cheerfully as he cooked. He absently wiped the sweat beading on his forehead due to the steam and wondered if his little fox would like the first meal he was making for him.

When time was up, samples of the contestants’ cooking was collected one by one to let the judges have a taste.

In the end, since Ning Wei didn’t cook often and wasn’t used to working with so many spices, he scored in the lower middle of this task’s ranking. Surprisingly enough, the man who accompanied Qiu Qingyue scored near the top.

However, Ning Wei didn’t care much about his ranking. He had no illusions about his cooking skills, so he had already expected this. Since he’d heard that Yan Yixuan would eat the food he prepared, Ning Wei had instead kept his focus on making it as healthy as possible, with no strong herbs or spices that might cause his lover’s body discomfort. In that aspect, he was more than satisfied with his dishes.

But since the points from this task also contributed to each couple’s overall ranking, Yan Yixuan and Ning Wei’s position at the lead became precarious. If Yan Yixuan didn’t score as well as Qiu Qingyue in the final outdoor task, they might have to vacate their position at the top.

However, Yan Yixuan was determined to not let it happen. But at the same time, he was tired, his arm still ached, and such a task that required physical activity was the most disadvantageous for him.

Yan Yixuan took a few sips of the herbal concoction and let out a sigh. Now, what should he do?