 Chapter 19: Competing for Favor
Ning Yunyi trained for an extra two hours that night. When he returned to his room and opened the door, he paused in surprise.
There was a small lump under the blanket, clearly indicating something inside.
Ning Yunyi chuckled softly, gently closed the door, and walked over to sit by the bed. Without warning, he lifted the blanket, and sure enough, curled up inside was a small cat cub.
A black, fluffy ball of fur, much shinier than when he first saw it, and it stared up at him with wide, green eyes, clearly startled.
Ning Yunyi scooped up the little cub with one hand. “Didn’t you go back to your room to sleep? Hiding hereâdo you want Father to coax you to sleep?”
The little cat cub rubbed its small head against Ning Yunyi’s palm, nudging closer, clearly demanding to be petted.
As someone who loved anything fluffy, Ning Yunyi naturally wouldn’t miss the chance to pet the little cat cub that had delivered itself into his hands.
Just as Ning Yunyi was about to start petting, the cub lifted a paw to stop him. Then, remembering the technique Father had taught him in the past two days, *poof*, his body expanded, becoming twice as large.
Now, the once small cub was heavy in Ning Yunyiâs arms, taking him by surprise.
The little guy had only been learning for two days, yet he had progressed even faster than Ning Yunyi expected. Especially when he activated his spiritual power just nowâit was clear that over the past two days, the cub had started absorbing some spiritual energy, aided by his strong genetic makeup.
The cub was already able to control his size at will.
In time, once he could imitate the form of the big cat downstairs, even if he accidentally transformed into his beast form, he could alter his size and avoid exposing the secret of being a half-beast.
Seeing the admiration in Ning Yunyiâs eyes, the little cub snuggled even closer.
Once Ning Yunyi had indulged himself enough with petting, he allowed the cub to return to his original size, feeling pleased. âYouâve worked hard on your training these past two days. Tomorrow, Father will make you a nourishing soup.â
As he spoke, he pinched the tip of the cubâs ear, enjoying the soft texture.
The little guyâs eyes sparkled even more, but instead of being satisfied, he curled up on Ning Yunyiâs lap, looking up with misty, expectant eyes.
Ning Yunyi raised an eyebrow. “Whatâs wrong?” Usually, the cub would be the happiest upon hearing about new food.
But Ning Xiao Miao suddenly became anxious, spinning in circles on Ning Yunyiâs lap like a small, pure black top. His fluffy tail brushed against Ning Yunyiâs palm, softening his heart.
Ning Yunyi scooped up the anxious little cub, holding him close and gently patting his head to soothe him. However, he noticed that the cub kept glancing toward the door.
When Ning Yunyi looked over too, the cub raised a paw, ruffled the tip of his own ear, then puffed out his little chest, placing his front paws on Ning Yunyi’s arm with a pitiful look in his beastly eyes.
Ning Yunyi thought for a moment, piecing together the cubâs unusual behavior tonight. A suspicion formed in his mindâwas the little cub⌠jealous?
The cub had just deliberately puffed up his body, trying to show that one day heâd be bigger and more impressive than the big cat downstairs, and better to pet.
Ning Yunyi couldn’t help but laugh. Could it be that the little guy had seen him go down to pet the big cat earlier this afternoon?
Lately, because of the big catâs arrival, Ning Yunyi hadnât allowed Ning Xiao Miao to transform into his cat form. Whenever the cub couldnât hold it anymore, Ning Yunyi would send him upstairs to avoid contact with the big cat.
The reason was simpleâNing Yunyi hadnât fully trusted the big cat yet. Otherwise, he wouldnât have kept it locked in a cage at first.
Unexpectedly, the little cub had misunderstood, thinking that now that there was a big cat around, Ning Yunyi didnât want him anymore.
Ning Yunyi patiently explained to the little cub, âMiao Miao and the big cat are different. Fatherâs favorite is still you, and just because youâre not in your cat form doesnât mean I wonât like you.â
The little cubâs uneasiness melted away at Ning Yunyiâs gentle words. He looked up with bright eyes, his little paws twitching with excitement, but he still stared intently at his father as if asking, *Really?*
Ning Yunyi gently stroked the cubâs head. âDonât worry. Father may like many fluffy things, but his favorite will always be you, my little Miao Miao.â
With that, he picked up the cub and gave him a big kiss.
The little cub, now shy, buried his head in his fatherâs chest and fell asleep just like that.
It was already two hours later than usual, and it seemed the little guy had been forcing himself to stay awake, waiting for Ning Yunyi.
Satisfied with the answer heâd been longing for, the cub fell fast asleep.
Ning Yunyiâs smile deepened. He really was just a little cub after all.
Instead of sending the cub back to his room, Ning Yunyi simply held him close and slept with him.
Meanwhile, downstairs, the big cat suddenly opened its gray beast eyes, sensing something unusual.
It looked upstairs in confusion. For a brief moment, it had felt the presence of a similar being, but now there were no traces of it at all.
The big cat had suppressed all its spiritual power to prevent another mental outburst, and Ning Yunyi always used spiritual energy to shield the upstairs and downstairs areas as soon as he went upstairs.
The big cat, being particularly sensitive to the presence of its own kind, had detected something for just a moment.
But soon, the big cat lay back down, dismissing it as a mistake.
After all, half-beast beings were incredibly rare. Besides, there were only two humans and one cat in the whole villa. Ning Yunyi, based on their frequent contact, was clearly an ordinary personâhe didnât even have spiritual power. Could it be that the only other resident, a three-year-old toddler, was a half-beast? That was impossible.
The next day, Ning Yunyi kept his word. At noon, he planned to make a nourishing soup for the little cat cub.
There were three dishes and one soup. The soup was black-bone chicken with cordyceps, to which he would add a bit of spiritual energy. The big cat was healing quickly, with its wounds already scabbing over. After another two days of rest, its fur would grow back, and after a check-up, he could let it out of the cage.
The sooner the big cat healed, the better.
Ning Yunyi had been observing it closely these past few days. The big cat had passed his tests and was ready to be released.
Yesterdayâs drama caused by Nick had already blown over, and when Ning Yunyiâs live stream started on time, his fans were relieved.
They had been really worried that Nick’s underhanded tactics, combined with yesterday’s drama, would have driven away their favorite food streamer, the “#1 Knife of the Sect.”
After seeing Nickâs shady actions, the fans realized how underhanded he had been. If it werenât for some kind-hearted person exposing the truth, Nick might have actually stolen some of the Sectâs First Bladeâs fans.
After all, there were only so many delicious things to go around. Many fans hadnât managed to get their hands on anything yet, so they could have easily believed Nickâs lies about poor-quality food.
If they had tried his low-quality fake goods, they might have been disappointed enough to leave for good.
But those who had tasted the real thing knew that it was truly a culinary masterpiece.
—
As Ning Yunyi started his live stream, he was greeted by a flood of comments:
**[Oh my god, I was so scared! I was worried all night that the streamer might quit because of Nick. That guy is so shady, almost dragged our streamer down with him.]**
**[Yeah, some new food streamers also posted how theyâve been bullied by Nick before.]**
**[The food streaming section is already small, and whenever fresh talent comes in, Nick crushes them. Over time, no oneâs left, and Nick dominates by himself.]**
**[Last night, Nick even went live to play the victim, saying Starstream was suing him for breach of contract and demanding a huge penalty. He claimed he couldnât afford it, said Starstream was bullying him. Haha, and then his account got banned.]**
**[Good job, Starstream! Who wants to see him anymore?]**
**[You guys are behind on the news! Not long after his ban, he was arrested by the Star Police.]**
**[Wait, what?! For real? Thatâs wild!]**
—
Ning Yunyi wasnât surprised to see Nick get arrested. After he had uncovered all of Nickâs wrongdoings, he had anonymously sent the evidence to the Star Police on planet G.
Nickâs downfall was his own doing.
Unfazed by the drama, Ning Yunyi thanked everyone for their concern and then began his stream.
âTodayâs a good day. Letâs start with a nourishing soup.â
Ning Yunyi had already prepared the ingredients in advance. First, he blanched the chopped black-bone chicken.
Once the water boiled, he skimmed off the foam and added cleaned cordyceps, astragalus, angelica, and other medicinal herbs, along with various powdered seasonings. Finally, he poured in a spoonful of cooking wine to remove the gamey smell and started simmering the soup.
To make the most of the black-bone chicken, and since it didnât need to be simmered for too long, Ning Yunyi didnât use spiritual energy to speed up the cooking process. Instead, he infused the soup itself with spiritual energy.
—
**[Wait, what? Black-bone chicken? Isnât it usually white? This oneâs gray-black. Did the streamer get scammed? Should we help him file a complaint? My ID is ready to assist!]**
**[Are you just trying to get the streamerâs attention? Move over, let me help first! đś]**
**[Cunning fans! Since it’s black-bone chicken, of course itâs different from ordinary chickens. Unlike you guys, Iâm differentâstreamer, do you need a robot in your house? My nickname is Robot Butler, always on call!]**
**[This dish is called black-bone chicken with cordyceps. Whatâs cordyceps? Is it something thatâs both a worm and a plant? Can it be replaced with synthetic grass? I have a whole lawn of synthetic grass at home.]**
—
Ning Yunyi spotted the comment and chuckled. âCordyceps isnât a plantâitâs a type of medicinal herb, not synthetic grass.â
—
**[Medicinal herb? Wait, could it be the legendary extinctâŚ]**
**[Step aside! I sense a wave of ancient research institute disciples incoming!]**
—
Ning Yunyi ignored the comments and focused on his next dish: red-braised pork.
If he was going to make a hearty meal, red-braised pork was a must.
Besides, he was suddenly craving it himself and wanted to see if adding spiritual energy would enhance the flavor.
He had already cut the pork belly into small cubes. Heating up the pan, he started frying the pork on low heat, rendering out the excess fat until the meat turned a crispy golden brown.
Once the pork was ready, he scooped it out and used the leftover fat to caramelize some sugar, coating the pork in a rich color before adding green onions, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings. After stir-frying for a bit, he poured in a can of beer and began simmering the dish.
While the red-braised pork was cooking, Ning Yunyi prepared two other dishes: minced meat with eggplant and tomato beef rolls.
Both dishes didnât take long to make. By the time they were finished, the red-braised pork was nearly done, and he turned up the heat to reduce the sauce.
As the sauce thickened, each piece of red-braised pork glistened with a rich, glossy red sheen. The meat was tender and jiggly, coated in a sticky, flavorful sauce, with steam rising from the dish.
The live chat had gone silent at some point.
Everyone was staring wide-eyed at the stream, not wanting to miss a single second. They bit their lips, trying to hold back the drool that threatened to spill out.
Even though they couldnât smell it, just watching through the screen, they could almost taste the aroma of the meat.
—
**[This⌠this looks insanely good.]**
**[If I donât get to taste this at least once in my life, Iâll die with regrets.]**
—
As the soft, jiggly red-braised pork was plated, Ning Yunyi sprinkled some freshly chopped green onions on top.
—
**[Iâm done for.]**Â Â
**[Iâm crying, and the tears are coming from my mouth.]**
—
Just as the audience was recovering from the impact of the red-braised pork, Ning Yunyi lifted the lid on the black-bone chicken soup. The broth shimmered brightly, the ingredients blending together in a mouth-watering display that left everyone salivating.
The only thought in everyoneâs mind was: *I want to eat this.*
When all three dishes and the soup were ready, the excitement in the live stream chat reached an all-time high. Everyone was ready to fight for a chance to taste it.
Meanwhile, in a clearing somewhere, a crowd of people, each wearing a wristband, stood in anticipation. These were people Andong had hired at a high price.
Though he felt guilty, he had to try everything he could to make sure Xun Ge could leave with some peace, and that meant assembling as many people as possible to help snag a taste of Ning Yunyiâs cooking. If anyone managed to get a portion, he would compensate them with Starcoins afterward.
âAre you ready?â
âNow, start grabbing!â
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