 Chapter 14: Stunning
Ning Yunyi clicked into Xingbo, and before starting the live stream, his attention was caught by the unusually high number of private messages in the background.
This far exceeded the normal amount, causing him to raise an eyebrow. After thinking for a moment, he clicked into the private messages.
Normally, he wouldnât care, but this obvious anomaly suggested something had happened.
Sure enough, the first message he saw was from an official Xingbo staff member named Loren, marked and folded at the top with a red label, who had sent him several messages.
—
Loren: “Mr. Dao, are you there? A sudden post on Xingwang has appeared. Did you see it?”
Loren: “Weâve already contacted the Xingwang administrators to handle it, but since the post was made in the middle of the night, the photos have already leaked. Sorry.”
Loren: “There will likely be a lot of people questioning you during the live stream today. Please be mentally prepared if you see any comments, Mr. Dao.”
—
Loren had been messaging him since the incident but never received a response from Ning Yunyi. At this point, she wasnât sure if the so-called revelations in the post were even true about Mr. Dao.
What if Mr. Dao was too devastated to ever stream again?
After reading the messages, Ning Yunyi frowned deeply. His immediate reaction was to think that Mr. Xu’s people had tracked him down so quickly.
But he quickly dismissed the thoughtâif they really knew, they would have confronted him directly by now.
Clearly, someone was deliberately trying to sabotage him.
—
Zongmen Diyi Dao: “Do you still have the link to the post on Xingwang?”
Loren: “Yes, yes, yes! [Link]”
—
Loren must have been waiting, as she replied almost instantly.
Ning Yunyi clicked into the link. It wasnât the original post, which had already been deleted, but there were many follow-up posts from people questioning the situation, so they couldnât delete everything.
The post Loren sent was one of the latest gossip threads and included screenshots of the original leak.
Ning Yunyi quickly understood the situation. He saw the three photosâit was just as he had suspected. Since they couldnât attack his streamâs content, they had gone after his appearance.
The angles were tricky, but effective.
Especially with one half showing tempting food images and the other half featuring a horrifying face. That wasnât allâthe hands shown in the photos were scarred, making it even more unbearable to look at.
Ning Yunyi had always used Xingbo’s virtual cartoon avatar to avoid being recognized by Mr. Xu and his associates.
The avatar covered everything, including his hands, which appeared as cartoon paws. He had never bothered to customize it, figuring that if he wasnât showing his face, nothing needed to be shown at all.
The person behind the smear campaign clearly wanted to crush him in one move. If he wanted to prove his innocence, he would have to show his face and clarify everything.
The attacker likely assumed that Ning Yunyiâs refusal to show his face, despite his large following, meant he must be unattractive. Even if he did reveal himself, they expected people would still be disappointed.
If he refused to show his face, the mix of truth and lies would greatly affect his streaming success.
And if a new streamer appeared, offering a better presentation of Ancient Blue Star cuisine, it would definitely steal a large portion of his audience.
—
Zongmen Diyi Dao: “The person in those photos isnât me. Can you find out who posted this? Are you guys doing anything about this intentional slander?”
Loren: “We are handling it and trying to track down the poster. But they used a hidden ID, so itâs going to take some time.”
Zongmen Diyi Dao: “If I find out the poster is one of Xingbo’s contracted streamers, will you take action?”
Loren: “??? Mr. Dao, are you sure? If it turns out to be true, we wonât show any leniency. According to the contract, if a streamer makes a serious mistake, theyâll be forced to terminate their contract and pay a massive penalty fee.”
—
Ning Yunyi stared at those last five words, feeling rather pleased.
He was the type to hold grudges.
It was almost time for the live stream. Ning Yunyi exited the private messages and clicked Start Live.
Although he always started his streams on time, the delay caused by reading the messages made him two to three minutes later than usual.
The foodie fans had been anxiously waiting in the live room, worried that the drama had caused him to cancel the stream.
—
[Commenter 1]: “Whew, I was so scared! I thought the streamer wasnât going to stream today.”
[Commenter 2]: “We love the food you make, not your looks. Donât worry about those hateful people!”
[Commenter 3]: “Exactly! The people leaking your private information are shameless!”
[Commenter 4]: “If I find out who they are, Iâll be so mad! What if they drive the streamer away, and I never get to taste the food again?”
[Commenter 5]: “Come on, can you guys really look at that face and those hands? Besides, itâs just mimicking foodâanyone can make it!”
[Commenter 6]: “Get lost, troll!”
—
There were comforting messages, but also trolls trying to stir the pot.
Since the food he sold was in limited supply, only a small number of people managed to get it. Those who hadnât tasted it werenât completely convinced.
Someone named Nick had previously claimed that the strawberry-flavored nutrient supplement was amazing, but when people bought it, they found it wasnât exactly bad, but it wasnât great either.
Ning Yunyi glanced at the comments but didnât rush to respond. Instead, he said calmly, “Iâve seen the post, which is why Iâm a bit late. Iâll only explain this onceâthe person in the photos isnât me.”
After saying that, he opened the transparent floating full-body virtual cartoon avatar. He didnât adjust much, except for the hands.
The person behind the smear campaign had been too eager, making the hands in the photos look hideous.
Who said you need to show your face to prove your innocence? A pair of hands would be enough.
Most of the foodie fans believed his explanation, but the trolls kept pushing, accusing him of being dishonest and a habitual liar.
—
[Troll]: “If youâre ugly, just admit it! Why lie?”
—
But the flood of comments suddenly came to a halt.
The entire comment section went silent.
The viewers were staring at the high-definition image in the live room. The familiar full-body cartoon avatar was still there, but they had always assumed the streamer must be average-lookingâmaybe even unattractive. After all, most popular streamers showed their faces.
But… who said that assumption had to be true?
They stared, dumbfounded, as the cartoon avatarâs hands were adjusted to reveal a pair of flawless, pale, slender hands.
The skin was smooth and radiant like jade, the nails were round and healthy, and the long, slender fingers were perfectly proportioned. They could even see the veins beneath the skin. The impact was astonishing, almost dazzling, as the hands glowed softly against the golden background.
—
[Commenter 7]: “Is it just me, or is someone licking their screen?”
[Commenter 8]: “Where are the trolls now? Do these hands look anything like the ones in the photos?”
[Commenter 9]: “Hehehe, the smart ones are already taking screenshots.”
[Commenter 10]: “OMG, I came here for the food, but now I declare myself a hand fan!”
[Commenter 11]: “Haha, the person behind the smear campaign must be crying now. If they hadnât posted that, we wouldâve only been fans of the food. Now weâre fans of the food *and* the hands!”
[Commenter 12]: “Warning! A wave of hand fans is incoming!”
[Commenter 13]: “This is too hard. It was already tough competing for the food, and now we have to compete to see the hands too?”
—
Ning Yunyi moved the comment section to the side and didnât explain further. He had already shown his hands, catching the person behind the smear campaign off guard. They probably never expected his hands alone to have such a strong impact.
Once the situation had calmed down, Ning Yunyi got back to the main topic.
“Today, our first dish is ribs, but weâll be making them differentlyâsweet and sour ribs.”
As he spoke, Ning Yunyi placed the pre-cut ribs into cold water to blanch them. After cleaning them, he reheated the pan and started frying the sugar to caramelize it.
The viewers were already accustomed to watching the transformation of caramelized sugar. From this point on, many of them were glued to the screen.
Just watching it felt like a visual feast, not to mention this time they got to see the streamerâs hands as well.
It was mouthwatering.
They were so focused that the comments slowed down. Everyone was secretly watching, their eyes glued to the screen, unable to look away, let alone type anything.
—
Loren had gone to the research department to check on a project and, when she finally had some free time, clicked into the live stream, only to find it strangely quiet.
She was startled, thinking the stream had lost viewers because of the controversy. But a quick glance at the top of the screen showed over 200,000 viewersâhigher than usual.
The next moment, as the streamer turned back to the camera, Loren saw a pair of flawless, jade-like hands gently holding a large bowl of blanched ribs and pouring them into the pan.
As the sizzling sound of caramelizing ribs filled the air, Loren found herself captivated by those hands. They were simply perfect, smooth and elegant, as if they belonged to someone who had lived a life of luxury.
Loren blinked, making sure she wasnât seeing things. Yes, the cartoon avatar was still there, but those handsâthere was no comparison between them and the ones in the leaked photos. Just from the hands alone, it was clear Ning Yunyi came from a noble background, someone who had been pampered all his life.
Her heart skipped a beat. She realized that this smear campaign might actually boost his popularity even further.
The person behind this attack had badly miscalculated.
Meanwhile, Ning Yunyi continued his work methodically. Once the ribs were evenly coated with caramel, he added spices like bay leaves and star anise. To avoid revealing too much, he had ground the spices into powder. He stirred them in, then lowered the heat to let the flavors soak in, while preparing the sweet and sour sauce.
One hand held a small porcelain bowl, while the other hand gracefully spooned ingredients from various bowls, his movements fluid and mesmerizing.
As the sweet and sour sauce was poured into the pan, releasing a fragrant aroma, and water was added for simmering, the viewers finally took a breath.
The comments exploded once again.
—
[Commenter 14]: “Hehehe, I want to…”
[Commenter 15]: “The person above, you donât want anything! Let me handle this. (Pushes aside, throws them off the screen, now itâs my turn to think!)”
[Commenter 16]: “I want to be the little bowl in the streamerâs hands.”
[Commenter 17]: “Shameless! You guys have no honor!”
[Commenter 18]: “Honor? Whatâs that? Iâll gladly wear a mech suit on my face if the streamer likes mechs. Iâll be your mech dog!”
—
Ning Yunyi didnât see these comments; he had already started preparing the second dish, Dapan Chicken.
It was a hearty dish that filled the stomach and saved time.
After all, he had a large injured cat at home that needed plenty of nutrition.
He had already chopped two fat chickens, filling a large pot, and placed them aside after blanching.
Ning Yunyi reheated the pan, and once the oil was hot, added peppercorns and star anise. He then took out a bowl of Doubanjiang (a special fermented bean paste).
Dapan Chicken wouldnât be complete without it.
As the thick, red paste sizzled in the oil, releasing its fragrance, the viewers were once again drawn back to their screens, licking their lips.
—
[Commenter 19]: “Wait, whatâs that red stuff? It looks like a lot of ingredients in there. What is it?”
—
Ning Yunyi glanced at the comment and replied, “Itâs Doubanjiang, a special type of sauce.”
Once the red oil had been released from the paste, he poured the blanched chicken pieces into the pan.
The sizzling sound filled the room as the plain chicken absorbed the rich, red sauce, the aromatic scent spreading throughout the living room. The massive cat in the cage nearby was so enticed by the smell that it wanted to claw its way closer.
How could something smell so good? It was too irresistible.
The same thought crossed the mind of the little kitten crouched just out of the cameraâs view. It pressed itself tightly against the door frame, its tiny head poking through the crack, inhaling the rich aroma from the kitchen.
The little head grew dizzier, its newly fattened cheeks squished against the door, but it continued pressing in, its big green eyes staring longingly without blinking.
—
[Commenter 20]: “Doubanjiang? What are beans? And whatâs sauce?”
[Commenter 21]: “@Ancient Research Institute Senior Brother Luke, time for you to explain!”
[Commenter 22]: “You think I havenât been silent for a reason? I donât know either, sob sob sob.”
—
A golden comment scrolled by, and it was another day of Senior Brother Luke breaking character.
Ning Yunyi was now simmering the chicken in beer. After covering the pot, he glanced at the comments and said, “Doubanjiang? The main ingredients are broad beans and soybeans. Of course, these are simulated.”
—
[Commenter 23]: “Streamer, do you think we believe you?”
[Commenter 24]: “Broad beans: rare botanical plants from Ancient Blue Star! I know this! Our research institute has managed to cultivate a few! The professor was over the moon, finally something we have.”
—
Just as Lukeâs excited golden comment flashed by, the third dish, Asparagus Stir-fried with Eggs and Shrimp, appeared on the screen, leaving the entire live stream audience dumbfounded: ???
After a long pause, a lone golden comment cautiously scrolled past, the hesitation evident in every word:
—
[Commenter 25]: “Streamer, donât tell me that this bouncy, white and red thing is an extinct crustacean from Ancient Blue Starâshrimp???”
—
[Commenter 26]: “Shrimp? Whatâs that? Looks bouncy… has anyone tasted it? @Luke?”
[Commenter 27]: “Donât ask me! Iâm busy consoling the professor. He fainted again!”
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