Chapter 23: Rebellion
Ning Yunyi scooped the little one up in his arms, pressing their foreheads together. “How long has it been since you last saw father?”
Nestled in his embrace, Ning Xiaomiaoâs ears flushed red. Hearing this, he earnestly began counting on his small fingers.
It had been since last night, all through the night, and most of the morningâa very long time indeed.
Ning Yunyi chuckled at his son’s serious expression, holding him with one arm as he descended the stairs. When they reached the bottom, he casually ruffled the big cat’s head with his free hand.
The big cat, which had been lying down, stood up and followed Ning Yunyi closely.
It sniffed the air, detecting no scent of injury, then circled around once before lying back down.
After spending time together over the past few days, the big cat had come to understand Ning Yunyiâs routine. Yesterday, however, he had locked himself in the study right after a simple dinner, without following his usual pattern.
Even this morning, he hadnât shown up, which was very unusual.
The big catâs spiritual power was sealed and unable to probe what was happening upstairs, leaving it worried that something might have gone wrong.
Although Xiaomiao knew his father was busy with something, his inability to see him left him not only longing but also anxious and concerned.
Thus, early in the morning, one person and one cat had stationed themselves downstairs, waiting.
Now that they saw Ning Yunyi, the big cat relaxed, returning to its usual aloof demeanorâalthough, truth be told, it had already cracked when it almost rushed over earlier.
Ning Yunyi was in a good mood, and since it was almost lunchtime, he took out some food from his spatial storage. He and Ning Xiaomiao quickly ate a simple meal. As for the big cat, it got a bowl of cat food and half a bowl of milk.
The big cat sniffed the food. Although it wasnât particularly fond of it, it still cleaned the bowl.
Only then did Ning Yunyi take out a deck of cards with ten dishes written on them. Glancing at Ning Xiaomiao, who was obediently covering his eyes and not peeking, he said, “You can open your eyes now. We didnât eat well last night, so today weâll have a good meal. Each of us will pick one dish. You go first, little one.”
The little guy, not expecting to have a say in the matter, lit up with curiosity. His bright green eyes sparkled as he cautiously reached out his small hand and hovered over the cards his father had laid out. After some hesitation, he carefully selected one.
Ning Yunyi, amused by his sonâs serious demeanor, took the card and glanced at it. “Oh, not badâChestnut and Mushroom Stewed Chicken.”
Hearing the praise, Ning Xiaomiao couldnât hold back his smile, dimples appearing on his cheeks. Ning Yunyi couldnât resist pinching his sonâs face again.
The big cat, watching this scene unfold from not far away, was enthralled.
After Ning Yunyi drew his own cardâSoy-braised Pork Trottersâhe waved to the big cat. “Come here, let our eldest also pick a card.”
The big cat hesitated for a moment, surprised: It could pick too?
Ning Yunyi read its expression. “Arenât you a part of the family too? If you donât pick, Iâll do it for you.”
At that, the big cat quickly darted forward, snatching a card with its mouth before Ning Yunyi could take the chance.
Ning Yunyi raised an eyebrow as he looked at the large head on the table and the card it had dropped. Did it really think he wouldnât give it a chance? Was that necessary?
Flipping the card over, he laughed. “Steamed Fish Head with Diced Hot Peppersâout of ten cards, only one was spicy, and you managed to pick it.”
The big cat had tried spicy food previously and could clearly handle it.
Ning Yunyi gathered the cards. “Since we already have fish head, letâs add one more dishâFish Fillet with Pickled Vegetables.”
As for soup, they wouldnât make any today. Freshly squeezed orange juice would do.
Steamed Fish Head with Diced Hot Peppers and rice were a perfect pairing.
Ning Yunyiâs mouth watered as he started the preparations.
The big cat and Ning Xiaomiao exchanged glances and couldnât help but swallow as they drooled over just the thought of the dishes.
When Ning Yunyi entered his *Star Stream* live stream room on time, he greeted everyone before glancing at the number of people online, which surprised him.
Yesterday, the viewers had been around 300,000, but today, just as he started, it had already soared to 400,000.
[Ahh, the streamer is finally here! I was so worried youâd stop streaming after getting a collaboration deal!]
[Thank the heavens! My spiritual sustenance is still here!]
[Streamer, streamer! I heard this is your last broadcast, and after this, youâll be working with the An family to develop flavored nutritional supplements. Is that true? Please donât stop!]
Ning Yunyi paused as he adjusted his setup: “Who said this is my last stream?”
“And working with the An family? How come I didnât know about that?”
[Oh, itâs not true? Thank goodness!]
[Who spread that nonsense? I cried all night and my eyes are still swollen. Now my colleagues think I got dumped. My reputation is ruined.]
[@An Dong, come out! Explain why you spread false info! Now weâre all confused.]
Ning Yunyi scrolled through the chat and finally understood what had happened. Yesterday, An Dong had tipped him generously and scattered 100,000 star coins in the live room.
[I didnât say our An family was going to collaborate! Weâre a business, but we arenât a shady, monopolistic one.]
Seeing An Dong himself appear, the crowd became even more excited.
[Then why did you scatter star coins?] 100,000 star coinsâitâs no wonder people misunderstood.
[Haha, I felt guilty! I hired people to grab extra portions yesterday because I was craving the food. So, I made up for the ones I took.]
He couldnât very well admit he had bought the food for Brother Xun, so he had to take the blame himself.
Besides, it was true that he had hired people and taken the portions.
[So, it was you!! No wonder I missed out yesterday. I thought my luck had finally run out after always grabbing something before!]
[Wait, really? Are you that lucky?]
[Hey, you up there, add me as a friend! Weâre basically soulmates now. Letâs develop our friendship!]
After clearing up the misunderstanding, Ning Yunyi ignored the rest of the chat and started the dayâs stream.
“Todayâs first dish is Steamed Fish Head with Diced Hot Peppers.”
The moment he brought out the fish head, the live chat fell silent.
Ning Yunyi placed the fish head on the cutting board. With a flash of his knife, the large fish head was sliced open along the back.
After cleaning it thoroughly, he made shallow cuts on its surface, washed off the blood, and began marinating it with white wine and various ground spices.
While the fish was marinating, he laid out thin slices of ginger on a clean plate.
He then heated oil in a pan. Once it was hot, he threw in minced ginger, garlic, and chili to stir-fry. After a moment, he added fermented black beans, along with steamed fish soy sauce, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce. As the color deepened, a rich, mouth-watering aroma filled the air, tantalizing everyone.
The entire live stream collectively swallowed hard.
Ning Yunyi placed the marinated fish head on the ginger-lined plate and spread the freshly stir-fried ingredients over the top.
The once plain-looking fish head was immediately transformed into a vibrant, colorful dish, stunningly beautiful.
After finishing the preparations, he placed the fish head in a steamer.
Meanwhile, he moved on to the second dish, Chestnut and Mushroom Stewed Chicken.
Once all the ingredients were in the pot and simmering, the fish was nearly done steaming. He let it sit covered for a bit, then heated oil in a pan again. Once hot, he poured it over the steamed fish head that had been sprinkled with fresh green onions.
The sizzling sound echoed loudly as the oil hit the fish, releasing an explosion of fragrant steam. Even through the screen, one could almost taste the incredible flavor.
Tangy, spicy, and fragrantâit was overwhelming. The viewers were practically salivating, knowing they could never actually taste it.
But this was just the beginning. Once the Soy-braised Pork Trotters and Fish Fillet with Pickled Vegetables made their appearance, the audience was completely captivated.
They watched, mesmerized, as Ning Yunyiâs long, delicate fingers deftly sliced the fish fillets in one swift motion.
Some viewers were stuck with their usual bland nutritional supplements, while others dreamed of the rich flavors of soy-braised pork trotters, chestnut-stewed chicken, and the tantalizing spice of the steamed fish head.
Finally, when the last dish was plated, the viewers, who had been in a daze, suddenly snapped to attention.
It was time. Not even their own parents could stop them from trying to grab a portion of that taste!
An Dong, staring at the notification on his screen, bit his lip in frustration as he failed to grab a portion. His heart pounded with anxiety.
He believed in Ning Yunyi, but what if he had gotten too busy and forgotten about yesterdayâs promise?
After all, he hadnât heard of any private upload feature on *Star Stream*.
As he brooded, the portions were gone in half a second, and Ning Yunyi cheerfully said, “See you tomorrow!” before the stream faded to black.
Exiting the stream, An Dong opened his private messages to Ning Yunyi.
Should he ask? Or not?
Just then, his wristband blinked, and he stared as his screen flashed unexpectedly. Without any input from him, his *Star Stream* interface changed, and a small, bouncing cat-shaped cursor appeared.
Before An Dong could react, four clickable numbersâ1, 2, 3, and 4âpopped up on his screen.
He was about to ask what it meant when another message arrived: [Click].
Without hesitation, An Dong clicked them all.
Suddenly, four notifications appeared on his interface.
Before he could process what had happened, the chat window disappeared, as if nothing had ever been there.
An Dong rubbed his eyesâhad he been dreaming?
But when he opened the notifications, he shot upright in his chair. Holy crap, when did he get four portions of the food he had missed out on?!
Meanwhile, Ning Yunyi, unconcerned with An Dongâs shock, turned off his wristband and glanced toward the kitchen door.
At some point, the door had cracked open.
Peeking out from the lower part was Ning Xiaomiaoâs little head, his wide eyes filled with excitement.
Above him was the big catâs head, trying to squeeze through the narrow opening. One large ear was sticking out, and its golden eyes were staring intently inside.
Ning Yunyi couldnât help but laugh at the two eager cats. “Alright, time to eat. Xiaomiao, set the table. Big cat, go fetch your bowl.”
As soon as he spoke, both the big cat and the little one sprang into action, moving in perfect sync and obediently following orders.
Soon, the two of them sat at the dining table, while the big cat squatted beside Ning Yunyiâs chair. In front of the big cat were two large bowls.
Ning Yunyi served half of the steamed fish head over rice, along with some chestnut mushroom stewed chicken and pickled fish. Finally, he ladled some soy-braised pork trotters on top.
The bowl was filled to the brim, with the pork trotters jiggling as they sat atop the rice.
The second bowl, usually reserved for soup, was only half-filled with freshly squeezed orange juice this time.
Ning Xiaomiao also had a cup. Curious, he took a sip and was instantly conquered by the rich, sweet-sour taste.
Ning Yunyi didnât dare let Xiaomiao eat too much spice, so he pushed aside the chili and picked a piece of well-seasoned fish cheek for him. Then, they started their meal.
Almost simultaneously, Ning Yunyi and the big cat buried their faces in their food, unwilling to stop.
The meal was utterly satisfying. The big cat kept eating despite the occasional spicy sting, not lifting its head once.
The steamed fish head was a flavor it had never tasted before, and its unique combination of spices left the big cat craving more.
Hearing the big catâs heavy breathing, Ning Yunyi, curious, glanced over. Though he had checked earlier to make sure everything was fine, he still got up and walked around to the front of the big cat.
Squatting down in front of it, he flicked the tip of its ear. “Youâre not seriously overwhelmed by the spice, are you?”
The big cat raised its head, and although it didnât seem to be suffering from the spice, it wore a rare look of contentment. However, its gray eyes seemed slightly darker than usualâwas it just his imagination?
Just as Ning Yunyi was about to take a closer look, the big cat suddenly turned its gaze toward the door, alert.
In the next instant, it pounced on Ning Yunyi, pinning him down protectively, its beastly eyes sharp as they stared at the door.
At the same time, the alarm at the entrance began to blare.
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