One crippled leg — what could it possibly feel…
“Okay, okay — I’m massaging, I’m massaging.” Gu Shengsheng immediately put more effort into kneading.
Her fingers were soft yet strong, hitting every pressure point accurately. While massaging, she quietly channeled her spiritual energy into his legs, unblocking meridians and nourishing the tissues.
By the third round of kneading, Shen Wang’s calves finally warmed up.
Gu Shengsheng was breathing a little hard. She looked at him expectantly:
“How does it feel?”
Shen Wang asked coldly in return:
“What could a crippled leg possibly feel?”
Gu Shengsheng refused to give up — she had used up all the spiritual energy she earned today! She pressed his popliteal fossa:
“Do you feel anything here? Here? Here?”
She worked her way down, poking acupoints along his calf. Finally she reached the sole of his right foot:
“Here?”
“You!”
Shen Wang shuddered. His face darkened:
“You’re asking for death.”
Gu Shengsheng looked triumphant. Every day when she carried him to the bathroom, sometimes when she nearly fell under his weight, Shen Wang would briefly press his right foot to the ground to steady himself. Though it was only for a split second, she had noticed — he still had a tiny bit of feeling in his right foot.
Seeing his hand reaching for her, she dodged nimbly:
“Good men don’t hit women!”
“Who told you I’m a good man?”
Shen Wang sneered. His other hand darted out and accurately pinched the back of her neck.
It was almost noon and Madam still hadn’t come down to cook. Sister Li went upstairs to remind her. As soon as she reached the master bedroom door, she heard crying and shouting from inside.
“Shen Wang, I was wrong, I was wrong… wuwuwu… I won’t do it again… it hurts… let go…”
Sister Li’s heart pounded in terror: Sir was having another episode? She’d heard that when Sir lost control in the past, he could kill! What should she do? Madam was such a delicate little girl — who knew how badly she’d be bullied!
Call the police? The thought flashed and died instantly. For a family like the Shens, who would dare interfere? She might even get dragged in herself.
But Madam had been so kind to her — how could she just stand by? Sister Li clutched her apron, pacing anxiously at the door. Finally she gritted her teeth and reached for the handle.
At that moment, Madam’s voice came again:
“Shen Wang, Shen Wang, stop playing… I can’t take it anymore…”
The voice was soft and sticky, breathless and panting. Sister Li’s old face flushed red.
This… she was a married woman — how could she not understand?
In broad daylight! And Sir’s legs were supposed to be useless — how were they…?
Sister Li didn’t dare listen anymore. She tiptoed away quickly.
Gu Shengsheng collapsed onto the bed, laughing so hard she could barely breathe:
“I was really wrong hahaha… it’s so ticklish…”
Shen Wang was extremely vindictive and petty. Just for teasing him a little, he coldly pinned her down and gave her a thorough tickling.
Gu Shengsheng was extremely ticklish. His hot, steady fingers — infused with yang energy — made her tremble all over. She hugged his arm and begged for mercy:
“Hahahahaha I really can’t… Shen Wang, Shen Wang…”
She laughed and cried at the same time, her voice turning milky and childish, panting faster and faster in his ear.
Shen Wang suddenly released her and pushed her away.
Gu Shengsheng rolled to the edge of the bed and grabbed the sheet just in time to keep from falling off. Her stomach hurt from laughing. She crawled back up, still giggling:
“Ouch… what time is it now?”
Shen Wang’s lips pressed into a thin line. His face was so dark it could drip water. One hand yanked the blanket over his waist.
Gu Shengsheng didn’t notice. She hurriedly said:
“It’s time to make lunch. I promised my fans I’d stream today! We’re doing stir-fried shrimp with carrots, chilled celery hearts, and yam soup! Fresh big shrimp arrived today!”
Shen Wang said:
“No carrots.”
Gu Shengsheng replied:
“Okay then — I’ll add celery instead. Gotta go — my fans are probably getting impatient.”
Her last sentence was deliberately dramatic, her imaginary little tail practically pointing to the sky.
Shen Wang rubbed his fingers together, listening to her patter-patter footsteps fade away. He leaned back against the headboard, almost in resignation.
======
“Wangzai Won’t Listen” went live again.
It was lunchtime — many people liked watching food videos while eating. Thanks to those two hundred fireworks, Gu Shengsheng’s viewer count had climbed to over 5,000.
The moment she came online, the barrage started flying.
Gu Shengsheng cut the heads and tails off a bag of large shrimp, slit the backs, deveined them, added a splash of cooking wine, and massaged them evenly to marinate. Her movements were so fast they almost looked like special effects.
[Yu Zi Roll: All martial arts under heaven are invincible except for speed! Sis moves so fast!]
[Eat More Veggies: Shrimp peeled so cleanly and perfectly — stunned]
[Eat Kunpeng?: Kneeling on the keyboard typing 6666666666 with my knees]
Gu Shengsheng washed her hands, picked up a head of mustard greens:
“This is mustard green heart — thick skin, tender flesh, mild flavor. First we peel it.”
Mustard greens have irregular shapes and thick skin — hard to peel. The knife rack held all kinds of fancy tools, but Gu Shengsheng wasn’t used to them. She grabbed a small fruit-paring knife.
[Eat Kunpeng?: Sis, that knife looks super sharp — be careful with your hand!]
[Pry Up the Earth: Host doesn’t know how to cook, right? Peeling needs a peeler]
[Cute Little Strawberry: Just looking at her hands, you can tell she can’t cook]
Some comments worried, some gloated. Gu Shengsheng ignored them. The sharp little knife spun at her fingertips. Thin sheets of peel fell like snow, revealing juicy white-green flesh underneath.
Then she sliced — knife light flashing so fast it dazzled the eyes. Before anyone could react, the knife was down — yet the heart remained whole.
With one wipe of her slender hand, the heart turned into countless thin slices laid out perfectly, so translucent you could see the color of the cutting board beneath. Gu Shengsheng lifted one slice to the camera for a close-up.
Her hand looked almost transparent in the sunlight, fingertips faintly pink.
The barrage exploded:
[Peanut Candy hst: Knife skills 666666]
[Western Fried Chicken Nuggets: Wanted to say it yesterday — hands so beautiful, definitely a little fairy!]
[Eat More Veggies: To everyone saying host can’t cook — face-slapped yet?!]
Gu Shengsheng just smiled. She salted the slices to draw out moisture, drained them, then mixed in soy sauce, minced garlic and green onion, cilantro, and chicken bouillon. She heated a ladle of oil until smoking and poured it over — sizzle — instant fragrance.
She set the chilled dish aside to marinate. The shrimp were ready.
High flame, hot wok, cold oil. She tossed in garlic, ginger, and scallion to bloom the aroma, added the shrimp and stir-fried until they turned pink, then threw in diced celery and wood ear mushrooms. With one hand gripping the wok, she flipped it rapidly several times, seasoned with salt, and plated.
The pink, bouncy shrimp glistened perfectly cooked — timing impeccable.
Another dazzling wok-flip skill sent the barrage into frenzy.
[System Prompt: Eat More Veggies sent 20 bottles of nutrient solution]
[System Prompt: Hua Hua Hua Xi sent one lantern]
[System Prompt: Sui Sui Peace sent 100 bottles of nutrient solution]
The number of gifters rose sharply. Gold-coin sound effects rang nonstop. Gu Shengsheng laughed:
“Thank you everyone. But like I said — you don’t need to send gifts.”
[Eat More Veggies: Nutrient solution is for the Rookie Cultivation event! We’re sending you to debut!]
Gu Shengsheng: ??
She asked what that was.
The barrage immediately explained.
“Rookie Cultivation” was a joint project between Swan Live and Starry Sky Entertainment. Streamers who received nutrient solution could appear on the Rookie Cultivation ranking. The top three would win a role in one of Starry Sky’s upcoming dramas.
Gu Shengsheng wasn’t particularly interested. Besides — she was a brand-new streamer. The nutrient solution she’d received was just a tiny fraction compared to others. There was no way she’d rank high enough.
Other streamers, however, didn’t see it that way. The gap between internet celebrities and the entertainment industry was huge. The industry looked down on streamers, while streamers desperately tried to break in. Starry Sky Entertainment was a giant. Even a minor role in one of their dramas was like gold plating. The moment the event launched, streamers on Swan got fired up — streaming harder and viciously suppressing competitors.
Gu Shengsheng’s first day had already drawn two hundred fireworks. Whether she had backing or pure luck, it put certain people on high alert.
Gu Shengsheng was completely unaware.
She was busy. Three meals a day, streaming seriously, gathering tiny bits of spiritual energy to help Shen Wang heal his legs, and sometimes getting bullied by him — sparring with him in both wits and strength.
Life was hard. Shengsheng sighed.
Worse — Shen Wang’s tastes were getting pickier by the day. Before, he’d occasionally request something and eat whatever she made. Now he ordered three meals a day — eight major Chinese cuisines, Western, Southeast Asian — whatever he felt like.
But none of that stumped Gu Shengsheng. She could glance at a recipe once and recreate it perfectly, even improving the flavor. She treated it like exams — after finishing, she’d excitedly ask Shen Wang to rate it and give her the next challenge.
“Quick, try this — your requested snowflake crab pouch.” Gu Shengsheng held a crab shell to his lips:
“I spent forever picking out the crab meat. My fingers even got pricked.”
Shen Wang’s lips moved.
Sister Li suddenly appeared at the door, anxiously signaling Gu Shengsheng with her eyes. Gu Shengsheng paused, placed the crab shell in Shen Wang’s hand:
“I forgot the clay pot soup is still simmering! Eat first — I’ll go get it!”
She followed Sister Li to the stairwell. Sister Li whispered urgently:
“The madam from the old residence is here!”
Shen Wang’s stepmother? Gu Shengsheng asked curiously:
“What’s she here for?”
Sister Li worried:
“Did Zhou Ma go complain? Her face looks awful — and she brought a whole group! Madam, I think maybe you shouldn’t go down…”
Gu Shengsheng tidied her hair, put on a mask, and said in a gentle tone, “What are you hiding for? We’ll run into each other sooner or later.”