Ye Sheng stood in the office.
“Homeroom teacher, please give me a little more time. I’ll be able to gather the tuition soon.”
She was an orphan.
Living expenses, including tuition, had to be covered by part-time work.
The poverty subsidy wouldn’t last much longer.
She had no talent for studying. With average grades, she couldn’t qualify for the school’s scholarship.
She was just a little short on tuition. If she had a few more days, she could gather the money and continue her studies.
After graduating from high school, she could find a slightly better job and live a life where she and her sister could eat well, dress warmly, and have a place to stay.
She was struggling… to survive.
The homeroom teacher looked at her gently. She had seen how hard this child worked.
Though she wasn’t a top student in the teacher’s eyes, she was a top student in life.
She didn’t complain about her circumstances but worked hard to climb upward, striving actively for a better life.
The teacher admired people like her.
“How much more do you need? I’ll cover it for you.”
Ye Sheng looked at the kind-hearted homeroom teacher with gratitude.
Ye Sheng walked out of the office, her back straighter than before.
Though there were more bad people than good in the world, light still shone into her life.
School started in three days. She still had three days left.
She checked if there were any daily or hourly jobs available.
Her bicycle stopped in front of a small grocery store.
Ye Sheng stood hesitating, holding a bag of instant braised beef noodles and another of pickled cabbage beef noodles.
After glancing at the pickled cabbage beef noodles, she made up her mind.
“Boss, I’ll pay for this.”
Carrying the braised beef noodles, Ye Sheng rode her bicycle toward the rundown neighborhood.
Low, cramped houses stood side by side. The white walls, stained with the passage of time, had turned slightly yellow, their uneven surfaces revealing the wear of the years.
She parked her bicycle in front of a shabby door, where the door gods on the wooden surface had faded.
“Ye Xiaotian, I’m back.”
“Sister! I missed you so much!”
A small figure rushed out of the room.
Ye Sheng crouched down, ready to embrace her sister.
Just as Ye Xiaotian was about to throw herself into Ye Sheng’s arms, she swerved away from her hands, holding up the braised beef noodles with sparkling eyes.
“Wow! Today it’s my favorite braised beef noodles. I’m so happy!”
Ye Sheng lowered her hands, looking helplessly at her sister clutching the noodles.
Oh well, she was used to it.
She stood up and ruffled Ye Xiaotian’s hair. “I’m going to take a shower. The noodles are up to you. Remember to add plenty of vegetables.”
Ye Xiaotian pouted. “Got it.”
Ye Xiaotian was six years old and came from the same orphanage as her. Since childhood, she had loved following Ye Sheng around, calling her “sister.”
When Ye Sheng left the orphanage at sixteen to live on her own, the four-year-old Ye Xiaotian somehow found her way out of the orphanage and managed to track her down.
Ye Sheng remembered opening the door to find a grimy, skinny little girl standing there, staring at her with accusing eyes.
Her feelings were complicated, but in the end, she took Ye Xiaotian back to the orphanage. She herself was living hand-to-mouth—how could she guarantee a stable life for the child?
A few days later, she saw Ye Xiaotian at her door again. This time, unlike before, the girl was covered in bruises, her stubborn little eyes fixed on Ye Sheng, tears welling up.
It was a silent accusation: Why had she abandoned her?
Ye Sheng’s heart softened.
She was also defeated by her stubbornness.
She spoke to the orphanage director, reassuring her that they would be fine.
Since then, they had lived together.
The memory faded.
Ye Sheng dried her hair with a towel, damp strands falling over her shoulders.
Life had to go on.
She opened her phone and began browsing part-time job listings.
[Ding! Detected a poor soul. Gourmet Livestream System binding in progress. Binding successful.]
[Host, will you accept the mission?]
A mechanical voice rang out in Ye Sheng’s mind.
Who’s speaking?
Poor soul?
Is it talking about her?
Well, she certainly is.
What’s this Gourmet Livestream System?
[Host, will you accept the mission?]
The voice sounded again.
At the same time, an electronic screen appeared before her, displaying two buttons: “Yes” and “No.”
Ye Sheng was shocked, and excitement surged through her.
System!
The kind from novels!
She had a Golden Finger!
Excitedly, she tapped the “Yes” button.
[Mission: Livestream gourmet food—Spicy Chicken Wings. Achieve 20 viewers in the livestream. Reward: One lucky draw.]
[Spicy Chicken Wings have been delivered. Please start the livestream and complete the mission as soon as possible.]
A plate of Spicy Chicken Wings materialized in Ye Sheng’s hands.
Ye Sheng widened her eyes, swallowed her saliva, and stared at the bright red chicken wings coated in chili peppers.
One look and you could tell they were explosively spicy!
Truly worthy of the name Spicy Chicken Wings.
“Sis, come out and eat.”
A small voice called out. Hearing the joy in her sister’s tone, Ye Sheng smiled, picked up the Spicy Chicken Wings, and went out.
“Sis, what’s this?” Ye Xiaotian asked, puzzled.
It looks so spicy!
When did Sis buy this?
She didn’t have it when she came back.
Did it just appear out of thin air?
She was sure Sis hadn’t gone out to buy it midway—Sis would have passed by here if she had, and she hadn’t seen her leave.
For a livestream, you first need a catchy title, something eye-catching to draw people in and make them curious about what it is.
That’s how you attract viewers.
Once they’re in, the goal is achieved. Whether they stay depends on the host’s charisma.
Ye Sheng fiddled with her phone for a moment, opened the livestream, and propped it up with a water cup.
SoundWave Platform, the biggest livestreaming platform right now—that’s where you go to start a livestream.
“Spicy Chicken Wings. Kids can’t eat these.”
She moved the Spicy Chicken Wings in front of the camera.
This was her first livestream. No one was in the room when she started, so she began by eating instant noodles, planning to eat the chicken wings once viewers arrived.
The chicken wings were too spicy. Even though she was from Chongqing, she might not be able to handle them, so she filled her stomach with noodles first.
There were two bowls of instant noodles, mostly filled with vegetables.
She slurped a mouthful of noodles, took a bite of vegetables, and glanced at the livestream to see if anyone had joined.
Ye Xiaotian pouted, picked up some noodles with her chopsticks, and began eating. Her little legs swung under the table, her face full of contentment.
Braised beef noodles really are the best!
For a first-time livestream, the platform gave it a push. Within minutes, viewers started trickling in. Ye Sheng decisively abandoned the noodles and picked up the Spicy Chicken Wings.
“Welcome, everyone, to the livestream. See what this is?”
Ye Sheng grinned, shoving the chicken wings right up to the screen.
“See? These are Spicy Chicken Wings! With this much chili, you can imagine how spicy they are. I’m going to eat one in one bite and put on a little show for you all.”
Without further ado.
Ye Sheng popped a chicken wing into her mouth and performed a one-second deboning for the viewers.
The spiciness exploded in her mouth. Ye Sheng’s face instantly turned red, and she rolled her eyes from the heat.
So spicy! So spicy! So spicy!
This level of spiciness was comparable to ghost pepper powder.
Ye Sheng fought the urge to grab water, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying.
“Those with money, send gifts. Those without, give likes.”
The seven viewers in the livestream spammed “666.”
“This girl is so real. Watching her makes me feel the heat!”
“Host, you’ve turned into a chameleon from the spice. Go drink some water! I’m afraid you’ll be the first host to die from spiciness right on my phone screen!”
“As everyone knows, spiciness is a pain sensation. Don’t drink water—the more you drink, the spicier it gets. Hang in there, streamer!”
“Impressive oral skills!”
“This streamer is really going all out! They’re already rolling their eyes from the spiciness but still holding on. At this rate, they might really meet their great-grandma!”