The Doudou Live app has undergone a major transformation recently.
A livestream room called “Cubs Love to Eat” has emerged out of nowhere. In just a few days, it broke through the newcomer rankings at a staggering speed, entering the top ten of the overall popular livestream charts. Its follower count is skyrocketing, and it is being recommended across various sections of the software. Advertisements for it have even appeared on the Little Green Potato app.
“Hello, good evening, everyone!”
A young male waved his hand and gave a greeting. This evening, the “Cubs” room successfully climbed to third place on the popular rankings. The host, Youyou, had broken into the top ten most beautiful male streamers thanks to his exceptionally youthful and delicate appearance. Curious passersby almost crashed the medium-sized livestream room, forcing the website to temporarily move Youyou to a new server.
Still, it could not withstand the passion of the fans.
[Another Day Loving Youyou]: Ah, Youyou! Kisses, mua! My little cutie, my sweetheart!
[Online Dad, Learning to Cook to Change Fate]: What are you cooking today, streamer? That tomato and egg stir-fry from last time was pretty good.
[Cravings for One Insect]: So hungry, so hungry. I want to eat, eat, eat.
Youyou smiled. “Today we are making fresh sliced meat porridge. The ingredients are very rare. We are using beetle meat.”
Campis stared at this young male for quite a while. Why did something feel off? The tone of voice, the outfit, and the home decor were all very similar to a certain someone.
Campis looked doubtfully at the small iron pot bubbling with steam. “Beetle meat” flashed through his mind, leaving a trace, but it was not a deep impression. Is beetle meat that popular now?
Campis thought to himself, and his favorable impression of Lu Qing deepened. Did this not prove that the method of making porridge with beetle meat was correct? That was why another streamer was using it too.
Campis did not think too much about it. He was not an insect who liked scheming; being straightforward was his nature. The young male was fair and tender, and his lovely smile made one’s fatigue vanish. If it were before, he might have made a few sarcastic remarks, mocking the young male for being unable to lift or carry anything, suggesting he stay home and be raised by a female.
He used to be like a bully. While he liked males who were as delicate as white jade tofu, he also wanted to bully them until they cried. Now, Campis scratched his head, a flush creeping onto his skin. A hero does not mention past “bravery.” It is over; that is all in the past.
There was nothing wrong with a male living his life seriously. If he watched livestreams with the intent to humiliate males, would he not be just as disgusting as those males who enjoyed toying with females for fun? Campis gifted a small spaceship and quietly left. Naturally, he did not tell Lu Qing about this. There are so many streamers in the world; it is not uncommon to run into the same style. That was all.
The next day, the insect-snake livestream received a warm response. Lu Qing’s followers surged by over three hundred, and his promotion value rose above 500, activating the first page of Challenge Mode.
[First Page Challenge Mode Activated] [Ding-dong] [Exploration Quest Triggered]
As soon as Lu Qing ended the stream, he heard a crisp chime. He put down the pot he was washing in the sink and watched as the small Book expanded slightly in response to the chime. If the Book was palm-sized before, it was now 1.5 times the size of a palm. Its thin, toothpick-like claws had gained a bit of flesh.
The Book automatically lay down on a flat table, spreading its limbs wide. “Finally, Challenge Mode! I thought it would take much longer.”
The Book pointed to its open belly. “Lu Qing, flip it open. That grass we picked at the campus gate will finally be useful!”
Lu Qing wiped the water from his hands, walked over slowly, and leaned over to open the first page of the Book on the table. Every time he touched the Book, the pages felt dry, like withered grass. This time, the prickly roughness of the first page transformed into a soft paper surface, giving his skin a wonderful sensation. It was smooth and slightly elastic.
The Book was spread open to two sides. The right side was blank, but shallow marks from writing and disorganized scratches could be seen on it. The paper was no longer the earthy yellow of the previous page; it was now white.
[Monitoring that Host has reached the minimum promotion value for First Page Challenge Mode] [Current Medicinal Meal Required: Fluorescent Grass Stewed with Ginseng-Fish] [Required Materials: Fluorescent Grass, Wild Ginseng-Fish, Eggs, Salt… (Expand)] [Challenge Tasks:]
Successfully prepare a bowl of delicious “Fluorescent Grass Stewed with Ginseng-Fish” medicinal meal.
Use the medicinal meal to treat a target suffering from a disease.
Receive sincere gratitude from the target.
[Rewards:]
Completing at least one challenge task can unlock the next advanced medicinal meal.
Completing all challenge tasks grants a Newbie Ingredient Gift Pack.
The words appeared slowly on the white page, filling the entire sheet. This time, the cooking steps for the Fluorescent Grass Stewed with Ginseng-Fish did not appear. Only the materials and tasks remained, relying entirely on Lu Qing to figure out how to handle the dish.
Lu Qing thought for a moment, turned to change into moisture-proof clothes, put on long boots, took a bucket, and headed out. The Book was still lying on the table and did not react in time. Lu Qing moved quickly, leaving as soon as he made his decision. The Book thought he was going to ponder the recipe more; in a blink, his shadow was gone.
The Book suddenly sat up in shock. “Do not be in such a hurry, Lu Qing! Wait for me!” It hurriedly flew after him.
Wild Ginseng-Fish mostly inhabit places like lakes and ponds. They especially love the countryside with its muddy soil. There are tiny aquatic organisms and minerals in the soil that they need. Stewing the meat makes for an extremely delicious delicacy.
However, the deliciousness is limited to the soup and meat; the Ginseng-Fish itself is a dry and shriveled creature. Lu Qing’s grandfather, however, loved eating Ginseng-Fish. He would always wrap the fish in mud to roast it, then put it in a pot to stew until it was tender.
Perhaps because Ginseng-Fish naturally like to swim near muddy waters, they become more flavorful after being wrapped in mud and roasted. This process enhances the fish’s natural freshness and can stimulate or even suppress other ingredients paired with it. Ginseng-Fish stew, Ginseng-Fish with seafood, Ginseng-Fish with eggs, through his grandfather’s wonderful cooking methods, the Ginseng-Fish became the protagonist of a dish rather than a side note.
When his grandfather was still alive, Lu Qing would always help out in the house. If anyone could write down his grandfather’s recipes word for word without missing a single one, it would likely be Lu Qing himself.
The Book had grown a size larger but was still silly, dazed as it followed Chef Lu to a dilapidated village. “How can such a prosperous planet have such a broken place?” The Book darted around, extremely curious. Staying with Lu Qing, it had never seen a village like this.
The road was a rugged, winding path, uneven and tilting in all directions. There were gravel and sand particles, large and small, setting traps on the soft, wet road. Stepping on a sharp stone could easily rip a significant gash and cause bleeding. Lu Qing, however, was very familiar with this terrain and walked quickly and easily.
The weather was poor, with the faint threat of rain. The Book looked at the layers of ruined tile houses and walls with holes that had never been repaired, feeling even more confused. Moss, something not seen for decades, crawled up the damp walls. Its slippery texture did not give an insect a desire to touch it a second time.
So, why come here? A small, broken place in the middle of a prosperous main star system that took so long to reach and seemingly had nothing. The Book was puzzled, but it did not speak; Lu Qing always had his reasons. Could there be some ingredient here?
“Who are you?”
A coarse voice, like sandpaper, rubbed through the air. In the distance, a sturdy female carrying a long staff stepped out from behind a ruined house. He was bare-chested and looked unkindly at Lu Qing, who was lightly dressed. He tossed the staff into the air and thrust it into the muddy, dirty ground, poking a hole the size of the staff’s base.
“Catching Ginseng-Fish?”
The Book heard the sturdy female say this, and his expression darkened immediately after the words fell, as if he were looking at an enemy who had killed his brother or father.
The Book was startled. “Did we do something bad like murder or arson?” No, this was the first meeting.
Lu Qing shook his head; they had not. Catching Ginseng-Fish was permitted in this village, as long as certain small requirements were met. Sometimes it was bartering, and sometimes it was providing free labor.
“Get lost, you disgusting males,” the sturdy female shouted angrily. “I know what you want to do. Destroy the village? Buy the pond? Murder and arson?”
“Truly disgusting!” The female took several steps forward, pointing a finger at Lu Qing’s nose, his voice urgent and his face flushed red. “Get out of here, if you do not want to have another leg broken!”
The Book was even more anxious than the large female. “What? I do not understand! Can you explain it clearly? Do not be a riddle-bug.”
“Who wants to buy the village?” Lu Qing’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Ha, what are you playing dumb for?” The female sneered, his hand gripping the staff beginning to tremble. “Setting fire to our homes, stealing the Ginseng-Fish we were going to sell, and calling thugs to beat the children and elderly while we were away… you all deserve to die!”
The female swung the staff with bloodshot eyes. The Book screamed, but Lu Qing’s expression did not change. At that moment, a chocolate-colored long arm reached out and caught the staff. The staff struck the webbing of the hand, making a crisp cracking sound.
However, it was not the muscle of the hand that cracked. It was the staff. With a snap, a crack opened downward from the part that was hit. The crack grew larger until it spread around the staff, and it snapped in two.
“Big… Big Brother,” the female stammered toward the arm. The wooden staff he was holding fell to the ground with a thud.
“That is enough.”
A person with a buzz cut stepped out from behind the sturdy female. He wore a thin tank top on his upper body and loose cargo pants hanging precariously on his hips. One hand was in his pocket, and he had just withdrawn the other to scratch his neck.
“Hey, kid.”
The tall female who stepped out stroked the base of his neck and let out a long yawn, looking quite exhausted. “Let’s make a deal. We will act as if today’s events never happened and just move past everything. I will go back to sleep, and you go do whatever you were doing. How about that?”
The female spoke leisurely, his voice slow and calm. Lu Qing nodded. “Fine.”
“Then if there is no problem, go back. Do not say anything more; I am exhausted.” The tall female yawned again. He seemed to have an endless supply of yawns, twisting his neck as he turned to walk back toward the inner room.
At that moment, Lu Qing shook his head. “I cannot go back; the Ginseng-Fish has not been caught yet.”
The tall female’s footsteps came to a sudden halt. Time seemed to freeze. The tall female turned his head, squinting his eyes as he stared into Lu Qing’s. A dark scar crossed his upper brow bone, pierced through his eyelid, and cut through the soft flesh down to his lower eyelid, looking hideous and terrifying.
He looked like a lone wolf that had been blinded by a hunter. Extremely dangerous.