Sweat beaded on Yalxi's forehead. Ignoring the faint craving clawing at his throat, he hastily opened his Star Brain. As expected, the food livestream he had been watching earlier was still active.
"This fragrant and flavorful Sauerkraut Fish is now complete."
The girl on the livestream page held a spatula, her fair, gentle face wreathed in smiles.
Yalxi couldn't spare her a glance; his gaze was firmly locked onto the pile of golden Sauerkraut Fish heaped on the screen.
Layers upon layers of snowy-white, slightly curled fish fillets were stacked together, drenched in a golden, tangy broth that coated every single piece.
A pair of chopsticks entered the frame and lifted a fillet. The fish trembled twice between the tips as wanton droplets of broth slid down. Just looking at it was a visual feast that made the mouth water.
Not to mention that the livestream page achieved a one-hundred-percent recreation of all sensory details.
Yalxi watched as the snowy-white fish flesh came closer and closer, the aroma growing richer by the second, just on the verge of being tasted—
The screen before him suddenly plunged into pitch darkness. Yalxi raised his head, his face twisted in frustration, but his distorted expression froze into stiffness when he saw the person standing before him.
Cedrian sat at the head of the room, looking coldly down at his subordinate. The detached gaze instantly cooled Yalxi's fevered brain. He lowered his head in shame, muttering, "This subordinate will go take his punishment."
With that, he turned and walked slowly toward the exit.
His lingering, hesitant pace caused Cedrian to look over once more. Yalxi shuddered all over and quickly strode away.
The main command room fell into a heavy silence. Cedrian lowered his gaze to the confiscated Star Brain in his hand, his fingers curling slightly at his side before he tapped the darkened screen.
The image on the display reappeared. The streamer in the video was attempting a novel dish he had never seen before.
Golden broth paired with verdant green and vibrant red vegetable garnishes; the intense clash of visual colors assaulted the eyes, instantly raising anticipation to its absolute peak.
The next second, a piece of snowy-white fish was brought to the streamer's lips. The streamer in the video parted her mouth slightly.
Tender and smooth upon entry, the meat was delicate yet not loose. The moment it touched the tip of her tongue, a sharp, fragrant tartness met a mild heat. Cedrian couldn't help but flinch, but the sensation that followed locked firmly onto his taste buds, seizing every single inch of territory.
Cedrian's pupils constricted slightly. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and a flush gradually spread across his pale skin, making him look as alluring as fine, high-quality jade stained with a faint blush of rouge.
His lips parted involuntarily, his pale mouth gradually turning red, yet he couldn't bear to exit the livestream, letting such a spicy yet tangy flavor slip away from his palate.
Is this really fish?
Seeming to share his exact confusion, viewers in the chat barrage quickly began asking the same question.
Ling Miao looked with a smile at the soaring viewer count in the top right corner. "Friends who don't believe it can scroll back to the beginning to watch the streamer's entire real-time process, oh."
Except for a very few, most people began silently rewinding the footage.
Watching the dark-skinned, giant fish sliced into fillets by a pair of small, fair, delicate hands—completely defying its exterior, the meat inside was snow-white with a blush of pink—everyone felt utterly dazed.
So, this really *is* fish?!
Ling Miao paid no mind to their shock. She scooped up another pot of Sauerkraut Fish straight into a bowl. Outside, Susan poked her head in, practically stretching her entire body through the doorway.
Ling Miao found it somewhat amusing. Having taken just two steps, she suddenly remembered something, the smile freezing on her face as she frantically began poking the System in her mind.
*System, do you have any plain white rice?*
*One bowl of plain white rice costs 3 deliciousness value.*
Damn it!
This murderous skinflint!
Ling Miao swallowed her intense dissatisfaction and maintained her smile: *One deliciousness value.*
The System didn't move.
Watching the distance close in, Ling Miao gripped the tray tighter, her smile twitching faintly at the edges: *Two deliciousness values a bowl. If you aren't willing, I'm quitting too. Find someone else to bind with.*
*Ding ~ Transaction successful.*
A bowl of steaming hot white rice abruptly materialized on the table.
Ling Miao turned around, blocking Susan's line of sight.
As for the livestream, anything Ling Miao didn't wish to broadcast was strictly kept off the channel. This included customers appearing on camera; without their explicit permission, Ling Miao would never allow them to show up in the stream.
The small bowl of white rice looked even whiter against the dark tabletop. The grains were round, plump, distinct, and radiated a glossy sheen.
Drawing closer, one could even catch the fresh fragrance of rice.
As expected of something produced by the System.
Suppressing her inner grievances, Ling Miao placed the rice on the tray and walked toward the door.
Susan watched impatiently as Ling Miao set the tray down before her. The moment Ling Miao stepped back and turned around, Susan snatched up her chopsticks and lunged for the Sauerkraut Fish she had been craving for so long.
A curled-edge fish fillet was neatly pinched between her chopsticks. Wanton drops of broth slid down from it, every single falling droplet serving as the ultimate test of human willpower. Susan hesitated, then gave in, popping the whole thing into her mouth.
A burning heat spread from the tip of her tongue, followed immediately by a raging, fragrant, tangy spiciness. Susan's pupils dilated, and a rosy flush rapidly bloomed across her face. Such a piercingly stimulating flavor was an experience she had never known before—it was like a breathtaking adventure for the tongue.
Even so, she couldn't bear to open her mouth and spit it out. Ling Miao poked her head out to check on Susan and saw her very first customer with a flushed face, an expression that seemed both joyful and sorrowful, somewhat distorted, accompanied by sweat sliding down her forehead.
The scene could truly be described as alarming.
Ling Miao touched her nose, pulled her head back, and felt a twinge of guilt.
Susan was still savoring her first piece of fish. Unlike the fishballs in the hand-beaten fishball noodles—where the light noodles emphasized fragrance, the natural fresh sweetness of the fish, and the primal flavor and texture of the original ingredients—
This Sauerkraut Fish looked completely different on the outside.
The dish possessed intense colors; hues of stark, contrasting visual impact stimulated the ocular cells. True to its appearance, its taste was charged with scorching heat and spice, instantly dragging one back into the sweltering depths of summer.
A fiery burning sensation lingered in her throat, and the spicy, tangy flavor aggressively occupied every single inch of territory, boldly announcing its presence with an attitude that brooked no refusal.
It was Susan's first time trying such a fiery, spicy flavor, but she couldn't deny that she liked this dish. Even while sweating all over, she still couldn't resist raising her hand to grab another piece.
She even thought that being framed by her cousin didn't seem like such a big deal after all...
Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten to eat such delicious food.
Chewing away, Susan managed a distracted thought, though the next second she lost all ability to split her focus.
*Hiss—*
It's so spicy, but so good!
Ling Miao paid no further attention to the commotion outside. She returned to the kitchen. The livestream was still running—this was the real-time character-tracking mode, though similarly, without Ling Miao's permission, the camera had to stay locked in place.
Seeing the streamer return, the viewers in the chatroom wept tears of joy.
[Streamer, you're finally back! I've had enough of this smelling-without-eating torture!]
[First time seeing such a laid-back streamer, just leaving the audience hanging like that? Is that polite?! Unless you hurry up and let me taste some!]
[I'm different. As hungry as I am, where's that guy who swore he'd eat shit if he didn't take a bite earlier?]
[It's whatever, but emmm... that's really gross.]
[Hey upstairs, you're the gross one! You just ruined my appetite.]
...
Ling Miao glanced at the chat barrage. Though she couldn't help a twitch of her lips at that last comment, she couldn't hide her great mood.
Heaven knows, ever since transmigrating, she was finally seeing a glimmer of hope.
If things had kept going like before, she really would have starved to death!
Cedrian watched the streamer. Her petite, delicate appearance gave no hint of the decisive and crisp way she had slaughtered fish earlier, nor did it suggest that a dish overflowing with such intense fragrance could come from her hands.
Seeming to sense his thoughts, his throat began involuntarily secreting saliva once more. A faint burning spice still lingered along the walls of his oral cavity, yet it did nothing to diminish his craving to eat more.
His gaze deepened as his Adam's apple bobbed twice. Seeing that the streamer in the broadcast showed no intention of trying the food herself, his fingers twitched slightly.
Two starships instantly burst into fireworks across the livestream.
Cedrian: "......"
The chatroom exploded into fireworks right along with it.
[Omg omg omg an almighty tycoon has appeared upstairs!]
[My streamer has so much clout!]
[Those two starships must cost at least a million Star Coins, right?!!!]
Ling Miao was likewise stunned by the two starships. Seeing the explanations popping up in the chat, she looked upon them with newfound awe. Then, remembering something, she anxiously asked, "Hello, White Wolf sir, may I ask if you are an adult?"
Interstellar law explicitly stipulated that large-scale donations made by underage children must be fully refunded.
Hearing this question, Cedrian paused silently for a moment, then typed:
White Wolf: [Adult.]
Followed immediately by another line: [Very delicious.]
Ling Miao heaved a sigh of relief and earnestly offered her thanks: "Thank you for the tip, White Wolf sir."
Cedrian pressed his lips together. Watching the streamer earnestly offer her thanks, he felt inexplicably annoyed, then noticed his own user ID and fell into a rare moment of silence.
He had been using Yalxi's account.
Looking at the lively scene in the chatroom, Ling Miao couldn't resist poking the System.
*System, this massive tip is all mine, right?*
The System fell into a rare silence. Glancing at its host whose eyes were glowing with the light of money falling into them, it lazily rolled over: *Mhm, it's all yours.*
Ling Miao mentally flashed a giant victory sign, then asked with a hint of excitement: *If I don't give some kind of response to a tip this huge, wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate? But interstellar logistics take way too long around here—do you have any solutions?*
*I do.*
Ling Miao was pleasantly surprised, but quickly kept her composure: *What are the conditions?*
If it wasn't too expensive, activating it could just be considered a perk for her fans.
She thought about it happily, only to hear the System's cold, merciless mechanical voice the next second—
*Activating the mailing channel requires the host to cover the energy points in full, with eighty percent of the fee charged based on distance and time.*
Sorry to bother you.
Ling Miao pulled a deadpan face and mentally extended a fierce middle finger.
Skinflint!