The ingredients, blanched in hot water, had soaked up the broth; the seafood mushrooms were plump and firm, looking incredibly appetizing. Thin slices of spring bamboo shoots swayed back and forth with the bubbling heat. The broth, a milky color with a subtle hint of sauce, had returned the bamboo shoots and mushrooms to their original hues upon closer inspection.
Before the viewers in the live stream could even type a comment, they were struck speechless by the visual feast before them.
"So fragrant—"
*Slurp*—"It looks so delicious!!!"
It wasn't clear who regained their senses first, but the live stream was soon flooded with flashy, high-tech animated comments. Amidst the dazzling display, Ling Miao managed to catch a few messages:
【Host, my dearest host, give me a bite, quick, quick, quick!!!】
【Get out of the way! Host, look at me! I have money and I’m good-looking. Can you send me a small portion?!】
【Holy crap, look at you, dreaming in broad daylight?!】
...
Scattered messages, almost all pleading for a taste. Ling Miao pursed her lips and smiled, gazing at the stream with gentle eyes as she chirped, "Not yet, everyone. It hasn't reached the optimal tasting stage."
Damn it!
The host had such a sweet smile; how could she be so cold-hearted?
【Host, is that really something your 36.8-degree mouth is saying?】
【I’m giving you one chance: take that back right now!!!】
Ling Miao watched the comments and smiled, simply refusing to say anything else. The viewers felt even more stifled watching her grin. How could there be a host who cared so little about her fans? Didn't she know she was going to lose them like this? No love left!
She added the diced tender tofu and fava beans into the pot. The white, wobbling squares rose and fell with the boiling broth, punctuated by the bright green of the beans.
Inside the clay pot, the interplay of colors was soft and aesthetic. It was a feast for the eyes that stimulated every sensory cell, with ribbons of aroma pulling at everyone's nerves.
The next second—everything went black.
The viewers: "???"
Where did my massive pot of food go? Is it too much to ask to just watch if I can’t eat it???
A slender hand slowly moved away from the black screen, and the black interface expanded—it was a pot lid.
Everyone: "......"
"Host, do you know you’re going to lose us doing things like this?"
Ling Miao was unaware of their thoughts. She kept a close eye on the heat, feeling a bit puzzled by the sudden silence in the stream. "Is everyone still there?"
*Heh.* Could the host please lift the lid when she asks that? We could still be friends!
Seeming to realize the reason, Ling Miao raised an eyebrow. "Is there anything you’d all like to eat? You can choose the menu for the next stream."
As soon as these words were out, those who had been lurking suddenly became active.
【Me, me, me! I want to eat meat next time!】
【Star Supermarket just got a new ingredient. According to ancient texts, it's called a 'crab'? I’ve never eaten that before.】
【That's a bit hardcore, isn't it? Before those were stocked at Star Supermarket, they were everywhere in the water. I don't get what's so good about a crustacean.】
...
The comments were a flurry of heated debate. Ling Miao gathered a lot of information, but looking back and forth, the arguments yielded no consensus. She propped her chin on her hand and picked one at random. "Let’s go with meat, then."
Hearing the host’s decision, the comments settled down. Ding Yien, watching the calmed stream, remembered the doctor's warnings from two days ago and gathered the courage to post:
【I've been feeling a bit inflamed and my stomach hasn't been great lately. Could we have something light?】
"No problem!"
Before anyone could tease him, the host agreed immediately. The rest of the viewers began to wail. Ding Yien grinned from ear to ear, patting himself on the back for striking first.
*Like.jpg*
Regretting their hesitation were Xiong Yichen and his younger sister. The girl frowned, two semi-circular black ears popping up on top of her head. They were thick, glossy, and so soft that one couldn't help but want to rub them.
"Brother, this is all your fault!"
Xiong Yichen felt guilty. Faced with his sister's gaze, he instinctively shrank back, but then remembered something and straightened up to argue back loudly: "Don't you dare blame me! You were drooling just as much as I was!"
Xiong Yixi refused to be outdone and glared back. "I’m younger than you, I didn't react in time! You’re the big brother, how can you blame your little sister!"
"Hmph!"
The two exchanged looks and turned their heads away. Xiong Yichen smelled the aroma wafting from the stream; the white steam seemed to drift right through the screen and into his nose.
So fragrant. *Slurp.*
The aroma from the slow-simmering pot grew richer, the white steam almost solidifying. No one in the stream spoke; it was completely silent. Newcomers didn't even have time to be confused before they were dizzy from the fragrance.
What is that smell? That question popped into everyone's mind simultaneously.
Ling Miao tracked the time. As the white steam rising from the black lid grew thicker and carried an intensely fresh fragrance, she lifted the lid and poured in the river shrimp she had prepared.
Everyone: "!!!!"
【Wait, why are you putting those in? May I ask???】
【Host, what are you doing?】
【Questioning because I don't know: is this a food stream or a 'curiosity' stream?】
A storm erupted in the comments. Those who had been intoxicated and those who had just arrived were now all wailing in unison.
Ling Miao ignored the ruckus. She took her chopsticks and carefully stirred the river shrimp. The thumb-sized shrimp were soaked by the piping hot broth, turning a striking red in an instant.
Inside the black clay pot, the white, tender tofu, emerald fava beans, spring bamboo slices, and plump seafood mushrooms were coated in a rich brown broth, accented by the red shrimp—a true visual feast.
The stream went silent. After a long while, someone hesitantly typed:
【Guys, why do I think it looks... kind of good?】
【I also think it smells kind of good???】
【I suspect something is wrong with my sense of smell, why do I think it smells delicious too?】
They had assumed the dish would be ruined by the shrimp, but the scent hadn't changed in the slightest. If anything, after adding the shrimp, the long, rich aroma now carried an extra note of freshness. They couldn't put their finger on it, but their noses didn't lie; the fragrance proved that the pot hadn't been ruined—it seemed to have gotten even better.
Still, some didn't believe it, insisting it only looked good on the surface and wouldn't taste right.
Ling Miao ignored these comments. She picked up a large ladle, scooped up a portion, and poured it into a small bowl.
The tip of her tongue touched the broth first. A rich, fresh flavor bloomed across her taste buds, sending ripples through her senses, followed by the soft, tender tofu. The white tofu lacked any typical beany aftertaste, replaced by a subtle, savory depth. The bamboo was crisp, and when she bit into a seafood mushroom soaked in broth, it burst with juice, scalding her tongue just enough that she couldn't bear to spit it out.
Then the shrimp: her teeth sank into the meat with no resistance, and a concentrated, fresh flavor exploded—different from the other ingredients, this was the essence of the meat itself, the ocean's best interpretation of spring.
"Everyone, I highly recommend the Spring Bamboo Three-Fresh Soup!!! Today's menu was made following the host's recipe! [Emoji] [Emoji] It's! Really! So delicious!! I strongly recommend the seafood mushrooms and spring bamboo—the meat is thick and they really burst with juice!"