While there was still some time in the afternoon, Lu Mingming first prepared and packaged ten dishes, then delivered them to the lucky fans' homes according to the addresses in their private messages. By the time she finished, it was already dinnertime. Lu Mingming used the remaining ingredients to make a hearty stew, which, fortunately, tasted decent.
The chosen lucky fans quickly received their gifts. However, Bai Yi, since having his account usage rights revoked, could only act as a delivery-receiving tool. At this moment, Bai Yi stood at his doorstep with a dejected expression, clutching the package from Lu Mingming that he had just signed for, on the verge of tears.
"No, I can't let my uncle take any more from me! He used my SVIP and now he's snatching my lucky draw gifts!"
Bai Yi naturally ignored the fact that his uncle had paid for the lucky draw gifts. He sneakily planned to slip into his room, but when he turned around, he saw his uncle standing there with his arms crossed, the crimson in his eyes intensifying, completely overturning the image of his gentle and mild-mannered self from memory.
Due to the persistent ancestral gene anomaly that caused his mental sea to become turbulent, even medication could no longer suppress the growing aura of hostility radiating from him. Even the Interstellar Express delivery person at the door seemed to be fleeing as if they had seen a ghost, speeding away in their cargo vehicle, afraid of being tainted by even a trace of his terrifying mental power.
Bai Yi froze. He then hurried to the man, forcing a smile as he handed over the package. "Uncle, your delivery has arrived. Please enjoy it."
Morian raised an index finger to adjust his gold-rimmed glasses, took the package, and walked towards the living room, leaving behind a single sentence: "If you want to eat, come over."
Bai Yi, with his head bowed, was already planning to return to his room. This sentence reignited his husky-like nature, and he cheerfully trotted in front of Morian, volunteering to unbox the package.
Five packaging boxes were taken out one by one from the delivery parcel. Bai Yi’s mouth began to water uncontrollably. Seeing this, Morian coldly said, "If you drool on the food, I'll cut out your tongue."
"Alright, alright…"
Bai Yi wrinkled his nose, casually wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and muttered without complaint, "So fierce, like a completely different person. I still prefer my uncle the way he used to be."
His exceptionally high mental power captured this barely audible remark. Morian's expression instantly became devoid of all emotion, and he remained still, like a wooden figure. After a moment, he slowly closed his eyes, which were perpetually filled with agitation, and let out a silent sigh. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The packaging boxes were the ones with the most positive reviews that Lu Mingming had bought online. Although a bit expensive, they were truly worth every penny, perfectly preserving the original appearance, aroma, and flavor of the dishes. Especially the aroma, which, struggling through the gaps in the lids, filled the living room with the scent of cooked food.
"Uncle, you eat first."
Bai Yi chuckled. His naturally carefree nature quickly made him forget his earlier grumbling. He skillfully served a bowl of rice and placed it on the table in front of the man.
Morian did not refuse. He picked up his chopsticks and first took a piece of braised pork belly, coated in a caramel-colored sauce and glistening invitingly. He elegantly ate it with the white rice. The meat's flavor was rich with sauce, and the entire slice of pork belly, with its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, melted in his mouth before it even reached his stomach.
The food was as delicious as expected, so Morian did not show much surprise. On the other hand, Bai Yi was heartily devouring the meat, quickly finishing more than half a bowl of rice.
Morian slowly chewed the food in his mouth. As a very subtle energy entered his body with the swallow, it felt as if a gentle hand was stroking his agitated mental sea. It gradually calmed down, and his long-tense nerves also relaxed, making the perpetually sleep-deprived Morian feel a rare hint of drowsiness.
A long-lost light flickered across Morian's listless face, akin to a solitary traveler who had walked for three days and three nights in the desert, on the verge of dying of thirst, finally finding the sole oasis and the last hope for salvation.
He had discovered during his last meal of small biscuits that his increasingly volatile mental sea had calmed down a bit after eating them. Morian had intended to contact Lu Mingming to order more food, but Lu Mingming's live stream channel was unexpectedly closed due to an incident. This forced him to suppress his rage and contact the Heavenly Harmony Group's technical department, demanding they expedite the matter.
Later, when he learned that Lu Mingming had no plans to open a shop, Morian still held onto a sliver of hope, watching the live stream daily and waiting for the next lucky draw, hoping to prove his conjecture was correct.
Watching himself transform from a refined and promising interstellar network research professor into a half-madman who could no longer control his beastly form and mutations, no one could feel more pain about his current situation than Morian.
Fortunately, fortunately, his persistence had not been in vain.
The surprise came too suddenly, causing Morian's hands to tremble slightly.
Bai Yi noticed this and, with his cheeks puffed out with food, asked sternly, "Uncle, why aren't you eating? People are iron, and rice is steel. You have to eat. Look, the heir of the current Alliance also has the ancestral gene disease. You are both amazing people, and I respect you... Hey, Uncle, where are you going?"
Morian stood up and gently patted Bai Yi's round head. "I'm going out to do something. From today onwards, you don't have to wait for me to come home for dinner."
Bai Yi was stunned. He watched Morian walk out the door, chewing his food, and mimicking Morian's earlier gesture, he patted his own head. After a long pause, he smiled foolishly, "It's like my uncle from before is back."
...
The distant high-rise buildings were gradually swallowed by the dimness of the night. Lu Mingming had just finished washing up and was preparing to go to bed. As she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly remembered Sasha's reminder, which startled her into sitting up abruptly.
The little white tiger beside her pillow looked up at her, puzzled. With its excellent night vision, it could see Lu Mingming fumbling her way to the living room in the dark.
What was she sneaking off to do?
Carrying its question, the little white tiger lightly jumped off the bed and followed Lu Mingming.
Lu Mingming was too sleepy to notice the movement behind her.
She turned on the living room light, and the dazzling white light made her a little uncomfortable. Lu Mingming rubbed her sleepy eyes, then curled up on the sofa and lazily closed her eyes for a short nap. The electronic clock on the wall quietly ticked by three minutes before Lu Mingming opened her eyes again and took out her light brain.
She found today's collaborative interview and scrolled down to the name of the top supporter – alnr. The private message interface was empty; the other party hadn't expressed any dissatisfaction, which made it difficult for Lu Mingming to gauge their temperament.
Lu Mingming thought she should initiate the contact. If the patron was too reserved to speak, she would take the lead.
Lu Mingming cleared her throat, pressed the voice message button on the chat interface, and said, "Hello, this is streamer Mingming Who Can't Wake Up. I'm sorry for contacting you so late. I really made you spend a lot today. Are there any foods you like in my live stream? Or perhaps I can make an extra portion for you tomorrow when I'm preparing lunch and send it over."
With a "ding," it indicated the message was sent successfully. Lu Mingming gradually became a little more awake and stared at the chat window, waiting for the other party's reply.
"Sizzle... sizzle... sizzle..."
What was that sound?
Lu Mingming became instantly alert and looked around, but couldn't find any clues. She raised her hand and patted her face.
Perhaps she was too sleepy and heard it wrong.
In the bedroom, the little white tiger, with the bell-attached light brain hanging around its neck, heard the frantic beating of its own heart. It felt a wave of fear from almost being discovered.
The smart light brain in its mouth continued to vibrate. The little creature disdainfully spat the light brain onto the ground. In the next instant, a tall and handsome man in military uniform appeared in the room. He frowned and used his personal silk scarf to pick up the light brain, then connected it to a backup surveillance earbud.
The girl's clear and gentle voice played through the earbud, as if a lover was whispering softly in her ear. As he listened, the man's eyes suddenly softened, and the coldness that isolated him from the outside world seemed to melt like ice and snow, with a hint of hidden, burgeoning greed deep within.
"No, I just wanted to support you."
Lu Mingming leaned in and finished listening to the voice message on the light brain. It was an extremely pleasant male voice. His low, resonant tone was as stable as a rock, yet also like aged wine that had been brewed for a long time. When the lid was opened, the aroma that wafted out was both refreshing and potent, so pleasant that it was intoxicating.
Lu Mingming blushed and listened again before typing her reply word by word: "Okay, I'm truly sorry to bother your sleep again. Mingming wishes you sweet dreams here."
The person on the other side replied very quickly, almost a second later, popping up a voice message as if he had been waiting specifically for her message…
What am I thinking?!
Lu Mingming shook her head, dispelling the unrealistic fantasies in her mind, and then clicked on the voice message.
"Goodnight, and I hope Mingming sleeps well too."
Lu Mingming subconsciously turned off the light brain and took a deep breath to calm the impact of the goodnight message. She touched her face; it felt a little warm. Was it because she had never been in love that she reacted this way? It seemed she needed to add finding a partner to her to-do list, so as not to let Tang Yuan think she was strange.
Lu Mingming let out a sigh and quietly tiptoed back to the bedroom in her slippers. As soon as she opened the door, the little white tiger, standing by the bed, turned its head to look at her simultaneously. For some reason, Lu Mingming felt a hint of panic on the little creature's face.
... Why am I overthinking so much today?
Lu Mingming subconsciously ignored the anomaly she had detected and hugged the little white tiger onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Lu Mingming was woken up by a series of continuous knocks on the door.
"Is the homeowner in? Oh, what a shame. This... what about this child at the door..."