Chapter 18

Ji Nuo’s peach blossom eyes widened slightly as he looked at the words on the screen again… Intimate?

Something crossed his mind, and he suddenly felt his face heating up. Ji Nuo immediately shook his head vigorously.

Intimacy was impossible. Besides making Han Cheng look good, he wouldn’t do a single extra thing. Given his current situation, he absolutely couldn’t return kindness with ingratitude.

Shaking his head, Ji Nuo quickly made a decision. The motion of his body disturbed the Cub in his arms. Lu Aotian’s tiny brows furrowed, letting out an unhappy little grunt.

Ji Nuo immediately stopped moving. Seeing it was still early, he decided to let the little boy sleep a bit longer.

He gently lifted the child’s shoulders and head, shifting him back to the bed beside him. By the way, he touched the jacket placed under the Cub’s bottom to confirm the makeshift “pee pad” was dry before getting up with relief.

Entering the kitchen, he first kneaded the dough. Since he’d added one egg, the dough was fairly stiff. He intended to let it rest longer, which would make the texture chewier, smoother, and more refreshing.

The mushrooms collected the previous day were sorted by type and put into bags, then into the large back basket borrowed from the Old Aunt.

Ji Nuo planned to take the child to the market after breakfast. It was perfect that Jade Mountain Town had a big market every Sunday. After selling the mushrooms, he could also take the Cub to pick out some local specialties.

After tidying that up, the dough had rested sufficiently.

Based on data feedback from the previous day, the Production Team noticed that Ji Nuo’s seemingly boring cooking segments during the Live Stream actually garnered high viewership. As the other three groups hadn’t woken up yet this early morning, the Producer Bai Yong specifically instructed Ji Nuo’s cameraman to pay extra attention while filming his breakfast preparation.

Thus, Livestream viewers woke up to the sight of Ji Nuo skillfully rolling out dough.

The dilapidated little kitchen was long and narrow, deep but tight on space. Ji Nuo stood before the bulky log stump chopping board, his cheeks still damp from washing his face with well water. The morning light glazed his porcelain-white complexion with a lustrous sheen, his refined, delicate features stunningly otherworldly.

Yet his hands moved with practiced efficiency, rolling, dusting with flour, wrapping the dough sheet around the rolling pin, and pushing and pulling repeatedly. Soon, the dough transformed into a large, thin, yet resilient sheet.

Dry starch sifted down from between his snow-white, slender fingers, spreading thinly over the dough. After folding the dough sheet, it quickly took shape under his swift, steady knife strokes.

As he shook the noodles loose, coated in dry flour, the water he’d set to boil earlier began bubbling, gudong gudong. The steaming vapor added a soft filter to the already beautiful scene. Every frame was rich with the warmth of hearth and home, so lovely it captivated the heart.

The viewers absorbed in virtually raising the Cub couldn’t help but sigh:

[Is this really a kid variety show and not “A Bite of China: Cub Edition”?]

[Ahhh, before I wanted to soul-transfer to Ji Nuo to pet the Cub, now I want to soul-transfer to the Cub to devour the food!]

[How is a working dog like me, eating instant noodles for breakfast, supposed to bear this!]

When the noodles were nearly cooked, Ji Nuo swiftly fished them out and rinsed them in cool water. Only then did he put them into the matsutake chicken soup to bring back to a boil.

Compared to adding noodles directly to the soup, this method prevented starch gelatinization, which would make the broth overly thick and gluey. It also gave the noodles a better texture.

After completing the preparations, Ji Nuo went to the bed to retrieve the Cub. The little guy had some morning crankiness, so Ji Nuo simply scooped up the sleeping Cub and carried him straight to the kitchen.

The little head, originally resting limply against his neck, gradually perked up upon smelling the kitchen’s fragrance. Eyes still closed, the Cub sniffed vigorously towards the stove.

Lu Aotian smacked his lips and mumbled in his milky voice, “Smells so good…”

Carrying the Cub in one arm, Ji Nuo used the other to pick a small piece of noodle from the pot. After blowing it cool, he brought it to Lu Aotian’s mouth and said with a light smile, “Want a taste?”

After eating it, Lu Aotian was completely awake. Ji Nuo then set him down to wash up and change clothes. “Uncle will serve the noodles first. When Ao’ao is all cleaned up, it’ll be just the right time to eat.”

Lu Aotian nodded like a chick pecking grain, his hands moving at lightning speed, terrified that if he wasted a second, the noodles would get mushy.

Changing clothes was done under the blanket, hidden from the Livestream audience. When he rushed to the small courtyard to wash his face, the cameraman followed. Only then did everyone realize this Cub wasn’t just cute, but his self-care ability was also a bit too good?

Although Ji Nuo had prepared the water for him, watching a child under a meter tall roll up his sleeves, wash his face, then meticulously wipe up the splashed water, followed by serious tooth brushing—using the Bass method, no less—some viewers who had raised children slowly typed out a question mark.

Those without children had also observed the other three families’ Cubs the previous day. Six-year-old Ruirui and five-year-old Tiantian could also manage self-care, but their motor coordination was nowhere near as proficient as this Cub, who looked barely three and a half. Not to mention the youngest, Zhenzhen, who needed her mother’s assistance for everything.

Viewers suddenly realized a question: What kind of family had this cute ordinary-person Cub grown up in? His self-care ability was somewhat shockingly advanced.

Typically, ordinary little guests on kid variety shows come from well-off families. Well-educated children are not only good-looking but also have amiable personalities. After all, for the celebrity “intern parents” participating in reality shows to boost their image, a cooperative little tool makes things twice as effective with half the effort.

The Production Team had previously mentioned, to help clarify things for Ji Nuo, that this child had been abducted and was rescued by Ji Nuo. Finding the kid resembled the Movie Emperor, they decided on the spot to bring him onto the show.

But this kind of thing was too coincidental to be entirely believable. Many people thought it was just a gimmick to whitewash Ji Nuo. How easy could it be to find a child that looked so similar?

If not for the Cub’s mixed-race-like eye color, simple clothes, and his obviously malnourished, thin, dark little frame, everyone would suspect he was the Movie Emperor’s illegitimate son.

Connecting it with the Cub’s performance on the show, regardless of whether the story of Ji Nuo saving the child was true or false, viewers were now curious about the child’s real identity.

The Production Team naturally wouldn’t let this hype slip away. They immediately used the official Weibo account to repost related topics, adding the message: [Heard Little Friend Lu Ao’ao has a big family? The truth lies in… this Saturday, 20:00, “Where Are the Cubs Going? Highlights”, Mangosteen Video, wait and see~]

Comment Section:

Your Worker Grandpa Here: [Scumbag Yong getting cocky? Opening one Livestream VIP isn’t enough, we also need a Video VIP just to watch this kid variety show completely???]

Ao’ao’s Wild Old Mother: [I thought the Highlights were just edited clips from the Livestream?! Do I have to get another VIP just for the Cub’s family situation!]

downy heavy snow: [Scumbag Yong, do you deserve this?]

Comments were relatively few early in the morning. “Downy Heavy Snow’s” comment was quickly upvoted to the top-voted comment.

Friends in the fan group, seeing this Dark Night Elf had commented so early, poked her in the group chat: [Holy shit, Downy Heavy Snow-sama, appearing at this hour… Don’t tell me you actually went to the filming location to stalk Ji Nuo?! @downy heavy snow]

Before Downy Heavy Snow could reply, three or four group members popped up, all urging her to calm down. The reason: this fan named Downy Heavy Snow was a notorious Toxic Solo Stan of Han Cheng.

She detested anyone who used Han Cheng’s popularity by association, especially rumored love interests. Currently, her deepest loathing was reserved for Ji Nuo, who, despite a history full of scandals, had been acknowledged by Han Cheng.

Generally, Toxic Solo Stans are unwelcome among fans, but Downy Heavy Snow was also a top-tier video editor in the fandom. Although her output was low, every fan-made video she produced was a viral masterpiece.

This time, when Xu Li sent her assistant to commission CP (couple) video compilations, the first person they contacted was her, hoping she’d become a paid contractor and not cause trouble. But not only did Downy Heavy Snow refuse, she used internal sources to track the location to Jade Mountain Town.

While the group chat was frantically @-ing her, Downy Heavy Snow, also known as Cui Xiaoxue, was staring at the Livestream on her screen, searching for Ji Nuo’s mushroom-selling stall amidst the massive market street.

Because of her exceptional video editing, photography, and retouching skills, Cui Xiaoxue had close ties with many celebrity Studios, making her practically a semi-insider deeply aware of capital’s packaging methods.

She didn’t believe a one-hundred-and-eighth-rate has-been like Ji Nuo could magically transform into some stunningly beautiful, hidden-gem boy. She firmly believed Ji Nuo must have used some dirty tricks.

Thus, unlike other solo stans who were softening because of the “Cub-version Han Cheng,” Cui Xiaoxue was resolute with a clear goal. She was here to expose Ji Nuo’s true colors.

Who cares about tolerating it for the Cub’s sake… What’s cute about a bratty kid who only cries, eats, drinks, and poops? Before coming here, she hadn’t watched a single second of these two annoyances’ combined Livestream. Buying the Mangosteen Livestream VIP was purely to wait for Han Cheng.

Cellphone in her left hand, DSLR in her right, a GoPro dangling from her neck, she aggressively charged towards the direction of Ji Nuo’s stall.

But she was two minutes late. Ji Nuo had just left his stall to grab some fresh beef.

While the stall owner was away, even more people gathered around his stall. Some were curious about the filming camera, but most were captivated by the unusual spectacle at the two adjacent stalls.

Ji Nuo had left with the older sister selling milk cakes at the neighboring stall to buy beef. The older sister left a large Golden Retriever to watch her stall. As for Ji Nuo, because the staff refused to help, he had no choice but to leave the Cub to mind the stall.

Thus, two adjacent stalls: one with an obedient large Golden Retriever squatting there, carrying a price list in its mouth. The other stall had a beautiful, puffed-up-cheeked Cub squatting behind it.

Everyone passing by was intrigued. Those bolder would reach out to pet the dog’s head, then naturally extend their hand to ruffle the child’s hair.

The cute little boy crouching behind the mushroom stall bared a set of tiny white teeth and declared with aggressive, milky ferocity: “Back off! No! Touching!”