Chapter 16

Seeing the Cub who had run out without shoes, Ji Nuo bent down and scooped him up.

Lu Aotian had originally intended to resist, but he realized that being held by Ji Nuo allowed him to look straight into the eyes of that bastard trying to use money to steal his Thelephora ganbajun. So, he tolerated it for now.

Ji Nuo patted the child’s dusty little feet and politely declined, “Sorry, we aren’t planning to sell.”

Xu Chengyi’s expression didn’t change, but Kang Feier already regretted bringing this up to her husband and was about to say forget it.

The man, however, gripped her hand, smiling a gentle, confident smile. “We were too abrupt. However, my wife really adores it. As long as you are willing to part with it, you can name any price.”

The Danmaku instantly heated up:

[Wow, is Boss Xu unleashing the power of money right away? Handsome and doting on his wife, I’m jealous!]

[Whoa, first time seeing Feifei’s Hubby in person. Great family background, handsome—what kind of reincarnation skills does this take?]

[This is definitely the kind of Domineering CEO you only see in novels! Perfect match with Beauty Kang, ahhh, I heard he’s a wife-doting maniac…]

After hearing this, Lu Aotian just wanted to kick his foot right into that bastard’s face. Who did he think he was, flaunting wealth here?

Although his body in this mundane world was the weakest, he was still the only son of the Richest Man. He never imagined he’d be the target of a public cash-throwing display one day.

Absolutely ridiculous!

Lu Aotian narrowed his eyes, and his deliberately lowered voice carried clear fury: “Not for sale!”

Xu Chengyi smiled at the Cub in Ji Nuo’s arms and coaxed in a gentle voice, “Little friend, whether to sell or not is a decision only adults can make.”

That was definitely the most disgusting attempt at a cutesy adult voice Lu Aotian had ever heard!

Lu Aotian snapped his head towards Ji Nuo. His small face tightened; every single pore was telling him: Do! Not! Sell!

Kang Feier’s expression had turned clearly unpleasant. She actually disliked her husband always using his “loving wife” image to do things overstepping boundaries. “Chengyi, let it go…”

Xu Chengyi had already learned from Kang Feier that Ji Nuo had sold one-third of it to a woman for two hundred yuan. So, he directly stated, “Ten thousand yuan. If that seems inadequate, we can continue doubling it.”

The Danmaku erupted in shock:

[Ten thousand yuan for a jar of mushroom sauce?! Is this the world of the rich?!]

[The one in front isn’t being precise. More accurately, it’s half a jar of sauce. Boss Xu’s devotion to Feifei is undeniable. This family of three is just too eye-catching!]

[Is it still too late to buy Thelephora ganbajun and make sauce now?! Boss Xu, look at me!]

Ji Nuo: “Sorry, I’m listening to the child. We truly aren’t selling.”

Ao’ao found the Thelephora ganbajun. Ao’ao said no sale. No further consideration was needed.

Before Kang Feier could stop him, a hint of Xu Chengyi’s deep-seated arrogance became harder to conceal. But when he spoke again, his smile remained gentle. “Mr. Ji’s repeated refusals have only piqued my curiosity about its flavor. Very well, name your price.”

Xu Chengyi was brimming with confidence; every punctuation mark seemed to sparkle with the fragrance of Renminbi.

Yet, how could he know that Ji Nuo currently sought neither wealth nor fame? For Kang Feier’s sake, Ji Nuo had swallowed his irritation. But seeing this President Xu repeatedly shoving his face forward, Ji Nuo planned to just drop all pretense.

However, before he could speak, he saw the little dumpling in his arms smirk crookedly. “Any amount of money is okay?”

Xu Chengyi beamed with grandfatherly affection. “What’s this, little friend? You want to sell now? Of course, Uncle is a man of his word. Name your price, and Uncle will transfer the money immediately.”

Lu Aotian didn’t know who this Xu Chengyi was, but after sizing him up with a sweep of his slightly narrowed peach blossom eyes, he roughly estimated the man’s net worth. Since this guy wanted to play, Lu Aotian didn’t mind humoring him.

Looking at the man’s fake smile, Lu Aotian’s small face was expressionless as he proposed a sum close to the value of the man’s wristwatch: “Three million.” A figure near the upper limit of the man’s single casual purchase—enough to be within reach yet expensive enough to cause reluctance, leading to humiliated fury.

Seeing Xu Chengyi’s expression shift slightly, Lu Aotian immediately added, “Didn’t you say any amount was okay? If you can’t afford it, then forget it.”

Naturally, Xu Chengyi could afford three million, but it wasn’t a small sum. Furthermore, who would spend three million on a jar of sauce worth a few hundred?

He was actually acting on someone else’s behalf, using money to embarrass Ji Nuo. Regardless of whether Ji Nuo sold the sauce or not, Cen Xi had already prepared the follow-up arrangements. Unexpectedly, a little brat popped up. He’d assumed a child would be ignorant, but the kid unexpectedly countered him with chaotic logic, beating experience through unpredictability.

Xu Chengyi composed himself slightly and tried to salvage the situation. “Little friend, there are transfer limits for three million yuan…”

Lu Aotian responded with an “Oh,” extending his small hand and pointing directly at his wristwatch. “This watch isn’t that ugly. I’ll accept it in trade for the sauce.”

The paid trolls had been ready and waiting. Although the situation had shifted, the main objective of smearing Ji Nuo remained unchanged. The Trolls immediately launched their Danmaku with fervor:

[That trash Ji Nuo is truly a plague, look how he’s corrupting the child!]

[Spouting three million and luxury watches on a whim? No way Ji Nuo didn’t teach him that.]

However, by now, the majority of viewers in Ji Nuo’s Livestream had become Ao’ao’s Real Mom Fans. The child’s bossy, Draconic CEO speech instantly melted everyone:

[Hahahaha, baby’s so sassy, I love it!]

[Three million. I grant you permission to take my sauce sauce away (cool dude face)]

[This watch isn’t that ugly hahahahaha I’m wheezing like a donkey, Ao’ao seems not entirely satisfied either.]

[This Zhenzhen’s Dad has bad taste. I also think the watch is so-so. And what’s with the moral outrage? Clearly, one’s daring to boast and the other’s daring to take it up. I’m siding with Ao’ao this wave. And the next million waves, I’m still siding with Ao’ao.]

The prepared troll army’s faces were filled with question marks. Huh??? When we were attacking Ji Nuo before, you guys weren’t like this!

Xu Chengyi’s expression was starting to crack. In Kang Feier’s arms, Zhenzhen, who had been woken from sleep and carried out, suddenly started crying and fussing. Kang Feier tugged on her husband’s arm. “Alright, stop joking around.”

She turned to Ji Nuo with an apologetic look. “Zhenzhen isn’t feeling well. We won’t be eating here anymore. Sorry, Xiao Nuo.”

Ji Nuo nodded, watching Kang Feier struggle to hold her daughter with one arm while dragging her CEO husband away with the other, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow.

The Cub in his arms lifted his small chin, a gleam of pleasure in his eyes.

Half an hour later, Ji Nuo understood. It was the brilliance of Rice Sweeper Sauce’s “Sweeping”—as in cleaning the plate.

Dinner went from five people down to three. So, Ji Nuo didn’t bother stir-frying the wild chives they’d picked on the mountain.

The Old Aunt was so entranced by the deliciousness she nearly swallowed her own tongue. She only managed to stop after her stomach felt close to bursting. Seeing the little kid beside her still furiously shoveling food, she grew concerned. “Won’t the child overeat and hurt himself?”

Ji Nuo knew this Cub’s appetite was far from ordinary. However, seeing the child single-handedly polish off a bowl of rice and countless bowls of soup with mushrooms, he still intervened. “Ao’ao, the remaining soup can be used for chicken soup hand-pulled noodles tomorrow morning. You don’t have to finish it all in one go.”

There was actually quite a lot of soup left, but Ji Nuo felt that unless he tempted the child with a future meal, Ao’ao simply wouldn’t stop.

Ten minutes later, another spread-eagled little frog with a bulging belly lay on the small bed in the bedroom.

Lu Aotian, who had originally planned on continuing his physical training, was so stuffed he didn’t want to move a muscle. He rubbed his round, protruding belly, a picture of utter contentment.

Since the shabby little house had no refrigerator, after setting aside the soup for the next morning’s noodles, Ji Nuo gave the rest of the matsutake chicken to the Old Aunt.

The Production Team had different arrangements each day, and for the next day’s fixed activity, the staff were extremely confident. After the Old Aunt left cheerfully, the staff member handed Ji Nuo the task card for the following day early.

Not caring much, Ji Nuo placed it on the edge of the stove and went inside to scoop the little frog off the bed.

He found a corner of the kitchen out of the Live Broadcast Lens’s view and prepared to give the child a proper bath using the large laundry basin.

Caught completely off guard, Lu Aotian’s peach blossom eyes flew wide open. Clutching his waistband, his milk-cute little voice erupted in a frantic squeal: “I can do it myself!!”