Chapter 44
The smell was coming from the takeaway box in Aunt Song’s hands.
Song Lanzhen looked down and noticed that her Spicy Hot Pot box wasn’t sealed tightly. Because she had been carrying it at an angle, the lid had opened slightly.
The fragrance was wafting out from the gap in the packaging.
Not just Yu Ming, even the other aunts could smell the aroma, and they couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
“Wow, that smells so good.”
“Sister Song, is this the Spicy Hot Pot you mentioned?”
“Where did you get it from?”
All eyes, hungry and green with desire, were fixed on Song Lanzhen.
Song Lanzhen was startled and quickly sealed the box shut, nervously forcing a smile and telling a small lie: “Haha, it’s just from Yang’s place right by the door. You can go get some too if you want.”
The aunts eyed her with suspicion.
Especially Aunt Han.
“Really… Yang? Does it smell like this? This smells like handmade beef bone soup simmered for hours. Those chain stores use pre-made kits, how could they have this kind of smell?”
Aunt Han rubbed her chin. “Speaking of which, I think I smelled Spicy Hot Pot earlier when I was dancing in the square nearby, and it smelled really good, made me think about it non-stop! Could it be…”
Song Lanzhen immediately insisted, “It’s Yang’s, just Yang’s, nothing else!”
The aunts nodded skeptically.
Yu Ming didn’t speak.
Although Aunt Song had sealed the box, the fragrance still lingered at the tip of his nose, refusing to dissipate…
It was unsettling.
As they were talking, the elevator arrived at the first floor.
“I’ll head back now.” Yu Ming used all his willpower to stop himself from lingering on the enticing aroma.
…Quickly think back to the horrific Spicy Hot Pot from his childhood!
He struggled to wave goodbye to the aunts, “Aunt Han, Aunt Li, Aunt Wu, Aunt Song, see you next time.”
The gray street dog, Liangliang, happily followed him into the elevator, its tail wagging.
The aunts, feeling sorry for him, called out:
“See you next time!”
“You must come over for dinner next time! You’ve gotten so thin…”
Yu Ming nodded.
He stood straight, his back as stiff as military posture.
…But his stomach couldn’t help but growl twice.
The elevator doors closed.
After Yu Ming left, the aunts exchanged looks, each with a hint of sadness in their expressions.
“What’s wrong?” Song Lanzhen couldn’t help but ask. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing… It’s just…” Aunt Han hesitated.
Aunt Li sighed and took over the conversation, “That boy, Yu Ming, really makes you feel sorry for him.”
The aunts began discussing him, and Song Lanzhen soon learned the general story.
They said Yu Ming was a child with a tough life. His father was a martyr, and after his mother passed away, Yu Ming had been fostered at his father’s comrade’s home, growing up with the comrade’s son, Fu Changfeng.
Yu Ming had always been diligent. He wasn’t the smartest, but he worked hard and his grades were excellent.
“With his grades, getting into Tsinghua University wouldn’t be difficult, but he and his brother both want to attend the best military academy,” Aunt Han explained to Song Lanzhen with a sigh. “You know, that academy only accepts Alphas and Betas.”
It wasn’t a matter of gender discrimination, but rather the issue with Omega’s heat periods. As soon as one Omega enters heat, every Alpha within a hundred miles would be affected, so military academy core programs have always excluded Omega.
Even with inhibitors, it’s not practical in the military.
“Xiao Ming hasn’t gone through his differentiation yet, right?”
“Yes,” Aunt Han nodded. “He’s definitely trying his hardest to differentiate into an Alpha, but…”
However, the Fu family, where Yu Ming was fostered, didn’t see it that way.
Yu Ming’s late parents were a match between an Alpha and Omega, so the chances of Yu Ming differentiating into either an Alpha or Omega were about fifty-fifty.
Although the Fu family never openly said it, it was clear they hoped Yu Ming would differentiate into an Omega.
Because Fu Changfeng had already differentiated into an Alpha, if Yu Ming could become an Omega, the two children would be a perfect match.
…But for Yu Ming, who had always dreamed of joining the military to serve his country, this was a cruel situation.
At this point, the aunts were upset:
“Xiao Ming is at that crucial age for differentiation, and the Fu family’s maid is feeding him what kind of food every day?”
“Yeah, like boiled greens, stewed potatoes, stir-fried bean sprouts, nothing with meat.”
“Xiao Ming wants to join the military, how can he grow strong eating like this…”
“We usually try to send him some food and drinks, but Xiao Ming is too shy to accept. He’s just stubborn, thinking that since he’s being fostered, he can’t ask for anything, so he just works part-time to get extra meals.”
Here, Song Lanzhen finally understood.
No wonder Yu Ming was so thin.
Although there isn’t scientific proof, it’s widely believed nowadays that for children of Alpha-Omega pairings, during the differentiation period, if they eat more protein and are well-fed, they are more likely to differentiate into an Alpha. On the other hand, if they eat mostly vegetables and don’t get enough food, they are more likely to become an Omega.
Yu Ming didn’t get enough to eat at home, and with the pressures of his senior year, he had to find time to work part-time too!
No wonder he couldn’t gain weight.
He probably went to bed hungry every night…
Song Lanzhen thought about it, feeling a bit sorry for him.
*
In the Multiverse Livestream.
In Dark River, Bright Light, the most pitiful character is Yu Ming, the protagonist’s omega counterpart.
At this point in most streamers’ storylines, Yu Ming had just appeared, and the live chat was filled with screams and sympathy:
[Ahhh Mingming!! Ming Baby, come give me a kiss!]
[Watching again, I realize Ming Baby was so thin during this period. It’s like he’s almost beyond recognition. Maybe the reason he becomes an Omega later is because he didn’t get enough to eat? QAQ]
[Plot twist]
[It’s better for him to become an Omega, lol. Their pheromones match perfectly for an Alpha-Omega pairing. So cute.]
[Yu Ming is basically the Fu family’s child bride…]
[It makes me mad. Mingming is not a child bride. He has his own dreams and ambitions. He wants to explore the bigger world! 5555]
[The perspective from the top is heartbreaking. Yu Ming must have really wanted to become an Alpha, even a Beta would have been fine, but instead, he ended up as an Omega.]
[Is there any way to rewrite the plot so Yu Ming can become an Alpha?]
[Theoretically, yes. In practice…]
[Yu Ming has been an orphan since he was little. He’s stubborn, and although he appears cheerful and enthusiastic, he’s really quite closed off and lonely inside. No one has ever truly gotten close to his heart. He also doesn’t accept anyone’s pity. Some streamers have tried to send him nutrition meals, but he refuses to eat them.]
[How are the bigger streamers doing? Has anyone rewritten the plot yet?]
[It’s only been open for a short time, and even the streamer Liyue from the Wuxia dimension has only met Yu Ming for the first time.]
[Is this the last time we see Liangliang?]
When Yu Ming was talking with the aunts, the gray dog, Liangliang, had been quietly staying by his side.
But according to the storyline of Dark River, Bright Light, this was the last appearance of Liangliang in the entire book.
On the same day, Liangliang went missing and was never seen again.
In the original Dark River, Bright Light novel, the disappearance of Liangliang, the big dog Yu Ming had grown up with, marked the moment when Yu Ming’s life began to derail.
— Liangliang was a street dog that Yu Ming had found when he was young.
At that time, Yu Ming’s parents had just passed away.
The six-year-old boy, confused and alone, was hiding in an alley, not crying, just hugging himself and softly saying, “I’m playing hide and seek with my mom and dad. I’m hiding, and they’re coming to find me…”
A gray street dog with one ear missing appeared next to him and licked his fingers.
“We’re both orphans, my name is Mingming, what’s yours?” little Yu Ming asked seriously, his big eyes blinking.
The little gray dog perked up and barked energetically, “Woof!”
Yu Ming hesitated for a moment and carefully asked, “Then I’ll call you Liangliang. Mingming and Liangliang, you stay with me, and I’ll stay with you. Is that okay?”
The little dog rubbed its face against his cheek affectionately, making the boy giggle, revealing two small dimples.
After playing for a while, the two of them quietly cuddled together.
The little dog lay by Yu Ming’s side, keeping him company.
This companionship lasted for over ten years.
Liangliang had always been treated like family, carefully raised by Yu Ming. Even though Yu Ming didn’t have enough food, he would never let Liangliang go hungry.
But shortly after the story began, Liangliang went missing and was never heard from again.
After that, Yu Ming differentiated into an Omega, feeling utterly hopeless, and spent the rest of the book entangled in a complicated relationship with the protagonist’s Alpha, Fu Changfeng.
Towards the end of Dark River, Bright Light, Fu Changfeng returned with a new little gray street dog, which looked almost exactly like Liangliang, even with the same missing piece in its ear.
“We’ll call it Xiao Liang, to replace Liangliang and live on with us,” Fu Changfeng said gently.
However, Yu Ming refused to embrace the new gray dog. In his heart, no dog could replace Liangliang.
This refusal indirectly led to the tragic ending between the protagonist couple.
In the Dark River, Bright Light live broadcast section, the screen was showing the original plot, with different challengers’ live stream rooms displayed below.
[Does anyone know where Liangliang went?]
[I don’t know. There was a streamer who once found a trace of Liangliang, but by the time they arrived, the dog was already gone.]
[Wow, that’s so tragic…]
Most of the live rooms were lively with discussions about the original plot and the progress of various streamers.
Currently, the most popular streamer in the section was Liyue, the healer from the Wuxia dimension.
She was a renowned doctor in her world, famous for her extraordinary medical skills. During her last challenge of Dark River, Bright Light, she had healed all of Yu Ming’s physical and psychological wounds, almost achieving a happy ending, but ultimately failed due to the plot’s unexpected twist.
Liyue is also one of the most promising challengers to conquer Dark River, Bright Light.
In her live stream, everyone was discussing Liangliang’s situation, urging Liyue to help Yu Ming pull himself together and live positively.
But the challenge was extremely difficult. After all, Yu Ming was stubborn and reclusive, not easily trusting others. Liyue’s previous success had relied heavily on luck, which made it hard to replicate.
…However, among all the live streams, there was one peculiar stream.
Despite having over 100,000 online viewers, the live chat was discussing an entirely different topic:
[Whoa, this spicy hot pot looks so delicious!]
[I’m dreaming of this tonight… Let me soul-travel into Aunt Song’s body and try this giant fresh tripe (drooling).]
[I want to eat it! Boss Jian’s handmade beef balls! Ahhh, so frustrating, I can’t eat it through the screen, I want to explode the Earth.]
[@Multiverse Livestream Official, how can you send Boss Jian back to the Paranoid Obsession dimension? Waiting online, urgent. User [Ning Sheng] gifts spaceship x1 to streamer [Jian Yunlan].]
[Same question, urgent urgent urgent! User [Gu Xingzhou] gifts luxury cruise x1 to streamer [Jian Yunlan].]
[…]
Occasionally, golden light flashed through the chat—the characters in Paranoid Obsession gained permission to join the Multiverse Livestream after their story arcs were completed, and their messages in the chat were always golden.
But even these golden messages were discussing food!
In the Multiverse Livestream, viewers could send gifts to streamers at any time, but streamers in the midst of book challenges couldn’t see or receive these gifts. They would only receive the value of the gifts after they completed a dimension and returned to the Multiverse Realm.
Even so, viewers in the Paranoid Obsession dimension were relentless in throwing money, just to get him to go back and make wontons and fried rice!
Finally, a message floated by, representing the thoughts of a new viewer:
[Am I in the right place for the cliché drama challenge?]
Many new viewers were confused.
Is this the streamer who conquered Paranoid Obsession??
Is this the streamer who made everyone in the Paranoid Obsession dimension obsessed, even having the protagonist couple shout at the Multiverse Livestream to send him back to their dimension??
Why does this feel like something is off?!
At first, when they saw that Jian Yunlan had decent popularity and an active chat, they thought Jian Yunlan might have some special strategy for conquering cliché dramas.
But when Jian Yunlan rode a tricycle to set up a stall, they were still waiting for the twist.
As they waited, they realized they had been duped…
This wasn’t a cliché drama conquest live stream. This was clearly a late-night food craving stream!
[Where’s the twist? I really didn’t see it!!!]
[Jian Shen has his own plans (Mashu’s mysterious smile).]
[Although the hot pot looks delicious, does the streamer want to use food to conquer the protagonist couple? But why not try to approach Yu Ming? His stall is a bit far from Mingming’s route after school…]
[Also, because of the childhood trauma, Yu Ming will absolutely not eat spicy hot pot! Does the streamer really think they can win over Yu Ming with hot pot? (Raises eyebrow).]
[You’re overthinking it.]
[Maybe Boss Jian doesn’t even know the names of the protagonist couple. Orz.]
Paranoid Obsession was the perfect example.
New viewer: ???
They had clearly boarded the wrong ship.
Some new viewers wanted to leave.
However, there was something magical about this live stream. No matter how much they wanted to leave, they couldn’t pull their legs away.
They forgot about the cliché drama, the pseudo-incest plot, and completely abandoned their original goal, focusing only on… the hot pot! That steaming, aromatic, red-oil-laden hot pot!
Damn it, they were hungry.
And crafty as ever, the Multiverse Livestream platform recommended snack products at just the right moment, with the promotional message:
“Late-night cravings? Want to try Boss Jian’s spicy hot pot? Try this self-heating pot, brought to you by Multiverse Livestream. Order now, and we’ll deliver it to your dimension in real time. The taste of Boss Jian—we know it~”
Not only the new viewers but also the old ones couldn’t resist!
They knew it was a trap, they knew the self-heating pot had nothing to do with Boss Jian, just riding on his popularity. But still, they couldn’t stop themselves from placing orders.
In the middle of the night, seeing such delicious hot pot but unable to eat it—it was torture…
Their stomachs growled, and before they knew it, they clicked to order the self-heating pot, especially the viewers from Paranoid Obsession who had tasted Boss Jian’s cooking.
Once you’ve tasted Boss Jian’s food, nothing else tastes good!
What if, just what if, this self-heating pot really tastes like his cooking?
Viewers: humble.
That night, Jian Yunlan’s live stream sold out all the self-heating pots recommended by the system…
*
The next morning.
Last week, when Jian Yunlan was selling food at the Yuanzhou Group’s building, he had to wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. to buy ingredients, which made him accustomed to an early morning routine. Today, it wasn’t even 7 a.m., but he was already awake naturally.
What Jian Yunlan didn’t know was that, far away in another dimension, many people were worried about him.
Last night, when he returned to his villa, Jian Yunlan felt completely satisfied.
Selling food was just so much fun!
Moreover, a spicy hot pot stall was different from other food stalls. Due to the nature of the hot pot, the stall was more lively, and customers tended to eat on the spot instead of taking food to go.
Jian Yunlan’s happiness came from the satisfied expressions of customers after they ate his food.
“Maybe I should prepare some tables and chairs,” Jian Yunlan thought.
The hot pot was served in such a big bowl, and it was too hot to hold, so the customers could only squat on the street and eat, looking pitiful.
If he could prepare some simple tables and chairs, it would greatly improve the situation.
Moreover, last night’s feast and Hu Dangui both performed well. Taotie’s number card helped a lot, and Hu Dangui’s lotus lantern also helped many customers relieve their fatigue, receiving a lot of positive feedback.
Although there were some complaints from customers about occasionally hearing a voice in the corner, speaking ominously: “Don’t fall in love,” “People who fall in love don’t end well”… Today, he needed to remind the little fox to keep her distance.
Yawning, Jian Yunlan walked outside and saw a young girl surrounded by a layer of white light, carrying a wooden bucket.
Jian Yunlan: “?”
He rubbed his eyes, then opened them again.
Hu Dangui was enveloped in a mosaic-like white light. Upon seeing Jian Yunlan, she cheerfully waved at him, “Master, good morning~”
Jian Yunlan wasn’t mistaken. The white light around her was so surreal, like something from another dimension.
“Morning.” Jian Yunlan looked confused and asked, “What’s this?”
“Oh, this,” Hu Dangui scratched her head, smiling shyly, “I only have one set of clothes, this Taoist robe, so I wash my clothes by hand every day. When I’m washing, I have nothing to wear, so I just cover myself with a mosaic.”
Having lived in the human world, Hu Dangui had developed her own survival tricks. Because she often didn’t have enough to eat and money was tight, she not only mastered various side skills but also became an expert in saving money.
For example, she only bought one set of clothes and washed them daily, tore a napkin into three pieces to use, collected cardboard boxes for warmth, and even rented a care bed at the hospital for twenty bucks when she had no place to stay…
Every day, a little survival trick from a wanderer. jpg
Despite being a nearly ten-thousand-year-old nine-tailed fox, Hu Dangui had an honest, hardworking smile, like that of a regular human.
If you ignored the mosaic on her, this was such a touching and pure scene.
Jian Yunlan: “…”
“Butler, find her a set of clothes.” Jian Yunlan sighed.
The butler appeared discreetly, nodding in agreement.
The butler was a bit annoyed—this was a stain on his career as a butler. He had clearly prepared a room for Miss Hu, yet he didn’t realize she had no spare clothes!
“Young master, I’ll send someone to help Miss Hu get some clothes.”
Jian Yunlan was about to nod, but after thinking for a moment, he stopped him: “Never mind, I’m going out today to buy some things. Take her and Taotie with me to pick some new clothes. Please prepare the car for us.”
Steward: “Yes, sir.”
What Jian Yunlan had in mind was employee welfare team building. As a kind-hearted boss, it was perfectly normal for him to take his staff out to buy some clothes.
What the butler was thinking was:
Ah, the young master is going out with Taotie and Miss Hu for some family bonding time!
Upon hearing that Jian Yunlan was going to buy her clothes, Hu Dangui was so touched that her eyes welled up with tears: “Master, you’re so good to me. No one has ever been this kind to me…”
Meanwhile, upon hearing that Jian Yunlan was going to buy him clothes, Taotie’s reaction was: “Buy clothes for this lord? You should think about yourself first.”
With his golden pupils, he glanced indifferently at Jian Yunlan, as if thinking something, and then snorted with a smile: “Shorty.”
Jian Yunlan: “…”
Taotie moved a bit closer, leaning down to observe Jian Yunlan, his silver hair falling in front of Jian Yunlan’s eyes, carrying a faint sandalwood fragrance.
The next moment, Taotie grabbed Jian Yunlan under his armpit and lifted him up, narrowing his eyes and giving a slightly malicious comment: “Human, I hadn’t noticed before, but you’re so short—no, so cute.”
Jian Yunlan was considered tall among humans, just over 1.8 meters, but clearly, it wasn’t enough in the eyes of a fierce beast hundreds of meters tall.
“If I buy you clothes, would I have to pick from the baby clothes section?” Taotie continued, becoming more amused, with a grin on his lips and narrow eyes gleaming with mischievous light.
Jian Yunlan was lifted up, and he lowered his eyes, looking down to meet Taotie’s gaze.
Taotie’s pupils reflected Jian Yunlan’s face.
Although Jian Yunlan was a stall-hopping enthusiast, his face was flawless, with pupils that glistened, exuding a deep sea-like blue.
That deep blue reflected Taotie’s face.
…Jian Yunlan was actually staring at him intently.
Taotie suddenly felt like his breath wasn’t flowing smoothly.
Suddenly, Jian Yunlan revealed a mysterious smile: “Hey, guess what?”
Taotie: “?”
Taotie had a bad premonition.
—Oh no.
Half an hour later, at a large commercial district in A City.
The very eye-catching “family of three” outing caused a stir among the crowd.
“Wow, such a good-looking family of three!”
“Yeah, yeah, the little girl is so cute and obedient, and her dad, with that air, is like a fallen immortal, absolutely stunning.”
“Whoa! A silver-haired, dark-skinned handsome guy! Is this someone I can see in the three-dimensional world?!”
“Wait a minute, why is he wearing a bite blocker?”
In the ABO world, a bite blocker is something that only an Alpha who has made a mistake would be forced to wear.
And among this attention-grabbing “family of three,” the tallest silver-haired handsome guy was wearing a very obvious bite blocker. His expression looked extremely displeased, and paired with his sharp muscle lines, silver hair tied up in a high ponytail, and bronze skin, he looked fierce and arrogant.
Next to him, the other handsome guy had a completely different aura, gentle and kind like a laughing deity on an altar, yet breathtakingly beautiful.
The two of them standing together, especially with that bite blocker, created a very intriguing tension that everyone could sense when they looked from all angles.
“These two must be Alphas, ahhh! A double Alpha combo, how enticing!”
“How is it not a strong match?”
“No matter how fierce an Alpha is outside, when they’re with their wife, they have to obediently wear the bite blocker~~”
Taotie: “…”
What wife!
That’s absolutely ridiculous!
They’re not… not that kind of relationship.
Meanwhile, Hu Dangui was very clever, stretching out her hands and sweetly smiling as she said, “Daddy, I’m tired, carry me~”
Seeing Taotie be made fun of was a rare opportunity.
Taotie laughed in anger: “Get lost.”
Jian Yunlan glanced at Taotie and Hu Dangui, feeling quite satisfied.
Look, what a kind boss he was, treating his employees so well.
Look at them, they’re so happy!
*
At 2 PM.
Jian Yunlan arrived at the market on his tricycle, right on time.
After yesterday’s experience, today he skipped the stalls selling oysters and deer antlers, heading straight for the fresh produce area.
He was never short of funds, so money wasn’t an issue, and he always bought the freshest, highest-quality ingredients.
However, Jian Yunlan was a bit disappointed. He wasn’t sure if it was related to the ABO dimension, but he hadn’t been able to find any ingredients that could be rated “premium” by his Chef’s Eye these past few days.
Of course, even ordinary ingredients, with Jian Yunlan’s cooking, could become incredibly delicious.
But as he was about to leave the market, nearing the exit, Jian Yunlan spotted a faint golden light.
Gold, golden light!
Top-tier ingredients!
He focused and saw that the top-tier ingredient was sesame paste, with a note from the Chef’s Eye:
[Top-tier Sesame Paste (1 star): Made by Boss Zhao’s family’s secret recipe, handcrafted sesame paste from the best sesame seeds~ Drizzle this sesame paste on hot and spicy skewers, and mmm, it’s so fragrant!]
“!!!”
Jian Yunlan’s eyes instantly lit up with a brilliant gleam.
*
In the Multiverse livestream.
Due to the rule that if the plot progression in the past 48 hours hadn’t reached at least 5%, the streamer would be eliminated, and a full day had already passed since entering the dimension.
In the “Dark River, Bright Light” section, most streamers were scrambling to progress, trying to avoid elimination. However…
[Alright, our dear Boss Jian is still shopping for groceries]
[Does anyone remember, all the other streamers have at least 1% progress, but Boss Jian is still at 0%! What do we do, elimination is guaranteed?!]
[Let’s be real, wherever Boss Jian goes, it’s just stall-hopping, so if he gets eliminated, he’ll just continue in the next dimension]
[Please return Boss Jian to the “Paranoid Possession” dimension, thank you.]
While Jian Yunlan was leisurely shopping for groceries, his livestream’s chat was in chaos.
*
[This streamer’s spicy hot pot look pretty tasty, but they can’t compare to my hot pot [image]. If the streamer can survive the first 48 hours without being eliminated, I’ll do a handstand in my hot pot and add an extra spicy hot pot base! I’ll do what I say!]
[Wow, even the handstand hot pot guy is watching Boss Jian now.]
[Oh no, no, no, hot pot guy, don’t add debuffs to Boss Jian, I still want to see his spicy hot pot every night QAQ.]
The appearance of the “handstand hot pot guy” was like adding fuel to the fire.
Wherever the hot pot guy went, he always brought traffic with him, and instantly, a new wave of viewers joined, eagerly waiting for the streamer to be eliminated.
Meanwhile, Jian Yunlan’s own viewers and fans were already anxiously trying to calm each other down…
