Chapter 27: I Don’t Dare Say It

【Whoa, that’s one big face!】

【Hey, is that the host? He totally has the face of a chef!】

【Hahaha, you must be new here! That guy’s the orphanage chef, just barged in without warning!】

【Big bro’s expression is priceless】

【Am I the only one impressed by how professional this chef looks? Chef’s hat, anti-fog mask, sleeve covers, and clean hands with trimmed nails.】

【Wow, are you Sherlock Holmes or what? Noticing all that detail.】

【This guy… why does he look kind of familiar?】

【Haha, what is he, your cousin’s uncle’s neighbor’s nephew’s dad?】

【Chef? Wait, I remember now! I know him! His name is Zhao Guojiang!!】

【Who? Is he famous or something?】

【He used to be the head chef at a high-end private dining place I went to a lot. His food was amazing!!!】

【But now, that place suddenly changed its style and turned into some trendy influencer hotspot. All flashy, no soul in the food anymore.】

【Ahhh, Master Zhao, look at me! I’m your old customer! I miss your tomato beef stew and squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, I miss them so much, sob sob~】

【Wait, he was a private dining chef? Now I’m really curious about what his food tastes like.】

【……】

Master Zhao glanced curiously at the screen, then quickly took several steps back.

Wait… could this be that livestream thing young people talk about?

Why did his face suddenly appear on screen?

“Oh no, Master Zhao, I forgot I was livestreaming.”

“This is really a livestream? Sorry, Teacher Yuan, I didn’t know. I just leaned in to take a look. I hope it didn’t cause any trouble?” Master Zhao looked a little guilty.

“No, no, it’s fine.”

“Master Zhao, look, there are so many people on the screen saying they want to try your cooking.”

“Some even said they want to watch you cook live.”

Yuan Yuan walked over, glanced at her phone, and said with a cheerful smile to Master Zhao.

“Really? Hehehe… but I don’t know how to do that livestream stuff.” Master Zhao tugged awkwardly at his shirt.

“It’s not hard. I can teach you when you have time.”

“Alright then.”

When Teacher Yuan walked back to the dining table with her phone, she couldn’t help but speak to the screen.

“Okay, I’m going to eat now, everyone. Go do your thing, don’t just hang around here.”

【I’m not busy, I want to watch Teacher Yuan’s mukbang.】

【I’m staying too.】

【Other streamers: ‘Don’t leave, fam, I’m about to eat, come watch!’ Teacher Yuan: ‘Everyone go do your thing, don’t hang around.’】

【Hahaha, I weigh 130 pounds, and 129 of those are rebellious. I’m not leaving, nya nya nya.】

【Teacher Yuan, is the food really that good?】

【Anyone else? I’m holding a steamed bun with cabbage from the canteen, pretending it’s a giant stuffed bun.】

【……】

Yuan Yuan ignored the comments on the screen again.

Because right now, she was fully focused on eating.

The soup dumplings had thin skins and juicy fillings, two bites each.

Five dumplings disappeared in no time.

The side dishes included stir-fried shredded potatoes with green peppers, broccoli with green beans, scrambled eggs with asparagus, and some pickled vegetables.

You could tell how tasty they were just by how fast Yuan Yuan was picking them up with her chopsticks.

As soon as the dumplings were gone, there wasn’t much left of the side dishes either.

By the time she finished her spicy soup and marinated egg, the bowls were spotless.

Not a single vegetable bit remained.

The kids’ plates nearby were also completely clean, not a scrap left.

They were all part of the Clean Plate Club.

After eating, Yuan Yuan lined up with the kids to wash the dishes.

And her phone? Once again, she forgot it on the dining table.

The livestream viewers, once again abandoned: “……”

“Teacher Yuan, what was that livestream thing you were talking about with Grandpa Zhao?”

After the meal, Su Zhixing asked curiously.

The girls in the orphanage had been abandoned since birth.

They had grown up only knowing the little world inside the orphanage.

The place was poor, so poor that some rooms still used bare light bulbs.

They had no way to access the outside world or its newest technology.

Phones, tablets, even kids’ smartwatches—they barely had any exposure to them.

All they had to watch was an old second-hand color TV that Director Wu had bought.

As for Director Wu’s phone, she was always too busy to use it much, let alone let the kids play with it.

It wasn’t until Lu Qingqiang arrived that real changes began to happen in this nearly unbelievable place.

A multifunctional screening room was already part of her renovation plans.

And it would soon be built and put into use.

The projector and computers inside would be top-of-the-line.

Even the chairs beside the computers were custom-made with built-in massage functions.

“Livestreaming is… using a phone to show people what you want to share in real time.”

“And you can interact with the viewers live, too.”

“That’s amazing! Teacher Yuan, can I take a look?” Su Zhixing asked, eyes wide with wonder.

“Of course.” Yuan Yuan handed her phone to Su Zhixing.

Su Zhixing took it with both hands, holding it reverently as she looked at the screen.

【Ahhh, she’s killing me with cuteness! How is this little girl so adorable?!】

【She looks just like a doll.】

【She’s from the orphanage? No way. She’s so sweet and cute, I refuse to believe someone abandoned her.】

【So cute (*?▽?*)】

【Come here, baby, auntie wants to give you a kiss! (*╯3╰)】

“Teacher Yuan, is that me on the screen?”

“That’s right. Once you start livestreaming, whatever the front camera sees will show up on screen.”

“See the top right corner? Those are the people watching you.”

“And down here in the bottom left, that’s where they type messages to you.” Yuan Yuan explained.

“Big Sis Xingxing, let me see!”

“I wanna see too! Me too!”

The lively little kids all gathered around, full of curiosity.

“How about this? Each of you take turns holding the phone and saying hi to the viewers. Introduce yourselves?”

“Okay, okay! I’ll go first!”

“Hi everyone, my name is Su Zhixing. I’m almost four years old, and I love our director mommy the most!”

“My turn, my turn! I’m Su Chao, I’m four and a half. I love director mommy and eating meat!”

“I… I’m nervous. I don’t dare say anything.”

“What are you scared of? Just say it! If you don’t, I’ll say it for you. His name is Zhou Yang, he loves swords, and he wants to be a great hero when he grows up.”

“I’m Gu Cheng. Thank you.”

“Song Li.”

“My name is Wang Zhiyu. ‘Yu’ like rain. Director mommy said I was found on a rainy day.”

“……”

After everyone had finished introducing themselves, the last child obediently handed the phone back to Yuan Yuan.

“So, what do you think? Aren’t the kids I take care of just the cutest?”

“To be honest, the reason I chose to work at this orphanage wasn’t just because the leadership is kind, the environment is good, and the food is great. It was these kids that truly drew me in.”

“They’re so sweet and so thoughtful, it breaks your heart.”

“Please keep following our orphanage. You’ll get to see more of the kids’ daily lives and what it’s like here.”

“For now, it’s time for class~”