Breakfast was oatmeal cooked with milk, along with shortbread cookies, and an apple for everyone.

Relatively simple — yet for the children, it was as wonderful as a dream.

In Diandian’s words: it was so good he didn’t even want to brush his teeth, just to let the taste linger in his mouth a little longer.

Bai Youwei only then learned that, to save on points, they didn’t brush their teeth during the day — only once before bed at night — and they didn’t even use toothpaste every time.

She immediately issued an order for everyone to go brush their teeth right now.

Yi Zichu was not spared either. He led the children to the washbasins for a thorough brushing session, faces washed too, and they all came back fresh and bright-eyed.

Yi Zichu felt that now was the time to bring up the matter of moving house with Bai Youwei. He was promptly sent off to make lunch instead.

The children, upon hearing there would be more good food, were overjoyed and completely forgot that the thugs could return to cause trouble at any moment.

By midday, Yi Zichu was in the kitchen working out the marinade for the charcoal-grilled lamb skewers Bai Youwei had specifically requested.

He laid out all the seasonings: bright red dried chilies, vivid green sharp peppers, deep brown star anise, soft yellow ginger slices, ivory-white garlic cloves, and well-defined cumin seeds — all arranged neatly along the kitchen counter, a riot of color, lively to look at.

Yi Zichu’s mood lifted as well. It was as though all these ingredients were old friends he knew well. He then hoisted a lamb leg onto the cutting board and sliced along the grain and sinew, the pale white lamb bone separating out naturally and cleanly.

*Ding —*

【Congratulations! You’ve received a rose, worth 100 points~】

Yi Zichu froze.

It had been a very long time since he’d heard that sound. Just 100 points, and yet it was enough to leave him stunned for half a minute.

Yi Zichu instinctively checked the follower count on his wrist display.

Perhaps because of the boost from Bai Youwei’s newcomers’ ranking, his follower count had grown considerably of late — almost at 800 now.

In the livestream world, once your follower count climbed high enough, it was really just a number — it didn’t carry much practical meaning.

What truly mattered was how many of those followers were actually willing to tip.

Ever since arriving here, Yi Zichu had lived in tight circumstances. Kitchen equipment and ingredients were difficult to buy; he himself wasn’t a natural performer; and at his age, there were many jobs he simply couldn’t take on. He relied mostly on doing odd deliveries to earn points.

Delivery runs occasionally brought encounters — traffic accidents, street brawls, or deliberate setup scams — which audiences enjoyed, and sometimes led to tips.

But that kind of thing didn’t happen every day. Most of the time, he subsisted on the monthly 600-point relief stipend.

Maybe things would slowly improve…

Yi Zichu looked at the array of colorful ingredients spread across the kitchen counter, and felt a vague but certain feeling: things would get better. He, Yaoyao, Youyou, Diandian, Jiujiu — things would get better for all of them.

Filled with that thought, he seemed briefly possessed by the spirit of a great chef. Blade rose and fell — *chak chak chak* — he began cutting the meat. His technique still had traces of inexperience, but his energy was unwavering.

On the kitchen ceiling, bullet comments drifted past one by one —

【The plating is visually satisfying.】

【The knife work is visually satisfying.】

【Satisfying +1】

【Satisfying +2】

……

【Satisfying + phone number】

【AHHH I’m so freaking hungry!!!】

【Thought I’d clicked into the wrong channel — isn’t this the delivery boy? When did he become a food streamer?】

【(→_→) What? Not allowed to have a second career?】

……

*Boom!*

A thunderous sound came from outside.

Yi Zichu startled sharply and sprinted out of the cafeteria.

……

【Oh! My poor heart~ The way the little puppy charged out clutching a kitchen cleaver is too captivating~】

【The guy with the cleaver isn’t bad looking at all!】

【Ahhh everyone look at this contrast! So exciting!】

【Front row! We’re sisters from now on!】

……

Yi Zichu’s face went pale, and he froze in place.

Outside the orphanage gate, a gang of thugs had arrived — barging through the entrance while smashing the metal gate with clubs and rods. Several had large cleavers in hand. They had clearly come with the worst of intentions.

—