CHAPTER 20

However, whether it is related to gourmet food or sold as nutritional fluids, many people in the comments below feel that Ye Chengxing is a scammer and not trustworthy. Nevertheless, there are still many people who are bold enough to purchase based on the prices. Many people are taking screenshots of their purchases and posting them on StarNet to prepare their reviews.

Some people discovered that they were relatively close to the food shop opened by Ye Chengxing, so they decided to go there directly and livestream their experience.

After Ye Chengxing uploaded the pictures and videos of the food on StarNet, she didn't pay much attention to the comments below. After all, within two seconds of her posting, orders started pouring in on StarNet continuously.

Although there are still many people under those videos calling her a scammer and criticizing the appearance of the food she made, it seems that it doesn't affect the sales volume.

After satisfying her curiosity by glancing at the comments, Ye Chengxing stopped paying attention. No matter how high they jump, the number of orders doesn't decrease. In fact, many people have already come to the shop to place their orders. Therefore, those comments are completely irrelevant. Besides, whether the food tastes good or not, she'll know once they try it.

Her original intention was just to raise the popularity of the food shop. As for the prices, she would adjust them after having a customer flow. Even if the customer flow increases in the future, Ye Chengxing doesn't plan on setting the prices for ordinary food too high.

After all, the culinary industry in this world can still be developed. It's just completely monopolized by the upper class. Even if someone wants to develop it, they have no way to do so. Skilled culinary specialists are being recruited with high salaries and only sell their meals to the upper class. The remaining meals are also sold through auctions. There are some famous culinary specialists who open food shops, but they already have exclusive customers, namely those rich people. The meals they make are still in high demand, so many people can only drink nutritional fluids.

Because they can't afford to eat freshly cooked meals.

If possible, Ye Chengxing wants to bring this market back to the public.

The pictures and videos have gained some popularity on StarNet. However, when people initially enter this food shop, they are skeptical. But as soon as someone takes the first bite and expresses their amazement, more and more people become brave enough to try it.

Many people who came for the live reviews also shared their experiences on StarNet.

[I really didn't expect it to be this delicious... sob sob sob, is the owner of this shop a god?]

[To be honest, when I first saw someone saying it was delicious, I thought they were lying. I underestimated it! It's extremely delicious! The prices are also affordable! Everyone, hurry and go!!]

[Ahh, I used to think this shop, not affiliated with any company, was unreliable. But now, I'm begging the owner not to join any company. This level of gourmet food, the prices will definitely skyrocket after joining a company.]

[It's so delicious that I ordered another serving immediately after finishing one. And who was the one who said the egg wasn't tasty before? Step forward and get beaten up!]

......

There are countless similar comments, and with the speed of information dissemination on StarNet, Ye Chengxing didn't expect that all the dishes and tea eggs she brought would be completely sold out.

The most surprising thing was that it had only just reached noon.

Looking at the empty smart storage room, Ye Chengxing was a bit slow to react. She originally thought she would be selling for the whole day, but unexpectedly, everything was sold out in just one morning.

She looked at the customers in the shop who were ready to place their orders and explained the situation apologetically.

Unexpectedly, instead of leaving, that customer not only stayed but also eagerly asked her when she would be selling again. Even other customers who overheard the question also stopped in their tracks.

Ye Chengxing pondered for two seconds. In fact, she had only wanted to try her hand at cooking. If things didn't go well, she could just give up. After all, before transmigrating, her profession was a doctor, not a professional chef. She never expected the food she made would be so popular.

However, after thinking it through, she couldn't come up with a definite time. After all, Li Jia would be taking the entrance exam soon, and she couldn't keep an eye on the shop all day. So she said, "I can't be sure about the time, but there should be at least one sale every day. If you're interested, you can follow my StarNet account. I will post the food available for the next day in advance, and you can make reservations accordingly."

After finishing her statement, Ye Chengxing reflected on what she had just said and felt that it sounded too casual, giving off an impression that the shop could open or close at will, without a sense of responsibility.

Unexpectedly, after saying that, the customers in front of her visibly brightened up, and their praises became even more frequent.

"Oh my, there will be at least one sale every day. You know, those who cook food that's not as good as yours only auction it once a month."

"What a charitable shop owner, truly amazing."

Listening to the continuous praises from the customers in the shop, Ye Chengxing almost couldn't help but cough.

...She almost forgot what the food shops in this world were like.

But these people are really good at praising.

Suppressing her embarrassment, Ye Chengxing calmly instructed the AI in the shop to adjust its status to closed, and on StarNet, the status changed to "temporarily closed," indicating that all the food for today had been sold out.

At this point, those who were still skeptical and hesitant finally made up their minds to go and buy, only to find that everything was sold out. Seeing the feedback from those who managed to buy, they couldn't help but feel regretful one after another.

It seemed that the food was really delicious.

Why didn't they go and buy earlier?

However, this feeling of disappointment was mostly dissipated after someone posted Ye Chengxing's original words. Unconsciously, it turned into another excited emotion—

The owner said there will be at least one sale tomorrow!

They must make sure to grab it tomorrow!

.......

After organizing the shop, Ye Chengxing stopped using the disguised spray and changed her clothes, being cautious enough to switch to a different location before getting into the car. The current her was dressed in incredibly expensive clothing, and it was impossible to tell that she was the owner of the Risheng Food Shop. It was as if they were two different people.

Once she was seated in the car, Ye Chengxing finally had a moment to look at the money she earned in just the morning.

The amount of star coins was beyond her expectations.

She didn't deposit the money into the original owner's card at the Ye family. Instead, she opened a new account in her own name. The Ye family wouldn't notice it in the short term, and by the time they did, she would have taken care of what needed to be done.

Ye Chengxing was very satisfied with the results of the morning, especially since many of those who had criticized her before had completely reversed their opinions. The buzz and discussions about her food shop on StarNet had reached an all-time high, with countless people talking about it.

Ye Chengxing looked at the comments on StarNet and felt even more satisfied. Her reputation had spread, and if she continued to manage the shop well, the results would undoubtedly be excellent, possibly even better than she had expected.

After organizing all this information and outlining her next steps and plans, Ye Chengxing pressed her slightly sour neck.

Although she was tired, the thought of her upcoming plans filled her with determination and motivation.

She put away the list of plans, checked the time, and estimated that the morning tutoring session was about to end. She thought about preparing something for Li Jia to replenish her nutrition at noon, or rather, not just nutrition.

Considering the many years of aphrodisiac drug that Lin Que had given to Li Jia, it couldn't be for nothing. The effects of that drug were extremely dominant and intense, but she hadn't noticed any specific reactions so far, perhaps because the suppressants she had given Li Jia before were still effective.

Nevertheless, she needed to plan carefully. To some extent, food therapy could also have some effect.

Although she hadn't seen any specific side effects of the aphrodisiac drugs yet, it was certain that after consuming it daily for so many years, her body must have been affected.

Ye Chengxing couldn't help but feel emotional as she thought about it.

Before transmigrating, she could never have imagined becoming a chef after transmigration. It was truly unexpected.

However, despite that, some of her previous professional habits remained. She still knew which foods combined together had what nutritional and therapeutic effects. Therefore, she quickly decided on the nutritional recipe for lunch.

Lost in her thoughts, the car arrived back at the villa.

The location of the food shop she had chosen was actually quite far from the villa where the original owner lived.

It's not intentional, but the location of the original owner's villa is extremely remote, to the point of being considered in the middle of nowhere.

This is the most peculiar thing that Ye Chengxing finds. The people from the Ye family don't seem to dote on the original owner as much as described in the novel. That's why she is wary of the Ye family.

When the events from the novel became a reality, she realized that many details differed from what was written in the book. The plot expressed in the book is one thing, but once it becomes a complete and perfect world, many of the undeveloped plot points from the book can turn into something else entirely.

Ye Chengxing returned to the villa relatively early today, so the private tutor had not left yet.

Upon seeing her return, the tutor, who was about to leave, stopped and approached her with a smile. She said with emotion, "Miss Ye, Li Jia is learning so fast, and she grasps everything quickly. She will definitely pass the entrance exam after some time."

The tutor's expression and tone were not deliberately flattering or fawning, but rather the genuine admiration and appreciation one feels when encountering a talented student. After all, it's rare for a teacher not to like excellent students, especially those they have taught themselves.

When the tutor said this, Li Jia was standing behind her. Upon hearing the teacher's words, Li Jia narrowed her eyes and said, "No, it's because the teacher teaches well."

Li Jia, dressed in a light yellow dress, walked gracefully, and her hair swayed slightly in the air with each movement. The vibrant and youthful feeling was overwhelming.

Hearing the tutor's praise, Ye Chengxing felt a sense of pride and satisfaction. She couldn't help but feel a little proud inside. "Of course."

After seeing off the tutor, Ye Chengxing changed her clothes. The modest smile she had barely maintained in front of the tutor disappeared instantly, replaced by a bright and determined gaze.

She looked at Li Jia, smiled, and ruffled her hair while praising her.

Li Jia's hair felt good to the touch, fluffy and soft, reminding Ye Chengxing of the feeling when small animals lie down and expose their bellies. The fragrance on her hair was familiar, the same shampoo she had used before. After praising her, Ye Chengxing couldn't help but ruffle it again.

With her hair being ruffled like that, Li Jia's expression, which had remained unchanged despite the teacher's numerous praises, suddenly transformed into another look. Her long eyelashes drooped slightly, casting fine shadows on her cheeks, like the reflection of lush branches in the water.

After ruffling her hair, Ye Chengxing continued to praise her several times, happily embracing Li Jia. This embrace didn't carry any romantic feelings, it was simply an innocent and pure embrace.

If it were someone else doing this repeatedly, they would probably end up with a cold corpse by now. However, Li Jia realized that the person in front of her, Ye Chengxing, often seemed to forget the boundaries between Alpha and Omega. It didn't seem like an act but rather genuine unawareness. In some subconscious reactions, it was evident that she had no concept of Alpha and Omega.

Li Jia felt Ye Chengxing's embrace and remained silent. She was afraid that if she spoke, Ye Chengxing would react and become aware of something. So she let her embrace her, showing a slightly shy and embarrassed smile in response to the compliments.

Because of this embrace, the distance between them suddenly became closer. Li Jia could almost hear the rhythmic heartbeat coming from Ye Chengxing's chest, overlapping with her own heartbeat.

Unfortunately, this embrace lasted only a few brief seconds. Li Jia didn't have time to savor it when Ye Chengxing released her and patted her shoulder with her fingertips. "Li Jia, you're really amazing."

Ye Chengxing had repeated similar words with implied meanings many times, and each time Li Jia heard them, her heartbeat felt even stronger.

She couldn't help shaking her head. "No... It's all because of you, Sister."

Upon hearing Li Jia's words, Ye Chengxing disagreed and spoke, not very approvingly, "That's not how it's said. You were already outstanding on your own. It's not just because of my existence. If it were someone else, anyone else, you would have achieved the same. Let me think, there's a saying, something like 'gold will always shine.' I'm at most just someone who discovered a piece of jade, but you've always been a genuine and precious gem."

She said it all in one breath, except for a second or two of contemplation, there was no pause at all.

Meeting her gaze, Li Jia realized that Ye Chengxing truly believed she was a precious gem, outstanding, and... the best.

Not the disaster and freak that people called her, nor someone who would insult her or covet her appearance.

But precisely because of this, she became even more scared.

It made her feel that she couldn't really hold onto Ye Chengxing's presence. If Ye Chengxing were an ordinary person, she could at least use this appearance, but she wasn't.

She just wasn't.

After saying that, Ye Chengxing prepared to go to the kitchen. She had already organized the nutritional recipes for what she was going to make next in the car. Now she really wanted to put them into practice and let Li Jia taste them. However, just as she was about to enter the kitchen, she seemed to remember something and naturally took out a hair tie, sitting in front of Li Jia.

Ye Chengxing raised her hand and offered the hair tie she had been holding.

Li Jia saw her action and paused for two seconds before accepting it.

Ye Chengxing's long, flowing hair was shining with a brilliant luster. Holding the hair tie felt like touching high-quality silk—smooth and slightly cool to the touch. It was like silk, but at the same time, it was like the gentle, never-ending flow of a stream.

Li Jia stood behind the Alpha, sniffing the faint fragrance on Ye Chengxing's hair. For a moment. she unconsciously tightened her grip on the hair tie and suddenly spoke, "There won't be anyone else, only Sister. If I truly am a beautiful jade, after being carved, I will belong to Sister alone."

Ye Chengxing didn't immediately understand what Li Jia meant by her words, but soon realized that Li Jia was referring to what she had said before.

"That's more or less the same thing. In any case, you are truly outstanding..." Ye Chengxing paused and then remembered something, "By the way, do you not like the scent of the shampoo I bought for you?"

Li Jia didn't raise her eyes, her gaze was still fixed on Ye Chengxing's hair. She made a soft sound with her breath, "No."

Hearing Li Jia's response, Ye Chengxing continued, "It's alright, if you don't like it, we can get a new one. I think you've been using the one I have, do you prefer that scent? I'll buy that one for you next time."

Li Jia moved her lips as if she wanted to say something but didn't speak. In the end, she just nodded casually, "I'm fine with anything."

In fact, there were many unspoken words beneath her words.

For example, she didn't dislike the scent of the shampoo she had used before, and she didn't particularly like the scent of the other shampoo either. Furthermore... it was just because Ye Chengxing used that one, and she smelled it on her, so she wanted to use it too, to have the same scent on herself. But no matter how she used it, the final feeling was different from what she smelled on Ye Chengxing, even though they were using the same shampoo.

With her long hair neatly tied up, Ye Chengxing squinted slightly and spoke with a touch of sentiment, "Forget about the shampoo, Just talking about you tying my hair twice now, I think I'll get completely used to it."

After saying that, she smiled and teased, "By that time, I might have a hard time adjusting if you stop tying my hair."

Li Jia's hands didn't stop their movements, but her gaze paused for a moment. "No, I will always be by Sister's side."

Once her hair was tied up, Ye Chengxing touched it and the smile at the corner of her eyes deepened. "What do you mean 'No'? It's not about always, it's just for now. Your life is just beginning here, and I promise you, it will become even brighter in the future."

She said those words with such conviction that even Li Jia was momentarily stunned.

Every time their eyes met, these moments of being stunned seemed to happen more often.

Ye Chengxing's every word and action almost caught her off guard, planting a small flower in her devastated heart, where she could no longer trust anyone, adding a touch of unusual color to her desolate world.

It was like a ray of light that pulled her out of the endless darkness without hesitation.

Li Jia couldn't help but want to retort.

She didn't want it to be just for this stage.

This person was so good, she really wanted... to be able to stay by her side forever.

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