He Didn't Even Lift the Lid off the Pot

Lin Wan's heart softened. 'It's just a live show…'

In her own world, Lin Wan used to be a live streamer.

Lin Wan's childhood had been miserable. After her parents' divorce, she was tossed from one to another, frequently. Her grandparents attended her parent-teacher meetings, instead of her parents. When her grandparents passed away, she had no one to rely on.

Lin Wan understood and agreed with Assistant Qin. She found a set of fitting sportswear in her closet and tied her hair into a high ponytail. It would be more convenient for her to wear this for the reality show. She looked young and lively.

In the real world, Lin Wan had placed a lot of importance on maintaining her health. Most of the money she earned was spent on good skincare products. There was once a video online that said that a woman's face was worth a McLaren. Although it was a little exaggerated, it was somewhat true. Lin Wan just loved to maintain her beauty. Her skin was fair and blemish-free. She also had a sort of a baby face which made her look very young.

When Lin Wan came down the stairs, Li Zekai was stunned. If she told anyone that she was his sister, they would believe her.

"What are you doing? Let's go." Lin Wan raised the brim of her white hat.

"You only brought a palm-sized backpack? We'll be at Lan Village for a week!" Li Zekai pointed at the black leather bag on Lin Wan's back.

'Although they had prepared their own clothes, as parents, shouldn't she take on the responsibility of cooking?' thought Li Zekai. The program rule stated that food could not be bought. The contestants can either pick them from the field or exchange the things they had brought with other families.

"These clothes are quick-drying, so I only carried a few. There are compressed biscuits and ham sausages in the bag, too." Lin Wan hated going out while carrying bulky things. It was only seven days, anyway. It was just tiring to drag luggage after her.

Li Zekai stared at her for a while. He didn't say anything further. He only gave Li Wan a thumbs up.

...

At the live broadcast of 'We Are Also Very Ordinary' in Lan Village, five families arrived to participate. Besides Li Zexuan's family, there were four other families.

Li Zexuan was a top celebrity who was participating in the event. Additionally, his father was an influential figure in the business world. The festival group had arranged for him to stay at the village head's house. However, he had chosen to stay at Aunt Wang's house, which was the most dilapidated house in that area. If Lin Wan remembered correctly, Li Yanchen was a little mysophobic. It was no wonder that he was unwilling to participate.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Li Zexuan wouldn't never have imagined that such a backward village existed just 300 kilometers away from Yun City.

Li Zexin was full of resentment. "Brother, are you crazy? It is June! Rats and insects will arrive in droves. You chose such a badly kept house! You should have just brought little brother with you. Why did you drag me here? Aren't you afraid that I might end up fighting with that woman?"

Li Zexuan's thick eyebrows furrowed. "I was willing to let her come not only because of the live broadcast of the show. I know that father might come if he saw her here. Even if he doesn't hesitate to leave us, he can't bear to leave Lin Wan alone."

Li Zexin finally understood why his elder brother had insisted on inviting Lin Wan. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "That makes sense… but I can't promise that there won't be a conflict between me and her."

At five in the afternoon, the two brothers were famished. Although they craved the affection of their father that they had never received, they were not short for money. At the least they would not go hungry. In a fit of pettiness, they threw away all the dry food from their bags.

However, in this godforsaken place, it didn't matter if they had money because there was nowhere to spend it. They were expected to cook for themselves. They had never touched a gas stove in their house, let alone use a clay stove. They waited for Lin Wan to cook but it was almost night.

Smoke rose from the chimney of their neighbor's kitchen, and the air was filled with the smell of cooked meat. Their stepmother hadn't arrived yet. The Festival Group had said that the camera would cut to the kitchens at 5:30pm to see what delicious food each family had made.

All the families must have put in a lot of effort to show off their skills in front of the camera to prove that rich families also coexisted in warmth. But not all rich people were here to cook and eat. They were here to show that they did have some life experience and basic skills. It was also a way to raise their popularity.

Looking at Li Zexuan's family, who didn't even prepare a pot of tea, let alone food, the director shook his head.

Even though Li Zexuan had yet to show his face, his stream already had millions of fans waiting for him, and the bullet screen was rapidly moving.

[I heard that Xuanxuan brought two younger brothers to the show this time. The older brother is so good-looking, so the younger brother must be good as well. I'm looking forward to it.]

[What? His stepmother is here too! Help!]

[I heard that the stepmother is only a few years older than our Xuanxuan. Are you sure she can take care of three children?]

[She's not here to leech off of Xuan's popularity, is she? if it wasn't for the sake of seeing my children, this stepmother would have already persuaded me to leave.]

[It's rumored that Li Yanchen, the business tycoon, was very much in love with his ex-wife. After his ex-wife passed away, he remained single for seven years. Why did he suddenly marry this woman without any news? I'd like to see if this woman is a vixen or a sl*t to be able to break the businessman Li's image.]

[Who cares what kind of stepmother she is? we're just here to see Xuan Bao.]

[Have you guys heard that Li Yanchen never accepts any interviews? He's on the list this time around, but I heard that he hasn't appeared yet. Is he coming or not?]

[He must be a disheveled old man. That's why I can't find a picture of him on the internet.]

The bullet screen was filled with discussions about the Li family.

...

At 5, Lin Wan and Li Zekai finally arrived. Li Zekai ran towards his brothers. Lin Wan looked at the two people in front of her. The tallest one, she presumed, was Li Zexuan, the oldest among the three. He was a top celebrity. He was the main lead of the novel. He sat crossed leg. His eyes were lowered, and the eyelashes cast a fan-shaped shadow on his face. His skin was even fairer than hers. When he saw Lin Wan arrive, Li Zexuan did not even look up.

The other one had slightly darker skin. He was frowning and his legs shook a little. his mouth was slightly pouted, and his legs kept shaking. He had distinct features. One could tell at a glance that this was her second son of the devil incarnate in the novel. He was also a frequent visitor of the internet café, Gong Jie. His name was Li Zexin.

"Hurry up and cook. Are you going to starve us to death? You're so annoying," Li Zexin demanded. He kicked the broken stool in front of him.

Lin Wan wanted to teach her unfilial son a lesson but seeing that the director had already brought the camera towards them, she held back to keep up the image of being a good wife and mother.

"Camera 1, in position." The cameraman said through the walkie-talkie.

"All kitchen cameras are in position. The live broadcast is starting," came the confirmation from the reception desk.

[Son, mommy's here. Why is she living in such a shabby place...]

[Did you bring the mosquito repellent? No, maybe there's no plug. Did you bring the mosquito fragrance?]

[Aren't you all cooking? Why is there no movement from your kitchen?]

Seeing Lin Wan sitting on a small bench with her hands supporting her cheeks, the fans could not hold it in anymore.

[Wheatley's Red braised pork. I can smell the fragrance even through the screen.]

[This cap-wearing girl, could she be the stepmother who stole our son? She's so young! What's she doing? she didn't even lift the lid.]

[This is Lin Wan? She's so fair that she's glowing. Her legs are so long and slender, and her face is so delicate. Oh my God, as a woman, I can't help but take a few more glances at her. She's as pretty as a film star.]

[Li Yanchen is very famous in the business world. But how can he be so shallow?]

[If our son gets hungry, we'll teach him a lesson.]

[Have you guys seen Li Yanchen ? All the guests have appeared in the live broadcast room. Why didn't I see him? I was quite surprised when he was on the list. It's indeed a gimmick of the show.]

[The parents of the other four groups of families are all here. Only Xuanxuan has an unreliable stepmother. How pitiful!]

[We strongly request that Lin Wan be withdrawn from the show. Let Xuanxuan continue to do missions with his two younger brothers.]

[It must be so difficult for Xuanxuan to remain kind in such an atmosphere. Mommies love you even more.]