VFGRC Chapter 41

TL: Moonlit

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“Sigh!”

On the street, while munching on fried chicken strips, Xing Xing let out a small sigh.

“Why the sigh? Is the fried chicken strips not tasty today?” asked Yu Bai.

Xing Xing shook his little head, holding the bag of fried chicken strips with his tender face showing a worried expression.

“Grandma’s fried chicken strip stall is getting worse… What if she stops selling fried chicken strips here in the future?”

Earlier, when Xing Xing overheard the conversation between Wang Mei and Qian Kangkang about setting up snack stalls, he felt a sense of crisis in his heart.

Although Dad’s cooking was delicious, Xing Xing also liked the sugar-coated hawthorns sold by Uncle Dong and the fried chicken strips sold by Grandma.

As a child, Xing Xing couldn’t eat too many snacks and treats every day. So the occasional moments of enjoying sugar-coated hawthorns and fried chicken strips were the happiest times of Xing Xing’s week.

But if Uncle Dong stops selling sugar-coated hawthorns, and Grandma stops selling fried chicken strips… Xing Xing’s happiest moments of trying out other snacks from different stalls during the week will be gone!

This can’t happen!

“If you keep sighing like this, your face will turn into a little old man,” Yu Bai rubbed the chubby face of his child. “Don’t think too much.”

Why does his child always like to worry about adult matters? Xing Xing is so young, and his tender face will be wrinkled like a little bun!

Yu Bai continued, “Gold will always shine. I believe that once we get through this period, Grandma’s fried chicken strip stall will surely recover as it was before…”

Wang Mei’s fried chicken strips were indeed delicious, but the only difference between her stall and “Qiaozi Snacks Store” was that the latter was good at marketing, while Wang Mei’s fried chicken strip stall was not as popular in Sanjiaokou.

Many people who have never been to Sanjiaokou or were unfamiliar with it didn’t know how delicious Wang Mei’s fried chicken strips were. They were naturally attracted by the exaggerated “Qiaozi Snacks Store” with long queues.

This resulted in a situation where Wang Mei’s fried chicken strip stall had no customers.

But now, things were different.

When Yu Bai accompanied Xing Xing to buy fried chicken strips at Wang Mei’s stall just now, he happened to glance at the phone screen of Qian Kangkang, who claimed to be a food blogger.

As Qian Kangkang said, his phone screen was displaying the live streaming interface.

In J City, a bustling city in China, it was common for people to use their phones to record their lives or do live streaming.

At first, Yu Bai didn’t know much about bloggers and internet celebrities, and he thought Qian Kangkang was just an ordinary small blogger.

However, it was only after Yu Bai took a glance at Qian Kangkang’s phone screen that he realized he had underestimated him.

Qian Kangkang’s live stream had almost several bullet comments popping up every second, with a continuous stream of gifts and flowers being sent, and even the number of online viewers in the top-left corner displayed as a long string of numbers…

Having so many online viewers on a weekday afternoon in the live streaming room proved that Qian Kangkang was no ordinary small streamer. He was very likely a mid-tier or even top-tier food blogger on the internet.

In the world of online bloggers, regardless of which circle, anyone who can reach the mid-tier level would undoubtedly have a significant influence on the audience.

Moreover, in Qian Kangkang’s live stream, he had been praising Wang Mei’s fried chicken strips without reservation…

Yu Bai thought.

With a popular blogger from the food circle attracting traffic to Wang Mei’s fried chicken strip stall, it might not be long before the stall can have a second chance to shine.

—

Yu Bai and Ji Rongyu took Xing Xing to explore the shopping mall near Sanjiaokou.

As a large mall, it had everything – clothes shops, snack stalls, and even a small indoor amusement park…

Alright.

As a child, Xing Xing was mesmerized by the cool interior and a row of claw machines outside a trendy toy store. His two little feet seemed stuck to the floor, unable to take a step forward.

Xing Xing’s eyes widened, and his mouth formed an “O” shape.

Some children were standing in front of the small claw machines, earnestly trying to grab toys; slightly older students were dancing on the dance machine nearby; couples were sitting in front of the two-player game machine, playing games that required coordination…

As Yu Bai walked, he noticed that Xing Xing next to him was like a little weight, almost dragging him back.

Following Xing Xing’s gaze, Yu Bai looked towards the trendy toy store.

Countless children held large plush toys tightly in their arms, walking out of the toy store with their young parents, their cute faces filled with happiness.

“Xing Xing, do you want to play? Dad can take you inside to play, how about that?”

Xing Xing looked at Yu Bai, blinked his eyes, and clutched the soft corner of his clothes with his little hand.

Caught red-handed, Xing Xing used both force and shyness to nod his little head.

Xing Xing’s voice was soft, “Okay…”

Yu Bai lifted the fluffy Xing Xing, “Then let’s exchange a hundred game coins first. Think about it, which game do you want to play first…”

“Let’s… let’s play the claw machines!” Xing Xing said, “But Dad, are the game coins expensive?”

If they were too expensive, he wouldn’t want to play.

Xing Xing counted on his fingers.

He had calculated that when Dad sold one serving of snacks, he could earn a maximum of ten yuan. Dad worked hard every day to earn money to support him, buy food and drinks for him, and sometimes take him to the hospital for treatment, which cost a lot of money…

Therefore, sometimes when Yu Bai took Xing Xing out, if he saw nice toys or expensive desserts, he would ask Xing Xing if he wanted to have them. Xing Xing would usually decline, thinking that he should eat and drink less so Dad could save more money.

This way, if Dad accidentally had an accident again, he wouldn’t have to sell everything at home to pay for treatment!

Yu Bai pinched Xing Xing’s little cheeks, “The game coins are not expensive. You can exchange a hundred game coins with a hundred yuan!”

Xing Xing pursed his lips.

“Then… can we just exchange ten game coins, Dad?”

Just standing at the entrance of the toy store, Xing Xing had seen that grabbing one toy required two coins. Many children had spent dozens of coins without catching a single toy, which was a huge waste of money!

In a small shop next to Sanjiaokou, a dozen small building blocks only cost one yuan.

Xing Xing thought that with that money, he might as well buy the small building blocks!

Comparatively, it was more worthwhile to play the nearby game machines with novel designs and games that were not easily accessible elsewhere…

Looking at his child fumbling with his fingers to calculate the game coins, Yu Bai felt both helpless and amused.

“Xing Xing, I brought you out today to let you have a good time.” Yu Bai said, “If you want to play or buy anything, just tell me directly. Dad has money now…”

Xing Xing’s pearly white teeth bit his lower lip.

Dad really loved him, so everything was considered for him.

But Xing Xing wanted Yu Bai to care more about himself.

Because if Yu Bai was doing well, he would be truly happy!

Xing Xing knew that if he directly said what was on his mind, Dad might treat him like those parents on TV who were cared for by their children, thinking he was just a child and didn’t understand, and wouldn’t take his words to heart.

Moreover… if Dad cared so much about him and put him first, he probably wouldn’t change his habits anytime soon and start considering himself.

Xing Xing was about to sigh, but he remembered what Yu Bai had said.

“Too many sighs will turn you into a little old man!”

Xing Xing could only purse his lips and suppress the sigh in his throat.

Yu Bai thought Xing Xing was still upset about the money issue and was about to comfort him when a crisp sound of coins clinking reached his ears.

“Two hundred game coins, my treat,” Ji Rongyu said, handing the game coins to Yu Bai with a smile.

While Yu Bai was talking to Xing Xing, Ji Rongyu had already exchanged the game coins at a nearby machine.

Looking at the game coins that Ji Rongyu had prepared, Yu Bai blinked his almond-shaped eyes.

Whispering in Xing Xing’s ear, Yu Bai said, “Uncle Rongyu is treating you, are you still going to play with just ten coins?”

Since when did this bad uncle become so kind?

Xing Xing narrowed his round eyes. He noticed Ji Rongyu’s upward-curved lips and his unwavering narrow eyes, looking at Yu Bai…

Hmph! He figured it out! This sneaky bad uncle, who knows what bad ideas he’s plotting, is trying to please Dad!

Xing Xing twisted his little body and brought his hands near his mouth, mimicking a trumpet shape.

He leaned in and blew a soft breeze into Yu Bai’s ear.

“Dad, you said why… cough, Uncle Rongyu is giving us game coins for no reason? Is he plotting something bad?” Xing Xing whispered.

Yu Bai gave a half-smile as he glanced at Xing Xing.

He already knew that the relationship between Xing Xing and Ji Rongyu had not improved much since their trip to the park during the New Year holiday.

But these two, big and small, still acted like he didn’t know about it, always avoiding each other behind his back…

As long as nothing major happened, the little squabbles between Xing Xing and Ji Rongyu could be easily ignored by Yu Bai.

Moreover…

As an onlooker, Yu Bai found it amusing to see Ji Rongyu and Xing Xing constantly engaging in a real-life version of “palace intrigue” in front of him. It was really entertaining!

Why does Dad look at him like this?

Seeing Yu Bai smile without saying anything, Xing Xing’s heart raced.

Did Dad notice something?

But… he didn’t intentionally badmouth the bad uncle behind his back. He simply expressed his thoughts directly to Dad!

Seeing Xing Xing’s nervous little face, Yu Bai decided not to tease his son any further.

“I don’t know what he’s plotting,” Yu Bai rubbed Xing Xing’s head, “But… when money is offered to us, we shouldn’t refuse it, right?”

Xing Xing immediately agreed, “Yes!”

That bad uncle is too stingy! He only exchanged two hundred game coins to win Dad’s favor? Hmph! Dream on!

Just now, he already warned Dad to be careful of the bad uncle. Those two hundred bucks from the bad uncle will definitely go down the drain!

Yu Bai took the heavy box filled with game coins and took some out, putting them into another small cup.

Yu Bai handed the cup to Xing Xing, letting him go and play the game he wanted.

Yu Bai and Ji Rongyu followed behind Xing Xing.

“Ding dong.”

As Ji Rongyu took a few steps, he received a message on his phone.

Ji Rongyu opened the message.

[Yu Bai: Initiated a money transfer. 200 yuan.]

Ji Rongyu: “Yu Bai, you don’t need to pay me back this money…”

For Ji Rongyu, who invested tens of millions or even billions of funds in restaurants, two hundred yuan was like a pile of scrap paper in his eyes.

But… if spending two hundred yuan could make the little kid and Yu Bai stop worrying about the game coins, then it was worth it for him.

“Two hundred yuan is enough for you and Aunt to live on for a few days,” Yu Bai said, “I won’t let you pay for this. Thank you for helping just now, it made Xing Xing happy again about the game coins…”

“Also, Ji Rongyu, you’re already in your twenties, so you can’t be so extravagant with money in the future,” Yu Bai couldn’t help but say more, “Last time at the park, you spent a lot of money. Now at the game store, you just casually exchanged two hundred game coins… You need to live a frugal life.”

Ji Rongyu: “…”

He felt his smile gradually fading from his face.

Ji Rongyu wasn’t a qualified actor, so with his interactions with Yu Bai, his true self would unconsciously reveal itself.

For something he wanted, he would spend money without a second thought. This was a common occurrence for Ji Rongyu.

He never cared about the price of goods, nor did he care if the money he spent would affect his life.

Because Ji Rongyu had never experienced a shortage of money.

But Yu Bai was different.

When Ji Rongyu first met Yu Bai, Yu Bai had just escaped from a life of poverty.

Having endured days of financial hardship and living frugally had ingrained the habit of thrift and penny-pinching into every aspect of Yu Bai’s life.

As an ordinary person, Yu Bai had also seen some people spend money recklessly and struggle to make ends meet in poverty.

Yu Bai thought that the people who came to his home to do domestic work probably didn’t come from well-off backgrounds.

Ji Rongyu had mentioned before that his mother broke her leg from a fall and was now recovering at home—a considerable expense.

In Yu Bai’s eyes, how could Ji Rongyu, who now seemed to be “penniless,” spend two hundred yuan on game coins?

Telling one lie requires countless other lies to cover it up.

“I’ve been doing some part-time work recently when I have free time, and I earned some money,” Ji Rongyu said, “Don’t worry, my current monthly income is enough to support my mom and me.”

“Really?” Yu Bai asked.

“Really.”

Ji Rongyu reached out his right hand and pulled Yu Bai into an embrace.

Just like in the afternoon, Ji Rongyu leaned most of his body against Yu Bai, like a large hanging pendant.

Ji Rongyu’s chin rested on Yu Bai’s shoulder, and his deep voice carried a hint of playful laughter.

“Why don’t we go over there and play together?” Ji Rongyu raised his right arm, which was pressed against Yu Bai’s cheek.

Ji Rongyu pointed to a row of claw machines nearby.

“There are so many cute dolls over there. How about we try to catch some together?” Ji Rongyu smiled, “Look, that one with a white back and a black belly, and super sharp teeth, does it look like the little puppy… cough cough, Xing Xing?”

The claw machines here had both large and small ones. The small ones were filled with small dolls, while the large ones contained bigger ones.

The one Ji Rongyu pointed to was a large claw machine.

Inside the machine were three cats sewn together—a black cat, a white cat, and a black-and-white mixed kitten.

The white cat had a gentle smile in its bent eyes, while the black cat and the black-and-white kitten were glaring and showing their teeth at each other. The three cat dolls had vivid and lively designs, resembling a cute family of three.

Many parents with their children were gathered around that machine, trying to catch the dolls.

Unfortunately, the three cats sewn together were too heavy, and many parents tried dozens of times but couldn’t catch them.

Soon, the parents around the machine dispersed.

“Dad, I want those three cat dolls!”

“Do you want them? Dad will buy you one when we get back! This machine is a rip-off, not worth catching!”

“Okay…”

Conversations like this continued in front of Yu Bai and Ji Rongyu.

Yu Bai refuted Ji Rongyu, “Xing Xing would never show its teeth at me like that!”

In the claw machine, the black cat was slightly bigger than the white one, so Yu Bai automatically associated himself with the black cat.

Yu Bai thought that Xing Xing was so well-behaved and adorable, with a similar gentle temperament as him, and it wouldn’t be like the black-and-white kitten in the machine, showing its teeth aggressively.

Ji Rongyu looked at the man beside him who was “filtering” his son and fell silent for a moment.

Suddenly, he felt relieved that he hadn’t hastily revealed that the son was a white-cut-black in front of his dad.

Otherwise, Yu Bai would definitely not believe him, and he might even think that Ji Rongyu was trying to sow discord and terminate their agreement as part-time workers…

Ji Rongyu said, “I didn’t think the black cat was you. I think the white cat looks more like you…”

“White cat?” Yu Bai looked at the white cat doll, blinked, and the corners of his lips slightly curved. “It does seem a bit like it. But that black cat, with a larger size than the white one, shouldn’t resemble my wife…”

As he spoke, Yu Bai seemed to remember something and swallowed the words that were about to come out.

Because, it seemed, maybe… the other father of Xing Xing was indeed a bit larger in size than him.

That night was too far in the past. Everything that happened then felt like an incredibly absurd dream to Yu Bai.

When desire controlled him, he soared into the clouds, and when he was sober, he fell into the abyss.

The specific details had become fragmented and vague in Yu Bai’s mind. He only remembered that the other person was like a massive mountain, and he struggled all night but couldn’t escape from the other’s grasp.

The broken memories flashed quickly in Yu Bai’s mind, and his breathing became uncontrollably rapid. His cheeks and earlobes were tinged with a crimson hue.

That night was his first time, but it was also his last.

Compared to his classmates and ordinary friends around him, Yu Bai was relatively conservative. Before getting married, he would never have engaged in such indiscreet behavior.

But…

“What are you thinking about? So absorbed?” Ji Rongyu’s smile was faint, “Are you thinking about Xing Xing’s mom? Do you… miss her a lot?”

Having been a “part-time worker” in Yu Bai’s home for so many days, Ji Rongyu had gained some simple understanding of Yu Bai’s family.

He knew that Xing Xing’s mother passed away on the day Xing Xing was born, and since then, Yu Bai had been raising Xing Xing almost alone.

Apart from Xing Xing’s mother, Yu Bai had never been in a relationship.

What kind of person was Xing Xing’s mother that made Yu Bai still so nostalgic, even causing Yu Bai to blush when he recalled her?

An unusual emotion rose in Ji Rongyu’s heart.

For some reason, Ji Rongyu felt that Yu Bai’s blushing face was a bit dazzling.

Was this the “deep affectionate” expression that people who had been in love would show?

The expression Yu Bai revealed was not pleasing to the eye at all.

A trace of malicious intent flickered in Ji Rongyu’s mind.

Leaning against Yu Bai’s neck, his breath exhaled into the nape of Yu Bai’s neck.

Look.

The kid’s mom wasn’t here.

Now, the only person who could get this close to Yu Bai was Ji Rongyu himself…

The warm breath brought a tingling sensation that made Yu Bai involuntarily recall that night, when that person had been on him like this, breathing, exhaling…

As if he had touched something electric, Yu Bai immediately pulled away from Ji Rongyu’s right hand.

The smile on Ji Rongyu’s face unconsciously stiffened.

Just a breath.

Did Yu Bai… hate him so much? He wanted to use all his strength to shake off Ji Rongyu’s hand.

Ji Rongyu wondered.

Yu Bai, it turned out he hadn’t forgotten his deceased wife.

The decoration at Yu Bai’s home was very simple. Apart from some essential daily necessities, there were hardly any decorations to be seen.

In Ji Rongyu’s understanding, if Yu Bai genuinely loved his late wife, he would have displayed her photos on the walls and tables to some extent.

However, in all the time Ji Rongyu spent at Yu Bai’s home, he had never seen any photos of Yu Bai’s deceased wife.

He had assumed… that Yu Bai’s feelings for his deceased wife were so faint that he didn’t even have a single photo of her.

But now, it seemed he had been overthinking everything.

Ji Rongyu sarcastically smiled to himself in his heart.

Why hadn’t he thought of it?

Yu Bai didn’t display his wife’s photos or place them around the house… perhaps for another reason.

Yu Bai loved his deceased wife very, very much, so he must have carefully kept all the photos of her to avoid being reminded of the past…

After leaving Ji Rongyu’s side, without the scorching breath, the stagnant air began to flow again.

Gradually, Yu Bai calmed down.

He saw Ji Rongyu standing beside him with a stiff expression, and a trace of apology appeared on Yu Bai’s face.

“Sorry, I overreacted a bit,” Yu Bai said, “I’m just not used to… people being so close to me.”

Originally, he was just someone else.

As if Ji Rongyu could hear the sound of his heart being lightly shattered by Yu Bai’s words, he… couldn’t even be called Yu Bai’s friend.

Ji Rongyu slowly suppressed the smile on his face, and he looked gloomy.

Yu Bai: “Ji Rongyu, are you feeling unwell? Do you need to go to the hospital? I can accompany you…”

“I do feel a bit unwell. I… I’ll leave first,” Ji Rongyu took a step back and said to Yu Bai, “You don’t need to accompany me.”

As Ji Rongyu left, he didn’t look back at Yu Bai.

He was afraid that if he saw the concerned look in Yu Bai’s almond eyes, he would weaken.

He would want… to be with Yu Bai again.

But he shouldn’t do that.

As a member of the Ji family, standing at the pinnacle of the business world, he held the world in his hands.

How could he be moved by an ordinary small snack stall owner?

He needed some peace and quiet.

Leaving Yu Bai, returning to his previous life, and getting everything back on track… perhaps that was the best way for him to handle this situation.

A black car stopped by the roadside, and Ji Rongyu got into it.

“Boss, where do you want to have your meal next?”

Assistant Hang Yuanshu’s question caught Ji Rongyu off guard.

Ji Rongyu had deliberately bought a luxury villa near Yu Bai’s home in J City.

His daily life was very simple.

Ji Rongyu would wake up, eat breakfast, handle his affairs, and arrange to meet Yu Bai. He would then go out in the afternoon to Yu Bai’s nearby home, take care of Xing Xing, chat with Yu Bai in the evening, and then go to sleep, welcoming a new day.

Ji Rongyu’s seemingly ordinary day was now filled with Yu Bai’s presence everywhere.

After leaving Yu Bai and declaring in his heart that he wanted to separate from him, he felt like he had lost his purpose in life, with no end in sight on the road ahead.

Ji Rongyu lost the thing he looked forward to doing every day and the person he most wanted to see…

His life was going to become empty.

—

As Xing Xing played with the claw machine, he turned around and realized that the bad uncle was nowhere to be seen!

Xing Xing looked puzzled and asked, “Daddy, where did Uncle Rongyu go?”

“Uncle Rongyu is not feeling well, so he went home to rest,” Yu Bai smiled and replied.

However, as Yu Bai said this, he couldn’t help but feel worried deep inside.

When Ji Rongyu left just now, he looked very upset.

Yu Bai had never seen Ji Rongyu with such an expression before.

Different from Yu Bai’s concern, Xing Xing almost wanted to put his hands on his hips and laugh out loud when he heard that Ji Rongyu left.

Hahaha, the bad uncle finally left!

Now Xing Xing could finally have a fun time with Dad in their own little world!

Of course, clever Xing Xing wouldn’t show the glee on his face.

He reluctantly squeezed out a bit of worry and said, “Oh dear, Uncle Rongyu left in such a hurry. I wonder what’s bothering him…”

Yu Bai smiled, “That’s not something you should worry about, Xing Xing. Keep catching the dolls!”

“Okay!”

Xing Xing continued inserting coins to catch the dolls, and Yu Bai stood behind him, looking at his son’s soft black hair and smiling eyes, but his smile gradually faded.

Is Ji Rongyu really okay?

Yu Bai clenched his phone tightly in his right hand and pursed his lips.

A moment later, Yu Bai opened his phone’s screen and sent a message to Ji Rongyu.

[Yu Bai: Have you been to the hospital? Is your health okay?]

In the past, every message Yu Bai sent to Ji Rongyu would receive a quick response, as if Ji Rongyu was waiting by his phone 24/7 for his messages.

But this time, the message Yu Bai sent to Ji Rongyu seemed to disappear without a trace.

A day passed, then two days… several days went by.

Yu Bai didn’t receive any response from Ji Rongyu.

Ji Rongyu seemed to have vanished from this world, and from his life as well.

—

Recently, on the social media platform “Douyin,” the topic of “Qiaozi Snacks Store” has been gaining popularity. Behind the scenes, there are manipulators spreading both good and bad news about “Qiaozi Snack Store,” making it difficult to discern what’s real and what’s fake.

Some people criticize the snacks at “Qiaozi Snack Store,” claiming they are not tasty at all, while others praise them, saying the snacks are delicious and worth the price.

The online hype easily brought in a flood of traffic, allowing “Qiaozi Snack Store” to reap great profits.

“Boss, according to our plan, we will launch a wave of new products next week,” said the head of the marketing department. “We have already come up with a new product launch plan. Currently, we have a total of seven branches in J City, and each one is doing extremely well. The next new products we want to introduce add up to seven in total. So, our idea is to have each branch release one new product, using the strategy of scarcity marketing…”

Qiao Chao, the owner of “Qiaozi Snack Store,” rubbed his shiny bald head and casually waved his hand, “Just do as you said, launch the new products… What are the new products we are going to introduce?”

“We have vegetable popcorn, stinky tofu, teppanyaki tofu, and roasted cold noodles…”

“Hold on.” Qiao Chao squinted his eyes, “Teppanyaki tofu? Roasted cold noodles?”

“Yes,” said the head of the marketing department. “Based on your previous suggestion, the research and development department specifically investigated the nearby snack stalls around the Sanjiaokou branch in J City. Among them, the most popular one is a teppanyaki stall.”

“When that branch opened, only the teppanyaki stall’s business was not affected at all, with the number of people queuing up every day being comparable to our branch,” the head explained. “So, based on the snacks sold at the teppanyaki stall, the research and development department developed teppanyaki tofu and roasted cold noodles. Although the taste of teppanyaki tofu and roasted cold noodles is slightly different from the teppanyaki stall’s, with the help of our extensive traffic and online operations… the teppanyaki stall’s business is bound to be affected.”

Throughout the entire company of “Qiaozi Snack Store,” they embraced a “wolf-like” culture of survival of the fittest.

Employees were tough on themselves, working overtime every day and never leaving work on time.

So, the employees raised in such a company were even tougher on their competitors.

“Qiaozi Snack Store” would absolutely not allow any competitors that could surpass them to exist around their branches.

This was because “Qiaozi Snack Store” had a clear understanding of its positioning.

The snacks at “Qiaozi Snack Store” were only at a medium level compared to other snack shops on the market. As a viral marketing-based internet-famous shop, they firmly grasped the sword of public opinion, suppressing and eliminating all competitors that might affect their business in a short period.

This way, the branches of “Qiaozi Snack Store” could continue operating for a long time.

When “Qiaozi Snack Store” was originally located in Sanjiaokou, Yu Bai’s teppanyaki stall hadn’t opened yet. Therefore, “Qiaozi Snack Store” only targeted Wang Mei’s fried chicken stall.

After “Qiaozi Snack Store” opened its branch, they discovered that there was an even more popular teppanyaki stall at Sanjiaokou than the fried chicken stall. The research and development department of “Qiaozi Snack Store” immediately worked overtime to develop snacks like teppanyaki tofu and roasted cold noodles that could compete with the teppanyaki stall in a short period.

Qiao Chao nodded, “Well done.”

“If the Sanjiaokou branch shows any increase in revenue, then I will allocate one percent of that increase as a reward for the research and development department and the marketing department,” said Qiao Chao.

Hearing about the bonus, the head of the marketing department showed some delight on his face. He barely suppressed his excitement and said, “Boss, rest assured, our products are absolutely fine.”

Before the head of the marketing department could finish speaking, an urgent knocking on the door interrupted them.

Qiao Chao said, “Come in.”

The head of the marketing department hurriedly entered the room.

Qiao Chao frowned, “What’s the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Boss, we are facing some issues in public opinion right now,” the head of the marketing department explained. “Since yesterday, some top food bloggers on Douyin have given very negative reviews of our products. What’s even worse is that several of these top food bloggers are simultaneously reviewing the snacks from other food stalls as well… This has not only failed to attract customers to our snack shop but also led customers to other food stalls instead.”

In the current era of the Internet, people of all ages, young, middle-aged, and elderly, have learned how to use their phones to watch videos and obtain information during their free time. They have also learned how to use their phones to express their opinions online.

The fans of online bloggers and platforms for information exchange on the Internet have grown explosively.

Ten years ago, the number of fans of online celebrities did not exceed one million, but now, the number of fans for top online celebrities has already surpassed tens of millions.

As a result, the voice of each online celebrity has enough influence within their own circle.

In the food industry, when a top food blogger reviews a restaurant, their influence on the restaurant’s profits is visible to the naked eye.

However, if several top food bloggers all make unfavorable comments about the same restaurant…

The impact of their voices is also quite evident.

Currently, the entire Internet is calling “Qiaozi Snack Store” the “most unfortunate snack store”!

After all, for some netizens who have not tasted “Qiaozi Snack Store” before, only the most unfortunate ones would waste several hours standing in line with a sore back, only to spend tens of yuan on a poorly-tasting crispy chicken.

In the past, through the marketing of “Qiaozi Snack Store,” they conveyed to the residents of J City a concept.

The people of J City believed that eating snacks from the “Qiaozi Snack Store” was a symbol of status and fashion.

Now, however, the people of J City who eat at “Qiaozi Snack Store” have become a symbol of misfortune.

At this point, how could the wealthy and leisurely residents of J City willingly continue to queue up and waste time and energy buying relatively expensive snacks from “Qiaozi Snack Store”?

Public opinion was on the brink of a crisis.

How could Qiao Chao, who had built “Qiaozi Snack Store” into such a large scale, be an ordinary person?

Qiao Chao made a decisive decision.

—

On that evening, Ji Rongyu did not reply to Yu Bai’s messages.

The next two days were weekends.

Yu Bai sent several more messages to Ji Rongyu, but still did not receive any response.

Yu Bai called Ji Rongyu, but he did not pick up.

Yu Bai started to worry. He was afraid that something serious might have happened to Ji Rongyu’s health.

He wanted to see Ji Rongyu and check on his condition.

But… Yu Bai didn’t even know where Ji Rongyu lived, let alone go to visit him.

Yu Bai thought, if that day when Ji Rongyu left… if he had insisted on going to the hospital with Ji Rongyu and understanding his situation, he wouldn’t be so worried about Ji Rongyu now.

“Dad, what are we having for dinner tonight?” Xing Xing asked as he pitter-pattered over to Yu Bai. He obediently rested his chin on Yu Bai’s lap, his round, watery eyes filled with anticipation as he looked up at his father.

Yu Bai was lost in thought about Ji Rongyu and momentarily didn’t pay attention to Xing Xing’s words.

Xing Xing pouted slightly, feeling a bit unhappy, and asked, “Dad, why are you ignoring me?”

Is Dad thinking about that bad uncle again?

Hmph! It’s all that bad uncle’s fault for using such teasing tactics! Dad has been thinking about that bad uncle for days now, not paying any attention to Xing Xing!

Feeling upset, Yu Bai apologized, “I’m sorry. I was thinking about something else just now and didn’t pay attention…”

Yu Bai continued, “For dinner… you like xiaolongbao, so I’ll steam some xiaolongbao for you.”

Speaking of “xiaolongbao,” Yu Bai remembered that Ji Rongyu also liked crab meat xiaolongbao just like Xing Xing.

Back then, the two of them fought childishly with chopsticks to get the last xiaolongbao…

“But I already had xiaolongbao for breakfast today. Can we not have it for dinner? Eating it every day will get boring…” Xing Xing replied.

Yu Bai suggested, “Then… how about some beef noodles with a little bit of water spinach?”

Xing Xing disliked water spinach the most!

But this time, Xing Xing didn’t refuse. He pouted and whispered, “Okay then… but can you please add a little less water spinach?”

Yu Bai smiled and replied, “No, you can’t. Only by eating enough vegetables and maintaining a balanced diet can your body stay healthy…”

Just like Xing Xing, Ji Rongyu also didn’t like eating water spinach.

Yu Bai recalled the first time Ji Rongyu came to his house for dinner. Perhaps Ji Rongyu was afraid of upsetting him, so he pretended to like eating water spinach.

Yu Bai still remembered how mischievously he asked Ji Rongyu if he wanted to continue eating water spinach the next day, and Ji Rongyu’s face showed a look of utter despair.

Yu Bai almost couldn’t hold back his laughter at that time.

Now, thinking about it, Yu Bai realized that Ji Rongyu and Xing Xing had many similarities in taste, personality, and other aspects.

They both liked and disliked the same things, and their personalities were quite similar. They both enjoyed deliberately pretending to be pitiful and coquettish in front of him to make him happy.

Yu Bai almost thought that Ji Rongyu is the other father figure to Xing Xing. But due to Ji Rongyu’s poor family background, he thought it was impossible that Ji Rongyu would be able to stay in the luxurious top-floor suite where Yu Bai used to work.

Of course, all of this was probably just his overthinking.

“Gurgle, gurgle,” the water boiled.

Yu Bai snapped back to reality and began to prepare beef noodles for Xing Xing.

On the other side, someone tossed and turned restlessly on a luxurious bed.