Until the system announced that all five viewers had finished tasting, Lu Mingming had just finished her work.
She brought up a large cup of sour plum soup in a thermos.
The sour plum soup used plump and juicy black plums, with added mulberries and hawthorn.
In the summer, it was refreshing and grease-cutting, a sweet and sour summer quencher. If a little mint were added, it would be even more refreshing and cool, but in winter, it was more suitable to give the cubs warm soup to warm their stomachs.
"Today's livestream ends here. See you next time~"
Lu Mingming waved goodbye to everyone as she had arrived.
The entire livestream was less than 30 minutes long. The viewers in the live broadcast room complained that it was too short and then asked when the next livestream would be.
"Um... in a few days."
Lu Mingming gave a definite answer after a moment of thought.
After returning from the military academy after testing her mental strength, she might be able to do a livestream for everyone.
Having received a satisfactory answer, the viewers finally no longer had to wait anxiously for an unknown livestream and happily sent Lu Mingming offline.
For such a short livestream on a non-rest day, the backend data showed a reward of nearly fifty thousand star coins, and her fan base grew a little more.
"Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands... ten thousands?!"
No wonder so many people were scrambling to get into the top rankings of the competition!
Lu Mingming thought: It seems that opening a shop and treating illnesses can be put on the agenda.
She swallowed her surprise and carried the plates and thermos to the hotel room. The enticing aroma that followed attracted the attention of passers-by.
Lu Mingming, accustomed to it, endured the gazes and freed a hand to open the door.
The room was frighteningly quiet.
The cubs were silent, the atmosphere much more eerie than before.
Lu Mingming glanced at the cubs curiously as she placed the meal tray on a temporarily set up plastic table.
"What's wrong? Did you have a fight?"
The two older cubs first expressed their stance by shaking their heads.
These precocious children knew that Lu Mingming disliked that kind of behavior – at least, they couldn't show it on the surface.
This made the little meowing cub appear lonely and without any companions to look after it.
Lu Mingming sighed and sat the three young cubs on small chairs.
"Let's eat chicken cutlets."
When food was mentioned, the little ones' eyes lit up.
They couldn't stop drooling while watching the livestream, and now they could finally dig in!
Lu Mingming used chopsticks to pick up the chicken cutlets and fed them to the cubs one by one.
The crispy, spicy chicken cutlet was sprinkled with black pepper. With one bite, the crisp breadcrumbs burst in her mouth.
A slight spiciness filled her tongue, and paired with the appetizing sweet and sour plum soup, she felt like she could have another piece.
The little meowing cub resisted the urge and swallowed with dignity.
The tender chicken, paired with the sweet and sour tomato sauce, did not diminish its charm at all.
Yi Fu's eyes flickered slightly.
It was simply... too delicious! She wished she could swallow her tongue!
The cubs ate the chicken cutlets clean, bite by bite. Their eager movements left golden crumbs around their mouths.
The little white tiger finished first and squinted, about to groom the fur on its paws, but was quickly stopped by Lu Mingming.
"Wait for sister to wipe your mouths one by one. If you lick your fur without wiping, it will turn into fried chicken cutlets."
Lu Mingming took out the unused wet wipes and gently wiped the little tiger's cat-like mouth, then moved on to the little Samoyed and the little meowing cub.
After eating their fill, the cubs lay on the bed with round, satisfied bellies.
With four days remaining in their week-long holiday, Lu Mingming did not step out of the hotel room.
Time flew by.
On the last day before the holiday ended, Lu Mingming contacted the star leader's assistant to confirm the departure time for the next day.
Lu Mingming did not bring the young cubs on this trip, choosing to undergo the test alone. Moreover, military regulations were very strict, and cubs were not allowed to enter without special circumstances.
The assistant was punctual and took Lu Mingming to the destination in just half an hour.
The military district was built with cool tones as the base, spacious and bright, with a hint of orderliness.
Evergreen trees lined the path to welcome visitors, and small flying surveillance devices were placed in corners, difficult to spot without careful observation.
Behind each flying surveillance device was a diligent and calm duty officer who, after confirming Lu Mingming posed no problem, flew away leisurely.
Upon reaching the interior, staff arranged by the star leader led Lu Mingming through the military district's layers of control and directly to a lounge.
The table was filled with an assortment of snacks and fruits, all free to eat.
"So rich."
Lu Mingming surveyed the snacks, marveling aloud.
These must have cost several thousand star coins combined, yet they were offered freely to guests.
She had already eaten breakfast that morning, so she simply sat still, waiting for the person in charge of the test to arrive.
After an unknown amount of time, the crisp sound of military boots walking outside caught Lu Mingming's attention.
Lu Mingming looked up at the sound, and a familiar, handsome face that directly met her gaze startled her for a brief moment.
She instinctively leaned back, and the soft chair tilted, losing its balance – a pair of strong palms were placed lightly on Lu Mingming's thin back, helping her to stabilize her body.
The man was as cold and frosty as usual, but his ice-blue eyes held a slight hint of a smile.
ALnr was from the military district?!
Lu Mingming cleared her throat to ease the awkwardness:
"Thank you."
"Don't be too nervous."
The man was clearly in a hurry, his golden hair slightly disheveled.
From Lu Mingming's perspective, his back was as straight as a poplar tree, and his broad shoulders and narrow waist contained immense, resilient strength.
"I am your observer for the first round of testing."
"So you work for the military, no wonder I rarely see you."
The two spoke at the same time, their voices colliding and merging, causing smiles to naturally appear on their faces.
"It's just my job,"
Alonnal replied. He bowed to Lu Mingming in a gentlemanly manner and extended his hand, asking:
"Shall we go together?"
Lu Mingming hesitantly reached out and was then firmly grasped.
"Where are we going?"
At the doorway, a small flying craft brazenly revealed its full appearance.
Lu Mingming had almost no experience with private aircraft, and this was the first time she had seen a flying craft descend from the sky. Moreover, there wasn't even a ramp to get on it, so how was she supposed to board?
Before Lu Mingming could ask, Alonnal said in a low voice, "Hold onto me."
What?
Before Lu Mingming could fully process this statement, her arms were guided by the man, naturally encircling his strong, masculine physique.
Alonnal's arm wrapped around her waist without room for refusal. With a light leap, they entered the cabin.
At that moment, Alonnal's arm tightened instantly, firmly encircling Lu Mingming's impossibly slender waist. The tension in his muscles made Lu Mingming feel as if her bones would be crushed in an instant.
Lu Mingming looked up and once again saw the prominent mole at the corner of Alonnal's lips. The faint scent of mint, like a gentle embrace, made her heart flutter.
Alonnal noticed Lu Mingming's gaze and slightly turned his head to look at her.
Their eyes met.
In that second, it felt as if the world had stopped.