Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: Misery Competition

Chapter 400: Misery Competition

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The technicians at the Begonia Clubhouse had remarkable composure.

Although they could hear a bit of their whispered conversation and vaguely understood the gist of it, they maintained the same professional smile they had on their faces from the beginning.

The comments became completely silent.

During the clubhouse activity, the comments had reduced significantly, but the number of viewers was the same.

When they came out in the evening, Xia MO found it astonishing to see how many people were still in the live broadcast room.

“I recently saw a fishing live stream. The number of fans was only in the hundreds, but late at night, there were about two to three thousand viewers. The streamer just sits by the lake fishing without saying a word… I don’t understand what they found so interesting. And today, the same thing happened here. We were in the rooms getting a massage for hours, and there are still so many viewers online. What do you think everyone is after?” Xia MO asked her husband.

Xiao Tianlin shrugged. “I don’t know. Some people watch just for the ambiance. Maybe it’s a spiritual experience for them.”

Except for taking a break to eat, everyone stayed in their private rooms the whole time, and the number of viewers in each live broadcast room remained stable.

After leaving the clubhouse, they headed straight back to the village.

On the way, Tao Jingyuan asked Xia MO and Lin Wan how they found the experience. After a discussion, they discovered that there were no significant differences in how they were treated.

“Let’s consider it a shared reward. I’m quite satisfied with this afternoon’s arrangement. Does Yun City have a clubhouse like this? With my old arms and legs, I need regular massages,” Xia MO said.

“Yeah. It’s the last day, so let’s relax completely. Today was nice,” said Tao Jingyuan.

On the final evening of the live broadcast, all the guests gathered together after returning to the village.

It was already 9 p.m., and the livestream had long since ended. Everyone was engaged in lively conversations.

Lin Wan and Li Meng sat together and leaned against each other. They found some common topics to talk about.

As they got to know each other, Lin Wan realized that Li Meng was quite similar to her. Both of them were “giants” in their careers but “dwarfs” in their personal lives. In short, they had the ability to make money but lacked the ability to manage their daily lives, especially in terms of housework.

Li Meng couldn’t help but feel as though they were sisters, especially regarding their failures in cooking.

Li Meng said, “Whenever I approach the kitchen at home, my dad, mom, and

Lingfeng immediately form a human wall in front of me.”

Lin Wan shrugged. “I do go in the kitchen, and they let me. They probably think it’ll discourage me if they try to stop me. However, no one eats the things I cook except Mr. Li.”

“At least Mr. Li shows up to eat. Even my family’s big dog won’t eat the food I make. You’re better off than me. At least you’re good at making desserts.”

“It’s precisely because I can make desserts that I’m not satisfied with this.

Desserts are food, so why is it that I can’t cook a nice meal?”

“Different things require different skills. It’s like I’m good at writing period novels. If you ask me to write contemporary novels, I won’t do as good a job of it.”

“That makes sense.”

“One time, when I was cooking, the smoke sensor in my house rang. The kitchen window was filled with smoke, and my upstairs neighbor ran out wearing oversized shorts. Later, I found out it was because I was cooking. She told me not to cook anymore and to come to her place for dinner…” Li Meng’s antics could fill a novel.

Lin Wan laughed. “You win. I admit defeat.”

“I just have to go home and get a hot water bottle. What are you two talking about? You look happy.” Xia MO sat next to them.

Lin Wan and Li Meng moved to the side to make some space for Xia Mo.

“We’re discussing cooking. Teacher Xia, you’re quite good at it,” Li Meng said.

Xia MO placed her hands on her knees. “I practiced, but it might also have to do with talent. I used to learn from books, but with the prevalence of various cooking apps, I started learning from videos. I only watch them once, but I can still make them taste good.”

“Teacher Xia, you’re too modest. I just told Lin Wan that cooking depends on talent.”

“Of course, but both you and Lin Wan have more important things to do with your hands. I’m just revolving around the kitchen all day.” Xia MO knew the difference between herself and them. She only had a dessert shop, while Lin Wan and Li Meng were at celebrity status. One was a dessert chef, and the other was a writer.

“Teacher Xia, don’t you find cooking to be stress-relieving? When I’m tired of writing, I like to go to the kitchen,” said Li Meng.

Xia MO thought that anything could be stress-relieving if done as a hobby, but when it became a task, then it felt tedious to do them.

She and Xiao Tianlin were equally skilled in cooking, but in the past, she cooked to ensure her son received enough nutrition. However, she was always worried about what to cook each day. Later, when her son went to college, they rarely ordered takeout, and they still worried about what to eat every day. Every mealtime was filled with worries.

Xia MO hadn’t experienced cooking as a hobby that she could enjoy.

She closed her eyes. “Not for me. I dream of having someone cook three meals a day for me. But Xiao Tianlin and I have some free time between ourselves, so we always feel it’s a waste to hire a housekeeper. We worry about what to eat every day.”

“Agreed. It’s not just about cooking for the whole family… even when it comes to my child’s meals, I have to rack my brains. I really wish I could have a chef and a nutritionist, but my resources don’t allow it. Since Feifei started eating solids, I’ve been making them myself, no matter how busy I am. After a few years, I can’t come up with anything new. After Feifei started kindergarten, breakfast became the most troublesome for me,” Tao Jingyuan said.

Then the dads were also drawn into the conversation and began talking about family matters.

The children played together on the other side.

Doudou, who was new, didn’t know how painful it was to part ways after

Imowing someone for a long time. However, the other children all looked sad.

Xiao Yi, Li Zexuan, and Li Zexin sat together with other kids. The three of them listened to the younger children express their reluctance.

Wheatley said, “We won’t see each other until next time, but I’ll miss you so much.”

Feifei held clay in his hands. “I’ll miss you too, Wheatley.”

Tutu was silent. Li Zekai smiled sadly.

Doudou often participated in competitions and sometimes underwent a month-long closed training with other contestants. They had to live and eat together. She had gotten used to knowing people temporarily and letting go of them when the time came.

“Won’t we see each other again next year?” she asked.

Li Zexin had Xiao Yi on his mind. This was the last time he would get to meet him. He felt regretful.

Although he would miss Xiao Yi the most, Li Zexin looked at the other kids and said, “You can still meet each other. I’m about to enter the second semester of the ninth grade. This is the final sprint! I won’t be able to come next time.”

“Brother Xinxin…” Wheatley lowered her head..