Chapter 9: The Strawberries Arrive

Sour. Sour to the point of being bitter.

Rylan felt like he would remember this taste for the rest of his life.

The delivery was quick, and Rylan picked up the freshly bought strawberries from the intake port.

Fana sold nothing but extra-large fruits, and their appearance was excellent, which made Rylan feel a bit less unsettled.

But he still did not dare take a bite.

So he thought it over, then pushed open his door and shouted loudly outside.

"Tally, big bro's got something good here!"

...

"Did that guy place the order? He's not just running his mouth and taking off, is he?" There were still viewers waiting in the livestream.

"He already placed the order. The delivery should be arriving soon." Fana said as she opened the fridge.

The high-tech fridge was really something else. After just a short while, the strawberry pudding was already done.

Fana had the household robot fetch some white plates.

"The strawberry pudding is ready, so now let's reveal the answer!" Facing these desserts, Fana's earlier restlessness instantly vanished.

She became incredibly soft and gentle.

"The strawberry pudding is almost done!"

"Whether this streamer is worth following all comes down to this moment!"

The audience in the livestream was unusually eager too.

The strawberry jam earlier had looked nice, but it was not anything special.

But this thing called strawberry pudding, almost ninety-nine percent of people had never seen it, and everyone was dying of curiosity.

Fana did not drag it out any longer. She directly flipped the mold over onto the plate.

The pudding slid out smoothly. Inside the translucent pudding was wrapped red strawberry flesh, like dazzling red crystals peeking out of stone.

Set against the white plate, even Fana felt like the pudding was glowing.

That slightly trembling, mouthwatering look made anyone's appetite spike.

"Oh my god, that's gorgeous! I wanna eat it!"

"Can the person upstairs have a little class? Look at it!"

"Oh heavens, does something this perfect really exist in this world? Look at that charming sheen, that shy little way it holds itself! I can imagine how delicious it must be, the fresh, bouncy texture, the rich, unforgettable fruit aroma... This only exists in the heavens. How many times can mortals ever witness it!"

"Let's keep it simple, streamer. My bunkmate upstairs is about to starve to death. His dying wish is one bite of your strawberry pudding. Please make it happen!"

The bunkmate upstairs was gaming, utterly baffled. It's just a strawberry pudding, and you're bargaining with my life? You're not human!

"Streamer, I'm the most sincere. I really, really, really wanna taste it!"

Fana's confidence, which had just been shattered into pieces, finally recovered a little.

"I've made fifteen puddings total. In a bit, I'll pick twelve lucky viewers from the comments."

"Of course, shipping is cash on delivery. I'm way too broke right now. If you're willing, just join the raffle later." Fana flashed a poverty-stricken smile.

She was so broke right now that the only reason she could give things away free was because she could not eat them herself, and she could not afford anything more.

The moment Fana finished speaking, people in the livestream started sending her gifts.

And the gifts were not cheap. Spaceships worth five hundred imperial coins each.

Fana's voice instantly turned syrupy sweet. "Thanks for the support, big bro 'Never Fail an Exam'!"

Soon, Fana set up the raffle, and tons of people joined in.

After all, shipping was not expensive these days, and the bar Fana set was not even a real bar.

The system quickly drew the lucky winners.

"Congratulations to our twelve lucky viewers! Please fill in your addresses carefully, and the streaming platform will get the strawberry puddings to you soon." Fana reminded them.

AurumStream had a complete raffle and delivery system, which was why Fana felt so safe running the raffle there.

For a moment, the winners were all beaming with joy, showing off smugly in the chat.

Meanwhile, the ones who did not win were upset, crying and begging Fana to make more.

Though Fana loved making desserts, she was not about to pour all her energy into it.

Just as she was about to refuse, Not Worth the Fight showed up in the livestream again.

"Hey, can I get a share of that strawberry pudding?"

The moment that comment popped up, Rylan's fair face burned red.

He never expected his screw-up to backfire this badly.

He had first let his cousin Talia test the "poison."

Talia majored in agriculture and had played the part of a master herbalist testing unknown plants more times than she could count.

So she never suspected her cousin of any ill intent. She nodded, picked up a strawberry, and ate it.

As soon as the strawberry hit her mouth, Talia was moved to tears by her cousin Rylan.

Her cousin was such a good man! So delicious! Such sweet, fragrant farm-grown strawberries, and he was willing to buy them for her!

She decided right then to make more close girlfriends at school in the future, to lay a solid foundation for her cousin to find a girlfriend!

At first, Rylan saw his cousin on the verge of tears while eating and was even more convinced the thing tasted awful!

See? See? I told you that female streamer was a fraud!

Rylan was fuming and ready to go pick a fight with Fana.

But the next moment, he sensed something off.

If it tasted bad, why was his cousin still tossing one strawberry after another into her mouth?

Had she gotten stupid from studying at the agriculture college?

Rylan immediately asked, "Cousin, if it's too gross, stop eating. This stuff isn't worth much anyway."

But Talia did not stop eating. She actually sped up.

Could it be that she was just afraid of wasting it?

Rylan added, "Cousin, stop eating. I'll feed the rest to Victor later!"

Victor was a mutant rabbit Rylan's mom raised. It ate any fruit or vegetable and never got sick from it.

Hearing that, Talia shook her head desperately.

How could such delicious homegrown strawberries be fed to that ugly rabbit? That would be a total waste of nature's gift!

Just as Rylan was about to take the strawberries away, Talia yanked them hard and pulled them into her embrace.

Talia wanted to eat them quickly, but these strawberries were so delicious that she was afraid eating too fast would stop her from fully savoring the flavor.

Rylan finally sensed that something was not right. While Talia was still focused on eating, he grabbed one and weighed it in his hand.

The strawberry's fresh fragrance instantly filled his nostrils, and its plump texture made his mouth water uncontrollably.

Should he give it a try and see what it actually tasted like? After all, he was the one who paid for it.

In the end, Rylan popped the strawberry into his mouth, having braced himself for the worst.

But the moment he bit into it, he felt his life had reached a whole new level!

This strawberry was incredibly good!

Such a soft, waxy, and captivating texture, a taste he had never experienced in his entire life.

Rylan's eyes even got a little moist.

One strawberry went down his throat, and Rylan wanted to grab another.

But just as he reached out, he collided with Talia's hand.

"Cousin, there's only one left. Just let me have it!" Talia flashed a brilliantly bright smile.

The next second, the smile vanished from Rylan's face, and he kicked Talia out with his leg.

"Still want to eat?! The family spent so much money sending you to study agriculture, and what did you actually learn?" Rylan's face twisted in fury.