Free Web NovelChapter 182: Chapter 180: He’s Willing to Be Objectified, He Totally Loves It
Once the father and his two daughters had finished their roughhousing, Wen Lan finally threw back the covers and turned on the room light.
Wen Xiaobao sweetly hugged Wen Lan’s leg. "Dad, you’re the best! You’re the bestest dad in the whole world!"
Wen Dabao huffed beside them. "So childish! Playing the big bad monster at your age!"
Wen Lan contentedly hugged his two daughters; the man of the house, with his feet up, had finally regained some sense of security.
Wen Dabao tossed him a pack of tissues. "Wipe your nose. You just got snot all over me."
Wen Lan gave a soft hmph, too lazy to move.
Wen Dabao said, "I really don’t get what goes on in your head. Getting jealous of a woman like Bai Su? Do you really think we’re those kinds of ungrateful brats?"
Lying in Wen Lan’s arms, Wen Xiaobao quickly looked up upon hearing that. "Don’t worry, Dad. We’ll never leave you. Even if our birth mom comes to find us, we’ll still stay with you. You’ll always, always be the most important person to us!"
Wen Xiaobao was an expert at coaxing her dad.
A few sweet little words were all it took to get Wen Lan to beam with a smile.
He coolly cracked open an eye. "Really?"
Wen Xiaobao nodded forcefully. "Really!"
He then glanced over at Wen Dabao.
Wen Dabao nodded with a look of disdain. "Mhm..."
Wen Lan recalled how his two little ones had practically been entranced by that woman Bai Su’s food and asked worriedly, "What if Bai Su comes to cook for you every day? Can you resist liking her?"
The two little ones nodded firmly. "Yes!"
The furrow in Wen Lan’s brow eased by a third.
He asked again, "What if Bai Su is really nice to you every day, plying you with all sorts of delicious food, showering you with sweet concern, getting close to you, and wanting to be your best friend?"
The two little ones: "We still won’t like her!"
Wen Lan’s brow eased by another third.
He continued, "What if three men, just a little bit inferior to me, suddenly popped up and wanted to be your dads, and wanted to take you away with your birth mom? If you were with them, you’d not only have a mom, but three dads, and a bunch of lively brothers—a big, happy, warm family. Would you choose the big, warm family, or would you choose Dad?"
Without a second’s hesitation, the two little ones replied, "We choose Dad!"
Wen Lan’s heart was completely soothed. "Hmph. I guess you two have some conscience after all."
He reached out and pulled his two little ones into his arms, giving them a tight squeeze before planting a kiss on each of their cheeks. "The three of us are the closest people in the world. No one can tear us apart, and no one will ever abandon anyone!"
Wen Dabao: "Okay!"
Wen Xiaobao: "Okay!"
Wen Dabao looked up. "But... Dad, you are going to keep learning how to cook, right? I still want to eat spicy crayfish."
Wen Lan: "..."
Wen Dabao: "For our sake, can you lower your noble head and set aside your masculine pride to serve her hand and foot as her apprentice?"
Wen Lan: "..."
Wen Dabao: "You know, I left my mom when I was very young."
Wen Lan: "..."
*
「The next day.」
Wen Lan had already mustered the courage to stand at the restaurant’s entrance, but his attention was caught by the news playing on the public screens.
The news of the Deep Sea Mermaid Clan’s upcoming visit to the Snow Country was causing a huge stir.
Wen Lan frowned slightly. ’Doesn’t this mean my workload is going to increase again?’
He turned and went back to the general store, then opened his smart brain to search for news.
On the large floating TV on the first floor of Bai Su’s restaurant, a news report was playing.
In the video, the Mermaid Princess spoke confidently to the camera, "I’ve heard that the Snow Country Imperial City is full of elites. I’m going there, of course, to find a Beast Husband."
The reporter asked, "Do you have an ideal candidate for a Beast Husband in mind?"
The Mermaid Princess laughed freely. "Of course. I’m quite taken with Li Chenlin, who made a name for himself in the Southern Country a while back."
She paused, then smiled again. "Yelias of the Lanton Family isn’t bad either. My Sea Clan and the Lanton Family have always had deep collaborations on deep-sea research projects."
The reporter hadn’t expected her to call out those two. After a moment’s pause, he gave a strained laugh. "Mermaid Princess, you have a great sense of humor. As everyone knows, the Lanton Family’s heir, Yelias, is already Duke Bai Su of the Snow Country’s second Beast Husband. But the Lanton Family surely has many other men as outstanding as Doctor Yelias."
The Mermaid Princess smiled. "No. I only like Li Chenlin or Yelias."
The embarrassed reporter turned the camera to the male Mermaid beside her. "So, Your Highness the Prince, what are you looking forward to during your diplomatic visit to the Snow Country?"
Mirene offered a shy smile to the camera. "My goal is more specific than my sister’s. Your Grace, Duke Bai Su, I’ve already sent you gifts in your livestream to let you know we’d be meeting. I wonder if you’ve guessed who I am?"
Bai Su, watching this interview: "..."
Yan Qingya slammed her hand on the table. "Damn it! What’s wrong with that brother-sister duo? They want to take everything?"
Bai Su frowned slightly. Even through the screen, she could feel their hostile intentions.
Yan Qingya, emboldened, shot a glare at Li Chenlin. "Hmph. You handsome disaster!"
Li Chenlin immediately surrendered. "Not me. I’ve been a very good boy every day."
Yan Qingya linked her arm with Bai Su’s, her courage growing. "Then how do you explain that fish announcing publicly that she’s coming for you? Isn’t that a blatant provocation against our Susu?"
Li Chenlin showed no sign of worry. "Don’t worry, Susu won’t be bullied."
Yan Qingya was exasperated. "You’re that sure?! Look at this little bunny, Susu! Her arms and legs are so thin!"
"I hear that Mermaid Princess is 1.9 meters long, tail included! If they got into a fight, Susu would definitely be at a disadvantage."
At this, even Bai Su couldn’t help but let out a PFFT of laughter. "Why would I have to fight her?"
Li Chenlin remained perfectly calm, waving a hand. "Relax, they can’t bully Susu."
Yan Qingya shot him a sideways glance. "So confident? Are you going to guard Susu twenty-four hours a day?"
Li Chenlin’s lips curved, a sharp glint in his eyes. "No need. Just by virtue of them being from the sea, they can’t win."
Bai Su found this strange, looking at him as he leaned nonchalantly against the bar, fiddling with a wine glass.
Beside her, Yan Qingya slammed the table. "That’s right! She’s a sea fish! Once she’s on our turf, how could she possibly bully our Susu?!"
Led astray by Yan Qingya, Bai Su had a sudden realization.
’Oh right, a fish out of water probably isn’t much of a threat, right?’
She shrugged. "You guys keep gossiping. I’m going back to the kitchen to cook."
Li Chenlin flicked his snake tail and followed her. "Susu, I’ll help~"
Without turning her head, Bai Su said, "No need. Just be a good little mascot."
With Li Chenlin’s handsome face propped up by the bar, the number of distinguished guests visiting the restaurant each day had multiplied several times over.
Li Chenlin regretfully withdrew his gaze and sat obediently at the bar, continuing to flaunt his charm.
Yan Qingya clucked her tongue in amazement as she watched from the side.
’A snake who was once a gloomy, yandere, mass-murdering gangster, had been trained by her into a good little boy. It’s amazing no matter how many times I see it.’
Bai Su returned to her livestream. Just as she was about to resume cooking, she saw the discussion exploding in the bullet comments.
[Boss, someone’s challenging you to a PK!]
[Boss, this Sea Clan Princess is too arrogant!]
[Take her down! We can’t tolerate this!]
Bai Su looked at them, confused. "What’s wrong?"
Amidst the dense barrage of comments, a rational person finally explained the situation to her.
[The Mermaid Princess just came to your stream and laid down a challenge. She said she’s going to livestream this Saturday to PK with you. If you lose, you have to give Li Chenlin and Yelias to her.]
Bai Su froze for a second, then checked her stream’s gift records. Sure enough, she saw a gift from the Mermaid Princess, Rosa Meiya.
She had gifted 3,000 Carnivals and issued a challenge to Bai Su, stating that she would go live on Saturday for a PK of their streams’ popularity. The loser would have to quit.
Bai Su: "..."
’What is this, a game of playing house?’
’Are Yelias and Li Chenlin objects?’
’Can they be traded with a clear price tag?’
This made Bai Su very uncomfortable.
The viewers, who loved nothing more than drama, chimed in: [Go for it, Boss! Take her down!]
[Show her the power of a top streamer!]
[Yeah, Susu, you’ve been streaming for so long and have five or six million fans. What does she, someone who’s never even streamed before, have to compete with you?]
[That’s right, Susu, we all support you! Just accept her challenge!]
Bai Su saw the "Initiate Challenge" button in the bottom right corner of the livestream interface. She was about to refuse, but her hand slipped and accidentally clicked "Accept."
Bai Su: "..."
Li Chenlin ran in, his face beaming. "Susu! You’re going to PK duel another female for me? I’m so happy!"
Bai Su: "..."
’Is a contest that objectifies people really something to be happy about?’
Bullet Comments: [HAHAHAHAHAHAHA The Boss’s face has gone green, but President Li looks so happy.]
[He’s willing to be objectified, he loves it!]
[I’m laughing so hard I’m snorting. Suddenly I can’t wait for this Saturday.]
[President Li, you’re really something else. I’m crying.]
[Anyone who didn’t know better would think the Boss was fighting for his life for him.]
[What President Li imagines: Susu, for my sake, defies the powerful, sweeps away all obstacles, and braves any danger!]
[The reality: The Boss, a top streamer with millions of fans, crushing a zero-follower nobody in a livestream PK. It’s a piece of cake.]
