Gan Lan made nearly twenty portions of Starry Sky Yokan, placing each one in the refrigerator to chill and set.
"The last dessert is finished. Now, we just have to wait for it to set," she murmured, checking the time. It was already late afternoon. After spending the entire day cooking from morning to afternoon, she figured she would need to start preparing dinner in a few hours.
She decided against cooking dinner; they would just eat zongzi instead. While spending a whole day cooking was acceptable, moderation was key.
[The Silk Tree Blossoms Have Bloomed]: [There are so many steps! I’ve already ruined mine. I really am useless, boohoo. It looked so effortless and simple when the streamer did it, but as soon as I tried, it was a disaster. I want some so badly! T^T]
[Sky Blue]: [This color really matches my name. How did you know I like blue, Junior? I love the sky’s blue the most. It’s too beautiful.]
[Binbin]: [What? Our Junior’s name is Gan Lan. When she was given that name, you were barely a year old, and you couldn’t even access the Star Network at that age. So don’t flatter yourself too much, or it’ll come back to slap you in the face.]
[Sky Blue]: [Aren’t we on the same side? Sister Binbin, are you not even letting your own sister off the hook now?]
...
Gan Lan opened the refrigerator with anticipation. By now, the Starry Sky Yokan had completely set. Through the transparent containers, the finished products displayed clearly defined layers and stunning colors.
Taking out three of the containers, she handed them to Gulu, who was staring eagerly at her from the side. "These are yours. Unmold them yourself."
Gulu had been waiting for those exact words. He received them reverently with both hands, pressing his face close to the containers. "It’s so beautiful. It really looks like the starry sky. If it didn’t have this red bean paste, it would be even more perfect."
"What do you know? That symbolizes the earth," Gan Lan retorted. She then took out five exquisite, transparent plates, handing two of them to Gulu. "Watch and learn."
Using a small knife, she gently scraped along the edges, inverted the yokan from the container onto one plate, and then placed another plate upside down over it to flip it again. This way, the red bean paste faced down, and the indigo blue faced up. Repeating this motion, she successfully unmolded two portions of Starry Sky Yokan. She lifted them close to Xiaomi, allowing the audience in the livestream to get a more intuitive look at the dessert.
"The red bean layer represents the earth, while the milk and light cyan layers symbolize the Milky Way. The indigo amber layer represents the vast, starry sky. Next, we sprinkle some desiccated coconut on the surface," she explained. "Originally, I was supposed to sprinkle it on when it was semi-set before putting it back into the fridge to firm up entirely, but I forgot earlier. So, you’ll just have to make do with this for now. I’ll make up for it the next time I make these."
Gan Lan felt a bit of regret. Although sprinkling the coconut on top still looked nice, having it set together with the jelly would have looked much better.
Still feeling slightly disappointed, she sat by the table, picked up a spoon, and scooped a large chunk of the Starry Sky Yokan into her mouth. The rich aroma of red beans, the milky fragrance, the faint, refreshing scent of the Green Mist Fruit juice, and the sweet aroma of the shredded coconut instantly conquered her palate. Its texture was soft, glutinous, and slightly chewy. It felt as if she had devoured an entire starry sky, instantly immersing her in a sea of stars as a refreshing coolness washed over her.
"You, you, you! You wicked woman! How could you eat something so beautiful?! You actually ate it!" Gulu yelled at Gan Lan in agitation, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Gan Lan’s hand paused on her spoon, a bewildered expression on her face. She thought, "Wasn’t this made just to be eaten?" Ignoring the frantic Gulu, she scooped up another large spoonful, brought it to her mouth, and savored it carefully. The texture was truly captivating.
She didn’t forget to invite the audience in the livestream to join in. "This is seriously delicious. Everyone, try it together. The texture is absolutely fantastic!"
[Hot Pot Balls]: [Even a grown man like me can’t bear to ruin this beautiful Starry Sky Yokan. Shouldn’t you be even more reluctant, Junior? I can’t believe you ate it... and you look like you’re enjoying it so much. I can’t hold back anymore either.]
[The green of the Qingtuan is really beautiful]: [Boohoo, my goddess actually ate the Starry Sky Yokan that just got upgraded to my absolute favorite! My heart aches! Since that’s the case... I also scooped a spoonful into my mouth with teary eyes and trembling fingers. It feels so! Freaking! Good!]
[Not Coming Tomorrow]: [Heh, women! As expected, you say it’s your absolute favorite, but you still ruthlessly ate it in the end. I could never bear to eat my favorite thing. It’s just so beautiful!]
[Sky Blue]: [I couldn’t bear to eat it at first, either. Just looking at it made my mood beautiful. It truly resembles the vast, starry sky. Junior, your hands and brilliant mind are too impressive. Seeing you eat with such relish, I also...]
...
System Notification: [Congratulations to the streamer for receiving 999 Cosmic Starships from ’Feiran’, triggering a network-wide broadcast.]
Network-Wide Broadcast: [’Feiran’ says to the streamer ’Come and have some barbecue!’: Even the Milky Way cannot stop my footsteps from chasing after you. ^^]
System Notification: [Congratulations to the streamer for receiving 999 Cosmic Starships from ’Handsome Mingyu’, triggering a network-wide broadcast.]
Network-Wide Broadcast: [’Handsome Mingyu’ says to ’Come and have some barbecue!’: Even the Milky Way cannot hinder my footsteps from chasing after you. ^^]
[Feiran]: [Why are you copying me? Do you not have a brain of your own?]
[Handsome Mingyu]: [Who’s copying you? I polished the phrasing. You’re the one without a brain!]
[Just Here to Look]: [Eating sweet Starry Sky desserts while watching two big shots argue. Life is good~]
...
Gan Lan was speechless. "They can even argue over this?" she thought. "And Boss Yan, your persona has completely collapsed! Please pay a little attention to your image!"
"Let’s start the lucky draw, then! I’m only drawing ten portions!" she announced. "Each portion includes two crystal zongzi in random flavors, two meat zongzi, and one Dreamy Drink. Since there’s so little Starry Sky Yokan, I won’t be including it in the draw~" After speaking, Gan Lan instructed her two robotic assistants to pack ten sets of zongzi.
[Fiery Phoenix]: [How can an auspicious bird like me be left out of a lucky draw? I really want the Starry Sky Yokan! Why aren’t you putting it up for the draw? Streamer, I can pay money for it! This is really unfriendly to those of us with clumsy hands. Boohoo, I want one to keep as a collectible.]
[Green Mountains and Clear Waters]: [I want the meat zongzi! They’re seriously so delicious, I absolutely love them! Of course, I also like the other two—I like them, I super like them! What should I do? Streamer, please draw me!!]
[Yao Yu Can Also Be Delicious]: [So when is the streamer going to make Stinky Yao Yu live? I never expected such a stinky fish to turn out so addictively good when prepared by the streamer’s hands. Whenever I have free time, I stay in Tasting Room Nine and just eat it non-stop without ever feeling sick of it!]
System Notification: [Congratulations to ’Hear the Wind and Think It’s Rain’, ’Scorching Sun’, ’Glutinous Rice Fruit Tangyuan’, and the rest of the ten lucky viewers for winning a complimentary exquisite food portion from the livestream. Please private message the streamer with your addresses.]
"Congratulations to these ten lucky viewers! Remember to private message me your addresses. Well then, that concludes today’s livestream. Goodbye." Smiling warmly, Gan Lan waved at the audience in the livestream and turned off the broadcast.