Gripping the piping bag, Gan Lan started decorating the wings. She had already finished piping the body before leaving to eat. First came the shoulder feathers, then the belly feathers... At one point, she stopped to rest for a while, looking out the window. The fiery red sunset clouds covered the entire sky, as if welcoming the Phoenix about to be reborn from the ashes.
Gan Lan chuckled softly. What was she thinking?
BBQ Pork Bun is Super Cute: [What is the streamer laughing at? Did she think of something good?]
The green of the Qingtuan is really beautiful: [She probably smiled because she thought the sunset was beautiful, right? Look, the color of the sunset is almost the same as the Phoenix! It’s so pretty!]
Osmanthus Rice Cake: [The streamer is also very pretty, especially when she smiles.]
Gan Lan rested her eyes for a while, casually ate something, and went back to work. This time, she planned to finish piping the main tail feathers, secondary tail feathers, and the floating plumes of the Phoenix in one go.
Six hours later.
It was already 11:30 at night by the time she finally finished decorating the tail. Gan Lan paused to shake out her sore hands before starting on the feet of the Phoenix, followed by the flames beneath them. The flames and feet were relatively simple, taking her only two hours to complete everything.
She stood up and carefully inspected the cake to see if she had missed any spots. Once certain it was flawless, she finally slumped into her chair and opened the stream’s chat out of habit.
San handed the last Advanced Recovery Agent to Gan Lan, his voice clear and smooth. "Scanning indicates that Lanlan’s body is severely overloaded. It is recommended to use the Advanced Recovery Agent immediately to recover."
Gan Lan lifted her eyelids, trembling as she took the Advanced Recovery Agent from San, and downed it in one gulp. She felt significantly better after drinking it and finally had the energy to admire San’s new body. He was a gentle, handsome guy—one who truly lived up to the name San.
Shaking those dirty thoughts out of her head, she looked at the still-bustling chat and the non-stop flow of virtual gifts.
Handsome Mingyu: [You’ve worked hard, Junior! I’m so excited! I... is this Phoenix really going to be mine? I can hardly believe it! It’s too beautiful! It’s truly too beautiful! This is the absolute most precious birthday gift I have ever received! I will treasure it carefully!]
Feiran: [Back then, you also said I was the most precious gift heaven had given you, and that you would treasure me carefully. It’s only been a little over a decade, and you’ve already changed your mind?]
Sky Blue: [Right, right, right! I’m a witness to this! You scumbag! You love every new thing you see! Sob, sob... Junior, I want one too! I’ve been choking down a whole planet’s worth of sour grapes today! I’m so jealous my teeth are falling out! T^T]
Hot Pot Balls: [I can testify! You really did confess to the captain like that! Junior, look at me! I’ve choked down two planets’ worth of sour grapes, and I’m practically toothless from the jealousy! Sob, sob... I want such a precious gift too!]
Blooming Beauty, Moonlit Grace: [I feel like I’ve stumbled upon another incredible secret! Jotting this down in my little notebook~]
I’m So Stressed: [So this is the Phoenix. My Wolf King has lost, but that’s okay, it’s still my favorite! It’s the most precious gift I’ve received in thirty years!]
I am Huanhuan: [I’m done for. I think I’ve fallen in love with this Phoenix.]
System Notification: [Congratulations to the streamer for receiving 9,999 Cosmic Starships from ’Handsome Mingyu’. Triggering a network-wide broadcast.]
System Notification: [Congratulations to the streamer for receiving 9,999 Cosmic Starships from ’Princess Yan is the cutest’. Triggering a network-wide broadcast.]
System Notification: [Congratulations to the streamer for receiving...]
Network-Wide Broadcast: [’Handsome Mingyu’ to ’Come and have some barbecue!’: Thank you, Junior. Seeing you fulfill your promise to me over these past three days has truly moved me. I’ve decided to carefully preserve this Phoenix first. I’ll wait to celebrate my birthday until you return from your competition!]
Network-Wide Broadcast: [’Princess Yan is the cutest’ to ’Come and have some barbecue!’: My son doesn’t have that many Credit Points, so I’m here to support him. Otherwise, he’d look a bit embarrassing! By the way, I’d also like to pre-order one of these for my one-hundredth birthday!]
Feiran: [...?]
Sky Blue: [Aunt Yan, if I remember correctly, your one-hundredth birthday is still ten years away...]
Blooming Beauty, Moonlit Grace: [I’ve witnessed yet another massive secret! Writing it down in the little notebook!]
Gan Lan felt like making this Phoenix had seriously drained her vitality. Even though the Advanced Recovery Agent had alleviated her mental and physical exhaustion, it couldn’t cure her inner weariness. Still, she roused herself to repeatedly thank the viewers who had stayed up with her, showered her with gifts, and cared for her.
"You all can look at the Phoenix a bit more now. I’ll be shipping it to Senior Wu shortly. I’ll give you an hour to say your goodbyes while I go grab something to eat," Gan Lan teased, the corners of her lips turning up slightly.
After saying that, Gan Lan went to wash her face and cooked herself a simple bowl of rice noodles. Leaving her streaming drone, Xiaomi, to broadcast the finished Phoenix from every angle, she headed to the dining table to eat her late-night snack.
Not Coming Tomorrow: [Although the streamer drank a bottle of Advanced Recovery Agent and seems to have recovered her mental and physical state, why do I feel like she’s still quite exhausted? It seems that completing a piece like this really took a huge toll on her. My heart aches for her.]
Flower Cake is True Love: [I feel bad for the streamer, but this Phoenix is just too beautiful! Forgive my lack of culture; I can’t think of any other words to praise it! But I simply can’t take my eyes off it!]
Gan Lan took a sip of broth, warming her stomach. Halfway through her meal, she received a call from the dean. Before she even had a chance to speak, he chimed in.
"Thank you for your hard work. Let’s change the itinerary to tomorrow so you can get a good rest today. If possible, delay shipping the Phoenix for a bit. I want to wait until you’ve rested, then come see the real thing in person. Would that be alright?"
Naturally, Gan Lan couldn’t refuse. The fact that he was specially postponing the trip a day just for her deeply moved her. "Dean, there’s no need to delay it a whole day for me. I can just sleep for a bit and then we can set off directly. My body can handle it. Resting on the starship will be exactly the same."
There was a second of silence on the line. "Well, part of it is for you, but we mainly want to see the Phoenix in person. This Phoenix is nothing short of an unparalleled masterpiece!"
Gan Lan felt a wave of exasperation. She had been flattering herself.
After hanging up, Gan Lan called Wu Mingyu. She concisely explained that she wouldn’t be shipping it to him right away and would wait until the dean and the others had seen it. She also mentioned that her departure for Banan Star was delayed by a day.
Wu Mingyu was a little disappointed to hear this. He had already purchased the best protective cover in the entire Federation and was excitedly awaiting the arrival of his most precious gift, only to learn he wouldn’t get to meet his Phoenix until the evening at the earliest.
But what could he do? He had to suppress his ache and agree. It was just a short delay, after all. After comforting himself for a while, his mood finally improved. Since that was the case, he would use this time to make the Phoenix’s nest even more beautiful, ensuring it was worthy of his Phoenix’s status!
After ending the call, Gan Lan breathed a sigh of relief. She had obviously heard the hint of disappointment in Senior Wu’s tone, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t reject the dean’s request, so this was how it had to be.
Gan Lan returned to the small room where the Phoenix was kept and waved at the viewers in her stream. "I’m full now, so I’m going to head to bed. Good night, everyone."
With that, she ruthlessly shut off the stream, completely ignoring the audience’s wails begging her to stay.