Chapter 221: Wait!! Streamer, Are You for Real?

The multiple layers of breading could create a world of difference between the interior and exterior textures, resulting in a unique sensation.

But because of those multiple layers, the crispy outer shell absorbed quite a bit of oil.

Eating just one piece was fine, but have too many and it would start to taste greasy, making you lose your appetite for more.

It took a few sips of tea to completely wash away the greasy feeling in his mouth.

Li Xiao’s gaze quickly fell upon the dim sum next to it.

The pineapple bun before him was tiny, even a size smaller than the char siu bun beside it.

Li Xiao held up the entire dainty pineapple bun for his stream to see.

The viewers in the livestream were quite curious when they saw such a miniature pineapple bun.

“This is completely different from the pineapple buns I’m used to!”

“It’s so tiny and cute!”

“You could eat that pineapple bun in one bite!”

“Actually, it’s pretty normal. This is how it is when you have tea in Guangdong Province.”

“That’s right. You order a few different things and eat slowly from morning till noon, and you can just skip lunch.”

“Don’t be fooled by how small their pineapple buns are. They’re delicious! I have to order a serving every time I go!”

“All I can say is, the streamer’s about to make a fool of himself!”

“Why would you say that?”

“I know from experience. That pineapple bun has a molten center. If you’re not careful, you’re gonna get got!”

…

After showing the dainty pineapple bun to his audience, Li Xiao picked it right up.

He deliberately opened his mouth wide, as if he were about to take a huge bite.

However, his next move greatly disappointed the viewers who were hoping to see him make a mess.

Because although Li Xiao had opened his mouth wide, he only took a small bite.

Furthermore, he consciously angled the opening upwards.

As a result, the runny buffalo milk filling inside didn’t spill out.

Only then did he smugly explain to his audience:

“I already figured my dear viewers were hoping to see me make a fool of myself.”

“But don’t be fooled by my usual slacker persona. I still do my homework very thoroughly before a stream.”

His assistant had already noted the tricky part about this pineapple bun in her little notebook, so of course Li Xiao wasn’t going to fall for it.

As he spoke, he gently sipped some of the buffalo milk from inside the bun.

He nodded in satisfaction. The buffalo milk was very fresh.

While it didn’t have an overly rich milky flavor, that was actually a sign that not many additives had been used.

After all, buffalo milk itself is rather thin, with a light, sweet flavor and a refreshing texture.

This texture and flavor remained largely unchanged even after cornstarch had been added to the buffalo milk.

‘But… the seasoning seems a little bit off. It’s a tad too sweet.’

However, when Li Xiao took a bite of the crispy crust, his eyes instantly lit up.

He immediately understood why the buffalo milk filling was on the sweeter side.

He realized he’d overlooked something—the crispy topping was inherently sweet. If the molten buffalo milk filling wasn’t sweet enough, the overall flavor profile would become very strange.

Now, taking a bite that included the crispy topping, the bun, and the buffalo milk filling, everything came together in harmony.

At the same time, the System’s notification sound echoed in his mind.

[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 88th entry in your Food Guide.]

[The food you have unlocked is: Pineapple Bun]

[Food Rating: 91 [Excellent]]

[Due to the Excellent rating, reward x4]

[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Pineapple Bun Recipe]

…

He nodded with satisfaction. Taotaoju’s pineapple buns were very different from the ones you find elsewhere.

The pineapple bun is a type of sweet bread from Hong Kong Island. It’s said to have gotten its name because its golden-yellow, bumpy, crispy crust after baking resembles the skin of a pineapple.

There are various styles, like Hong Kong-style, Guangdong-style, and Taiwanese-style. They are all quite similar, though the names can differ. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, it’s called a pineapple bun, while one with a slice of butter in the middle is called a pineapple butter bun, and so on.

However, a pineapple bun like Taotaoju’s, with a buffalo milk filling, was truly a rare sight.

The pineapple bun was fresh from the oven, making the bread’s crumb structure especially fine and soft.

The crispy topping was still perfectly crunchy, and the buffalo milk filling was simply stunning.

As a result, the overall evaluation far exceeded expectations.

“This buffalo milk pineapple bun is fantastic!”

“The outside is a very traditional pineapple bun, but the inside has an unconventional filling.”

“The way they make the buffalo milk filling here is similar to fried milk. They add a large amount of cornstarch slurry to the milk to get it into a semi-solid state.”

“If it were just the outer bun, this pineapple bun would only score a 75.”

“But with such a stunning buffalo milk filling, the score can reach 90 or more.”

“If any of you are nearby and come over, you should give it a try.”

After finishing the whole pineapple bun, Li Xiao took a sip of the relatively light Pu’er tea.

After eating the bun, his entire tongue was coated with the sweet taste of milk.

Just as he was preparing to tackle the next dim sum item…

A somewhat hesitant female voice came from nearby.

“Are you Brother Li from the food streams? I’m a fan! I live nearby. When you said you’d treat fans to dim sum here for free, was that for real?”

Li Xiao looked up toward the source of the voice. The speaker was a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen, who looked like a junior high student.

No, not ‘looked like’—she was wearing a junior high school uniform.

Li Xiao smiled and nodded.

“Of course it’s real.”

“Are you by yourself?”

The girl shook her head shyly. She quickly waved behind her, and two other girls wearing the same school uniform walked over to join her at Li Xiao’s side.

“The three of us are all your fans.”

As she spoke, the other two girls also immediately took out their phones, showing him their “Followed” pages.

Just like the girl who was speaking, the two of them hadn’t just followed him for the free meal; they had been following him for over a month.

Although Li Xiao didn’t mind if they had just followed him to freeload, he was naturally happier to see long-time fans.

The smile on his face became a little warmer.

“Since you’re my fans, and long-time fans at that, of course you can eat for free.”

“I’ve already asked my assistant to head over here. After you get your check, you can just take the receipt to her and she’ll scan it for payment.”

Hearing Li Xiao confirm it himself, the three junior high students thanked him a few more times, then went to find a table elsewhere.

Seeing the three young girls appear on the stream, the viewers in the chat room couldn’t sit still.

“Wait, so the streamer wasn’t just all talk?”

“He’s actually treating them? Oh my god!”

“Person above, are you questioning Brother Li’s means?”

“LMAO, you actually thought Brother Li was bluffing?”

“It’s just one meal. How could Brother Li possibly not be able to afford it?”