My Years as the Pure Love Interest at the Noble Academy

The barrage of comments erupted into laughter.

【Hahahaha, Shen Yujing's face is full of shock. I feel like he probably didn't mean it that way.】

【Song Chaochao's inner thoughts: Dad is so useless. Why does he need my help to make friends?】

【Jerry also looks confused. He probably didn't expect his friend to be Song Chaochao's dad instead of Song Chaochao herself, right?】

【I'm dying of laughter hahahaha】

...

At this moment, Shen Yujing was clearly exasperated. He felt it was necessary to have a serious talk with his daughter.

So Shen Yujing reached out and took his daughter's hand, explaining, "What Dad meant was for you to play with Jerry, not to bring Jerry to play with Dad."

"But..."

The little girl furrowed her pretty brows and looked at Shen Yujing, asking, "If I play with Jerry, won't Dad be all alone and lonely?"

Shen Yujing was momentarily stunned, and a wave of emotion surged in his heart.

He hadn't expected that his daughter was actually thinking of him, worrying that he might feel lonely even in such a situation.

Under the gaze of Song Chaochao's almond-shaped eyes, which so resembled Song Yi's, Shen Yujing couldn't bring himself to say anything that might upset his precious daughter.

So Shen Yujing tightened his grip on the building blocks in his hand and turned to Jerry, saying, "Come and play with... uh, Uncle here and build some blocks."

Jerry: "...?"

Song Chaochao then looked at Jerry and said, "Don't worry, you'll definitely win."

The live audience watching was also moved.

【Chaochao is really thoughtful of her dad. She's such a caring little angel!】

【Not only is she worried about her dad being lonely, but she also reassures Jerry that he'll win. She's taking care of both their feelings.】

【@Shen Yujing, you're surrounded. Hand over your daughter now!】

The father and daughter reached a consensus, and Jerry, who didn't know how to say no, was forced to sit in front of the building blocks, listening to Shen Yujing explain how to stack them.

Shen Yujing spoke confidently, "These blocks are really simple. Each piece is a different color, and you just need to follow the instructions and stack them in order."

After all, it was a toy for toddlers, so it wasn't difficult at all.

Although Shen Yujing had a strong competitive streak, he wasn't planning to win against such a young child, so he took his time stacking the blocks.

But when his blocks collapsed for the third time, and Jerry had already completed more than half of his structure, Shen Yujing fell into deep thought.

This was bad. Things seemed to be a bit more complicated than he had imagined.

Losing to a three-year-old on purpose was one thing, but actually being worse than a three-year-old was a whole different story!

The more anxious Shen Yujing became, the more mistakes he made. By the time Jerry finished his stack, Shen Yujing's blocks had collapsed for the fifth time.

Shen Yujing raised a hand to cover his eyes. He suddenly regretted telling his daughter to bring Jerry over to play.

Jerry glanced at Shen Yujing, then looked at the house he had built, his eyes lighting up.

The expressions on their faces were a stark contrast.

Song Chaochao sat on the sofa watching all of this, wearing an "I knew it" expression.

Then she got up and walked over, pulling out a red flower sticker from her bag and placing it on Jerry's cheek under Shen Yujing's envious gaze.

The brown-haired child touched the sticker on his face in disbelief, then looked up at Song Chaochao with a smile, pointing to the block house he had built and whispering, "This... is for you."

Even though she knew the block house would collapse at the slightest touch and couldn't be taken away, Song Chaochao still said, "Thank you."

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍barrage of comments was harmonious.

【I thought Shen Yujing would let Jerry win on purpose, but I didn't expect him to lose even after trying his best. Shen Yujing, your trembling hands are both pitiful and hilarious.】

【I thought Song Chaochao said Jerry would win just to comfort him, but it turns out she knew her dad too well hahaha】

【Shen Yujing looks really disappointed that he didn't get his daughter's special red flower reward hahaha】

Just as Shen Yujing was sulking, the other dads had finished cooking and brought the dishes out from the kitchen, calling everyone to wash their hands and eat.

At the dining table.

Since the dishes were simple, the dads, despite their poor knife skills and mediocre cooking, managed to make something edible by following instructions step by step.

Although Jiang Qi put down her chopsticks halfway through and complained that she didn't want to eat anymore, she ended up finishing her meal under the influence of Little Qi, who ate everything without being picky, Song Chaochao, who kept eating despite the food being bad, and Jerry, who quietly ate his meal.

Lunch was more or less taken care of.

But with limited ingredients left in the fridge and a tight budget, they had to start thinking about the most serious problem—

How to make money.

And just then, the production team added an even stricter rule: their earnings could only be exchanged for items from their workplace, not cash.

However, after obtaining the items, they could sell them to get money.

Jiang Chun frowned and said, "It was already hard enough. Why add this restriction?"

As a host, Cheng Chen, who often appeared on variety shows, understood the production team's intentions. He explained, "If there weren't such restrictions, we could quickly gather enough money for the next few days through live streams or other means."

If the tasks were too easy, the show would lose its entertainment value.

"I see," Shen Yujing nodded. "So, theoretically, the most convenient places for us to work would be restaurants or supermarkets, right?"

Meng Shang nodded in agreement. "That's correct."

After all, these were the places where they could quickly obtain the necessities for daily life.

With three days to go, as long as they could secure food and drink, everything else would be manageable.

But since this was a dad-and-kid show, there was another restriction: they had to bring their children along while working.

Working with kids in tow would double the difficulty.

The dads set out with their children to look for jobs.

Shen Yujing sat in the driver's seat, while Song Chaochao sat in the passenger seat. The two headed toward their first destination—

A large chain supermarket.

Upon arrival, they unexpectedly ran into Meng Shang, who had also brought his son there.

The supermarket manager informed them that they only needed one cashier for the day. Out of courtesy, Shen Yujing left with Song Chaochao.

As they left, the PD reminded Shen Yujing that, although it wasn't explicitly stated, for the sake of the show's entertainment value, he couldn't take on the same type of job as the others.

By now, Meng Shang was working as a cashier at the supermarket, Jiang Chun had become a waiter at a hotpot restaurant, and Cheng Chen had even found a job as a security guard at a fishing base.

That left Shen Yujing. After ruling out the above options, he went upstairs and found—

A restaurant specializing in chicken soup.

When the staff saw Shen Yujing enter the restaurant with the crew, they immediately surrounded him enthusiastically. Upon learning that he was there to apply for a job, they quickly contacted the manager.

No store would turn down a celebrity working there for a variety show. Free advertising was always welcome.

The crew quietly reminded Shen Yujing that he couldn't take on cashier or waiter roles either.

The manager warmly welcomed Shen Yujing, but when he expressed interest in working in the kitchen, the manager hesitated. After all, the food served to customers couldn't afford to be subpar, and having Shen Yujing mess around in the kitchen could harm the restaurant's reputation.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Sensing the manager's hesitation, Shen Yujing said, "You don't trust me, do you? How about this: have a chef supervise me while I cook. If you're satisfied with the taste of the soup I make, I'll stay. If not, I'll leave."

The manager agreed to Shen Yujing's proposal and assigned an experienced chef to supervise his work.

As for Song Chaochao, the manager even assigned a part-time college student to accompany her and keep her entertained.

At this moment, the live-stream comments were showing some distrust toward Shen Yujing, as the audience was unaware of the show's behind-the-scenes rules and even blamed him a little.

[Ah, this... I remember Shen Yujing lost to Jerry in the block-stacking game earlier. I really don’t have much faith in him.]

[It’s just a task, why does he have to go into the kitchen? Is he really trying to ruin their reputation?]

[This is putting the restaurant in a tough spot. With Shen Yujing’s massive popularity, it’s a missed opportunity not to use him for promotion, but letting him into the kitchen seems so unprofessional.]

[Don’t be so harsh, it’s just to test Shen Yujing, right?]

[Does anyone really think Shen Yujing can cook? He’s definitely going to fail. How does he even dare?]

[I agree, this is just a waste of time...]

No one had high expectations for Shen Yujing, except for one person—

Song Chaochao.

The little girl sat quietly by the window, idly chewing on her straw.

How boring.

Thinking this, Song Chaochao knew her dad wouldn’t be out anytime soon. Maybe she should go out and play?

As Song Chaochao hopped off her chair and headed outside, the staff member assigned to follow her was about to stop her, but the show’s PD shook his head and said, “Let’s just follow and film her.”

After all, judging by the live-stream comments, the audience was highly interested in Song Chaochao and loved watching her segments.

The crew followed at a distance, curious to see what she would do.

Song Chaochao wandered around the mall floor for a while, then carefully stepped onto the escalator to go downstairs.

The PD quickly caught up and asked, “Chaochao, where are you going?”

Song Chaochao pointed at a nearby coin-operated ride and said, “I want to ride the rocking horse.”

Song Chaochao loved things that moved, like rocking horses and swings.

When she reached the ride, she climbed onto it and pressed the button, mimicking how her dad usually did it.

But the ride didn’t budge.

Frowning, Song Chaochao tapped the button, thinking it might be broken.

The PD said, “Chaochao, do you need me to put in some coins? We can deduct it from your dad’s salary.”

This made Song Chaochao realize that the ride required money to work. But since her dad was still working to earn money, she shouldn’t spend it.

Yet, Song Chaochao really wanted to ride it.

Her little face scrunched up like a dumpling, clearly struggling to make a decision.

The PD’s heart melted at the scene, and so did the live-stream audience.

[Ahhh! Let our Chaochao ride the rocking horse! Let her ride it now!]

[She wants to ride it so badly but doesn’t want to spend her dad’s money. Sweetheart, you don’t have to be so responsible!]

[I’ll pay for it! Let her ride, please!]

Even though the comments were filled with pleas, the crew couldn’t go against the show’s rules. When Song Chaochao hopped off the ride and said, “I won’t ride it,” everyone felt a deep sense of guilt.

Who could say no to such an adorable little angel? They truly were heartless monsters!

Just as Song Chaochao was about to head back to her dad, she heard crying nearby.

Curious, she looked over and saw Jerry standing not far away, with a small poodle in front of him.

The little boy was crying, his eyes red, as he hid behind a staff member, who was trying to comfort him and shoo away the unleashed dog, but to no avail.

The staff member tried to lead Jerry away, but the poodle kept following them.

Seeing Jerry cry even harder, Song Chaochao ran over, waving and calling out, “Jerry! Jerry!”

When Jerry saw Song Chaochao, he quickly wiped his tears, not wanting her to see him cry, but his fear was still evident.

Song Chaochao ran up to Jerry and gently patted the dog’s head. She crouched beside the dog and said in a soft, serious voice, “Good doggy, don’t go over there. I know you’re a good dog.”

Her gentle tone seemed to calm the dog, and it stayed still, letting her pet it.

At that moment, a woman ran over, apologizing profusely, “I’m so sorry! I left my dog at the pet store while I went to buy something, but it must have run out. I’m really sorry!”

The woman glanced at Jerry and Song Chaochao, apologizing again.

Song Chaochao shook her head and said, “It’s okay. Your dog is very cute.”

The woman smiled, complimenting Song Chaochao’s cuteness before quickly leading her dog away.

Song Chaochao then turned to Jerry, who was still hiding behind the staff member, and said, “It’s okay now. The dog’s gone. You can come out.”

Jerry hesitated but eventually stepped out, though he still clung to the staff member’s sleeve, clearly still a bit scared.

Song Chaochao asked, “Where’s your dad?”

Jerry replied, “He’s still in the supermarket.”

Song Chaochao said, “Then I’ll take you back, okay?”

Jerry nodded.

Song Chaochao held out her hand and said, “If you’re scared, you can hold my hand.”

Jerry took her hand, his eyes now filled with trust in Song Chaochao.

The live-stream audience was in awe of the adorable scene.

[Human babies are just too cute!]

[This looks like two dolls holding hands. It’s so heartwarming!]

[This is like the childhood version of a romance novel’s main couple! Isn’t there a director who wants to cast them in a drama?]

[I’d gladly give up ten pounds of fat for my future child to be as cute as them!]

[I’ll give twenty pounds!]

…

Meanwhile, the camera shifted back to the chicken soup restaurant.

During the cooking process, some of Shen Yujing’s steps confused the head chef, but he didn’t question them. Though Shen Yujing’s skilled handling was surprising, the chef still doubted the popular star could actually make a delicious pot of chicken soup.

After simmering for over an hour, it was time to serve the soup. Shen Yujing lifted the lid, and the aroma instantly filled the kitchen.

When the first bowl was handed to the supervising chef, he took a sip, his eyes widening as he quickly went back for more, even blowing on a piece of chicken before eagerly eating it.

The rest of the kitchen staff couldn’t help but glance over, curious about how the celebrity’s soup tasted. Most didn’t believe he could pull it off and were just waiting for the verdict.

But after the first sip, the chef paused, then kept drinking and eating, seemingly unable to stop.

The live-stream comments were baffled.

[???]

[What’s going on? Why isn’t he saying anything?]

[Is it good? He hasn’t stopped eating.]

[I think it’s bad. Look at his furrowed brow. He’s probably thinking of a polite way to reject Shen Yujing.]

Finally, someone in the kitchen couldn’t hold back and asked, “Chef Zhang? How is it?”

Another chimed in, “Yeah, Chef Zhang, give us your thoughts.”

Chef Zhang put down his bowl, looked at Shen Yujing, and said, “You passed.”

Everyone: ???

Live-stream comments: ???

Shen Yujing simply smiled and said, “Thank you.”

He wasn’t nervous at all. He had always been confident in his cooking skills, especially when it came to chicken dishes. After all, he had been taught by some of the best chefs in the country, and even Song Yi often praised his cooking. How could it not be good?

The live-stream audience began debating.

[Is this for real? Can Shen Yujing actually cook? Won’t his skills ruin the restaurant’s reputation?]

[Is this just a setup to give Shen Yujing a new image?]

[If so, that’s pretty lame.]

The doubts in the comments mirrored the kitchen staff’s skepticism.

So they took turns pausing their work and lined up to taste the chicken soup Shen Yujing had just finished cooking. Initially, everyone approached with skepticism, but in the end, they all left after finishing every last drop in their bowls.

The soup was rich but not greasy, perfectly cooked, and carried a level of freshness that surpassed what they usually made. Yet, it wasn’t just a result of heavy seasoning. Everyone was genuinely impressed by Shen Yujing’s “addition” to the team.

The live chat was equally stunned. If one person was satisfied, it might have been scripted by the show’s producers, but with so many people praising it, it was clear that Shen Yujing’s cooking skills were the real deal.

【Can I still make it to the shop to taste Shen Yujing’s handmade chicken soup?】

【Is it really that good? I don’t believe it unless I get a sip too!】

【Does anyone remember that Shen Yujing mentioned he could make chicken soup before he started cooking at noon?】

Meanwhile, Song Yi, who was also watching the live stream, couldn’t help but smile at the scene.

She dug through her phone’s photo album and found a picture of Shen Yujing cooking for her.

On the dining table were five dishes, four of which could only be described as disastrous, with only a pot of chicken soup in the center looking presentable.

Song Yi V: I can confirm, Shen Yujing really can make chicken soup. Though, that’s pretty much all he can make 【Picture】

Song Yi’s comment section was instantly flooded by fans of the two and curious onlookers.

【Hahahaha, so that’s the case!】

【Shen Yujing is hilariously dedicated to this one dish (dog emoji)】

【Honestly, with those other dishes as a comparison, even I can tell that pot of soup must be amazing】

At this point, Shen Yujing had successfully secured the job thanks to his excellent chicken soup skills.

Meanwhile, at the supermarket.

Song Chaochao had brought Jerry back, and Meng Shang was still busy at the checkout. Seeing Jerry looking so lonely, Song Chaochao decided to stay and keep him company.

They sat on a bench next to the supermarket, with a row of claw machines behind them.

Several girls passed by during their time there, and before leaving, they handed over the plush toys they had won to the two kids.

People tend to follow the crowd, and after seeing others give their toys to these two adorable children, more and more followed suit.

After sitting there for four hours, Song Chaochao and Jerry were surrounded by dozens of neatly arranged plush toys, filling up two entire benches.

Jerry, holding two large stuffed animals, asked softly, “What are they doing?”

Song Chaochao replied, “They’re giving you toys because they like you.”

Hearing the word “like,” Jerry shyly touched the little red flower sticker on his cheek.

Then, with a hint of worry, he looked toward his father and asked, “When will Dad be done? I want to go home.”

Song Chaochao’s mind quickly came up with an idea. She picked up the largest plush toy and walked over to a PD, speaking in a sweet, childlike voice, “Miss, would you like to buy a toy? You can pick any one, and they’re all very affordable.”