Chapter 2: The Livestream Begins

He opened the door.

What greeted his eyes was Jiang Zhiyun’s face—still as cool and stunning as ever, though tinged with a hint of exhaustion.

Behind her, a small figure timidly peeked out, revealing just half a head.

Large, dark eyes, curious yet wary, sized up Chen Yu.

It was a little girl, perhaps four or five years old, dressed in a pink frock with two adorable pigtails, her cheeks rosy against fair skin, as exquisite as a porcelain doll.

“Nian Nian, call him Daddy.”

Jiang Zhiyun’s habitual tone was chilly, but this time, her words softened imperceptibly at the end.

The little girl blinked her large eyes, clutching Jiang Zhiyun’s hem with her small hand, her voice as delicate as a mosquito’s hum: “Da…ddy?”

Hearing this gentle, tender voice, Chen Yu felt an overwhelming urge to protect her.

He crouched down, his smile growing much more sincere. “Yes! Good girl, Nian Nian, I’m Daddy.”

As he spoke, he reached out, intending to pat her little head.

Nian Nian instinctively shrank back behind Jiang Zhiyun. But after a moment’s hesitation, seeing Chen Yu’s gentle gaze, she didn’t completely evade him.

Jiang Zhiyun glanced at her watch and said, “I just came back to change. I have to head to the airport soon—overseas business for a few days. Let’s go out for a meal together first. Consider it… a family reunion dinner.”

“Huh? Go out to eat now?”

Chen Yu was caught off guard. He smacked his palm in frustration. “Ah! What a blunder! I thought for sure you’d already eaten before coming back. If I’d known, I’d have whipped up a lavish welcome feast for Nian Nian myself!”

He was filled with regret.

This was the perfect chance to showcase his image as a devoted husband and loving father—and he’d missed it!

Jiang Zhiyun shot him a glance but said nothing, heading straight upstairs to the dressing room.

In truth, the reason she suggested eating out was simply to get him out of the house.

The production crew was coming to install cameras.

To keep things authentic, the guests on the show had no idea they were being broadcast live!

Completely unaware, Chen Yu could only sigh privately.

He’d transmigrated to this world.

Here, the entertainment industry—games, sports, and the like—was more or less the same as the world he’d come from. There weren’t many differences.

But when it came to cultural soft power—especially film, music, and, most importantly, cuisine—there was a yawning gap!

In his original world, China’s culinary tradition alone boasted eight great schools—Xiang, Sichuan, Cantonese, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui—not to mention countless unique snacks and regional flavors.

Frying, sautéing, braising, stewing, roasting, simmering—just thinking about it made one’s mouth water.

But in this world?

To put it kindly, it was “in line with international trends”; more bluntly, it was a culinary wasteland.

Mainstream restaurants served burgers, fries, fried chicken, or steak, pasta, and salad. The occasional “Chinese” eatery peddled sugary, bastardized versions of the real thing.

It was sheer torture for a true foodie like him.

Jiang Zhiyun soon came down in casual attire, still simple and sharp.

“Let’s go,” she said, picking up the car keys.

Chen Yu hurried to scoop up the still-shy Nian Nian, following behind Jiang Zhiyun.

The family of three drove their Cullinan to a high-end-looking western restaurant.

When the beautifully plated but bland steaks and salads arrived, Chen Yu could only scream internally.

Meanwhile, staff from the “Super Dad” production team, led by Jiang Zhiyun’s assistant, began installing hidden cameras all over the villa.

“Here, and that corner—make sure it’s well concealed.”

“Everywhere except the bathroom and master bedroom—every angle needs to be covered…”

Back in the restaurant, Chen Yu, eager to win over his “discount daughter,” piled cut-up steak, chicken nuggets, and desserts onto Nian Nian’s plate.

Nian Nian gripped her knife and fork, eyeing his busy hands suspiciously, then glanced nervously at her heaping plate.

She finally ventured a timid question: “Daddy, will I get scolded if I don’t eat?”

Only then did Chen Yu realize she hadn’t touched a bite.

“Um… You don’t like it?”

Nian Nian shook her head.

At that moment, Jiang Zhiyun interjected, “If she won’t eat, then you have to eat it for her.”

Chen Yu thought, inwardly crying, “What a setup.”

Before he could protest, Jiang Zhiyun’s stern voice came again.

“These days while I’m gone, you must take good care of Nian Nian. Everything revolves around her.”

“If she complains to me when I get back, I’ll be very upset—and the consequences…”

She didn’t finish, but the threat in her tone needed no elaboration.

All Chen Yu could do was nod repeatedly.

At the same time, he tried to comfort himself.

“It’s just a marriage of convenience, not real—doesn’t count as being henpecked!”

“That’s right! I’m doing this for the hundred thousand yuan a month!”

What could he do? He was the king of freeloaders, after all.

Dinner ended under a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Back in the villa’s parking lot, Jiang Zhiyun glanced at her watch. “It’s about time. I’ll head straight to the airport. I’m leaving Nian Nian in your care—drive safely.”

With that, she turned and walked to the sports car her assistant had brought.

Chen Yu, cradling the now-drowsy Nian Nian, watched as Jiang Zhiyun started the engine. The red taillights traced an arc through the night, growing ever more distant.

Behind the wheel, Jiang Zhiyun looked in the rearview mirror at the father and daughter waving goodbye, her brows knitting almost imperceptibly.

She couldn’t quite fathom what possessed her, gambling the future of the entire Jiang Sheng Group on… a man who, aside from being reasonably good-looking and seemingly mild-tempered, had little else to recommend him.

This Chen Yu, apart from his face and his superficially gentle demeanor, was thoroughly unremarkable.

Could he really play the part of a competent father before a national audience, and win their hearts?

A barely audible sigh vanished into the night breeze.

Chen Yu drove Nian Nian home. The little girl had fallen fast asleep in the car.

He carefully carried her to the children’s room, tucked her in, and after a quick wash, collapsed into bed himself.

Taking care of a child was far more exhausting than he’d imagined.

The next day, at six in the morning.

Dawn had just begun to break.

The live broadcast of “Super Dad: Transformation” quietly went online.

Countless viewers, waiting on Yunhai TV’s streaming platform and various partner sites, flooded into the stream at the first opportunity.

The live chat instantly exploded:

“It’s finally started! I’ve been waiting all night!”

“I heard there are three families this time, and all the moms are big celebrities! The whole thing is live and kept secret from the husbands—so exciting!”

“Wonder if these amateur dads can handle it?”

“Can’t wait for the segment when the moms’ identities are revealed! That’s going to be pure chaos!”