The news that Doctor Lu wanted to lose weight quickly spread throughout Starry Sky Kindergarten.
Even Liu Chef came to have a heart-to-heart with him, wondering if the meals he had prepared recently weren't to Doctor Lu's taste.
Doctor Lu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It wasn't that the food wasn't to his taste; it was too much to his taste. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gained so much weight in just a year.
Liu Chef usually took great pleasure in fattening people up.
Now, looking at Doctor Lu, he said, "Your current weight is just right. Men shouldn't be too thin; it doesn't look good. Not like when you first came here."
Liu Chef still remembered what Doctor Lu looked like before.
He had carried a certain hospital aura about him.
His digestion wasn't good, and neither was his sleep.
So he didn't have that handsome, upright appearance.
Now he was chubby and loved to smile. He looked just like the kind of son-in-law that mothers-in-law adore.
Liu Chef asked why he wanted to lose weight when he was doing so well.
Doctor Lu replied, "I've simply gotten too fat."
In his daily life at Starry Sky Kindergarten, he hadn't really noticed.
But when he met with his former colleagues,
Their shocked reactions had truly hurt him a bit.
Especially since no one had mentioned that the woman he used to have a secret crush on would be at the gathering. It left him feeling utterly embarrassed.
This time, he was serious about losing weight.
On the first day, he went running on the track with two dance teachers.
He originally thought running 5 kilometers wouldn't be a big deal.
In his younger days, he had even run 10 kilometers.
But he had underestimated how out of shape his body had become from lack of exercise.
After just three laps, he was gasping for air.
His heart was racing.
It felt like his heart might burst out of his chest at any moment.
He had no choice but to slow down a bit.
In the end, he managed to finish the laps by walking.
Drenched in sweat, he was both thirsty and hungry.
Since Doctor Lu had come to Starry Sky Kindergarten, when had he ever suffered like this?
They had mineral water readily available there.
As much as anyone could want.
Usually, if he got hungry, he could go to the kitchen for some fruit or snacks.
There were sweet and savory options, a mix of meat and vegetarian dishes.
At first, they all ate their three meals a day properly, feeling incredibly blessed.
Once they learned that the kitchen always kept food ready, worried they might go hungry,
The kitchen quickly became the favorite place for Starry Sky Kindergarten staff.
They'd pop in for extra meals at any time.
Plus, they'd wash fruit in the afternoon and place it in the office.
They could eat however they liked, and it was all high-end fruit.
For instance, the Shine Muscat grapes were sweet, crisp, and had a unique rose fragrance.
But when they bought them at the market, the skin was thick, and they were dry and sweet, tasting just average.
They couldn't figure out why the fruit at the kindergarten always tasted so good.
Now, more and more people were coming to eat at the kindergarten.
Including the scientists who had been researching the gaming pods.
They had initially come for the gaming pods. But gradually, Doctor Lu keenly observed that they were staying for the cafeteria.
Every few days, they'd give the children an open science class.
The kids found these science classes fascinating.
Especially when the children's enthusiasm was at its peak.
It was said that many had started visiting aerospace exhibitions, sparking an interest that made children want to learn on their own.
In addition, there were some children from wealthy families, along with their bodyguards and such.
These once-imposing young men who had arrived looking fierce,
Now looked like community security guards after all the eating.
They had grown chubby, with no trace of their former toughness.
Looking at the dance teachers, despite how much they ate daily,
They worked out regularly.
Although their weight had increased, it had all turned to muscle, so they looked great.
Doctor Lu's stomach was growling with hunger.
He knew this was a crucial period for his weight loss.
Having finally made this resolution, he couldn't let it all go to waste.
So this time, when mealtime came, he didn't go to the cafeteria.
Instead, he drove out for a spin.
He only returned to work when it was almost time for afternoon classes.
During his drive, he passed countless street food stalls.
But he didn't buy anything.
Since coming to Starry Sky Kindergarten, he had completely given up on street food.
Because he knew that no matter what, it couldn't compare to the delicious food at Starry Sky Kindergarten.
After tasting such good food, other snacks just couldn't cut it anymore.
So after looking around, he still wanted to eat at the cafeteria.
For lunch, he bought a diet bread.
Back at the office, he ate it while he was still hungry.
The first bite nearly choked him.
He couldn't understand how this tasteless, rough thing that scratched his throat could be sold, and at such a high price.
After one bite, Doctor Lu regretted it.
Why should a young man in his prime suffer like this?
He thought about taking a second bite.
But after the second bite, it caused such strong discomfort in his throat that he started to retch.
Doctor Lu quickly found some paper and spat the food onto it.
The bread had become a sticky mess, looking utterly disgusting.
After that, he completely lost interest in the diet bread.
He didn't want to eat another bite. His colleagues in the office saw Doctor Lu sitting there, looking utterly dejected.
They couldn't help but say, "The kitchen saved some food for you. Are you really not going? Today it's your favorite braised pork trotters!"
At the mention of pork trotters, Doctor Lu's mouth started to water.
Liu Chef's personally braised pork trotters were fragrant, sweet, and tender.
It was all skin and tendon, with each bite full of collagen.
And the immense satisfaction of gnawing on a pork trotter was unmatched by eating anything else.
His pork trotter rice bowl, with a bit of the sauce and Liu Chef's specially pickled radish,
Was so delicious, even the gods wouldn't trade places with him.
These pork trotters were quite troublesome to make, and with so many staff now, they had to cook several large pots at once.
And everyone absolutely loved them.
Usually, there might be leftovers with other dishes, but with pork trotters, there was never anything left.
Liu Chef had specially saved some for him; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so lucky.
You might think the kindergarten staff were all very friendly and nice,
But when it came to food, they wouldn't give up a single bite.
Doctor Lu said, "I'm not eating." In that moment, he felt an indescribable sense of misery.
So he quickly gulped down some water and ran out.
His willpower was now on the brink of collapse.
Especially since he hadn't eaten properly for breakfast or lunch. He felt like his stomach was caving in.
He had reached his limit.
If someone kept tempting him with food at this point, he truly wouldn't be able to resist eating.
At that rate, forget losing weight; he'd probably gain another 20 pounds on top of his current weight.
He knew Liu Chef had this skill.
Just as he went out, he saw Mu Zhixing. When Mu Zhixing saw him, she said, "Uncle Lu, why aren't you eating?"
"I'm not hungry."
"I heard you didn't eat lunch. I've saved some of my food for you. Please go eat a little!"
Girls are indeed thoughtful.
She knew he hadn't eaten and even specially saved some of her own food for him.
Doctor Lu usually lived in the dormitory of Starry Sky Kindergarten.
There were only four children living here in total.
One was a local prodigy, one was He Lingfeng, then Mu Zhixing and Song Ping An.
Doctor Lu didn't have much to do on a daily basis. He spent most of his time taking care of these children.
His style was becoming increasingly fussy.
But the children all liked him very much.
Doctor Lu hadn't expected Mu Zhixing to be so considerate, willing to give up her own meal just to make sure he ate.
"Good child, you're still growing. You go eat your meal. Uncle Lu really isn't hungry."
Mu Zhixing, being an artistic person, was sensitive and perceptive. Seeing Doctor Lu not eating, tears started welling up in her eyes.
Qi Zhong, walking in from outside, immediately rushed over upon seeing his beloved student crying. He grabbed Doctor Lu by the collar and demanded, "What did you do?"
Qi Zhong treated Mu Zhixing like his own daughter, never even speaking a harsh word to her.
Now, under his guidance, Mu Zhixing's skills in sketching and quick drawing were almost on par with high school art exam candidates.
With such a considerate, obedient, and sensible favorite student, he couldn't understand what could have possibly made his precious pupil cry.
Doctor Lu said, "I just didn't eat, is it really that serious?" He had nearly been hit.
After Qi Zhong learned about what had happened, he realized that Mu Zhixing had saved her food for Doctor Lu.
The reason was simply that Doctor Lu was on a diet and hadn't eaten, which made the little girl worried.
Qi Zhong awkwardly straightened Doctor Lu's collar: "I'm sorry, I got a bit emotional earlier. You should go eat now, look how thin you are. Besides, you can always start your diet again after this meal!"
When he turned to Mu Zhixing, his voice softened: "Sweetheart, you can't skip meals, okay? Come on, I'll take you to the cafeteria now. He's an adult, he knows whether he should eat or not. You're just a child, don't worry so much!" There was a hint of sourness in his tone.
His beloved student was concerned about whether someone else had eaten or not.
Doctor Lu, as if possessed, also followed them to the cafeteria.
He really couldn't resist anymore, feeling hungry, craving food, and uncomfortable.
Having tasted Liu Chef's cooking before, he truly knew how delicious it was.
Now, it was as if he was hallucinating, with faint, tantalizing aromas wafting into his nose.
Who could resist that?
As soon as he arrived at the cafeteria, Liu Chef saw him and immediately brought out a prepared meal of four dishes and a soup.
This included two large pork trotters and glossy Wuchang rice.
The aroma was overwhelming. Doctor Lu was a bit speechless but ended up devouring a pork trotter ravenously.
Dieting was indeed not something an ordinary person could accomplish.
He was just an ordinary person after all. Forget it.