He Yuan still insisted on watching the entire live broadcast, and at the end, he tossed a bag of gold coins to Xixizi.
[Thank you for your hard work, little brother, give me a follow~]
[Hahahahahaha, I laughed so hard that my mom rushed into the room and hit me on the head with slippers, but I was still laughing]
[Thank you, host. I was really sad today, but now I’m so happy!]
[I hope the host prepares more next time. I’m afraid the kitchen might explode if you light the stove (shivering.jpg)]
Xixizi broadcasted for over an hour. The entire stream left viewers on edge, feeling like they were watching a live disaster movie.
After the broadcast ended, Xixizi sent He Yuan an emoji pack featuring a character nervously handing over a small whip.
An An: Brother, I screwed up QAQ
An An: I’m really bad at cooking. I used to record my videos, so I could edit out mistakes.
An An: I don’t think I’ll livestream anymore. [Little yellow bird’s tears dripping.jpg]
An An: [Please confirm the transfer]
An An: Brother, take the money back. My performance tonight was so bad, it’s not worth rewarding me. [Little yellow bird hits the wall.jpg]
He Yuan didn’t accept the refund. Instead, he went back to watch Xixizi’s earlier videos.
After a while, he replied: You gained followers.
An An: ?
Xizizi probably checked the numbers and was shocked: Oh my god, brother!
An An: I have a thousand more followers than before the live broadcast! ! ! [Little yellow bird flies in place.jpg]
This chaotic “food” live broadcast, which could only be described as a failure, unexpectedly captured the audience’s attention.
Though full of mistakes, the unique style stood out. It was similar to why He Yuan’s earlier color-testing streams went viral—people love seeing something different.
He Yuan looked at the ecstatic messages flooding in from An An, thinking that if more people watched the livestream, it might bring in even more fans.
Wall: Are you still two videos short for the anniversary event?
An An: Yeah, I need to post the livestream recording this week and make another one next week to qualify for the reward!
An An: But I’m embarrassed to post the livestream. [Little yellow bird hangs its head.jpg]
He Yuan paused for a moment, frowning slightly. He typed something, then deleted it, and retyped.
Wall: Make a new video. Just do what you originally planned to do tonight. Don’t post the livestream recording.
Wall: After receiving the event reward, lock all your previous videos.
An An: Why?
Wall: You can gain more fans with tonight’s style.
Wall: The previous content is different. If you keep gaining fans, the contrast might cause misunderstandings.
After a moment of silence, An An replied with an emoji of a little yellow bird nodding.
An An: Okay, brother.
—
Xixizi remade a new video and uploaded it on Friday as part of the cooking competition for the “mutual help” activity.
This time, the content went back to being more polished. The bento was arranged in three layers: white rice with cola chicken on the bottom, eggs, green vegetables, and peeled corn in the middle, and a vegetable and fruit salad on top.
Though traces of amateur production were still visible, it looked like actual food this time.
Thanks to his recent surge in followers, the barrage was livelier than before.
[So this is the original version that didn’t flop, I’m crying.]
[Little brother, if you’ve been kidnapped, just blink.]
[Look, this is the real you. Hurry and change back QAQ.]
—
“What’s the minister watching? A cooking video?” A head suddenly leaned over the back of the sofa.
He Yuan silently switched apps, landing on the QQ interface.
Xixizi was using emojis to act cute, asking him to wish her a happy birthday.
The boy behind him howled as soon as he saw it. He Yuan immediately turned off his screen.
“Damn!” the boy shouted. “The minister’s in trouble!”
At his outburst, everyone in the party hall turned their heads: “What? What happened?”
“Someone called him ‘brother’ in his chat, and it was so sweet!”
“You’re the nosiest person here. Why are you peeking at someone else’s phone?” Chen Yongyi, the deputy director of the Propaganda Department, handed the boy a bowl of washed cherry tomatoes. She glanced at He Yuan, smirking. “The minister is finally having a twilight romance?”
Chen Yongyi had worked as He Yuan’s deputy for a year. She was highly capable and much livelier than him, often taking the lead in organizing department meetings and events.
“Don’t tease me,” He Yuan said lightly.
Chen Yongyi kept her playful smile. “If you’re really in love, don’t keep it a secret. Let us eat the melon together.”
The little cakes arranged on the floor echoed her sentiment one after another.
He Yuan had a relatively cold personality and rarely took the initiative to participate in social activities. As a scholar with strong professional abilities, he often gave off the impression of being someone to “admire from a distance but not approach.”
So naturally, everyone was curious about what kind of person He Yuan might like and how he would act when he truly fell in love.
“Don’t even think about it. I live with him every day, and nothing’s happened,” Xu Zhaoyuan, seated next to He Yuan, chimed in. “His biggest obsession right now is that set of pens he just bought! The day they arrived, he even took them to bed with him…”
He Yuan gave him a sharp look, but the rest of the group burst into laughter.
There’s something magical about gatherings—jokes that might seem trivial when alone become uncontrollably funny when shared in a lively crowd.
He Yuan pursed his lips, endured the laughter for a while, then stood up. “I’m going out for a walk.”
“See? You’ve embarrassed him! He’s shy now,” Xu Zhaoyuan whispered conspiratorially.
He Yuan still heard it, gave him a light shoulder shove on his way out, and exited the room.
The party hall was located at the foot of a mountain in a 5A scenic area, surrounded by pristine air and picturesque views.
He Yuan walked out and sat down on a wooden bench across the road. The noise of the boys and girls inside was still faintly audible. Taking out his phone, he sent a simple reply to Xixizi: “Happy Birthday.”
—
Xiao An hadn’t celebrated his birthday at home for years. This time was no different; it was a weekend, and he stayed in a villa owned by a friend. Perched halfway up the mountain, the villa’s unique location offered a breathtaking view.
Though they called it a “birthday party,” it was really just an excuse for everyone to gather. Since starting college, they’d all scattered to different places, making such meetups increasingly rare.
By 8 PM, most people in the room were already drunk. Xiao An, however, hadn’t touched a drop. Half-reclining on the sofa, he lazily held a microphone in one hand, humming “Happy Birthday” to himself.
He doubted anyone would still be sober enough by midnight to wish him a proper happy birthday.
“Bro,” Liu Liang approached him, holding a glass of wine. “Thanks to you, I get to drink something fancy tonight.”
Liu Liang was a junior high school classmate Xiao An used to play basketball with. They’d been close then, though they’d drifted apart over the years. Despite this, Xiao An had invited him.
Some friendships remain effortlessly familiar no matter how much time passes, while others fade into polite small talk. Xiao An had hoped Liu Liang was the former, but he was beginning to feel it was the latter.
“That’s easy.” Xiao An set the microphone aside. “Just tell me what you want to drink, and I’ll bring it to you. It’s no trouble.”
“Sure,” Liu Liang laughed. “I forgot you have a car now. Must be nice to be rich.”
“No, it’s not like that,” Xiao An replied. “A relative upgraded their car and passed this one down to me. It’s nothing fancy.”
“A car worth hundreds of thousands isn’t fancy?” Liu Liang’s voice rose, his drunkenness showing. “Most people our age can only practice on driving school training cars.”
Xiao An sensed their conversation was running dry. Smiling faintly, he picked up the remote and queued a random song.
Liu Liang sighed. “Man, I really envy you.”
“There’s nothing to envy,” Xiao An said casually.
“That’s because you don’t get it. You’ve never had to suffer or struggle.” Liu Liang’s tone became serious. “You just play around and live carefree. Your family runs a major hospital; you can step right into a job after graduation.”
Xiao An narrowed his eyes as the song started playing on the screen, but he didn’t sing.
“I don’t even know what my future holds. My family is counting on me to support them,” Liu Liang continued. “I just wish someone would support me for a change…”
“I don’t…” Xiao An started to retort but stopped himself.
Looking at Liu Liang, he realized the other boy was speaking from the heart.
Once this unspoken truth was laid bare, Xiao An’s seemingly carefree and privileged life felt almost despicable in comparison.
Liu Liang’s words stemmed from envy and a sense of inferiority. Subconsciously, he sought validation by highlighting his own struggles. Despite his uncertainty and hardships, he felt pride in supporting his family and taking responsibility.
In contrast, Xiao An’s advantages seemed to diminish in meaning under Liu Liang’s stark honesty.
Xiao An could see all these clearly and couldn’t bring himself to get angry, but the bad mood lingered.
“Want to sing?” Xiao An handed the microphone to Liu Liang. “I’ll go get a glass of wine.”
“Go ahead.” Liu Liang sighed again, waving him off.
Xiao An walked to the wine table, where his friends were still crazy about pulling him to drink. He glanced around and felt even less interested.
He decided to step outside, and as his eyes landed on his car parked in front of the villa, a wave of irritation surged, but he got in anyway.
Xiao An drove slowly, without any destination in mind. He just wanted to clear his head and return when he felt better.
There weren’t many villas on the mountainside, and the road was dark and empty. However, as he approached the foot of the mountain, the area became brighter, with more villas lit up.
These villas stood side by side in varying architectural styles, most uninhabited and often rented out for gatherings. The lights from the windows illuminated the road, giving the area a serene feel.
Xiao An’s mood eased slightly, and just then, he noticed someone sitting on the roadside through his windshield.
It was He Yuan.
The other was dressed in a dark green hooded sweatshirt, his pale skin contrasting sharply against the fabric.
Even sitting on the roadside, He Yuan maintained his signature aloofness. His head was slightly lowered, a sketchbook resting on his lap.
While everyone was having fun in the party hall, He Yuan—true to his architecture-obsessed personality—sat across the road, sketching the party hall’s exterior.
Xiao An couldn’t help but smile. He stopped his car, stepped out, and walked over.
He Yuan glanced at him briefly, showing no surprise, before returning his attention to his sketch. He didn’t even bother greeting Xiao An.
Not wanting to disturb him, Xiao An stood quietly to the side, watching with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
He Yuan sketched quickly, his strokes confident and precise. The proportions were impeccable, creating a near-perfect replica of the building.
Xiao An stared at the sketch, baffled. If it was going to look this identical, why not just take a photo? Wasn’t it more interesting to watch the person drawing than the drawing itself?
His gaze drifted from the sketch to He Yuan’s profile—sharp features, clean jawline. For some reason, his thoughts jumped to Wall. The lower half of their faces did resemble each other.
But then Xiao An recalled Wall putting on lipstick in front of him. He shuddered at the memory.
Wall was such an interesting person, so different from the stoic He Yuan.
After what felt like an eternity, He Yuan finally finished sketching.
“Stop drawing already. What’s so great about this place?” Xiao An reached out and took the pen from his hand.
He Yuan looked up, visibly irritated. “Give it back.”
Xiao An hadn’t realized it was one of He Yuan’s precious pens but handed it back without fuss.
He Yuan closed the sketchbook carefully, and Xiao An suddenly had a wild idea.
“Hey,” Xiao An pointed at his car with a mischievous grin. “How about going for a ride together?”
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