Chapter 33
The words were crude, but the reasoning wasn’t wrong.
Still, they were a little too crude.
The pain was so intense that Miss Zhao—who, after all, regarded Feng Xiaocheng as his first love—felt like banging his head against a wall. The agony of heartbreak drove him to take out his phone in utter misery and say, “I’m telling my dad.”
A different sort of light instantly appeared in the eyes of Xia Fengsheng and the rest of the team. Without blinking, they stared as Miss Zhao dialed Boss Zhao’s number.
The call had barely rung twice before it was answered. Holding one side of his face, Miss Zhao cried with tears and snot running together, “Dad, I got dumped.”
At that moment, it seemed as though holy light shone down over the whole group. Xia Fengsheng and the rest of the team all leaned back in unison with pure satisfaction.
Boss Zhao, did you see that?
Under our united efforts, your son-daughter has broken up.
The moment Boss Zhao heard it, his voice turned excited. “Really?!”
Miss Zhao: ?
Realizing he had sounded far too happy, Boss Zhao hurriedly switched expressions. “That’s really too bad, darling.”
“But it’s okay. There are plenty of men in this world. Don’t be sad.”
Miss Zhao nodded, cried to him for a while longer, and then hung up.
The moment the phone call ended, a message from Boss Zhao came through. Notifications kept refreshing across the screen.
Qin Buming opened the message.
Boss Zhao: “Tomorrow, bring your proposal. I’ll send a car to pick you up.”
Boss Zhao: “Young people, your capabilities are impressive.”
Once Boss Zhao gave his word, even four horses could not drag it back. Just as he had promised from the very beginning, they had secured the chance to negotiate.
All of it was thanks to the hard work of their team and…
Qin Buming glanced at Shi Ye, who was handsome enough to look like a major celebrity.
…and to one part of Xia Fengsheng’s boyfriend’s contribution as well.
Now that the chance for the project negotiation had been secured, they absolutely had to go celebrate.
The Zhao family’s driver soon came and took away the utterly heartbroken Miss Zhao.
Qin Buming said, “Let’s go celebrate somewhere.”
Zhan Shengyao vetoed it in one vote. As the only girl on the team, she had a cool appearance but an even cooler head. “I object. If we’re going to celebrate, then we celebrate after tomorrow’s negotiation. Right now the most important thing is preparing for tomorrow.”
Xia Fengsheng nodded in support.
The IT guy, Zheng Xing, said, “Shengyao is right.”
Qin Buming’s brain cooled off. “Right. We can’t start popping champagne early.”
After being exploited under Yang Liwan for so long, the first time he tasted the joy of a team achievement of his own, he had gotten a little carried away.
Qin Buming pulled himself back together. The thing people most needed to guard against was complacency.
“It won’t be too late to celebrate after everything’s actually settled,” Qin Buming said to Shi Ye. “You should come too. You deserve part of the credit for us getting this project.”
Shi Ye: ?
Qin Buming added, “There’s a barbecue place behind Jing University that’s especially good. Let’s eat together sometime.”
Shi Ye did not refuse. He accepted the goodwill.
The team had to return to school to work on tomorrow’s negotiation plan.
Qin Buming looked at Xia Fengsheng, then at Shi Ye’s supercar.
Sheng’er… are you really coming back to sit in my Wuling Hongguang?
Xia Fengsheng didn’t catch the look in his eyes. He walked straight over to the Wuling Hongguang parked by the roadside. “Come on, let’s go back to school.”
Beside the supercar, the Wuling Hongguang looked pitifully thin and shabby.
Qin Buming hadn’t expected that after riding in a supercar, Xia Fengsheng would still be willing to sit in his Wuling Hongguang. He felt touched on the spot.
.
Xia Fengsheng had to go back and work, while Shi Ye drove straight home. He had gone out today with nerves stretched tight, but the moment he saw Feng Xiaocheng, the danger alert in his system had automatically switched off.
He had gone out to demonstrate what a real dog-type boyfriend looked like.
Using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken.
The front door opened, and a semi-truck came driving over.
Bubai: “Meow!!!”
Shi Ye always kept an eye on the cat on the floor, afraid of stepping on it. “Hold on, Dad’s going to wash his hands first.”
After changing clothes and washing up, Shi Ye reached down with one big hand and scooped the semi-truck up into the computer room.
He was in an excellent mood right now. He felt that his performance today had been pretty good, and that Xia Fengsheng must have been deeply attracted by him. The plan had advanced another step.
The computer room counted as half his work area. Besides a gaming setup, there were various instruments mounted around the room.
After high school, his skeletal growth had reached its peak, and growing pains arrived in full force.
His dance was no longer as light as before. Even his jumps had started to feel heavy. Sometimes after making a movement that used to be effortless, he would freeze in place, staring at his own arms and legs, wondering whether this was still even his body.
No matter how hard he dieted or how intensely he trained, the signals his body sent him never changed.
His bones were no longer suited for dance.
After his final performance, he sank into an unprecedented low.
No one’s life was smooth sailing, not even someone other people thought of as heaven’s favored child.
Fortunately, he soon found another thing he loved and was willing to devote time and effort to, and that hobby eventually developed into a career.
Music producer.
The end of one road marked the start of another. Even in a new field and a new beginning, he still had the confidence that he could shine.
He had a modest amount of fame overseas, with nearly ten million followers on foreign media platforms.
He also maintained domestic social media, and the follower count there was equally significant.
In a bright mood, Shi Ye hummed as he wrote down a few lines of inspiration. The lively tune kept his spirits high. Then he turned on his electronic equipment and started creating.
By the time he finished a short burst of work, several hours had already passed. When he checked the time, it was already eleven at night.
Shi Ye still felt full of energy with nowhere to put it.
He opened one of the most popular short-video apps back home, logged into his account, and started a livestream.
The account was practically a monthly update account, and each update was mostly photos. Because of his handsome face and superior figure, he had attracted a huge wave of followers.
His clothing style was also widely loved.
The moment he went live, nearly a thousand people flooded into the stream at once.
On screen, the computer room was dimly lit, cast in an overall blue-purple atmosphere. Even the slightly blurred pixels couldn’t hide the sculpted quality of the man’s features.
Shi Ye lowered his eyes to read the comments, planning to stream for a little while.
“It’s New Year, the man of the house is back.”
“Grandma, the streamer you like is live.”
“S! You finally remembered your password!”
“S! You look like an internet pornstar!”
“The last stream was half a year ago—aaaaaaah! How dare you not stream for six months!”
“The reward for not reviewing for finals: look what I waited for.”
The number of viewers instantly began climbing. It was about to break thirty thousand.
Shi Ye was startled and leaned closer to the screen. “Why are there so many people?”
“Damn, that’s so close. Man, I want to slide down the bridge of your nose like a playground slide.”
“Streamer, your recent songs are so popular. They really sound amazing.”
“Streamer, why aren’t you dark-skinned this time?!”
“Your hair got longer too!”
“Same, who understands me, I loved your dark-skinned era so much.”
“Dark skin makes you look like you have very strong reproductive ability. I’m begging you to go sunbathe.”
“Dark skin really is super sexy, although you look handsome pale too.”
“Why did you turn white again?”
The last time Shi Ye streamed had been in summer. He had just returned from the military camp then, with a clean buzz cut, and his skin had tanned into a honey-dark shade under daily training.
Shi Ye said, “If I don’t go in the sun, I turn white again.”
“Streamer, when are you going sunbathing?”
Shi Ye didn’t want to. He felt Xia Fengsheng would probably prefer him pale.
Back in high school, when Xia Fengsheng had forced him into being together, he’d been pale then too.
And he also felt he stood out better when pale.
“Show us your abs.”
“I feel like streamer is extremely good eat.”
“How’s life lately, streamer?”
“Streamer, are you dating? Is there someone you like?”
Shi Ye answered the comments: “Dating.”
“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! My cyber husband, wuwuwu.”
“Who are you dating?”
“Who’s the person you like?”
“Damn it! Who exactly got to date S?!”
“I’m a little upset, I’m leaving first.”
“Just thinking of someone getting to eat streamer, I can’t sleep.”
“AAAAAAAHHHH WHO IS IT, I’m so jealous.”
“Do they have a Douyin account?”
Shi Ye said lightly, “I’m dating a little psycho.”
The words little psycho slipped right out. Thinking about it carefully, there was actually nothing wrong with what he said. Xia Fengsheng really was pretty save-gold.
Because the topic of dating had come up, the livestream comments suddenly filled with relationship questions.
“Streamer, what should I do if my boyfriend is always pinching my cheeks?”
Shi Ye answered cleanly and decisively, “Break up.”
The audience was shocked.
“Break up just because of cheek pinching?”
“Isn’t that a little too exaggerated? It’s just cheek pinching.”
Shi Ye said, “That depends on you. I’m just saying what I think. I don’t like people pinching my cheeks. Not even a boyfriend. If I don’t like something and the other person insists on doing it anyway, then break up.”
“Streamer, my boyfriend makes me bring him food in the dead of winter.”
Shi Ye said, “In weather that cold, he makes you bring him food?”
It was winter now.
Shi Ye didn’t hesitate. “Break up.”
Shi Ye added, “I wouldn’t deliver food to someone in weather that cold. Break up with him. If he still makes you bring food in winter, he doesn’t love you.”
“Streamer, what should I do if my boyfriend never eats properly?”
“Doesn’t eat?” Shi Ye pinched the bridge of his nose. “Then let him starve to death. You just eat your meals on time.”
What sort of boyfriends were these people dating? Shi Ye genuinely couldn’t understand.
At that point, a comment asked: “Streamer, are you clingy in relationships?”
Shi Ye’s peach blossom eyes swept over it. “Not clingy. I’m not clingy at all. I have plenty of my own things to do.”
Another comment asked: “If your partner does things you don’t like, like pinching your cheeks or patting your head, would you break up?”
Shi Ye replied, “Of course. If they don’t respect me, why wouldn’t I break up?”
“Streamer, in your relationship, who likes who more?”
Shi Ye took a sip of water. “He likes me more.”
.
Early the next morning, Xia Fengsheng and the others got up early to prepare for the project meeting.
They had worked until midnight the night before, but this morning they were still all in high spirits as they took the company car to Boss Zhao’s office.
Qin Buming got out first, straightened his tie, and prepared to deliver an important speech. Since he was the oldest and had the most life experience, he started solemnly, “When we go in there, don’t be nervous—hey! Why are you all walking away? Wait for me!”
When they came back out again, it was already noon.
The project meeting had gone extremely smoothly. Boss Zhao praised their proposal lavishly, and the contract was successfully signed.
The group found a small restaurant to eat lunch and celebrate on the side.
After having their nerves stretched tight for hours, everyone finally relaxed. Xia Fengsheng lightly pressed his temple.
The follow-up work would continue to be handled by Zhan Shengyao and Zheng Xing, while Qin Buming and Xia Fengsheng now had a new issue in front of them.
Their working environment at school was limited. On top of that, apart from Zheng Xing the IT guy, all of them worked under Yang Liwan.
If they kept gathering at school to work, it would be very easy for classmates under the same advisor to notice, and if that got back to Yang Liwan, it would do them no good.
Qin Buming wanted to spend money renting a studio outside.
It didn’t need to be huge. Just a place with a better environment, somewhere everyone could relax a little while working.
But they were all poor students with no family background and no connections. Although they had worked on plenty of projects under Yang Liwan, not a cent of the money had ended up in their pockets.
They were still living every day like Christmas—jingling and jangling with emptiness.
Right now the most urgent issue was how to get hold of some starting capital.
The follow-up funds for Boss Zhao’s project would take time. The fastest payout would still be a month away.
Qin Buming knew that in this era of developed internet, livestreaming could make money, so after thinking it over, he wondered if maybe they should sell something online.
They didn’t need much startup money. Six or seven thousand would be enough, and then he could add a little more himself.
Selling stuff online shouldn’t be hard, right?
But what exactly should they sell?
Qin Buming had no clue and decided to ask Xia Fengsheng what he thought.
Qin Buming: “Xiao Sheng, do you have any favorite go-to items?”
Xia Fengsheng: Favorite go-to items?
.
The next day, Qin Buming came to Xia Fengsheng’s dorm.
Recently He Qiang had gone back to his hometown, so Xia Fengsheng was alone in the dorm. Streaming here wouldn’t disturb anyone else.
Qin Buming set up the phone on a tripod. “Xiao Sheng, are you sure this can sell?”
Xia Fengsheng answered with absolute certainty. “It can.”
Although he wasn’t sure in his heart either, showing fear toward the unknown was a doomed mindset from the start.
He’d already contacted the shop owner the night before and asked for the product link. The owner had agreed very readily and had even given them a pretty decent profit split.
The next second, the two of them started the stream.
Neither Xia Fengsheng nor Qin Buming had ever livestreamed before. The account was brand new and had no followers. There were only ten people in the room.
“Holy hell, that scared me with how handsome they are!”
“One screen and there are actually two handsome guys on it!”
“Are they university students? They’re streaming in a dorm, but they look so mature and sexy.”
Both of them wore dress shirts on top. Xia Fengsheng and Qin Buming were both the lean-muscle type—not lanky, but still long-limbed and toned.
Same style, completely different flavors.
One was snow-white, with cold eyes and elegant maturity.
The other had a calm face, a low voice, and the grounded air of a dependable husband-type man.
Qin Buming said, “Welcome to our livestream.”
Xia Fengsheng added from the side, “Welcome.”
As they spoke, the two leaned close to the screen. It was their first time streaming, and they had no idea what they were doing. They fumbled around trying to figure out how to put up the purchase link.
“AAAAAAAHHHH, so close, two faces both so good!”
“How did your moms make the two of you like this, slurp slurp.”
“Everyone move aside, I just passed CET-4 this semester. Let me use my exquisite English to flirt them both to death:
what’s your QQ.”
“Are these streamers signed to some MCN agency? The one with the mole at the corner of his mouth is such a refined scumbag.”
“Husband type, I love it so much.”
“What exactly do you guys sell?”
Xia Fengsheng glanced over the comments and answered, “We sell things.”
His fox eyes instantly curved with a smile. “Everyone should buy, okay?”
The crimson lips lifted, and it was impossible to pull your eyes away from his face. He looked like one of those seductive, damp, sinister fox scholars from folklore.
“AAAAAAAHHHH, buy buy buy! I’ll definitely buy!”
“What are the streamers selling?”
“Hurry and put the link up! I’ll definitely buy!”
“Big sis has a little money…”
Seeing the comments ask what they were selling, Xia Fengsheng and Qin Buming both stepped back two paces until their full bodies were visible on camera.
“We’re selling the pants we’re wearing.”
Two pairs of granny-style floral fuzzy pajama pants appeared on screen.
“…………”
“…………”
“My silence is deafening.”
“Big sis has a little money… and would like to keep it for herself.”
“The moment the pants appeared, both of them lost all their shine.”
“Before the pants showed up, I felt unworthy of them. Now…”
“What are you two wearing? Throw those ugly pants away right now.”
Throw them away?
Xia Fengsheng said, “These are what we’re selling. Does everyone want them? If you do, I’ll put up the link.”
“No.”
“Not interested +1.”
“Not interested +10086.”
The comments were uniformly against it. Who would have thought floral fuzzy pants were this unpopular?
Though the appearance was indeed somewhat ugly, they were very warm when worn and perfect for winter.
Since everyone hated the pants, Qin Buming whispered, “What do we do now?”
Xia Fengsheng didn’t know either.
Normally when people sold things on livestream, they’d talk up the benefits of the product. For example, someone selling bracelets would say the bracelet could attract wealth and romance and so on.
Xia Fengsheng wasn’t bad with words. He could talk a dead thing into sounding alive. He tried to think of some way to praise the pants, then looked down:
……
Instead of forcing himself, maybe it was better to spare himself.
There was absolutely nothing to praise.
Just then, a comment floated across:
“If I wear floral fuzzy pajama pants, can I date a super handsome guy like the streamer?”
Xia Fengsheng instantly caught the keyword.
“Yes.”
Xia Fengsheng said, “I wore these exact pants and ended up dating a super handsome guy.”
The comments had given him the sales angle.
So for the rest of the day, Xia Fengsheng and Qin Buming sold entirely around the idea that wearing fuzzy pajama pants could help you land a handsome boyfriend.
The result: after a whole day of streaming, they sold only three pairs.
Xia Fengsheng: ……
Qin Buming: ……
The harder you worked, the more unfortunate you became.
Neither of them had eaten lunch, and now they were a little hungry.
Hungry Xia Fengsheng pulled out his phone and messaged Shi Ye, activating his evil breakup plan.
“I’m hungry. Go buy me something to eat right now.”
No one was willing to give endlessly forever. If you kept giving and got no return, anyone would eventually grow dissatisfied. Once it built up to the critical point, Shi Ye would definitely bring up breaking up.
Shi Ye, who was at home scrolling on his phone: ?
Right now?
He sat up from the sofa.
Xia Fengsheng was already starting to depend on him now. Every little thing, he came to him. Without Shi Ye, he couldn’t even get food.
Shi Ye: “:D”
Watch me care for him so thoroughly that he falls hopelessly in love with me.
Shi Ye didn’t delay in the slightest. Step one in making Xia Fengsheng obsessed with him: walk into the closet.
As always, he spent quite a while carefully choosing what to wear before going out.
He got into his sports car. He remembered there was a good barbecue shop behind Jing University and drove straight there.
Over in the livestream—
“Can someone really date a handsome guy like streamer while wearing floral fuzzy pajama pants? I don’t believe it.”
Xia Fengsheng said, “Really. Buy a pair and try.”
“I don’t believe it unless streamer brings his boyfriend out for us to see!”
“Yeah, let us see your super handsome boyfriend!”
“Streamer doesn’t even have one, right? There’s no such thing as a super handsome boyfriend.”
“Maybe streamer is dating an ugly guy.”
“Usually beautiful people’s partners are… emmmm. Does streamer just have a filter over his boyfriend?”
“The boyfriend is definitely not that handsome.”
The very next second—
Bang.
The dorm door opened, and Shi Ye appeared in the doorway, a whole armful of barbecue in hand.
“I’m here.”
The man was wearing a down jacket, and his gloves, scarf, and fluffy earmuffs were all a matching set. Worn together, they gave him a bright youthful energy. His whole body looked handsome and well-shaped, his proportions amazing, the very image of a sunny big dog.
The livestream comments exploded:
“!!!!”
“Holy shit! He really is a super handsome guy! Streamer actually didn’t lie!”
“Mom, he really is a super handsome guy! Hard handsome too!”
“He’s so handsome I’m crawling on the floor.”
“Wait, why does this handsome guy look so familiar?!”
A viewer who had seen Shi Ye’s streams screamed: “You didn’t say your boyfriend was sadistic!!!”
