Chapter 87: Extra 4 Start A Live Stream

Mi Zhao and Li Sipei stayed at the hometown until just before the new semester started and returned to A City. Mi Bin and He Linfang still had some things to handle there, so they didn’t return with them.

The new semester ushered in the second half of Mi Zhao’s junior year, bringing him a step closer to graduation.

Mi Zhao’s behavior noticeably changed after visiting his high school, perhaps from some personal reflection. He started attending classes more diligently and no longer skipped out to go sketching or find inspiration like he used to. Even the counselor noticed his change and called him into the office for a heart-to-heart.

“You said you were planning to travel for half a year after senior year, is that still the plan?”

“Yeah,” Mi Zhao replied, “No changes.”

The counselor asked, “What about work? Have you thought about it?”

Mi Zhao honestly replied, “I run an online account, have a fanbase, and get offers from sponsors. My initial plan is to freelance, and later maybe start a studio or teach students.”

These were things Mi Zhao had done before, and he was comfortable with it. He didn’t have grand ambitions; for now, he just wanted to stay in his comfort zone and make money steadily.

The counselor was a bit surprised after hearing this. He tapped his fingers on the desk and said, “Haven’t you considered studying abroad? With your level, it would be a waste not to earn more awards.”

“Maybe later,” Mi Zhao smiled, “It’s never too late to learn, I just want to take it slow for now.”

Seeing that Mi Zhao had made up his mind, the counselor stopped persuading him and simply asked, “Is your account public?”

Mi Zhao shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Let me know when it is. I’d like to follow you as a fan.”

“Sure.”

After leaving the counselor’s office, Mi Zhao impulsively checked his Weibo.

He was shocked by what he saw. The number of private messages in the backend had suddenly surged.

He stopped in his tracks, found a quiet place, and started reading through the messages and comments. His calm expression gradually turned into one of concern.

In the afternoon, during class, Yan Qinting rushed to sit next to Mi Zhao. They were seated in the last row of the multimedia classroom, where the front rows were empty.

“I feel like someone’s trying to control the narrative around you. You never used to get this much attention just for posting a photo of Li Sipei’s hand or foot. What’s going on?” Yan Qinting had set Mi Zhao’s Weibo as a special follow and had been the first to know about the incident. He also explained the situation to Mi Zhao over WeChat.

In short, it all started when Mi Zhao posted a side photo of Li Sipei at the end of last year, which led to quite a stir.

This morning, someone found the post and commented that the person in the photo looked like a friend of theirs, whose main business was unclear but had many side businesses, including a famous private restaurant in a wealthy circle. However, their friend didn’t like men.

This comment sparked an immediate attack from Mi Zhao’s fans, but more curious onlookers pushed it to the trending list.

Soon, others claiming to know the person in the photo appeared, swearing that the man was a young master from a wealthy family in A City, with money and status. Whether or not he liked men was still uncertain, but it was impossible for someone like him to be involved with an artist.

Within just a few hours, the comments under the post had already exceeded ten thousand, and the arguments were getting louder. Mi Zhao’s fans believed the drama came with fame and that these people were simply jealous. The blurry side photo couldn’t reveal much, while those claiming to know the person in the picture and some bystanders thought Mi Zhao might have stolen someone else’s photo to fake having a boyfriend, driven by vanity.

Of course, there were also plenty of bystanders who weren’t taking sides but were stirring things up, demanding that Mi Zhao make an explanation.

Mi Zhao scrolled through the new comments and suddenly said, “Do you think this was Lin Qiuzu’s doing?”

“It’s possible,” Yan Qinting scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Lin Qiuzu likes to play dirty, and he’s done stuff like this before.”

Mi Zhao clenched his phone, looking quite upset.

“But wait,” Yan Qinting paused, furrowing his brow. “Isn’t Lin Qiuzu busy with that guy’s business? He wouldn’t have time to mess with you. Plus, he doesn’t know your account and has never interacted with Li Sipei, right?”

Since they were in the same circle, Yan Qinting knew Li Sipei, and Lin Qiuzu likely knew him too. But as someone of Lin Qiuzu’s status, it was unlikely he would recognize Li Sipei just from a blurry photo.

Mi Zhao realized this too and stayed silent, looking troubled.

The two fell into silence for a moment. Then, Yan Qinting nudged Mi Zhao with his elbow. “What are you planning to do?”

Mi Zhao answered, “I’ll go live and clarify.”

“Oh, that’s not a bad idea…” Yan Qinting started, then suddenly stood up. “Wait, you’re showing your face?!”

Before he could finish, the classmates in front and the teacher on the podium all turned to look at him.

Yan Qinting: “…”

Mi Zhao was a man of action. After making his decision, he quickly analyzed the pros and cons of going live. He had actually planned to do this during the New Year. Rather than waiting for others to leak his information, he would reveal it himself, gaining some traffic in the process.

But going live meant coming out to the world, and it involved Li Sipei too.

Mi Zhao wasn’t sure if Li Sipei would be okay with it.

If Li Sipei wasn’t willing, he would just post an explanation on Weibo. The comment section could still be controlled, and after things calmed down, he could continue with his original plan.

After school, Yan Qinting went to find his new roommate, and Mi Zhao grabbed his bag to head to the hallway and call Li Sipei.

Li Sipei answered quickly.

“I’m done with classes. Are you at home?”

“I’m at the office,” Li Sipei’s voice was low and pleasant, with a slight huskiness as though he was holding back his voice.

Mi Zhao felt a slight itch in his ear.

“When are you coming back?”

“Soon,” Li Sipei replied. “I still have two meetings to attend, just listening to what they have to say.”

Mi Zhao chuckled. He had seen many leaders, but never one like Li Sipei, who made meetings sound like play.

“I’ll go cook when I get back, and wait for you.” Mi Zhao suddenly had an idea. “Or I could bring the food to your office? I don’t have anything to do, and I’d like to see where you work.”

Surprisingly, Li Sipei seemed pleased. “Sure, give Ruan Xin a call when you’re on your way. She’ll come to pick you up.”

“I’m not a kid. I don’t need anyone to pick me up. I’ll just take a taxi over.”

As Mi Zhao spoke, he walked out of the building. The peak period for class had passed, and there were fewer people downstairs. He immediately spotted a familiar face standing by the flowerbed.

After greeting Li Sipei, he hung up the phone, tucked it into his pocket, and walked toward the person.

The person saw him too, and their expression darkened instantly.

“Lin Qiuzu.” Mi Zhao looked at him calmly. In just one year, Lin Qiuzu had lost a lot of weight. Without makeup, he looked both haggard and older. Once proud like a peacock, today, he seemed ordinary.

Lin Qiuzu smiled stiffly and said, “Are you here to laugh at me?”

Mi Zhao smiled, “I laughed a long time ago. Why wait until today to laugh?”

Lin Qiuzu was momentarily stunned, then glared and said angrily, “Mi Zhao, I haven’t bothered you in a while, so don’t go out of your way to make things difficult. I’m in a bad mood, don’t provoke me!”

“You know you like to cause me trouble?” Mi Zhao smiled, his expression turning serious, “I’ll just ask you one question. Did you cause the thing on Weibo?”

Lin Qiuzu looked puzzled, “What thing on Weibo?”

Mi Zhao warned him, “Stop pretending.”

Lin Qiuzu had done plenty of shady things, but he was stubborn about not admitting to anything he hadn’t done. “What am I pretending about? I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I haven’t been on Weibo in a long time, I barely even check WeChat.”

Mi Zhao carefully observed Lin Qiuzu’s expression, seeing that he didn’t seem to be lying, and let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, never mind.”

“…” Lin Qiuzu, frustrated, said, “What are you doing? Are you possessed by a ghost?”

Mi Zhao shrugged, and with a look of mock pity in Lin Qiuzu’s resentful gaze, he turned and walked away.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly remembered something and looked back.

“Right, I almost forgot to tell you.” Mi Zhao spoke up. “About your situation, I just want to say—”

He stretched the last word.

“Serves you right.”

“…Mi Zhao!”

Mi Zhao was thrilled to see Lin Qiuzu jump with rage. He then went to the supermarket to buy some ingredients and headed home to cook. Since there wasn’t enough time to prepare a big meal, he quickly stir-fried a few simple dishes, packed them in separate glass containers, and placed them, along with two portions of rice, into an insulated bag.

Mi Zhao took a taxi to Li Sipei’s company building. The sky was getting darker, and the lights on both sides of the road were lit up, with people continuously coming out of the office building.

This was not only his first time visiting Li Sipei’s company but also his first time in such a formal place. The towering skyscrapers and people dressed in elite attire made him feel a bit intimidated.

After hesitating for a few minutes outside the revolving glass door, he finally gathered his courage and entered.

Li Sipei’s office was on the 16th floor. Ruan Xin had already notified the front desk, so he just needed to inform them when he arrived.

At the front desk, two young women in uniforms were speaking with two people. When they saw Mi Zhao approaching, one of the women smiled and asked, “How may I help you?”

Mi Zhao nervously swallowed and said, “I’m here to drop something off.”

The woman glanced at the insulated bag in his arms and asked, “Which department? Who are you looking for?”

Mi Zhao: “…”

He thought for a moment and decided to leave, thanking them before turning around.

He sat down in the lounge area and pulled out his phone to call Li Sipei.

Li Sipei picked up immediately, “Where are you?”

Mi Zhao hunched over, resting his chin on the insulated bag, and sighed, “I’m in the lobby downstairs.”

“Why didn’t you come up?”

“I told the front desk, and they asked me which department and person I was looking for.”

Li Sipei laughed, “You should’ve just said my name.”

“Ah, I felt a bit embarrassed,” Mi Zhao said, scratching his cheek, glancing around, “Everyone here is so dressed up, and I feel like a kid.”

“Who was just saying they’re not a kid?” Li Sipei replied, “You’re still in school, you are a kid.”

Mi Zhao, who didn’t want to admit he was a kid, had no strength to argue. He didn’t want to go back to the front desk either, so he unreasonably said, “If you’re free, come down and pick me up. I’m just waiting in the lounge.”

“Sure, I’ll come down now.”

After hanging up, Mi Zhao obediently sat in the chair and waited. Not long later, a familiar figure walked toward him from the elevator.

“Mr. Li,” people in the lobby greeted.

The two girls who had been at the front desk quickly walked over in high heels, nervously asking, “Is there something Mr. Li needs?”

Li Sipei waved them off, scanning the lounge area until his eyes landed on Mi Zhao, who was waving at him. He smiled and walked over with big strides.

Mi Zhao stood up, shoving the insulated bag into Li Sipei’s arms. “Here, take it.”

“Okay.” Li Sipei, with his usual habit, reached for Mi Zhao’s hand, but after feeling Mi Zhao pull back, he realized people were watching. He let go and instead tugged at Mi Zhao’s sleeve.

They entered the elevator, and as the doors closed, the two girls at the front desk were left breathless and wide-eyed.

“So he’s the one who brought lunch to Mr. Li, and he’s a guy.”

“Wow, and Mr. Li personally came down to pick him up. Sister Ruan even told us about this. Did we fail in our duties…?”

Mi Zhao followed Li Sipei to the 16th floor. This floor mainly had offices and meeting rooms, so the hallways were empty. When they passed a few middle-aged men and women, they looked at Mi Zhao with disbelief. When they noticed the insulated bag Li Sipei was holding, their expressions turned even more strange.

Mi Zhao silently followed Li Sipei, not saying a word.

Once they entered the office, Mi Zhao plopped down on the black leather couch, stretching his neck as he sighed, “The atmosphere in office buildings is so suffocating. Looks like I’m more suited to being a freelancer.”

Li Sipei sat next to him, placing the insulated bag on the coffee table and nodding in agreement. “Where there are many people, there are many problems. Even in the smallest company, power struggles happen.”

Mi Zhao glanced at him. “Are there power struggles here?”

“There are,” Li Sipei replied, “But that’s for the lower-level employees. As long as it doesn’t become public or affect the company’s interests, I just turn a blind eye.”

Mi Zhao laughed, pointing at him, “Aha, as expected, leaders know everything. You just watch the drama.”

Li Sipei didn’t deny it, reaching into the insulated bag. “They’ll have their ‘showtime’ during the meeting. I just watch the drama.”

Then, he pulled out a stand. “What’s this?”

“A phone stand,” Mi Zhao scooted forward, grinning as he leaned toward Li Sipei, “I want to discuss something with you, let’s see if you’ll agree.”

“Mm.” Li Sipei nodded. “I agree.”

Mi Zhao tapped his arm, “I haven’t even told you what it is yet!”

Li Sipei added, “I’ll agree to anything.”

Mi Zhao was taken aback and then hugged Li Sipei’s arm. “Then give me five hundred million.”

“Alright.” Li Sipei said, “Now?”

Mi Zhao chuckled. “But before that, I want to start a live stream… is that okay?”

Without hesitation, Li Sipei replied, “Your decision, I support it.”

“But if I show my face, it’ll easily drag you into it.”

Li Sipei squeezed his hand. “Do it however you think is right.”

Mi Zhao was nervous, his hands shaking as he started his first live stream.

He had thought about it before coming here. Even if Li Sipei was willing to be on camera, he didn’t want to expose him too quickly in front of the public. The criticisms surrounding him were only twofold: one, that he had stolen a photo, and two, that he only stole the photo because his partner was unpresentable.

So, by clarifying in Li Sipei’s office, it would prove his partner’s identity. If people still didn’t believe it, he’d just let time take care of it.

Before starting the stream, Mi Zhao repeatedly emphasized to Li Sipei, “I’ll just use your place, you can go back to work after eating.”

“Okay.” Li Sipei was adjusting the angle of the phone.

Mi Zhao’s eyes lingered for a moment on Li Sipei’s hand, which was slightly straining, before turning away. He grabbed a chopstick and poked at the phone screen. “I’m starting now.”

There were no previews on Weibo, and after half a minute, a few people joined, most of them lurking.

Mi Zhao saw his face on the screen turning visibly red and quickly tried to cover his awkwardness by pretending to eat. He glanced at Li Sipei sitting across from him and quietly asked, “Should I say something?”

Li Sipei, who had no experience with these things, thought for a moment and suggested, “Why don’t you chat a bit with the fans first?”

“Chat about what?”

Li Sipei thought again. “Talk about the dishes you made.”

Mi Zhao: “…”

Another half-minute passed, and Mi Zhao began to seriously introduce the dishes he had made that day.

His mouth became dry, and Li Sipei wisely handed him a glass of warm water.

Mi Zhao took the water and drank a sip, glancing at the phone screen, and was startled.

The stream, which had only a few dozen viewers, had somehow been flooded with over three thousand people, and the audience count in the top right corner was rapidly increasing. Meanwhile, the comments section was scrolling faster and faster.

[Little Lazy: Oh my God! Li Sipei is too handsome! He could rely on his face for a living, but he relies on talent!]

[Not Working Will Starve: Who is this handsome guy?]

[Grilled Sweet Potato Seller: Is this a live stream of a good-looking host?]

[Lazy Girl: OMG, I got attacked by his handsome face the moment I came in, I don’t even know why I’m here anymore.]

[Li Zi: Explain, explain, explain, explain!]

[Sky: Haha, just randomly starts a live stream, now I’m suspicious that he’s been hyping himself up. Now that it’s getting attention, he’s waiting for the stream to build momentum before selling something.]

[Little Round: Is the stolen image thing true? Can you explain? We’re really worried.]

The comments were overwhelming, and Mi Zhao straightened up and started reading the script he had prepared. “I just want to clarify today’s matter. It’s hard to explain in a few words on Weibo, and some people are stirring up trouble, so I’m here to clear things up.”

He took out his usual phone, went to the photo album, and found the original photo he had taken of Li Sipei that night.

“I didn’t steal the image. This photo was taken with my own phone. See?” Mi Zhao held up the phone and moved the live screen around to show it. After a round of explanation, he put the phone down and said seriously, “As for my partner’s identity, I’m keeping it confidential for now. I’ve seen comments where people are digging into our personal information, and that’s illegal. If it gets serious, we might choose to report it to the police. I hope everyone can give us some privacy.”

He paused for a moment and added, “By the way, I’m not hyping anything. I don’t sell or promote anything now, or in the future. This account is just for drawing, so everyone can rest assured.”

After another pause, he asked, “Does anyone have any other questions?”

The comments were flooding in faster than ever.

[Little Li: Make your partner show his face!]

[Peepee: We want to see what your boyfriend looks like!]

[Making Sugar-Coated Haws: Is your boyfriend there? Show him!]

Half of the screen was filled with messages about “partner” and “boyfriend.”

Mi Zhao glanced up at Li Sipei and said, “They want to see you.”

Li Sipei, still eating, put down his chopsticks. “Sure.”

“He says it’s fine.”

As soon as the words were out, the comments section exploded.

Mi Zhao checked the audience count, which had already exceeded ten thousand. He changed the subject, smiling and saying, “But I don’t agree. Since no one has any more questions, I’ll end the stream.”

Just then, Li Sipei was about to head to a meeting.

Unfortunately, this was Mi Zhao’s first time doing this, and he didn’t know how to end the stream.

He fumbled around, watching the viewer count rise to twenty thousand.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and it was Ruan Xin. “Mr. Li, the meeting is about to start.”

Li Sipei stood up and instructed Ruan Xin, “Get someone to tidy up here.”

“Okay.”

“Eh, eh, eh!” Mi Zhao grabbed Li Sipei’s hand, “How do I turn off the live stream?”

Li Sipei walked to a corner of the camera and observed for a moment before saying, “Click on the round button at the bottom right.”

Mi Zhao clicked and confirmed the pop-up.

The live stream interface disappeared.

He collapsed onto the couch, rubbing his hands, his palms sweaty.

Li Sipei’s meeting lasted over an hour. When he came back, Mi Zhao was curled up on the couch, asleep. His phone on the coffee table lit up occasionally with dozens of WeChat messages.

Li Sipei took off his jacket and covered Mi Zhao with it.

Mi Zhao, groggily opening his eyes, asked, “You’re back?”

“Mm.” Li Sipei patted his head. “I’m done. Let’s go home.”

Mi Zhao was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He affectionately hugged Li Sipei’s neck and nuzzled. “I don’t want to walk.”

“Then I’ll carry you?”

“Okay…”

The lights in the office building were almost all off, leaving only the hallway lights on. Li Sipei carried Mi Zhao and took the elevator to the underground parking lot.

Mi Zhao yawned, the warm breath from his mouth hitting Li Sipei’s neck, and mumbled, “There were so many people in the live stream tonight.”

“Yeah.”

“I feel like I can gain some followers.”

“You can.”

“Hehe, I’ll be a beauty blogger from now on.”

“Mm.”

“Just don’t know if those people will believe my clarification. If they don’t, that’s fine. I didn’t lie.” Even though he said that, his tone was a bit discouraged.

“They’ll believe you.”

Mi Zhao patted Li Sipei’s shoulder. “You’re so sure?”

“Mm.”

Because Li Sipei had adjusted the phone’s camera angle, it perfectly captured the building sign outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

At the same time, Mi Zhao’s live stream was rapidly gaining attention. Even Lin Qiuzu had received a call from a friend.

“Did you see the screenshot I sent you on WeChat? That guy, isn’t he Mi Zhao from next door at A University?”

Lin Qiuzu, lying in bed, switched the call to speaker and zoomed in on the screenshot. “Doesn’t the background look familiar?”

“Where’s it familiar?” The friend mocked. “He said he was streaming from his partner’s office. Who believes that? That décor and background must be from a CEO-level office. I think he rented a fancy office just to maintain his image.”

Lin Qiuzu remained silent for a while, zooming in on the picture again. Finally, he coldly said, “He’s streaming from the Dongfang International Center, and the entire building is under the Li family’s control. Do you think the Li family would be short of money and rent out their office?”

“…” The friend also fell silent, muttering after a long pause, “By the way, when he was streaming, someone called him ‘Mr. Li.’ Could his partner be—”

Li Sipei.

Lin Qiuzu’s heart answered.

In that moment, everything he hadn’t understood suddenly became clear.

Mi Zhao’s partner was Li Sipei.

He had been mistaken all along.

He thought he had won, but it was all self-deception. Perhaps Mi Zhao and Li Sipei had been laughing at him countless times behind his back, mocking him as a clown.

Lin Qiuzu put down his phone, pale-faced, and felt numb, almost unable to feel the shame anymore.

Mi Zhao, having been helped by Li Sipei to finish washing up, climbed into bed and buried himself under the covers, closing his eyes and slipping into drowsiness.

Li Sipei leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Mi Zhao opened his mouth and said, “Deserved.”

Li Sipei smiled and pinched his face. “Who?”

Mi Zhao didn’t even open his eyes. “Lin Qiuzu.”

“Lin Qiuzu?” Li Sipei thought the name sounded familiar but couldn’t recall. He didn’t bother thinking too much. “Who’s that?”

“A troublesome person. Just talking about him is annoying.” Mi Zhao frowned, looking truly irritated.

Li Sipei patted his head. “Then we won’t talk about him.”

“Mm, no more talking.”

Author’s Note:

The end! Thank you for accompanying me!