Gifts

As he spoke, he opened an online shopping site and went straight for webcams in the one- to two-hundred-yuan range. Those around five hundred might make him hesitate if the specs looked good, but anything over a thousand was ruled out immediately.

A sea of question marks swept through the chat.

[I'm speechless. You know exactly what you want. Not even trying to hide it, huh?]

[Nian, sweetie, buy an expensive one. It'll last longer /pitiful]

[One or two hundred? With that picture quality, are you trying to make us watch someone from the Qing Dynasty stream? /frantically shaking your shoulders.jpg]

[New viewers, don't mind him. This is our streamer's time-honored virtue.]

Seeing them tease him, Yu Nian couldn't help defending himself. "As long as you can see me, it's fine. You're mainly here to watch me play games anyway."

[Nope, I'm here for your looks now!]

[Buy a better one or I'm unfollowing! /threat]

[Cheap ones really aren't any good. They're noisy, don't last, and don't dissipate heat well. It really ruins the viewing experience, ahhhh]

Yu Nian snorted with laughter. "I'm kidding."

"Any recommendations for something around a thousand with good value for money?"

He still had a long streaming career ahead of him. Things were getting better and better, and his income would rise along with them. However stingy he was in everyday life, he wouldn't skimp on equipment he needed for work.

The chat instantly filled with webcam brand recommendations.

Yu Nian checked out a few, compared them, and finally ordered a webcam that cost fifteen hundred yuan.

At the chat's prompting, he also bought some lighting equipment to provide extra illumination when it was dark and make the image look more balanced.

After ending the stream, Yu Nian browsed products online again, planning a giveaway with small, custom-made merchandise gifts to celebrate passing five hundred thousand followers.

But the end of the month was fast approaching, so he probably wouldn't make it in time for December. Yu Nian planned to schedule the event for January.

He just didn't know whether Y would still be around then.

It seemed a little unlikely. If Y kept this up for two or three months straight, he would be spending at least ninety thousand yuan on Yu Nian every month. Besides, he was so busy that he might lose interest in visiting the stream one day.

Yet deep down, Yu Nian had a faint feeling that Y might remain in his stream for a long time.

In that case, he needed to give some serious thought to a special gift for him.

There was Tao Yan, too. She had sent him so many gifts last time and helped him so much. He needed to find a time to treat her to a meal.

Come to think of it, Bian Yan and Fang Xu, as well as Qin Yuheng and Assistant Yin, had all helped him a great deal.

Yu Nian let out a soft sigh. It wasn't that he was stingy. He simply couldn't hang on to his money.

The following afternoon.

When Fang Xu and Bian Yan returned, they were surprised to find him sitting on a stool in their dorm room. "Yu Nian, why didn't you tell us you were coming back? Want to have dinner together tonight?"

Yu Nian stood up with a smile. "Sure."

"I came because I have something for you two."

Bian Yan asked curiously, "What is it?"

Fang Xu was organizing his books. At that, he turned to look over too. "Something for me as well?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course there's something for you."

Yu Nian picked up two small boxes from the desk and handed them out like Santa distributing presents.

At the sight of his box, Bian Yan nearly jumped for joy. "Bluetooth earbuds! How did you know I've been wanting new ones?"

He couldn't wait to unwrap them. Resting the back of his hand against the desktop, Yu Nian looked rather pleased with himself. "You said so last time. You said your earbuds sounded bad and kept cutting out, and you wanted to replace them."

But halfway through opening the package, Bian Yan took another look at the brand. "Holy shit, this model is really expensive."

"This..." Suddenly, the gift felt almost too hot to hold. "Yu Nian, these earbuds must cost over a thousand yuan. That's so expensive..."

He had thought Yu Nian would give him something worth a hundred yuan or so. He might be a little broke, but it wasn't as though he couldn't afford that.

With Yu Nian suddenly giving him something so expensive, he didn't know what to do. Accepting it made him feel guilty.

Yu Nian waved a hand. "You've looked after me so much, and I haven't properly thanked you yet. I should've given you these ages ago."

"What are you talking about? You're always treating us to meals and inviting us over. You've already done plenty."

"Besides, this is way too expensive. No, I can't take it." Bian Yan tried to return the gift.

Yu Nian stopped him. "I bought it specifically for you. Who else am I supposed to give it to if you don't want it? Don't worry, I can afford it now."

"Honestly, there's no special reason. I just wanted to give you both something."

Touched, Bian Yan sniffled. "Yu Nian, thank you. You're so nice."

Fang Xu was much calmer, but his eyes still lit up when he opened his gift box.

In Fang Xu's hand was a dark blue fountain pen, its body sleek and smooth, with a band of gold detailing. It looked refined without being ostentatious.

"That pen is so cool. It really suits you."

Bian Yan leaned over for a closer look, delight shining in his eyes as well.

Fang Xu gave Yu Nian a long look, then lowered his gaze to the pen in his hand. "Thank you. You really shouldn't have spent so much."

Unlike Bian Yan, he was more reserved, not nearly as boisterous or able to get along with just anyone.

His family was actually fairly well-off and owned a home in the city. He only lived on campus for convenience. His circumstances were different from those of Bian Yan and Yu Nian, who often had to look for part-time work, so they had fewer things in common.

They weren't in the same major, either, leaving them with fewer shared topics and less time together. Since Yu Nian moved out, the two of them had spoken even less.

It wasn't that they didn't get along. They could still sit down together and have a heart-to-heart, but he knew they weren't as close as Yu Nian and Bian Yan were.

Yet whenever Yu Nian had something good to share, he never left Fang Xu out, and he hadn't played favorites with their gifts.

Fang Xu knew quality when he saw it. He knew this fountain pen cost about as much as Bian Yan's earbuds. Yu Nian really was a thoughtful person.

Unaware of what he was thinking, Yu Nian slung an arm around each of their necks and grinned carefreely. "No need to thank me. You're my best friends at university."

"Don't worry. Stick with your big bro Yu. As long as I've got meat to eat, you'll have bowls to wash."

Fang Xu chuckled. "I don't wash dishes. Give all the bowls to Bian Yan."

Bian Yan glared at him. "Hey, that's going too far!"