Meal delivery

Ever since Yu Nian had shown his face, more clips of him had appeared online, along with a flood of comments praising his looks.

Of course, some people suspected he was using a beauty filter. After all, these days, cameras could make even the ugliest monsters look good.

Fans had already clipped the moment when Yu Nian first showed his face while adjusting his camera. Judging by how unfamiliar he was with it, he probably didn't even know where to turn on a beauty filter.

The skeptics were in the minority, though. Even if he had used a filter, anyone who had visited Yu Nian's livestream knew perfectly well how attractive he was.

The hottest topic was actually "Y," who had spent nearly three hundred thousand in a single night. Netizens were all envious that Yu Nian had such a wealthy patron willing to shower him with money.

Some even joked that Yu Nian could switch to face-focused content and otaku dance videos. He might make even more money that way.

Yu Nian didn't pay much attention to any of it, though. Lately, he had been busy preparing a January giveaway for his fans.

Later, Yu Nian treated Tao Yan to another meal and mentioned that he was planning an event and wanted to give her some merchandise.

Tao Yan was delighted. "Really? Then can I have a figurine of your OC?"

Figurines hadn't actually been among the gifts Yu Nian had originally planned, but now that Tao Yan had brought it up, he thought he could have a set of figurine designs made too.

"Sure."

Many streamers commissioned an original character for themselves, either cute or handsome. Over time, fans would unconsciously come to see that little character as the streamer's anime counterpart. It not only added visual appeal but also made it easier to create fan works.

Yu Nian's OC was quite playful too: an anime-style blond boy holding up two rice cakes as ears, with an innocent, adorably clueless expression. A lot of his fans loved it.

"But I'll need to commission a 3D model, then find a manufacturer to make it. It might take a while before you get it."

Tao Yan said she didn't mind. "Have you found a 3D modeler yet, though?"

Yu Nian shook his head. "Not yet."

Tao Yan snapped her fingers. "An'an is really good at that. Why don't you ask her?"

Tao Yan meant Zhao Anyue, the girl who had worked with them on their elective assignment and was also a good friend of hers.

Yu Nian marveled, "Can you design students do everything?"

Tao Yan replied modestly, "Not really. Aren't you an accounting student whose streaming career is doing great?"

Yu Nian said, "I'll ask her later, then. Thank you so much."

"No problem." Something seemed to occur to Tao Yan, and she added, "By the way, do you know Qin Yu?"

Yu Nian paused. It had been so long since he had seen Qin Yu that he had almost forgotten about him.

"Why?"

Tao Yan looked a little odd. "I ran into him again once after that, and he asked me about you."

"He also asked whether you were seeing anyone."

Yu Nian nearly choked on his drink. "Cough, cough. He..."

Yu Nian wanted to say something, but didn't know how to put it.

Resting her chin on one hand, Tao Yan looked him over. "Does he like you?"

Yu Nian was at a loss for words, his gaze wavering. "But he... he's a guy. Why would you ask that?"

Tao Yan watched him calmly. "Actually, I thought it was strange when he suddenly stopped me that day and offered to buy me a meal. When he came looking for me later to ask about you, I realized he might not have actually wanted to take me out to eat back then."

"Yu Nian, don't take this the wrong way," Tao Yan said. "I'm a good judge of people. One look at you, and I could tell you weren't the type to be interested in girls."

Yu Nian felt a little awkward, but he had no intention of hiding it from her. "You're way too perceptive."

Tao Yan looked inscrutable. "No, I've just seen too much. There are so many guys like you in fashion design that I can barely find any straight ones."

Yu Nian felt sheepish. He took a deep breath and said to Tao Yan, "Sorry. I didn't know you'd get dragged into this."

Tao Yan laughed. "What are you apologizing for? It's not your fault."

She covered her mouth and said quietly, "Honestly, if his family weren't so powerful, I wouldn't even want to deal with him."

Still, Tao Yan didn't like talking about people behind their backs, so she left it at that. "Anyway, keep your distance from him. He's not right for you."

Naturally, Yu Nian knew Tao Yan wasn't referring to his family background, but his personality.

He had to admit that Tao Yan really was a good judge of people.

He was genuinely touched. "Thank you. I understand."

After returning home, Yu Nian quickly asked Zhao Anyue about the figurine model. Only after they had agreed on a schedule and price did he feel reassured.

That left Qin Yuheng.

In fact, after that incident, Yu Nian had asked Assistant Yin for Qin Yuheng's WeChat contact.

After everything he's done, I'd be a terrible person if I didn't even add him and thank him.

He had thought Qin Yuheng was busy and received plenty of messages, so he might not have time to respond.

But not long after Yu Nian sent his message of thanks, Qin Yuheng replied.

It was only a few simple words, yet Yu Nian was delighted.

It meant Qin Yuheng wasn't angry with him.

Still, merely saying thank you hardly felt sincere enough.

The man had helped him so much. Even if Qin Yuheng blamed him after learning about what had happened between him and his younger brother, Yu Nian still wanted to repay him somehow.

But he had already treated him to a meal, and if he bought him a gift, he had no idea what Qin Yuheng liked.

Besides, no matter how expensive a gift was, it might be nothing more than a number to Qin Yuheng.

That evening, Yu Nian was livestreaming as usual and took a moment to order some takeout.

[What are you eating tonight, streamer?]

Yu Nian browsed the delivery app, feeling indecisive. "I haven't decided yet. I feel like I'm getting sick of everything near campus."

"What did you guys have? Give me some ideas."

At that, a stream of dish names floated across the chat.

Yu Nian was about to look through them for inspiration when he suddenly heard a knock outside. Puzzled, he said, "Give me a second. I think someone's here to see me."

Yu Nian left his room and went to the front door, but rather than opening it straight away, he first asked who was outside.

The person outside said, "Hello, Mr. Yu. I'm a delivery worker from the Imperial Flavor House. I'm here to bring you dinner."

What was someone from the imperial kitchen doing here?

Puzzled, Yu Nian opened the door and saw that the man was indeed holding a food bag bearing the Imperial Flavor House logo. "But I didn't order anything from you."

The man smiled. "Mr. Qin arranged this. He asked us to make a special delivery for you."

Yu Nian was stunned, then suddenly thought of something. "Did you... come all the way from downtown?"

The man nodded. "Yes, but please don't worry. Our food bags are specially made and retain heat extremely well. Your meal is at just the right temperature to enjoy now."

That wasn't what I meant, Yu Nian thought.

Still, he considerately asked, "Thank you for making the trip. Do I need to pay?"

The man said, "No. Mr. Qin is a platinum member with us. He instructed us to charge anything you order from us to his account."

"If you'd like to order another meal in the future, please feel free to contact this number. We'll be happy to serve you."

The man respectfully offered him a card. A little embarrassed, Yu Nian accepted it. "...Thank you."

The man smiled. "You're very welcome. Enjoy your meal."