Chapter Summaries

Yu Nian and his classmates finished rehearsing their folk-culture presentation and ran into Qin Yu, who invited Tao Yan to dinner despite her clear reluctance. Yu Nian helped her turn him down, and the group left together, while Yu Nian suspected Qin Yu had acted that way to provoke him.

• Tao Yan, Zhao Anyue, Yu Nian, Bian Yan, and their classmate completed a smooth rehearsal and prepared to get food.
• The group unexpectedly encountered Qin Yu, who ignored Yu Nian and invited Tao Yan to eat with him, mentioning her father.
• Tao Yan hesitated at Qin Yu’s presumptuous invitation, and Yu Nian called her and Zhao Anyue away by reminding them they had rehearsal.
• Tao Yan and Zhao Anyue declined Qin Yu and left with Yu Nian and the others, who relaxed once they were out of sight.
• Bian Yan whispered that Qin Yu seemed to be trying to provoke Yu Nian, and Yu Nian agreed the display only lowered his opinion of Qin Yu.

Yu Nian attended his Sea Star interview and unexpectedly found Qin Yuheng there. After returning Qin Yuheng’s handkerchief, Yu Nian invited him to dinner, and Qin Yuheng agreed, leaving Yu Nian apologizing again when their restaurant had no private rooms.

• Yu Nian arrived at Sea Star for his interview, where he found President Ding and Qin Yuheng on the interview panel.
• Yu Nian completed the job-focused interview and waited afterward for Qin Yuheng.
• Yu Nian returned Qin Yuheng’s washed handkerchief and invited him to dinner, which Qin Yuheng accepted.
• Yu Nian chose a busy restaurant, then apologized when he learned there were no private rooms and suggested going elsewhere.
• Qin Yuheng asked Yu Nian why he always apologized.

Yu Nian and Qin Yuheng talked over dinner, easing Yu Nian’s nervousness as they got to know each other better. By the end, Yu Nian had decided that being friends with Qin Yuheng was fine, despite his connection to Qin Yu.

• Yu Nian asked whether the crowded restaurant would bother Qin Yuheng, who explained that he had worked many ordinary jobs while studying abroad.
• Qin Yuheng said he had shared those experiences to help Yu Nian feel less nervous, and Yu Nian admitted Qin Yuheng’s stern manner intimidated him.
• Yu Nian suggested Qin Yuheng should smile more, and Qin Yuheng thanked him for saying so and assured him he had never been angry with him.
• Yu Nian asked about the time he had fallen asleep against Qin Yuheng in the car, and Qin Yuheng said he had been angry with himself.
• When the food arrived, Yu Nian served Qin Yuheng some fish and joked that he should check it for poison.
• Yu Nian realized he could be friends with Qin Yuheng even though Qin Yuheng was Qin Yu’s brother.

Yu Nian spent Singles' Day having dinner and exploring a night market with Qin Yuheng, whose concern and companionship made Yu Nian feel at ease. At a flower stall, memories of Qin Yu's failed confession resurfaced, and the chapter ended with someone holding a flower out to Yu Nian.

• Yu Nian and Qin Yuheng received complimentary Singles' Day drinks, and Qin Yuheng asked who Yu Nian had planned to dine with and warned him not to drink too many cold drinks.
• Assistant Yin suggested that Qin Yuheng and Yu Nian visit the lively night market, and Qin Yuheng agreed.
• Qin Yuheng discussed marketing ideas with Assistant Yin while Yu Nian wandered among the stalls and admired their goods.
• Yu Nian watched a couple share a flower hair ornament and remembered how Qin Yu's confession had once moved him before Qin Yu proved too cowardly to face their relationship.
• As Yu Nian turned to leave the flower stall, someone held a flower out in front of him, and he froze.

Qin Yuheng gave Yu Nian a jasmine flower clip at the night market, and the two continued browsing together. After Yu Nian saw a same-sex couple and worried Qin Yuheng might judge him for having dated Qin Yu, he grew anxious and tried to leave; Qin Yuheng agreed to let him take a taxi home.

• Qin Yuheng pinned a jasmine velvet flower clip to Yu Nian's coat, and Yu Nian accepted it after teasing that people usually bought such gifts for their girlfriends.
• Qin Yuheng accompanied Yu Nian around the night market while Assistant Yin browsed other stalls.
• Yu Nian saw two young men affectionately choosing animal-ear headbands and began worrying about Qin Yuheng's views on same-sex relationships and his past relationship with Qin Yu.
• When Qin Yuheng reached out to steady him, Yu Nian recoiled and said he felt unwell, so Qin Yuheng called Assistant Yin over.
• Yu Nian said he wanted to go home and refused Qin Yuheng's offer to drive him, and Qin Yuheng agreed that he could take a taxi.

After a tense goodbye to Qin Yuheng, Yu Nian went home and streamed a game, where a mysterious new fan named Y showered him with gifts and urged him to sleep. Yu Nian suspected Y might be Qin Yuheng but dismissed the idea as too unlikely.

• Yu Nian told Qin Yuheng he needed to go home and stream, while feeling guilty about his past relationship with Qin Yuheng's younger brother.
• Yu Nian started a surprise stream and played a tense puzzle game as his viewers chatted about his love life.
• Y sent Yu Nian a series of expensive Castle Carnival gifts, then followed his channel after Yu Nian asked them to stop spending.
• Y told Yu Nian to get some rest, prompting viewers to speculate about the new fan's identity and motives.
• Yu Nian briefly suspected Y was Qin Yuheng, but dismissed the possibility.

Yu Nian ended his late-night stream after Y showered him with gifts to persuade him to sleep, then went to class the next day wearing the jasmine hair clip Qin Yuheng had given him. He worried that Qin Yuheng might misunderstand his sudden distance, but set the thought aside when Bian Yan warned that the instructor was about to call on someone.

• Yu Nian asked Y to stop sending gifts, but Y sent another Carnival and urged him to get some rest.
• Yu Nian ended the stream, washed up, and fell asleep as soon as he lay down.
• Bian Yan noticed the jasmine hair clip on Yu Nian's jacket and asked whose it was.
• Yu Nian claimed he had bought the hair clip after his interview, and Bian Yan praised his styling idea.
• Yu Nian thought Qin Yuheng might misunderstand why he had avoided him, then turned his attention to the instructor's question.

Yu Nian officially joined Sea Star and moved his streams there, where his fans followed and supported him. During his first stream on the new platform, Y bought him the highest-tier Guardian Deity subscription, leaving Yu Nian stunned and deeply grateful.

• Yu Nian signed an electronic contract with Sea Star and announced to his fans that he would stream there while continuing to post gameplay videos on Huajia.
• Yu Nian's fans followed him to Sea Star and renewed their guardian subscriptions or sent smaller gifts during his first stream.
• Yu Nian thanked his supporters while playing, reminded underage viewers not to spend money, and secured a triple kill in a team fight.
• Y joined Yu Nian's stream and bought a Guardian Deity subscription, instantly taking first place in his intimacy rankings.
• Yu Nian thanked Y sincerely and joked that he had never seen that much money.

Yu Nian worried that Y’s extravagant gifts might come with expectations, but Y reassured him that he only wanted him to rest well. Yu Nian encouraged viewers not to overspend on gifts, then jokingly asked them to transfer him a fortune instead.

• Yu Nian checked Y’s new profile and found that it had been created shortly before his stream and followed only him.
• Yu Nian stopped viewers from teasing Y or bothering him, and new viewers arrived after the stream’s gift banner drew attention.
• Y sent Yu Nian ten Deep-Sea Battleships, then sent an eleventh and told him to rest early.
• Yu Nian thanked Y and gently asked him not to spend more, then told viewers to save their money for themselves.
• Yu Nian joked that viewers should transfer him at least a million instead of sending gifts.

Yu Nian gained streaming fans and grew curious about his mysterious supporter Y, while his class group finished a successful assignment and made plans to play a game. As Y continued sending gifts and checking on him, viewers speculated about their relationship, and Yu Nian denied staging the attention as a marketing gimmick.

• Yu Nian checked his earnings after streaming and found that Y’s profile showed an IP address in Boat City, leaving him relieved but disappointed that it was not closer to Qin Yuheng.
• Yu Nian’s group earned ninety-two points for their class skit, and they gave Tao Yan the remaining two points for her work organizing and preparing it.
• Yu Nian discovered that Tao Yan was the Divine Call player Mousey and told her that he streamed as Rice Cake.
• Yu Nian learned that Sea Star had received investment from the Azure Group and was promoting its new streamers, helping him attract and retain more fans.
• Y continued visiting Yu Nian’s stream each day, sending one Deep-Sea Battleship and telling him to rest early, while viewers teased them and speculated about Y’s motives.
• Yu Nian denied that he had hired someone to pose as Y for publicity, and his viewers joked that he was too stingy to pay for such a stunt.

Yu Nian used his increased streaming income to support the children at the welfare institution and promised Auntie Liu he would visit during winter break. Meanwhile, Qinggang’s failed attempt to join Sea Star became public, and he implied that someone with connections had taken his place.

• Yu Nian reviewed his streaming earnings, set aside money, and transferred funds for clothing and school supplies at the welfare institution.
• Auntie Liu worried that Yu Nian was giving away too much money, but he reassured her and promised to visit during winter break.
• Viewers noticed that Qinggang received no featured traffic on Sea Star, and the platform’s response suggested that he had never signed a contract.
• Qinggang admitted that Sea Star had not accepted him, then tearfully implied that someone with connections had taken his spot.
• A clip of Qinggang’s speech spread online, drawing attention to the alleged use of connections.

After Qinggang implied that Yu Nian had pulled strings to get his contract, Yu Nian faced renewed abuse and prepared to clear his name. Qin Yuheng quietly arranged evidence and sent Assistant Yin to help him, leaving Yu Nian feeling indebted to him.

• Viewers argued over Qinggang's tearful livestream, and Yu Nian found that it had stirred up accusations against him again.
• Yu Nian watched the clip, recognized that Qinggang was directing suspicion toward him without naming him, and thanked Qiūqiūyú for calming the fan group.
• Yu Nian asked Little Huang about obtaining surveillance footage, but Little Huang sent him evidence the company had already gathered on his behalf.
• Little Huang explained that President Ding had spoken with President Qin, who wanted the evidence sent to both Yu Nian and himself while the platform held back from intervening publicly.
• Yu Nian reviewed the materials and decided he could not post everything, then received a message from Assistant Yin offering help at President Qin's request.

Yu Nian addressed accusations that he used connections to take Qinggang’s spot during his livestream, demanding evidence and mocking the haters. He ended by unleashing a furious tirade, while viewers in the chat increasingly supported him.

• Yu Nian started his stream as usual, and haters accused him of using connections to push Qinggang out of a contract with Sea Star.
• Yu Nian challenged the accusers to provide evidence, argued that the burden of proof belonged to them, and pointed out that Qinggang had not named him or presented proof.
• When viewers questioned his late arrival at Sea Star and the HR manager’s departure, Yu Nian said he had already explained his timing and denied that he could have forced the manager out.
• Yu Nian warned the haters that they could receive court papers and asked his moderators to record their IDs.
• Yu Nian condemned the haters for spreading rumors and cyberbullying him, then insulted them in a long tirade.
• Fans and casual viewers praised Yu Nian’s arguments and ridiculed the accusers, while some Qinggang supporters continued defending him.

After Yu Nian's stream quieted down, Tao Yan gifted him heavily and invited him to play, where they ran into Qinggang again. Yu Nian repeatedly defeated Qinggang, and the match continued with their rivalry on display.

• After the haters left, Forget the Mortal World gifted Yu Nian fifty Deep-Sea Battleships and invited him to play; Yu Nian realized she was Tao Yan.
• Tao Yan said the gift money came from Qinggang's compensation payment, making Yu Nian laugh as viewers tried to work out their private joke.
• Yu Nian and Tao Yan queued together, matched against Qinggang, and chose the same heroes they had used in their previous encounter.
• Yu Nian waited in his jungle, ambushed Qinggang as he took the Blue Buff, and killed him before escaping the enemy jungler with help from Tao Yan's mage.
• Qinggang killed Yu Nian's team's tank twice, but Yu Nian later fought him one-on-one and defeated him again.

Yu Nian continued retaliating against Qinggang in-game, then worked with Assistant Yin to plan how to answer the online slander. After Yu Nian’s stream clips spread and public opinion began to shift, his follower count rose while the arguments continued.

• Yu Nian and Tao Yan repeatedly targeted Qinggang in matches, and Yu Nian’s team eventually won.
• Yu Nian noticed Y had not visited his stream and learned from Assistant Yin that Qin Yuheng was away on business and busy with meetings.
• Assistant Yin advised Yu Nian to tease a rebuttal before releasing evidence gradually, and Yu Nian agreed to consider the strategy.
• Yu Nian chose not to show his face or seek sympathy, explaining that he wanted viewers to think more carefully before joining online harassment.
• Videos of Yu Nian confronting haters and defeating Qinggang spread online, shifting some public opinion and increasing Yu Nian’s followers.

After Qinggang’s fan accused Rice Cake of faking wealthy supporters, Tao Yan publicly confirmed that she had sent him gifts and was his friend, undermining the claims. Yu Nian remained a hot topic as netizens continued investigating his background and resurfaced his livestream remarks about joining Sea Star late.

• A prominent Qinggang fan published an essay accusing Rice Cake of having a team, hiring actors to pose as big spenders, and benefiting from Yu Nian’s powerful backing.
• Netizens argued over the accusations, while the claim that Rice Cake’s big spenders were actors began to unravel.
• Tao Yan posted screenshots of her Sea Star gifts and gaming account, confirming that she was Mousey, who often played with Rice Cake.
• Yu Nian shared a blurred screenshot of his chat with Tao Yan, and she clarified that they were friends who had recognized each other while gaming.
• Tao Yan’s post eased suspicion about Rice Cake’s wealthy supporters, and netizens speculated that Boss Y was another friend of Yu Nian’s.
• After Yu Nian stayed in the spotlight for two days, someone clipped his earlier livestream explanation for why he had joined Sea Star later than the other streamers.

Yu Nian’s dispute with Qinggang continued as rumors spread, but Y’s return to his stream reassured him and made him want to know more about the mysterious viewer. After the controversy dragged on, Yu Nian posted evidence supporting his account of what happened at Sea Star, leaving online readers with his clarification in hand.

• A rumor spread that Qinggang had bribed a Sea Star HR manager, prompting viewers to flood Qinggang’s stream with demands for answers.
• Y returned to Yu Nian’s stream, sent two Deep-Sea Battleships, and reassured him that he cared whether Yu Nian had been bullied.
• Yu Nian felt unexpectedly drawn to Y, while viewers teased them about their warm exchange and Y explained that he had followed the controversy through video clips.
• After the dispute continued for two days, Yu Nian posted a statement with screenshots and an audio recording that supported his account of his Sea Star interviews and treatment.

Yu Nian’s account of the interview fiasco turned public opinion in his favor, and Qinggang was detained and banned after evidence showed he had spread rumors and incited cyberbullying. As Yu Nian’s popularity surged past five hundred thousand followers, his viewers demanded a face reveal, only to learn he did not own a webcam.

• Yu Nian’s post reached the trending list, and Bian Yan showed him the wave of support while Yu Nian said he would not let Qinggang get away with it.
• Yu Nian had reported Qinggang to the police, and Qinggang was detained, banned from the platform, ordered to apologize, and made to compensate Yu Nian.
• Assistant Yin gathered evidence against others who had led the abuse, while streamers shared more negative stories about Qinggang and praised Yu Nian.
• Yu Nian’s follower count passed five hundred thousand, and he joked with viewers about whether they had bought him followers.
• When viewers demanded a face reveal, Yu Nian admitted he had no webcam, promised cash giveaways, and ordered one online.

Yu Nian upgraded his streaming equipment and planned gifts for his supporters, then surprised Bian Yan and Fang Xu with thoughtful presents. He left the dorm with the two friends agreeing to have dinner together.

• Yu Nian bought a fifteen-hundred-yuan webcam and lighting equipment after asking his chat for recommendations.
• Yu Nian planned a January giveaway and considered special gifts for Y and a meal for Tao Yan, while remembering how Bian Yan, Fang Xu, Qin Yuheng, and Assistant Yin had helped him.
• Yu Nian gave Bian Yan expensive Bluetooth earbuds and explained that he remembered Bian Yan wanting a replacement.
• Yu Nian gave Fang Xu a refined fountain pen, and Fang Xu appreciated that Yu Nian had included him despite their growing distance.
• Yu Nian called Bian Yan and Fang Xu his best university friends, and the three joked about who would wash the dishes.

Yu Nian revealed his face during a livestream, and viewers flooded the chat with adoration and marriage jokes. Y gifted him ninety-nine battleships and a shower of roses, leaving Yu Nian flustered as he tried to redirect the stream toward gaming.

• Yu Nian went live and told viewers he needed a moment to finish setting up, while they debated his looks and waited for his face reveal.
• Yu Nian adjusted the camera, revealed his face, and blushed as viewers called him husband and wife and showered him with compliments.
• Y entered the stream and gifted Yu Nian ninety-nine Deep-Sea Battleships and a Rose Gold Rain, prompting viewers to joke that it was a cyber proposal.
• Yu Nian thanked Y and his viewers, offered them well wishes, and tried to change the subject so he could start playing.
• The viewers kept teasing Yu Nian with affectionate remarks, and he wondered whether they were deliberately teasing him.