The person at the center of it all replying in person undoubtedly pushed the buzz to its peak. In just over ten minutes, #Qu Nanzhu fortune-telling debut at eight#
shot to number one on the entertainment trending list.
Some looked forward to it, while others scoffed. Amid the back-and-forth online, eight o'clock finally arrived.
Qu Nanzhu watched the time and went live on the dot. The instant the stream started, over a hundred thousand viewers flooded in, with the number growing by ten thousand every second.
After about ten minutes, the live viewer count reached a million. Comments surged madly, and a dazzling array of gifts obscured the stream. The viewers could not even see Qu Nanzhu's face and had no choice but to turn off the gift effects.
Of course, all these gifts were the public's recognition of his heroic deeds.
Onscreen, the gauze wrapped around the young man's head had been removed, leaving a square of white gauze taped over his wound to prevent infection.
The light fell softly across Qu Nanzhu's face, outlining features so delicate and beautiful that they almost blurred the distinction between genders.
His eyebrows were exceptionally well shaped, naturally airy and featherlike, their tails dipping slightly in an unstudied, gentle curve that softened the coolness of his face.
He had a classic pair of phoenix eyes, hooked at the inner corners and lifted at the outer corners, their ends extending naturally into a slightly upturned curve. His irises were a little lighter than most people's, like black jade immersed in clear water. When he looked at someone, his gaze always held a quiet focus that seemed capable of seeing through everything.
His nose was high and straight, its lines clean and smooth, adding essential definition and masculine elegance to his otherwise soft, beautiful face.
His lips were perhaps the most contradictory part of his features. Full and clearly defined, they had a rather sensuous Cupid's bow, but their color was very pale.
He habitually pressed them together slightly, deliberately creating a somewhat aloof air.
His short, slightly wavy black hair fell casually over his forehead. He had a rather slender build, and his simple gray T-shirt hung a little loose on him, but his back was perfectly straight.
Some people were still reeling from seeing his beauty up close, while others were already shouting in the comments for their wife to marry them.
Huo Sili reclined on the hospital bed with a tablet in his hands, barely pausing in sending gifts. He inwardly agreed with the praise in the comments.
This young man really did have exquisite features.
On the other side of the screen, Qu Nanzhu was naturally happy to see the overwhelming flood of gifts.
This meant he would have money to buy high-quality jade and talismans for Xiao Zhu. At least he would no longer have to eat instant noodles for two meals every day.
After briefly thanking everyone for the gifts, Qu Nanzhu ignored the questioning comments, picked up the brush beside him, and spread a blank talisman sheet in front of himself.
His lips parted, his voice clear and cool. "All right, let's get to today's topic: fortune-telling. Three thousand per reading, three readings a day."
[Holy crap, he's really telling fortunes? Three thousand a reading? Why not just rob people??]
[Has he lost it? He has a bright future ahead of him, and he chooses this shady nonsense instead. Three thousand a reading-that's enough to call the police, right?!]
[Take my advice, bro. While everyone's still indulging you, can we just be a proper entertainment streamer?]
[Still indulging him? That comment above is something else. Already reported him. You're welcome.]
[Why is everyone so hostile? Maybe he really has the ability.]
[Do you believe him, or do you believe I'm Qin Shi Huang?]
[Only kids have to choose. I believe neither.]
Almost the instant Qu Nanzhu finished speaking, the number of comments attacking him increased.
Huo Sili, who had actually witnessed those supernatural phenomena, could not help frowning. Using the account he had just raised to level 47 through gifts, he posted:
[Xiao Qu, make me a moderator.]
His wording was so stiff and proper. Qu Nanzhu glanced at his profile. It seemed to be a new account; he had not even changed the username, which was still a string of numbers.
Calling him Xiao Qu made it seem like the other person was fairly old.
[All right, all right, our top gifter has spoken.]
[Why hasn't baby Xiao Qu done anything yet? Hurry up and make the big spender a mod!]
[I checked. It's a new account, and he hasn't even changed the name. He just gifted his way to level 47!!!!?]
[Huh?]
[Huh?]
[What a generous boss.]
[What a generous boss.]
[What a generous boss.]
The comments were nothing but questions and praise for the big spender. Just then, Qu Nanzhu finished drawing a talisman.
Besides the talismans he had bought for Xiao Zhu, he had also bought a batch of low-quality talisman paper at ten yuan for twenty sheets, along with the cheapest cinnabar available. In the hands of an ordinary Taoist priest, these materials would produce talismans with some effect, but not much.
But Qu Nanzhu infused all the talismans he drew with his own spiritual energy. Their effectiveness was reduced to around seventy percent, yet they were still better than the vast majority of talismans on the market.
He had not intended to make anyone a moderator. After all, once he earned enough money, he would leave the internet and become an expert hidden among the masses.
But with the entire chat asking him to make the numerical ID a moderator, Qu Nanzhu did not want to spoil everyone's fun. He tapped a few times and made him one.
Huo Sili was not angry about having waited so long to become a moderator. He found several of the IDs that had been the most vocal earlier, kicked them out, and blocked them. He even typed a message to reassure Qu Nanzhu: [Just focus on streaming. Leave the rest to me.]
Qu Nanzhu paused at those words, then quietly thanked him.
It had to be said that those words were rather commanding. The comments immediately erupted in excited cries. Someone had barely made a few snide remarks before Huo Sili kicked them out.
With Huo Sili setting the precedent, the second- and third-ranked gifters also began clamoring to become moderators.
In the spirit of fair treatment, Qu Nanzhu made all five top gifters moderators.
Gifts kept pouring in, but Qu Nanzhu did not look particularly happy. He frowned slightly. "Doesn't anyone want a reading?"
Yes, the stream had now stabilized at around three hundred thousand viewers, and gifts kept coming nonstop, but not a single person was requesting a call for a reading!
Seeing that the kid genuinely wanted to tell fortunes, the viewers felt too embarrassed to keep discouraging or criticizing him. They nudged one another to volunteer in the chat.
Still, no one joined the call.
At that moment, the fourth-ranked gifter spoke up: [Baby Qu, forget the readings for a moment. Could you call me hubby?]
Qu Nanzhu's expression darkened. He opened the person's profile and looked. "You're a woman."
The fourth-ranked gifter refused to give up: [So what if I'm a woman! Why can't a woman be a hubby!!]
The comments filled with laughter.
Qu Nanzhu: "..." Please stop messing around.
Just as he was at a loss, a call request finally popped up in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Qu Nanzhu accepted instantly.
The video connected, splitting the screen into left and right halves.
The person requesting the call was a man who looked like a polished professional. Judging by the background, he was in a hospital. In the very first second after connecting, he instinctively glanced ahead and to his right.
Huo Sili gave his assistant a look telling him to focus, then turned back to his tablet and continued sending Qu Nanzhu gifts.
His assistant, Chen Xun, was suffering, but did not dare say so. He had not witnessed the flying chair and assumed his boss had only asked him to help put on an act to thank his lifesaver.
But he didn't give me a script!
Forget it. I'll just play along with whatever he says.
Qu Nanzhu ignored his odd behavior just now and asked, "Hello. The fee is three thousand. What would you like a reading on?"
Surprise crossed Chen Xun's face. He really is charging three thousand?!
He glanced at his boss again.
Will this be reimbursed?
Despite those thoughts, he obediently topped up his account and sent gifts.
Chen Xun said, "Just, uh, my career prospects."
Qu Nanzhu nodded. "The area around your brows is broad and smooth, which shows that you are openhearted and sincere with others, with no taste for insincere pleasantries. The root of your nose is straight, and your full, prominent bridge extends straight up toward the space between your brows. These features indicate that you are practical, finish what you start, and have an extremely strong sense of responsibility."
"Your chin is broad, rounded, and full, indicating a stable foundation and good fortune in later life. Though you may have some petty troubles and worries at present, with your earnestness and character, your career will certainly advance steadily, with a clear road ahead."
Chen Xun cooperatively nodded in satisfaction, but inwardly thought that, sure enough, he was just saying pleasant things for his client to hear.
The viewers thought much the same. A few who knew the field praised him for having some skill; at least Qu Nanzhu had made no mistakes in reading his face.
But even more people were unconvinced. As Huo Sili watched the mocking comments multiply, he could not help frowning.
He had asked his assistant to help because he believed in Qu Nanzhu's abilities. Nothing Qu Nanzhu had said so far was wrong, either, but judging by the result, his help seemed to have backfired.
Once Qu Nanzhu finished, the grateful smile on Chen Xun's face was flawless, and his tone could not have been more sincere. "You're absolutely right. Thank you for your auspicious words, Master. Sorry for troubling you today. I'll leave the call now."
As he spoke, he moved his index finger toward the top of the screen, preparing to swipe away the stream.
Qu Nanzhu's lips turned down unhappily. Isn't this too perfunctory? Does he really think three thousand yuan only buys a few auspicious words?
He called out to stop him. "Sir, isn't there anything else you'd like a reading on? Your romantic fate, for instance?"
Chen Xun's finger hovered above the screen and stopped at those words.
The smile on his face was almost frozen. He felt this was quite enough; any more, and he had no idea how to keep acting without giving himself away.
He instinctively looked ahead and to his right.
Huo Sili did not look at him, meaning he should handle it as he saw fit.
So Chen Xun politely declined. "You have a point, Master, but my fiancée and I have a wonderful relationship, so I won't trouble you with that."
Qu Nanzhu rejected his polite refusal and struck hard. "Then what if your fiancée isn't your destined partner?"