For a moment, the gazes of everyone present subtly shifted over, and the atmosphere gradually began to grow somewhat delicate.
Facing Jiang Mian’s sudden show of goodwill, Qi Yu showed no particular emotion, merely lifting his head to glance at her calmly.
But before he could speak, someone nearby seized the opportunity to step forward.
“Brother Yu!”
Jiang Ling, holding her phone, seamlessly inserted herself between the two, affectionately linking arms with Jiang Mian as she smiled sweetly at Qi Yu:
“Mianmian and I don’t have much gaming experience, so we were hoping Brother Yu could help us out!”
As soon as these words were spoken, not only were the people present unable to read the situation clearly, but the live-stream audience was also left in confusion.
【Where did this Jiang Ling come from? Two women fighting over one man?】
【No way, I’ve always thought Jiang Ling and Mianmian were close. Maybe Jiang Ling has feelings for CEO Qi but is too shy to say it herself, so she’s using Mianmian to speak for her?】
【The previous commenter has it right. I was thinking, since the stream started, Mianmian and Qi Yu have hardly interacted. How could she suddenly be interested in him?】
【You never know. Who remembers Jiang Mian’s Love Friends Circle post?】
【Could it be… love at first meal?! How could that be?! The more I think about it, the more unsettling it becomes…】
While others might not understand, Jiang Qiyu saw the situation clearly.
According to the current plot development, Jiang Mian’s feelings toward Lu Heng should still be limited to admiration and respect for a senior, with the spark of romance not yet ignited.
And with a high-quality young man like Qi Yu right here, he was indeed a much better option than that nearly-thirty-year-old Lu Heng.
Although Jiang Ling had previously inserted herself between Lu Heng and Jiang Mian in subtle ways, she wasn’t particularly fond of Lu Heng.
She simply couldn’t stand to see Jiang Mian happy.
Jiang Mian’s appearance had not only taken away Jiang Ling’s proud identity as the Jiang family’s eldest daughter but had also stolen the affection of the Jiang family.
So, Jiang Ling wanted to take away everything Jiang Mian liked.
This was Jiang Ling’s revenge.
Though, due to Jiang Mian’s protagonist halo, all of Jiang Ling’s efforts ultimately amounted to ineffective retaliation.
Now, as soon as Jiang Mian showed interest in Qi Yu, Jiang Ling predictably rushed forward eagerly.
Seeing Qi Yu’s indifferent expression and lack of response, she didn’t feel embarrassed. Instead, she naturally picked up her phone and showed him the screen:
“Look, this is the game ID I just created.”
To ensure fairness in the game, the production team required everyone to use newly registered accounts. Jiang Ling, holding her freshly registered account, continued to strike up a conversation with Qi Yu:
“Brother Yu, what’s your ID? Let’s add each other as friends!”
Qi Yu squinted slightly to read the game ID on her screen, displayed in the data panel.
“Little Bunny Princess?”
He curled his lips slightly, his expression composed, but his words left everyone present stunned:
“What a coincidence. I’m called Princess Elsa.”
“El…sa?”
“Mm.”
Qi Yu nodded calmly, showing no trace of embarrassment as he confirmed with certainty:
“Elsa.”
Jiang Ling’s usual sweet smile stiffened slightly before she forced an awkward laugh:
“I never expected Brother Yu to be so… so girlish…”
“Pfft…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Jiang Qiyu, standing nearby, couldn’t hold back her laughter.
She glanced at the friend request that popped up on her game interface, then looked up to meet the person’s half-smiling gaze. Raising an eyebrow, she asked sincerely:
“How Elsa are you?”
Qi Yu smiled: “I kill every one I see.”
“…Huh?”
Fang Xubai, who had been busy fiddling with the beginner’s tutorial nearby, scratched his head in confusion.
What had he missed?
It wasn’t until the production team projected Qi Yu’s phone screen onto the livestream’s small window that everyone saw the four bold characters clearly displayed on the data panel:
【Love-Kill Princess】
Finally, they understood what riddle these two were talking about.
【Love-Kill Princess… just straight-up killing like that?】
【I almost forgot he’s the uncle who raised his niece with slaps.】
【CEO Qi, hahahaha, you’re really too funny. What’s going on? Did you get infected by Teacher Changmao?】
【Folks, not gonna lie, Slap Uncle and Teacher Changmao are really well-matched. The “Large Intestine CP” sounds too awful for me to say out loud. I strongly suggest renaming it to “Long-Ear CP”!】
【I second that!】
【I second that +1!】
With this interruption, even if Jiang Mian and Jiang Ling were slow on the uptake, they could tell Qi Yu had no interest in teaming up with them, so they didn’t press further.
At that moment, Fang Xubai, who had just stumbled through the beginner’s tutorial in the corner, approached Jiang Qiyu with a bright, cheerful smile:
“Teacher Changmao, what’s your ID? I’ll add you as a friend.”
Jiang Qiyu didn’t hide anything either, generously showing him the account interface she had already completed the beginner’s tutorial on.
At the same time, the backstage director switched her phone screen into the livestream.
Next to the fierce-looking female character with a watermelon rind on her head, the data panel clearly displayed her game ID:
【AAA Half-Dragon Funeral Service】
“This…” Fang Xubai scratched his head again. “What does ‘half-dragon service’ mean?”
Jiang Qiyu shrugged: “We handle the killing but not the burying.”
“…”
【Hahaha, that’s such a perfect “half-dragon”—anything more wouldn’t have that Teacher Changmao flavor.】
【Bai Bai, you really didn’t need to ask. What kind of ivory could possibly come out of Teacher Changmao’s mouth?】
【Hey, you in front, don’t go. I suspect you’re a hater of Teacher Changmao. Take my sword!】
【…】
The comments section was filled with laughter, and soon everyone was ready for the pre-match preparations, moving on to the actual team formation.
Jiang Qiyu (grudge-holding edition) narrowed her long, slender eyes slightly.
She looked at Lu Heng, whose expression had been off from the start, then at Jiang Mian, who now seemed slightly awkward, then shifted her gaze to the tripwire, and finally settled on Qi Yu, who was not far from her.
Resting her chin on her hand, she let her eyes wander over these four people as if pondering something.
But before she could reach a conclusion, a clear, slightly low voice sounded beside her ear:
“What are you looking for?”
Interrupted in her thoughts, Jiang Qiyu had to put away her wise gaze. Pouting, she made up a random excuse:
“You wouldn’t understand. Drawing a Z with your eyes makes you look scheming. It’s a required course for us actors. I’m just polishing my skills in my spare time.”
“…”
After a moment of silence, Qi Yu used his rich linguistic skills to offer a profound critique of her performance:
“I didn’t see any acting skills. More like a weasel stealing chickens.”
Vivid, and it rhymes.
Hearing this, Jiang Qiyu immediately shot him a glare and promptly put her learning into practice, turning his own weapon against him:
“So good at rhyming? Maybe you should take some anti-rhyme medicine to regulate yourself.”
After saying that, she lowered her voice and extended a team invitation to him:
“CEO Qi, do you have a soft spot for veterans? I’m a four-year veteran in Nuclear Peace Elite.”
“…”
Seeing Qi Yu remain silent, she paused before speaking again:
“I have an idea that will leave everyone dissatisfied…”
This time, Qi Yu didn’t hesitate at all:
“Elaborate.”