“Midnight” Club.
Inside the vast indoor venue, dim blue guidance lights stretched along the winding racetrack. The low-frequency units of the top-tier sound system emitted a pulsating bass that pressed against the chest.
The leading black kart cut into the corner at an extremely late braking point. The rear of the car slid into a beautiful drift, the tires shrieking as they fought for grip. After several more turns and straights, it remained far ahead, leaving the pursuing cars struggling in its wake.
On the final straight, a horizontal band of red LED lights marked the finish line. The driver did not decelerate, flooring the accelerator instead. The moment the wheels crossed the line, the red lights flashed green. The low-frequency thrum of the speakers shifted into triumphant, high-energy music. A giant screen in the center of the stadium displayed the results. The first-place finisher was far in the lead, creating a massive gap from those below.
As the vehicles came to a steady halt, the drivers exited one by one. Standing at the very front was the owner of the black kart.
The custom matte-black racing suit clung to his tall, slender frame like the night itself, perfectly fitting his broad shoulders. As he moved his arms, his muscles rippled with smooth, elegant lines. His long fingers, encased in fine black leather gloves, casually adjusted the helmet strap before he pulled it off, revealing a shock of eye-catching burgundy hair.
Yu Yanzhuo ran a hand through his hair and stepped off the track. A boy who had been waiting nearby immediately rushed forward to offer a towel, carefully wiping the sweat from Yu Yanzhuo’s forehead.
“That was amazing, Brother Yan! You completely crushed them!”
The boy’s expression was frantic with excitement, his cheeks flushed pink as he looked up at Yu Yanzhuo with eyes brimming with adoration.
Yu Yanzhuo, long accustomed to such attention, remarked casually, “Has it been boring just watching here?”
“Not at all!” the boy replied instantly, his face reddening. “As long as I can be with you, I am fine with anything. Besides, you were so handsome!”
Yu Yanzhuo gave a light chuckle and headed toward the VIP lounge without looking back. The boy followed quickly, leaving behind several wealthy young heirs who stood exchanging glances.
Aside from those who regularly hung out with Yu Yanzhuo, a few had come today specifically because they heard they might get to play a few rounds with Young Master Yu. Unlike the regulars who could ignore his charm with a straight face, these newcomers were clearly stunned by Yu Yanzhuo’s universal appeal.
“Is that, uh, Young Master Yu’s little boyfriend?” a guy with an earring asked while scratching his head.
Huan Lian took a towel from a waiter, wiped his brow, and glanced at them. “You are overthinking it. Brother Yan does not have a partner.”
“No way, really? That is impossible, Brother Lian,” the newcomers stammered in disbelief.
Huan Lian snorted. “Those people just like to throw themselves at him. Brother Yan has said before that he has no interest in dating.”
No interest in dating? The others traded looks that suggested they were all men and understood the situation.
Huan Lian rolled his eyes. “Do not group Brother Yan with low-lives like you who cannot look away whenever you see a hole.”
He yawned and added coldly, “I see you guys do not have much skill anyway. You ended up last in a simple race; you can barely even keep Brother Yan entertained. Do not come back next time.”
The newcomers’ expressions paled instantly as they tried to plead, “Brother Lian, wait, we know we were wrong!”
Ignoring the apologies behind him, Huan Lian turned and walked toward the upstairs VIP lounge.
The boy was very observant, pouring tea and chatting brightly with Yu Yanzhuo. Yu Yanzhuo sat back on the velvet sofa with his long legs crossed, carelessly scrolling through his phone. He had received numerous WeChat messages in the short time he had been away, but he never bothered to open them, swiping past the icons that were marked with “99+.”
However, his finger accidentally brushed the TikTok icon, and the app immediately launched. Just as he was about to exit, his finger paused.
A gray notification reading “Someone you have viewed” floated above a nickname. Below it was the name “Bensu.” A red “Live” indicator showed it was currently broadcasting.
Yu Yanzhuo glanced at the screen. At that moment, the center of the frame was empty. Just as he was about to swipe away from the garish live room, a figure straightened up from beneath the table, apparently having just retrieved something he had dropped.
“Sorry, I just dropped something,” the man said. He looked up at the camera, his dark eyes as calm as a deep well.
Yu Yanzhuo’s gaze froze for a second, then he broke into a smile. What a coincidence.
Shi Jingyan.
Instead of swiping away, Yu Yanzhuo tapped into the live room and checked the viewer count in the top right corner. There were about fifty people. According to what his subordinates had said before, this was likely a rare high for the account.
Yu Yanzhuo looked back at the center of the screen. Shi Jingyan seemed slightly dazed by the surrounding ring lights and had not noticed that his shirt had opened slightly when he leaned down. A small section of his neck was visible, the lines of his throat tightening slightly with his movements.
Yu Yanzhuo laughed out of sheer delight.
Shi Jingyan stared at the teleprompter and checked the time. Nearly forty minutes had passed since the start of the broadcast.
The manager had just sent an assistant to whisper that the replacement streamer was stuck in traffic and would take another twenty minutes to arrive. Shi Jingyan’s face remained expressionless, but he mouthed a message to the manager: “If this happens again, someone else will be put in charge of this department.”
The manager scratched his head awkwardly and nodded repeatedly off-camera in a promise.
For now, Shi Jingyan had to endure for another twenty minutes. He was a man of few words, and he had never spoken continuously for such a long period. His throat felt a faint, stinging pain with every sentence.
The ring lights were blindingly bright, so Shi Jingyan tried his best to lean back. The temperature inside the studio was higher than outside, so much so that he had uncharacteristically unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.
As a brand with some reputation in the beauty industry, “Bensu” attracted a fair number of fans and passersby to the live room.
Is this the first time they have done a live stream?
The streamer is so handsome and has such a good build. People in beauty really do have looks.
Shi Jingyan introduced the products according to the script prepared by the manager, occasionally adding his own thoughts. He did not seem out of place; the viewers assumed he was a professional streamer hired by the company, and the atmosphere was harmonious, with people cracking jokes in the comments.
Streamer is so handsome, I have been watching for half an hour!
Can the streamer chat? How much do I have to gift to add your WeChat?
Shi Jingyan ignored the irrelevant comments and said calmly, “Which of our products are you most interested in? I can give you a detailed introduction.”
Interested in the streamer’s WeChat.
Agreed.
Does the streamer have a personal TikTok? I want to follow.
Shi Jingyan replied, “I hope everyone can follow our official account. Thank you for your support.”
Suddenly, the screen flashed with a sudden animation accompanied by bright special effects. Shi Jingyan paused, realizing someone had sent a gift. While some fans had sent small tokens earlier, this was the first time he had seen a gift with full-screen effects.
He glanced at the sender’s name and paused. “Thank you, ‘Streamer Add My WeChat’ for the [Private Jet] x10.”
Shi Jingyan did not know how much the gift cost, but judging by the name and effects, it was not cheap. As soon as he finished speaking, another effect appeared: [Luxury Cruise] x10, sent by the same person.
“Thank you, ‘Streamer Add My WeChat,’ for the [Luxury Cruise] x10.”
The comment section exploded.
Holy crap, a whale has arrived!
First time seeing someone drop this many gifts in a sales room.
Can he add the WeChat now? The guy has spent almost ten thousand already.
“Ten thousand?”
Shi Jingyan frowned slightly. “The streamer’s WeChat is not public. I hope this viewer stops wasting money. You”
Before he could finish, an even grander effect appeared, followed by another “x10.”
Damn, that is twenty thousand!
Streamer, just give him your WeChat!
Big spender, if I start a stream will you gift me too? I only need two hundred.
Shi Jingyan stared at the screen in silence. For some reason, he had a strange intuition. This person was doing this on purpose. During his silence, another string of gifts appeared.
Thirty thousand now, I am speechless.
I was watching this to help me sleep, now I am wide awake.
The viewer count spiked visibly, jumping from five hundred to two thousand in a short burst and continuing to rise. Then came even more expensive gifts, and the comments scrolled frantically.
Who is tracking the total?
Must be near forty thousand.
Shi Jingyan knit his brows and explained, “Thank you for the gifts, but this is an official account. Half of the money received is taken by the platform. I appreciate it, but please stop sending them.”
He looked at the skincare products on the table. “If you want to support the room, you can look at our products. Tell me which one you want to hear about, and I will explain it for you.”
Amidst the scrolling comments, a message from “Streamer Add My WeChat” stood out.
“If I buy your things, do you get the money?”
“Normally, it counts toward the live room’s sales revenue, and the streamer gets a commission.”
However, since Shi Jingyan was a temporary substitute, it would technically be attributed to him. It just sounded strange given his actual position.
Shi Jingyan gave a small “Mhm” and decided to answer according to standard procedure.
‘Streamer Add My WeChat’: Fine.
A few seconds later, the operations manager nearby gasped. “Holy shit!”
The others looked at him in confusion. He stared at the data screen in his hand to confirm, then looked up at Shi Jingyan in utter disbelief.
“Just now, three hundred orders were placed.”