Chapter 9

Bai Siyi didn’t reply to Piupiustar’s messages until after work.

Although it was a live broadcast of an online romance, he didn’t have to reply if he didn’t want to. The production team didn’t require him to respond immediately, and besides, the other person was just so annoying.

Was that even something a normal person would say?

Bai Siyi had already decided to give the other person the cold treatment.

But he couldn’t just keep ignoring him forever. After all, he was there to help the show gain attention. If he was too passive and upset the production team, they might deduct his pay!

He decided to wait until he got back to the Pink House, and just before the broadcast ended, he would reply to Piupiustar’s messages.

He was still wearing his work clothes and jeans, his hair tied up in a simple bun, and wearing a black baseball cap. Although he wasn’t wearing makeup, his bare face in men’s clothing was still striking.

His skin was a smooth, pale white, with no blemishes. He didn’t have any acne scars or pimples that ordinary people might have.

His figure was slender and tall, with a shapely figure, especially the waist, which was enviably slim. His night-out curves weren’t for show.

He had heard that at 19, you could still grow taller, and since he wasn’t satisfied with his 177 cm height, even though he was millions of yuan in debt and quite poor, he still spent a yuan each day on a bag of milk.

When Bai Siyi returned with his milk, everyone at the Pink House had come back, and the staff was waiting for him: “Xiao Bai, you’re back? We need to do a solo interview, come with me.”

The solo interview was also a live broadcast, held in a small room outside the Pink House.

In front of the camera, the director looked at Bai Siyi and said, “Xiao Bai, don’t rush. You can finish your milk, and we can interview you after.”

Bai Siyi: “…”

Bai Siyi felt that the way the director spoke to him was like talking to a child. He quietly finished his milk, keeping his head down, his ears burning with embarrassment.

The viewers in the live stream comment began to feel a bit sorry for him:

【Xiao Bai has just turned 18 not long ago, he’s still at the age where he needs milk to grow.】

【He’s so young, yet he’s been working for so many years, even having to deal with this kind of jerk. Director Liu really went too far!】

【Oh, so that’s what you all think. Sorry, I got distracted by the milk on Xiao Bai’s lips. My bad…】

—

Before Bai Siyi threw away the milk bag, he suddenly thought of Piupiustar, so he took a photo of the milk bag and sent it to him:

Most Loves Macho Man: 【How was work today, bro? I’m off work now. Here’s my dinner! Cute soybean smile.jpg】

After sending it, he sat down for the interview.

The staff asked, “Xiao Bai, after these two days, how do you feel about the other person?”

Bai Siyi: “…”

Wow, they’re starting off with such a sharp question. Should he tell the truth or lie?

Bai Siyi remained silent for two seconds, then replied, “I don’t know them well enough yet, still need to observe.”

The live stream comment viewers quickly became his mouthpiece:

【I got this answer: Poor, lazy, greasy, loves to lecture. Xiao Bai, hurry up and block him so the production team can arrange a new male guest!】

【Xiao Bai actually said ‘still need to observe,’ please don’t be so soft-hearted!】

【If someone like that can date Xiao Bai, then why can’t I? Ahhh, I’m about to go crazy!】

—

Because Bai Siyi couldn’t actively reject or block the other person, he didn’t say everything on his mind during the interview, even though he really didn’t like Piupiustar. He kept his comments vague, as if he were holding back many of his true feelings.

If he spoke too badly of Piupiustar, the viewers would surely tell him to block him, and even if he didn’t, during the in-person meeting after the online chatting, they’d probably expect things to go terribly.

He couldn’t do that, so he didn’t dare make the first impression too bad.

After the solo interview, the production staff handed him an envelope: “This is your love task for tomorrow, Xiao Bai. You can take a look and start preparing now.”

Bai Siyi: “…”

Wait, so there’s a task for this online romance?

Bai Siyi took the envelope and walked out of the small room. At the same time, Piupiustar’s reply arrived.

Piupiustar: 【No way, your dinner was just a bag of milk? Can you even get full with that?】

Piupiustar: 【Look at me, I eat five steamed buns in one sitting! Now that’s a real man’s appetite!】

Piupiustar sent a photo, showing a basin-sized stainless steel bowl filled with five large steamed buns. Each bun was almost as big as Bai Siyi’s face. Bai Siyi would probably only be able to eat one, yet the other person could eat five in one meal.

Bai Siyi: “…”

Eat, eat, eat, that’s all he does! In debt by the millions, drinking and hungover, eating five face-sized steamed buns in one sitting… If I were him, I’d do a live stream eating dirt, getting my stomach filled and making extra cash at the same time!

Bai Siyi typed forcefully:

Most Loves Macho Man: 【Your meals are so good! I can’t even bear to eat steamed buns, can you leave one for me? 【Cute cat.jpg】】

Very quickly, Piupiustar replied: 【That’s not gonna happen! I have to eat five steamed buns in one meal, no less! If I give you one, what will I eat? Little sister, if you want steamed buns, go buy your own, don’t fight me for them, okay?】

Bai Siyi: “…”

The viewers in the live stream comment were laughing to death:

【Although I’m really angry, for some reason, it’s also really funny, facepalm, crying with laughter.jpg】

【Five steamed buns really aren’t much for a young man working hard, but… is this man serious? He’s here for online romance, right? The female guest has already spoken, and he rejects her like this? Doesn’t he feel any shame? Facepalm.jpg】

【A steamed bun triggers it all, Xiao Bai is back to being the subway elderly person checking his phone, hahaha.】

—

Bai Siyi felt both helpless and amused. He had just eaten his fill at the factory canteen, and now, he was deliberately testing the other person’s reaction. As expected, Piupiustar didn’t disappoint him.

Bai Siyi looked into the camera and said, “He wouldn’t even give me a single steamed bun, but the production team expects me to prepare a gift for him.”

He shook the pink envelope in his hand.

That’s right, tomorrow would be the third day since they met. After the initial two days of getting to know each other, now the production team started giving them relationship tasks to help them understand each other better and to add more interest to the show.

The task card in Bai Siyi’s hand clearly stated: 【Ah, tomorrow is the third day since you met! How does it feel? You two must be getting along really well, right? Then quickly prepare a little gift for each other. He’ll definitely be surprised.】

Getting along, really getting along. So much so that on the first day of meeting in person, they’d probably look at each other with mutual disdain, wanting to block each other immediately.

When Bai Siyi returned to the pink little house, he saw the other three female guests sitting on the living room sofa, discussing the task for tomorrow.

Obviously, they had all received this task. It was something everyone had to do, meaning the male guests also had to prepare a gift.

But considering how Piupiustar wouldn’t even spare a steamed bun, Bai Siyi felt that this task was no less than asking for his life.

Xi Mo tossed the card aside and said in a very domineering tone, “Giving a gift to a guy is actually really simple. If you’re interested in him, just give him something like perfume, cufflinks, a necklace, or a watch. Those are elegant accessories that aren’t too expensive but very practical. You can’t go wrong.”

Qiu Bo immediately asked, “What if you’re not interested in him?”

Bai Siyi silently added in his mind: “Like someone you even want to block.”

Xi Mo smiled faintly, “Not interested? Then just go for something casual, like a lighter, a pen, or even a flower-patterned tie.”

The main idea was something cheap, tacky, and useless, and the recipient would probably immediately understand the lack of thought behind the gift.

Xi Mo was just saying this offhand, but as soon as she finished speaking, Qiu Bo and Jiang Mianshu had already started browsing on a shopping app.

Xi Mo: “…”

Xi Mo even saw that Qiu Bo was already looking at lighters online.

Xi Mo: “…”

Xi Mo glanced at Bai Siyi and saw that he wasn’t on the shopping app, raising an eyebrow: “Xiao Bai, aren’t you buying anything?”

Bai Siyi smiled: “I like making things by hand.”

Xi Mo was a bit surprised: “Well, that’s very thoughtful. He’ll definitely be very moved.”

Bai Siyi smiled obediently on the surface, but in his heart, he had no intention of spending money on a gift.

He couldn’t even bring himself to buy a one-yuan carton of milk, let alone buy a gift for someone else.

How shameless would it be to make him spend money like that?

Spending money was out of the question. It wasn’t going to happen, not in this lifetime. Smiling.jpg

As for handmade gifts, Bai Siyi scratched his chin. His only two talents were voice acting and dancing—he really couldn’t do handmade crafts.

But when he was little and in kindergarten, he learned to fold paper frogs and draw little animals with fallen leaves in craft class. Was that considered handmade?

Ah, right, he also remembered making lanterns. But buying craft paper and markers still cost money.

He had no money!

The viewers in the live stream comment were quick to offer suggestions:

【Xiao Bai, he really isn’t worth you making him a handmade gift. My suggestion is to do what the male guest from season one did—just go to the garden, pick some flowers, wrap them in old newspapers, and present them as an artsy gift. Dog head.jpg】

【What did the flowers in the garden do wrong to deserve being sacrificed for a horrible guy? My suggestion is to wrap dog poop in old newspapers and send it to him. Smiling.jpg】

【What did the old newspapers do wrong? Also, where is Xiao Bai going to find old newspapers? My suggestion is to wrap a few dried plums and pebbles in a trash bag and send them to him—completely useless. Smiling.jpg】

—

Although the viewers in the live stream comment had strong opinions about Piupiustar, Bai Siyi didn’t mind too much. In fact, he didn’t really have a big issue with Piupiustar.

After all, it was him who had been sarcastic first, so he couldn’t really blame Piupiustar for responding in kind.

But as for the gift, he really had no ideas.