End of the Stream

In the morning, Su Ran was woken up by Pei Zhiyang. His eyes were still groggy, and it took him a while to fully open them. He turned his head to the side and muttered, “I want to sleep a little longer.”

Pei Zhiyang hugged him from behind and whispered in his ear, “Ran Bao, I bought your favorite little soup dumplings.”

Upon hearing this, Su Ran finally opened his eyes, though he was still displeased. He sat up, the blanket piled up on his legs, completely naked underneath, with two red fingerprints on his waist.

He rubbed his eyes, remembering how late he had stayed up with Pei Zhiyang last night. It seemed like they were both being stubborn, going back and forth again and again, until he finally couldn’t take it anymore. He had almost lost sleep over it. Now, thinking about it, he couldn’t understand why he had even bothered. He was clearly just asking for trouble.

Pei Zhiyang lifted the blanket and picked up Su Ran’s underwear to help him put it on. He grabbed his ankle and lifted one of his long legs, but Su Ran kicked him away, saying, “Give it to me, I can do it myself.”

Pei Zhiyang knew Su Ran was upset with him and quickly lowered his voice, “Let me help you, let me help Ran Bao get dressed.”

Su Ran, still groggy, didn’t feel like moving, so he let him dress him. His pace while eating was a bit faster, but he ended up choking. Pei Zhiyang quickly patted his back, “Slow down, why are you in such a hurry?”

“I have class later and need to tidy up,” Su Ran said, though in truth, he wanted to hurry back to the dorm and see how Qin Yue was doing. He didn’t know if Qin Yue had stayed up all night to help him level up.

“Well, you still have over an hour,” Pei Zhiyang said.

Su Ran finished the last bite of his dumpling, then stood up, “I’ll head back now.”

Pei Zhiyang watched him, his brows furrowing slightly. He felt like Ran Bao had been acting a little strange lately.

At the dorm door, Su Ran pressed the handle gently and pushed the door open. The room was quiet. He glanced at Qin Yue’s bed and found him still asleep. This was strange; Qin Yue, who always woke up at seven, was still in bed!

Su Ran turned back and quietly closed the door, then lay down on his own bed to watch Qin Yue. He was sleeping soundly. Su Ran wondered when he had gone to bed last night. It was almost 9 AM, and he was still asleep.

Just then, an alarm suddenly went off, causing Su Ran to jump. He watched as Qin Yue stirred, then sat up with messy hair and a furrowed brow, clearly annoyed at being woken up by the alarm.

Qin Yue glanced at the bed across from him, then pulled out his phone. Su Ran’s heartbeat finally calmed, and he secretly observed Qin Yue. Qin Yue turned the phone horizontally, and the sound of the game’s background music began to play.

Su Ran understood now—he had logged into the game. Had the alarm really been set just to wake him up for gaming?

Then Su Ran heard the familiar sound of buying clothes in the game. Different outfits had different sounds depending on their price, and the sound grew louder and more frequent. Su Ran was starting to get surprised by the scale of this.

It seemed like he might be using the “Ran Ran” account, and after hearing several purchase confirmations, Su Ran’s phone suddenly rang. Qin Yue looked up at him, and their eyes met. Su Ran immediately grabbed his phone and switched it to silent.

Last night, he had forgotten to switch back to his main account after using the secondary one. Now, on his secondary account, Qin Yue’s avatar had a red dot next to it. Su Ran didn’t have time to click on it, but quickly silenced his phone, worried about it causing suspicion later.

He opened the message, and it was from Qin Yue: “Ran Ran, are you awake?”

Su Ran turned his back to him and replied, “I’m awake, Gege.”

“Log into the game and take a look,” Qin Yue said.

Su Ran first muted the game sound, then logged in. The first thing he saw was his profile. He was already level 20!

It seemed Qin Yue really had stayed up all night to help him level up!

Then, when he clicked into his character’s outfit, he couldn’t help but gasp. This was the outfit he had been eyeing for a long time but hadn’t bought! He clicked on the equipment, and he nearly gasped again. Rows of clothes and accessories, along with heaps of items…

His phone suddenly felt hot in his hand. He had only wanted Qin Yue to spend some time helping him level up, never expecting him to buy so many things. His account was now worth a lot more.

Was the alarm set specifically for him, to make sure he was awake? Su Ran shivered, wondering if this was how Qin Yue acted when he liked someone. Was he already falling too deep?

Su Ran switched to the chat screen, “Wow! Gege, you’re amazing! You’re so good to me! You bought so many clothes!”

He glanced at Qin Yue and saw him smiling at the screen. His cold expression softened, and he seemed much more approachable.

Qin Yue replied, “I’m glad you like it.”

Su Ran suddenly felt a little guilty. “Gege, you must have spent a lot of money. Ran Ran feels really bad about it.”

This game account suddenly felt like a tricky situation. From now on, it should just belong to Qin Yue. After all, “Ran Ran” was a fake, and he couldn’t comfortably accept it as his own.

“It’s nothing, as long as you like it,” Qin Yue said.

Su Ran clicked his tongue in his heart. This sounded like a confession! Money might not mean much to Qin Yue, but he had spent a lot of time on this too. Setting the alarm to buy him equipment—this level of thoughtfulness was quite touching.

Of course, Ran Ran didn’t know any of this.

It seemed he had gotten a bit carried away last night. Hearing him listen to the sound of the girl showering had probably made him go a little crazy.

Su Ran set his phone down, planning to wash up. But as soon as he sat up, he saw Qin Yue getting out of bed, heading straight for the bathroom.

He glanced at the time—class was almost starting. He looked at Qin Yue and said, “I’ll just get some water and brush my teeth, okay?”

Qin Yue, standing by the sink about to fill up his cup, glanced at Su Ran and said, “Why don’t you go first?”

Su Ran paused for a moment. Was he unwilling to share the space with him? It was just brushing teeth, after all.

But Su Ran wasn’t good with face-to-face communication and lacked the boldness of Ran Ran.

“Then you go first,” Su Ran said softly, then sat back on the bed, sulking.

Qin Yue didn’t say anything further, washing up on his own. Su Ran fumed, thinking that he would deal with Qin Yue as Ran Ran later.

The entire afternoon was free, so after lunch, Su Ran went straight to Fu Qian’an’s place. He planned to stream for two hours before heading back to school.

Su Ran had a key to the rental apartment. When he opened the door, he saw Fu Qian’an playing a game. His computer was in the living room, facing away from the door, so Su Ran could see everything the moment he walked in.

Fu Qian’an was in the middle of an intense game. Su Ran stood beside him, and Fu Qian’an said, “Baby, order some takeout for me. I can’t take my hands off right now.”

“Sure,” Su Ran agreed, knowing not to order anything too cheap. After all, he genuinely treated him like a boyfriend.

The total came to 80 yuan, and Su Ran winced a little inside.

Not long after, Fu Qian’an paused the game, swiveled the chair toward Su Ran, and waved him over. Su Ran bent slightly to look at him, blinking as though expecting a gesture of affection. Instead, Fu Qian’an pulled out his phone.

“Baby, I’m adding someone,” he said, already opening the other person’s WeChat profile. “My stepbrother.”

Su Ran was surprised. “Why should I add him?”

Fu Qian’an winked, “I told you about him. He’s a wasteful, arrogant guy, and he doesn’t treat me well. It’s because of him that I don’t want to go back home. Add him to help me vent. He has money, and maybe he’ll become your top supporter.”

“Is this the one who froze your card because he was afraid you might fight for the inheritance?” Su Ran asked.

He understood perfectly. The plot was supposed to have him connect with this stepbrother and eventually get discovered as a fraud. The stepbrother would be enraged and unable to accept that his favorite “girl” was actually a man, and the feelings would cause strange emotions to surface.

Fu Qian’an said immediately, “Yes, exactly. So, should we make him pay?”

Su Ran hesitated. “Isn’t it a little wrong to scam him?”

Fu Qian’an’s expression became serious. “Baby, this isn’t a scam. I’m from the Fu family. He froze my card and tried to block me from entering the family. He owes me this.”

Fu Qian’an’s eyes looked pitiful, “Baby, don’t you want to help me get back at him?”

After thinking for a moment, Su Ran reluctantly nodded.

“He’s just a greedy jerk,” Fu Qian’an added. “He’s humiliated me many times before. This time, let’s have some fun with him.”

“I’ll try,” Su Ran said, taking the task with ease.

The system’s next task was to successfully establish a relationship with Fu Linxuan. Fu Qian’an was the one helping him fulfill this task.

After Fu Qian’an explained how to add Fu Linxuan, Su Ran’s eyes lit up. “You’re so clever.”

“But… do you think this will work? He’s the CEO, wouldn’t he be suspicious?”

Fu Qian’an smiled. “Don’t worry, just give it a try. Your face is so genuine.”

Su Ran added the number without sending a friend request and quickly began getting ready for his stream. As he finished, he checked his phone but was surprised to see it hadn’t responded yet.

“Isn’t he adding me?” Su Ran muttered.

Fu Qian’an, seeing his confusion, said, “It’s fine. He’s the CEO, so he’s probably busy.”

Just then, the friend request was approved. Su Ran stared in surprise, his eyes wide. This was unexpected! With such a high-level person, the information was typically kept private, so if someone added him, they must think they knew him.

Without waiting for a message, Su Ran sent three photos from his album. Each one was a different outfit, all with subtle yet seductive touches. He posted the photos, then sent a message: “Hello, I’m model Su Ranran. Here are some recent photos I’ve taken. I wonder if they meet your company’s requirements.”

Fu Qian’an had instructed him to pretend to be a model looking for work, but by mistake, he had added the wrong person. He would test the other person’s reaction. If they didn’t respond warmly, he could leave it for a few days before trying again.

Typically, high-level men would just ignore someone like this, but who knew if someone like Fu Linxuan had grown numb to beautiful women?

Su Ran clicked on his profile to check the posts, but there was nothing. It seemed like Fu Linxuan hadn’t posted anything.

At that moment, Fu Qian’an handed over his phone. “This is what he looks like.”

Su Ran looked at the photo. The man was dressed in a sharp black suit, with prominent, well-defined features. His eyes were dark and cold, full of intimidation. He had an air of authority that could make anyone feel like they were being judged.

Su Ran felt a chill down his spine. “Isn’t your brother in some shady business? Is he like the characters in dramas?”

He made a gesture to slice his throat, and Fu Qian’an chuckled, “Don’t worry, he won’t harm you. I’m here.”

Su Ran wasn’t so sure, though. He had a feeling it would be Fu Qian’an who would be in danger when the time came.

As they both stared at their phones, unsure if Fu Linxuan was watching them too, a message finally appeared in the chat: “符合 (Accepted).”

Su Ran and Fu Qian’an exchanged surprised glances.

“He didn’t send any question marks or say ‘wrong person?’” Su Ran said, bewildered.

Fu Qian’an speculated, “Looks like he’s interested in you.”

“Well, then when can I have the interview?” Su Ran replied.

“Tomorrow afternoon, Jia Kang Group, 31st floor.”

Su Ran’s heart raced. How could the response be so straightforward?!

He took a deep breath and replied, “Wasn’t it supposed to be at Liya Mall, first floor?”

“It’s fine,” came the reply.

Su Ran was left feeling unsure. Fu Linxuan was agreeing to meet him right away?

Fu Qian’an looked equally rattled, “Maybe you should say you added the wrong person…”

Su Ran thought for a moment and quickly typed, “Sorry! Mr. Wang added me earlier, sorry I added you by mistake! My apologies for bothering you!”

The reply was quick: “That scam trick is so outdated.”

Su Ran froze. The response was cold, and suddenly, it dawned on him: Fu Linxuan had figured out the lie. He had been playing with him the whole time and now knew he was a fraud!

He had underestimated how clever Fu Linxuan was!

Su Ran turned to Fu Qian’an, “How did he know?”

Fu Qian’an was sweating. “Don’t panic, just keep going.”

Su Ran typed nervously: “No, no, I’m not a scammer. I really did add the wrong person.”

The reply came swiftly: “The photos are fake, right?”

“No, no, the photos are real! I really added the wrong person. I’m not a scammer,” Su Ran replied, desperate to explain.

“How can you prove it?” Fu Linxuan asked.

Su Ran bit his lip, then typed: “We can do a video call.”

The response was just one word: “Okay.”

Su Ran felt like he was being interrogated. He went to his bedroom and set up the camera. Fu Qian’an stood in front of him, avoiding the camera.

Su Ran sat on the edge of the bed and sent the video call request. Before it connected, he saw his own reflection on the screen. He looked flawless—clear eyes, lips like soft jelly—his appearance perfect in every way.

He was still nervous, though. Fu Linxuan was unpredictable.

The video call connected. At first, the screen was dark, but when Fu Linxuan cleared the obstruction, Su Ran saw him sitting at a desk, just like in the photo. His cold, piercing gaze made it hard to tell what he was thinking.

“Hello, Gege. Sorry, I added the wrong person,” Su Ran said sweetly.

Fu Linxuan looked at the screen. No one dared approach him in recent years. He wasn’t sure if Su Ran had been sent by someone, but… she might be an exception…

“Really?” Fu Linxuan’s voice was low and cold.

Su Ran felt his heart race. “Really, I just accidentally added the wrong person. I thought you seemed like a successful person. No wonder you’re so cautious.”

Fu Linxuan’s voice remained impassive. “We do need models, and you seem perfect for it. We can collaborate.”

Su Ran was stunned. He hadn’t expected this! If he went, he’d be easily found out as a guy!

Fu Qian’an gestured for him to refuse, but rejecting would surely raise suspicions.

“Okay, but I only do modeling occasionally. My main job is being a streamer. I’ll have to see if I have time,” Su Ran replied.

“Streamer? What platform?” Fu Linxuan asked.

“On Banana, Gege. I have to start my stream soon. We can talk later,” Su Ran said.

“Alright.”

Su Ran sighed in relief after hanging up. He had sweated through the entire call. Fu Linxuan was a tough person to handle, and he was sure that Fu Linxuan was still suspicious of him.

Meanwhile, Fu Qian’an gave him a thumbs up. “Baby, he’s so gentle with you!”

Su Ran was shocked. “Is this what you call gentle? Is this your version of ‘gentle’?”

Fu Qian’an nodded. “You have no idea how arrogant he usually is. He once called my mom a bitch in front of elders, called me a bitch’s son, said all kinds of terrible things. He even kicked me once, and I ended up with a fractured rib and had to be hospitalized.”

“Really?” Su Ran was stunned. He hadn’t seen that crazy side of Fu Linxuan in the video call.

“Yes, but the way he acted with you? That means he’s interested in you,” Fu Qian’an said.

Su Ran shivered. Being liked by him didn’t seem like a good thing…

“He’s so hard to deal with, do we still want to…” Su Ran hesitated.

Fu Qian’an immediately responded, “Don’t worry, just blame it all on me. I’m from the Fu family. He can’t do anything to me.”

“Alright…” Su Ran sighed. He turned to the system, “Will Fu Linxuan hurt me later? He seems a little crazy…”

System 555 immediately came online. “Don’t worry. If he tries to hurt you, I can activate the pain-blocking feature.”

Su Ran, “…!”

Sitting in front of the computer, Su Ran greeted the camera, “Hello, everyone, Ran Ran is here!”

The number of viewers in the live stream gradually increased.

“Sending 20 small salted fish* to my wife! Good afternoon, wife, I’m here waiting for you!”

“Ran Ran, you’re so beautiful! Kisses!”

“Sending 2 hot air balloons* to my wife, kisses!”

It seemed like more people had joined today compared to yesterday. Su Ran immediately thanked the gifts, “Thank you, Benshan Bear, for the two hot air balloons.”

Su Ran made a heart gesture. Hot air balloons were gifts worth over a hundred, and he hadn’t expected such a strong start today.

“Can the streamer wear black stockings?”

“Wow, black stockings, black stockings! I want to see my wife wear black stockings.”

“Wife, wife, slurp slurp.”

Fulfilling small wishes for fans after receiving gifts was something almost all platform streamers did. For a newcomer like Su Ran, even though the gifts weren’t too big yet, he smiled shyly and said, “Wait a minute.”

With that, Su Ran stood up. He had prepared black stockings today, inspired by watching other streamers do similar things. He decided to replicate it.

He placed his foot on the chair, and a long, snow-white leg appeared in the live stream. His slender foot, with pink, soft toes, slowly slid into the black sheer stockings. Gradually, his pale skin was covered by the dark fabric.

The live chat was filled with excitement, with everyone posting “nosebleed” emojis.

Su Ran wore the stockings for a full two minutes before sitting back down, and more gifts began to flood in.

He took a sip of water, leaned closer to the screen, and slightly parted his lips, “Ah… My tooth’s broken, I need a doctor to check it.”

“Ahhh! Can I use a big lollipop to check it?”

“Be good, don’t move, I’ll check it!”

“It’s so wet inside, suck it up!”

Just then, the screen suddenly filled with a castle icon. Su Ran looked closely and realized that the person had sent thirty of them!!

This was a ten thousand yuan gift per item!!!

Before Su Ran could react, the thirty “Supreme” gifts completely filled the screen. This was the platform’s most expensive gift! Each one was worth a hundred thousand, meaning thirty were worth three million!

Su Ran quickly clicked on the user’s profile to check, finding that it was a newly registered account. He was so excited that his throat tightened, “Thank you, F, thank you so much.”

His live stream was instantly pushed to the homepage, and the number of viewers skyrocketed.

“Thank you, F, for supporting Ran Ran!”

“Thank you, F, for supporting Ran Ran!”

“Oh my gosh, that’s so extravagant!!!”

“Thirty Supremes! I haven’t seen such a lavish gift in forever!”

Su Ran quickly adjusted his mood, smiling brightly, “F, is there anything you want me to do?”

As everyone waited eagerly for F’s response, a single line appeared in the public chat.

F: End the stream.

Su Ran, “!”

What’s going on? His live stream was just getting more viewers!

At that moment, he received a message from Fu Qian’an, “Listen to him, end the stream.”

“Alright, since F asked me to end the stream, I’ll end it now,” Su Ran said.

Now he had a big supporter. With so many gifts, of course, he had to listen to the big brother.

After ending the stream, he went to the backend to find F, planning to privately message him.

Just then, his phone suddenly rang. Su Ran looked down and saw that it was a video call request from Fu Qian’an.

Su Ran, “!”

F, Fu, could it be that the top supporter was him?!