A live stream that dramatically transformed a depressed schoolgirl shocked netizens across the count

Ye Xingyu lowered her head, and the roasted rice in the cup spun against the cup wall.

If someone snatched her work phone when Wang Rui sent the first payment reminder, if someone held down the stack of papers when Long Shao pushed the supplementary agreement to the table, if someone pushed open the locked door when she was suspended from broadcasting and monitoring the backend data.

Ye Xingyu tightened her grip, holding the rough pottery cup against her palm, the steam rising from the cup's rim rushing towards her eyes.

She looked up and smiled at Shen Qingci. The moisture from her eyes made her dark circles even more noticeable.

Chen Lang leaned back in his rattan chair and tapped the table with his hand: "Someone pulled you up on the bridge and never let go afterward. Xingyu, it's fine to praise people, but don't praise me like a scenic spot railing."

Su Niannian snorted: "What you did was illegal interception at high altitude. You have to write a self-criticism."

Bai Weiwei laughed and replied, "The title of the self-criticism should be 'The Record of the Failed Student and the Academic Star's Violation of Rules'."

A few laughs rang out in the courtyard. Ye Xingyu smiled, and the tightness in her chest dissipated.

Shen Qingci said, "After he got ashore, Zhao Yulan called. After he answered the phone, he crushed it."

Shen Qingci opened her hands, her gaze lingering on her empty palms as she looked at the parts that had fallen into the sand that night.

"The screen cracked, the back cover fell off, and the call was disconnected."

"Zhao Yulan spent twelve years teaching me obedience, but Chen Lang only took a few seconds to stop that class."

The text on the live stream screen scrolled across the corner of the table.

She took off the sandalwood beads today.

Only after the phone broke did she have the chance to ask herself where she wanted to go.

[Qingci, there's always someone saving a spot on this side of the bridge.]

[Ye Xingyu, don't turn around. There's a chair left for you at the table.]

Shen Qingci looked at Ye Xingyu: "That was the first time in twelve years that I didn't receive anything back."

Ye Xingyu lowered her head, pressing her thumb against the crack on the right side of the phone, the rough glass scraping against her skin.

When Wang Rui sent the order tonight, she opened the chat window, and the input method's predictive text bar still showed those two words at the very beginning.

She typed those words countless times: "Received, received, Mr. Wang, okay, received." Each time she typed those words, it proved that she was still obedient.

"If I don't reply the first time, my finger will automatically open the chat box, and I'll always want to add a message."

Shen Qingci looked at the stove: "I'm afraid the other party will keep asking questions, afraid the other party will get angry, afraid that today's recommendation will be lost, and also afraid that all the consequences will be attributed to me tomorrow."

Ye Xingyu removed her hand from the crack, her fingers pausing beside the green voice message that had already been sent. Tonight was the first time she had asked Wang Rui to submit evidence via the company email.

"But you didn't reply the second time, and you did what you wanted the third time, so those two words can't hold you back anymore."

Shen Qingci pushed the cup toward her, and the rim of the cup collided with the rim of Ye Xingyu's cup, making a crisp sound.

"Not replying to messages doesn't mean the sky is falling."

Ye Xingyu stared at the two rough pottery cups clinking together, her throat bobbing twice: "You've gotten used to it now?"

Shen Qingci said, "I'm still learning. I know a little more today than yesterday."

Su Niannian put the spatula under the table, picked up the copper kettle and filled Ye Xingyu's cup with tea. Hot water was poured into the bottom of the cup, and the roasted rice was turned up and swirled twice on the surface of the tea.

She slammed the kettle down by the stove: "Did you hear that? If anyone makes you take it back tonight, I'll take the spatula and do it for you."

Ye Xingyu gripped the cup: "You type with a spatula?"

Su Niannian patted the wooden handle: "Physical input method, enhanced version of 'read but no reply,' one-time input for lifelong silence."

Bai Weiwei leaned on the edge of the table, laughing so hard her braids were swaying.

Gu Qingshang raised his cup to cover his lips, his pearl earring swaying under the lantern: "Considering device compatibility, I don't recommend using it."

Su Niannian glared at her: "Boss Gu, why don't you finish washing the dishes you owe before considering my equipment?"

Gu Qingshang said, "Washing dishes is a pre-existing obligation and does not affect the technical assessment."

"Are you rich women so organized in your methods of defaulting on debts?"

"I'm not trying to renege on my promise. I'm just confirming whether the spatula can pass the touch test on the phone screen. Here, give me your phone."

Gu Qingshang flipped his phone over and placed it face down on the table: "Private property refuses to participate in destructive experiments."

The laughter drifted over the low wall, drowning out the croaking of frogs in the grass. But when the group stopped, the croaking returned along the village road to the courtyard.

Shen Qingci looked towards the courtyard gate. Erhai Lake was hidden behind the night, and the sound of water came through the houses and village roads. The dampness seeped into the courtyard through the cracks in the door and blew the old plaques bent on the table.

"When I left Jiangcheng, I promised to go with Chen Lang, and I just wanted to see Erhai Lake one last time."

Bai Weiwei rested her chin on her hand as she looked at her.

Shen Qingci said, "My mother originally said that she would bring me here after the college entrance examination. She said she wanted to take a boat ride, eat milk fan (a type of cheese), and buy me a local dress."

Shen Qingci's gaze fell on Bai Weiwei's indigo tie-dye dress: "I wanted to finish the road she didn't finish. I didn't ask where we would go after seeing Erhai Lake, nor did I buy a return ticket. At that time, I never thought I would have a future."

Chen Lang sat beside her without saying a word. He picked up the tea that had gone cold in front of Shen Qingci and moved it to the charcoal stove. The bottom of the cup fell onto the stone platform with a soft sound.

Bai Weiwei put down the copper kettle, wrinkled her nose, and deliberately raised her voice: "Just want to see the sea?"

Shen Qingci turned her face away.

Bai Weiwei asked, "Then what about your later jumping off the mall with Chen Lang in your arms? Was that some kind of bonus activity during your Erhai Lake sightseeing tour?"

Shen Qingci felt a heat rise to his ears. He pressed the back of his hand against the cup, then, remembering that Chen Lang had already taken the cup, he could only put his hand back on his lap: "Emergency observation."

Ye Xingyu leaned back in her chair, her eyes still moist, and her tone became slightly teasing: "Did you drink the rest of his coffee?"

"Partnership and collaboration"

Su Niannian joined in the questioning: "Watching melodramatic soap operas together in the RV?"

"Plot analysis."

Bai Weiwei counted on her fingers: "Holding each other's clothes at the market?"

"Population control."

"Hugging your waist on the back of a motorcycle?"

"inertia."

Gu Qingshang sat up straight and looked at Shen Qingci seriously: "The Black Knight's 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 1.9 seconds definitely needs to be verified regarding the force exerted on the human body. How long did you hold it? How much force did you apply with your arms? Did you adjust the vehicle's center of gravity when cornering?"

Shen Qingci opened her mouth, and the four people at the table were waiting for her answer. Chen Lang also turned his head to the side, his eyebrows suppressing a smile.

She picked up the cup in front of her, but only managed to reach empty air halfway through; the teacup was still on the stove.

Bai Weiwei burst out laughing, pressing her entire body against the stone table. Ye Xingyu covered her mouth, her shoulders twitching slightly.

Chen Lang tapped his fingers on the table: "There are reasons for everything, it's all just a coincidence."

Su Niannian immediately turned to him: "What reason is it for leaving coffee uneaten?"

"Save water."

"You're drinking an iced Americano."

"Save ice."

"What if she hugged your waist?"

Chen Lang leaned back in his rattan chair, his expression unchanged: "Assist in stabilizing the vehicle."

Gu Qingshang nodded: "This conclusion lacks data support. I can record it in the car next time."

Bai Weiwei reminded her, "You should line up first. Shen Qingci is the current tester."

Shen Qingci raised her hand to cover half of her face, and the earlobe under her palm also felt hot.

Laughter echoed over the courtyard wall, startling the flying insects resting under the eaves.

Ye Xingyu lowered her head, a smile on her lips. It had been a long time since she had sat like this, letting time slip by amidst tea and idle chatter, without counting the live stream duration, without looking at the backstage revenue, and without worrying about any words being picked out by her manager for questioning.

As she looked up, Chen Lang was taking Shen Qingci's cup of tea back from the stove. The cup was heated by the fire, and steam rose from the tea.

He didn't take credit, but simply put the cup back in the most convenient spot for Shen Qingci, and used the back of his hand to block the flames leaping out of the stove.

Shen Qingci took the cup without saying thank you, her movements so practiced.

Ye Xingyu looked at this scene, lowered her eyes, and smiled. Now, sitting at this table, she had people to drink tea with, to keep evidence with, and to move forward with. These people did not make decisions for her, but simply turned on the streetlights, moved the chairs closer, and waited for her to stand up on her own.

Shen Qingci took a sip of hot tea and did not continue to make excuses for those actions.

She looked toward the floating live-streaming sphere, where 160,000 people were still waiting behind the camera, with comments asking how long the inertia would last, and some even starting to calculate the number of curves on the Cangshan Highway.

"At first, I grabbed his clothes because I was afraid he would send me back to Jiangcheng."

Chen Lang turned his face away.

Shen Qingci put down her teacup and placed her hands on her knees: "Later, when we were on the motorcycle, I hugged him. Besides the inertia, it was also because I knew he wouldn't throw me off."

Chen Lang put down the cards in his hand on the table, while Bai Weiwei opened her mouth, still clutching the copper kettle and forgetting to put it down.

Su Niannian raised the spatula halfway, stopping the wooden handle at her shoulder. Ye Xingyu looked at Shen Qingci with a smile on her face.

Gu Qingshang lowered his head and typed a line in the memo.

Su Niannian leaned closer: "What are you memorizing?"

"Subjective safety assessment of the Black Knight crew".

"Deleted, changed to a record of the confession scene."

"The definition is not rigorous enough."

"Everyone admits to hugging your waist, how much more meticulous do you need to be?"

The light screen was covered by new bullet comments.

She admitted she wanted to stay!

[Chen Lang, if you can't handle this, immediately revoke the load-bearing wall designation.]

From Jiangcheng Bridge to Erhai Lake, she has already begun choosing her path.

[Teacher Shen, momentum won't carry over from Dali to the next city.]

When does the Chen's tour group depart? I can bring my own food.