Chapter 144: Yao Fei

Without a trace of joy, and instead showing a hint of aversion, Wang Xiaoqian moved her slender eyebrows slightly as a form of acknowledgment.

The man, however, was not at all angry; he continued to smile brightly. Dressed in designer clothes, tall and well-proportioned, he was the quintessential handsome, wealthy bachelor. A handsome man like him was rarely short of admirers buzzing around him like bees and butterflies; he was always the center of attention. When beauties acted aloof and cold, it was usually just a defense mechanism against ordinary men. But when truly faced with a handsome, wealthy suitor—especially a gentleman as well-mannered and charming as him—even the coldest beauty would melt like tepid water.

Yao Fei believed this to be true.

Indeed, many women pursued him, but he only had eyes for Wang Xiaoqian, without any reason whatsoever. From the first time he saw Wang Xiaoqian in middle school, he had secretly fallen for her, vowing that he would definitely marry her.

Yet Wang Xiaoqian seemed to hold little affection for him, always remaining as calm and indifferent as still water.

Four years ago, obeying his father's decisive arrangement, Yao Fei was sent to the United States to prepare to take over the family business there. His heart had gradually withered along with the airplane and the sky, assuming that Wang Xiaoqian would surely not wait for him. Unexpectedly, a turning point arrived; a few days ago, his father suddenly called telling him to return home to immediately inherit the position of president of the parent company.

A twenty-five-year-old billionaire president was enough to command the awe of everyone.

At the same time, Yao Fei's heart sprang back to life. Right after his succession, he hurried without stopping to the Wang family, proposing to date and marry Wang Xiaoqian. Given their years of old friendship, along with his impressive status and wealth, how could the Wang family possibly refuse?

That very evening, Wang Xiaoqian was leading her team through an adventurer quest when she suddenly triggered a hidden mission, drawing a level 45 ultra-powerful monster that unhesitatingly wiped out her nine female companions in a split second. Wang Xiaoqian suffered the most devastating losses, dropping three levels outright and losing nearly half of her gear.

As misfortunes never come singly, a call from her mother arrived, explaining Yao Fei's intentions.

This was completely beyond her expectations. Naturally unwilling, it sparked a dispute; she had a fierce argument with her mother, and in a fit of anger, she deleted her gaming account.

Then, all the pieces of the puzzle connected.

"Xiaoqian is back."

Wang Xiurong greeted her joyfully. Dressed in high-end clothing with a graceful and poised demeanor, she was the epitome of a wealthy matron. She had not seen her precious daughter in a long time; this wild girl was somewhat rebellious and unwilling to live with her. Earlier, having heard from the nanny, Aunt Zhang, that she had driven out for some leisure, she was naturally delighted to see her now.

What made her even happier was the personal arrival of Yao Fei, the newly wealthy young tycoon from Gaoyou, which gave her an immense sense of face.

"Mhm, I'm back." Wang Xiaoqian casually hummed in response, then strode quickly toward her room on the second floor.

Yao Fei followed closely behind, offering a helpless smile.

Wang Xiurong awkwardly chuckled and said, "This girl has been spoiled rotten; Yao Fei, please don't take it to heart."

"Aunt Wang, how could I? I've known Xiaoqian for so many years and I understand her personality and temperament," Yao Fei replied with a radiant smile, looking like an angel draped in glowing morning light, dashing and charming.

Wang Xiurong was overjoyed. This young man truly had eyes only for her daughter, remaining entirely unwavering after all these years. This was for the best; once the alliance with the Yao family was successfully established, she would immediately ascend to the highest tier within her social circle.

This was truly a case of a person achieving greatness and even their dogs and chickens ascending to heaven.

……

"Folks, we are about to see the super badass CF rookie king. Does anyone have anything to say? Any questions? Hurry up, guys. I'll summarize a few important points and ask him on the spot in a moment."

In the backstage corridor of the Wankai International Exhibition Center, the live streamer Song Lun walked and talked with a beaming smile. This player, Yiran, was simply his lucky star, instantly propelling him to the number one spot on the popularity charts of the Longzhu live-streaming platform today. A rough calculation told him that his earnings today would at least break 200,000.

This was definitely the peak moment of his streaming career, with no exceptions.

"Streamer, ask him how he trained such an insane reaction speed and command ability."

"Hey, ask him if he's confident about making it to this year's TGA finals and competing against the powerhouse teams."

"Ask him if he has a girlfriend; I like him so much."

"To the beauty upstairs, I don't have a girlfriend, please ask me out."

"Get lost!"

Song Lun gave an awkward chuckle. How did they steer the topic of conversation from gaming to romantic relationships so quickly? As expected, the folks watching the stream were lonely, empty, and cold, never three sentences away from being dominated by their lower halves.

"Streamer, can you get his autograph? If you can, save one for me and I'll send a 1,000 tip!"

"I want one too!"

"Count me in!"

"I want the signature and photo of the pretty female team leader, sending 999 'mwah' tips!"

Truly, they were all whales—filthy rich without a shred of humanity, throwing thousands or tens of thousands in tips on a whim. At this rate, today's earnings might even break 500,000.

Smiling joyfully, Song Lun walked straight to the door of the Pepsi resting lounge. Before the finals began, he should have at least half an hour for an interview.

"Stop right there, who are you?"

Suddenly, two security guards blocked his path, looking imposing and spirited.

"I'm a streamer, here to interview the Pepsi team." Song Lun smiled and handed over two bulging red envelopes. The security guards, who had looked menacing just moments before, instantly beamed with smiles.

"Wait here, I'll go inside and announce you."

"Thanks, brother."

Three minutes later, Song Lun successfully entered the lounge.

Some were sitting, some were lying down, and others were standing and chatting. It truly looked like a lounge, completely devoid of the tension typical of match days. Song Lun glanced around briefly and immediately spotted a slightly chubby man smoking alone in the corner.

"It's him!"

"It's him!"

Song Lun and the over 70,000 viewers exclaimed at the same time, recognizing him simultaneously. This was precisely the same serious and solemn back profile that had flashed across the big screen earlier.

Taking a few quick steps forward, Song Lun greeted him warmly with a smile, "Hello, my name is Song Lun, I'm a live streamer."

Li Xin, however, acted as if he hadn't heard a thing, continuing to smoke on his own.

"Holy shit, he's acting all high and mighty!"

"Acting like your ghost, big head! Didn't you see he's deep in thought? He must be thinking about the strategy for the finals!"

"Exactly, some people just love drinking vinegar, tasting all sour and bitter."

The viewers argued fiercely in the chat, but Song Lun paid no attention to them. Instead, he greeted Li Xin once more, finally catching his attention.

"Hello." Li Xin frowned. A live streamer? Wouldn't this thrust him back into the public eye? He had already retired and had no plans to re-enter the competitive scene for the time being.

Just as he was about to politely refuse, Li Xin suddenly paused. Feeling a surge of excitement, he—who possessed the King of Games—was undoubtedly the true Gaming King of the real world. Any game could be handled with ease in his hands. Since that was the case, why couldn't he make a comeback? Now that a streamer had proactively approached him, wasn't this a god-given opportunity?

Prior to this, he had never touched this industry. But combined with the experience of his good friend Liu Ran, streaming was indeed often much easier than competing when it came to gathering fans and attracting followers.

Thinking of this, a slight smile played on his lips, and he took the initiative to greet them: "Hello everyone, I am Yiran."

"It's him!"

On the other side of the network, no fewer than five people gasped in unison, their expressions filled with utter shock!