Chapter 11

Although no one in the group chat paid attention to Lin Linya, some of the more observant members did notice a newcomer.

Wolf Fang’s gaming section, because of its huge influence, saw many game streamers join every year. Normally, a new streamer or two wouldn’t be noteworthy. But what caught people’s attention this time was that this person was invited by Fanta himself.

Even though Fanta was retired, in the minds of most “Glory” streamers, he was still the undisputed skill ceiling of the pro league.

Nine out of ten Jungler, Sidelaner, and Marksman players in the group were Fanta fans. But Chu Fengyi was as elusive as a dragon, never once speaking in the group. Over time, people almost forgot that such a titan was even in the group.

Seeing rare activity from the titan, someone noticed immediately. But clicking on the newcomer’s profile, they couldn’t help but be puzzled.

The cute, adorable avatar and ID were completely out of place among the group of jaded internet-addicted shut-ins.

Since when did Chu Fengyi know a female streamer? And specifically pull her into the group?

It was already 3 or 4 AM after his stream ended, but for people like them, long accustomed to these hours, it was still early. Song Yu had just gotten out of the shower, toweling his hair dry with one hand while endlessly scrolling through group messages with the other.

He was originally a fan of Chu Fengyi and D.K., and always kept an eye on the pro league’s progress.

During the ongoing Autumn Tournament, D.K., after Chu Fengyi’s departure, was like a body missing its spine. Their performance was consistently sluggish, nearly knocked out during the points stage. Now, team fans on Weibo were showering them with abuse, urgently demanding they get Chu Fengyi back.

When Chu Fengyi left, the team hadn’t given a satisfactory explanation to the fans, only saying he was temporarily stepping away due to health reasons. Song Yu was always skeptical of the club’s vague attitude.

His favorite team failing to get a satisfactory result, combined with his own recent poor game performance, made his mood increasingly irritable.

The audiences in their streamer rooms were mostly unreasonable male fans who only cared about skill. These past few days, his livestream room was filled with doubt and insults. Tonight, if it weren’t for the room mods controlling the situation, he almost would have gotten into a fight with some haters.

Seeing the notification that Chu Fengyi had invited someone new, he frowned, tapping on it. Seeing the girly avatar and ID, he let out a cold scoff. What the hell was this?

Watching the group members brazenly discuss things, counting on the fact that Chu Fengyi never read the messages, he lost interest. He turned off his screen and casually tossed his phone aside.

This was the first time Lin Linya had come to S University’s New Media Studio in his entire time studying there. Before, he’d only heard legends about the studio.

S University, as a top-tier institution in Sea City, had an official SoundWave account with a considerable following. It used to just honestly post S University’s promotional videos. But ever since the account was taken over by the post-00s generation, the style had gotten… strange.

A video of a senior brother wearing a self-made, cringey S University uniform with the school logo printed on it, dancing an explosive dance and doing the Flower Hand shake at the school gate, had gotten millions of likes and even alerted the higher-ups.

School Leaders: Let’s see how the top students we recruited are promoting our school.

School Leaders After Watching the Video: 6

The comments section was full of students from the university expressing their profound shock after watching it too. This kind of art was still a bit too avant-garde for them.

【I’ll give you five bucks to change your location tag to A University next door.】

【Can you please stop making these dead noises (cute) (cute).】

【Is this really an official account? I’m dying of laughter. This video just undid a whole year’s work for the admissions office.】

【Just tell me if it’s an anti-promotion brochure or not.】

【From today on, you’re your own separate school. I’m not joking. (tears)】

Under the pressure of public opinion, S University’s New Media Studio decided on emergency PR to salvage the school’s image.

Just as they were searching for the right candidate, they stumbled upon that bystander-filmed video of the Music Club’s recruitment event.

New Media Studio Department Head: !!!

She already had the Music Club president on WeChat and easily got Lin Linya’s contact info, which led to her reaching out.

The Music Club president, also a girl, had only agreed to share Lin Linya’s card after repeatedly and vigilantly confirming it wasn’t some creep trying to harass her Baby (her exact words).

Although Lin Linya studied New Media, the university’s New Media Studio was always a very mysterious organization in his eyes. He’d also seen that video the seniors made and had almost laughed himself off his chair back then.

Now, standing at the address the senior sister gave him, he stared at the door, hesitating for ages. His social anxiety erupted in full force. He looked down to check his clothes.

Waaah, he shouldn’t have just worn a T-shirt! It makes him look like a clueless elementary schooler!

But he had no time to turn back and change. The department head, having received Lin Linya’s “I’m downstairs” message and already impatient to meet him, pulled open the door.

And locked eyes with the pretty, hesitant beautiful youth right outside.

Then she watched, mesmerized, as a shade of pink, like a rosy dawn cloud, crept up the beautiful youth’s fair, delicate ears.

The department head was instantly slain. She clutched her heart. Ah, a beautiful youth. Truly, the pinnacle of taste.

She quickly opened the door wider and warmly invited him inside. “Quick, quick, it’s so hot out there! The AC’s on inside, come in and talk! I’m from New Media, a year above you. Just call me Little Mei.”

Lin Linya’s little face was flushed with nervousness, his heart thumping non-stop. He seemed to be running into opportunities to interact with pretty girls a lot lately.

Following behind Little Mei, he secretly took out his phone and messaged Chen Chun. 【Bro Chen, I think my spring has arrived.】

A question mark flew back at him instantly, followed by an angry interrogation.

【Which guy tricked you? Is he planning to take you out, book a room to ‘just chat and sleep purely’? Did he kiss you on the mouth yet?】

Lin Linya, “…”

Fuming, he typed furiously. 【What are you saying, Bro! I saw a really, really pretty older sister today!】

Seeing it wasn’t a man, Chen Chun immediately relaxed. His replies became much less urgent.

Only after a long pause did he respond lazily. 【Oh.】

Lin Linya: 【? What kind of attitude is that.】

【Oh? That’s great.】

【No need to update me on any progress. Just send me the wedding invitation when you’re setting the banquet.】

When Little Mei turned around, she saw the beautiful youth’s puffed-up, angry little face. Only after he looked up did she silently lower the hand she’d placed over her heart and ask in a tone close to motherly affection, “Bao… Yaya, who are you chatting with?”

Lin Linya didn’t think it was an issue and answered obediently, “My old roommate.”

Under the beauty’s encouraging gaze, he complained softly, “He’s too much. Always saying weird things.”

The beauty nodded understandingly right away. “Men are all like that. Not a single good one.”

Lin Linya, “…” Somehow, that felt a bit off.

Even though it was almost October, Sea City was still scorching hot. Looking out the window, you could see the new students in military training, standing in rows like little white poplars.

Besides Little Mei, there were a few other girls sitting around the meeting table. The moment Lin Linya entered, they all looked up and stared at him with burning intensity.

Their gazes made him so self-conscious. His eyes flickered nervously as he finished greeting them before rigidly finding a seat.

Sensing his embarrassment, Little Mei handed Lin Linya a bottle of ice-cold Cola to help ease his awkwardness.

After a while, Little Mei glanced down at her phone. She spoke apologetically, “We originally asked someone from the Photography Club to film the video, but they’re busy with the freshman welcome party right now. So they sent a new student instead. Their military training isn’t over yet, so we might have to wait a bit.”

A girl next to her asked, “The senior sister we originally booked can’t make it?”

“Yeah,” Little Mei wasn’t thrilled about being stood up, but considering the person genuinely couldn’t get away and had been very sincere about it, she couldn’t say much. She just looked worried. “Seems like they’re sending a male photographer instead.”

Someone quickly reassured her, “It’s fine. Someone recommended by the senior sister should be reliable. Worst case, we can just film it with our phones.”

Little Mei nodded. She handed Lin Linya the outfit they had prepared beforehand.

“Yaya, take a break first. This afternoon, change into the filming clothes we prepared for you. We should be able to wrap up the shoot in an afternoon.”

Lin Linya opened the package. It wasn’t anything too strange—a basic set of a white dress shirt and black suit trousers.

Little Mei gave a mysterious grin and handed him another bag of clothes.

But this time, it wasn’t a transparent package; it was a paper bag. “This is also for the shoot. It’s borrowed, but it’s been dry-cleaned and sanitized. Don’t worry.”

Lin Linya looked down to see the same black and white color scheme. He pulled it out. It was actually a butler outfit with an apron.

Although it was a butler outfit, the skirt was just longer and fuller than a maid’s dress. On Lin Linya, it should perfectly reveal a section of his slender ankle.

The white apron was silk, gleaming with a silvery luster. The quality was leagues better than those disposable, borderline NSFW costumes influencers buy online. You could tell the girls had put a lot of thought into it.

Little Mei beamed. “So? Do you like it, Baby! We picked it out special for you!”

Lin Linya blinked, confused. “It’s really pretty… but it feels kinda weird.”

Little Mei sighed in relief, seeing he didn’t show strong resistance. “We voted internally all night for this. When you wear it and hold up some signs later, you’ll charm millions of male… I mean, female university students to death.”

Little Mei corrected herself just in time.

Lin Linya, “…”

He didn’t quite understand, but a pretty sister surely had her reasons.

“I can’t believe we actually get to see Baby Ya in person today! He’s really so pretty, and his eyelashes are so long. Wuwuwu.”

“He blushed when he greeted us earlier, right? How can he be so easily shy? So pure. Forget guys, even I like him.”

“His legs are so long, longer than my lifespan! And his eyes are so round, like a little kitten.”

The girls, who had been whispering among themselves, all nodded eagerly when they heard Little Mei’s comment.

One of them spoke up and cautiously suggested, “Should we try it on first…?”

Lu Qingyuan finished his morning military training. He didn’t want to join the cafeteria rush anyway. After returning to his dorm to shower, change, and grab his camera, he headed straight for the New Media Studio.

He stood at the door, took a deep breath, and knocked. But no one came to open it for a long time. He couldn’t help but feel irritated.

He was someone who hated trouble. Joining a club was only because his roommate had pestered him endlessly. He just hadn’t expected S University’s Photography Club to be so busy. A newbie, barely learning anything, and they already assigned him work.

He knocked heavily twice more. Just as he was considering whether to just turn around and leave or call to ask, the door suddenly opened. A little head peeked out.

The beautiful youth had his hands behind his back. The collar of the black butler outfit was buttoned all the way up, revealing a slender section of neck whiter than snow. The apron even had pure white scalloped edges. His shoulders were narrower than most girls’, exceptionally innocent and pure.

Yet on that face was a tiny black mole, making him irresistibly alluring.

The beautiful youth who had sat quietly on the stage, singing while playing guitar, and who afterward had only ever appeared in his dreams, now gazed at him with soft, curious eyes. His gaze lowered, stopping at the camera hanging on his chest. “Hello, are you the photographer for today?”

Lu Qingyuan’s heart hammered twice. His heartbeat felt as loud as the buzzing cicadas.

He was just a teenager, barely an adult. How aloof could he really be? His mind was a complete mess, his language system malfunctioning for a long while.

His head was filled with those occasionally recommended thirst trap videos—people in butler outfits, sticking out their tongues, licking their fingers. Back then, even though Lu Qingyuan knew he liked guys, he’d felt nothing.

It wasn’t that he felt nothing. It was just that none of them were as good-looking as the one before him. And finally, he understood.

The highest form of provocation wasn’t acting alluring on camera. It was simply standing there quietly, with an innocent expression, yet causing improper thoughts to bubble up in others’ minds, one after another.