Chapter 13 Who will comfort the beasts of burden earning a monthly salary of four thousand...?
Ignoring the astonished jaws of everyone present, Gu Mingyan gestured to the staff carrying the ingredients: "Put them all on the dining table."
The staff were well-trained and efficiently laid out the obviously expensive food boxes at the other end of the long dining table.
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Steamed Grouper, French Foie Gras...
An enticing aroma instantly filled the entire restaurant.
[I admit I raised my voice just now. Gu Mingyan never intended to freeload; she just completely outmaneuvered me.]
[The table is full of delicious dishes. Did Gu Mingyan bring over the Manchu Han Imperial Feast?]
I roughly counted these dishes and realized they would cost me a year's salary. I'm so touched.
The helicopter and the deliveryman arrived quickly and left just as fast. After setting out the food, they politely took their leave, leaving behind a lingering fragrance and a group of dumbfounded guests.
Gu Mingyan pulled Yun Qingqing along and sat down at the end where the lavish feast was laid out, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.
Looking at the table full of delicacies, Yun Qingqing couldn't help but swallow hard: "This is too lavish!"
In contrast, the dishes prepared by the guests themselves at the other end of the long table, which looked rather pathetic, appeared incredibly shabby.
Originally, everyone could barely stomach the fruits of their labor. But now, faced with the enticing aromas wafting from next door, they suddenly found it hard to swallow.
Meng Xian held her chopsticks, absentmindedly picking at the rice in her bowl, finding it tasteless.
Ding Manni forced a stiff smile: "Xianxian, the stir-fried vegetables you made are really good, not oily or greasy, and cooked just right."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Yun Qingqing's voice from the other end of the table: "Is this the Australian lobster? It's huge! The meat is so bouncy and chewy!"
"..." Ding Manni forced down her food and spoke again, "This cold shredded vegetable salad is also refreshing, sweet and sour, and appetizing..."
After she finished speaking, Yun Qingqing let out a satisfied sigh: "Mmm, how come this fish called East Star Grouper is so tender, and it doesn't have any fishy smell at all, only a fresh and sweet taste!"
Ding Manni shut her mouth, forcing herself to focus her attention on the mushroom soup in front of her.
Yun Qingqing was so engrossed in eating that she forgot herself and was still vividly describing it: "Mingyan, you actually ordered a chocolate cake! The filling is so rich and creamy..."
"Clatter".
Ding Manni finally lost her temper and put her chopsticks on the table.
She asked Yun Qingqing irritably, "If you're going to eat, can you please stop listing the dishes?"
Yun gently lifted her greasy little mouth and innocently apologized, "I'm sorry, this Australian lobster, grouper, molten chocolate, crab roe tofu, stir-fried double crisp, braised pork belly with tofu skin... it's just so delicious, I can't help but praise it."
Ding Manni, who was forced to hear the name of the dish again, was speechless.
Ji Sihan, who was standing to the side, had been eagerly waiting for the dishes. When he heard Yun Qingqing announce the names of the dishes, he felt his mouth watering.
He stared longingly at the lavish feast on the table, then glanced at the dark, unappetizing eggplant in front of him. Finally, unable to resist the temptation, he shamelessly leaned over and asked, "Um, Mingyan, Qingqing, may I try a bite of your food?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Qingqing turned her head and looked at Gu Mingyan with a questioning gaze.
Gu Mingyan looked up, first moving the two dishes that Yun Qingqing had been picking at most in front of her, then slowly nodded: "Okay."
Yun Qingqing understood her meaning: "Anyway, we've ordered too much, and Mingyan and I can't finish it all. Let's all eat together to avoid waste."
Ji Sihan was the first to cheer and grab his chopsticks.
Nan Xu and Yu Ran glanced at the delicacies, then decisively abandoned their own dishes and gratefully reached out with their chopsticks to pick them up.
Yun Qingqing looked at the crowd that had gathered around her, and suddenly smiled sweetly at Gu Mingyan: "Thank you for your gift, Miss Gu!"
"?" Gu Mingyan looked at her in confusion. "Why are you suddenly being so polite with me?"
Nan Xu was the first to react, and he imitated her, saying, "Thank you, Teacher Gu."
Ji Sihan and Yu Ran quickly followed: "Thank you, Miss Gu! You are beautiful inside and out!"
Someone in the live chat couldn't help but say:
Suddenly I realize Gu Mingyan is actually a pretty good person, just a bit arrogant, but not as fierce as the rumors online make her out to be.
[Yes, and she spoils Yun Qingqing so much, she even brings out Qingqing's favorite foods first.]
[Ignoring her involvement in Ye Jinyan and Meng Xian's relationship, she is indeed a good friend.]
...
Meng Xian looked at the crowd that had originally surrounded her, now all huddled around Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing, and suddenly found the scene incredibly jarring.
In the past, whenever she and Gu Mingyan appeared in the same place, she could easily become the focus of everyone's attention, making the arrogant Gu Mingyan pale in comparison.
But ever since Yun Qingqing came into Gu Mingyan's life, everything seems to have changed.
This feeling of being ignored and marginalized was both unfamiliar and painful to her.
"Teacher Meng, aren't you going to eat something?" Ji Sihan noticed Meng Xian's stiff expression and asked.
Meng Xian suddenly came to her senses, smiled and said, "I'm a vegetarian, I don't touch meat."
Yun, who was engrossed in eating, looked up upon hearing this, said "Oh," and pushed the plate of fried shrimp closest to Meng Xian and Ding Manni away a little.
Her movements were careful and her posture respectful, as if she were afraid that the meat dish would offend the vegetarians' austerity.
Ding Manni had originally planned to sneak a shrimp to taste while no one was looking. But now, Yun Qing's gentle push sent the fried shrimp far beyond her reach.
Ding Manni could only force her gaze away from the plump, bright red shrimp, pretending that nothing had happened, and frantically shovel the few pieces of already cold green vegetables in her bowl.
Meng Xian and Ding Manni ate their meal without tasting it.
After hurriedly finishing their meal, the two felt even hungrier.
In the afternoon, the program team arranged a group competition.
Having eaten their fill, everyone except Meng Xian, Ding Manni, and Jiang Mingqian was full of energy and enthusiasm.
The final result was no surprise; Yunqingqing's team won the afternoon's competition with an absolute advantage.
In the evening, Yun Qingqing and Gu Mingyan lay side by side on comfortable single sofa chairs, each with a face mask on, watching a movie together in the media room.
Just as things were getting exciting, there was a rhythmic knocking at the door.
Gu Mingyan frowned slightly, showing some displeasure at being interrupted.
Yun Qingqing also looked towards the doorway with a puzzled expression.
"Who is it?" Gu Mingyan asked impatiently.
The door was gently pushed open a crack, and Ji Sihan's head peeked in.
He was carrying a huge pile of snacks like potato chips, jelly, and beef jerky, almost reaching his chin: "Um...did I disturb you guys?"
Gu Mingyan recognized him and asked calmly, "What's wrong?"
Ji Sihan chuckled: "I ate so much delicious food from you guys at noon, so I wanted to return the favor. These snacks taste pretty good, so I'll give them to you for your midnight snack."
Gu Mingyan said bluntly, "No need, I never eat snacks."
She has never understood or cared about the intricacies of human relationships, and although her words were not malicious, her rejection was quite blunt.
Ji Sihan, holding the snacks, looked slightly embarrassed.
Fortunately, he has always been easygoing and quickly forgot about the incident, laughing it off and saying, "Alright then, I won't bother you any longer."
Gu Mingyan was about to continue watching the movie when she happened to glance at Yun Qingqing next to her, staring longingly at the pile of snacks.
Gu Mingyan paused, her words of dismissal hanging in the balance: "You want to eat?"
Yun nodded repeatedly, her voice light and hurried.
She really wanted to eat it.
The snacks Ji Sihan gave her were all brands she had longed for but couldn't bring herself to buy. Yun Qingqing only glanced at them before her mouth watered.
However, she also knew that Ji Sihan was giving the snacks to Gu Mingyan in return for her lunch treat. Gu Mingyan herself had clearly stated that she wouldn't eat them, so she couldn't just offer to accept them on Gu Mingyan's behalf.
Gu Mingyan glanced at Yun Qingqing, who was staring longingly at the snacks, and held out her hand to Ji Sihan: "Give them to us."
Ji Sihan paused for a moment, then realized what was happening and quickly walked in, clutching the snacks.
Watching his actions, Gu Mingyan added softly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, you're welcome!" Ji Sihan knew that Miss Gu was notoriously spoiled, so he was flattered and quickly placed the pile of snacks he was carrying on the coffee table in front of them.
Yun Qingqing's gaze immediately followed the movement of the snacks until they landed safely.
It was then that she noticed a black sports bandage wrapped around Ji Sihan's wrist. She wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't walked closer.
"What happened to your hand?" Yun asked casually.
Mentioning this, a hint of melancholy flashed in Ji Sihan's eyes. He forced a smile and said, "It's an old injury. I used to play e-sports too hard and ruined my hand. Now it hurts terribly at night or on rainy days, and I have to wear this on to feel a little better."
Many of his viewers were longtime esports fans, and upon hearing this, they couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
[Sobbing, it reminds me of the days when Han Shen's hand speed was at its peak, it's so frustrating!]
If it weren't for his hand injury, Ji Sihan might still be competing on the court right now.
[There's no way around it, in esports, being bad is the original sin. Regardless of whether he had a hand injury or not, it's a fact that Ji Sihan dragged the team down in the late game.]
Sigh, hearing Ji Sihan talk about these things so casually only makes me feel worse. He's never truly let go of it, has he?
Yun Qingqing looked at the layers of bandages on Ji Sihan's wrist and remembered that he was once the most dazzling world champion in the e-sports circle. He reached the peak at a young age, but was forced to retire early due to injuries and the pressure of public opinion.
She had barely shown a hint of regret when she heard the other person sigh again: "Now I can only barely make a living by live streaming. A single live stream only earns me seven figures, which is less than a fraction of the prize money I used to get from playing matches. Things are really different now."
The sympathy on Yun Qingqing's face vanished instantly.
—A seven-figure sum for a single live stream, you must be feeling really bad about it.
After finishing his reflections, Ji Sihan stopped talking.
Based on his past experience, whenever he mentioned his hand injury and retirement, people would invariably show regret and offer weak words of comfort such as "What a pity" and "Take care."
He was already used to this and didn't want to gain public sympathy by playing the victim.
As a result, when Ji Sihan looked up, he found that even Miss Gu, who never looked at people directly, was moved and frowned, while Yun Qingqing remained expressionless and stared at him with dead fish eyes.
Ji Sihan: "?"
He couldn't help but ask, "Don't you have anything to say?"
Yun slightly tugged at the corners of her mouth, responding with a cold smile: "Heh."
Ji Sihan: "??"
The system inside her head couldn't help but rebuke her: [Host! You have absolutely no empathy! They're in such a terrible situation, and you don't even have a shred of reaction?]
Yun Qingqing rolled her eyes silently: "I'm trying to comfort him, but who's going to comfort me who only makes 4,000 a month and is treated like a donkey by my boss? I only get seven figures for a single live stream. It's making me so angry I could punch myself."
The system quickly calculated and found that, based on the host's previous salary, it would take more than twenty years of not eating or drinking to earn the same amount as someone else's earnings from a single live stream.
"...Suddenly I feel you're more pitiful," the system said guiltily.
Instead of feeling healed by the system's recognition, Yun Qingqing felt even more heartbroken.
But she quickly cheered up and asked Ji Sihan, "By the way, what's your game ID again?"
The topic shifted a bit abruptly, and Ji Sihan paused for a moment before saying, "Apex."
“Apex…” Yun repeated softly, then revealed an unusually sweet smile, “Okay, I’ll remember! From now on, when I bet on matches, I’ll put all my money on your team.”
Ji Sihan's eyes suddenly lit up: "You think I can return to the competition?... You believe I can still win?"
"Of course!" Yun answered softly and decisively.
She is not the same person she was yesterday. She may have been exploited by her boss, but now she is a woman who holds the script in her hands!
She knew that Ji Sihan would not only overcome his hand injury and return to the competition, but would also lead the team to win several championships. Betting on Ji Sihan before the competition would be an excellent opportunity to make money by causing an upset!
Ji Sihan was completely unaware of Yun Qingqing's meticulous considerations; he only felt greatly encouraged by Yun Qingqing's unreserved trust.
He excitedly grabbed Yun Qingqing's hand, his voice choked with emotion: "Thank you for believing in me so much! I will definitely try my best!"
Looking at this promising young man who was about to bring her immense wealth, Yun Qingqing sincerely grasped his hand in return: "Go for it! I believe in you!"
The two held hands and looked at each other with tears in their eyes, creating an unexpectedly touching scene.
A note from the author:
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