Chapter 52: First Pot of Gold |
Over the past month, Lin Zhengran didn’t split his time evenly between Han Wenwen and Jiang Xueli.
He spent about four days a week with the little fox, while the remaining three days were with Jiang Xueli. After all, Han Wenwen was just getting started in the gaming scene and had a lot to learn.
As for He Qing, they mostly just chatted over the phone at night—he didn’t really spend time with her.
But as the saying goes, hard work pays off.
Han Wenwen’s gaming skills finally progressed from being unable to beat AI bots to dominating casual matches, and eventually, she started climbing the ranked ladder. In just one month, under Lin Zhengran’s guidance, she had already reached the Emerald rank.
In the ten-player battle royale ranking system, the divisions were Iron, Bronze, Silver, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Master, Transcendent, and King.
Beyond King, there was an exclusive peak region, a battlefield where top-tier streamers gathered, making it the most entertaining place for high-level random matchmaking.
Although Han Wenwen wasn’t skilled enough to enter that peak region yet, reaching Emerald in just one month was already impressive.
Lin Zhengran instructed her to create a video account.
As he finished speaking, he looked at the highly charismatic Han Wenwen sitting beside him and realized he didn’t even need to explain this to her.
Han Wenwen set up the account and sat at the desk. "So next, I just edit a few clips, add some voiceovers, and upload them?"
Lin Zhengran nodded. "Streaming takes time to build up. Even the best streamers need consistency to grow their audience. For now, just focus on short videos to build a following. Once you have a solid fan base, you can transition into live streaming."
Han Wenwen hummed in agreement and began recording voiceovers under his supervision.
While she wasn’t much of a singer, her voice was naturally alluring and playful.
After listening to a few clips, Lin Zhengran was certain—this little fox was bound to blow up.
Making money was only a matter of time.
As they chatted, Lin Xiaoli knocked on the door and walked in, holding two glasses of freshly squeezed juice.
"Xiao Wenwen, Ranran, I made some juice for you two. Try it and tell me how it tastes."
Being incredibly socially adept, Han Wenwen immediately stood up to accept the drink.
To her, gaming was important, but getting Lin Zhengran’s parents to like her was even more important.
"Thank you, Auntie. I really appreciate your hospitality these past few weeks."
Lin Xiaoli smiled and handed her the drink. "Oh, not at all! Your uncle and I love having you over. By the way, Xiao Wenwen, which face mask did you recommend last time?"
"Oh! The one I used before! Let me find it for you."
Han Wenwen set down the juice and pulled out her phone, eagerly discussing beauty products with Lin Xiaoli.
Lin Zhengran, sitting on the side, found himself completely ignored.
Why are they suddenly talking about skincare?
Han Wenwen lightly held Lin Xiaoli’s arm and sweet-talked, "Auntie, you’re already gorgeous with great skin. If you take just a little extra care, you’ll be absolutely stunning..."
Lin Xiaoli shyly covered her face. "Xiao Wenwen, you’re too good at flattery! That mask you gave me last time worked wonders—your uncle even complimented my skin!"
Lin Zhengran sighed internally. This fox really had a natural talent for charming elders.
Thinking back, he realized that although his mother had known He Qing and Jiang Xueli for a long time, she had only occasionally asked, "Why haven’t they come over to play lately?"
But in contrast, ever since Han Wenwen started visiting, his mother had asked him at least ten times:
"Why hasn’t Xiao Wenwen come over to play games?" "She hasn’t been here for a few days, and I actually kind of miss her." "Did you notice, my skin looks better lately?"
At this point, they had practically become best friends despite the age gap.
On Jiang Xueli’s side, nothing particularly eventful had happened. She had been focused on practicing her singing, though there weren’t many performance opportunities in their small town.
Most of the time, when Lin Zhengran visited her house for lessons, he ended up just catching up on sleep instead.
He’d lie on her bed, listening to her play guitar and sing.
"Big dummy, how was my practice just now?"
Lin Zhengran rolled over and tugged the blanket closer.
Jiang Xueli blushed and huffed, "Are you using my place as a hotel?!"
Lin Zhengran finally responded, "Relax, I wasn’t ignoring you. You’ve improved a lot lately. But right now, we’re still in the preparation phase—we need a small breakthrough opportunity before you can stand out. Until then, just focus on mastering what I’ve already taught you."
Jiang Xueli pouted and playfully punched his back. "That’s such a lazy answer! When are you going to teach me something new?"
"When you get into an actual competition. Now stop distracting me and keep practicing—I’m taking a nap."
Jiang Xueli huffed again but continued playing her guitar, thinking to herself, Ugh, now I’ll have to sleep on the same blanket he used again tonight.
She smiled as she strummed.
"Big dummy, so annoying~ I don’t get what’s so special about my bed, but he always naps here."
That morning, Han Wenwen logged into the app’s backend and was shocked—her videos had suddenly gained a ton of comments!
Just a few days ago, there had barely been any activity. But today, the platform’s algorithm seemed to have boosted her content to the homepage. Likes and follows were pouring in nonstop.
She scrolled through the comments:
[Is this really her voice?!]
[Whoa, a girl with gaming skills this good? And her voice is so nice! Followed.]
[When’s the live stream? This has to be a voice changer, right? I bet she’s actually a guy.]
[This video is hilarious! Take my donation—I love it. More content, please! I wanna be an OG fan!]
Within a single night, she had gained over 4,000 new followers, bringing her total past 5,000!
Han Wenwen checked her earnings from donations and video plays.
She sat on her bed, eyes wide, counting out loud:
"1,613 yuan! Almost 2,000! That’s more than I made working seven or eight part-time jobs before!"
Beaming with excitement, she immediately called Lin Zhengran to share the good news.
Then, she invited him to dinner. "Lin Zhengran, I can finally pay you back for that hotpot! Let’s clear my debt today!"
She jumped out of bed and started changing. "I’ll go buy ingredients now. Come over tonight—I wanna celebrate!"
There was no reason to turn down a dinner invitation from the fox.
After all, the system recognized this as a golden opportunity.
That night, Han Wenwen bought a feast—beef, lamb, tripe, and even two cans of beer.
Lin Zhengran raised an eyebrow. "The extra food is one thing, but why the beer?"
Han Wenwen grinned. "I’m just a little happy today. I’ll only have a tiny bit. Besides, you’re here to watch over me, right?"
Seeing how excited she was, Lin Zhengran didn’t argue.
As they ate hotpot, Han Wenwen happily recounted the moment she saw her earnings and the comments that made her laugh.
But after finishing just one can of beer, her cheeks were already flushed, and she was getting a little tipsy.
Then, out of nowhere, she started saying things unrelated to today’s success:
"Lin Zhengran, you know... The happiest times in my life were, first, when I met Xiao Qingqing… and second, this summer, when you helped me make money."
"It’s just 1,600 yuan. Also, why are you clinging to my arm? Are you really drunk off one can?"
Han Wenwen rested her head on his shoulder, her expression hazy.
"I’m not just happy about the money… The most important thing is that, when I was at my lowest, you were the one who pulled me up. You’ve always been there for me."
Her voice softened as she closed her eyes.
"But... school is starting soon… and then I’ll have to help Xiao Qingqing chase after you again."
Lin Zhengran glanced down. She had already fallen asleep, still clutching his arm.
He sighed and continued eating his hotpot, deciding not to disturb her.
But just when he thought she was truly asleep, Han Wenwen quietly opened her eyes a little.
Her pupils trembled, and she clutched his arm even tighter.
Lin Zhengran... I kind of don’t want to give you to anyone else.