CH 60

Before the livestream, the staff had informed the guests that there would be a game segment to liven up the atmosphere. After all, a livestream couldn't be edited, and it would be boring if they just sat and talked throughout the entire process.

The script didn't mention the specific game, so the guests casually asked about it. The staff simply mentioned that it would be a simple game.

Now that the livestream had started, the host informed them that it was a game to strengthen the bond between couples. However, something felt off.

As the oldest guest, Qiu Hong was the first to ask, "What kind of game is it? Can you give us a hint?"

The host reassured them, "It's a simple game that doesn't require much thinking."

Qiu Hong frowned and raised his voice, "Why do you emphasize that it doesn't require thinking? Do I look like someone who's not suitable for games that require thinking?"

His wife, Chen Zitong, didn't give him face and retorted, "If they didn't point it out, why would you assume that? Don't embarrass yourself."

Qiu Hong instantly deflated.

Wen Li recalled the previous episodes when she went to Rong City to record a show. They also had a game segment in Rong City that didn't require thinking, relying solely on luck. As a result, she ended up making headlines in the traffic news and losing face. So, she worried that this time it might be another luck-based game.

She would rather participate in a game that required thinking.

Curious, Wen Li leaned over and asked, "How many people are watching the livestream right now?"

"Huh?" The host looked at the staff member, "How many people are currently watching the livestream?"

The staff member gestured a number.

"Over ten million?" The host turned to Wen Li and said, "There are over ten million viewers in the livestream right now."

"So many?!" Wen Li exclaimed.

"It's not bad. We just started the livestream, so the number of viewers will only increase. It will definitely be much higher than my usual sales livestreams, especially since all of you are here as guests today," the host modestly waved his hand.

If they lost the game, they would be embarrassing themselves in front of over ten million people -- it would become a hot topic in no time.

Wen Li, driven by her strong desire to win, instantly became determined. She solemnly patted Song Yan's thigh and said, "Let's go, we can't lose."

Song Yan was still in a state of confusion about what exactly a sales livestream was. When he heard the host mention another game, he just hoped it wouldn't be related to transport.

There were many guests in the livestream today, so the venue was spacious. To ensure a good livestreaming effect, professional high-definition equipment was used. Unlike on a phone, they couldn't see the barrage in real-time, so the host and guests couldn't see the audience's feedback.

「The focus of this game is to strengthen the bond between couples, not winning or losing! Wen Sanli, understand the main point!」

「Look at the confused expression on her face. Hilarious!」

「Is luck more important than using your brain? Then we can rely on Brother Hong to be the European Emperor.」

The barrage of comments flew by. The staff responsible for monitoring the barrage of comments would switch camera angles based on the on its content.

The staff had already arranged everything, so the host asked all the guests to stand and take their places.

"Our first mini-game is related to the first product that will be launched today, which is our Kuanfeng tissue. It's a well-known old brand that 80s, 90s, and 2000s generations have been using since childhood. The one we have in our livestream today is a limited anniversary edition of the Kuanfeng tissue, made from 100% natural plant fiber as raw material, with a natural wood color, 150 sheets, four layers, extra thick, and no price increase."

Even selling tissue can be described so extravagantly, truly a skilled sales host.

The host continued to introduce the product very professionally, "It's incredibly soft and gentle on the skin, doesn't easily tear when wet, and is completely safe for babies to use. Alright, now let's put the Kuanfeng tissue to the test in our livestream and see if it's truly soft and tear-resistant. We will have our guests use the Kuanfeng tissue as a prop for our first mini-game—the tissue-passing game!"

The barrage instantly filled the screen with question marks and "ahhhs".

The tissue-passing game is similar to other games like passing water with paper cups or passing playing cards. One person holds or sucks the game prop with their mouth and the other person catches it with their mouth. The team that completes the most passes within the given time wins. This game doesn't require much skill but has remained a classic game segment in various variety shows.

The reason is simple: the audience isn't really watching the game or concerned about which team wins or loses. The focus of the game lies in who fails to catch the prop properly or accidentally bumps their mouth against the other person's. Whether it's a same-sex or opposite-sex accidental encounter, if the program already hints at a clear couple pairing or there's a slight hint of romance, having two guests experience such an accident deliberately can greatly enhance the program's effect and generate buzz.

This game has its pros and cons. The advantage lies in its potential for generating buzz and its strong entertainment value. If the guests can handle it, it can be quite fun. The disadvantage lies in exploiting this ambiguous physical contact for publicity. If the accident happens between guests who don't have a good relationship, it not only offends the guests themselves but can also spark fan conflicts.

However, for real couples, there is absolutely no downside.

「Help, I'm a loyal fan, and I love this!!」

「Let's play! If they kiss, I'll buy everything!!」

「Kuanfeng Dad is awesome! We can confidently entrust today's sales to him!」

After explaining the game rules, the host smiled and asked the guests to take their positions, "Okay, now let's have our three couples take their positions. Since Yan Jun and Qi Sihan are intern couple, they won't participate in this mini-game. I'm sure everyone understands, right?"

「We understand, we understand.」

「Ahh, what a pity, but we understand.」

「Finally, I can relax as a loyal fan.」

Yan Jun and Qi Sihan stood on the side while the other three couples were playing. It made them feel awkward and out of place.

They exchanged glances, feeling the stagnating atmosphere, with the same question in their eyes: Are you feeling awkward?

And then came the same answer from their eyes: Awkward.

It was then followed by: It's not easy for us to earn money.

The guests who weren't playing felt awkward, while those who were playing had their own thoughts. Qiu Hong was already in his thirties, and playing such an ambiguous game in front of over ten million livestream viewers, even if it was with his wife, there wouldn't be any major issues. However, he felt that it was too obvious and contradicted his strong masculine image.

Wen Li didn't think much of it. She even took a tissue and covered her lips first, inhaling and using her lips to hold it. She found the tissue to be quite soft, with just the right thickness, not easily falling apart. As long as she and Song Yan coordinated well, winning wouldn't be difficult.

The host shouted, "Start!" and the game officially began.

Within the first five seconds, an accident occurred with Qiu Hong's couple—the tissue dropped.

His wife burst into laughter and said, "You have to keep inhaling, otherwise, the tissue will fall!"

「They're getting close!!」

「Qiu Hong has a happy expression while being scolded by his wife.」

「I can't, my mouth is already stretched to my temples.」

Because of this unexpected mishap, the two of them argued over who didn't hold onto the tissue properly. Meanwhile, the other two couples took advantage of this time and quickly surpassed them in the number of tissue passes.

Later, Qiu Hong's couple started again, but Ding Lebo's couple had one of them unable to hold back their laughter, and they exhaled, blowing away the tissue from their mouth.

Now both Qiu Hong's and Ding Lebo's couple were in chaos, blaming each other. The live stream room was filled with unusually noisy arguments. The host and staff next to them were amused, trying hard to hold back their laughter.

With three minutes of game time about to pass, they looked at Song Yan and Wen Li's couple.

...They were calm, coordinated, and as steady as an old dog, as if they were in another dimension.

Wen Li held the tissue first, tilting her head back, while Song Yan lowered his head to catch the tissue from her mouth. They didn't even use their hands, leisurely hanging by their sides. One person looked up, the other looked down, and in the blink of an eye, they successfully passed a stack of tissues.

「?」

「Can someone explain to me why the Salt Grain's style is so different?」

「Help! This is the first time I've seen someone play this game so peacefully.」

「No way, are these two actually playing the game seriously?」

「They're so serious that I don't even know what to comment on.」

「Tissue, if you have any sense of justice, just drop!」

「Tissue: What the fuck can I do?!」

Three minutes passed, and the results of the game were unsurprising. Wen Li had been focused on her own game and hadn't paid attention to the others. When she saw the number of tissues the other two couples had passed, and then looked at her own and Song Yan's, her confidence skyrocketed. She casually brushed her carefully styled bangs aside and a confident smile of "The higher you are, the colder it gets" appeared on her face.

"Are any of my fans watching the livestream?" Wen Li proudly said to the camera, "Amazing, right?"

「? Amazing my foot.」

「Help! What did she grow up eating? How can she be so clueless?」

「Won the game but lost in life.」

「What are you so proud of?」

「Sanli, you've already lost, you know! The biggest loser of this game is you and Beaty, along with us pitiful Salt Grain CP fans!」

「You damn competitiveness, can't you rein it in when you should? Wouldn't it be better to sell more tissues and make more money?!」

「There's no prize for first place, do you really need to take it so seriously?」

「Beauty, why are you so slow-witted today? Did your wife's cluelessness rub off on you?!」

「Why don't you two just team up and play esports? Without you, the spirit of this game, the esports industry in our country will suffer a loss.」

The staff in charge of managing the comments barrage were almost going crazy with laughter.

Wen Li couldn't see the barrage, so she naturally had no idea that her imagination of her fans' reactions and the real reactions of her fans' were completely opposite.

Song Yan, on the other hand, could guess the fans' reactions.

He glanced at Wen Li, who had won the game, and figured that her confidence and dignity had taken a hit by the previous game segment in Rong City. Now, by winning this simple game with little skill involved, she was able to redeem herself and regain her dignity. She was beaming with pride and her invisible tail was wagging in the air.

Song Yan smiled and asked her, "Are you happy?"

Wen Li raised an eyebrow at him and replied, "En."

「You spoil her too much.」

「What does it mean to give me a candy after slapping me? Take it away! No thanks!」

「The sister above, hold on, I'll kowtow first as a sign of respect.」

The game segment was meant to liven up the atmosphere. It was fine to not take it seriously, but it was also fine to take it seriously. After the first small game segment ended, according to the script, the host was supposed to take control and move on to the next segment.

"Oh? The comments barrage is asking for another round?" the host chuckled, "Didn't you see enough in the previous round?"

They hadn't seen enough, so of course, they wanted another round.

The tissue brand people were delighted to see this, so the host invited the guests for another round, emphasizing that it was for entertainment and they didn't need to play too seriously.

The host said they could play casually, but Wen Li felt that she couldn't lose this round either. She had to win two rounds in a row to prove her skills in this game.

In this round, the passing started from Song Yan's side. As soon as the host shouted "start", Song Yan covered his mouth with the tissue and obediently bent down, indicating for Wen Li to inhale.

Just as Wen Li leaned in, she noticed that Song Yan, who had been serious in the previous round, seemed to have been persuaded by the host and was now goofing around.

The two of them were very close and Wen Li could clearly feel the short exhalations from Song Yan hitting her face.

He was secretly laughing.

When people laugh, they exhale. With his deep laughter, the tissue on his mouth undulated like waves. Wen Li was stunned by his laughter and stopped just a few centimeters away from his mouth, afraid to proceed.

In those brief seconds, Wen Li's heart was pounding unusually, and a battle raged within her. Song Yan noticed her hesitation and finally raised his hand, using one hand to cup her face and guide her towards him.

The Salt Grain CP fans in the barrage clearly noticed the difference between this game and the previous one.

「Help, Song Yan is so good!!!」

「Well done, Beauty!!!!」

「Darn it, the face-cupping and jawline-killing, the angle of that kiss, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead!」

「Sisters, get ready to take screenshots!!! We have our phone wallpapers for the next half year!!!」

「Tissue, can't you have some foresight!!!!」

「Song Yan, are you a man or not! If you are, blow the tissue away for me!!!」

Of course, Song Yan was a man, because at that moment, he actually blew the tissue away.

From the moment Wen Li heard him chuckling, she knew she couldn't rely on him. She squinted her eyes, raised her arm, and slapped her entire palm onto Song Yan's face, then pushed his face away.

Song Yan's handsome face received a slap. With the warmth of Wen Li's palm on his lips, he didn't react and remained frozen.

Wen Li sternly reprimanded him, "Take this seriously!"

Song Yan: "..."

Other guests watching: "..."

The host and all the staff: "..."

Director Yan: "@#@￥%#."

「?」

「Brother, I'm soft from being cute.」

「Wen Sanli, were you raised in steel factory?」

「This girl may have a stunning face, but she's so clueless that it's driving everyone crazy. I can't stand it anymore.」

「I accidentally shared the live stream link in my family group chat. Thanks to Sanli, I avoided social death. This CP fan is crying in anger.」

「Forget it, I already took the screenshot. The tissue can be photoshopped away. Barely usable. Damn, I'm so good at coaxing myself.」

Wen Li was oblivious to the barrage. After the game segment ended, to promote the tissues, she held a pack of tissues in her hand and sweetly addressed all the viewers in the live chat, "Our Kuanfeng tissues are truly soft, gentle on the skin, and not easily torn. Buy them!"

「Buy your own crap.」

「Thanks, but no thanks.」

「Besides Kuanfeng, are there any other tissue brands that the family members in the barrage recommend? I'm thinking of buying a few cases to stock up.」

The tissue brand people on the side: "..."

——

Wen Li only saw the trending topics about herself after the livestream ended.

#WenLiTheFirstReversePromoter#

#WenLiTheSteelStraightGirl#

#HeartbrokenForSongYan#

What does "reverse promotion" mean? Didn't the host mention before leaving that the tissues were selling out?

Slander, absolute slander.

She sat in the car, quite dissatisfied, and asked, "Which rival family bought me this negative trending topic?"

Wen Wen patiently replied, "Sister, these are genuine trending topics that your fans pushed up for you."

"..."

Wen Li had nothing to say and could only seek validation from Song Yan again.

But Song Yan completely ignored her and, with his eyes closed, said in a low voice, "Go cry to your fans."

"..."

Wen Li was struck by his cold attitude, and helplessly said, "What's wrong with you? Are you mad at me just because I slapped you during the livestream?"

"No," Song Yan opened his eyes, turned his face away, and gazed at the beautiful night scene outside the car window with a melancholic tone, "I'm just heartbroken for myself."

Wen Li recalled the trending topic #HeartbrokenForSongYan#.

She opened her mouth, wanting to laugh but restraining herself. She endured it all the way from the car to her home.

She was competitive, cared about winning or losing in the game, and besides, they had kissed privately before, so there was no need to kiss in front of tens of millions of people. They would end up on the trending topics again, embarrassing both of them. She wouldn't dare to look at Weibo for several days...

Finally, after enduring it all the way home, as soon as she entered the house and turned on the lights, Song Yan changed into slippers and walked towards the sofa. Wen Li followed behind him, looking at his back, and suddenly gathered her strength and pounced on him.

Song Yan was caught off guard by her sudden attack and stumbled forward two steps. After regaining his balance, he turned around and pinched her face, with a hint of helplessness and anger in his tone, "What are you doing?"

With Song Yan pinching her face, Wen Li didn't cry out in pain or get angry. Her voice was sweet as she said, "You're so cute."

Song Yan: "?"

"Teacher Song, you're so cute," Wen Li hugged his neck, tilted her head up, and planted a kiss on his chin, "How did I not realize how cute you are before!"

The man's face was tense, he didn't say a word, and the place where she kissed felt ticklish.

Seeing that he didn't push her away, Wen Li gathered her courage and asked, "Do you know how cute you are?"

Song Yan's Adam's apple moved slightly, he sighed, "I don't know if I'm cute or not, but I feel like I'm easy to coax."

At the same time, most of the A-D camera crew members who accompanied the chief director Yan Zhengkui to today's livestream venue had already left. However, Director Yan thought it would be safer if the guests arrived home first after the livestream, so the cameras and audio devices were left on. As a result, the A team cameramen downstairs were left behind to monitor the cameras. One of the staff members, who was eating takeout while on duty, muttered to himself.

"I think I'm going to ask for a raise."