CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: ANOTHER HIDDEN MISSION

The crowd scattered like startled birds, leaving Yun Bing standing alone, staring blankly in the direction Xia Liang had driven off.

I’ve been ignored?

For the first time, Yun Bing doubted his own charm. From being rejected when he asked for her contact information to Xia Liang driving away, she had only glanced at him twice from beginning to end. Her tone had been indifferent; one might even say she had ignored him completely. It was just like how he treated his own pursuers.

Indeed, the old saying is true: what goes around, comes around. The heavens spare no one.

Watching Xia Liang’s car disappear, Yun Bing stamped his foot in frustration.

"How dare she ignore me! No one has ever had the audacity to do that to me since I was young! Humph! I’ll remember you!"

After saying his piece, he turned and left.

「Meanwhile」

Xia Liang, who had driven off, had no idea she had earned someone’s resentment. Of course, even if she knew, she wouldn’t have cared. After dinner, she returned to her villa; it was already 10 PM.

There weren’t many days left in this month’s task to earn Work Points, so Xia Liang needed to hurry up and stream more to activate hidden tasks. In less than a minute, her stream’s popularity had already broken through several hundred thousand viewers. This was particularly impressive given that she was an unsigned Anchor with no recommendations whatsoever.

[Is the dog anchor live streaming again?]

[What does the Anchor plan to perform today?]

[Keep on with the live practice sessions! I missed the last class! I want to catch up this time!]

[Without Susu, I don’t know what to watch.]

...

Xia Liang picked a few questions from the flood of comments to answer. As for those asking her to perform a talent, she wouldn’t say a word unless they first sent Rockets to activate a hidden task.

Just then, two Rockets shot up, accompanied by a comment.

[Anchor, my girlfriend got mad at me today. She blocked me just because of a cup of milk tea. What should I do?]

Seeing this, Xia Liang perked up. Ignoring the other comments, she began to speak.

"To the viewer Ximen Official, I’ve seen your question. Are you free to join a voice chat? If you are, we can discuss your problem live, and I’ll help you solve it."

[I’m free!]

Getting the affirmative reply, Xia Liang sent a voice chat invitation to the viewer "Ximen Official." The other party accepted in less than a second, and a slightly nervous voice came through the line.

"Anchor? Can you hear me?"

Sensing the man’s nervousness, Xia Liang softened her tone encouragingly.

"I can hear you. Take it easy, no need to be nervous. May I ask your name?"

The man on the other end took two deep breaths to calm himself before speaking.

"My name is Zhang Peng. I’m a college student in Magic Capital."

Seeing that he had relaxed considerably, Xia Liang began to ask about the matter at hand.

"Alright, Zhang Peng, you mentioned your girlfriend blocked you over a cup of milk tea. There must be a reason for that; would you mind telling me what happened?"

Zhang Peng didn’t waste any words and began to narrate the entire incident.

"It’s like this. Yesterday, I saw her post on Moments titled ’The First Milk Tea of Autumn.’ I kept it in mind, and the next day, as soon as she got off work, I went to find her with a milk tea in hand. But when she took it, instead of being happy, she accused me of not understanding ’the sense of ritual.’ We had a big fight, she ran off, and then she blocked me on all her messaging apps. I’ve been thinking about it since noon, trying to figure out where I went wrong and what I can do to earn her forgiveness."

After hearing Zhang Peng’s story, Xia Liang fell silent for a moment, but the stream’s comment section exploded.

[!!! Exactly! My girlfriend is ignoring me now for the same reason!]

[Same question for the Anchor, how do we solve this problem?]

[Hahahaha! I’m glad I understood what my girlfriend meant yesterday, otherwise I’d be in the same boat as you guys!]

[That’s right! At first, I thought the same thing as Zhang Peng, that my girlfriend just wanted milk tea. Luckily, I was clever enough to search online and finally understood the ’sense of ritual’ she wanted.]

[Stop beating around the bush up there! What the heck is this ’sense of ritual’?]

[Let me explain. When you saw the post, did you happen to overlook the picture below it? The one showing a 52-yuan transfer?]

[So what? She wanted milk tea, right? Just buy it for her, problem solved!]

[See! That’s such a dense guy’s way of thinking! Do you think we want the milk tea? We want the sense of ritual! We want the 52-yuan red packet!]

[That’s right! Do you know why the autumn milk tea has to be 52 yuan? Because 13+14+5+20 = 52, which doesn’t just represent a cup of milk tea, it represents ’I’ll love you for a lifetime.’]

[Ohhh! So that’s how it is!]

[I’ve learned my lesson. I’m going to send the transfer right now!]

Watching the comments scroll by, Xia Liang’s eyes widened in shock. What the hell is this bullshit logic? Just as she was about to say something, the System’s voice suddenly sounded in her head.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Anchor for unlocking the hidden mission: Correction.

Mission Description: Please correct the misguided views of some audience members in the stream.

Mission Reward: 50 Work Points, one Five-Million Global Shopping Card.]

Seeing the mission reward, Xia Liang’s expression turned serious.

At that moment, Zhang Peng had also seen the comments and finally understood why his girlfriend had blocked him. He immediately spoke up.

"I know where I went wrong, Anchor! I’m going to Alipay to send her the transfer right now!"

Hearing Zhang Peng’s words, Xia Liang hurriedly cut in.

"Wait!"

Her sudden exclamation clearly startled everyone in the stream. Zhang Peng asked cautiously, "Anchor, is there anything else? I already know my mistake."

Xia Liang took a deep breath and asked in an exceedingly calm tone, "Yes, you’re wrong. But do you actually know where you went wrong?"

Zhang Peng was taken aback. "Isn’t it because I didn’t send the red packet?" he asked, completely baffled.

"Wrong! Completely and utterly wrong! Your mistake is that you finally did something right, but now you’re about to turn it into something wrong!"

?????

...

When Xia Liang said this, everyone in the stream was stunned. Ignoring the bewildered Zhang Peng, she continued with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

"The First Milk Tea of Autumn? Why don’t you ask for the First Incense of the Qingming Festival while you’re at it? What, are you girls complaining there aren’t enough holidays? Singles’ Day and Double Twelve were bad enough, but now you’re going after the 24 solar terms? If this keeps up, by winter it’ll be ’the first pair of long johns of winter.’ Well, I want ’the first pack of Huazi of autumn.’ Why don’t you send that over?"

Her words plunged the entire stream into a brief silence, which was immediately followed by an uproar.

[Hahahaha! The Anchor is truly an explosive character! Goddamn, ’the first incense of Qingming Festival!’]

[I honestly thought this Anchor would side with those marketing accounts! I was so wrong! Say no more! I support you!]