CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: FIGHT TO THE DEATH!

"Agree with the comment above! Forget the ’first cup of milk tea in autumn,’ how about the first incense stick for Qingming Festival?"

"Anyone want the first incense stick for Qingming Festival?"

"First incense stick of Qingming floating by~"

...

In an instant, the entire livestream was dominated by comments about the "first incense stick of Qingming." Yet, amidst the dense barrage of messages, Xia Liang still noticed some that were different.

"How can this Anchor talk like that! She’s your girlfriend; even if she’s being unreasonable, what’s wrong with indulging her a bit?"

"Exactly. If you don’t indulge her, someone else will. The commenters above are probably all single losers, huh."

"Confirmed straight guy. And to think someone in the chat called you a master pick-up artist. No wonder you’re still single, despite all your talents."

As these comments streamed past, Xia Liang was both angered and amused.

"Indulge her? You think your girlfriend should just be indulged no matter what? It’s because of idiots like you that they’re getting more and more out of hand! Tell me, what did Zhang Peng do wrong? He just didn’t send a red packet, right? Wasn’t his girlfriend’s goal to drink the ’first cup of milk tea in autumn’? Didn’t Zhang Peng go and buy it for her? And what was the result? She didn’t even take a single sip before blocking him! You tell me, what did he do wrong?"

...

"That’s right! Exactly! I agree with the Anchor! You girls want the ’first cup of milk tea in autumn,’ so why not drink it after it’s bought for you? What, does it only taste good if you buy it yourself?"

"I agree too. It’s not wrong to indulge your girlfriend, but she should also know her limits and appreciate that I care for her."

"That’s true. I didn’t post that saying, but my boyfriend still took me to buy one, and I was really happy."

"+1"

"Heh, I feel so sorry for the girl above, having a boyfriend like that. If it were me, I would’ve dumped him long ago."

"Exactly! What we want is a sense of ceremony, a focus on details—do you get it?"

"Stop talking to these shut-in nerds; they don’t understand a damn thing! All they do is play games all day long."

Seeing this, Xia Liang felt like an ignited powder keg.

"A sense of ceremony? Details? To hell with your sense of ceremony and details! If you’re so concerned about details, why don’t you go lane against Faker? Why don’t you go date Conan?"

"Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. Another classic quote acquired!"

"Next time my girlfriend says something like this, I’ll have a comeback!"

"Fiery Anchor, online roasting Online Friends~"

...

Ignoring these comments, Xia Liang continued.

"You want milk tea? No, what you really want are red packets. I’m telling you, all you ’green tea’ types, if you want red packets, just say so directly. Why play these games? If you really wanted a drink, forget 52 milliliters, I’d buy you 520! I bet you don’t just want the first cup of milk tea in autumn; you want to become the first diabetic of the season!"

"233333~ I’m dying of laughter! The first diabetic of autumn."

"The Anchor is a true beast! A cut above the merely ruthless."

"You live and you learn! Quickly jotting this down in my little notebook."

"That was so damn satisfying! Say no more! Sending a rocket your way!"

"Dangler has sent a rocket in the ’Most Explosive Emotions Anchor, Fragile Hearts Beware’ livestream! Everyone, come and grab the treasure chest!"

In an instant, a flurry of gifts swept through the livestream. Xia Liang received five rockets, and a fresh wave of viewers flooded into the channel.

Those who were initially talking about "details" and a "sense of ceremony" didn’t know how to rebut Xia Liang anymore. They could only dig their heels in and continue typing.

"Straight guy. Hope you stay single for life."

"What a scumbag. Not even willing to buy his girlfriend a cup of milk tea. What good is a man like that?"

"Exactly! Girls, keep your eyes peeled. You must never end up with a man like this."

"Pfft!"

Xia Liang laughed out loud at their comments, his face a mask of utter disdain.

"Keep your eyes peeled? Never end up with a man like me? Let me tell you something! If you women ever actually met me, you’d be dying to stick to my side!"

Without waiting for them to retort, Xia Liang opened a drawer and grabbed a handful of Jade Coins.

Staring at the pile of coins, the commenters felt as sick as if they had just eaten shit.

Putting the Jade Coins back in the drawer, Xia Liang continued.

"Frankly, I should be thanking women like you for letting me off the hook. All of you, ranting about demanding 52 milliliters from your boyfriends, you probably wouldn’t even use it to buy milk tea anyway. If your boyfriend refuses, you immediately guilt-trip him, claiming he’s a ’straight guy’ who doesn’t love you anymore, comparing him to other girls’ boyfriends, and even blocking him or breaking up. Have you no shame? I’m asking you, do you have no shame at all?"

As he spoke, Xia Liang even slapped his own face in a gesture of disgust.

"This ’first cup of milk tea in autumn’ is just the latest excuse you internet beggars have cooked up. It’s nothing more than a pretext created by vain women to hold out their hands for money. For the sake of ’romance,’ why post it on your social media feed instead of sending it directly to your boyfriend? Isn’t it just so everyone else in your contacts sees it and transfers 52 milliliters to you? If one person sends 52, ten people would make it 520, and a hundred would make it 5200! On Qingming Festival, I don’t see any of you asking for paper money, candles, and incense, do I? If people actually fall for this garbage, then believe me, when winter comes, the ’first pair of thermal leggings in winter’ I mentioned earlier will become a reality."

"Whew—"

Having said so much in one breath, even Xia Liang, with his impressive lung capacity, had to take a few deep breaths to recover.

"I agree with the Anchor! I’m a woman too, and I hate those who use the ’first cup of milk tea in autumn’ trend, leveraging their boyfriend’s affection as a chip to get something for nothing."

"Right? If you want a drink, can’t you buy it yourself? Why are you begging on your social media feed like a hobo? It’s just like the Anchor said, if you didn’t pull this stunt, I’d gladly buy you a milk tea that costs a hundred!"

"Exactly, why follow the trend? Does it not taste as good if you buy it yourself? You can drink it whenever you want that way. Aren’t you sick of drinking so much? Honestly, it’s just an excuse for girls to break up. I’m a normal girl, and I can’t stand it. Maybe it’s because I’m a straight woman."

Seeing the tide of opinion in the chat turn, Xia Liang breathed a sigh of relief, his voice softening considerably.

"If one dog starts barking in a village, all the other dogs will join in, even if they don’t know why. I want to use this opportunity to warn those in the livestream who blindly follow trends. People who just follow the pack are easily manipulated into spending money. They want you to think, ’It’s a special occasion, so it’s okay if it’s a bit expensive. My girlfriend wants it, so I’ll just put up with it.’ In reality, that’s exactly how they want you to think. You’re walking right into a trap and telling yourself it’s no big deal. If this trend isn’t stopped, trust me, it won’t be long before we see ’the first pair of thermal leggings in winter,’ ’the first LV bag in spring,’ and ’the first Chanel lipstick in summer.’"

"Absolutely! We must resist this trend!"

"The Anchor’s values are spot on! Followed!"

"Anchor 666!"