Chapter 132

Upon hearing this news, He Guang was momentarily stunned, though a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes.

Bai Renzong understood what this meant for the man. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was not just a terminal illness; it was a form of despair, a symbol that "life would never get better." Of course, even this income would not cure He Guang, but it would at least make life a little easier for his wife and daughter.

He Guang fell into deep thought. After a long while, he asked Bai Renzong, "Can you tell me why you chose this profit-sharing model? Usually, it's either a fixed job or a fixed salary plus commission, right?"

"What you're describing is the life of an ordinary employee," Bai Renzong replied. "An employee's task is to complete the work assigned by the boss; once they finish their duties, they can slack off. Whether the company succeeds or fails has nothing to do with them. By offering you a share of the profits, I mean that you are a member of this studio. You need to be like me, using your brain to find ways to make this studio better. Just doing your assigned duties is not enough."

With that, Bai Renzong looked at Han Jiayi and Wang Bei. "The same goes for everyone else. You are all members of this studio. It’s not just about doing what I say; it’s about each of you thinking and striving alongside me to improve the studio and create higher-quality video and streaming content."

"Indeed..." He Guang thought for a moment and nodded. "So, what do you need me to do for you from now on?"

"Handle logistics with Beibei, like sending out prizes to viewers and verifying information," Bai Renzong replied. "Your main task will be processing the livestream recordings. Since streaming platforms play highlight reels after a streamer goes offline, I need you to help edit the best moments from our streams to play on a loop when we're off the air. That’s no small task."

"Rest assured, my time during the day is more than enough to handle this," He Guang nodded. "Starting next month, I will drop my other part-time jobs and focus entirely on the studio. In my spare time, I will also study and collect better background music and special effects. Don't worry. I won't take this profit share for nothing."

"I know," Bai Renzong replied with a smile. He Guang was the type who could not tolerate charity, so he would certainly work hard to ensure his efforts were worth the share he received.

During dinner, Bai Renzong detailed his streaming plan to everyone present.

"Look, our streaming content is very rich," Bai Renzong explained. "First, we can stream outdoor shop tours; then, we can stream games. Additionally, we can partner with the platform to collaborate with movie-streaming channels for 'watch-along' events. We don't have to worry about running out of content; there's plenty for long-term development."

More importantly, these three types of content would allow Bai Renzong to capitalize on the popularity of the Connoisseur App. With a large number of genuine viewers, he could maximize his earnings from the platform, advertisers would be satisfied with the results, and Bai Renzong could use the ad revenue to provide more perks for his fans—a truly virtuous cycle.

"Of course, video production remains our priority," Bai Renzong added. "Our main job is still being content creators, after all. Livestreaming is just a convenient way to record material. We shouldn't ask fans for gifts. If we're short of the target, we'll top it up ourselves to reach the top-tier salary. If we're too far off, the second tier is fine, too."

"Don't worry, Sister Jiayi is so cute, everyone will definitely give plenty of gifts," Wang Bei said, looking at Han Jiayi with a smile.

"You girl..." Han Jiayi glared at her. "We should encourage our fans to support us only within their means, not to overspend on gifts. We won't participate in leaderboard rankings."

She looked at Bai Renzong, seeking his confirmation. "Right, Old Bai?"

"Exactly," Bai Renzong nodded. "Our goal isn't gift revenue; it's business partnerships and the platform's base salary." He turned to He Guang. "So, this means your editing workload will increase significantly."

"That's perfect," He Guang replied calmly. "It gives me something to do during the day."

"Oh," Li Mohan teased. "It's been a long time since I've seen our Old He so motivated."

"Tsk..." He Guang glared at Li Mohan in annoyance, sighed, and went back to eating in silence.

"That's just how our Old He is. Even if he doesn't show it on his face, he's raring to go inside," Li Mohan said with a laugh, then placed a piece of meat in Bai Renzong's bowl. "Come on, give your thoughts on your sister-in-law's cooking? Aren't you a food critic?"

"Uh..." Bai Renzong stiffened, replying awkwardly, "Your cooking is... very distinctive."

"What a polite way to put it," Li Mohan giggled, covering her mouth. "Of course, it's not as good as your girlfriend's." Han Jiayi and Wang Bei stifled their laughter nearby.

"No, really, it is very distinctive," Bai Renzong said seriously. "It's just that the flavors are very bold. Not spicy, but intense. You use a lot of oil and spices—garlic, stir-frying, braising—it's very appetizing."

"Your sister-in-law is from Guangdong; these are what they call 'Typhoon Shelter' style dishes," He Guang explained.

"Typhoon Shelter cuisine?" Bai Renzong asked with interest. "Tell me more."

"It was created by fishermen in Guangdong who lived on their boats," Li Mohan explained with a smile. "Because they worked hard during the day, they would make dishes at night that paired well with alcohol. Since it was mostly seafood, they used plenty of garlic and chili for bold flavors, and this style gradually formed."

"Ah..." Bai Renzong had a sudden realization. "I've truly learned something useful." He felt he should promote the unique food cultures of different regions more often—it would be a way to live up to his "International Free-Loader" credentials.

After dinner, Bai Renzong didn't want to overstay his welcome and said his goodbyes early. He wanted to go home and cuddle with his girlfriend, and he felt the family needed time to share their joy together. With this profit share from the studio, their future would be much easier, giving He Guang enough time to create beautiful memories with his family before his condition progressed.

Perhaps because of this, as Bai Renzong left, he felt as if the couple was standing a little straighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders.

"Let's work hard together," Bai Renzong said, shaking hands with He Guang. "As long as you live earnestly, good things will happen."

"Mm..." He Guang nodded slightly. It wasn't a firm grip, but he looked comforted. "Let's work hard."

"Ugh... that suddenly made me a bit emotional," Han Jiayi muttered, covering her mouth. Wang Bei complained in a low voice, "I should have filmed that. Old Bai is such a... mood-swinging romantic."

After leaving the house, the three of them parted ways. It wasn't until he stepped through his own front door that Bai Renzong finally felt himself relax.

"Oh..." Bai Renzong exhaled, stretching his neck. "Walking around all day is exhausting..."

Behind him, Han Jiayi changed her shoes, secretly thinking: *I want to lean into Old Bai's arms and have him lull me to sleep. How should I go about this?*

"Mumu," Bai Renzong said, turning to wrap his arms around Han Jiayi's shoulders. "Finally, it's just the two of us."

"You don't even call me Jiayi anymore..." Han Jiayi pouted, complaining with feigned dissatisfaction.

"Because... it's just like calling you 'baby'," Bai Renzong explained earnestly. "Calling you Jiayi feels too distant. I have to call you 'Mumu' to highlight my special status as your boyfriend."

"Excuses!" Han Jiayi waved her hands and playfully tapped Bai Renzong's chest.

"So, what do you want to do later? Play games? Or..." Bai Renzong asked, gently patting the back of her head.

"You've been out all day, you must be tired too. Let's not play games, okay?" Han Jiayi looked up at him, her beautiful eyes shimmering with unknown intent. "Let's find a show, lounge on the sofa together, and if we get sleepy, we'll just fall asleep."

"Hmm?" Bai Renzong saw a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Are you... plotting something?"

"No! I'm just tired!" Han Jiayi said with a straight face, looking incredibly earnest.

"Alright then," Bai Renzong said, rolling his shoulders. "I'm going to take a shower first, okay?"

"Mm! I'll go look for a show!" Han Jiayi laughed happily, inwardly cheering: *Hehe, it worked!*

As per their routine, after Han Jiayi finished her shower, Bai Renzong helped her dry her hair.

"Look at you, your hair is so beautiful..." Bai Renzong admired the dark brown locks. "It feels so soft. Why did you cut it after coming back?"

"What did you say? The hairdryer is too loud, I can't hear you!" Han Jiayi tilted her head, her brows slightly furrowed.

"I asked why you cut your hair!" Bai Renzong shouted.

"Because I had to cook!" Han Jiayi replied. "My hair was too long, and I couldn't tie it up properly. The chef's hat wouldn't fit! I was afraid my hair might fall into the food!"

"So that's why..." Bai Renzong realized, feeling a tinge of regret. Han Jiayi's waist-length curls from when she filmed the movie had been beautiful—extraordinarily feminine, mature yet playful. Of course, she was still beautiful now, but in a more adorable way.

"Alright, it's dry," Bai Renzong laughed, leaning down to kiss her cheek. But suddenly, Han Jiayi turned her face, catching his lips with her own. With a soft "mwah," she pulled back and looked at him with a triumphant smile. "Hehe."

"Silly Mumu..." Bai Renzong poked her nose, feigning annoyance.

"You call me Mumu and then add 'silly'!" Han Jiayi widened her eyes.

"Who told you to be so cute?" Bai Renzong laughed. "What show did you pick?"

"Just a random comedy," Han Jiayi said sweetly, pulling him toward the living room. "Come on, let's watch."

After setting up the movie, Han Jiayi sat down beside Bai Renzong and leaned against his chest. After a moment of silence, she seemed uncomfortable; she pulled her legs up, curled into a ball on the sofa, and burrowed deeper into his arms until she was satisfied.

"Hehe." She rubbed her head against him, looking up with expectation. Seeing the expression on her face, Bai Renzong’s heart began to race. He leaned in and gently kissed her lips. This time, he chose to go further—not a childish peck, but a deep, adult kiss.

"Mmm!" Han Jiayi let out a surprised sound, but she didn't resist, melting into his embrace.

Bai Renzong was pleasantly surprised: it felt like cherries, slick and slightly sweet. A wave of intense happiness spread through his chest. After a few minutes of intimacy, they finally pulled apart.

"That was a French kiss. Do you like it?" Bai Renzong teased, gently cupping her chin.

Han Jiayi buried her head and nodded slightly, then unexpectedly gave him a light tap on the chest and leaned silently against him.

"Ugh, my heart is going to jump out..." Beside him, her heart was thumping wildly. She peeked up at him, feeling a surge of sweetness, and burrowed even deeper into his arms, as if she couldn't get close enough.

Bai Renzong reached out to gently stroke her hair. Han Jiayi let out a contented hum, her heartbeat gradually steadying. Before long, she was leaning against his chest, softly snoring.

*This girl, she just wanted to sleep against me, didn't she?* Bai Renzong thought to himself, kissing her forehead. "Sleep well... things are going to get busy soon."

"Mmm..." Han Jiayi hummed in her sleep.

Bai Renzong carefully scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. She was actually awake, but she felt too drowsy to move. *She's so light,* he couldn't help but think. *Such a tall girl, yet she can shrink so easily into my arms.*

After laying her gently on the bed, he adjusted the air conditioning and