Chapter 134: Worth More Than the Price

The torrent of gifts finally subsided, and Bai Renzong breathed a sigh of relief as he was finally able to get down to some serious gaming on his stream.

In this latest DLC, the game *Profane* had implemented the changes to climbing mechanics that Bai Renzong had suggested. It also added a significant number of elite monsters throughout the stages, but the best improvement by far was the increased difficulty of the boss battles.

Beyond having their health pools doubled, every boss was now equipped with a "Berserk Phase." Once their health dropped below fifty percent, they would enter this state, gaining increased attack speed and faster skill execution. Furthermore, their attacks would no longer be interrupted if blocked. Defeating them now required much more careful handling of their mechanics.

"To be honest, the game is basically my ideal version of it right now," Bai Renzong said with an excited grin. "Long-time players of this game will definitely feel it. Before, ninety percent of the game was spent running around, and only ten percent was spent fighting. Now, boss battles account for a full third of the experience."

The chat began to complain: "But the difficulty is way too high now!" "Yeah, I’ve died countless times on the second boss! It’s impossible to beat!"

"It’s actually quite simple; I’ll teach you guys in a bit," Bai Renzong said, laughing. "The first playthrough isn't difficult at all if you know the right path. If you pick up everything you’re supposed to along the way, there's no challenge. There are so many upgrade elements—weapons, skills, health—that once you’ve leveled up, you can cut through regular enemies in two or three hits."

With that, Bai Renzong began to demonstrate the route for a first playthrough, narrating as he played. "See, on our first run, don't enter the first boss's lair. Use the portal to return to town and head to the second boss instead. This doesn't disrupt our flow, and it completes a side quest. If you approach it this way, by the time you reach the second boss, your health will be high enough that you won't get one-shot..."

Bai Renzong played and showcased the game with enthusiasm, and before he knew it, the sky outside had turned dark.

"Old Bai, I'm heading home now, okay?" Wang Bei poked her head in to remind him.

"Alright, alright. Thanks for your hard work," Bai Renzong replied, continuing to play. "What do you think, folks? Doesn't the game seem simple when you look at it this way? If you grab the necessary items, it’s actually quite easy to clear... Oh, thanks everyone for the Cat Food gifts, you really shouldn't have. Thank you, thank you..."

He had repeatedly emphasized to his viewers that they should spend rationally and not go overboard with gifts. If they had the means, just sending a bit of Cat Food to join the fan club was enough, which would make it easier for him to distribute rewards and hold giveaways in the future.

Bai Renzong loved *Profane*, so he was deeply immersed in the gameplay. It wasn't until Han Jiayi returned home that he snapped back to reality.

"Oh, Jiayi is back," Bai Renzong said, checking the time. "It’s already seven-thirty. Everyone, please hold on for a moment, I’ll play a video for you."

He walked over to the stairs and, sure enough, spotted Han Jiayi changing her shoes.

"Mumu, thank you for your hard work," Bai Renzong said, heading down to greet her. "Sorry, I’m still livestreaming upstairs."

"I know," Han Jiayi smiled. "I’ve been watching your stream whenever I had a free moment."

After reaching the bottom, Bai Renzong pulled Han Jiayi into an embrace and leaned in to kiss her.

"No, I haven't showered or brushed my teeth yet," Han Jiayi laughed, pressing her index finger to his lips. "You must be starving, right? Go back to your stream; I’ll make dinner right now and bring it up for you."

"What about you? Have you eaten?" Bai Renzong asked, gently stroking her hair.

"Not yet, I’ll eat with you later," Han Jiayi replied with a sweet smile. "Alright, I’m going to go cook."

Back upstairs, Bai Renzong sat down and explained to the chat, "She’s going to cook dinner and bring it up later. I’ll continue with the walkthrough for now, shall I? I’ll try to finish the game before I end the stream today, so you can treat this as a guide."

A while later, Han Jiayi brought up a tray with spaghetti, onion soup, salad, and chicken cutlets.

"I was worried you were hungry, so I made something simple. Hope you don't mind," Han Jiayi said with a smile.

"Why don't you say hello to everyone?" Bai Renzong asked her.

"Hello, everyone," Han Jiayi waved at the camera. "Sorry about this, we’re going to have a quick bite, we'll be right back."

"Look at this, everyone, the craftsmanship of a two-star Michelin chef," Bai Renzong said, panning the camera across the tray. "How about that? Doesn't it look delicious? Maybe we’ll have a 'Jiayi’s Cooking Class' stream occasionally, where she can teach you all how to cook."

As he spoke, he tasted the spaghetti. "The pasta is cooked perfectly, and the meat sauce clings to it beautifully. Look..."

Bai Renzong twirled a forkful of pasta and shook it in front of the lens. "The sauce is thick, right? It coats the noodles perfectly—that’s what makes a proper Italian sauce. It can't be too thin, or it won't just taste bland; it won't even stick to the pasta."

He then tasted the chicken cutlet and leaned toward the microphone to take a bite.

A crisp *crunch* echoed through the microphone. Bai Renzong exclaimed, "Did you hear that? Doesn't that sound super crispy? It really is super crispy. The frying technique is..."

He stopped abruptly, turning to Han Jiayi with a smile. "Why don't you explain it, our lovely Jiayi?"

Han Jiayi was taken aback, then pursed her lips and laughed. "Actually, you just coat it in breadcrumbs and fry it once, then take it out and coat it in a second layer before frying it again. This creates an air layer between the batter, making it not only crispier but also lighter. You guys should try it!"

"Alright, watch the video while Jiayi and I have our dinner," Bai Renzong said to the audience before stepping out of the camera's view with Han Jiayi to eat.

After a hurried meal, Bai Renzong returned to the stream. After Han Jiayi finished her shower, she sat beside him to keep him company.

"You know, this game of yours is really great now," Bai Renzong said to her with a smile. "I played all afternoon, and it was so much fun. Especially the boss battles—they feel really intense."

"I'm glad you like it," Han Jiayi said, resting her chin in her hand as she watched him.

Bai Renzong continued playing and narrating, while Han Jiayi watched him with a smile, her eyes filled with affection. Then, forgetting that he was still live, she leaned over and gave him a soft, affectionate "chu" on the cheek.

The chat exploded instantly: "Public display of affection in front of a million viewers!" "I'm so jealous!" "Report this streamer for feeding us dog food!"

Bai Renzong was taken by surprise. He turned to look at Han Jiayi, who was looking back at him with a sweet, playful smile.

"W-what are you doing..." Bai Renzong asked, laughing helplessly.

"Aren't you happy?" Han Jiayi asked, pouting slightly with mock injury.

"How could I not be? Of course I am," Bai Renzong chuckled. He pointed at the camera, "I'm just worried about them. You’re flaunting your love so openly—did you consider the feelings of all the single... bachelors out there?"

Chat: "He definitely wanted to say 'single dogs' just now!" "For sure, he almost finished the word and corrected himself."

"O-okay, sorry..." Han Jiayi replied, looking pitiful.

Seeing her crestfallen look, Bai Renzong felt a pang of sympathy. He gently stroked her head, pulled her toward him, and kissed the top of her head. "Silly girl... you know I love you."

"Mhm..." Han Jiayi smiled, nodding gently. "Alright, go ahead and stream, I won't disturb you."

Chat: "User xxx has left the stream." "Did I join the wrong platform? Is this the Cat House? Why is there so much dog food here?" "You two should stream from a kennel, that's where you belong!"

Despite everyone claiming they were leaving, the chat volume only increased, and the stream's popularity continued to climb.

By 10:30 PM, Bai Renzong had finished the game and finally addressed his audience.

"Alright, I’ve been streaming since two this afternoon, it’s time to call it a day," Bai Renzong said, exhaling. "Starting tomorrow, I’ll be live at 8:00 PM sharp. Occasionally, I’ll do outdoor or shop-review streams during the day. If you like the show, please hit that follow button. That’s all for today, bye-bye."

Han Jiayi waved at the camera beside him, and only then did Bai Renzong stop the stream and sign off.

"Whew..." Bai Renzong stood up and stretched, his bones cracking.

"You worked hard," Han Jiayi said, massaging his shoulders. "Come on, let me help you relax."

"No, you're fine," Bai Renzong took her hand and kissed it. "You were busy at the restaurant all day, you must be exhausted too. I’ll go take a shower, and then I’ll come back and chat with you, alright?"

"Mhm," Han Jiayi nodded with a smile.

Sitting in the bathtub, Bai Renzong finally felt the fatigue melt away, and he couldn't help but let out a long, satisfied sigh.

His debut stream had been a huge success. Of course, he owed it all to those who had sent him gifts at the start, helping boost his visibility. Combined with the exposure from the Connoisseur App, he had been propelled to the top of the entire platform, catching the eyes of many.

Even if the influx of gifts were to slow down, his stream's popularity would likely remain high, and the high level of activity in the chat proved that he had a genuine, living audience.

Judging by today's performance, the Cat House platform had also realized one thing: this streamer was absolutely worth every penny.

However, there was one thing that gave Bai Renzong a headache: those gifts from the start were all personal favors.

"I have to find a way to return the favor to everyone who sent gifts today," he muttered while leaning against the edge of the tub.

He did a rough mental calculation; he had received over thirty "Luxury Cat Condos" from friends and businesses he had collaborated with—that was over sixty thousand yuan worth of gifts... How was he supposed to pay that back now?

"I'll worry about it once I've made some money!" Bai Renzong buried his head beneath the water, blowing bubbles.