Chapter 135: Old Bai's Signature Livestream

Since today was his debut livestream, he had been at it from the afternoon until night, so naturally, he was a bit tired. However, future streams wouldn't need to last nearly this long. After all, Bai Renzong’s primary career was as a content creator, and livestreaming was merely a sideline.

For instance, the footage from tonight’s stream could be used as material for the new DLC of the game "Profanation." He just needed to edit it and add his own voiceover commentary. Therefore, a daily streaming duration of four hours would suffice; he could stream a bit longer when he had the time and cut it short when he was busy. The livestreaming sessions helped boost his popularity on D-Station, while his videos on D-Station brought traffic to his streams. The two roles complemented each other perfectly.

After finishing his shower, Bai Renzong went upstairs.

"I’m sorry I didn't help you dry your hair today," Bai Renzong said, gently caressing her cheek.

"It’s alright," Han Jiayi replied, smiling shyly as she fiddled with her fingers. "I'm not unreasonable."

"Alright, it's getting late. Let's chat a bit before we turn in." Bai Renzong pulled Han Jiayi to sit on the edge of the bed, cupping her small hands as he smiled. "How was business at the restaurant today?"

"Su—per good!" Han Jiayi beamed. "So many customers came from out of town just to check in."

"You must have been exhausted," Bai Renzong said, kissing her hand tenderly, his heart aching for her.

"A little..." Han Jiayi pursed her lips and smiled. "But seeing you makes me feel refreshed again."

"Tomorrow will be better," Bai Renzong replied. "I’ll come by your place during the day, and I won't start my stream until you get back in the evening."

He stroked her hair softly. "I'll dry your hair before I start the broadcast."

"Mm!" Han Jiayi nodded happily, stealing a shy glance at him like a bashful girl before suddenly burying her face in his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cooed, "I love you the most..."

"Good girl..." Bai Renzong kissed the top of her head. "Alright, it's late. Let's get some sleep, shall we?"

"Mm." Han Jiayi nodded obediently and waved goodbye with lingering reluctance. "Goodnight..."

Bai Renzong didn't go to sleep right away. Instead, he discussed the day's stream with He Guang, asking him to edit the highlights and isolate a section to create a review of the "Profanation" DLC. After all, his very first video had been a critique of that game. Now that the flaws he had pointed out were corrected, it was only natural to release a video to "clear the game's name," which would also serve as a promotion for his girlfriend.

In his eyes, the game was a rare gem, boasting exquisite art, superb combat feedback, perfectly balanced boss difficulty, and a deeply immersive plot. From the perspective of a 2D indie game, it was already quite flawless.

Only after finishing these tasks did Bai Renzong finally retire for the night.

The next morning, as usual, he washed up and had breakfast with Han Jiayi. Wang Bei also arrived to report on the previous day’s streaming results.

"Just from yesterday alone, we received over 100,000 in gifts. About 60,000 of that came from our connections, 20,000 from the platform, and the remaining 20,000 from the fans," Wang Bei reported. "Furthermore, the platform was very satisfied with the stream's popularity and engagement, urging us to keep it up. Starting out with a popularity score of one million is truly rare."

"Sigh, I actually feel quite embarrassed about it," Bai Renzong said, covering his face in shame. "The gifts from Wang's Scallion Pancakes and Red Castle Handmade Burgers are one thing, but how could I accept gifts from Xing-ge and Xiaoxiao-jie?"

"We'll find a way to return the favor once we've earned more money. We're just getting started, after all," Han Jiayi said, smiling as she patted his head. "How about this? I'll give you two hundred game activation codes to raffle off to your fans. As for Xing-ge and Xiaoxiao-jie, we'll buy them something nice once we've made some money."

"This... would that be appropriate?" Bai Renzong asked, feeling hesitant. Two hundred copies of the game were worth nearly 20,000.

"You're my boyfriend, there's nothing inappropriate about it," Han Jiayi said, resting her chin on her hands with a bright smile. "Besides, you helped us promote it, and we've sold 50,000 copies this week alone! We sold over 10,000 just yesterday. You know, our game has only sold a little over 100,000 copies across all platforms!"

Bai Renzong knew Han Jiayi was just trying to make it easier for him to accept her help. The high sales were fundamentally because their game was well-made, and the timing—coinciding with a sale and a free new DLC—had driven those 50,000 sales. Still, he knew his own promotional efforts had been quite effective.

"Hmm... alright then," Bai Renzong nodded. He turned to Wang Bei and said, "Let's do this: raffle 100 copies on Cat House and 100 on D-Station. I'll leave the communication with the fans and the distribution of the codes to you and Old He."

Han Jiayi watched him with a beaming smile. Bai Renzong reached out and flicked her nose. "What are you smiling at?"

"I just think we've really started to get into the swing of things," Han Jiayi said happily, resting her face on her hands.

Bai Renzong paused, then laughed as well. "It’s only going to get better."

"Exactly, let's keep working hard together." Han Jiayi leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Alright, I’m heading to the restaurant now. Once the National Day holiday rush is over, I'll be less busy, and I can join you for your streams."

"Mm." Bai Renzong nodded and tapped her nose. "Be careful on the road, and while you're driving..."

"I'm wearing flat shoes, don't worry," Han Jiayi said with a laugh, nuzzling against his cheek. "Bye-bye."

After Han Jiayi left, Wang Bei covered her mouth and quipped, "You two are way too lovey-dovey! Looking at you now, it's hard to imagine you used to be arch-enemies."

"Fate is truly mysterious," Bai Renzong said, poking her forehead. "Alright, remember to post on the Cat House stream channel to notify everyone about the stream time and the raffle."

After editing the previous day’s footage, Bai Renzong wrote the script, recorded the audio, and sent the materials to He Guang. Shortly after, he headed to the gym for his boxing lesson. Since he had started streaming, he spent more time sitting in front of a computer than before, so he had to increase his physical activity to maintain his health.

When he arrived, he found that Coach Ke Hong was off, seemingly away on a trip with his wife and children, so he had to practice on his own.

"A trip, huh?" Bai Renzong mused. "I’d love to take my Mumu on a trip too. It would be so much fun... and I could even do some outdoor streaming."

With that thought, a brilliant plan took shape in his mind. "Yes, as soon as the timing is right, this will definitely work."

After finishing his workout, a famished Bai Renzong arrived at Yijiaxuan.

"Old Bai!" When Han Jiayi saw him, she immediately ran into his arms and hugged his waist.

Bai Renzong stumbled back a step from the impact and quickly wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "You silly girl... take it easy."

"Don't call me silly..." Han Jiayi pouted, then gave him a radiant smile. "What do you want to eat?"

"Ratatouille," Bai Renzong said with a grin, flicking her nose. "Hurry up, I'm starving."

"Got it!" Han Jiayi chirped and skipped back to the kitchen.

When Han Jiayi returned with the freshly prepared ratatouille, Bai Renzong pulled out his phone and started a livestream.

"Hi, everyone! Have you all eaten yet?" Bai Renzong greeted the camera. "If not, you're in for a treat—go ahead and order some takeout. Because today, I'm going to do a 'Mukbang' for you, and the dish is..."

Bai Renzong turned the camera toward the ratatouille in front of him. "This!"

The chat immediately exploded as someone recognized the dish: "That’s the ratatouille from the movie Ratatouille!"

"That's right," Bai Renzong said with a nod. "It's called 'Ratatouille.' You make a base sauce with onions, tomatoes, and garlic, then arrange slices of eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes in a spiral pattern on top. Bake it for twenty minutes, and it's ready. Isn't it beautiful? And it tastes amazing, too."

He took a bite, then leaned closer to the phone so everyone could hear the sound. "Did you hear that? The vegetables aren't stewed until they're mushy; they’re perfectly tender yet still crisp—that's the ideal texture. The sauce underneath is so rich. Dip a piece of toasted baguette into it, and then..."

Bai Renzong took a bite of the bread, a look of pure bliss crossing his face. "Perfect."

He ate while providing commentary, explaining the features and the preparation of the dish. While Bai Renzong considered this just a daily routine, the audience in the livestream went wild.

"F***! That looks so good! I'm starving now!" "This is way better than those competitive eaters!" "This is the best appetite-inducing stream, I could eat five bowls..." "Jiayi’s cooking is amazing! It looks almost identical to the original!"

At that moment, Han Jiayi reached out and wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of his mouth with her thumb, giving him a sweet smile.

The chat exploded again: "Gourmet food plus fresh 'dog food' (PDA), who can handle this?" "I'll gladly eat this dog food!"

Bai Renzong hadn't intended much when he started the stream; he just wanted to share the delicious food he was having at Yijiaxuan. He never expected the results to be this good.

Viewers poured into the stream, and even casual fans began sending gifts one after another. The stream's popularity skyrocketed.

Bai Renzong himself didn't notice, continuing to eat and narrate: "But no matter how delicious it is, it's still just vegetables, right? That's why the chicken leg and cod fillet in the set meal are so important. They provide satiety and protein, and they add a different texture to the meal. This chicken leg is charcoal-grilled, and when you eat it..."

He took a bite of the chicken and let out a satisfied moan. "You can clearly taste the smokiness of the charcoal. It’s like... electric grilling can never match that distinct charcoal flavor."

Seeing that it was inconvenient for him to eat while holding the phone, Han Jiayi took it from him and said with a smile, "You keep eating, I'll film for you."

"You're the most thoughtful," Bai Renzong teased as he continued to tuck in.

After he was full, Bai Renzong sighed contentedly and explained to the camera, "So, let me explain the secret behind this set meal. French cuisine emphasizes layers. In this meal, the crispness of the ratatouille, the heartiness of the chicken, and the crunch of the cod create a distinct contrast—that's what we call layers..."

After finishing his meal and chatting for a while, Bai Renzong felt satisfied. "Alright, that’s all for now. See you all at eight tonight."

With that, he cut the stream.

"How did I do?" Bai Renzong asked, gently scratching Han Jiayi’s chin.

"So cool," Han Jiayi said with a sweet smile. "My Old Bai is the coolest."

"How are you so lovable? Come here, let me give you a hug..." Bai Renzong pulled her close and ruffled her hair. Suddenly, his phone rang—it was a call from Wang Bei.

"Old Bai, what was that stream just now?" Wang Bei asked excitedly.

"I just had a meal, what's wrong?" Bai Renzong asked, confused.

Wang Bei said, "Yu Yang just called me to say your stream blew up! Everyone absolutely loved it! The entire Cat House platform is talking about your stream! Whatever you did, they went crazy for it!"

"?" Bai Renzong tilted his head, puzzled. He had just eaten a meal; was it really that big of a deal?

He hadn't realized that this was his own unique "signature content"—the only place viewers could see it. It combined mouth-watering, gourmet dishes with professional commentary, all while he enjoyed the food with genuine relish. It was a three-in-one broadcast of "gourmet eating," "restaurant exploration," and "cooking tutorial."

After years of development in the domestic livestreaming scene, almost every type of content had been tried, so novelty was crucial. Bai Renzong had accidentally stumbled into a "Mukbang" that perfectly combined all the most popular elements. Especially in an era where the era of extreme competitive eaters was fading, this kind of natural, appetizing content was the perfect companion for a meal.

Although Bai Renzong had been focused on eating and didn't know how high the popularity or the number of real viewers had reached, the Cat House platform certainly knew.

The fact that Yu Yang had specifically called to tell him to keep this program meant everything, and Bai Renzong wasn't dense enough to miss the implication.

"I'm not sure what happened," Bai Renzong said, looking at Han Jiayi in his arms and flicking her nose gently, "but everyone loves watching me eat your food. So... I guess I'll have to keep coming here to eat."

A sweet smile bloomed on Han Jiayi's face. She hugged his waist tightly and said happily, "Mm! You're welcome! You can come every day! I won't even charge you!"

"How can you not charge me?" Bai Renzong frowned.

Han Jiayi hummed in his arms. "So what if I cook for my boyfriend! Nobody will gossip about it! Besides, you're helping me advertise!"

Bai Renzong thought about it and decided she had a point. "Hmm... alright then."