23: I thought I was going to lose my virginity.

The doorbell suddenly rang. Yu Heng raised an eyebrow and looked toward the door. "Speak of the devil, it's probably Bai Xinran."

Shen Yueling smoothed out the hem of her clothes. "Go open the door."

Yu Heng pulled the door open, and sure enough, Bai Xinran was standing outside.

Today, she was wearing a loose hoodie and cargo pants, with a backpack slung over her shoulders, looking fresh and capable.

"Boss, I'm here!" Bai Xinran greeted him with a smile. Her gaze moved past Yu Heng and landed on Shen Yueling standing behind him.

She froze for a moment, then immediately offered a polite smile. "And this is?"

Yu Heng stepped aside to let Bai Xinran in and closed the door behind her. "Let me introduce you. This is Shen Yueling, my childhood friend."

He then turned to Shen Yueling. "This is the Streamer I mentioned just now, Bai Xinran."

Bai Xinran generously extended her hand toward Shen Yueling. "Hello, I'm Bai Xinran, a Manga major."

Shen Yueling lightly shook her hand, her tone indifferent. "Shen Yueling, Fashion Design major."

"Oh? Then we're both Art students!" Bai Xinran said with a laugh.

"Mm, quite a coincidence," Shen Yueling said blandly.

Bai Xinran withdrew her hand and naturally walked over to the sofa to put down her backpack. She turned to ask Yu Heng, "Boss, let's start today's stream two hours early, okay? I'll stream longer and try to hit six hours!"

"Sure, you arrange it as you see fit," Yu Heng replied, catching out of the corner of his eye that Shen Yueling was quietly sizing up Bai Xinran.

Bai Xinran seemed completely oblivious to the subtle atmosphere. As she took equipment out of her bag, she asked casually, "Is Sister Yueling here to stream too? Or is she just visiting the boss?"

Shen Yueling frowned slightly. "I came to see the apartment he rented."

"This place is indeed nice," Bai Xinran chimed in with a smile, her hands never stopping. "It's way better than my dorm, especially that kitchen—it's so spacious."

Yu Heng listened to their conversation. Every one of Shen Yueling's responses was brief and restrained, while Bai Xinran acted like they were old friends.

"So Sister Yueling and the boss are childhood friends?" Bai Xinran asked casually. "Has he always been this fond of being perverted since he was a kid?"

Yu Heng clicked his tongue inwardly; this girl was definitely doing this on purpose.

"We grew up together." Shen Yueling gave Yu Heng a flat look, her tone devoid of emotion. "Did he harass you?"

"It's alright, he just always tells dirty jokes!" Bai Xinran gave a meaningful smile. "But you guys are Childhood sweethearts! That's so nice!"

Yu Heng quickly cut off the topic. "Go set up your equipment! Don't delay the stream."

Bai Xinran pouted and carried her equipment toward the room. "Got it, Boss. I won't disturb you two."

Once she closed the door, the living room fell silent.

Shen Yueling glanced at the closed door, then back at Yu Heng. "Does she come over often?"

"Yeah, almost every day," Yu Heng answered honestly. "She has to stream, after all."

"What do you usually talk about?"

"Just work stuff," Yu Heng walked over to her side. "Stream content, equipment issues, things like that."

"Work stuff requires dirty jokes?" Shen Yueling was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Does she know about us?"

Yu Heng was stunned for a moment, then realized what she meant. "Of course not. That's between us."

Shen Yueling seemed to relax slightly, but her eyes remained scrutinizing. "The way she looks at you is a bit different."

"Is it?" Yu Heng played dumb. "I think it's pretty normal."

"As long as you think it's normal." Shen Yueling picked up her bag. "I'm leaving. I have class this afternoon."

Yu Heng walked her to the door. "Are you coming back tonight?"

Shen Yueling put on her shoes and looked up at him. "Depends on my mood."

Watching her departing back, Yu Heng rubbed his chin.

He closed the door, and as he turned around, he saw Bai Xinran poking her head out from the room. "Boss, is your childhood friend gone?"

"She's gone." Yu Heng leaned against the doorframe, narrowing his eyes at Bai Xinran. "But why were you talking nonsense just now?"

Bai Xinran blinked, walking out with an innocent face. "What nonsense? I was telling the truth! Who told you to tease me with dirty jokes every day? This is revenge!"

Yu Heng walked closer slowly, deliberately drawing out his words. "Oh? Revenge?"

He stopped in front of Bai Xinran, looking down at her. "Are you sure you want to take revenge on me?"

Bai Xinran shrank back under his gaze, but she still wouldn't back down verbally. "What? The officials are allowed to set fires while the commoners aren't even allowed to light lamps?"

Yu Heng suddenly leaned in close, the distance between them instantly narrowing until they could see each other's eyelashes.

Bai Xinran instinctively backed up, her calf hitting the edge of the sofa, and she plopped down into the soft cushions.

"You, you, you... what are you doing?" Bai Xinran scrambled to try and get up.

Yu Heng braced one hand on the back of the sofa, trapping her between himself and the cushions. "Aren't you afraid of my revenge? Right now, I'm still just using my mouth and haven't used my hands yet."

Bai Xinran's eyes instantly went wide, and she quickly pressed her hands together in prayer. "I was wrong, I was wrong! Boss! I won't do it again!"

She blinked her eyes, trying to put on a pitiful expression. "I just saw that Sister Yueling was too serious and wanted to liven up the atmosphere..."

"Liven up the atmosphere?" Yu Heng raised an eyebrow, his finger lightly stroking her chin. "I think you just want to see the world burn."

He was so close that Bai Xinran could smell the faint scent of laundry detergent on him.

She uncomfortably turned her face away, her ears burning slightly. "I really know I was wrong... I promise I won't talk nonsense in front of outsiders again!"

Yu Heng stared at the tip of her reddened ear for two seconds before suddenly letting go and straightening up. "That's more like it."

He turned toward the kitchen and asked casually, "Want something to drink?"

Bai Xinran breathed a sigh of relief and mumbled under her breath, "Scared me to death... I thought I was going to lose my virginity."

"I heard that," Yu Heng said without looking back as he took two cans of Coke out of the fridge.

"I didn't say anything!" Bai Xinran immediately denied it, jumping up and trotting to the kitchen island to take the Coke. "Thanks, Boss!"

Yu Heng popped the tab and took a gulp of the ice-cold Coke. "What are you planning to stream this afternoon?"

"Just a Chat stream again," Bai Xinran leaned against the island. "Yesterday's results were good, so I'll consolidate the fan base today."

She suddenly remembered something and leaned in, lowering her voice. "Boss, is your childhood friend interested in you? I saw the way she looked at you earlier; it wasn't quite right."

Yu Heng glanced at her. "So gossipy?"

Why did she say that too? Did women really have some kind of sixth sense?

"I'm just concerned about my boss's love life!" Bai Xinran said giggling. "And she's really pretty, with a great figure too. That waist is so thin..."

Yu Heng rolled his eyes at her. "Focus on your career and stop thinking about all this nonsense."

Bai Xinran pouted. "Fine, fine, I won't say it..."

She looked down and fiddled with the Coke can, then suddenly looked up. "Right, Boss, can I put a Bean bag chair in the stream room? My back hurts from sitting in the chair for too long."

"Buy it then," Yu Heng shrugged indifferently. "Under five hundred, pick one yourself."

"Boss is so generous!" Bai Xinran immediately beamed. "I'll place the order tonight!"

"By the way, I bought a new sound card and microphone," Yu Heng brought over a box from near the foyer. "Your set of equipment is too old; it doesn't have any effects."