Chapter Sixty-Nine: Reveal a Photo? Don't Even Think About It!

Asking for a photo? Early in the morning, after logging into the Stardust platform, Luo Chen was startled by the barrage of rewards flooding his screen. Although amounts in the hundreds of thousands or even millions were not unheard of on Stardust, such a frenzy of tipping was a first—especially since this wasn’t even a live broadcast, just a music video. The response was overwhelming.

Should he say it’s truly worthy of being the real-life goddess? To possess such allure.

A million reward just to ask for a photo? Not a chance! Luo Chen would never sell his own sister’s photo for money; let them imagine it on their own. Photos, after all, were for his own eyes only.

Luo Chen smiled wryly. He had always thought his sister was just a foodie and a tagalong, but now her fans and rewards outnumbered his own. As her brother, he felt both gratified and helpless.

“So much money! Luo Chen, let’s book the entire Chinese Pavilion and celebrate with a feast, okay?” Luo Tianyi, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the sea of red rewards in her account, tilted her head and looked at Luo Chen expectantly.

The girl’s emerald eyes flickered, her cheeks slightly raised as she tried to curry favor.

Book the Chinese Pavilion? That hard-earned reward would disappear in a day.

“Absolutely not!”

Thinking of this, Luo Chen steeled his heart and ignored Luo Tianyi’s excited, hopeful gaze.

Money was something Luo Chen sorely lacked lately. First, he had debts to pay; second, building the website required a hefty investment. Everything revolved around money. Though this windfall was unexpected, it could not be spent frivolously.

“Yanhe, sister!” Seeing her tactics were useless against Luo Chen, Luo Tianyi turned to her ally, Yanhe, pleading pitifully.

“Begging me won't help, Tianyi.” Yanhe shook her head, showing she was powerless, as she met Luo Tianyi’s beseeching gaze.

After looking around and finding herself abandoned, Luo Tianyi could only hand over her bank card with a resigned, bitter expression, unable to part with it as her annoying brother took it away.

Luo Chen took the card and sighed at the girl’s disgruntled look. If he could, he wouldn’t touch his sister’s private funds—he simply needed them now. This was the first time he’d used his sister’s money, and he silently vowed it would be the last. After making up his mind, he solemnly put the card away.

Only after Luo Chen promised a bagful of conditions and various unequal treaties did Luo Tianyi reluctantly recover; otherwise, who knew what trouble she might cause for him.

“Luo Chen, is this alright?” On the sofa in the living room, Dai Xinhua, who had been engrossed in her drawing, slowly stood up, carefully sorted a thick stack of sketches beside her, and nervously handed them to Luo Chen.

Luo Chen, caught off guard as he accepted the drawings, realized there were over a hundred originals in his hands. Glancing at the discarded paper scattered on the floor, he could see the girl had put in a great deal of effort.

Giving her an encouraging look, Luo Chen began to flip through the drawings one by one.

After days of intense sketching, Dai Xinhua had gradually overcome her habit of feminizing every protagonist. Seeing the familiar anime characters on the pages, Luo Chen was delighted. If he could bring those popular comics from his previous life into this world, what kind of reaction would they spark?

And as the exclusive publisher, how much would the website’s popularity soar?

“These are excellent!” With Luo Chen’s detailed descriptions, Dai Xinhua had captured the characters’ likenesses almost flawlessly, leaving little to criticize.

Receiving affirmation for her work, Dai Xinhua finally relaxed, her mood brightening. She truly hoped to illustrate the stories Luo Chen spoke of and share them with a wider audience. Even without payment, she wanted to keep drawing.

The girl gazed expectantly at the boy before her—could she start drawing now? Surely she had passed the test.

Luo Chen smiled gently and nodded, indicating there was no problem.

Nothing is more gratifying than being recognized after hard work. Dai Xinhua smiled knowingly, lifted her head slightly, and simply looked at the boy in front of her.

Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly delicate...

“Luo Chen, answer your phone... your phone’s ringing!” The phone in his pocket vibrated repeatedly, and its familiar ringtone sounded.

Luo Chen quickly took out his phone, intending to turn it off. He didn’t mind usually, but in front of guests, the ringtone was too embarrassing. He, a cheerful and handsome young man, was using such a childish ringtone; every time he answered a call in public, people cast him odd looks.

Because of his sister’s cute voice as the ringtone, strangers often mistakenly thought Luo Chen was some sort of creepy lolicon.

Thinking of this, Luo Chen shot Luo Tianyi a fierce glare, only for her to glare back boldly, as if she had every right.

Resigned, Luo Chen looked at the screen, only to find a call from Han Yinglan. After rejecting Stardust’s contract, he’d thought the platform would either sideline him or even suppress him, but he hadn’t expected them to reach out again so soon.

Could it be last night’s frenzy of fan tipping that changed Stardust’s mind?

After pondering for a moment, Luo Chen concluded that must be the reason.

Giving everyone an apologetic look, Luo Chen turned and answered the call.

“Chief Editor Han, is there something you need?”

“Yes, Luo Chen, right? Stardust has agreed to your terms. There should be no problem signing the contract now. This is the first time the platform has compromised with a creator, but there absolutely won’t be a second time.” On the other end, Han Yinglan spoke with a wry smile. After so long in charge, it was the first time she’d seen Stardust yield on a contract. This creator was truly remarkable, but she still had to give a warning.

Thanks to reader Brother Xiao for the 2,000 Starting Point Coins reward; thanks also to readers Shisino Is So Cute and Sun Feiliang for 1,000 coins; thanks to readers The Color of the Starry Sky I Have Long Forgotten and New Sunset for 500 coins; thanks to readers Night Hua and Big Foodie Youyouzi for 200 coins; thanks to readers Addicted To Reading, Riding the Wind Under the Moon at Midnight, Brother Hui Walking the Mule, Xiao Xiaoming, Player Mystery, Greedy Jelly, Reader 160308213653959 for 100 coins—throwing flowers. There will be no unexpected breaks in updates; though I’m busy lately, updates might be late, but even if I have to stay up until dawn, I’ll keep updating!