IROAWTMTFL Chapter 29

“What the hell are you doing, Duan Zhipeng?!”

Yan Yan had muted the microphones of the other two. The only one who could speak at the moment was the male party involved. Yan Yan was about to inquire what had happened on his end when another voice came through, the woman at the male party’s location spoke again, “You’re talking to a male anchor… You bastard, I’ll kill you!”

The netizen who was about to post: [Brother Yan, did you really come out or is it a tactical coming out?], changed to: [What’s wrong with him talking to Brother Yan? Is it what I’m thinking?]

“I didn’t, Lili, listen to me, it’s not like that, I didn’t.”

“Am I deaf? You didn’t?”

The barrage instantly felt like someone had hit the pause button. Everyone wished they could go through the internet cable and take a look at Duan Zhipeng, whose real name had already been revealed.

Taking a look was originally an impossible thing, but who would have expected that in Yan Yan’s live stream room, it was as if he had activated some kind of wish-fulfilling buff. Just after a brief argument, the camera on the other end suddenly turned on.

A young couple appeared on camera. They were already engaged in a physical struggle, with the man bleeding from the head. The woman quickly gained the upper hand, securing victory. Then, in Yan Yan’s livestream room, which had rapidly gained a hundred thousand viewers in a minute, Mr. Duan Zhipeng’s girlfriend grabbed his hair and brought him to the camera.

“I heard everything just now. The camera is on, right? How many people are watching this livestream now? I want to show all of you this scum, this beast!”

“Lili, let go of me, are you trying to kill me?”

“Yes, right now, I wish you were dead, you deceitful bastard! Just now, you were sending gifts to a man, right? You even got hard while listening to the anchor’s voice.”

“Ms. Wang, please don’t be so explicit, my livestream might get banned.”

[Brother Yan’s survival instinct is in full swing. ‘Even though I used voice to fish for information and enforce justice, you can’t just say anything, or my livestream might get banned.]

[I’ve never seen such an exciting livestream. Anchor, are you sure that you didn’t hire actors?]

[This scene looks like it’s leading to social death already.]

“Just now, you mentioned something about in-game items, right? A hundred thousand, was it? Miss on the other side, are you his in-game lover? Essentially, his in-game wife, correct? I’m his fiancée. Do you have any evidence of his purchases?”

Yan Yan granted microphone access to the client on the other end. Her voice trembled slightly at first but quickly stabilized.

“I do. I can find purchase records and email delivery records on his account. Not just that, there are other things too, all adding up to a sum of at least two or three hundred thousand yuan.”

“Alright, you’ll send it to me later. Originally, we could be considered as love rivals, but in front of this beast, we’re all just people, victims of his deceit. I hope you can help me!”

“I believe what you’re saying. I’ve posted the screenshots in the public chat. Anchor, please enlarge them and include them in the live feed.”

Man’s fiancee: “Thank you.”

Upon hearing these words, the client became noticeably emotional. “I’m sorry, he lied to me, saying he didn’t have a girlfriend.”

Fiancee: “Okay, you’re honest. I trust you.”

Client: “Keep it up! Don’t let that scumbag get away with it!”

Wang Lili’s eyes reddened, and her gaze fell upon the side profile of the man before her, showing a kind of determination. Whether she was encouraged by her rival or completely disappointed after seeing the screenshots, she seemed resolute. She sniffled, wiped away a tear, and raised her voice, saying, “Today, with the help of this anchor, I’m going to expose everything! His name is Duan Zhipeng, and he’s an employee at XX City’s XX Bureau.”

“Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting, Wang Lili—!”

Ignoring him, Wang Lili pressed down on his head and hit it on the keyboard again, causing the viewers in the livestream to feel a headache as well.

“Ms. Wang, please stop hitting him. Let’s talk it out,” Yan Yan said, secretly wishing to witness this scumbag getting beaten up. However, he could only step in to prevent further violence.

This man was involved in a situation with three women and one man, he was dumbfounded. However, since the livestream was being recorded, if Duan Zhipeng decided to report it later with the video footage, and considering the large number of viewers, wouldn’t this be considered a public place? Wang Lili might be charged with provocation.

“Lately, I noticed something strange about his spending habits. Sometimes he’d splurge, and other times he’d be really tight with money. So, I checked his bank card and found that he’s been embezzling public funds. He hasn’t been using the money for food, drinks, or luxury items; he’s been pouring it all into a game. I originally thought he was buying in-game items for himself, but later, I discovered he was spending it on someone else. I initially thought it was a woman, but it turned out to be a man!”

“He deceived me with a fake marriage proposal, and he’s two-timing! How many boats are you stepping in, Duan Zhipeng? When I talked about marriage, you said there was no dowry, but it turns out you were spending hundreds of thousands online on another man? If I hadn’t found out, did you plan on deceiving me into having your child? Since you’re behaving this way, you might as well go to jail!”

“Ms. Wang, my livestream has a replay feature. If you need it later, you can download it as evidence. But please understand, I’m not the police station, and my viewers aren’t judges. The circumstances you described should follow the proper legal procedures.”

The livestream room had completely exploded, and no one was paying attention to what Yan Yan was saying. After this dramatic scene, the barrage was filled with exclamations.

“My livestream currently has 160,000 viewers at the moment, and it’s still steadily increasing. We’re gaining 10,000 viewers every ten seconds. The public opinion impact of this incident might be even greater than you imagine. Personally, I recommend you report it to the police immediately and ensure your safety, the other party is, after all, a man. You can turn on your camera to make the report, and when you mention the address, I’ll mute you to prevent any unforeseen incidents.”

While Wang Lili was too emotionally charged to notice, the livestream camera clearly captured the fierce look in her boyfriend’s eyes, signaling his impending outburst.

Yan Yan’s words served as a reminder to both of them. Wang Lili hit him again, further disorienting her boyfriend. The process then proceeded with reporting to the police and a series of procedures.

Initially, Yan Yan started this livestream out of nostalgia for Miracle, thinking about broadcasting a cliché New Year’s story. Who could have foreseen… this kind of situation?

The viewers in the livestream were restless, and the viewer count broke through the 300,000 mark. The police had already taken the individuals away, but nobody was willing to leave the livestream room. Yan Yan finally regained his composure amid this spectacle and had a few more words to say in his livestream.

“I’m quite surprised by today’s events as well. I didn’t expect that an ordinary livestream would encounter legal matters. If an unlawful individual has been apprehended due to this, of course, we would applaud that. However, this still remains Wang Lili’s side of the story, and I can’t pass judgment. What I’d like to emphasize is the issue of pretending to be straight and deceiving others into marriage.”

“Ladies, please be vigilant. If someone claims to be engaged, has an in-game wife, or gives gifts to female disciples, they might be gay. Same-sex marriage laws have been enacted, but some homosexuals still cannot or dare not openly confront their sexual orientation. Under pressure from themselves or society, they resort to morally reprehensible acts like having fake marriages.”

“That’s right, there are still people in the world who view us with prejudice…” Yan Yan thought of Zhuang Xian.

[Wait, us???]

[Brother Yan, are you serious?]

[Finally, the moment we’ve been waiting for! I’ve been asking if you’ve come out, and now you’ve responded.]

Yan Yan smiled and spoke casually, “That’s right, I’m GAY. Is there anything wrong with saying that?”

He continued in a serious tone, “External discrimination is not a reason to fake a marriage. You can be afraid of societal norms and pretend to be straight, but you should never ruin a girl’s life. Moreover, discrimination is now in the minority. Many more people in society accept our orientation, whether they agree with it or not, they respect and bless us. Of course, you can still choose to be a coward, but don’t be a scumbag.”

“I’m not joking, I’m really gay. I’ve never been straight in my life. However, I don’t have any sexual fantasies about girls, not because I dislike them, but simply because my orientation doesn’t align. Every girl is a gift from heaven. They might be physically weaker than men, but they never yield to so-called strong individuals. Just like the three girls who came to the livestream today, whether it was the somewhat violent Wang Lili or the other two, they bravely asserted their rights. And even though they had conflicts, ‘girls help girls.’ It’s amazing.”

“On the other hand, this disciple’s lover, whether gay or straight, is probably using others for personal gain. He’s exploiting an innocent girl who’s just playing a game, using her identity to hide his relationship with Duan Zhipeng, or maybe even his relationship with Duan Zhipeng is fake, and he’s just tricking him into spending money. Of course, there might be misunderstandings. We don’t know, and we won’t judge.”

“Games can be deleted or abandoned at any time, but a girl’s youth won’t come back. Today, this kind of tragedy unfolded before our eyes. I don’t know the full story behind Duan Zhipeng and Wang Lili, but today, both of them have suffered significant setbacks in their lives. I hope that at least those of you here won’t follow the same path. Face your true selves, and bravely confront reality.”

“All the gift income from this livestream will be donated to the Same-Spouse Rights Protection Association, hoping to help more people like Wang Lili.”

[Isn’t this anchor suddenly handsome today?]

[Just today? Hasn’t he always been? Brother Yan is awesome!!! Brother Yan is all about ‘boys help girls.’]

[When Lili’s eyes turned red, I felt like crying too. Damn it, encountering a scumbag is a lifetime trauma.]

[Is the anchor suddenly serving chicken soup today?]

[I might have entered the wrong channel.]

[Wow, am I the only one who’s kind of ordinary? Brother Yan comes out, and I just want to ask, is the gege you mentioned last time your boyfriend?]

“No, I don’t have a boyfriend, I’m single.”

After saying this, he bid everyone farewell, ignoring the commotion in the livestream, and ended the broadcast.

He sat on his chair for a while, but his mood wasn’t as relaxed as it had seemed in the livestream. He kept replaying the memory of the slap Zhuang Yiyun received.

This man was gay and faking a marriage out of fear of facing discrimination, weaving a fantasy and trapping an innocent girl in this endless dream. What about Zhuang Yiyun?

Now that he thought about it, Zhuang Yiyun seemed to have never expressed any longing for a family.

Yan Yan suddenly got up. He couldn’t stay here alone anymore. Sympathizing with a man who had rejected him and even scared him off was inexplicable! Giving some humanitarian aid is enough of a kindness, so should he still die as a martyr? He decided to write a big note in his room later saying “Stay away from Zhuang Yiyun” and leave after fulfilling this one year marriage.

As soon as Yan Yan left the broadcast room, his phone rang. Stepping on the power-off button of his computer, he checked and saw it was Orange. Zhuang Yiyun, who hadn’t fallen asleep, came out from the master bedroom. The two of them locked eyes, with only a two-meter distance between them. The space was silent, with only Yan Yan’s ringing phone.

Yan Yan casually glanced at Zhuang Yiyun as he answered the phone, and then Orange’s voice came through, “Brother Yan, I have something to talk to you about, is it convenient?”

“For you, of course it’s convenient.”

“Really?”

Zhuang Yiyun frowned and unconsciously took a step closer. The space was too quiet, so he could clearly hear the voice from the phone on the other side.

“What do you want to talk to me about?” Yan Yan leaned against the wall, feeling more relaxed as he spoke with Orange. Although Zhuang Yiyun was getting closer, he didn’t pay any attention.

“I didn’t know your sexual orientation before, so I didn’t dare to say anything. But today, when you came out publicly… I don’t want to miss this opportunity. Brother Yan, I like you. Since you’re single, would you like to give it a try with me?”

Zhuang Yiyun’s eyes suddenly widened. The person on the other side confessed his love to Yan Yan. He also said Yan Yan was single and asked if he wanted to give it a try?

Like? Single? Zhuang Yiyun couldn’t decide which word had a greater impact on him, and he stood frozen in place.

Yan Yan didn’t realize that Zhuang Yiyun had heard Orange’s words on the other side of the phone. But with Zhuang Yiyun standing so close, he felt a bit awkward about replying, so he turned and went back to his room.

There was a soft bang of the door but it was like thunder in Zhuang Yiyun’s ears. When he finally reacted, he found himself locked out of the room. Just now, he had listened at door of the broadcast room, and now…

Familiarity breeds ease, and Zhuang Yiyun stood at the entrance of the second bedroom.

He didn’t understand. Just this morning, before he left for work, he had been communicating well with Yan Yan. In just half a day, he returned home, and Yan Yan acted as if he didn’t exist anymore?

Yan Yan didn’t really act as if Zhuang Yiyun didn’t exist, but when he answered the phone, they weren’t in a situation where he had to acknowledge Zhuang Yiyun’s presence. After closing the door, he answered Orange’s words with ease.

“Do you want to have an online relationship with me?”

Orange had a good personality and looked decent. He streamed with his webcam on, and although there was some filter enhancement, it was clear that he had a decent appearance. Fair skin, a small round face, bright and expressive double eyes. He was only eighteen years old, a young and good looking youth. Contrary to his appearance, his gameplay was sharp. When he played games, he was really skilled, and this huge contrast was one of the reasons he attracted fans – the contrast was cute.

“Not just an online relationship…”

The young man’s confession was pure and passionate. Although Yan Yan had no feelings for him, he still appreciated it. Someone liked him, and he was a good-looking and well-mannered young man. Wasn’t that a good thing? Yan Yan had no previous interest, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have one in the future.

“First, online romance and then meeting in person? Haven’t you thought about the risk of disappointment when you finally meet, turning online romance into an illusion? You haven’t even seen me; maybe I’m a 200-pound guy, perhaps I’m a thug with gold chains and tattoos.”

On the other end, Orange hadn’t replied yet, but outside the door, Zhuang Yiyun was already frowning deeply.

Yan Yan wanted to start an online romance and then meet in person, even mentioning the risk of disappointment? Just thinking about how he’d go to a bar and have people buying him drinks, the idea of a 200-pound guy was out of the question, and tattoos? Not happening. How could there be disappointment?

“No, I…”

“Why not? Haven’t you heard that good voices usually belong to ugly people?”

Orange: “…” He didn’t know if Yan Yan was telling the truth or self-deprecating to reject him, but neither option sounded good.

Zhuang Yiyun: “…” Good-looking people with nice voices were right in front of him.

“I like you as a person, not for your looks. Brother Yan, are you rejecting me?”

“I’m just informing you about the risks.”

“So, it’s not a rejection?”

Yan Yan thought for a moment and said, “Orange, to be honest, I haven’t thought about this, whether it’s dating you or engaging in an online romance with anyone else.”

Just when Orange thought he was about to be rejected, Yan Yan’s tone changed, and he continued, “But you’re right about one thing; being single doesn’t mean I can’t give it a try, especially since we’ve been getting along well.”

There was a thud outside the door, as if something had hit it.

Yan Yan got up and opened the door, only to see Zhuang Yiyun standing there seriously. So, he had knocked on the door? It didn’t sound like it. His expression indicated that there was something important, but Zhuang Yiyun didn’t look anxious, just shocked. Shocked enough to accidentally hit the door.

Yan Yan thought that maybe Zhuang Yiyun couldn’t talk at the moment, so he didn’t close the door and planned to finish the call before asking him. So, he continued in front of him, “But I’m not interested in online romance. Whether we’re compatible or not, I’ll know when we meet in person.”

The confession directly received an invitation for a face-to-face meeting, and Orange was so excited that his breath quickened. He wished he could run downstairs for a few laps right away, nodding happily, “I’ll come to you, I’ll be there tomorrow.”

Yan Yan chuckled. Compared to Orange’s enthusiasm, his own was nothing.

“Why are you in such a hurry? It’s almost New Year’s. Are you sure you’re not just coming to mooch off my New Year’s Eve dinner?”

“Sure, I can come. Can we spend New Year’s together? I can cook, I can even make hotpot. Sichuan and Chongqing hotpot is the best in the country, and I can make the broth. I can make a lot of dishes, I was even thinking about becoming a food blogger.”

“You don’t have to cook for me.” Yan Yan smiled. He didn’t plan to exploit this quasi-food blogger who had gone astray. If he brought someone home, he would care for them, and if there was no chemistry when they met, he wouldn’t drag things out and could continue to be friends. As for coming to find him…

“Let’s do it after New Year’s, I’ll come to you.” He still had a conscience. Orange had just turned eighteen, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for a young person to come to a strange city to find him. Of course, it should be him, the “gege”, who visited.

Thinking of his gege, he glanced at Zhuang Yiyun outside the door. This gege might have rejected him, but he could become a gege to someone else. If his gege rejected him, he would become a gege himself. The logic was perfect.

Orange was quite likable; who knew if they would like each other more when they met in person?

In life, one should leave room for possibilities. Setting aside one tree, he still had a whole forest.

Author’s Note:

Dr. Zhuang: Damn it, the person on the other side can cook, and I’m looking like a fool.

Yan Gege: You finally realized you’re a fool?