At last, Li Yue finished singing.
By then, the album's total sales had already reached a staggering five million copies.
The more they sold, the more money they supposedly lost.
Without waiting for Zhang Yichen to act, Li Yue decisively shut down the purchase link herself.
"CEO Li is way too stingy! Sell for another three minutes!"
"Yeah! Why take it down? I just got here and haven't bought yet!"
"I just arrived too—I was recharging! When will the album be back on sale?"
…
Zhang Yichen raised his brows slightly, the corners of his lips curving into a faint smile as he swept his gaze across the screen. The dense barrage of comments surged like a tide.
"Family, today's benefits end here," he said lightly, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than a game. "Thank you all for your support!"
Li Yue sat beside him, her expression dark. Her fingers dug into the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white.
She shot Zhang Yichen a glance, her eyes filled with both anger and helplessness.
"You really are something…"
Zhang Yichen shrugged indifferently and turned his attention to Chen Xiaoxi.
She sat there quietly, her hands gently folded on her lap, her gaze slightly unfocused.
"Xiaoxi," he called softly, his voice as gentle as a breeze. "Was this… a bit unexpected?"
Chen Xiaoxi looked up.
A complicated emotion flickered through her eyes before she pressed her lips together and offered a faint smile.
"I really didn't expect this…" she admitted softly.
Then, after a pause, she added gently,
"But still—thank you."
She had already made up her mind. If the album truly ended up losing money, she wouldn't let Zhang Yichen pay for it.
The gains were hers.
If nothing went wrong, she would step onto the Queen of Songs podium at this year's music awards.
So why should Zhang Yichen bear the responsibility?
"What are you thanking me for?" Zhang Yichen smiled. "I'm your manager. This is my job."
Li Yue's brows furrowed even deeper. She snorted coldly.
"Yes, for the sake of your 'job,' you casually dragged the company straight into the red."
Her words dripped with sarcasm, her gaze sharp as a blade.
"Relax, we didn't lose money. And even if we did, didn't I already say I'd cover it?" Zhang Yichen replied unconcernedly.
If they hadn't sold over a million copies today, the pricing really would have caused losses.
But once sales exceeded a million, Chen Xiaoxi would at least break even.
Now that they had sold over five million copies, no matter how one calculated it, they were making money.
"You'll cover it?" Li Yue sneered. "Can you also make up for the company's reputation?"
"Enough. We'll settle this after the stream," Zhang Yichen said impatiently. "We're still live right now."
He turned back to the camera and spoke warmly.
"Family, sorry you had to witness that little episode just now. But that's exactly the charm of livestreaming—real, fun, emotional, and full of little human clashes."
The moment he finished speaking, the barrage exploded once more.
"Top Student really knows how to hype the mood!"
"Upstairs, who exactly is this 'mood' you're talking about?"
"President Li is so cute—even when she's angry!"
"Sister Xiaoxi's confused expression the whole time was way too real!"
…
Zhang Yichen scanned the comments, a faint smile flickering in his eyes.
"Family, earlier I mentioned the second goal of today's stream—helping Sister Xiaoxi sell her album. That's already been accomplished. So… shouldn't we talk about the third goal now?"
As soon as his words fell, the screen erupted.
"What's the third goal?"
"I knew it wouldn't be that simple!"
"Hurry up and say it—stop teasing us!"
…
Li Yue's expression remained tense. Her fingers tapped lightly on the table, betraying her unease.
Clearly, she was afraid Zhang Yichen would continue burning money.
Chen Xiaoxi, meanwhile, sat quietly, watching him thoughtfully.
Before the stream, Zhang Yichen hadn't revealed a single detail. Neither she nor Li Yue had known what he planned to do.
And his first goal had already given them such a massive surprise.
Zhang Yichen smiled faintly and finally spoke.
"Family, the third goal is to clarify my relationship with Sister Xiaoxi."
Instantly, the barrage became even denser.
"Say it! Say it! What exactly is your relationship?"
"Clarify what? You two look perfect together—I support it!"
"Yeah! Those haters are just sour because they're jealous!"
…
From the comments, it was clear that most fans actually supported the two of them being together.
But now… wasn't the right time.
Mainly because Zhang Yichen was still too young according to this world's laws.
"Alright, I won't keep you in suspense," he said with a chuckle.
"The truth is, I'm Sister Xiaoxi's manager and assistant."
"You all know I'm an orphan. Back then, I couldn't even afford my tuition, so I worked as her assistant."
"As for being 'kept'… honestly, I wish I could live off Sister Xiaoxi. Don't you all want that too?"
He explained simply, then casually tossed the question back to his "family."
"Yes! Sister Xiaoxi, please keep me!"
"I'm tall, handsome, and talented—keep me instead!"
"Keep me! I wouldn't even blink if it shortened my life by twenty years!"
…
He had once considered using a "long-lost little brother" story, but after thinking it through, a manager identity was more reliable.
That way, even if the two of them married in the future, it wouldn't be strange at all.
A star falling for her manager over time—totally reasonable, right?
"Family, I haven't even gotten to eat that 'soft rice' yet," Zhang Yichen said helplessly. "Stop thinking about it already."
His words triggered another wave of teasing.
"Top Student, with Sister Xiaoxi being this outstanding, you'd better work harder!"
"Sister Xiaoxi, look how sincere he is—maybe give him a chance?"
"One genius and one fairy—this is a match made in heaven!"
…
Chen Xiaoxi lowered her head slightly, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Her fingers unconsciously pinched the hem of her clothes.
But they were still live. She had to respond.
"Well…"
Her eyes darted away, clearly avoiding the camera.
Pressing her lips together, she said softly,
"Yichen is a bit too… young. I can't bear to ruin the nation's tender flower."
"Top Student, Sister Xiaoxi thinks you're too tender!"
"Upstairs, explain clearly—what exactly is 'tender' about Top Student Lin?"
"She said 'too tender'! Clearly means he hasn't fully matured yet!"
…
The teasing continued endlessly.