Chapter 36: The Livestream Begins, Let's Become His Fans Together

Evening arrived quickly. In their dormitory, Sun Tiantian, Xu Xiaolin, and Tan Jiajia sat with their phones, patiently awaiting the start of the City Express live broadcast.

"Wow, the popularity of the livestream is already sky-high! It hasn't even started yet, and the number of viewers waiting online has already topped one hundred thousand!" Tan Jiajia exclaimed, having caught a glimpse of the viewer count in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Xu Xiaolin nodded in agreement with a smile. "Well, this whole situation is quite the hot topic, isn't it? Plus, this is the first time 'First Affection Su Chen' has appeared publicly to discuss the donation incident since it happened. Naturally, everyone is curious to know the specifics."

Tan Jiajia turned to Sun Tiantian and asked with a grin, "Tiantian, I remember you were one of the very first people to watch Su Chen's streams. Do you remember how many viewers were in the room back then?"

As roommates, they all knew Sun Tiantian was a loyal fan of Su Chen and had been following him for a long time, which was why she was being asked.

Sun Tiantian thought for a moment before replying softly, "I think there were only about four or five viewers... He wasn't famous back then, so there were very few people."

In truth, that period was not only a low point for Sun Tiantian but also the most difficult, early stage of Su Chen's streaming career. During that time, Su Chen had provided Sun Tiantian with constant encouragement and guidance, and in return, Sun Tiantian became the motivation Su Chen needed to keep going—they became each other's pillars of support. It was much like a newcomer writing their first novel online; having just one reader who sincerely encourages and cheers them on can provide the drive to keep trying and never give up.

"Really? If that's the case, you're a truly die-hard fan. It was his good fortune that someone like you was there when he first started streaming!" Tan Jiajia said, sounding genuinely impressed.

Sun Tiantian smiled, not denying it, and nodded. "Yes, and it was my good fortune, too!"

Amidst their chatter, the time passed quickly, and the broadcast officially began. Soon, when Su Chen's figure appeared in the stream, the screen was almost instantly flooded with comments.

"Wow... so this is what 'First Affection Su Chen' looks like. He's actually really handsome!" Xu Xiaolin exclaimed, becoming infatuated as she stared at Su Chen on the screen.

Sun Tiantian cast a faint, sidelong glance at her and chuckled. She wondered who it was that had been hurling insults on Su Chen’s Douyin account before the truth came out. Now he was handsome? Oh, women!

Noticing Sun Tiantian’s gaze, Xu Xiaolin felt her cheeks flush. She huffed, "Why are you looking at me like that? It was a misunderstanding before, but things are different now! Besides, people change!"

On the livestream, Chen Shuya saw that Su Chen had taken his seat and began her opening remarks.

"Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the City Express livestream. I am your host for today, Chen Shuya. Today, we are very fortunate to have invited a friend who has recently been the talk of the town on Douyin."

"As the saying goes, 'A strategist enters the game; a single move can win half the board.' Let us welcome today's guest—First Affection Su Chen!"

Su Chen smiled at the camera as he was accustomed to doing and greeted the audience: "Good evening, everyone. I am First Affection Su Chen. I am very happy to see you all here."

As soon as he finished speaking, the comment section erupted in another wave of enthusiasm, with applause emojis and messages of welcome scrolling across the screen incessantly. Because there were concerns that the broadcast might be perceived as a publicity stunt or a cash grab, the tipping function had been disabled; otherwise, the screen would have been filled with special effects from gifts.

"Wow, it seems everyone is very enthusiastic about your arrival!" Chen Shuya said, looking at the screen in awe. "We can see the affection, admiration, and endless passion everyone has for you just from the comments."

Su Chen smiled gently and offered his thanks. "Thank you all. I am truly unworthy of such praise."

His humble, polite, and composed attitude earned him another wave of appreciation from the viewers.

Chen Shuya tilted her head slightly toward Su Chen and asked softly, "While everyone here is likely aware of the general truth behind the recent donation incident, could you tell us the specific details of what happened back then, A-Chen?"

Su Chen pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "Actually, what I did pales in comparison to the warm-hearted people who donated. The ones who truly deserve thanks and praise aren't me, but the generous netizens who reached into their pockets to help. It was because of their donations, one by one, that Pingping was able to afford her surgery. And I’m happy to report that the surgery was a success, and she is now in the recovery phase!"

As soon as Su Chen finished, the comment section filled with cheers and messages of joy. Almost everyone in the livestream was happy that the little girl's surgery had gone smoothly, and their feelings toward Su Chen grew even more favorable because of his words.

In truth, everyone already knew the general process of the incident. While the netizens' donations deserved recognition, Su Chen’s actions were even more worthy of affirmation. After all, if he hadn't orchestrated the situation to draw attention to it, there would never have been so many people donating to help that poor mother and daughter.

At the same time, those who had donated and felt aggrieved finally felt a sense of relief upon hearing Su Chen’s words. It didn't matter what the exact truth was; as long as the money they contributed had truly helped the little girl, that was enough, wasn't it?

Chen Shuya looked at Su Chen, who wore a gentle smile, and felt a surge of admiration for his eloquence and wit. The audience, who had been following this trending topic closely, understood perfectly well. They didn't think Su Chen was insignificant because of his current humility; on the contrary, they recognized his character even more and felt a growing fondness for him.

Collecting her thoughts, Chen Shuya asked softly, "In the video where the truth was revealed, we all learned that there were some misunderstandings about you. Many netizens who didn't know the truth criticized you, to the point where your accounts were even banned... In that situation, did you feel pain or regret? Perhaps you could share what you were thinking at the time?"

After Chen Shuya finished, many viewers in the stream felt a twinge of guilt. After all, they hadn't known there was more to the story at the time; they had simply felt he was cruel and wanted to vent their anger, not caring about the facts.

They knew she was being polite—at the time, they hadn't just "criticized" him; they had used the most vicious language imaginable, sometimes even feeling their vocabulary wasn't extensive enough to express their hatred. Looking back now, they realized how suffocating and painful it must have been for Su Chen to act out his plan while being unable to defend himself.

He had been doing a good deed, yet he had to endure being misunderstood, hated, and subjected to all kinds of curses and insults. If they had been in his shoes, they wouldn't have been able to handle it for even a second.

This realization made the netizens admire him deeply. He was a tough man—truly ruthless to himself, and that was something to be respected!

Su Chen paused for a moment, then smiled calmly. "Aside from the physical discomfort caused by illness, the pain we feel is merely psychological, stemming from our own values rather than any objective reality. The greatest tragedy in life is to complain that this isn't the life we wanted or the choice we wanted to make, while simultaneously feeling forced into it and regretting the past."

"For me, I didn't feel pain. On the contrary, I was happy, because I made a choice that aligned with my heart, and I have no regrets. As for the gazes and opinions of others, I don't care about them, and they don't have much of an influence on me."

After hearing this, the viewers watching the stream found it hard to believe. They had guessed that Su Chen wouldn't regret his decision after seeing the positive outcome, but they never expected him to accept the world's insults and misunderstandings with such calm indifference. His breadth of spirit, strength of character, and clarity of mind were enough to shock and amaze everyone listening.

Back in the dorm, Xu Xiaolin turned slowly to Sun Tiantian, her expression complex. "I finally understand why you like him so much! A man who is mentally strong, clear-headed, emotionally stable, intelligent, kind, and handsome is truly rare these days."

Seeing the person she admired receive such recognition, Sun Tiantian smiled. "It's not too late for you to start following him now, you know!"

"That's true, fair point!" Tan Jiajia laughed heartily. "In that case, I hereby announce that starting today, I am officially one of First Affection Su Chen's fans!"

Xu Xiaolin nodded in agreement. "Count me in, too! From today on, we're all his fans!"