0131: Sea King Ji

Fortunately, he had discovered it in time; otherwise, if he had been blathering on and said something strange that she happened to see, it would have been quite awkward.

The group had not been established for very long, and between his classes and his writing, he rarely had time to chat. He checked his drafts and saw only one chapter remained, so he decided to post it now and give everyone a heads-up to put them at ease.

"Everyone, there was an unexpected incident yesterday, so I am resuming updates today. It was too rushed and I forgot to let you know, my apologies."

He posted the announcement, and the members of the group replied with "received." He also took the opportunity to make Chu Fengyi an administrator.

Star Mimi: "Oh, so Three-Ponytails really does know the author!"

Burning Changan Flower: "Wait, Three-Ponytails is the author's master? What kind of master? @Gold-Haired Three-Ponytails"

Gold-Haired Three-Ponytails: "Martial arts."

Star Mimi: "Martial arts!?"

Gold-Haired Three-Ponytails: "Believe it or not, I'm done talking."

Burning Changan Flower: "Star Mimi, you said you were a content creator, right?"

Star Mimi: "Yeah, but something came up recently, so I’ve been slacking off."

Burning Changan Flower: "Then stop slacking, stop reading, and stop chatting!"

Star Mimi: "My cameraman is busy, I can't film by myself."

Burning Changan Flower: "What's your Bilibili account name?"

Star Mimi: "This... I'm afraid of being embarrassed, never mind, I won't self-promote here. If I ever make it to the front-page recommendations, I'll tell you guys so you can see it."

Nameless Hell: "When that happens, I'll definitely support you with a coin, miss!"

Star Mimi: "Looking forward to your 'like, favorite, and follow'! Don't just say 'next time for sure'!"

Seeing the chat settle down, Xu Lin suddenly remembered that he had also intended to become a creator himself. He had been so busy lately that he’d put it on the back burner. However, if he were to become a food creator, he would need to prepare some professional filming equipment. After all, a video isn't just about how professional your cooking is; it's about whether the visuals look good and if the dish looks appetizing. Since viewers can't taste the food, the flavor isn't the most critical part.

Many influencers selling products will bite into a sour piece of fruit, make a pained face, yet still insist it’s sweet. His cooking wouldn’t be that bad, but the appearance, aroma, and presentation were more important. It was time to get things moving. Honestly, aside from his passion for writing, his other interests were cooking and content creation. Before his rebirth, he was a creator with 10,000 followers.

However, it wasn't enough to make a living. You needed a certain level of reach to get brand deals, and the incentive programs paid very little. If his past self had the singing and cooking skills he had now, he could have provided a good life for his family.

But he had been too lazy. Others updated weekly, or at the very least monthly, while he only updated once every six months. Having 10,000 followers was already quite an achievement.

He closed the group chat and began typing on the laptop in Chu Qingchan's room. Two chapters a day—one more to go, and he should be able to finish it by noon.

Outside, Ji Yun saw Chu Fengyi looking at her phone, so she didn't disturb her and walked toward the kitchen. Chu Fengyi glanced at her, put her phone down, and followed her into the kitchen.

"Teacher Chu, I can handle it myself. What would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine. I'll help."

"Um... I can really do it myself."

Ji Yun was at a loss for words. Remembering how "Sister Chu" would inevitably break two plates every time she entered the kitchen, she didn't dare let her help.

"Do you think I'm Chu Qingchan? Except for badminton, chess, and useless body fat, I am better than her in every way."

"Including acting and singing?"

"..." You two are definitely cut from the same cloth! How are you just like that guy Xu Lin!

"I'll make some croquettes. I've been wanting to make them for a while; I recently bought some fresh potatoes and minced meat." Ji Yun realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly changed the subject, hoping not to anger this young lady any further now that she had finally calmed down.

"I can do that too, I'll help you."

"Fine."

Ji Yun nodded helplessly. At worst, she’d just have to be careful and make sure she didn't break any plates—a single plate cost 300 yuan, which was her entire month's food budget.

"By the way, don't call me Teacher Chu. We aren't at school."

"Okay, then I'll call you Sister Fengyi, how's that?"

Ji Yun didn't overthink it and said it sweetly. Chu Fengyi froze, then scratched her head after a few seconds.

"Fine..." Was this what it felt like to be called "sister"? When she was a child, because she was the youngest, she called many of the girls in the family "sister," while everyone else called her the "Second Miss." Even after growing up, it remained the same. People who didn't know her identity rarely called her sister because of her appearance. So, Ji Yun's "sister" made her feel a bit strange, though primarily, she felt happy.

"Sister Fengyi, is something wrong?"

"It's just that you suddenly called me sister, and I'm not used to it, because no one has ever called me that before..."

"Do you not like it?" Ji Yun clenched her little hands.

"No, no, I was just surprised. Just keep calling me that."

Chu Fengyi smiled. Although she didn't know why, she suddenly felt this little girl was quite cute. Wait, this isn't right! She almost fell into a rival's trap! She was good—she almost slipped up. No wonder Chu Qingchan couldn't stop her! But if she's willing to be the "younger" one, then this young lady would be magnanimous just this once. Ahem!

Ji Yun didn't know what was going on in Chu Fengyi's head; she only felt that the other girl's attitude had become friendlier, which she took as a good sign.

By 1:30 PM, Xu Lin had finished the chapter and made a phone call to Chu Qingchan to report that he was safe. He also informed Ma Zhiyu so the police wouldn't have to visit his home and frighten his parents.

With the tedious tasks out of the way, he walked out of the bedroom and saw the blonde girl and the black-haired girl huddled on the sofa. With their ponytails—one single, one twin—tangled together, they seemed to be watching a movie, looking very intimate and familiar.

He wasn't too surprised; Ji Yun had proven her affinity-building skills many times already. He couldn't help but think that if the "12 Zodiac System" were given to Ji Yun, she would max out affinity stats effortlessly. So, you were the true master of the harem all along.

Xu Lin opened the system interface and checked Qin Yunhe's profile. Since unlocking her affinity system, their relationship had become "negatively distanced" (intimate), but he hadn't had a chance to check her data.

[Qin Yunhe]
[Age: 27]
[Zodiac: Tiger]
[Intelligence: 7]
[Physique: 7]
[Charm: 8]
[Current Affinity: 45]

Good heavens, her affinity had jumped from 15 to 45! She had become the person with the highest affinity. It seemed some old sayings were true...

Qin Yunhe’s serious yet slightly shy expression appeared in his mind. And her figure—how was it so perfect? Better than most models.

Oh no, he was craving her again! Xu Lin, Xu Lin, you are a good boy; you can't think about these things all day!

Speaking of which, Qin Yunhe was a Tiger, and that giant tiger listened to her. Could it be related? It seemed he would have to pay a visit to the zoo once they received the tiger.