Chapter 408: Kiss! Kiss!

Zhou Baokun, a shut-in.

He is the type who is keen on binge-watching dramas, anime, and movies, but rarely spends a dime.

He goes to the cinema at most once or twice a year, but his annual viewing volume is absolutely over two hundred.

The viewing referred to here is not the kind where everyone frantically hits fast-forward, and you might not even finish a single one in your whole life, the kind where you have to click "Persist in Accessing" on your browser.

At the same time, he never activates a membership for any video platform, relying entirely on... borrowing!

Do you have friends like this around you, who come to ask you for your video platform account and password at the drop of a hat?

And some people, they borrow it as if they've rented it, using it in a race against time.

By the time you open your own account, your 【History】 is already a mess, and you don't even know which episode you were up to in your drama, as it's all been disrupted.

You might be watching some "sensitive" videos, like a female streamer dancing or something, and this kind of person will discover it in your browsing history, and even go out of their way to tell you about it and mock you for it.

Zhou Baokun is exactly this kind of person.

Annoying without even knowing it, and even feeling smug about it.

Yes, there are many people in life who feel proud because they haven't spent money, even thinking that those who do are fools, and they don't view this borrowing of accounts as a favor, feeling it is only natural.

"You've already spent the money anyway, me watching it won't cost you an extra cent." This is Zhou Baokun's way of thinking.

*Nirvana in Fire* is currently a hit, and Zhou Baokun, who loves binge-watching, naturally joined the ranks of the drama-chasers.

Before, when 【Member Early Access】 wasn't activated, he would just endure the ads himself and watch it that way.

But once the 【Member Early Access】 feature was launched, Zhou Baokun couldn't suppress his desire to binge-watch.

He started looking everywhere to borrow, and was rebuffed time and again.

One reason is that he is already very annoying to people.

Although it's a small matter, it gets quite irritating when it happens too often.

The main thing is, the face of such a person relies on the fact that it's a small matter, so you feel even more embarrassed to refuse, and then they come to trouble you.

Another reason he couldn't borrow an account was that *Nirvana in Fire* was too explosive; it could truly be called a nationwide binge-watch.

And Blue Star's video platform accounts only support 3 devices being used online simultaneously.

Once the fourth device verification passes, other devices get kicked off and have to log in and verify again.

Under these circumstances, people like Zhou Baokun who borrow accounts become even more annoying to others.

Yesterday, *Nirvana in Fire* essentially updated six episodes in one go for distinguished VIP users.

Zhou Baokun held back; he just wouldn't activate a membership.

In his view, him contributing a bit of traffic to the video platform was already a great favor.

But today, after finishing the two newly updated free episodes, he felt absolutely miserable!

"It cuts off here! The drama actually cuts off right here!"

"Trash drama, to actually use such tactics!"

In fact, the entire editing of *Nirvana in Fire* does not have the phenomenon of so-called malicious cliffhangers.

It's just that when the runtime is about up, the episode ends.

It won't deliberately disrupt the editing rhythm just to get stuck on a key plot point.

The narrative mode of the whole drama is actually destined to be very tantalizing; there is no need at all to rely on suddenly cutting off a climactic plot to attract the audience to follow the updates.

Zhou Baokun is thick-skinned, so he went around looking for people to borrow from again, and even specifically posted on his social media feed to ask if anyone had a Penguin Video membership.

Naturally, no one paid any attention to this post.

Only two middle school classmates who had decisively rejected him and had long been annoyed by him specifically gave it a "like."

The more Zhou Baokun thought about it, the more annoyed and miserable he felt.

People like him, who love to binge-watch dramas and anime and have a peculiar personality, are the main group that discusses plots, critiques the world, and taps away at keyboards on the internet.

Not being able to catch up to the updates everyone else is watching is equivalent to depriving him of his right to speak.

And he might even get spoiled!

He absolutely cannot tolerate spoilers, even though he often goes to others to spoil things for them.

In the end, Zhou Baokun gritted his teeth.

"Just charge for one month!" He decisively ignored other more favorable payment options, chose to activate a one-month membership, and set it to not auto-renew.

He rarely binge-watches dramas to the finale now; he felt one month was completely enough.

In reality, for some dramas, the finale is the content everyone looks forward to most.

And for some dramas, the finale is indeed the most boring part.

"A person cannot break their own principles twice." He is a firm member of the "freeloader" faction and views today's events as a humiliation.

As a result, the moment he clicked on the content that only members can watch, he immediately typed a bullet comment: "We are all distinguished VIPs, speak more arrogantly!"

………

………

The reason *Nirvana in Fire*'s results are so terrifying is that it has conquered all kinds of people.

After Cheng Wen finished his call with Luo Mo, he really started to pay close attention to the next day's data.

"Logically speaking, the First Day should be the Peak Value, the highest point for new membership growth," Cheng Wen thought to himself.

Unless it's the kind of drama where the early promotion wasn't up to par, or the popularity wasn't high, and then it starts to counter-attack in the middle, only then would it continue to grow.

Although the word-of-mouth for *Nirvana in Fire* is indeed getting better and better, it could be called a nationwide focus even before it started airing, with explosive popularity, so it doesn't fall into that category.

Cheng Wen's own estimate was: "Perhaps today's total number of new members will be relatively close to yesterday's."

"But to say it will be even higher than yesterday, that is completely unrealistic."

But Luo Mo, that guy, really does make people feel itchy with anticipation.

Cheng Wen was thinking "Impossible, impossible, this is wishful thinking," but in his heart, he felt like he was being clawed at by a hundred cats.

It was past eleven o'clock again when Cheng Wen made a call to the data team.

The data team was still pulling an all-nighter, and the deputy team leader, who had offered up his own liver for Penguin, spoke with a tone that was clearly quite excited.

To be honest, the high or low data of Nirvana in Fire had nothing to do with him, nor was it something his work content could influence.

But looking at this data, he just felt great, extremely great!

"This data curve is too beautiful!" This deputy team leader felt it was even more charming than a curvaceous woman.

He had never seen a more beautiful data curve than this!

"General Manager Cheng, as of now, the number of new members for Nirvana in Fire today has already broken 600,000!" the deputy team leader said with immense excitement.

"Broken sixty!?" Cheng Wen was stunned.

He held his phone, pacing back and forth in his living room, and asked, "At about this time yesterday, it hadn't broken 60 yet, right?"

"Correct, at this time yesterday it was just at 580,000," the deputy team leader said.

"Alright, I know." Cheng Wen tried his best to keep his voice steady to ensure his image as a president who does not show his emotions in front of his subordinates.

After hanging up the phone, he threw the phone directly onto the sofa, then hummed a little tune and walked straight toward the liquor cabinet.

After collaborating with Luo Mo, Cheng Wen had become a bit accustomed to this feeling of being unable to sleep at night.

Anyway, he would definitely be too excited to sleep today, so why not... have a drink?

According to the normal situation, Qiqu Video would very likely see its total number of members break through 50 million when Jade Pearl City updated next week!

"But looking at the current momentum..."

Cheng Wen stood in front of the glass liquor cabinet, watching the lights on the glass cabinet hit bottle after bottle of expensive fine wine, and muttered to himself, "Should I prepare the celebration wine early?"

Shanghai, Yucheng.

Luo Mo was currently sitting on the floor in Xu Chujing's home.

To be precise, he was sitting on the carpet in front of the sofa, his back leaning against the sofa seat, his feet stretched out under the table.

He held a wine glass in his hand and gently swirled the red wine inside.

Xu Chujing was curled up on the other side of the sofa, her jade legs tucked in, her body lying on its side, holding her wine glass with one hand against the sofa cushion, a faint flush on her cheeks.

The two of them were drinking, already slightly tipsy.

Nirvana in Fire had broken the historical record of Penguin Video since its founding yesterday. She naturally wanted to celebrate this great feat accomplished by Luo Mo.

"I am the female lead of this drama, this is very normal."

"On the contrary, Ning Dan, who has nothing to do with this drama, sent two invitations to drink," Xu Chujing thought.

As for the large screen in the living room, it was naturally playing Nirvana in Fire.

At this moment, the Drama had just reached a certain famous scene in the eleventh episode that left countless viewers with a deep impression and felt incredibly heartbreaking.

That was when Mei Changsu's hand was burned by the charcoal fire; he was in bone-deep pain, yet in the end, he couldn't help but laugh from the pain.

He laughed until his facial features were all contorted together.

"You know that these hands of mine once drew a great bow and tamed a fierce horse."

"But now, they can only stir up trouble in this dark and treacherous hell."

This segment of the Drama happened to connect with a previous segment.

That was when Mei Changsu saw his former great bow at Prince Jing Xiao Jingyan's place.

He reached out to touch it, but was hurriedly stopped by Prince Jing.

Realizing his loss of composure, Xiao Jingyan said, "Please, sir, do not mind; this is a memento of a friend of mine. When he was alive, he disliked strangers touching his things the most."

Xu Chujing lay on her side on the sofa and raised the wine glass in her hand toward Luo Mo.

Luo Mo smiled, stood up, and actually sat down directly on the carpet in front of the sofa where she was lying, then clinked glasses with her.

In this way, the two of them were effectively very close.

Already slightly tipsy from the alcohol, combined with the reduced distance, it caused the eyelashes on Xu Chujing's beautiful eyes to instinctively tremble slightly.

The most fatal thing was that the Drama on the large screen had already automatically played to the twelfth episode.

The most intense, most direct, and most classic famous scene in the romantic plot between Mei Changsu and Princess Nihuang was also about to arrive.

——【Changting Recognition】!

Since the entire drama began airing, countless viewers had been waiting for this scene.

Previously, when Nihuang suspected Mei Changsu's identity, everyone felt a bit impatient.

Recognize each other quickly, uncover the identity quickly!

The 【Mo Xu CP】 had an especially strong sense of immersion when watching these plots, wishing they could crawl into the screen and shout in Princess Nihuang's ear: "He is Lin Shu! He is your Brother Lin Shu!"

Then, go and grab Mei Changsu by the ear and yell: "Stop pretending! Let me see you pretend again!"

Fortunately, the overall trend of the Drama did not forcibly drag out the emotional line for too long.

The right time, the right place, the right opportunity... that was enough!

At this time, Mei Changsu was standing in the long pavilion, watching Nihuang riding toward him, and said to the person beside him: "I don't know why, but Nihuang has recently become suspicious of me and has been investigating my identity, inquiring in many ways. I am afraid I cannot hide it anymore."

"Sect Master, if Princess Nihuang continues to pester like this, I am afraid it will be inappropriate."

Hearing this, Mei Changsu's eyes did not move away, always looking at the figure riding toward him in the Distance, and said: "To me, Nihuang is ultimately different from others."

"If Mei Changsu cannot stop her, then let Lin Shu come to persuade her."

As soon as these words were spoken, the bullet comments instantly went crazy.

Xu Chujing on the sofa glanced at Luo Mo sitting on the carpet beside her and secretly drank the newly poured red wine in her glass in one gulp.

She suddenly felt a bit of regret.

"Why did I have to drink with him while watching the show we acted in."

"I'm really dying here, and it just so happens that today's update reached the twelfth episode."

She didn't know if it was the alcohol at work or if she just felt a bit awkward, but she actually felt her body heating up slightly.

Her bare feet on the sofa couldn't help but rub against each other gently.

In the Drama, Princess Nihuang and Mei Zhangsu are having a conversation inside the pavilion.

She looks at Mei Zhangsu, voicing various doubts, pointing out numerous signs, and asking all sorts of questions.

What's more, a woman's intuition is truly unreasonable.

Nihuang finally asked that line: "But what about you? Who are you?"

As soon as these words were out, she stared straight into Mei Zhangsu's eyes, her own eye sockets already slightly reddened.

Mei Zhangsu began to put on a mask for himself again, claiming he was an old member of the Red Flame Army, having once been a part of it.

Nihuang naturally did not believe him.

Listening to Mei Zhangsu's various excuses and seeing him turn his body away to avoid looking at her, she walked straight up to him, looked him in the eye again, and said, "Do you know Lin Shu?"

"I do."

"Did he really die in battle?"

"Yes."

"Where did he die in battle?" Nihuang pressed him step by step.

"Meiling."

"Where are his remains buried?" she continued to press.

"Seventy thousand heroic souls, with heaven and earth as their grave."

"No one collected his remains? Not a single bone was found?"

"The battle was tragic, with corpses piled like mountains; who could tell who was Lin Shu?"

"I know what a battlefield is like," Nihuang interrupted directly, saying, "But if you are an old member of the Red Flame Army, why did you call him by his name instead of 'Young Marshal' just now when I mentioned Lin Shu?"

At this point, Nihuang was already streaming with tears, her lips trembling.

"It's just a form of address; whether it's Lin Shu or Young Marshal, or anything else, it doesn't matter," Mei Zhangsu said softly.

Nihuang ignored him, grabbing his arm directly and pulling up his sleeve, only to find nothing on his arm.

Then, as if refusing to accept the truth, she tore open Mei Zhangsu's collar, and seeing that there was no evidence inside to refute him, she could no longer control her emotions.

The man before her didn't have a single trace of the old friend.

"There is clearly a mole here, I remember there being a mole here!"

She couldn't find it.

But she was certain that she had already found him.

The interlude music started at this moment, and Nihuang hugged Mei Zhangsu, whose lips had instantly turned bloodless, crying painfully:

"I know it's you, I know you are my Brother Lin Shu."

The performance tension in this segment of the Drama, along with the emotional release, served as an ignition point after all the foreshadowing, centered on the abruptly appearing line: "There is clearly a mole here, I remember there being a mole here."

This line came suddenly, extremely suddenly.

Yet it achieved the best effect.

The bullet comments began to flood the screen crazily.

"I wasn't crying at first, but as soon as the singing started, I was in tears."

"It killed me! It killed me!"

"They finally recognized each other!"

"Ahhhhh! The identity is finally exposed!"

For the Mo Xu CP, today could be called a grand carnival.

Many people had thought there would be a kissing scene here.

However, there wasn't.

Therefore, after the Changting Recognition segment of the Drama finished airing, the scene shifted, and countless viewers began leaving messages in the bullet comments.

"I'll sign this in blood: kiss!"

"Begging on my knees for a kiss!"

"Kiss! Kiss!"

"I want to see a kiss, I'll pay extra!"

"You are neglecting us noble VIPs!"

"Kiss! Kiss!"

Xu Chujing and Luo Mo sat in the living room, looking at the dense bullet comments, both of them slightly stunned.

Even though the air in the room was circulating well, both of them suddenly felt stifled, and even felt thirsty.

Luo Mo felt he was even sweating a little.

The two of them raised their wine glasses in perfect unison, wanting to drain the newly poured red wine in one gulp.

And because their movements were so synchronized, they looked at each other in surprise before drinking.

Xu Chujing was lying half-sideways on the sofa.

Luo Mo was sitting on the floor in front of her sofa.

Their eyes were on roughly the same level.

In reality, at this distance, it is untrue to say one can feel the other's breath as written in many texts.

Yet, this illusion is truly there.

Xu Chujing and Luo Mo held their wine glasses, eyes meeting, both able to hear their own heartbeats thundering like drums.

In this silent gaze, at a loss and not knowing what to say, he suddenly smiled:

"Do you want a kiss?"

(PS: Not splitting the chapter, two-in-one, begging for monthly tickets!)

(End of chapter)