Xu Lin took a one-hour nap, then woke up and updated a chapter of his novel before it was time for school.
As he was getting ready to leave, he remembered one of his new side gigs.
He checked the stats on his video; he had uploaded it yesterday but hadn't checked it yet.
He clicked on his video and saw the big zero in the top left corner had turned into two big zeros.
Only 100 views... but he expected as much. It was just his first video, no promotion, and no clickbait title.
However, there were surprisingly quite a few comments below, 13 to be exact, which was a lot for a video with only 100 views.
Among the 13 comments, 10 of them praise how good the background music is and ask what song it is, but the user can't find it.
Another 2 comments mention that the food looks delicious and suggest trying it out. And of course, there are the usual nauseating remarks.
"Oh, no response, just teaching a lesson! Why bother making cola pancakes? So many people have already done it, can't you make Chinese food!? Still begging for likes, huh~"
Xu Lin just deleted those comments, these people are just idle. Let's wait and see if it'll reach 500 views tonight, he hoped it breaks to a thousand.
Finally, Xu Lin posted another comment in the comment section saying, "After it gets over 3,000 views, I'll make Chinese food for everyone. Leave a comment if you want to see something specific."
He shut down his computer, put on his shoes, pushed the door open, and instinctively waved his hand.
He found the corridor empty, sighing as he realized the absence of the class monitor, who used to be there promptly at noon.
"Ah~ how could I not understand? It's not that the class monitor is mad at me, but she is troubled by all these people around me, making things complicated."
Realizing he was overthinking, he shook his head. In front of Qin Yunhe, he could still retract his bow, but now there is no turning back; he has to move forward.
Without Ji Yun and Chu Qingchan slowing him down, Xu Lin arrived at the school in just over ten minutes, only to stop in his tracks.
Just over an hour had passed since lunch break, yet the school seemed to have transformed, as if putting on makeup.
The once slightly dusty school sign now gleamed brightly, and the greenery, which had grown however it pleased, was now neatly trimmed and beautiful.
The gravel on the normally dusty cobblestone path had been cleaned up, and a huge sign had been erected next to the teaching building, with a line of text written on it:
"Youth begins at your feet, let's soar together."
Although it was a bit cheesy, paired with the image of the latest model of Feidu WEX sneakers, it felt quite stylish.
Many students stood beneath the sign, looking at the description behind it, which listed other shoe models and prices.
"This pair uses the latest materials and it's only 290 yuan, it's a steal compared to those ridiculously expensive foreign brands!"
"I think the female version of the WEX Storm Cloud looks better than the male version."
"Yeah, too bad I just bought a pair for 300 yuan, feels like I got ripped off."
Seeing everyone discussing so enthusiastically, Xu Lin suddenly felt that Ms. Ye's performance this time might really be very impressive.
Arriving in the classroom, Xu Lin found that Ji Yun hadn't arrived yet, which was unusual since she's usually the first as the class monitor.
"Hey, Xu Lin, you are getting new shoes today, happy?" Li Bin's face was full of envy.
Why do I have big feet!
"Both good morning and evening, I saw on the brand that the shoes given to students this time should be the Snow Lynx EX2. It's last year's model. Maybe you should wait, the second batch might be the new WEX model."
"I love the pattern on Snow Lynx shoes! Whether they're technical or not doesn't matter. A skilled athlete can easily surpass us wearing sneakers."
"Indeed," Ma Zhiyu nodded. "The women's model, the Bursting Cloud, looks great. I plan to buy a pair for Lu Man."
"Are you two showing affection again? Didn't you see Xu Lin and Ji Yun having a conflict?" Li Bin hastily interrupted Ma Zhiyu, who also widened his eyes.
"You and the class monitor had a conflict?"
"No, she just tends to overthink things, but once she understands, it's fine," Xu Lin said, but one sentence stuck in his mind.
Even though Ji Yun and Chu Qingchan also exercise with them, they haven't bought professional running shoes, which could put pressure on their ankles and knees over time.
He could buy two pairs of professional running shoes for them to make running easier, benefiting the protection and stability of their feet.
But there's still the question: how many pairs to buy? He has some fluctuating thoughts about each person, but fundamentally, he wants to treat each girl equally.
There's no hierarchy in terms of position, only deep emotional connections, so if we're buying, we'll need several pairs, which is quite an expense.
"By the way, Li Bin, what time does that so-called promotional event start this afternoon?"
"It should be right after the first two classes, then the event starts, and after it's done, we'll be dismissed directly."
"That sounds good."
"But we have makeup classes tomorrow afternoon." Hei Yuanliang walked over, and his statement made several students around him scoff.
"That's just ridiculous."
"Can't help it, that's how the school arranged it."
"It's not even a donation, just giving shoes, and the other party is still promoting their new shoes, advertising. Why does the school still look like this~"
The sports committee member nearby, He Run, said something, and everyone laughed. Everyone thought the school must have received some benefits. However, Xu Lin understood the school's intentions.
It's not just for the benefits of big companies that the school does this, but because the school needs influence, publicity, and it's also a part of their resume.
It's like when they were shooting the short film in Jinling, there was always a line of small text in the lower right corner of the advertisements, thanking Jinling High School and similar entities.
As an ordinary school in Linshui Town, School No. 3 naturally needs it too, and its influence on the future could be significant.
However, there's no need for him to explain to everyone, because he's not sure if there are no benefits. If he says there aren't any, what if he ends up being proven wrong?
"Li Bin, has Ji Yun arrived?'"
"She just came with Zuo Yan, but they've already left again."
Li Bin had just finished speaking when Ji Yun and Zhuo Yan walked in arm in arm. Zhuo Yan called out to the sports committee member He Run.
"He Run, go to the office."
"Is the head teacher looking for me?"
"You'll find out when you get there."
"Okay." He Run scratched his head and walked out.
"Zhuo Yan, what's up? Is it about the assembly?"
"Yeah, we're not too sure either, but there should be a small running race. A little competition between classes, but nothing more detailed."
"A race? Spare us, please? I'm not good at anything."
"But the top few in the race can choose a pair of Feidu shoes, whether they're new or old models."
"Well, that won't apply to us either~"
Xu Lin ignored the information about the match and focused on watching Ji Yun approach, intending to join her. However, seeing Zhuo Yan protect Ji Yun like a mother hen, he felt too embarrassed to approach.
Ji Yun didn't pay him any attention either, so he could only turn to the guidance of the Evening Star mentor in his heart.
However, before he could even lower his head to read, a bottle of water was placed on his desk.
Xu Lin glanced at it; it was blueberry sparkling water, his favorite drink.
He turned his head and found that Ji Yun was still bowing her head. Zhuo Yan turned her head towards him, mouthing the words, "Your wife gave it to you."
Xu Lin also felt relieved instantly. He grasped the slightly cold beverage in his hand, opened it, and took a sip. Mmm~ Indeed sweeter than usual desserts!