Lu Guifan received such a cryptic message, and his first reaction wasn’t that Jiang Ruotang was messing around or playing games, but rather that he had a new idea, much like his previous interest in Xiaolan’s phone. 

Moreover, Lu Guifan trusted Jiang Ruotang’s discretion and knew he wouldn’t expose any private information in the video.

[Okay.]

Just a single word in reply, and Jiang Ruotang excitedly searched his phone for the short videos he had saved. 

He carefully selected one with good lighting where Lu Guifan hadn’t mentioned their names too much, had someone edit it, then registered an account and uploaded it. 

His original intention was just to test the features of “Little Sweet Fruit,” such as upload speed and video categorization. At that time, there was no data push, and it was a new account, so Jiang Ruotang had no hope for clicks or popularity.

He uploaded it after class in the afternoon, registering the username “Disciple I’ll Be Good.” 

That night, at ten o’clock, returning home from the art studio, he casually opened Little Sweet Fruit and discovered that the video he had posted was ranked third in the newcomer section, with over 1,200 clicks.

Jiang Ruotang was a little surprised. 

Was it just such an ordinary lecture video? The background was just his small desk at home and a piece of scratch paper. If Lu Guifan had shown his face, the clicks would be understandable, but the problem was Lu Guifan hadn’t appeared at all; only his left hand held down the paper, his right hand held a pen, and his voice was audible. 

Among the myriad of problem-solving videos, it could be said to be excessively sloppy… Were netizens really so eager to learn?

Jiang Ruotang clicked on the comments below and nearly choked on his own saliva.

[Wow, this teacher’s voice is so pleasant! At first, it sounds cold, but it’s actually full of patience and gentleness~ My heart is so soft!]

[Did no one notice how long and beautiful the teacher’s fingers are?]

[Pleasant voice, beautiful handwriting, why can’t we see the face!]

[The vibe of a top student teaching a struggling student!]

[What do I do if I find this very sweet?]

[The struggling student on the other side didn’t understand, and the teacher sighed softly, then changed his problem-solving approach and started explaining—still so gentle!]

[So doting, Master, I want to be your disciple too!]

…

Looking at these comments, Jiang Ruotang’s ears inexplicably turned red. So, it wasn’t his misconception that Lu Guifan was gentle and patient when teaching him; could anyone hear it?

The netizens’ comments had already drifted elsewhere, directly fantasizing a “Top Student and Struggling Student Love Story.” The most liked comment was also “people are dirty-minded.” 

Things like “his fingers can do more than just hold a pen,” “first time listening to a lecture and feeling like my ears are pregnant,” and the top-liked comment was “begging Master to show his face.”

Jiang Ruotang snorted. If you saw his face, would you still seriously listen to him lecture? Superficial humans!

Only, Jiang Ruotang didn’t know that after Lu Guifan returned home, he opened Little Sweet Fruit on his recently purchased laptop. 

He searched for “Di Jun” and found all sorts of content: introductions to “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” clips from offline TV dramas, none of which were what he wanted.

Lu Guifan thought for a moment, re-sorted by like count, and finally found Cai Ji’s work. 

On the computer screen, Di Jun’s silver feathers fluttered, and a glance back from a high vantage point showed an expression truly identical to Jiang Ruotang’s. 

Jiang Ruotang had once said that his obsession with Bai Yingchuan was because Jiang Huaiyuan’s camera work had too much artistic conception. 

At that time, Lu Guifan couldn’t understand how someone could develop such extreme infatuation with another person over things like artistic conception or aesthetics. 

But as Lu Guifan watched Di Jun’s gently lowered eyelids on the screen, his heart tightened dramatically, and blood rushed wildly throughout his body… Was this feeling also because Cai Ji’s modeling was too beautiful?

---

Because Jiang Ruotang also had to prepare for the capital’s fine arts academy entrance exam, he didn’t skip his art studio classes. Teacher Liang himself graduated from the capital’s fine arts academy, and he understood their aesthetic and exam question styles very well. 

Therefore, Jiang Ruotang didn’t need to travel far to the capital for intensive training. With Teacher Liang’s personal guidance, Jiang Ruotang’s technique improved rapidly.

Tonight’s theme was watercolor still life: roses blooming in a vase, with green grapes and red apples below the vase. Teacher Liang stood behind Jiang Ruotang and watched for a long time. 

When the class ended, he said softly, “If today were a color exam, you could get around 95 points.”

“Really?” Jiang Ruotang asked, delighted.

Teacher Liang, as usual, clasped his hands behind his back: “Fake.”

Knowing that Teacher Liang was teasing him, Jiang Ruotang smiled. Another senior student came over to look at Jiang Ruotang’s painting, pausing slightly before finally saying, “No wonder you were shortlisted for Fu Chunshi’s art exhibition…”

“Huh?”

The senior sister sincerely said, “Looking at the roses you painted, it suddenly made me really miss my boyfriend… especially the first day he confessed to me… that feeling of my heart boiling.”

Jiang Ruotang was so flattered by his senior sister that he couldn’t lift his head, his neck and ears turning a bit red. His senior sister’s sixth sense was truly accurate; she immediately guessed that Jiang Ruotang had someone he liked. 

“If I were you, I’d give this painting to him. Even if you don’t dare to confess, it could serve as a subtle way to show your affection.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ruotang found it hard not to be tempted. He had painted Lu Guifan for the competition, and the other party didn’t mind. 

What if he gave him a painting of roses that he himself had painted? And it wasn’t just roses; there were also fruits and a tablecloth. He could just say it was a still life exercise, and Teacher Liang happened to put out roses.

---

After class, Jiang Ruotang took the painting to find Lu Guifan. As soon as he entered, Lu’s parents greeted him warmly. 

The two of them went to the kitchen together to make a late-night snack for Jiang Ruotang, which made Jiang Ruotang feel a bit embarrassed. 

Lu Guifan was originally in his bedroom watching Cai Ji’s “Classic of Mountains and Seas” video. 

Hearing Jiang Ruotang’s clear laughter, he immediately turned off the Di Jun video.

He opened his bedroom door, dressed in a light brown sweater and fleece-lined sweatpants. 

The two pieces of clothing didn’t quite match, but Lu Guifan had such a good physique, and his relaxed demeanor made Jiang Ruotang’s heart melt.

“Let me tell you, my teacher praised my still life painting today! If I take the capital’s fine arts academy entrance exam, I can get 95 points! Do you want to see the painting I made?” Jiang Ruotang’s eyes were bright, so happy about being praised by his teacher, just like a kindergarten child who received a little red star.

“Alright, let me see your 95-point watercolor painting.” Lu Guifan probably didn’t even realize that his voice was gentle and his lips curved upwards.

Jiang Ruotang took out a sealed moisture-proof bag, which contained the painting, and placed it on Lu Guifan’s desk. The vibrant red roses seemed to stir an invisible wave through the paper. 

A certain impulse hidden deep within his heart was irresistibly pulled out. 

His study had always only contained mathematics, physics, chemistry, theories, and logic, but at this moment, it was overflowing with romance, as if mad flowers had bloomed in a dry desert. 

Lu Guifan had never known that a painting could have such an infectious power.

“Your teacher must have been afraid you’d get arrogant, that’s why he only gave you 95 points.”

“Huh? Class monitor, are you praising me?” Jiang Ruotang leaned on the corner of the desk, smiling as he looked at him.

“Yes.” Lu Guifan nodded, then gently stroked Jiang Ruotang’s head. “Being praised by your teacher, do you feel more confident about the school exam now?”

“Sigh, the school exam takes up a lot of time from academic classes. If I really go to take the school exam, what about my academic classes—will you save me?” Jiang Ruotang asked.

“Haven’t I always been trying to teach you?”

“That’s true, you’re a golden lecturer—this painting is for you! As my tuition fee. When I become a great painter in the future, it won’t be worth too much!”

Lu Guifan paused, then said softly, “I will cherish it well, great painter.”

---

Not long after, Lu’s mother came in carrying freshly cooked century egg and lean pork wontons. Even Lu Guifan himself wouldn’t eat in his bedroom; he disliked the smell of food lingering in his sleeping and studying area. 

But somehow, at some point, Jiang Ruotang gained this privilege. He drank cola here, ate chocolate cookies, potato chips, and even spicy sticks, and Lu Guifan only felt a very real sense of it.

“Auntie, it smells so good! Or maybe I should eat outside! I’m afraid the class monitor will get hungry from the smell when he sleeps tonight!”

Lu Guifan said calmly, “It’s fine, just sit here and eat.”

“Class monitor, you’re so nice.”

Lu’s mother left, closing the door and turning down the television volume outside. Jiang Ruotang puffed out his cheeks, blowing on the wontons, while Lu Guifan propped his chin on his hand, watching him.

“Ruotang, this afternoon in English class, you seemed a little distracted. Was that also related to whether you’re participating in the school exam?”

This was the first time Jiang Ruotang heard the eighteen-year-old Lu Guifan call him “Ruotang,” and his heart softened immensely, as if warm steam was constantly pouring into it.

“Oh, it’s just that an elder and I have differing opinions, but I’m sure I’m right and don’t know how to convince him.” Jiang Ruotang glanced at Lu Guifan. “Would you be willing to listen to me talk about something unrelated to studying?”

“Mm.”

Jiang Ruotang then explained that he was very optimistic about Little Sweet Fruit and hoped that elder would buy it, but the elder thought it was a waste of money, difficult to profit from, and high-risk. That elder was Zheng Huasheng.

Lu Guifan propped his chin, patiently listening to Jiang Ruotang’s narration, nodding while summarizing: “You’re seeing the user base of Little Sweet Fruit; they have loyalty to this website. And those video creators also have their own fans. But how to monetize these users, having traffic without making money, is what your elder is worried about.”

Jiang Ruotang nodded, “Yes, buying copyrighted animation costs money, and it’s uncertain whether users are willing to pay to watch these copyrighted animations… After all, they’re used to finding free resources.”

Lu Guifan unhurriedly said, “Aren’t Qilin Video and Yunfeng Video promoting copyrighted content now? They’re rich and powerful; they can cultivate the online users’ awareness of copyrighted content. Little Sweet Fruit’s owner doesn’t need to worry about this; they just need to sit back and reap the promotional benefits from those two major video websites.”

Jiang Ruotang’s eyes lit up. Yes, those two major video websites were backed by capital behemoths. In less than three years, young people online would gradually develop habits of consuming copyrighted content—they could boost data for their supported celebrities, they wouldn’t have to worry about fraudulent ads embedded in pirated content, and they’d have bullet comments to interact with. The issue of users buying copyrighted content, which Mr. Zheng was worried about, could be convinced with this reason.

“And truly forming copyrighted habits might rely on this.” Lu Guifan shook his phone. “Phones are becoming smarter, and many functions and services might be something pirated platforms can’t adapt to.”

“Ah, right!” Jiang Ruotang suddenly felt that Lu Guifan’s ideas were also at the forefront of the times.

“Since Little Sweet Fruit is taking an anime/manga route, the number of users watching anime and comics will be greater than those of the two major video websites. In the early stages of development, it’s fine to take a differentiated route from those two major video websites. This way, it won’t form too obvious a competitive relationship with them,” Lu Guifan continued. “And I think… the copyright prices for anime should be cheaper than for TV dramas and movies, right?”

“Class monitor, you don’t even watch anime, how do you know all this?”

Of course, it was because he wanted to see Cai Ji’s Di Jun on Little Sweet Fruit that he learned about it. But Lu Guifan wouldn’t say this reason.

“The remaining key issue is funding. Your elder should be very sensitive to data like costs and profits, right?”

Jiang Ruotang immediately nodded, “How did you know?”

“Your elder must be struggling with how to solve the funding problem. I guess buying Little Sweet Fruit now wouldn’t be too expensive, but expanding the copyrighted animation library, operating the website, and upgrading users all require funds. Your elder probably doesn’t mind trial and error, but if these problems aren’t solved and you can’t provide practical and effective solutions, he naturally won’t agree with you. You need strong and capable partners, or even powerful backing.”

Jiang Ruotang propped his chin, looking at Lu Guifan, “Class monitor…”

“Hmm?”

“So you’re not just good at studying.”

“Haven’t eaten pork, but haven’t seen a pig run?”

“When you become famous in the future, you can even hold online lectures on Little Sweet Fruit. By then, hundreds of thousands, even millions of scholars will be taking classes online…”

“Will that many people be willing to take classes online?” Lu Guifan thought Jiang Ruotang was drawing a blank check.

“Because you’re handsome. No matter how many years of evolution, humans are superficial and cannot resist a handsome guy like you.” Jiang Ruotang secretly thought to himself, Master, your voice and fingers alone have already captivated a large crowd. Your teaching videos have even been categorized into the “Voice Control Headquarters.”

Lu Guifan sighed helplessly, “I teach you almost every day, and you’re only ranked 250th. It seems my handsomeness isn’t very obvious.”

“Well… God opened a door for me, giving me artistic talent, but closed the window of my intelligence. Fortunately, outside that window, there’s a beautiful scenery like you, tapping open my window crack, and a tiny bit of wisdom flowed in…” Jiang Ruotang chuckled, talking nonsense.

“Eat your wontons.”

After finishing his wontons, Jiang Ruotang held the bowl, slurping down the soup. Lu Guifan casually pulled a tissue from the corner of the table and placed it under his chin, so no extra soup would spill and stain his sweater.

After Jiang Ruotang left, Lu Guifan picked up the watercolor painting. Even though he didn’t understand art, he found it beautiful. Lu Guifan exhaled, searching online for ways to preserve watercolor paintings. Jiang Ruotang’s paintbrush made this large bouquet of red roses bloom forever, and what Lu Guifan had to do was make sure they never faded.

As for the opportunity to solve the funding problem, it came faster than Jiang Ruotang imagined.