Chapter 7: The Allure of Northern Sauce
“Brother, if you want… Xue’er can… let you take a photo.” Yun Xue’s cheeks flushed red.
“Ahem, Xue’er, don’t think about things like that. My preferences are perfectly normal. Qingyu is indeed attractive, but to me, she’s just a friend. Don’t worry.” Yun Xuan awkwardly patted Yun Xue’s small head.
“Brother, you mustn’t be swayed by Qingyu.” Yun Xue nodded seriously.
“Alright, Xue’er, stand still. I’ll take a few pictures,” Yun Xuan said, taking out his phone.
“…,” Yun Xue opened her mouth as if to speak, but in the end said nothing. She stood up and allowed Yun Xuan to take photos as he wished.
Looking through the lens at Yun Xue, Yun Xuan truly thought there was only one word to describe her: beautiful.
Yun Xue didn’t need makeup—her bare face was flawless, something many girls would envy.
“Xue’er, this won’t do. Why don’t you try on your swimsuit?” Yun Xuan looked at the photos. She was beautiful indeed, but didn’t have the same cuteness as Lin Qingyu.
“S-swimsuit?” Yun Xue’s face turned scarlet, instantly thinking of the bikinis worn by models on TV.
“Yes, I remember there were swimming classes at school. You didn’t learn to swim, but I’m sure your swimsuit is still around,” Yun Xuan nodded.
Yun Xue was a typical non-swimmer. In fact, she felt uncomfortable if she stayed in water too long, so the doctor had advised her to avoid swimming as much as possible.
During swimming class, boys and girls attended together, but Yun Xue always just watched from the sidelines.
At Shengyu Stream High School, Yun Xue and Yun Xuan didn’t interact much; they weren’t in the same class, and except for Lin Qingyu, no one knew about their relationship.
The reason Yun Xuan knew so much was because of the Shengyu Stream High School forum.
Now that Yun Xuan mentioned it, Yun Xue remembered the one-piece blue swimsuit she’d only worn once.
It was the standard blue swimsuit, the official uniform of Shengyu Stream High School.
“Brother, do I really have to put on the swimsuit?” Yun Xue lowered her head, her heart pounding at the thought of wearing it in front of Yun Xuan.
“Sigh, I still think Qingyu is cuter. Is there no girl cuter than Qingyu? It seems your brother is destined to be alone,” Yun Xuan sighed.
“No… Brother, I’ll show you just how cute a girl can be, so don’t be disappointed. Wait just a moment,” Yun Xue bit her lip. For her brother’s sake, she was determined.
Yun Xue decided to put on the swimsuit and show Yun Xuan that girls could be cuter than boys.
Watching Yun Xue walk out, Yun Xuan’s lips curled up. Having a little sister was truly wonderful.
...
Inside Yun Xue’s room.
She found the blue swimsuit, her face burning, and began to change.
More than ten minutes later.
“Knock, knock,” Yun Xue tapped on the door.
“Come in,” Yun Xuan said, eyes fixed on the doorway.
The door opened, and when Yun Xuan saw Yun Xue in her swimsuit, his eyes lit up.
The blue swimsuit traced the curves of Yun Xue’s figure, which was quite impressive. Her fair thighs made Yun Xuan almost drool.
Wiping away imaginary drool, Yun Xuan began taking pictures, capturing her best side from every angle.
Yun Xue covered her chest, not daring to look at Yun Xuan, her body trembling.
“Xue’er, that’s great. That’s enough, go change back,” Yun Xuan put down his phone, glanced over the photos, and set a password for them.
“Brother, if you ever feel Qingyu is cute, just look at these,” Yun Xue whispered, then hurried back to her room.
...
After Yun Xue left, Yun Xuan turned on his computer and logged into the sticker website.
2,333 downloads!
In just half a day, Northern-chan’s stickers had surged in popularity, reaching the top twenty of the daily downloads chart!
“Ding ding,” Yun Xuan’s phone chimed—another ten thousand yuan in his account. It was almost too easy.
“Hm?” Yun Xuan checked his site messages—a request for a cover illustration, offering five hundred yuan.
“Maybe I should open a personal page,” Yun Xuan thought, and applied for a personal page.
No sooner had he applied than the approval message arrived.
The personal page was connected to his public account, allowing Yun Xuan to post updates about his work.
He didn’t accept the cover commission; he simply posted a brief message:
Northern-chan: Thank you to everyone who has subscribed and downloaded. Northern-chan’s stickers have surpassed 10,000 downloads—a free short comic will be released. When downloads surpass 100,000, a second batch of stickers will be released.
...
“Ding dong!” Feng Qixi’s QQ chimed, and when she saw the pop-up, her eyes sparkled.
Sticker creators could be followed, and once followed, any updates to their page or other features would be visible.
Feng Qixi opened a QQ group and shared a screenshot of the announcement.
Acid Rain Girl: Wow, the creator of Northern-chan actually opened a personal page?
Lin Feng: Who said it was made by a studio? Bet your face hurts now?
Engineer: It hurts, it really hurts…
Feng Qixi: He’s giving out a short comic for 10,000 downloads… I really want to see it.
Starry Night: I bet a pack of spicy sticks it’ll hit 10,000 in a week.
Pure Little Dragon: Three days. At this rate, we’ll see the comic in less than three days.
The QQ group buzzed with discussion, but soon the topic drifted and the conversation turned rowdy again.
...
Many who had downloaded Northern-chan’s stickers also followed the creator’s account, quickly sharing the announcement.
Word of mouth spread, and Northern-chan’s popularity soared.
By nine o’clock, downloads had surpassed 5,000!
By ten, they’d reached 8,000!
By eleven, 11,000!
Northern-chan’s stickers had climbed into the weekly top ten and claimed first place on the daily chart!
The sticker review team could only wince in pain—no one expected that in just a single day, Northern-chan could rocket to the top of the daily chart.
Just as everyone thought things were winding down, a message began spreading like wildfire.
Nangong Xiaoxiao: With such simple lines, you’ve created an adorable character. It’s something everyone might have imagined, but none have brought to life. You’re remarkable. @Northern-chan.
The entire comics community trembled at this post.
Who was Nangong Xiaoxiao?
She was the youngest master-level comic artist in the industry. Her manga, “Love Academy,” had once swept across the comic site, holding the top sales spot for three months straight.
In such a fiercely competitive field, a shoujo-leaning work holding the sales crown for three months was a testament to its irresistible charm.
Even as “Love Academy” neared its conclusion, her popularity and fanbase continued to grow at a staggering rate.
No one had ever seen Nangong Xiaoxiao in person, but her gentle voice during livestreams was all the proof her fans needed.
With more than thirty million followers, a single simple message from her prompted countless people to repost it.
Other comic artists followed suit, praising Northern-chan’s stickers.
The lines were indeed simple—so simple it was almost unbelievable.
Within the hour before midnight, Northern-chan’s stickers made it into the top ten trending searches!