Naughty Puppy Will Be Eaten by a Bad Woman - Chapter 7

Lu Zhao outwardly resisted the establishment of a live commerce department at the Provincial Television Station, but in reality, she threw herself into the project wholeheartedly. From product selection to setting up the live streaming studio and assembling the team, she oversaw every detail with meticulous care.

The day before the official launch conference, she began her first live stream at the newly established Live Streaming Center of the Provincial Television Station.

Wow, the Provincial Television Station is finally live streaming?

OMG, this girl is so pretty!

Upstairs, don’t you know this is Lu Zhao?

Lu Zhao? The war correspondent?

Ah, I know her! She was interviewed on national television recently. I think she lost a leg in the war…

Sigh, such a young girl… How will she ever get married now?

What’s it to you whether she gets married or not?

As soon as Lu Zhao went live, the new viewers flooded the chat, their comments mostly focused on her rather than the products.

While warming up the audience, Lu Zhao kept an eye on the barrage of comments scrolling across the large screen. She selectively responded to some, her eyes scanning the chat at lightning speed. She quickly concluded that young people made up a significant portion of this live stream’s audience.

Because…

Aaaah, she’s so cute! (Groundhog scream)

She’s even more captivating when she’s not smiling… Who understands the true value of a cold-faced cutie?!

The host is clearly a natural heartthrob, the kind older women adore!

But Lu Zhao hasn’t publicly disclosed her sexual orientation, has she?

What are you thinking? Public figures never reveal such things…

Lu Zhao watched as the comments drifted further off-topic. Not wanting to miss out on this wave of attention, she decided to play along.

“My sexual orientation remains a mystery to everyone,” she said smoothly, “but these Goji Berry, Salvia Miltiorrhiza, and Red Date Slices, when steeped in tea, genuinely improve your health. Sisters, aunties, uncles, young professionals, and seniors alike can all enjoy them…”

The chat exploded instantly, the comments spiraling into wild speculation. Some even began analyzing frame by frame Lu Zhao’s appearances alongside female hosts, dissecting every glance and gesture.

Lu Zhao rarely managed her own social media accounts, which were mostly filled with official news releases, her own interview videos, and reports.

But that didn’t mean she was out of touch with the internet. On the contrary, staying abreast of real-time social trends was a professional habit.

Thus, she could instantly discern the demographic profile of her live stream audience from their comments.

Amidst the flood of young viewers, Lu Zhao noticed some slightly more “serious” comments in the chat:

Streamer, will drinking this keep me awake?

Sister, can people with high bl00d pressure drink this?

Lu Zhao quickly replied, “No, it won’t keep you awake. In fact, Goji Berry and Salvia Miltiorrhiza tea can actually improve sleep quality, making it suitable for young people with chronic insomnia and irritability.”

“For those with high bl00d pressure, yes, this tea can help lower your bl00d pressure. It’s perfect for you! However, those with low bl00d pressure should exercise caution… As for quality, rest assured—our Provincial Television Station wouldn’t risk damaging its reputation. You can buy with confidence…”

The live stream’s audience continued to grow, and the backend inventory was steadily being purchased. Lu Zhao gradually found her throat growing dry from talking so much.

Though she was sitting, the sustained mental exertion was beginning to drain her physically.

Fortunately, teleprompter prompts were displayed nearby. Whenever her mind blanked, she could glance at them and pick up where she left off, preventing viewers from noticing her fatigue.

Reporter Lu is amazing… She’s been broadcasting non-stop for an hour!

Is this her first live stream? Her pacing is better than most streamers—it’s so comfortable to listen to.

Yunqing Medical Group – Xianyue sent 10 “Drink More Hot Water” gifts.

A dazzling display of gift effects filled the screen, momentarily startling Lu Zhao.

“Thank you, Yunqing Medical Group… Xianyue, for the gifts. I appreciate the support, but please don’t spend so much, Boss.”

Lu Zhao’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. She recognized the sender the instant she saw the ID.

Wow! Boss is so generous! Boss is being reckless!

Wait… am I seeing this right? Is this Yunqing’s official account?

Amidst the flurry of thank-yous, Lu Zhao noticed the gift’s name and remembered she needed to drink water.

Her assistant had been trying to hand her water for over an hour, but Lu Zhao had remained completely focused on the live stream, leaving no opportunity. Now that Lu Zhao actively asked for it, the assistant rushed to hand her a bottle.

“Thank you,” Lu Zhao said, quickly opening the bottle and tilting her head back to gulp down the water, revealing the sharp, elegant line of her jaw.

Wow… that jawline is someone’s entire life!

Actually, I’m a fan of Reporter Lu’s looks. Sigh

When Lu Zhao returned to the stream, she noticed the chat’s mood had shifted again.

Yunqing Medical Group – Xianyue sent 6 Carnival gifts.

Yunqing Medical Group – Xianyue sent 6 Sports Car gifts.

Congratulations to Yunqing Medical Group – Xianyue for topping the leaderboard!

Lu Zhao’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Thank you… Yunqing Medical Group. Thank you, Boss, for your generous support. You’ve really outdone yourself…”

Yunqing Medical Group – Xianyue: Call me “Sister.”

Wow wow wow!

Is that President Gu?! I’m shipping them so hard!

I never thought I’d see these two collab! Both are such beauties!

Can you guys stop being so horny? Lu Zhao is attending Yunqing’s press conference tomorrow. This is clearly just a warm-up.

Oh, really? Where’s the press conference being streamed? I want to watch!

Call her “Sister”!

Lu Zhao saw the comment.

She smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Thank you, Sister, for the Carnival.”

Immediately after, she rushed off-camera to tell the Live Streaming Center to disable the gift function.

Is Reporter Lu embarrassed?

Ahhh, I want to hear Reporter Lu call me “Sister” too!

Then send her a few Carnivals and sports cars!

Before Gu Xianyue’s gifts, viewers had sent a few scattered gifts, but they were small and inexpensive—just tokens of support. Lu Zhao hadn’t paid much attention to them.

After all, this was primarily a live commerce broadcast, and few viewers typically sent gifts.

But unexpectedly… Gu Xianyue, with her deep pockets, made a grand gesture and showered the stream with gifts.

Lu Zhao rubbed her forehead in exasperation, but she had to continue the broadcast.

Later, Gu Xianyue settled down and stopped drawing attention. Lu Zhao streamed for the required duration and then ended the broadcast.

The live streaming channel had just launched, and its operational model was still being refined.

Normally, after each broadcast, they would review the data to analyze performance and identify areas for improvement. This would help them optimize future streams.

However, Lu Zhao had to attend a press conference tomorrow, so she needed to head home early to rest.

“I’m heading out now. Thanks for your hard work today,” Lu Zhao said to her team as she packed up.

“You worked hard too, Reporter Lu! Our first broadcast was a huge success—you’re amazing!”

Lu Zhao smiled but didn’t reply. She knew that half the reason for the stream’s success was Gu Xianyue’s high-profile entrance, which had dramatically boosted the stream’s popularity and indirectly stimulated viewers’ purchasing impulses.

Although the Provincial Television Station had already purchased trending search slots and traffic for the live stream, Lu Zhao knew from her experience with streaming platforms that Gu Xianyue’s gift-giving spree would likely land her on the hourly trending list.

This might well be Gu Xianyue’s true motive: to generate buzz and hype for tomorrow’s press conference, while simultaneously currying favor with Lu Zhao and earning her goodwill.

Lu Zhao found herself somewhat overwhelmed, yet unable to fault Gu Xianyue’s actions.

Reaching the first floor of the Provincial Television Station, Lu Zhao was about to step outside when a notification popped up on her phone.

She opened it to find a message from Gu Xianyue asking if she was off work yet.

As Lu Zhao began typing a reply, a silver Mercedes pulled up to the entrance, drawing curious glances from passersby.

Gu Xianyue rolled down the window, removed her sunglasses, and said, “Get in. We need to discuss tomorrow’s arrangements.”

The gull-wing doors swung open, leaving no room for refusal.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lu Zhao settled into the back seat.

As the car pulled away, Lu Zhao asked, “President Gu, where are we going?”

Gu Xianyue smiled. “To treat the company’s new product ambassador to a lavish meal before the press conference. We need to conserve our energy.”

Gu Xianyue didn’t specify where they were dining, nor did she consult Lu Zhao’s preferences.

In their interactions, Gu Xianyue always seemed to hold the dominant position.

Where they went and what they did were almost entirely decided by Gu Xianyue, her decisions both assertive and non-negotiable.

With anyone else, Lu Zhao would have skillfully deflected such control. But with Gu Xianyue… Lu Zhao seemed to have lost her defensive instincts, allowing Gu Xianyue to repeatedly encroach upon her personal boundaries.

Even Wei Ning had to negotiate with her, yet Gu Xianyue, whom she had known for less than a month, could effortlessly make her lower her guard.

Lu Zhao wondered if she was simply too exhausted lately.

The distance from the parking lot to the restaurant was less than a hundred meters, but the icy wind that seeped into Lu Zhao’s collar left her feeling stiff with cold. Yet she couldn’t quicken her pace.

Noticing Lu Zhao huddled into herself, Gu Xianyue took her arm, lending her support to walk faster.

Over that short stretch of road, Lu Zhao forgot to resist.

Once they reached the private dining room, Gu Xianyue released Lu Zhao and immediately instructed the waiter to turn up the heat.

This time, they were at a unique private kitchen, where the dishes were exquisite, authentic, and specially prepared with light flavors.

The spacious private room was occupied by only the two of them, with a waiter standing ready in the corner.

As the steaming dishes were brought out one after another, Lu Zhao felt her body temperature slowly returning to normal, and her blank mind gradually regained clarity.

Despite her efforts to overcome it, the impact of her disability was profound, affecting her both physically and mentally. Just moments ago, while she was numb with cold, she had also felt her brain unable to function.

Even before her injury, she had been sensitive to the cold, but never to this extreme.

The impact was so overwhelming that she had even forgotten to reject Gu Xianyue’s touch.

Gu Xianyue took a few bites first. Noticing Lu Zhao’s dazed expression and listless demeanor since entering the room, she decided not to disturb her for the time being.

Only when Lu Zhao’s lips gradually regained their color and her complexion no longer appeared so pale did Gu Xianyue set down her chopsticks and begin to speak:

“Reporter Lu, you were live-streaming so frantically right before the press conference. I’m worried you’ll strain your voice.”

Lu Zhao recalled the scene from her live stream, and her ears immediately flushed crimson.

She had even called Gu Xianyue “sister.”

Though usually reserved, Lu Zhao’s profession required her to stay informed online. She was well aware of the term’s special connotations within certain circles.

Could Gu Xianyue have done it on purpose?

Surely not, she thought. She wouldn’t be that mischievous, would she?

Maintaining her composure, Lu Zhao smiled and replied, “Thank you for your concern, President Gu. I know my limits. And… thank you for the gift.”

Lu Zhao offered a polite smile. Even though she knew it was just a business tactic, she still showed Gu Xianyue proper respect by expressing her gratitude.

Gu Xianyue served Lu Zhao some food, set down her chopsticks, and then said something that made Lu Zhao’s vision swim:

“Then… Reporter Lu, could you call me that again?”