Chapter 469
Chapter 469:
Bonita caught the sound of his roommate joking. “Neal, still hungry? I was worried you’d burn down their kitchen!”
Relieved, Bonita gazed at her plate of potato and beef stew.
She silently thanked Alita for the timely swap.
The thought of what might have been was too much to handle. An idea struck her.
She quickly messaged Neal, saying, “Isn’t it funny? I think we might be at the same spot! I’m visiting a friend at Luminary University, and she brought me to this local place. Seems like destiny! It’s a popular spot, bustling with people, but we got here just after eleven, so it wasn’t too busy. It must have been crowded when you were here, right?” Her message suggested they were dining in the same restaurant and cleverly noted her earlier arrival to explain their missed encounter—so when he came in earlier, he wouldn’t have seen her!
Bonita felt quite pleased with herself for coming up with such a good idea.
Not long after, Neal responded with a simple, “I see.”
He continued, “I just saw something funny.”
Curious, Bonita responded, “Oh? What was that?”
Neal quickly replied, “There was this girl eating a mild potato and beef stew, but she reacted as if it was the spiciest dish. It was quite a sight.”
Fernanda threw a glance over her shoulder at Neal and caught a barely noticeable smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Her eyebrows lifted subtly as she noticed the smile was directed at something on his phone screen.
She found herself wondering who on the other end could be making him so visibly joyful.
It was refreshing for Fernanda to see Neal like this—relaxed and unburdened, unlike his usual worried self.
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Feeling her gaze, Neal turned his head to meet her eyes, clear and perceptive.
He touched his nose in an awkward gesture, and unease briefly flickered across his expression.
To avoid making him feel awkward, Fernanda deftly switched the topic. “I heard they slashed your signing fee in half this year. What’s up with that?”
The smile quickly disappeared from Neal’s face.
He chuckled softly. “Well, it’s nothing serious. I guess they think I’m not as marketable as before. My skills have dulled a bit too, so it makes sense that the fee wouldn’t stay the same.”
He explained further that the company had signed several younger, highly skilled streamers recently. With more competitors on the platform, his visibility had lessened.
Neal also mentioned that he was going it alone, supported only by his dedicated fans, without a team backing him.
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