Afternoon came, and Jiang Cheng sent Jiang Xiaotang—whose mind was clearly wandering with who knows what thoughts—back to school.
Returning home, she rested for a bit before preparing to head to Ye Xiqiu’s place to start her livestreaming career.
But before that, Jiang Cheng decided to first open up the Cat Station and do some research, to see how the two-dimensional subculture had developed in this world.
As it turned out, she was in for a shock.
The entertainment industry in this world was highly developed, but there were surprisingly few celebrities.
There were plenty of variety shows, but they were mostly talent-based performances, like music, painting, and even martial arts or sword forging.
Shows where a few celebrities did various challenges, like in her previous life, did exist, but they leaned toward the hardcore side.
Even if the participants’ day jobs were actors, they were the tough-guy type, like Dwayne Johnson.
In other words, the fan culture in this world wasn’t thriving.
The main role of entertainers was still to entertain the public or set an example, not to be someone’s dream partner or crush.
Looking at the comment sections under various major streamers, the fans in this world seemed relatively kind.
People who insulted each other did exist, but they mostly argued about the topic at hand and rarely resorted to personal attacks.
It seemed that the obsessive fan who attacked Ye Xiqiu in the story was probably an exception.
Jiang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
She didn’t want to be watched all the time after becoming famous, nor did she want to suddenly fall from grace or even be in danger of her life because of some crazy fans.
If that were the case, she might as well just be an ordinary person.
Dong—
The bell tower in the distance chimed three times.
It was already 3:00 PM, the time she had agreed upon with little Xi Qiu.
Jiang Cheng took one last look at the Cat Station streamer rankings, glancing at the number one streamer—Zui Yang.
Beside her profile picture was a badge.
The specific meaning was “Reached 100,000 Captains in a single month.”
Scary…
***
“Alright, Mom, you can go out first. I can handle it myself.”
In the room, Ye Xiqiu looked helplessly at her mother, who was insisting on feeding her fruit.
Sure, she didn’t go to college after passing the entrance exams, but she was at least an adult.
There was no way she needed help eating an apple.
Besides…
She glanced at the plate.
The apple had already been peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces, with two toothpicks stuck in them.
If she couldn’t even eat this by herself, then her problems would be more serious than just being unable to walk.
“Alright, alright…”
Mother Ye let out a slightly embarrassed smile.
“Our Xi Qiu isn’t a kid anymore. She’s sensible. She knows not to trouble her mom…”
She placed the plate on the table, told Ye Xiqiu to call her when she was done so she could wash it, adjusted the girl’s gaming chair, and prepared to leave.
But just as she reached the door, she turned back.
“Xiao Qiu, that friend you mentioned before… she should be arriving soon, right?”
Mother Ye glanced at the side of the girl’s chair, where an extra gaming chair and a cheap motion-capture camera had been set up.
It was already the agreed-upon time, but Mother Ye saw no sign of anyone coming, let alone the “friend” Ye Xiqiu had described—a tall girl with white hair.
As for Ye Xiqiu’s earlier descriptions, like “really good-looking,” “very pretty,” “much prettier than a celebrity,” Mother Ye had completely dismissed them.
That’s just what friends do, hype each other up.
She was probably just trying to make a good impression on her mom.
But would her mom ever dislike her friends?
Mother Ye’s face was filled with worry.
She didn’t want her daughter to be so considerate all the time.
It would be fine if she lost her temper occasionally or was a little more relaxed.
Otherwise, she would feel like she had failed as a mother…
“Ah, Mom, don’t worry. She’ll come.”
Even as Ye Xiqiu said this, her heart was pounding.
After all, she couldn’t contact Dongxue either.
Whether she came or not was entirely up to her.
She didn’t like that feeling.
“Xiao Qiu…”
Mother Ye started to say something, hesitated, but finally steeled herself.
“Even if she doesn’t come, it’s okay. We can stream on our own. Just don’t take it to heart…”
“Hello, Auntie~”
Suddenly, a voice came from behind Mother Ye.
The middle-aged woman was startled for a moment, then turned around.
It was a tall, slender girl, nearly 5’11”.
She wasn’t wearing any makeup, yet she was breathtakingly beautiful.
A shy smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, and her slightly curly white hair was a bit disheveled, giving her a lazy, approachable aura.
But…
How did she get in?
That thought was quickly pushed aside.
A bright smile bloomed on Mother Ye’s face, her wrinkles bunching up like a blooming chrysanthemum.
“You, you, you… you must be Xiao Qiu’s friend! Xiao Qiu has been waiting for you in there for a long time. Hurry, hurry, go on in. I’ll go cut some fruit for you…”
She hastily stepped back two paces, revealing the girl sitting in the chair behind her.
Her movements were as humble as a beggar on the street.
Seeing her mother like this, a pang of sorrow hit Ye Xiqiu’s heart.
She quickly sniffled, blinking hard to keep the tears from falling.
“Mom, you go out first. Dongxue and I still have to stream. Don’t trouble yourself.”
“Alright, alright…”
Mother Ye carefully sidestepped past Dongxue, but her steps were unusually light, and the smile on her face couldn’t be contained.
“You two girls have fun. Your mom won’t bother you.”
She closed the door, then practically ran into the bedroom, pulling out her phone and dialing a number.
“Hey, Old Man?!”
“Did you know? Xiao Qiu made a friend!”
“It’s true! She even came to our house today! She’s a very pretty, tall girl, and she seems to have a nice personality…”
In the room, hearing her mother’s voice through two walls, Ye Xiqiu felt a little embarrassed.
“Don’t mind her. Mom… she’s just like that. She’s actually a really good person…”
“What are you worried about?”
Dongxue chuckled.
She walked past Ye Xiqiu and casually ruffled the girl’s hair.
“Hey! Don’t do that!”
“Sometimes, it’s okay to rely on your mother.”
Dongxue steadied herself on the edge of the desk and sat down, looking at the computer screen.
It was a program she had never seen before, though it was also possible that she just hadn’t been exposed to much of the livestreaming industry in her previous life.
“No.”
Ye Xiqiu shook her head.
“Mom is already exhausted enough working the night shift every day. I can’t help her, so I can’t cause her any more trouble… Why are you looking at me like that…”
Dongxue’s gaze was as clear and gentle as water.
But it landed on the girl’s face, making her feel a little uncomfortable.
She lowered her head, only to hear Dongxue say, “Little Xi Qiu, have you ever thought about it?”
“Huh? Thought about what?”
“Have you ever thought that, to your mother, the most tiring thing isn’t working all night. It’s coming home and seeing her daughter, who is clearly heartbroken, always forcing a smile as if nothing is wrong, while she can’t do anything to help?”
“Ah?”
Ye Xiqiu was stunned.
She had never heard anyone say that before.
Everyone told her to be strong and independent.
Only Dongxue told her to be weaker, to show the fear she buried in her heart.
But would that really be okay…
Ye Xiqiu instinctively wanted to refuse, but a part of her felt that Dongxue was right.
“Think about it later.”
Seeing the girl’s hesitation, Dongxue didn’t push.
She swiveled her chair around and faced the camera.
“For now, let’s start our first livestream.”
“Not the first stream,” Ye Xiqiu instinctively added.
“It’s our first stream together.”