Chapter 6

Late at night, Shu Shiyun leaned against the sofa, gazing at the gentle face reflected on his tablet screen.

It was morning for Shu Lian. She was reclining in a lounge chair, the backdrop a vast expanse of lush green grass. One could faintly see a small dog running in the distance—a scene of peaceful, timeless beauty.

"What's wrong today? Did something upset you out there?" Her voice was gentle, though she could not help but break into a soft cough as she spoke.

"I'm fine, really. I just missed you both." Shu Shiyun leaned closer to the screen, his brow furrowing involuntarily. "Mom, did you catch another cold? Please, dress more warmly."

Shu Lian lifted the cup beside her to soothe her throat, smiling as she said, "It’s quite normal to catch a cold during the change of seasons. There’s a flu going around as the year draws to a close, so you should be careful too. If you feel unwell, see a doctor promptly, and make sure to take care of yourself and get plenty of rest."

"I know."

Seeing him still looking so pitiful on the other end, Shu Lian seemed to catch on that something was amiss. She asked, "What is it? Are you missing your uncle this time, too?"

At the mention of his uncle, Shu Shiyun’s heart gave a sudden, dull ache.

In the past, when he chatted with his mother, he rarely brought up his uncle on his own. Back then, he only felt that Shu Yanshen didn't like him, so he felt awkward about showing too much concern for him.

This time, without a moment’s hesitation, he nodded earnestly. "I am."

A trace of surprise appeared on Shu Lian’s face, finding it quite novel. "Your uncle is right here. Would you like me to call him over?"

She wore a faint smile as she said this, seemingly convinced that Shu Shiyun would choose to decline. After all, apart from when he was very small, he hadn't been close to this uncle since he could remember, often telling her that his uncle was fierce. Even now, they didn't seem to get along well.

Yet, Shu Shiyun didn't hesitate at all. He nodded. "Yes, please."

Though surprised, Shu Lian turned to have someone summon Shu Yanshen.

Within half a minute, Shu Yanshen appeared on camera, dressed in an athletic polo shirt. Shu Lian signaled for him to take the phone while she returned to enjoying her sunbath.

Shu Yanshen held the phone, eyes lowered as he stared into the lens, creating a "death angle" shot from below.

Shu Shiyun, who had been expectant just a moment ago, immediately became obedient upon seeing his stern expression. "Uncle," he called out.

"Hmm." Shu Yanshen paused, peering at the lens for a moment, appearing somewhat uncomfortable.

Shu Shiyun struggled for a moment before finally blurting out, "Uncle, could you hold the phone up a bit higher? Your face is distorting."

As soon as he finished, Shu Yanshen frowned, his expression turning somewhat fierce.

Shu Shiyun’s heart skipped a beat, but in the next second, the angle shifted upward, finally centering on his face. Shu Yanshen’s brow remained furrowed, looking as serious as if he were making a major decision.

"Like this?" he asked.

Shu Shiyun nodded vigorously. "That’s perfect."

Shu Yanshen grunted, found a chair, and sat down, staring straight into the camera. He looked as if he had just finished exercising; his hair was swept back, revealing features that were similar to his mother's but far more rugged.

"Uncle," Shu Shiyun suddenly felt less afraid. He brought up the topic he had been planning. "Do you have any plans to return to the country this year?"

Shu Yanshen pondered for only two seconds before saying, "At the end of the year."

"I see." Shu Shiyun felt a bit disappointed, but calculating the time, it wasn't far off—it was already October, so it would only be another two months.

He didn't give a reason, but Shu Yanshen’s expression darkened. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it’s just..." Shu Shiyun stared at the camera for two seconds, then averted his eyes and muttered, "I missed you."

Shu Yanshen: "..."

There was a long silence from the other end. Shu Shiyun mustered the courage to glance at the screen and took the initiative to say, "When I'm done with things here, I'll come visit you both, okay?"

Shu Yanshen’s expression returned to normal. He gave a low, "Hmm. Come if you want to."

His tone was indifferent, sounding as if he didn't care at all, but Shu Shiyun now knew that wasn't what he meant, so he didn't feel as let down as he had before.

When the phone returned to his mother's hands, they chatted for a long time before he reluctantly hung up.

***

The next afternoon, a young woman carrying a suitcase rang Shu Shiyun's doorbell in a flurry.

Shu Shiyun was not one to lie in, and he had already tidied himself up before she arrived.

"Boss! You look so good today!" Fang Jiahuo’s eyes lit up the moment she saw him. "What skincare products are you using? Can you recommend them? I want skin as fair as yours."

Shu Shiyun turned toward the walk-in closet, tossing a light sentence over his shoulder before entering: "Take two sets with you later."

The living room was quiet for two seconds before Fang Jiahuo’s shriek of excitement erupted.

"Ahhhhh! I love you!"

Inside the closet, Fang Jiahuo hung up and steamed the new clothes from the suitcase, while Shu Shiyun sat before the mirror, styling his hair and selecting accessories for the evening’s livestream.

As she worked, Fang Jiahuo didn't forget to share the latest gossip she’d heard.

"Boss, do you remember that sleazy male streamer you once did a PK with?" She added, "The one who sent you a private message asking for your WeChat after the battle."

Shu Shiyun vaguely remembered. "What about him?"

"He was exposed for cheating on three people at once, both men and women. After being trashed by everyone, he set his account to private." Fang Jiahuo spat in disgust. "So gross. If he’s that bored, he should just become a customer service rep. He’s so good at chatting. To think I actually thought his voice was nice back then and gave him ten dollars in gifts—what a piece of work. I want a refund..."

Her tongue was always sharp; she could ramble on and on, spending ten minutes tearing the streamer apart.

Shu Shiyun could still recall the intentionally low, breathy voice the man had used in his voice message, and now, thinking back, he felt a wave of chills.

Do so many people like that kind of voice? To him, it sounded incredibly cloying.

Suddenly, Shang Cheng’s voice flashed through his mind—deep and mellow, his tone always calm when he spoke, carrying a sense of reassuring reliability.

He still thought Shang Cheng’s voice was better.

By evening, the two had finished dinner. Fang Jiahuo helped him with some light eye makeup and lipstick before turning to adjust the equipment.

Shu Shiyun chose an irregular distressed sweater from the new collection. The neckline and back featured an extensive frayed design, subtly revealing his fair back.

"Boss, boss." Fang Jiahuo ran over, full of anticipation, holding a delicate diamond collarbone chain. "Wear this."

Shu Shiyun didn't see anything wrong with it and let her fasten it for him.

The cold chain pressed against his skin, the delicate strands trailing down his spine catching the light with a faint, subtle shimmer.

Shu Shiyun was already striking and beautiful; with the accessories, he looked even more dazzling on camera. As he sat at his desk preparing to go live, he caught his reflection on the computer screen and reached up to smooth his styled hair.

Fang Jiahuo finished adjusting the lighting and gave him an "OK" sign.

The next second, the stream went live. People flooded into the room instantly, and the chat began to scroll rapidly.

[Ahhhhh, it’s my beautiful wife, whom I haven't seen in a month!]
[Yunyao, slurp, slurp—that collarbone, let me gnaw on it.]
[Is this the YS autumn collection? Brother looks so good, I want to gnaw on that collarbone too.]
[Finally back to work! I bought this piece too, it’s really super pretty!]
[Wait a second... I just got this piece, if I remember correctly, there should be a cutout on the back, right?]
[I mean, would it be convenient for Yunyao to bend down to pick something up? I’m not trying to look, it’s just that the background looks a bit messy, maybe straighten it up? I don't mean anything by it, really.]

Shu Shiyun smiled at the camera. After chatting for a while, he stood up to introduce the new clothing arrivals. Although he hadn't been involved in the entire promotional campaign, he had reviewed all the design drafts, so his introduction was fluid.

[Ahhhhh, I want to turn into that chain.]
[Who picked out this collarbone chain? Please give them a raise!]
[Is it my imagination, or does Yunyao look even better after not seeing him for a month? Licking my screen for my wife.]
[Not to be rude, but why call him wife?]
[Because I want to marry him. Is that allowed to be said?]
[I ran into him while eating out before. Seeing him in person is even more beautiful than on the stream. His legs are so long, and his face is tiny.]

Shu Shiyun briefly mentioned a few items, then sat back down at his desk. Just as he picked up his water glass to take a few sips, he noticed a few familiar IDs entering the room—long-time fans who had followed him for ages.

"Welcome, everyone," he said briefly. But when he saw gifts starting to float across the screen, he thought of Shang Cheng at an inopportune moment.

I wonder what he's doing right now? Would he be secretly watching the stream?

His gaze swept over the top contributors, but he couldn't identify which one might be Shang Cheng.

He lowered his eyes to the phone resting on the side, picked it up, and sent a message to Shang Cheng off-camera.

[What are you doing?]

The last message was from the morning, where Shang Cheng had reminded him to add layers as the temperature dropped.

There was no reply for a long time. Shu Shiyun felt a slight sense of relief, but when he looked up again, he realized the chat had shifted.

[What are you doing?]
[What’s with that sweet smile? Are you dating someone!]
[Wuwuwu, no, my baby is going to be tricked by a bad person.]
[Speak! Who are you chatting with? A man or a woman? Older or younger? Long hair or short? What’s their education? Assets? How many people in their family? Did they buy a house or a car?]
[Hubby, stop texting, I’m jealous.]

Shu Shiyun guiltily set his phone down, seeing himself looking somewhat dazed on the screen, and couldn't help but doubt it.

He hadn't been smiling just now; why did they all say he had a sweet expression?

Just as he felt something was off, he received a PK invitation from an acquaintance. He needed a distraction, so he quickly clicked "Accept."

The opponent was a singing streamer he had known since college. They used to hang out together when neither of them had any traffic. After setting a penalty, the PK began.

The gifts on both sides were evenly matched, with no major fluctuations.

Shu Shiyun lowered his head to adjust the slightly crooked collarbone chain. When he looked up again, he suddenly realized the opponent's health bar had overtaken his.

"The bonus time is coming up soon. If you have the means, please send some gifts," he urged softly. Just as he was about to unmute the opponent's microphone to listen, he saw the chat flooding with the same message.

[The opponent has a high-level user who said he wants Yunyao to do a handstand if he loses.]
[That’s a bit much...]
[This outfit would expose you if you do that penalty, right? I actually kind of want to see the streamer’s abs, are there any? (whispering)]
[Don't you guys want to see it too?]
[We’re just joking, okay? If we wanted to see it, we’d ask Yunyao ourselves, not make him lose face in front of others.]
[Everyone, hurry up, don't let the opponent win!]

Shu Shiyun saw the comments and felt surprised, but he also appropriately showed a look of annoyance, stretching his slender fingers toward the screen. "Fight back for me."

This was just a common way to provoke in streaming rooms. He hadn't streamed in a long time, and seeing that the opponent had three times as many viewers as he did, he didn't really have high hopes of winning.

A handstand, that was all. He could still do it. Later, he could use clips to fix the hem of his clothes so nothing would be exposed.

Although he was prepared, he still wore a slightly anxious expression for the camera.

With only ten seconds left, he let out a long sigh. Looking at his own compressed health bar, he knew there was no saving it.

Lowering his eyes slightly, he couldn't help but look at the phone lighting up on the desk, wondering if Shang Cheng had replied.

But in the next second, a dazzling golden light flashed before his eyes, and gorgeous special effects exploded across the screen.

Shu Shiyun looked up, startled, to see a user send ten of the most expensive gifts on the entire platform in the final second.

[Ahhhhh, thank you for saving my Yunyao's life!]
[Welcome, Big Boss @.]
[Welcome, Big Boss @.]

Shu Shiyun subconsciously thanked the user along with the chat. Looking up at the top of the leaderboard, he saw the default avatar and his heart skipped a beat.

He clicked on the person's profile on a whim; it was a blank slate, the follower list was empty, and the following list showed only 1—evidently, him.

He was actually familiar with this name; they had gifted him many times in the past, but rarely spoke in the room, just hanging out quietly and watching.

He didn't even need to ask; Shu Shiyun was certain this was Shang Cheng.

The opponent had already unmuted their mic, complaining with a grievance-filled face, and after finishing the performance, asked, "Alright, say it—what's the penalty?"

Shu Shiyun was thinking when he saw a light-gold floating message flash across the screen.

.[Do a one-minute handstand]

When other fans in the room saw this, they followed suit and typed the same thing. Shu Shiyun felt like laughing, so he decided to go along with his wishes.

"Then you do a one-minute handstand."

The opponent did the penalty readily. After Shu Shiyun cut the connection and was about to thank the fan who had just gifted him, he saw the chat start discussing a new topic.

[To be honest, I’m still very curious—can Yunyao have abs being this thin?]
[We’re not perverts, okay? We’re just analyzing from a scientific perspective. My guess is there aren't any, and underneath the clothes, it must be all soft and fair.]
[If there aren't any, don't feel inferior. We’re a treasure who lives by our looks; lifting weights makes one lose their youthful vibe.]
[This really isn't reverse psychology, just saying.]

Shu Shiyun stared at the camera for two seconds, pulled open his neckline, and looked down.

Behind him, Fang Jiahuo saw his movement and was the first to let out an exaggerated gasp: "OMG!"

[Who’s talking?]
[A woman? Sister-in-law?]

Shu Shiyun let go of his collar and looked up, satisfied. He described it simply: "I am quite thin, but I do have simple workouts regularly. The muscles are quite lean, but the definition is there."

[Don't believe it.]
[Let me lick.]

"That was my assistant, Huahua. She came to help me with the stream today," Shu Shiyun brushed past the topic. Seeing the comments asking to see, a helpless smile appeared in his eyes. "That wouldn't be good; the stream would get banned, and besides..."

Before he could finish, fifty "pinch-face" gifts popped up on the screen. His cheeks were pinched in the effect, and teary, aggrieved eyes appeared over his own.

At the same time, five super-large red packets with no level restrictions and required passwords popped up in the room.

A floating message appeared again.

.[Don't show]

Meanwhile, the password for the red packets was typed out, flooding the screen.

[I'm not looking.]
[I'm not looking.]
[...]

Shu Shiyun looked at the screen, unable to help but curl his eyes into a smile.