Last night, You Yu went offline without even playing the final PK Battle.
Today she started streaming at seven in the evening as usual.
A female streamer’s job is to keep reinventing herself—ideally with some new change in appearance every time she goes live. A new hairstyle works, or a new style, new outfit, new makeup, anything.
She had to keep things feeling fresh for her audience.
So before streaming today, You Yu had braided her hair into a plait that hung down over the right side of her chest.
She had also put serious work into her eyes—the eye makeup alone took an hour.
Blue shimmer layered over purple shimmer, with a sparkly blue-purple butterfly sticker placed at the corner of her right eye to match the look.
She had even learned it by following a video tutorial.
To show off the beauty of this eye makeup, she deliberately turned off part of her filter so viewers could see it more clearly.
A butterfly hair clip in the same color scheme was pinned at the end of the plait, echoing the eye makeup.
Everything ready, she clicked “Go Live.”
Xu Sanduo also streamed in the evenings as a rule. He usually streamed from seven at night until two or three in the morning—that time slot was the most lucrative, and virtually all the top streamers broadcast during those hours.
【Evening, Boss.】
【One minute late today. That’s a 500 fine.】
【You’re late, you’re late—give us a giveaway, a giveaway!】
【Late again?】
【Fatty’s late!】
【Hahahahaha late again—giveaway!】
Male streamers tend to be fatties, because they stream every day without exercising, and now and then they have to go drinking with their big-brother patrons. It’s only natural to get fat from all eating and no moving.
And Xu Sanduo was the fattest of these fatties. Because his skin was rather fair, his fat wasn’t quite so greasy-looking—he was still a reasonably fresh-faced fatty.
Xu Sanduo’s face was full of panic. “I’m not late! Not late, the internet lagged for a second!”
【You said yourself, one minute late is a 500 fine. You going back on your word?】
【What does that mean, going back on your word?】
【Going back on your word, huh?】
He pulled a mournful face. “I just started streaming and haven’t even made my first sale yet, and you’re already coming after me. At least send a few sets of 66s for me.”
The moment the words left his mouth, several sets of 66 Glow Sticks floated across the screen.
He thanked them one by one, then grumbled and cursed.
“Every day you just want to pick my pockets…”
With that, he clicked the mouse a few times and set up a giveaway of five hundred Meow Coins.
“There it is, there it is—giveaway in the bottom right corner. Anyone with Sanduo’s Fan Badge can enter for free.”
The bullet chat on the screen instantly started scrolling with giveaway entries.
Xu Sanduo huffed angrily. “I haven’t even eaten today and I’ve already coughed up five hundred. Is there any good big brother out there who’ll make up for my losses—”
【Sanduo Sanduo You’re Really Fat sent Xu Sanduo Rocket No. 1 ×1】(1,000,000)
The creases on Xu Sanduo’s bun-shaped face instantly smoothed out. “Thank you, Fatty Brother, for the Rocket No. 1! Thank you, Fatty Brother!”
For a top Star Show streamer like Xu Sanduo, even without a big brother feeding his gifts, his daily revenue was extremely stable, because his live stream room had plenty of die-hard regulars—by the time he went live, there were already over a thousand people in the VIP Seats.
【Sanduo Sanduo You’re Really Fat: Fatty, last night Feichang was pimping for Brother Evan.】
Xu Sanduo gave a cold snort. “Feichang must be itching for a beating after going so long without one. Let him pimp all he wants—on Maoya, the one Brother Evan loves most is me.”
“Besides, Brother Evan doesn’t like watching female streamers. He rarely tips them at all.”
Evan entered the live stream room.
【Brother Evan!】
【Brother Evan!】
【Welcome, Brother Evan.】
【Fatty, Brother Evan’s here!】
Xu Sanduo’s chubby white face immediately quivered. “A warm welcome to my Brother Evan!!”
【Evan: What female streamer?】
“Fatty Brother just said someone was setting you up with one, and I said you don’t like female streamers.”
【Evan: ?】
【Big bro sent a question mark, Fatty, you must be sweating buckets now.】
【Hahahahahahahaha can’t even talk properly】
【Brother Evan sent a question mark】
【Hahahahahahahaha】
Xu Sanduo looked horrified and asked tremulously, “Brother Evan, don’t tell me you have a female streamer you like?”
Looking for all the world like he was a heartless cheater.
【Evan: There was one, why?】
Xu Sanduo immediately relaxed and patted his chest. “So there was one means there isn’t now, right? Thank goodness, thank goodness. Your San hasn’t lost favor yet.”
【Evan: [smile]】
At the same time, his curiosity was piqued. “Mind if I ask, bro, what was the name of the streamer you used to like?”
【Evan: You know it’s rude and you ask anyway? Looking for a beating?】
Xu Sanduo jolted. “Not asking, not asking. Bro, I’m still your favorite streamer on Maoya, right?”
【Evan: Guess.】
He said with a confident face, “I guess yes.”
【Evan: Looks like you’re not hungry. See you next time, bye.】
“Brother Evan! Brother Evan, don’t go, don’t go!!”
【He’s already gone, stop shouting. Big bro got licked away by you, useless.】
【Useless.】
【You even licked him away】
After Evan exited Xu Sanduo’s live stream room, he randomly clicked into another one—it happened to be Feichang.
After all, there were only a handful of streamers on the homepage, all old faces.
Feichang had just started streaming not long ago and was still chatting with his viewers.
Feichang: “Today I’ll find two girls to play the show again? So you guys better step up, or if I get beaten by the girls again later I’ll lose all face. I’m a streamer of some standing in Star Show, after all.”
【Brother Evan is here.】
【Welcome, Brother Evan.】
【Good evening, Brother Evan.】
Feichang: “Welcome, my Brother Evan. Good evening, Brother Evan.”
“Brother Evan, you’ve come to see me two days in a row. Are you going to abandon Sanduo?”
【Thinking too much, Brother Evan clearly wants to see the girls】
【Dream on】
【Big bro wants to see the girls】
【Big bro hasn’t seen that girl from last night yet.】
Feichang looked expectantly at the public chat screen. “No, Brother Evan clearly wants to see me! Not the girls, right, Brother Evan?”
【Evan: Hmm… let’s see the girls instead】
Feichang instantly felt the sky collapsing. “Brother Evan, in your heart, am I really not as good as those female vixens!!”
【Evan: Mm, not as good】
【Hahahahahahahahaha】
【Hahahahahahahahaha】
【Face slapped, face slapped】
【Gilding your own face, huh】
【Big bro wants to see the girls】
【Hurry up and introduce a girl to big bro】
【Hahahahahaha】
Feichang sighed softly. “Fine, Brother Evan, I’ll take you to see that pretty girl from last night.”
“That girl really is pretty, though I don’t know how high her beauty filter is set. She looked pretty real to me.”
As Feichang spoke, he operated his computer, and before long the other side picked up.
The moment he got a clear look, Feichang received a small shock.
Feichang: “Oh ho, the girl is all dressed up so pretty today…”
You Yu said modestly, “Just so-so, just so-so. Are you here for a PK Battle today too? But my side doesn’t have the means today, so we can’t do it.”
The second refusal came much more naturally—after all, these male streamers’ punishments were sometimes borderline, and she didn’t want to do them.
Feichang hurriedly said, “No, no, I’m here today to introduce you to a big brother.”
You Yu was a bit surprised. “Huh?”
After all, introducing a big brother was really beyond the scope of things, and she had no idea that Feichang was actually there to set up Xu Sanduo.
While the public chat screen was still full of “hahaha” bullet chat, one golden bullet chat stood out.
[Evan: Cut it]
Feichang said, “We help each other out, we help each other out… What’s wrong, Brother Evan? Why cut it? Don’t you like this little sister?”
As he was speaking, his eyes darted to the golden bullet chat on the public screen.
[Evan: Cut it off]
[Big brother says cut it, so cut it.]
[Didn’t you see what big brother said? Cut it now.]
[Cut it, cut it.]
[Can’t you understand plain speech?]
[Brother Evan says cut it]
[Brother Evan doesn’t like this little sister]
Feichang: “Oh, oh, alright…”
He looked at You Yu apologetically. “Sorry, little sister, big brother wants me to cut it. Let’s do a Live Link-up next time. Really sorry, little sister.”
Though You Yu was completely baffled, she could only wave her hand to show it didn’t matter. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Go ahead and cut it.”
After all, on Maoya, streamers didn’t have to get along, but even streamers who disliked each other would never attack each other’s big brothers—here, the paying customers came first.
So sometimes, when a big brother made a request, the streamer simply had no choice.
Even if it was a bit absurd, as long as it didn’t affect the streamer’s career, they would comply.
Under the urging of his fans, Feichang cut off the Live Link-up.
Just as Feichang was about to ask Evan why, Evan, who sat first in the VIP Seats, had already disappeared.
In You Yu’s Live Stream Room, some of Feichang’s fans who hadn’t made it back in time were still apologizing.
[I Don’t Like Eating Tomatoes: What was that big brother’s deal all of a sudden?]
[Feichang’s Dad: Sorry, little sister, a big brother’s request is really hard to refuse.]
[Changdi, I’m Xiaolin: Sorry.]
You Yu smiled gently. “It’s fine, really. I understand.”
[Changdi, I’m Xiaolin: Thank you for understanding, little sister.]
Evan entered the Live Stream Room.
The Emperor’s dazzling golden entrance was impossible to ignore even if you wanted to.
[Feichang’s Dad: Brother Evan?]
You Yu: “Welcome, Evan…” She paused, then picked it back up, “…to the Live Stream Room.”
Her expression was clearly a bit unnatural.
[Evan: Is my name that hard to say?]