Pinned comment?

Ling Xi rubbed her sore, swollen eyes.

She stared at the message notification that popped up on the screen, her fingertip lightly resting on the mouse. It took her a full three seconds to react.

When she finally did react, she startled herself.

Huh? It wasn't like this before.

Usually, when Xie Ci shared videos with her or messaged her to look at something, she'd most likely reply with "What's this?" or "Let me see what it is." Even if she'd already clicked in, she'd still hang onto some barbs verbally, as if she had to interact with Xie Ci this way.

No, more like she'd always interacted with people this way.

But now, that "tsundere" program seemed to have crashed. Her mind was completely blank, with only the few words from the message spinning around:

"Go look at the pinned comment in my latest video's comment section."

When she'd thrown the acceptance letter in the trash earlier, she thought she'd already become numb. Her chest felt stuffy like it was stuffed with cotton, her eyes were a bit blurry, too sore and irritated to open properly. Even opening games seemed to have exhausted her last bit of strength.

It was like falling into a bottomless abyss, surrounded by sticky despair. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank—she might as well just sink down, since she could never learn Ye Li's kind of softness anyway, could never grasp the kind of liveliness Xie Ci wanted.

But this message was like the only beam of light in the darkness.

The only beam of light that belonged to her alone.

Not the kind of harsh light that made people want to avoid it, but one with warmth, like putting frozen red hands into someone else's pocket in winter. She didn't even have time to ponder why Xie Ci wanted her to look, nor did she have time to think about what the pinned comment might say. Her heart clenched first.

With a trembling panic.

Hidden in that panic was an anticipation she herself hadn't noticed.

Like a drowning person suddenly seeing a piece of wood floating on the water's surface—who would think about whether the wood was sturdy? The only thought was to grab it first.

The cursor moved quickly across the screen, even clicking the wrong icons several times due to haste. When she opened the video app, her breathing became irregular. The heart that had been silent in her chest just moments ago was now beating loudly.

When she placed the cursor over the video, the small window automatically started playing, as if beckoning to her.

She bit her lower lip and suddenly didn't dare to click.

She returned to Steam, staring intently at the message window.

But that beam of light was real, and the hand pulling her hadn't let go.

It wasn't an illusion.

Ling Xi closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her beautiful blue eyes reflected the screen's light, carrying a courage like burning bridges behind her.

Her finger finally pressed the mouse.

What came into view was a meme that had long since gone out of style.

"Streamer, streamer, although this girl's voice is sweet and pleasant, her gameplay is still too much of a burden. Do you have any recommendations for girls with nice voices who are also skilled?"

Below was Xie Ci's reply.

"Yes, yes, bro, there is one, one I know well. Skilled at operating, with an onee-san voice. In our next video, we'll invite her to record with us.

"Little reminder: She's actually appeared in previous videos, with sharp operations and decisive killing. What you'd call ruthless and taciturn. Well, actually she's never spoken. But attentive friends have already guessed who she is."

Ling Xi's lips trembled as her beautiful eyes stared intently at the few words on screen, reading them over and over.

Another one?

Skilled operations? Decisive killing? Never spoken?

She felt her palms sweating, strands of hair falling across her forehead. She quickly pushed them aside and clicked to expand the collapsed comments below.

Who... who is it...

She frantically searched for user comments marked with the red "UP" text, desperately trying to find an answer that could correspond to that pitiful fantasy in her heart.

But there was nothing.

More than fifty collapsed comments, and none contained his replies.

Ling Xi tightly covered her face with her hands, blocking the harsh light from the screen, as if this could separate her from this ridiculous reality and retreat back into her fortress once again.

"Why..."

Ling Xi sobbed as she spoke, tears sliding down from the corners of her eyes, forming puddles in her cupped palms. Even her whimpering cries were locked in her throat.

As for why, she no longer wanted to think about it.

The light disappeared, the warmth disappeared, and even the last piece of wood floating on the water's surface had sunk to the bottom.

It's okay. It's just like before. I just need to live like before, just like I've gotten through countless times before...

Ding~

Steam's message notification sounded again.

The sobbing gradually stopped, like the silence after a storm. Now, she felt incredibly calm.

Wiping away the inexplicable water from the desk, her hands, and her face, she clicked open the Steam message window again.

Xie Ci: So please don't be angry. We might not be able to play OW2 together recently. Things have priorities. You see, so many people are looking forward to you. First come record the next video with me, then we can play OW2 together, okay?

Ling Xi: What are you talking about?

Xie Ci: ? Didn't you look at the pinned comment?

Ling Xi: I did. You said there's another girl coming to record videos with you. So what?

Xie Ci: Look carefully at the audience comments below.

Ling Xi mechanically clicked open the collapsed comments.

"Doesn't speak, but gameplay is incredibly fierce. Isn't this the person who always duoed OW and Apex with the main streamer? Didn't expect it was a girl? Nice going, main streamer, treating your good bros like outsiders."

"So the young lady in the video wasn't the first one? Could it be that the streamer actually got out of being single long ago? He replied to fans during livestreams saying he didn't plan to date!"

"I've been watching streamer's strategy videos for a while. I always felt that some of the advanced techniques he taught, he himself wasn't very proficient at using. Now it seems like maybe she was the one who taught him."

"She definitely has to turn on her mic. I feel like the video with all three of them would have great entertainment value. I'm looking forward to it."

Comment after comment, originally just rough arrangements of Chinese characters that she'd skimmed over. But Ling Xi stared at them intently, reading word by word, as if these were some crucial treasure.

The sky in Los Santos had completely brightened. Warm light outside the window trickled into the room. The harsh white light from the monitor in the previous darkness had somehow become gentle.

Inexplicable water dripped down into her palms again.

...

It was already deep night in Spring City.

On the soft large bed, a man and woman leaned against the covers at the head of the bed. The man had a laptop in front of him.

"Ahh—"

Ye Li wore a floral nightgown, tightly hugging Xie Ci's arm, softly leaning against his shoulder. She smacked her lips and comfortably shifted her body, causing Xie Ci's arm to sink into some kind of soft sin.

Xie Ci's face was full of black lines.

Why can she sleep so sweetly just by leaning on someone's shoulder?

She's sleeping more comfortably than if she were on a bed.

And...

Xie Ci had to carefully adjust his position, slowly extracting his arm from the soft sin.

I am an agent of justice! Justice and sin are incompatible!

Xie Ci gritted his teeth and pursed his lips, roaring in his heart.

"Mm~~"

As if because the arm in her embrace was being pulled away, Ye Li woke up immediately, instinctively tightening her arms to hug his arm even tighter, making a sticky sound.

She rubbed her eyes, confirmed the person beside her, then burrowed further into his embrace, breathing out warm air.

"Little Ci~"

"Mm?"

"Ling Xi still hasn't replied..."

"Uh, no."

"Speaking of which, why did you use my account to post that comment? I don't understand..."

Ye Li kept her eyes closed, drowsily talking with him, her tone like she was acting spoiled.

"It's nothing. Go to sleep. Besides, didn't I say I wouldn't use your account for free?" Xie Ci softened his voice, tucking the stray hair that had fallen across her forehead behind her ear.

"Mm... then I want double... the rent~"

After saying this, she drowsily fell back asleep.

Xie Ci's heart trembled.

Double rent?

It wouldn't be again... Xie Ci touched his lips.

Ding~

Seeing the message from Steam, Xie Ci's anxious heart finally settled.

Xie Ci: Good night, I'm going to sleep.

Ling Xi: Mm, good night. I'm also going to sleep.

Xie Ci: ?

Ling Xi: By the way, when are we recording the video?

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