Category: Shion’s Notes

  • Shion’s Notes 93

    Chapter 93: Perfect Resolution

    Nangong Ying accidentally logged into Weibo and saw the heated comments swirling online, feeling puzzled. Only after carefully reading the cause and effect did she understand what happened.

    Since becoming popular, she had also opened a Weibo account, officially VIP verified, tagged as “Actress.”

    She sometimes interacted with her fans, gaining a group of loyal followers. Although she was a newcomer, she became popular overnight, her popularity soaring. Although incomparable to veteran stars, her fame was established.

    She looked at these Weibo posts and felt they were meaningless. Although she didn’t watch anime and didn’t understand what Bilibili was, she had no interest in those mindless hate campaigns. She felt these people were purely bored, finding some flaws to spray randomly. That uploader called Little Angel hadn’t spoken up yet, probably hurt internally by the criticism.

    Nangong Ying didn’t plan to bother with these things. She was very busy, with no time to deal with this. She was a third-year high school student, still needed to study. Besides, she hadn’t even managed her own affairs in the entertainment industry yet; how could she have time to manage things on Weibo?

    She didn’t take this matter to heart, naturally unaware that Little Angel on Weibo was actually Fang Jianing. If she knew, she probably wouldn’t be so calm.


    Speaking of which, the online troll trend had lasted for a week. The flame war on Weibo hadn’t stopped this week. Although fewer people paid attention due to the long duration, there were still people leaving comments below, fighting with the trolls.

    And this week, Fang Jianing hadn’t updated her videos, as if she had vanished from the face of the earth, no longer seen on Bilibili.

    Fans started to panic slightly, urging her to update in the comments below, but Little Angel just didn’t respond.

    As for the troll named “Fairy’s Hammer,” she was a woman in her twenties in real life, also a streamer active on Bilibili. But she wasn’t doing well. The videos she updated had no views, and her live streams had no followers. Seeing Little Angel’s popularity surpassing hers, even entering the ranks of the top ten uploaders, she felt very unhappy. So many female uploaders on Bilibili, so many female streamers, why did only she become popular?

    She was very unhappy.

    During the live stream that day, when she saw Little Angel’s bestie, she knew her chance had come. She didn’t care much, found flaws and relentlessly attacked. The most ridiculous part was that some people were actually led astray. Afterwards, she hired a water army to help her on Weibo.

    Plus, there were many people blindly following the rhythm. For a time, public opinion was overwhelmingly one-sided. There were very many people hating on Little Angel. If it weren’t for

    Teacher Kongqi’s Weibo post, there would probably be even more similar comments.

    “Why is there still no movement today?”

    “Hammer” lady looked at the lack of activity on Weibo and couldn’t help sighing. After slandering for so long, Little Angel still hadn’t reacted. Was she not planning to stand up and speak? Or had she already tacitly admitted she was male?

    According to the current situation, Little Angel simply didn’t stand up to speak, as if tacitly admitting something. This was very puzzling.

    What was she doing?

    But forget it. If she didn’t stand up to speak, it was also beneficial for her. Anyway, she was the one profiting in the end. Didn’t you see the online arguments were all between fans and water armies? No one was cursing her.

    Just as she was thinking this, at 12 o’clock that day, Little Angel posted a Weibo message in her personal name. Once this Weibo post was out, it sent her trending again.

    “My mood has been very low these past few days, hurt quite a bit by the rumors. So I haven’t updated videos. I apologize to everyone here. Many people in the comment section questioned why I don’t show my face. I’ve never talked about this matter before. I want to tell everyone, since I can make a living relying on talent, why should I rely on my face? But I think it’s useless even if I say it. Would it be better if I quit being an uploader? I hope everyone can tell me.”

    When she first saw those few sentences, she was still sneering.
    But when she saw the sentence about quitting being an uploader, she instantly gasped, a cold chill rising from the soles of her feet.

    And once Little Angel’s sentence came out, it instantly exploded too.
    The trending topic on Weibo also changed to “Little Angel seems to intend to quit Bilibili.”

    On this day, Weibo was exceptionally popular, almost paralyzing the servers. Fans were stunned, trolls were also stunned. They never expected Little Angel would actually have the thought of quitting.

    “Holy crap, my heart is weak, don’t scare me!”
    “Little Angel actually wants to quit? No, this isn’t true!”
    “It’s all your fault for hating on her! I told you Little Angel is a girl, you didn’t believe it! Which guy would have a glass heart after being cursed and say they want to quit! It’s all your fault!”
    “Exactly!”
    “It’s all your fault! Little Angel was originally so cute, and never delayed video updates. Because of you, she hasn’t updated for a whole week this time. You trolls, if Little Angel really quits, I’ll curse your whole family to death!”
    “I don’t understand why you would think she’s a boy. Even if the voice can be changed, can the personality change? You guys criticized her to the point she wants to quit!”
    “Trolls die, whole family! I’m not done with you!”
    “It’s all that ‘Fairy’s Hammer’s’ fault!”
    “Yes, it’s all his fault!”

    On this day, “Fairy’s Hammer’s” Weibo fell, the comments below almost overwhelmingly negative.

    Public opinion completely reversed. The previously imposing trolls all went silent, even the water army disappeared. This group of people never expected things would develop like this.

    “Hammer” was stunned, netizens were also stunned, but the fans were furious.

    They directly dissed this “Hammer” lady, clamoring to dox her, showing their anger.

    And once this Weibo post came out, Bilibili officials also had to step up and speak. You know, Little Angel was one of Bilibili’s top ten annual uploaders. If she quit just like that, how much traffic would be lost? It was impossible for them not to speak up.

    “Regarding the matter of Bilibili uploader Fenwu Tianshi intending to quit Bilibili, I represent the officials to formally apologize to her. When the Weibo incident first started, we thought it was a small matter and would pass after some time. But we didn’t expect Fenwu Tianshi, due to this slander incident, developed feelings of inferiority, leading to the intention of quitting the circle.

    Since Fenwu Tianshi joined Bilibili, she has brought enormous traffic to Bilibili, and Bilibili has also grown because of it. Bilibili’s success today owes much to her contribution. This incident was our fault; we should have stood up for her immediately. Fenwu Tianshi herself is indeed female. We guarantee this in the official name. Other things can be faked, but contracts cannot be faked. We hope Fenwu Tianshi can reconsider, absolutely do not act impulsively. @Fenwu Tianshi.”

    Once the official Weibo post came out, proactively clarifying the slanders against her, and also admitting they didn’t help her speak up immediately.

    Now no one would say Little Angel was male anymore. It was impossible for a male, after being criticized, to cry and want to quit the circle. Only girls have this kind of glass heart; truly no one else.

    Therefore, all the fans were furious.

    Even people who usually just browsed Bilibili without following uploaders got angry, flocking to “Hammer’s” Weibo to curse, determined to vent this anger.

    Hammer was completely panicked now. She just wanted to teach Little Angel a lesson; how did she know things would turn out like this? After posting a few feeble defenses, she shut down Weibo, locked herself at home all day, not daring to go out. She was afraid netizens would really dox her; then she would be truly finished.

    Who could have thought things would turn out like this? If she had known earlier, why bother?

    “Little Angel, don’t quit! I’ll be your fan forever!”
    “Damn it! It’s all that Hammer causing trouble in the summer bar (likely a forum/group), I’ll help you get revenge!”
    “Little Angel, don’t cry, okay? We’ll help you teach him a lesson! Come back!”
    “Little Angel, don’t quit! We can’t live without you!”

    The comments on Weibo completely reversed.
    This was much more useful than when several public figures spoke up before.

    And this method was also thought up by Ye Zhiyun.

    Saying she wanted to quit Bilibili was just a pretext. The purpose was to reverse the comments on Weibo. She believed that as long as Little Angel posted this Weibo, not only fans and trolls but even officials would be alarmed. Netizens might be useless, but officials couldn’t possibly let her quit.

    You know Little Angel’s value; she was a famous Bilibili uploader!

    If she quit, Bilibili would lose a lot of traffic. It was believed no fool would be willing to let this happen. Facts also proved she was right; officials did indeed speak up immediately.

    And the official company’s phone calls flooded Fang Jianing’s phone, almost blowing it up. People from Bilibili company even came, personally visiting her door to apologize. Fang Jianing’s value was very high; no one wanted her to leave Bilibili. If she wasn’t on Bilibili, Bilibili would earn much less money.

    This method was useful, but the only downside was it was too risky. If one wasn’t careful, Little Angel might really quit Bilibili. After all, she was also a public figure. But Ye Zhiyun had calculated; she knew Bilibili couldn’t possibly let her go, fans couldn’t possibly really not want her, and those trolls, no matter how much they sprayed, facing this situation, she didn’t believe they still had excuses.

    When she told Fang Jianing about this method initially, Fang Jianing considered it for a long time, unwilling to do it. Finally, she only agreed under coercion and enticement. Facts proved she won the gamble.

    Ye Zhiyun, she was indeed someone who navigated the business world. Regarding benefits and commerce, she couldn’t be clearer. Fang Jianing, already a commercialized person, even if netizens were willing, the company absolutely wouldn’t let her go.

    No one would let go of a valuable person.

    This was different from the situation when Yu Linna quit Orange River. Fang Jianing truly had value.

    “Wow, thank you, Zhiyun! Someone really apologized to me! Wuwuwu~”

    “Alright, alright. Isn’t it all over now?”

    Ye Zhiyun was also quite happy. This move solved the trouble that had plagued her for so long; it was really good. Although she herself felt this move was quite risky, the good thing was, she won.

    And Fang Jianing posted a Weibo message the next day, soothing the fans’ restless hearts, and also updated the video that hadn’t been updated for a long time.

    “Thank you very much everyone for asking me to stay. You all make me feel I have value in staying, I’m touched~ For everyone, maybe it’s better if I don’t quit after all, what do you think~”

  • Shion’s Notes 92

    Chapter 92: That Fleeting Figure

    Although Teacher Kongqi was a newcomer, she was still a public figure. Her posting a Weibo comment clearly biased towards Little Angel naturally raised questions. What was the relationship between Teacher Kongqi and Little Angel? Why would she stand up for her for no apparent reason?

    Moreover, Teacher Kongqi rarely commented on specific online discussions. Her Weibo posts were basically all about promoting new books or advertisements, rarely containing personal opinions. Once this comment was out, the entire internet exploded.

    Most importantly, the flame war on Weibo had already lasted for quite a while, and so far, no public figure had spoken up. Little Angel, as a famous Bilibili uploader, yet no one stood up for her, and of course, no one stood up to question her either. The online discussions were basically netizens amusing themselves.

    And with Teacher Kongqi’s Weibo post, the entire internet exploded.

    Celebrities in the entertainment industry, seeing this Weibo post, expressed their confusion. Usually, when dealing with this kind of thing, they would remain silent if possible, never taking a stance. But Teacher Kongqi did the opposite. What was she doing?

    “Hello, Teacher Kongqi, you’re there, right?”

    “Ah, Sister Chen, I’ve already submitted the manuscript, so please don’t rush me anymore~”

    “Cut the crap. You know I’m not asking about that. Tell me, why did you post that Weibo? Aren’t you afraid of causing negative impact?”

    Chen Xi sighed, feeling worried. You know, Kongqi was an author she brought up. This was a good period for development. If her future was ruined due to negative impact, it would be a great loss.

    But who would have thought Teacher Kongqi would pull this move? It originally had nothing to do with her; why did she get involved?

    “It’s okay. I’m prepared to bear the consequences.”

    Zhao Yuyan’s playful tone was gone. She was still smiling, but her tone became frank.

    Why did she do this?

    Perhaps after seeing that Weibo post by Little Nana, she inexplicably didn’t want to sit still anymore. That girl who wore a mask during the live stream, standing up for someone on Weibo, for some reason, her heart skipped a beat at that moment.

    If possible, she really wanted to see the face under that girl’s mask.

    Although she knew it was impossible, she was still willing to stand up for her. She thought, perhaps she had become her fan.

    “Teacher Kongqi, you’re a public figure. You should know that just being prepared isn’t enough.”

    “Yes, I know. But I still choose to do this.”

    “Suit yourself.”

    Hanging up the phone, Zhao Yuyan let out a long sigh. Actually, she hadn’t been avoiding Weibo these days; she also knew what happened. Once this Weibo post was out, there would definitely be many water armies seizing this point to attack her. She already had quite a few trolls targeting her. Doing this undoubtedly exposed herself to the public eye.
    Well, forget it. Things will work out eventually.

    Zhao Yuyan stretched, picked up a coat and put it on, preparing to go out. She was also hungry at this time and wanted to find something to eat. Because she debuted as an author, she now lived alone, no longer relying on family support. But she couldn’t cook, so she could only eat out or order takeout every day.

    Putting on her shoes, opening the door, the cold wind blew, a chill running from the soles of her feet to her neck, shaking her body. Winter had truly arrived. It had been very cold recently.

    Even wearing several layers of clothes couldn’t ward off the chill; even thermal underwear was useless.

    She thought she might as well buy a hand warmer on her way home.

    Suddenly, while walking on the road, Zhao Yuyan saw a flash of blonde hair drift past her eyes. She subconsciously fixed her gaze on it. A blonde girl, petite, probably still in middle school, but her face was truly beautiful, especially those eyes, as if they could speak, incredibly beautiful. She had an inexplicable allure, always making people want to look twice more. Although her figure wasn’t particularly striking, she somehow evoked a sense of protectiveness.

    She’s truly beautiful.

    Zhao Yuyan put her hands in her pockets, whistled softly, wanting to look a few more times.

    That girl should be mixed-race, right? Her skin was fairer than average people, her blonde hair also very conspicuous, and the contours of her face vaguely resembled an Asian’s.

    She carried several bags of vegetables, probably just back from grocery shopping, perhaps cooking for her family. She circled the wet market twice, then entered again.

    Zhao Yuyan watched her go, not chasing after her. She felt it was enough to just look.

    After all, they were just strangers.

    Some things are meant to be admired from afar, not touched.

    “Time to eat, I’m hungry.”

    Talking to herself, Zhao Yuyan started looking for a restaurant to eat. There was still so much time; how could she have the energy to write without eating her fill? Although she said that, Zhao Yuyan, as stubborn as a dead pig, planned to go back and play games after eating. As for rushing the manuscript, screw that. She absolutely wouldn’t submit it until the last day.


    Yu Linna bought the groceries and went home early. Since having a stable place to live, she no longer had to worry about food and accommodation. But sometimes she also felt she owed Ye Zhiyun a lot. Ye Zhiyun had given her almost everything she could, yet she hadn’t done anything for her. She was truly an unqualified friend.

    To repay Ye Zhiyun’s kindness, she researched new recipes every day, striving to make her happy with the food. At least now, Ye Zhiyun hadn’t complained about the food not tasting good.
    She owed her such a great favor; even being her servant for a lifetime, she was willing.

    Opening the door, Yu Linna closed it and changed her shoes. The heating inside was comfortable, so much better than the freezing weather outside.

    “I’m back.”

    Ye Zhiyun was already sitting in the living room watching TV. Today, she had tied her hair into a single ponytail, looking a bit more capable, less like a young lady.

    “Zhiyun, you’re back quite early today.”

    “Yes, no work today. I plan to review properly during this period. Finals are coming soon. If I keep disappearing, the teachers will come looking for me.”

    Although Ye Zhiyun had social engagements every day, always meeting different people, her primary identity was still a student. Attending classes and learning every day was her main occupation. Although her grades had always been good, she also wanted to perform well on the college entrance exam and get into a good university.

    As for her five-year goal, she had planned it long ago. As long as she followed this plan, she could possibly build her own career. Although she couldn’t replicate her father’s success, she believed she could also carve out her own path.

    “Then I’ll start cooking.”

    “Not yet. I have something to ask you.”

    Ye Zhiyun stopped the blonde girl who was about to go to the kitchen and pulled her to sit on the sofa in the living room. Yu Linna was puzzled, her eyes confused.

    “I saw Weibo. It seems… something happened between you two.”

    “You mean that… It’s also my fault. If I had spoken up earlier…”

    “Forget it, that’s not your problem. It’s just those people with nothing better to do. I’ll hire a water army for you guys. We can’t let them keep slandering you like this. Jianing is still a girl; she can’t handle it.”

    Ye Zhiyun had also been paying attention to these matters, knowing some trolls were restless, wanting to cause trouble. Although this kind of situation could be ignored, Fang Jianing was still a young girl and couldn’t possibly not care about those words. The only solution Ye Zhiyun could think of was hiring a water army.

    A perfectly good uploader being slandered, even having her gender questioned and called a boy, which girl could accept that?

    During this period, the only public figure who spoke up was Teacher Kongqi. Her words were naturally effective. After seeing her speak up, several other uploaders also posted a few Weibo posts, supporting Little Angel.

    But even so, it still couldn’t stop the trolls’ relentless attacks. These people didn’t care; as long as they could criticize, they would criticize, regardless of who it was.

    “But I don’t think a water army can necessarily salvage this situation. There are too many trolls.”

    “Do you think that little bastard ‘Hammer’ didn’t spend money to hire a water army? He’s deliberately here to slander people. If we don’t fight back at this time, they will continue. The best solution is to have Jianing show her face, completely shut them up.”

    “But Jianing made a pact with her parents. She can’t show her face on live streams before graduating high school.”

    “Since this method won’t work, besides hiring a water army, is there any other way?”

    “This…”

    Yu Linna really couldn’t think of anything.

    To shut these people up, besides the truth, there really was no other way.

    Yu Linna fell into deep thought. As her friend, she naturally wanted to help her, but just thinking was useless. If only she had help at this time. If only there were a public figure to help her, things would be much better.

    Fang Jianing was one of her few friends. When a friend was in trouble, she naturally had to help.

    “Zhiyun, can you think of other ways? A way to solve the problem?”

    Ye Zhiyun naturally knew what she meant. She hoped for a solution that addressed the root cause, not just simply hiring a water army. Now the entire internet was slandering her. She wanted

    Fang Jianing to be able to come out of this, and also wanted the trolls to stop.

    What exactly could make them stop slandering and shut up immediately?

    This solution was really hard to think of.

    After all, Ye Zhiyun hadn’t experienced these things before; she didn’t know how to operate properly. Things on the internet were always very complicated. No matter how well you did, there would always be people nitpicking. Even finding a single flaw, they would relentlessly attack. This was human nature.

    Ultimately, Fang Jianing encountered this because, as a female streamer, she never showed her face, yet gained even higher popularity than average female streamers, ranking among the top ten uploaders. Naturally, there would be people jealous, especially women. And having her bestie on the live stream was the trigger point of the incident.

    Thinking carefully, being able to afford a water army, and having people willing to attack Fang Jianing, this kind of person must be either rich or influential, and also have a certain number of followers online. It was even very possible that they were from Bilibili.

    Following this line of thought, “Fairy’s Hammer” was very likely a girl, and even a sockpuppet account of a certain uploader.

    If that was the case, everything made sense. Naturally, a solution also came to mind. Ye Zhiyun’s furrowed brows relaxed; she seemed to have thought of something.

  • Shion’s Notes 91

    Chapter 91: Online Flame War

    Weibo exploded.
    Or rather, Fang Jianing exploded (became a hot topic).

    She had a registered account on Weibo, officially VIP verified, with the tag “Famous Bilibili Uploader.” Although those who didn’t frequent Bilibili might not know of her existence, those familiar with her knew what the name Little Angel represented.

    When Bilibili first emerged, it didn’t have much popularity, only relying on acquiring some anime to gain views. Later, Bilibili rose powerfully, influencing the entire country. Many young people became aware of this danmu (bullet comment) website, and that’s when Bilibili started becoming popular. Among Bilibili’s famous uploaders, the name Little Angel was prominently listed. Although she wasn’t one of the earliest uploaders, she contributed to Bilibili’s development during its rise. The videos she made had a huge number of views and an enormous amount of collections. Whether making videos or live streaming, she had popularity.

    Most importantly, Little Angel was a girl. Although Bilibili wasn’t without female uploaders, no other female uploader could achieve what she did, being selected among the top ten uploaders of the year, even ranking within the top five.

    Because of her female identity, she inevitably faced questioning, but she perfectly proved herself with her strength. Little Angel had a characteristic: she never showed her face during live streams. Although her voice was pleasant to hear, no one had ever seen her face.

    In this entertainment-supreme era, most female streamers wished they could reveal a bit more of themselves. However, Little Angel did the opposite. Let alone showing skin, she didn’t even show her face.

    This point greatly tormented many fans. They liked their idol, yet didn’t know what she looked like. They really wanted to crawl through the computer to see her. Also because of this point, some trolls seized it and started mindlessly hating on her.

    An account called “Fairy’s Hammer” published an article on Weibo, specifically tagging Little Angel, causing the comment section to explode.

    “I’ve been a fan of Little Angel for a long time. As her fan, I really cannot understand why my so-called protective behavior is misinterpreted as malicious.
    Little Angel is a famous Bilibili uploader and also a very active streamer in the live broadcast section. With such strength, she deserves respect. But I feel Little Angel is deceiving the fans’ feelings, for the following reasons:

    1. Little Angel never shows her face during live streams and never directly answers the reason for not showing her face. If it’s not a problem with her looks, it’s really perplexing.

    2. She promised the fans cosplay, but in the end, had her bestie substitute. If it’s not a problem with her looks, it’s hard to understand.

    3. She never directly mentions her private life, nor talks about a woman’s life during live streams, like she’s deliberately hiding something. If she doesn’t have something to hide, it’s hard to explain.

    4. She is the only female uploader among the top ten Bilibili uploaders, but this has never been confirmed.

    In summary, I suspect that Fenwu Tianshi’s gender is actually male, and female is just her fake identity. Little Angel is deceiving people.
    Why do I say this? I also have my reasons:

    1. Little Angel has no common sense as a female, never mentioning women’s difficulties or inconveniences in the workplace.

    2. Little Angel has no social common sense, not distinguishing between good and bad in men.

    3. Little Angel is very cold towards boys, but very enthusiastic towards girls.

    Therefore, I’m certain that Little Angel’s real gender is male.

    I am Little Angel’s fan, I don’t want Little Angel to deceive people, but I’m really heartbroken. I hope I’m wrong, but with so much evidence, I’m very heartbroken. Since Little Angel is 100% male, why not just admit it? Deceiving fans is a serious matter.
    I hope Little Angel replies to me. @Fenwu Tianshi”

    Once this Weibo post was out, it instantly exploded.

    The comment section below became a battlefield. Fans came to argue with him, and a cyber war began just like that.
    For the first day or two, it wasn’t a big deal, the comments one-sided. Later, water armies (paid commenters) appeared at some point, questioning Little Angel’s gender. They posted comments saying how Little Angel wasn’t like a girl. Because of this, the entire Weibo server almost crashed.

    Of course, the fans were unwilling to accept the fact that Little Angel was a boy, and they also listed many points to prove her gender. But the water army was too numerous, their firepower too fierce, unable to create waves for a while. And this Weibo post became popular, reposted many times.
    With all this commotion, Little Angel became a trending topic, even celebrities in the entertainment industry noticed.

    But the people on the internet seemed to have too much time on their hands, uncomfortable if they didn’t criticize, making Weibo a smoky mess.

    And Fang Jianing, the person involved in the incident, was currently at home. When she saw those online comments about her, she felt extremely uncomfortable. She wore pajamas and stayed in her room, depressed all day. Although she could ignore so much online gossip, she was still a young girl after all; it was fake to say she didn’t care.

    Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the person claiming to be Little Angel’s fan was a troll, but who could do anything about him? In the online world, speech was free; there was no need to pay the price for one’s words. Also because of this, many people unintentionally hurt others.

    Fang Jianing was the same. Her Weibo had fallen; basically, it was trolls arguing, and although there were fans too, the trolls numbered more. And her Bilibili account was no exception, with overwhelmingly negative comments below. Everyone said she, as a famous uploader, didn’t set a good example, privately letting her bestie substitute, which was very bad behavior.

    Sigh…

    She turned off her phone, buried herself under the covers. She no longer had the heart to make videos, no longer had the heart to live stream. The arrival of cyberbullying plummeted her mood.
    Fang Jianing, after all, was still a child. It was normal that she couldn’t bear these negative comments. What she couldn’t accept most was people questioning her gender, saying she was actually a boy. Although she spoke up, stating she was a girl, it was still useless. In the face of overwhelming numbers, her Weibo fell.

    Now Fang Jianing was unwilling to go on Bilibili; she didn’t even update her videos anymore, just doing nothing every day except attending school. And the curses on Weibo continued.

    Yu Linna saw her dejected appearance every day, the smile gone from her face, feeling really bad about it. She was such a lively girl, often wearing a healing smile. Most importantly, she had helped her so much.
    She was also responsible for that live stream. If she had stepped up to speak for Fang Jianing earlier, perhaps she wouldn’t have been scolded so badly. Now seeing her being targeted so cruelly by trolls on Weibo, she really felt awful.
    Those trolls were too hateful. To attract attention, they actually used this kind of tactic! The most hateful part was they even used the name of fans. This kind of troll was truly the worst.
    No, she couldn’t let this go on.

    “Jianing, I’ll open an account. I’ll clarify it for you. Otherwise, these people just keep scolding you endlessly. It’s too much.”

    “No need. It won’t have any effect anyway. Just forget it.”

    Fang Jianing forced a smile. She had been suffering from cyberbullying these past few days, becoming haggard. As a girl, being able to withstand so many curses without crying was already quite impressive.

    But Yu Linna still felt bad. Clearly, she had done nothing wrong, why should she be scolded by so many people? She just did a live stream; why should she be treated like this? It wasn’t fair!

    Yu Linna didn’t listen to her and actively created a Weibo account to clarify the truth for her.
    Her Weibo ID was “Little Nana,” to prove her identity.

    “I am Little Angel’s bestie, Little Nana. The cosplayer in the live stream a while ago was me. I want to clarify: Little Angel is 100% female, I guarantee it. Please stop cursing her anymore. Because of these curses these past few days, she has become very haggard. I hope these trolls can restrain themselves. Although speech is free, please respect others.”

    Once this Weibo post was out, it instantly exploded, becoming a trending topic again in a short time.
    However, the curses didn’t stop.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Yuyan, the manuscript-rushing author who had been a bystander from beginning to end, finally had time to rest after catching the deadline on the last night. Not browsing Weibo for a few days, she discovered she had missed so much. She didn’t expect things to reach this point. Just for not showing her face? How could so many things arise?

    Zhao Yuyan also found Yu Linna’s Weibo post and couldn’t help but click her tongue in disapproval (tsk tsk).

    She had seen this girl cosplaying the Moe King during the live stream. Although she also wore a mask and her face wasn’t seen, Zhao Yuyan had a deep impression.
    This girl actually posted a Weibo post for her bestie?

    Zhao Yuyan scrolled and found most were critical comments about her, all sorts of nasty language, probably water armies. Looking closer, the overwhelmingly one-sided comments on Weibo were really too many. Although Little Angel was a famous uploader, her popularity couldn’t compare to a celebrity’s. No matter how many fans there were, it wouldn’t reach that level.
    But these trolls hating on her were too many.
    She strongly suspected there was a water army at play here.

    Did that “Fairy’s Hammer” guy even buy a water army to create trending topics, to become popular? This person was actually so terrifying.

    Although it wasn’t Zhao Yuyan’s business, seeing Yu Linna’s trending post still made her feel a little heartache. A perfectly good uploader being criticized to the point she didn’t even update videos anymore, couldn’t these trolls be a little more merciful?
    Mr. Yuan’s biggest mistake in this life was making this group too full (an idiom criticizing excessive comfort leading to negative actions).

    Zhao Yuyan sighed and decided to post a Weibo post herself, naturally in her own name.

    “I’m the former ‘Kongqi.’ Regarding the recent trending topic of whether Little Angel is male or female, I want to express my own opinion. First, putting Little Angel’s gender aside for now, those people causing trouble on Weibo, she didn’t do anything wrong, didn’t say anything wrong, why make things difficult for her? Also, her bestie has already spoken up. Why still curse her bestie? What does this have to do with her? I hope everyone can calm down and not be misled. Little Angel herself said she’s a girl. Please believe her. I’m also her fan and don’t want my idol to be cursed. Thank you everyone.”

    Once Teacher Kongqi’s Weibo post came out, it exploded again.

  • Shion’s Notes 90

    Chapter 90: The Lively Live Stream

    Although she appeared calm on the surface, her heart was actually greatly disturbed.

    She had seen this movie, watched it in 3D at the cinema. The story was complete, and although the title wasn’t very appealing, the plot was quite good. However, what truly attracted her to the cinema wasn’t the special effects or the story; she simply went to the cinema to see Nangong Ying.

    The Nangong Ying in the movie was incredibly unfamiliar, completely different from her usual self. The usual Nangong Ying would smile, had great ambition, and was a girl who was very good to her. But the Nangong Ying in the movie was bitter and resentful, constantly suppressing herself. Even her beloved couldn’t compare to the world in her eyes; she always carried the world in her heart.

    Of course, she knew reality was different from movies. But sometimes she would think, she and Nangong Ying had truly become strangers.

    Because Nangong was no longer the Nangong she was familiar with.

    “Little Nana has seen it too? What do you think of this movie? I think Nangong Ying is super cool. I like her!”

    “Yeah, I also think it’s quite good… Mainly the story, it’s really good, I like it very much.”

    She answered while suppressing her emotions. Fang Jianing didn’t notice her reluctance.

    Although Fang Jianing knew something unpleasant happened between her and Nangong Ying, she didn’t know that Nangong Ying, for her own career, ruthlessly betrayed Yu Linna, who was almost subjected to the unspoken rules.

    “Nangong Ying is really cool. She’s clearly a girl, yet she can act in action scenes. I was stunned by her coolness. If my girlfriend was that cool, I would die without regrets.”

    “Nangong is ours! Not your private property!”

    Watching the barrage of bullet comments scrolling through the live stream, a flash of sadness flickered in Yu Linna’s eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

    She had known Nangong Ying for three years, but this three-year friendship couldn’t even compare to one movie.

    Although her heart ached, ached very much, she had to admit that if Nangong Ying hadn’t betrayed her, in exchange for the unbanning of “Storm Seal Chronicle,” Nangong Ying wouldn’t have become popular in such a short time, wouldn’t have risen to the status of a first-tier star.

    In other words, Nangong Ying’s status was obtained at the cost of Yu Linna’s sacrifice.

    If Ye Zhiyun hadn’t appeared, then Yu Linna would have truly become a toy for Orange River’s higher-ups.

    “Don’t just talk about the movie. Little Nana, do you have a favorite anime? Do you visit Bilibili?!”

    “My favorite anime is Kyoto Animation’s ‘K-On!’. I have a Bilibili account, but I won’t tell you my ID. I’m not an uploader, just an ordinary anime fan.”

    “Little Nana is so moe~ Little Nana, Little Nana, do you like Himegoto (referring to the character Hime Arikawa, often used as an example of a “trap” character)? Want to join the cult!”

    “No thanks. I like girls.”

    “It seems our Bilibili is about to release a new anime, and it’s domestic. The special effects for that magic girl anime shown in the preview are super cool. Suddenly feeling a bit excited. The original novel is amazing!”

    Interacting with the viewers, Yu Linna seemed very natural, exchanging words casually, showing no sign that it was her first time live-streaming. Even Fang Jianing, the actual streamer, was left aside, losing her presence.

    “Does anyone remember Little Angel who’s still playing music beside the camera? You guys are so busy talking to Little Nana, you forgot about her existence emmm~”
    “Tragic. Forgot Little Angel. Little Angel won’t be angry with us, right?”

    Fang Jianing watched these bullet comments float by and chuckled. She was overjoyed that the live stream had such high popularity. Why be angry? Besides, Yu Linna was her good friend. Wasn’t it a good thing that she gained the audience’s favor? She should be happy.

    “Haha, I’m not angry. Little Nana is my good bestie. I’m not angry~ Does everyone like today’s live stream? I said I wouldn’t disappoint you. Isn’t Little Nana cute~”

    “Little Angel is awesome! Before, the live stream was only of hands typing on the keyboard. First time having a friend on the live stream. This is so great. I strongly suggest Little Nana also create an account. If you two stream together, there will definitely be many viewers~”

    “Yes, I support!”

    “Agree!”

    “Bestie’s live stream, I’m definitely watching!”

    The live stream was filled with bullet comments, making the screen densely packed, barely able to see the outline of the little sister wearing a mask. It was easy to imagine how popular the live stream was.


    Eating potato chips, Zhao Yuyan sat in front of the computer watching the live stream. Although the deadline was approaching, she still dared to slack off. Anyway, it wasn’t the last moment yet; she could relax a bit first. As long as she pulled an all-nighter to write tonight, everything would be in time.

    Besides, this cosplaying Little Nana was quite cute. Although not showing her face, she just had that moe moe da feeling. And through her neck, one could see that this girl’s skin was very fair, even whiter than average girls. Really wanted to know how she took care of her skin. Even Zhao Yuyan, as a girl, felt a bit envious.

    Zhao Yuyan was 19 years old, just started university, a newly debuted novelist, edited by Chen Xi. Her debut work, “You in Time and Space,” was published in the form of a short story, selling over 100,000 copies and officially making a name for herself. After that, she entered the state of writing serial novels and published “The Rich Man’s Game,” which currently had two volumes published.

    Although she was a newcomer, she already had her representative work. Her pen name was Kongqi (Air).

    Her writing style always focused on comedic daily life, interspersed with romance. Usually, her romantic plot lines were quite bland, hardly displaying much interaction between the male and female protagonists. However, when she wrote female protagonists, she could often capture the hearts of male readers.

    Moreover, among the three short stories she had published, including the only long novel currently in serialization, the female protagonists were all ojou-sama (rich young lady) characters. In the fan circle, she was jokingly called “Ojou-sama Kongqi.”

    She was still young, her future full of potential. Chen Xi was optimistic about her efforts to cultivate her, hoping she could leave a mark in the future professional circle.

    But Miss Zhao Yuyan was lazy, didn’t like rushing manuscripts, only liked playing games and watching live streams. Look, she was slacking off again today while Chen Xi wasn’t there to push her for the manuscript.

    She quite liked Little Nana. Seeing her so cute, she couldn’t help but send a gift.

    “The former ‘Kongqi’ sent a small TV to the streamer!”

    “Is the brother upstairs’ ID so suggestive? Actually ‘Kongqi’? Is it because you worship Teacher Kongqi?”

    “Newbie asking, what is ‘Kongqi’?”

    “That’s a recently popular novelist. Go buy a copy of ‘The Rich Man’s Game’ and you’ll know.”

    Zhao Yuyan didn’t expect that just sending a small gift would attract attention because of her ID. This was truly interesting.

    You know, although she gained many fans, her popularity wasn’t at the level of a supreme god yet. Few people should know her at this time. Unexpectedly, there were people watching the live stream who knew about Kongqi.

    Yu Linna watched the bullet comments but didn’t say much, leaving the talking to Fang Jianing. She just needed to be an obedient cosplayer. Anyway, she was just here as a guest.

    It had to be said that today’s live stream was very effective, further increasing Fang Jianing’s popularity. She was originally a famous Bilibili uploader, the only female uploader among the top ten uploaders of the year. She also usually did live streams and her popularity was high, but today’s live stream made her popularity on Bilibili reach its peak. Currently, among the trending live streams, Fang Jianing’s was the hottest; no other streamer could surpass her.

    “Why doesn’t Little Angel show her face? Her bestie has come out, but Little Angel is always so mysterious. Could it be she’s not confident about her face?”

    “What nonsense! Little Angel is always the cutest! Don’t listen to others’ rubbish!”

    Looking at these bullet comments, Fang Jianing smiled wryly. It wasn’t that she wasn’t confident about her face. On the contrary, she thought she looked pretty good. However, compared to Yu

    Linna, Yu Linna would be more beautiful. After all, the genes were there.

    But she wasn’t afraid to show her face either. It was just because of her parents’ order that she didn’t. Until she got into university, she absolutely wouldn’t turn the camera on her face.

    “As Little Angel’s number one fan, I must say this: Little Angel, if you’re not confident about your looks, it’s okay, we’ll still be your fans. But you bringing your bestie to the live stream today is hard to understand. And your bestie is wearing a mask the whole time, why not show her face? Two people not showing their faces, this is very strange!”

    “What’s up with the person upstairs? Are you trying to criticize Little Angel? Whether Little Angel shows her face or not is her business, what are you interfering for!”

    “I really don’t understand. A live streamer who doesn’t show her face, and a female streamer at that. And one even wears a mask, trying to hide something?”

    “Enough, Little Angel, ban him! He’s a troll, here to cause trouble!”

    “Hehe, how did I troll? I just stated my opinion. You are brainless fans. I suspect Little Angel is not a girl. If she were a girl, why wouldn’t she dare to show her face? Little Angel, as long as you show your face, I’ll apologize immediately!”

    “Orphan, your mom’s dead. Actually calling Little Angel a guy? Looking for death!”

    “Kick him out!”

    “Agree!”

    “I just voiced my question, how is that trolling? Go ahead, try banning me, I’ll go to Weibo…”

    “‘Fairy’s Hammer’ has been kicked out of the live stream for violating relevant regulations.”

    The live stream instantly erupted, various discordant voices rising. Since a brainless guy took the lead, many trolls appeared in the live stream, starting to criticize Little Angel.

    Fang Jianing watched in disbelief. Clearly, her not showing her face in the live stream was a common occurrence, but it inexplicably became a point for others to attack her. These people seized her flaws and relentlessly criticized. The worst one actually called Little Angel a transgender person, pretending to be female to deceive fans.

    Fang Jianing saw the situation was getting out of hand and shut down the live stream early. And at this time, the netizen called “Fairy’s Hammer” actually posted an article on Weibo questioning whether the Bilibili streamer Fenwu Tianshi was male. Point by point, he targeted Fang Jianing, questioning the true gender of this only female uploader among the top ten uploaders of the year. A massive online debate erupted in the comment section.

    Just like that, because of one live stream, things escalated, completely exceeding everyone’s expectations.

  • Shion’s Notes 89

    Chapter 89: Live Cosplay

    Ye Zhiyun couldn’t understand her own heart. She fell into confusion, constantly thinking, who exactly was Yu Linna? Why did she always occupy her heart, lingering?

    But if she could figure it out, she wouldn’t be her.

    Overthinking only added to the troubles. Later, Ye Zhiyun, to forget these worries, threw herself into work again, hoping to fade these matters.

    Things can be forgotten, but can the heart deceive people?


    Speaking of Yu Linna, since agreeing to be Fang Jianing’s live stream cosplayer, she picked a weekend to go to her house. The cosplay costume was already prepared. Yu Linna just needed to go over, change, put on makeup, and she could start the live stream. When she arrived at Fang Jianing’s house, Mother Fang was very happy to see her, welcomed her arrival, and kept asking her to stay for dinner. Yu Linna could only smile wryly and say she had things to do.

    Fang Jianing took her to the room early. She took out the cosplay costume, held it against her, and snapped her fingers with satisfaction.

    “I knew you were very suitable for this outfit! How could anyone else handle the clothes of the Moe King? Sure enough, I wasn’t wrong.”

    (T/N: In China, Rimuru is often referred to as the “King of Cuteness” or the “Moe King” (萌王)* (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken )*)

    “This outfit is good, but why make me wear the Moe King’s clothes? And I have to wear a mask.”

    “No choice. Look, you requested not to wear a skirt if possible, and not show any skin, preferably covering the face. Thinking about it, only the Moe King character suits you.”

    Actually, saying this wasn’t wrong; it was Yu Linna’s own request initially. At that time, Yu Linna didn’t like live-streaming in front of strangers, nor did she want to show her face, hence the request to cover her face. And no showing skin.
    Finally, Fang Jianing got her a set of Moe King cosplay clothes. Anyway, the Moe King’s gender is null; both males and females can handle it. Most importantly, the looks had to pass.

    Things having come to this point, she couldn’t back down. Yu Linna had to take the clothes to the bathroom.

    “What are you doing? Why go to the bathroom?”

    “If not there, where else?”

    “Just change here. Anyway, we’re both girls, what’s there to be afraid of?”

    “…”

    Yu Linna looked at her sincere (fake) eyes, and she actually sensed the malice of this world. Although physiologically speaking, she was completely female, she had lived alone since childhood, rarely interacting with female friends, and had never experienced changing clothes together with female friends.
    So, she was shy.

    “This… you turn around.”

    “Yo, you’re shy?”

    “Go away… Hurry up and turn around. No peeking.”

    “Fine, fine, fine. Won’t look, won’t look. Really don’t know which man will take a fancy to you in the future, then he can look at your body unscrupulously.”

    “Get lost! I don’t want to marry!”

    Asking Yu Linna to marry a man in this lifetime is impossible, absolutely impossible!
    Although she was female, she didn’t want to be restricted by worldly customs.

    This cosplay costume wasn’t hard to wear. With a few quick movements, she changed quickly. The wig wasn’t hard to put on either. The biggest issue was makeup, but because Yu Linna’s appearance was already very good, it didn’t take too long. In less than half an hour, the makeup was done.

    Fang Jianing looked at her work, very satisfied. It had to be said, Yu Linna’s looks were really good. Those beautiful big eyes seemed to have their own magic; one glance made people want to look twice more. Exquisite features, cherry-like small lips like jelly made one want to take a bite. Most importantly, her skin, several shades fairer than average people, made many women envious.

    Yu Linna’s looks were innate. Although not a rich second generation, her genes were just good. Her mixed-race appearance made her stand out more than average people, and her excellent genes were passed down. Except for her height, nothing else was a problem.
    Really want to know what the parents who gave birth to Yu Linna looked like. Their family’s genes were too good, right? Even better than Fang Jianing’s.

    “Very good, we can start. I’m turning on the camera.”

    “Okay.”

    Yu Linna said nothing on the surface, but actually, her heart was pounding nervously. First time live-streaming in front of strangers, being watched by so many people, she still felt somewhat uneasy. But thinking that she had at least filmed commercials in front of others, and sang for others on TV before, she silently cheered herself on, slowly calming her nerves.

    “Hello everyone, I’m ‘Fenwu Tianshi’. I promised everyone on Weibo before to do a cosplay live stream with the camera on. Today I will fulfill my promise as a Bilibili uploader and give you an unforgettable live stream. But unfortunately, the person cosplaying today is not me, but my good bestie.”

    Fang Jianing turned on the camera and started the live broadcast. She introduced herself familiarly, and then rows of bullet comments started bombarding the screen.

    “Don’t care, don’t care, we want Little Angel to cos! If it’s not Little Angel, I absolutely won’t watch!”
    “No one can replace Little Angel’s position, ahhhhh!!”
    “Let your bestie go down, let Little Angel come up! Little Angel has never shown her face, I want to know what you look like!”

    Sure enough, the fans’ emotions were very agitated. Learning that their idol wasn’t participating in the live stream, they all exploded.
    They indicated that even if they had to unsubscribe, they absolutely wouldn’t watch anyone other than Little Angel cos.

    “Haha, everyone, don’t be anxious first. Due to special reasons, I won’t show my face. The one doing the cos live stream today is my good friend, also my good bestie. I believe she will satisfy everyone. Come, Little Nana, you can come over now.”

    “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

    “No need. Just sit there.”

    After a short while, a blue-haired girl wearing a mask appeared in front of the camera. This girl wasn’t tall, petite like the Moe King in the anime, and she was also cosplaying the Moe King. Although her temperament was somewhat different, her fair neck was very conspicuous in front of the camera. That skin, clearly several shades fairer than average people, stunned the male fans.

    “Cough cough, hello everyone. I think I’m Little Nana, Little Angel’s friend, also considered… a good ji you(very close same-sex friend), right? Hmm, and then… I’m today’s cosplayer. You can ask me questions freely.”

    After all, having spent some time in the entertainment industry, she knew what to do in front of the camera. Although her acting skills had always been poor, after facing the camera for a long time, she wasn’t completely without gains.

    “Emmmm, who is this little sister cosplaying the Moe King? Although I can’t see her face, she inexplicably feels so cute. Is it because of her aura?”
    “Little Angel, is this your friend? So small. By the way, may I ask impolitely, is Little Angel only in elementary school this year?”
    “Holy crap, Little Angel is an elementary school student? I, I… I hold my holy sword, speechless for a long time…”
    “Visitor: ‘Cat Who Loves to Sleep In’ has been muted for ten minutes due to inappropriate speech.”

    Rows of bullet comments scrolled by, among which were some perverted remarks. And those with obvious obscene content had already been banned by the room moderators.

    Little Angel guessed it would be such a result. You know who Yu Linna was; with her looks, how could she not arouse interest?

    Although she wore a mask, her inherent moe attribute couldn’t be hidden.

    “Oh, this loli girl is quite nice.”

    Meanwhile, in a certain studio apartment, Zhao Yuyan wore headphones, ate potato chips, and crossed her legs, watching Fang Jianing’s live stream. If her editor, Chen Xi, knew she was slacking off and watching a live stream while rushing her manuscript, she would be dismembered.

    But Zhao Yuyan didn’t care about this right now; she just knew she wanted to watch the live stream, wanted to watch this little sister cosplaying the Moe King.

    “Haha, I’m not an elementary school student! My friend just looks younger, but she’s a legal loli~”

    Yu Linna watched Fang Jianing spout nonsense with a straight face, feeling speechless. You know, Yu Linna was only 17 this year, not yet of legal age. But she didn’t want to admit she was a loli either, which made her very conflicted.

    “Really? I feel this little sister is so cute. Although she’s not showing her face, she gives me a moe moe da (super cute) feeling. Little Angel, can you introduce your good friend to me? I want her WeChat!”
    “You brat, just now you said you wouldn’t watch anyone’s cosplay but Little Angel’s. Are you surnamed Wang (referencing the meme)?! ” (Wang is a Slang term for pens, prik. lol)
    “Why give up an entire forest for one tree? I’ve decided, I want them all.”
    “That’s a total scumbag statement!”
    “666(cool), laughing at the two brothers upstairs bickering.”

    Overall, the live stream was quite successful. Although not showing her face, it could still attract people, especially male fans. They sent donations and gifts to the streamer one after another. Fang Jianing happily collected the gifts, saying thank you and playing pleasant music.

    “May I ask Little Nana, how old are you?”

    “A girl’s age is a secret.”

    Facing such a stupid question, Yu Linna didn’t want to answer at all. If it weren’t for giving face to Fang Jianing’s fans, she wouldn’t have answered.

    “Hahaha, laughing at the brother’s straight male cancer. Who asks questions like that? Deserves to be single forever!”
    “Little Nana, may I ask what you like? Why did you cosplay the Moe King?”

    “I like reading, I like watching TV. Why I cosplayed the Moe King is because I think the Moe King is moe.”

    She answered indifferently, her tone neither cold nor warm, making people feel quite distant. She had always been like this in class, not liking to get too close to people she wasn’t familiar with, thus creating her pseudo-cold exterior.

    “Little Nana is so cold, but I like it!”
    “Little Nana, I’m giving you gifts, can you give me your contact information!”

    “Thank you, but give them to Little Angel. I’m just here for fun.”

    Yu Linna’s speech was still very cold, completely unmoved.
    She just wanted to get her hundred yuan after the live stream ended and didn’t want to think about anything else. Live streaming was really tiring. It had only been ten minutes, yet the bullet comments were already overflowing.

    “Little Nana, I heard you like watching movies. Have you recently seen the very popular ‘Storm Seal Chronicle’?”

    Being asked this question by a fan, a flash of sadness flickered in Yu Linna’s eyes. Mentioning this movie would inevitably make her think of Nangong Ying, the person she couldn’t forget.

    “Yes.”

    Although her heart was complex, she still answered calmly.

     

     

  • Shion’s Notes 88

    Chapter 88: What is This Feeling?

    Meeting Li Muqing on the road was purely accidental. Yu Linna didn’t take him to heart at all. For her, nothing was more important than going home to cook. Now that she was living in someone else’s house, she had to do something for them. She couldn’t just eat and drink for free. Therefore, she took charge of all the housework and meals.

    Returning home, Yu Linna let out a long sigh and closed the door. She tossed the groceries she bought into the kitchen, then went to her room to change clothes, tied on an apron, and prepared to cook. The weather was so cold today; she decided to make some fish soup. Soup was an indispensable item in the Cantonese cookbook.

    She hummed a little tune, simmering her soup. Her beautiful golden ponytail swayed with her movements. Although she was small, her high looks made her quite eye-catching.

    Yu Linna had lived alone for a long time and learned to take care of herself at a very young age. Cooking was not difficult for her; rather, it was what she did most often. Although she rarely bought groceries when living alone in a studio apartment, it didn’t mean she had forgotten how to cook. After all, her foundation was over ten years old.

    When the clock hand pointed to seven, Ye Zhiyun returned on time. Her work schedule was very regular; she knew clearly when to come back for dinner. Besides, she hadn’t truly become a working adult yet; there was no need to make herself come back late at night like her father. Therefore, she had to control her time well.

    “Smells good. What’s for dinner tonight?”

    Ye Zhiyun habitually threw her bag onto the sofa, then plopped down like a corpse. Being able to eat after a tiring day of work, this kind of life was the best for her. Thinking back to when she lived at home a few years ago, there was even a chef to prepare food for her. After moving out, where could she find such good treatment? She had to rely on herself for everything.

    Now with Yu Linna around, she took charge of the household meals, becoming her exclusive chef. Life was quite comfortable. Sometimes she felt that spending so much money to “buy” this girl wasn’t actually a losing deal.

    “Almost ready. Have some appetizers first. The soup is about to boil.”

    “Hurry up~”

    With this exclusive chef, she became lazy as soon as she got home. Since someone prepared food for her, why should she work so hard? Just lying at home was fine. She found she was increasingly liking staying at home.

    By the time Yu Linna finished preparing all the dishes, Ye Zhiyun was already hungry and picked up her chopsticks to eat. It had to be said, Yu Linna’s cooking skills were quite good, even better than her family’s chef. Moreover, eating home-cooked meals was healthier; outside food was too greasy.

    “How was school today?”

    During the meal, she would also chat about some daily routines, bringing up some meaningless topics. This was all commonplace.

    “Very normal, same as before. The teacher said I’ve been very obedient lately, haven’t taken leave again.”

    “Of course. Don’t you know who’s covering for you?”

    “When I came back, I checked the wet market. Seems like there were no carrots sold today. I plan to make carrot soup tomorrow.”

    “Oh, that’s good.”

    “Li Muqing said you like this soup. I specifically paid attention.”

    “Hmm… What?”

    The hand holding the chopsticks paused. Ye Zhiyun’s expression became extremely strange.
    She looked at Yu Linna’s expression, no longer calm as before, but showing some changes. This feeling was very subtle. Although not obvious, her brows did indeed furrow.

    Only then did Yu Linna realize she had misspoken. Oh god, what was she doing! Didn’t she know Ye Zhiyun liked this blockhead? Wasn’t she digging her own grave?!
    It’s over now. Ye Zhiyun is definitely angry.

    “You and Muqing? What’s going on? Tell me quickly.”

    Ye Zhiyun was fine now. She put down her chopsticks, her expression becoming extremely domineering, showing no mercy, arms crossed,一 with the expression of “I won’t let you off if you don’t tell the truth.”

    “This, I…”

    “Speak.”

    Ye Zhiyun’s aura was terrifying. Her expressionless face looked very scary, as if returning to the time they first met. Ye Zhiyun back then was also like this, her attitude towards her extremely unfriendly, treating her like an enemy.

    Yu Linna really brought this misfortune upon herself. Why did she have to touch her reverse scale? Li Muqing was her childhood sweetheart, and also the object of her affection. Saying these words clearly implied she had met Li Muqing. What would Ye Zhiyun think?!

    “I, um… saw him once after school…”

    “Doing what?”

    “I…”

    “Quickly!”

    “I… just accompanied me to buy groceries, nothing else.”

    “And?”

    “No, nothing else.”

    Yu Linna honestly confessed. Who told her to be unlucky and say this to her? She should have known from the beginning that no matter how good Ye Zhiyun was to her, there were still bottom lines. Li Muqing was her bottom line. No matter what happened, she absolutely couldn’t touch her bottom line.
    She didn’t want to be kicked out.

    Hmph.”

    Ye Zhiyun didn’t speak further. If Ye Zhiyun didn’t understand her childhood sweetheart, know that this blockhead wasn’t the type to flirt around, she would definitely investigate further.

    “Um, are you angry?”

    “What do you think?”

    “I’m, I’m sorry…”

    Yu Linna decisively admitted her mistake. After all, living under someone else’s roof, one had to bow their head. If she wanted to continue living here, it was better to be a bit more obedient.

    This dinner passed in silence. Unlike the usual warm scenes, Ye Zhiyun seemed to be in a very bad mood tonight. Yu Linna spent the dinner in unease. As soon as dinner ended, she quickly cleared the table, washed the dishes, then ran to the guest room and locked the door. It was better not to disturb her at this time.


    After Yu Linna left, Ye Zhiyun sat alone in the living room, the TV on, but her eyes never looked at the screen. Her mind was already in a mess.

    An inexplicable restlessness rose in her heart, and she felt very annoyed, very angry, and at the same time, a sense of unease. For some reason, her heart was completely chaotic, and she felt very unhappy, wanting to grab that bastard Li Muqing and beat him up.

    She liked Li Muqing, yes, but why at this moment was she not thinking about how to deal with Yu Linna, but wanting to dismember Li Muqing?

    And why was the object of her anger Li Muqing? This was too strange.

    Ye Zhiyun felt something was wrong with her.

    What exactly happened to her?

    She recalled her childhood, following behind him playing, doing everything with him. They only separated after entering middle school. At that time, she already understood the difference between boys and girls and naturally felt shy. And after entering high school, her direct personality made her understand this feeling. She wanted to pursue him, but three years passed, yet this blockhead showed no reaction at all, completely unappreciative.

    She was tired enough of chasing, slowly not wanting to continue.

    But now, what was wrong with her again…

    This wasn’t like her.

    Sigh…

    Ye Zhiyun sighed. Sure enough, better take the initiative to apologize to her. After all, the fault wasn’t hers.

    She stood up and walked towards the guest room. After Yu Linna moved in, she was arranged in the room at the corner of the corridor in this house. Standing at the door, she took a breath and knocked.

    “Nana, open the door. It’s me.”

    She softened her tone, making her voice sound gentler.
    Yu Linna opened the door uneasily. Seeing Ye Zhiyun, who seemed less angry, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    “Please come in, Zhiyun.”

    She was still too polite to her.

    Since moving in, Yu Linna’s attitude towards her was more like a guest than a friend. This was also related to the personality developed from long-term boarding in others’ homes. Once living in someone else’s home, she would try her best to be obedient, not causing trouble for the host. Because she knew, only this way could she stay here long-term.

    Plus, having experienced betrayal by her best friend, her heart was actually very difficult to open up to others again.

    “I was a bit impulsive tonight. I apologize… Nana.”

    “No, no, no, please don’t. You took me in, gave me good food and clothes. How could I be angry with you? Compared to that, I’m the one who feels very sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned that.”

    Yu Linna was still too reserved. Compared to when they first met, although she was much more obedient, she also lost a lot of liveliness. That girl who liked to take advantage, was thick-skinned, and naive suddenly disappeared.

    And Ye Zhiyun had only just discovered this.

    “Nana, I took you in not because I pitied you. I really wanted to be good to you, didn’t want you to suffer, that’s why I let you stay. Don’t think I’m that kind of person. I won’t kick you out. We’re already friends now, aren’t we?”

    “Yes, are we? Friends…”

    The word “friend” felt too heavy for Yu Linna.

    No matter how good a friend, didn’t they ruthlessly abandon her in the end for profit, betraying her to others? She was completely sincere to her, gave her heart and soul, but what was the result? She grasped her weakness and betrayed her.

    Even if Ye Zhiyun was powerful and wouldn’t be manipulated by capital, would she definitely not betray her? Yu Linna really couldn’t believe it.
    It wasn’t that she didn’t want to trust others, but she didn’t dare to trust others anymore. She no longer dared to place trust in anyone.

    “Zhiyun, thank you for helping me so much. Your kindness to me, I will always remember. I’m actually a very simple person. Just giving me a place to live is enough for me. Don’t worry about the rest.”

    She smiled.

    After the door closed, Ye Zhiyun returned to her room alone. She didn’t look at the messages people sent her. She just sat on the bed, her mind blank. After a long, long time, she lay down on the bed, her mind completely filled by a certain girl.

    This girl, Yu Linna. From the very beginning, she disliked her, didn’t like her, didn’t even want to associate with her. But after so many things, she somehow couldn’t hate her anymore, couldn’t even let her go, unwilling to see her get hurt.

    Especially that Orange River incident, she didn’t want that kind of thing to happen again. She wanted to protect Yu Linna well.

    Having such thoughts, wasn’t it strange? It must be, right?

  • Shion’s Notes 87

    Chapter 87: Palpitation

    The cold wind blew, fallen leaves drifted. The last month of this year was about to end. After this month, it would be a new year. Before the arrival of the New Year, everyone became busy.

    The number of couples on the street increased; now walking on the road, one could see several pairs of couples holding hands. Single people sighed with envy, then put their hands in their pockets and walked into the internet cafe. For this group of people, only games were their everything.

    In the coffee shop, the aroma of coffee wafted. Li Muqing was dressed warmly today: coat, padded jacket, scarf, everything complete. He sat opposite Ye Zhiyun and ordered a hot latte from the waiter. Having not hung out with his childhood sweetheart for a long time, he felt quite good today.

    “Muqing, you still haven’t changed much. You always order the same type of coffee. Why not try other types?”

    Ye Zhiyun gently sipped her coffee, picked up a spoon, and tasted the cake she ordered. The cake in this shop tasted quite good, melting in the mouth, just that the price was a bit expensive; a small piece of cake cost 59 yuan. But for a tycoon like her, this amount of money really wasn’t anything.

    “Haha, I just like this kind, won’t change. What about you, Zhiyun? You’ve been quite busy lately. What are you up to?”

    “Talking business. Besides the studio I’m currently running, the most I’ve done recently is movie projects. Didn’t the movie I just invested in make a profit? Got at least 60 million, right?”

    “Isn’t that quite a lot you earned?”

    “Didn’t earn much.”

    She took a sip of coffee and said lightly.
    She wasn’t wrong in saying this. Although the movie made money, she actually didn’t earn much. Because she had paid 80 million for someone before, the money she earned this time was just to recover her losses, not considered a big profit.

    “Zhiyun, your judgment is quite good. You actually dared to take on a project like ‘Storm Seal Chronicle’ whose name sounded so bad, and even earned so much.”

    “I mainly look at the script. Director Zhang said let me read the script first before making a decision. I read it too, felt it was okay, so I invested money. Didn’t expect Director Zhang to be quite talented, letting me earn so much.”

    This wasn’t wrong. Before this movie was released, no one would have thought this movie would become popular. But as the box office figures rose, this unknown director also became popular, and single-handedly made the female lead Nangong Ying famous, sending her into the circle of first-tier female stars. Nangong Ying could also be said to have soared to the heavens in one step.

    As a shrewd businesswoman, she knew that many investors would definitely take a fancy to her next. Director Zhang’s value would definitely rise, and it would be impossible to get the same price as when they first cooperated.

    “Zhiyun, want to visit my home during the New Year? My parents quite want to see you.”

    Ye Zhiyun’s hand holding the coffee cup paused, her eyes becoming complicated.

    In the past, she would definitely be happy hearing this sentence, but somehow, she couldn’t feel happy now.

    Could it be because she didn’t like him anymore?

    But that shouldn’t be. She had liked him for so long; how could it change just like that? Shouldn’t she always like this blockhead? Why did she have no thoughts at all now? And the chat just now was too normal, not like before at all.

    She felt a bit confused, didn’t know what was wrong with her.

    “What’s wrong, Zhiyun?”

    “Nothing, it’s fine. I’ll consider it. After all, it’s been quite a while since I last went.”

    “That’s good. It’ll be lively then.”

    Unfortunately, this blockhead had no thoughts at all. If he had even a little bit of thought, Ye Zhiyun would have been his long ago. But this child just didn’t understand romance.
    But maybe this was also good. If he really were someone with such high emotional intelligence, with his looks, he would definitely charm many girls, and then he might become a scumbag.

    After parting, Ye Zhiyun called a car back alone. She didn’t plan to walk with Li Muqing. Li Muqing, however, was extremely puzzled. In the past, no matter what, she always wanted to be in the same car as him, couldn’t be driven away no matter how hard he tried. Why did she actively distance herself from him now? Could it be that this child finally learned to grow up?
    A single-minded blockhead wouldn’t understand. If he understood, he wouldn’t still be single now.


    Suddenly, walking on the road, Li Muqing saw a girl across the street. That girl wore a pink-blue scarf, had conspicuous blonde hair, and was noticeably petite. She wore a khaki coat, walking in the cold wind. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to have entered the wet market, probably buying groceries for her family.

    Although they had only met a few times and hadn’t exchanged WeChat contacts, Li Muqing had a deep impression of this person. After thinking for a while, she still decided to go up and greet her.

    “Ah, hello, Yu Linna.”

    “Hmm? Oh, hello, Blockhead.”

    “…What does that mean? Why call me Blockhead? I’m Li Muqing.”

    “I know, but I just don’t want to call you by your name.”

    Facing males, Yu Linna behaved quite naturally, able to utter a few sarcastic words right away. Although the time she spent as a girl was much longer than as a boy, she still felt more natural facing boys than girls, especially this blockhead. She wasn’t worried at all that anything would happen.

    Li Muqing proactively stuck to her, following her into the wet market. Yu Linna felt something was amiss. What’s wrong with this blockhead? Why did he suddenly follow her today? Wasn’t he usually a straight man? When told to leave, he really left.

    “Li Muqing, if you have nothing else to do, you can leave.”

    “Oh, I see. Anyway, I have nothing to do either. I’ll walk with you. Don’t worry, I won’t cause you trouble.”

    “…”

    What else could Yu Linna say?

    At least he treated her to a few meals, took care of her. She really couldn’t think of a reason to refuse. Forget it.

    Besides, Li Muqing was an honest person; he wouldn’t do anything to her. She silently comforted herself.

    But Li Muqing was indeed a bit abnormal. Usually, he wouldn’t be so proactive. He just subconsciously wanted to spend more time with her. Since parting ways in Shenzhen last time, this girl Yu Linna had left a deep impression on him, making her occupy his mind for several days, even causing insomnia. Now seeing the person he wanted to see, he didn’t want to leave so quickly.

    “Yu Linna, you must be cooking for your family, right? Those vegetables you bought, I know Zhiyun quite likes them.”

    “…Is, is that so…”

    This blockhead didn’t know at all that she was living with Ye Zhiyun. Although she felt it wouldn’t matter if she said it, anyway, they were both girls. But she always felt saying it would cause a lot of trouble. If this low-EQ guy started asking questions again, it would probably be extremely annoying. She disliked being interrogated the most.

    “I’ve known Zhiyun since we were little. This girl loves vegetarian food. Look at this carrot. Once when she was little, she pestered her mom for carrot soup, fussing for a week. Coincidentally, her mom didn’t know how to make soup, so they ended up hiring a chef.”

    “Ahaha, childhood sweethearts are really nice…”

    So why did Ye Zhiyun like this blockhead? Really couldn’t figure it out! What was so good about this low-EQ man!
    Yu Linna really wanted to cover her face. This low-EQ buddy chattered non-stop along the way, afraid the topic would become awkward. Yu Linna was truly astonished.

    “By the way, Li Muqing, do you really not have any feelings for Ye Zhiyun at all? You two are childhood sweethearts after all.”

    She was always puzzled by this question. Ye Zhiyun could fall for this childhood sweetheart, why did Li Muqing have no reaction at all? This wasn’t a novel; where did so many childhood-friend-losing settings come from? The idea that childhood friends can’t beat heavenly descents doesn’t exist. In reality, the probability of childhood friends getting together is many times higher than heavenly descents, so there’s no such thing as losing!

    “Zhiyun and I are really just very good friends, no special relationship. I see her as a younger sister.”

    “You’ve never seen her as the opposite sex?”

    “I see her as a younger sister.”

    “Sigh, destined to be single, you.”

    Yu Linna didn’t want to talk anymore. This man was definitely the one with the lowest EQ she had ever met. Could he speak properly?

    No wonder Ye Zhiyun chased him for three years, yet got nothing in return, ending up in unrequited love. If one day Blockhead got married, that person definitely wouldn’t be Ye Zhiyun. This kid didn’t see her as the opposite sex at all.


    After buying the groceries, Yu Linna planned to go back. Li Muqing, this blockhead, just liked following her. Because Li Muqing was handsome, he attracted the attention of many girls. And him walking together with Yu Linna, such a beautiful girl, normal people would assume they were a couple, right?

    “Look, that handsome guy is so handsome. Too bad he has a girlfriend.”
    “That blonde little sister is so cute. Too bad she has a boyfriend.”
    “What I want to say is, can that handsome pot (shuai guo – slang for handsome guy) go be gay? I like that blonde. Although I’m a girl, I want to roll in bed with the blonde little sister… No, Police Uncle, I’m really not a pervert!”

    Ignoring the last person, there were still quite a few people casting gazes on the road.

    Yu Linna didn’t need to think to know she was being misunderstood. So annoying. She disliked being mistaken for being in a relationship the most. Although she was a girl, she didn’t like having affairs with boys, nor did she plan to marry anyone. Because she had ten years of male experience from her previous life, becoming a girl in this life, she still didn’t plan to marry a boy. Just assume her psychology was acting up.

    Walking to the side of the road, in front of the traffic light, Yu Linna sighed and turned around.

    “I’m taking the bus back. Don’t follow anymore. You go home.”

    “Oh…”

    Li Muqing was sensible for once and didn’t follow anymore.
    Yu Linna turned around, a strand of blonde hair flashing past. Her figure slowly disappeared from his sight. Although it was just parting, it felt like she was leaving.

    “Classmate Linna, can we meet again?”

    Yu Linna turned her head, glanced at him, and smiled faintly.

    “Maybe.”

    She returned to her own track, catching the bus back. Although she had moved into Ye Zhiyun’s home, she still habitually took the bus back.

    Li Muqing watched the disappearing figure, feeling like something was missing.

  • Shion’s Notes 86

    Chapter 86: Cold Wind

    Is this the best of times? It is also the worst of times. This is an era of opportunity, but also a cruel era. Everyone has the chance to climb forward, but not everyone can reach the end. Only a few can sit on the throne.

    When the wave of the entertainment industry arrived, no one could stop this trend. In the current era, people can only adapt to the arrival of this wave.

    If there’s anything currently more profitable in the entertainment industry than movies, it’s probably novels and comics. These two areas are still quite profitable at the moment, with a wide audience. These works often have the opportunity to be adapted into film and television works, gaining more attention.

    Especially the novel industry; currently, the highest annual income for an individual author has reached 200 million yuan. Such a terrifying figure is currently unsurpassed. Although the novel industry has varying quality, criticized by traditional writers’ associations as commercialized secular articles lacking literary merit, it must be admitted that these novels are usually the most profitable.

    Sigh…

    Zhao Yuyan sat in her room, facing the densely packed lines of text on the computer, feeling a headache. Piles of manuscripts were on the desk, some discarded ones even drifting under the table. What was originally a girl’s boudoir had been stripped of all aesthetic appeal by these papers.

    This girl had long black hair, tied into a braid thrown back, her fair little face filled with sorrow. It could be seen that the owner of this room had quite good taste, as the decoration and furnishings were decent, just ruined by the piles of manuscript paper.

    Suddenly, the phone rang. Zhao Yuyan let out a mournful “woo woo woo” sound, picked up her phone, and answered the call.

    “Hello, Teacher Kongqi? The deadline is approaching. It’s about time you submitted the manuscript to me, right?”

    “Wait, wait, Sister Chen! Can you give me two more days?”

    “No. It must be submitted to me tomorrow, otherwise, the publication date can’t be met. You can only give the publication slot to someone else.”

    “Okay, okay, I know…”

    Zhao Yuyan truly wanted to cry but had no tears. Being rushed for a manuscript wasn’t good at all. Why did she believe her senior’s words back then? Something like only great gods get rushed for manuscripts – she actually believed such nonsense.

    After hanging up the phone, Zhao Yuyan quickly typed on the keyboard, rushing her manuscript. After all, the deadline was tomorrow; how could she not hurry?

    “I wonder how Luo Nan survived under the hands of this devil editor.”

    While typing, Zhao Yuyan didn’t forget to complain about her teammate.

    She was an author under Chen Xi’s charge, currently a newcomer author at the publishing house. Having just debuted not long ago, she already had her representative work, gained some popularity in a short time, and harvested a batch of fans. Although her popularity wasn’t particularly strong, for a newcomer, she had already done quite outstandingly.


    Guangnan City was still cold today. After entering winter, the cold wind swept into the city. When Yu Linna went home from school today, there was an extra scarf around her neck. This scarf was blue and pink with several patterns, specially bought for her by Ye Zhiyun. Although Yu Linna said she didn’t need it, Ye Zhiyun forcefully gave it to her. She could only accept it.
    The past Yu Linna absolutely couldn’t afford such luxury items.

    “It’s almost New Year’s. Have you thought about what to do after the holiday starts?”

    Fang Jianing, as usual, accompanied her home from school every day. Thinking about the upcoming winter vacation, she felt quite happy. Although third-year high school students suffered a lot, it wasn’t completely without holidays. Since the Education Bureau issued the order, many schools were forbidden from holding make-up classes. Although the winter vacation for third-year students wasn’t as long as others’, it was within an acceptable range. Mainly, the operation of make-up classes was gone.

    “Haven’t thought about it.”

    Yu Linna exhaled a breath of hot air, looking at the gray sky, her eyes holding a trace of confusion.

    If it were her last year, at this time, she should be thinking about how to save some money for Christmas Eve. But this year she didn’t have this worry. Because she was taken in by Ye Zhiyun, she hadn’t worked for a whole month. Suddenly becoming idle made her feel uncomfortable.

    Although she felt this kind of life was quite good, compared to her past dozen years of drifting life, the current stable days were undoubtedly better, and also what she had always wanted. But she always felt something was wrong. Was it really okay to be supported by someone like this? Sometimes she would think this way.

    Although she mentioned she wanted to go out to work, Ye Zhiyun refused, saying she could afford this little bit of money.
    Every time she saw Ye Zhiyun’s domineering eyes, she immediately softened, unable to come up with good words anymore. Anyway, she had nothing to do. Cooking for her at home, wasn’t that quite good too?

    Yu Linna had thought long ago, if she had a family in the future, she should be wearing an apron, busy in the kitchen cooking for her family. When the dishes were served, the gentle smiles on her family members’ faces were what she most wanted to see.

    Although she didn’t have a family yet, she felt like she was already doing what she wanted to do.

    “Linna, let’s go buy books! Teacher Kongqi’s new book is coming out. I want to go take a look.”

    “You really pay attention to her.”

    “A fan told me during the live stream before that they wanted me to do a commentary on Teacher Kongqi’s works. I want to go check out her works.”

    “For the sake of you once helping me make a yuri video, I’ll accompany you.”

    Fang Jianing and Yu Linna’s relationship was really getting better and better. The two who spoke less than three sentences at the beginning of the school year had now become good friends. Whenever Fang Jianing had time, she would use the excuse of treating others to food to lure Yu Linna out to play, and this excuse was truly tried and tested.

    “Sorry little girl, Teacher Kongqi’s work hasn’t been published yet. Wait until next month.”
    “What? I thought there was a new book. Forget it, I’ll buy her previously published books. I’ll need this material for the next live stream.”

    Entering the bookstore, Fang Jianing began to select novels. As a qualified streamer, a qualified uploader, regular updates were necessary.

    The current novel industry was so developed, many works were sought after by readers, receiving no less attention than live streams. Moreover, the threshold for the novel industry was low. As long as one had outstanding works, they could get opportunities. Like the author whose annual income now reached 200 million, his works could be called immortal grass, mainly focusing on fantasy. Currently, his novels had been adapted into anime, TV series, and comics, arguably the number one author in the country.

    Compared to someone like Fang Jianing, a Bilibili uploader, she naturally couldn’t compare. You know, she was just a website uploader, not a hugely popular star. If you wanted to talk about which industry had high exposure and made a lot of money, besides the entertainment industry, there really wasn’t much else to say.

    Yu Linna glanced at the bookshelf, looking at the dazzling array of works. Yu Linna picked up a few novels, but couldn’t get into many of them. She felt these novels were too cliché. Row after row were almost all fantasy cultivation, martial arts romance. She flipped through a few, and they basically all told the story of the handsome male lead and beautiful female lead getting together, hardly focusing on the plot.

    It could only be said that the homogenization of novels on the market was too severe. Seeing something become popular, everyone followed the trend, ultimately writing the genre to death.

    The novels Yu Linna could find, there weren’t many she could actually stomach. Some plot logic really didn’t make sense, and the protagonist forcefully acting cool made her uncomfortable to watch. She really didn’t know how these novels got published.

    “Linna, is there anything you like? I can lend you money to buy it.”

    “Seems like besides the novels published by famous authors, there aren’t many worth reading. Forget it, let’s stop browsing.”

    “Okay, then let’s go. I’ve picked mine.”

    Fang Jianing didn’t buy much, just one or two books. She specifically bought the works of Teacher Kongqi mentioned by her fans. She planned to take them home to read carefully, then make a video commentary.

    As the only female uploader among the top ten famous uploaders on Bilibili, Fang Jianing’s popularity was very high. Whenever she started a live stream, someone would always click in to watch. Bilibili had even signed a contract with her, asking her to place advertisements. And Fang Jianing always inserted an advertisement near the end of her videos, catching the fans watching the video off guard and leaving them bewildered. So much so that many fans posted bullet comments like “Little Angel, you’ve learned bad things, turned into an old thief.”

    “By the way, Linna, I don’t think I’ve ever live-streamed with you before. How about we live-stream together?”

    “Live stream?”

    “Yeah! You cosplay, put on some makeup, I’ll point the camera at you, you just need to smile. I’ve always wanted to do a cosplayer live stream.”

    Yu Linna couldn’t understand. What did her live stream have to do with her?
    She was about to refuse when Fang Jianing immediately covered her mouth.

    “Please, one hundred yuan, how about it? One hundred yuan to be my live stream character. You’re living with Zhiyun now, you wouldn’t ask her for money, right? I’m giving you a chance to earn money~~”

    Yu Linna paused, coughed twice, walked ahead, pulling her scarf tighter.

    “Okay, I reluctantly agree.”

    Nice, sure enough, it worked!
    Fang Jianing silently gave her intelligence a thumbs up.


    Although the weather was very cold, fortunately, it didn’t snow in the south, so it couldn’t get that cold. Besides the necessary commute to and from school every day, Ye Zhiyun mostly socialized, went to discuss projects with people, and handled trivial matters of her own studio. The consumption some time ago was too large. Having finally recouped a little bit of blood relying on one movie, she naturally wanted to pick up the previously shelved projects and make a complete plan. She hadn’t forgotten her plan, which was to invest in an animated movie.

    The heating in the coffee shop was very comfortable. Unlike the cold wind outside, people staying here were like cats burrowing into blankets, not wanting to go outside.

    Ye Zhiyun sat alone in a corner by the window, savoring her coffee, waiting for someone. When the coffee shop door opened, a handsome young man walked in. He saw Ye Zhiyun in the corner and walked over with a friendly smile.

    “Zhiyun, what have you been busy with lately? Haven’t even come to class.”

    “Busy doing business. What about you? Quite free today? Haven’t been able to reach you recently.”

    “That’s because you were busy. I didn’t want to disturb you. Come on, my treat today. Order whatever you want to drink.”

    The cold wind blew, the cold wind drifted, a few withered yellow leaves floated past.

  • Shion’s Notes 85

    Chapter 85: Strangers When We Meet Again

    Yu Linna wore an apron, her hair tied in a ponytail, busy in the kitchen. She gently scooped a bit of soup with a spoon into a small dish, then tasted the soup in the dish herself.

    “The taste is just right.”

    Saying this, she put the lid back on the pot and continued simmering.

    Food was already laid out on the dining table: four dishes and one soup. Although not very rich, it was nutritious enough as a home-cooked meal. It had been almost a month since she started living here. This month, as a student working part-time, she hadn’t done any work since this month began, just cooking at home.

    She had briefly worked as a cook in a restaurant before, but was fired for taking too much leave. Cooking was absolutely no problem for her; her years of life had long cultivated her good cooking skills. The meals she made were much tastier than Ye Zhiyun’s half-baked cooking. If she chose to be a chef, it shouldn’t be difficult.

    “So tired. I’m back. Is dinner ready?”

    When the clock hand pointed to seven, Ye Zhiyun came in from outside, travel-worn. She wore a gray coat, a black scarf covering half her face. Her cheeks were a bit cold from the wind.

    “Almost. Go watch TV on the sofa for a while. It’ll be ready in five minutes.”

    “Okay, hurry up. So hungry.”

    “Okay.”

    Ye Zhiyun took off her scarf, removed her coat, and sat in the heated living room, much more comfortable than outside. She had been busy for so long these days, she had gotten used to having Yu Linna around. Since taking her in, this girl had taken over the household chores and meals. Although she didn’t have to do these things, she insisted, so Ye Zhiyun didn’t object.

    “Let’s eat.”

    “Smells good. Nana, what did you make today?”

    “It’s old fire soup (slow-cooked soup).”

    They gradually got used to living together, and time passed just like that. Although Ye Zhiyun bled heavily over the eighty million matter, fortunately, the “Storm Seal Chronicle” she invested in made money, allowing her to smoothly pass the winter and continue her business. For this, her father even scolded her several times, saying she wasn’t shrewd at all as a businesswoman; eighty million was too much of a loss.

    Of course, she knew spending that eighty million was foolish, but it was her decision after all. For her, someone’s value was more important than those eighty million.

    And Yu Linna was now truly living a life of being well-fed and warmly clothed. She didn’t have to do any work except the daily commute to and from school. The rest was coming back to cook for her. Because the two weren’t in the same school, their commute routes were different, but there was always time to eat dinner at home. It was just that Ye Zhiyun was busier; besides classes, she also had to discuss business, sometimes not coming back at all.
    Otherwise, how could this rich woman be so rich? Wasn’t it earned by herself?

    “This soup is quite good, several times better than when you first started. Have your cooking skills improved?”

    Hearing this, Yu Linna just smiled.

    Speaking of which, her current situation was like being kept by someone. She didn’t have to do anything but cook, could eat well and wear warm clothes every day. This was unimaginable before.
    Think about it, someone sleeping in the park a month ago suddenly had a house to live in and could eat full meals. It felt like a dream. Such a feeling never existed in the past.

    “Now, besides cooking, it seems I can’t do anything else.”

    Yu Linna smiled bitterly.
    This wasn’t wrong. Yu Linna lost her dream, lost her goal. After quitting the entertainment industry, she suddenly didn’t know what to do. In the past, she still had Nangong Ying as a goal, thinking of chasing after her. But now…

    Her relationship with Nangong Ying was truly over. It was impossible for them to contact each other again. After all, Nangong Ying did that kind of thing; she couldn’t just forgive her like that. It was just that sometimes, Yu Linna would wonder why their friendship was so fragile in the face of capital. They used to be so close, but in the face of huge power, they were helpless.
    And before, she could never imagine that Nangong Ying would betray her for her career.

    But when she learned that the movie starring Nangong Ying was released and achieved super high box office, she still went to the cinema and bought a ticket. She sat in the audience, watching Nangong Ying’s figure on the screen, that face she had seen countless times, yet on the screen, it became so unfamiliar. She knew they could never go back.
    After finishing the movie that day, Yu Linna returned alone. She stood on the balcony looking up at the night sky, letting the cold wind hit her face. If Ye Zhiyun hadn’t come back early, she might have stayed on the balcony until midnight.

    Once, they were so close. Once, they were so intimate. Once, she was the person she trusted most in this world, but now became the person who hurt her the most.

    “You’ll eventually find something you can do. Before that, isn’t it quite nice to cook for me?”

    Anyway, Ye Zhiyun had gotten used to eating her cooking. What harm was there in letting her continue to stay? Besides, she also liked coming home to a hot meal after a busy day. It felt like a home. She seemed to somewhat understand why her own mother quit the business world to be a noble lady at home. What could be more comfortable than home?

    “That’s true.”

    Yu Linna gave a wry smile and said no more.


    The next day, she continued her school life. Since taking leave for half a month some time ago, the current homeroom teacher kept a close eye on her, and she no longer fell behind in her courses. She attended classes properly every day, did her test papers properly, stably occupying the ranking list.

    Fang Jianing was still her deskmate. Before every exam, she would ask her for extra tutoring, a special training session. Under Yu Linna’s influence, Fang Jianing’s grades also rose rapidly. In the last mock exam, she successfully entered the top ten. Thinking back to her first year of high school when she couldn’t even enter the top hundred, now in her third year, she actually had the chance to break into the top ten. Truly incredible.

    “Linna, let’s have special training today too! I found I can solve many problems. As long as you’re here, I have a chance to enter the top five next time!”

    Facing Fang Jianing’s enthusiastic invitation, Yu Linna didn’t want to bother at all. Where did she have the time to mess around with these things?

    “Not going, no time.”

    “Eh… Aren’t you living with Zhiyun now? You don’t have a job, how can you not have time? Don’t tell me you’re just busy cooking.”

    Fang Jianing’s resentful little gaze startled Yu Linna. Feeling guilty, she turned her head away, her tone also becoming unnatural. Looking at her small eyes, she found she couldn’t come up with a good excuse.

    “Um, how did you, know…”

    “Oh, Zhiyun told me. Said you seemed to have been kicked out onto the street, and now have no job, so you’re living at her place.”

    “Don’t say that kind of thing…”

    Yu Linna just wanted to cover her face. Why did people know about this? She didn’t want anyone to know she was living with Ye Zhiyun at all. Although she was also a girl, living under the same roof with a girl still made her somewhat uncomfortable.
    But luckily Ye Zhiyun didn’t say the reason why Yu Linna was kicked out. If Fang Jianing knew Yu Linna was sleeping on the street because of the Orange River incident, it might add unnecessary trouble. Yu Linna didn’t like trouble, so she just let it go.

    “Alright, it’s settled then. Tutor me in English this afternoon. As a reward, I’ll treat you to a hot dog. How about it?”

    “Okay.”

    Thinking there was no reason to refuse, Yu Linna still agreed. Forget it, a little time doesn’t matter.

    Her relationship with Fang Jianing was getting better and better now. The two were almost inseparable at school. Besides Ye Zhiyun, no one could interfere with them. As for Huo Ningning, she wanted to get close every day, but unfortunately, Yu Linna never allowed it. Huo Ningning bit her handkerchief every day, silently watching from the corner.


    She and Fang Jianing walked on campus, chatting idly, talking about meaningless topics. Suddenly, a strand of blue hair drifted past Yu Linna’s eyes. Those particularly beautiful eyes instantly widened. She looked up and saw that figure.

    That girl also saw her. She turned around, looking towards her. Today she wore the school uniform skirt, her hair tied in a single ponytail, her eyes carrying a hint of shame.

    “Wow, look, it’s Senior Sister Nangong! The one we just saw at the cinema!”
    “Senior Sister Nangong is already a big star! We should get her autograph and photo now!”
    “Senior Sister Nangong, you’re really cool! I watched your movie, really cool, I like you so much!”
    “Classmate Nangong, are you lacking a boyfriend…”

    Nangong Ying was popular now. Relying on one movie to make her famous, she became this year’s most powerful newcomer. Many companies also saw the potential of this newcomer and threw olive branches one after another. The current Nangong Ying, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she became famous overnight. She was a true big star.

    Looking at those eyes, Yu Linna’s gaze dimmed. Once upon a time, those eyes held protection. Now, she only saw hurt in those eyes.

    A crowd quickly gathered around Nangong Ying. They surrounded her, asking for her autograph. The campus instantly became crowded.

    Nangong looked at the blonde hair outside the crowd, a trace of guilt and unease in her eyes, lowering her head. And Yu Linna finally sighed, slowly walking past the edge of the crowd. She walked step by step, without hesitation. When that step passed Nangong Ying, she clearly saw the sadness on Nangong Ying’s face.
    But she couldn’t stop. She had to keep walking, without any lingering.

    She walked past Nangong Ying. From now on, never looking back.

    Nangong Ying closed her eyes. Everything in the world seemed to have nothing to do with her anymore. At this moment, she was the loneliest person. Linna, if there was a chance to choose, would you continue walking this path with me? But I know that’s impossible now.

    “What’s wrong, Linna? Don’t you know Classmate Nangong? Why didn’t you go say hello?”

    “No need. We don’t need to greet each other anymore.”

    “What’s wrong with you!”

    “Nothing’s wrong.”

    I’m sorry, Nangong. I can’t forgive you. Because you hurt me too deeply. We can’t go back anymore.
    If there was a chance to choose, would you give up this path? But we both know, that’s impossible now.

    Leaves fell, carried away by the wind. The blonde girl walked towards the direction outside the school gate, never looking back. And outside the school gate, a black-haired girl was waiting for her. The moment she saw her, the black-haired girl revealed a faint smile, took a few steps forward, and took her hand.

    A new path had already been found.

  • Shion’s Notes 84

    Chapter 84: The Path Nangong Ying Chose

    Work on the set became busy again. Nangong Ying seemed to work harder and more desperately than before. Her time on set was even later than the director’s. Every day, she was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. This had become a common sight on the set. It was clear she was working very hard and was very dedicated. Although her screen time wasn’t as much as the male lead’s, she still treated it seriously.

    But who knew that the reason she worked so desperately wasn’t because she was very dedicated, but because she wanted to forget something through work?

    Nangong’s role in this movie wasn’t particularly large, accounting for about one-third, as most of the content still revolved around the male protagonist’s story. However, the female lead played by Nangong Ying was the female character who interacted most with the male lead, and there were also martial arts scenes. As a martial arts film, it had all the necessary entertainment elements. As long as it was filmed well, the box office wouldn’t be bad.

    “Nangong, wrap! You’ve worked hard!”

    After filming the final scene today, Nangong Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief, picking up a towel to wipe off sweat. She had filmed too many martial arts scenes, and the sweat had ruined her makeup.

    The wrapping of her scenes was only part of the end for her; she still had many things to face. She planned to fulfill her contract with Orange River properly in the next two years, filming four movies for them. Now that one part of the contract was completed, the remaining three would be filmed in installments.

    Also, she should go back to school. Although she basically had no contact with Yu Linna now, she still had to return to school. Because she was a third-year high school student, she probably wouldn’t take on any more roles for the next six months. Before the college entrance exam results came out, she wouldn’t accept any work. She had to prepare for the upcoming school exams, preparing to apply to art schools in Beijing.

    From now on, she would drift further and further away from Yu Linna, but this was the path she chose; she had to walk it even on her knees.


    This year in the film circle was destined to be extraordinary. As the year drew to a close, just before the new year arrived, movies produced by Orange River still firmly occupied the top spot on the annual box office chart. What was most terrifying was that Orange River’s movies took up seven spots in the top ten, an incredibly scary ranking. Also this year, Nangong Ying signed with Orange River, entered Orange River, and officially debuted as an actress. And Yu Linna also terminated her contract with Orange River this year, completely withdrawing from the entertainment industry.

    Winter arrived, and history turned a new page. At the same time, the entertainment industry was also undergoing turmoil. First, actor Jia Mingtao, who had a good-man image in the hearts of film fans, had an affair. His image plummeted, hitting negative news. The company he was signed with immediately halted his movie project.

    Around December, towards the end of the year, shortly after Yu Linna terminated her contract, action star Li Yangzhong retired from the entertainment industry due to illness. This was another sensation. You know, this star had worked in the film industry for forty years. His peak movies were even exported to the United States, achieving box office success abroad. And this star was already over fifty years old. He stated that long-term filming brought him illness; he could no longer fight.

    And this year, a movie co-produced by Hollywood and a domestic film company was released both domestically and overseas, but embarrassingly only grossed two hundred million US dollars at the box office. Compared to the 300 million investment, it was a huge loss. Cooperation between Hollywood and domestic companies entered a winter period.

    If there was any domestic development industry worth mentioning, it was probably novels.
    Currently, the highest annual income for a published author in China reached 200 million yuan. This terrifying royalty figure was truly staggering. At the same time, many novels had been greenlit for adaptation into film, television, and animation. Broadcasts on television received good reviews, and there were even plans for export overseas. Compared to this, the status of movies was somewhat awkward.

    But there were exceptions.

    At the end of this year, the major movie “Storm Seal Chronicle,” starring newcomer actress Nangong Ying, was officially released. This martial arts film, claimed to have fantasy elements, didn’t attract many people at its initial release due to its name issue. The opening day box office was only 20 million, far below Orange River’s usual standards.

    However, three days after its release, the movie’s word-of-mouth rebounded, once reaching a high score of 9.0. The audience entering cinemas was predominantly female; after all, it was a strong female lead drama. Some girls even cried watching this movie. A week later, male audiences were attracted, captivated by the dance-like movements of the female lead, Nangong Ying. In the eyes of male audiences, the romance plot seemed less important; they focused more on the female lead’s scenes.

    Opening weekend box office: 300 million.
    Second weekend box office: 1.4 billion.
    Third weekend box office: 1.6 billion.
    By the fourth weekend, the box office reached 1.7 billion.

    This movie, with an investment of just over one hundred million, unexpectedly had such strong staying power, becoming a box office harvester. When it finally closed, the box office settled at 1.842 billion. This was Orange River’s most profitable venture.

    And this movie also ranked 5th on the annual box office chart. No one could believe that such a major female-led drama film, with few stars, mainly newcomers and veteran actors, could achieve such high box office results. What was most stunning was Nangong Ying’s performance. This newcomer, initially unremarkable upon debut, at most just good-looking. But her later action scenes were truly stunning. She changed the previous fist-to-flesh fighting style of action stars and the exaggerated movements in martial arts films. Her movements were as elegant as dance, each move and style like a poetic realm. Coupled with her performance in the play, it moved countless film fans.

    “This actress named Nangong Ying performed really well! Hard to believe she’s a newcomer!”
    “Sister Nangong is so cool! If she were a boy, I’d definitely have his babies!”
    “Nangong is so cool!”
    “Oh my god, first time seeing a female actress fight so beautifully. Her movements are much better looking than the flashy, deliberately comical styles of other actors on the market. Don’t you feel a sense of artistic conception! The director is truly talented, actually discovering such an actress!”
    “The female lead actually died in the end! Clearly in love but couldn’t be together, sacrificed for the future of the country, forever frozen. No wonder it’s called ‘Storm Seal’!”
    “I cried at the end, my heart aches for the female lead!”

    Online reviews were basically overwhelmingly positive, which was also the situation Orange River most wanted to see. Commercially, they had already succeeded.

    However, Orange River themselves didn’t expect this movie to be so profitable. They originally thought this movie looked like a flop, wouldn’t get high box office, but unexpectedly it made Nangong Ying famous. It instantly boosted her fame. Now Nangong Ying could be said to have become popular.

    Nangong Ying’s expression packs from the movie had already appeared online, spreading everywhere, known by almost everyone. This new generation actress finally became popular through her own strength. And at the same time, her band, Four Leaf Clover, whose music was featured in this movie, also became popular, already having plans to release an album.

    “Really didn’t expect the bitterness to turn sweet. The band’s efforts weren’t in vain after all. Right, Xiao Ying?”

    Li Yuexin patted her shoulder and smiled. The other two members of Four Leaf Clover also smiled happily. Because of the success of this movie, their band’s fame opened up. Although not hugely popular, they at least gained recognition. They were about to celebrate properly.

    Achieving such results, Nangong Ying was naturally very happy. Watching the box office numbers of the movie she starred in rise every day, she was always very happy. Her efforts finally paid off. She was still a newcomer, yet achieved such high box office in her first movie. You know, the salary she earned for this movie was only 500,000. But the final box office figure for this movie was 1.8 billion.

    Her choice was correct. Letting this movie be released smoothly, gaining the audience’s love, and opening up everyone’s fame, including her own, was a good thing.
    So, she didn’t do anything wrong.

    “What’s wrong, Xiao Ying? You don’t seem that happy.”

    “Is it that obvious?”

    “Your brows are furrowed.”

    “…”

    Nangong Ying pulled her scarf, looking at the cold northern weather outside. Snowflakes were falling, the cold wind hitting her face. Was her heart still warm? She probably had to ask herself.

    Sometimes she would wonder if her choice was really correct. But now, she told herself, she was right.
    Career is always first.
    Nothing is more important than career.

    One day, she, Nangong Ying, would become the highest-paid star in the country, and she would make her name famous worldwide. Even one day, she could go to Hollywood as a Chinese actress.
    Hollywood is the place yearned for by stars worldwide. To develop here and leave one’s mark on the Walk of Fame would be a lifetime honor. Nangong Ying had also dreamed, dreamed that one day she could leave her name there.

    “Sister Yuexin, you don’t need to worry about me. I will continue working. One day, I will make myself fly higher and farther.”

    “You fly far away, who will pick you up when you return? So let’s fly together.”

    Li Yuexin patted her head and smiled.

    The cold wind blew past. A snowflake landed on their flushed cheeks, but they were both smiling.
    The dream was only partially realized. The road ahead would be even longer.


    Nangong Ying’s dream was realized.
    But what about Yu Linna?

    She had now moved into Ye Zhiyun’s home, well-fed and well-provided for. Since being taken home by Ye Zhiyun, she, who was all alone, received her care. Besides housework, Ye Zhiyun asked nothing of her, nor did she charge her rent.

    And Ye Zhiyun had her schedule every day. Attending class when she had class, and when she didn’t, she would call the driver to go discuss business. The movie she invested in recently seemed to have made money, and she had new plans. But the 80 million given for Yu Linna before consumed too much; it couldn’t be replenished in the short term. Ye Zhiyun had even asked her father for this money.

    Yu Linna expressed she didn’t want to live for free, so she took over the household cleaning and cooking. Ye Zhiyun originally wanted to refuse, but later found Yu Linna’s cooking tasted better than hers, so she gave up. Anyway, having an extra cook wasn’t bad.

    And Yu Linna finally returned to her normal school life, continuing her third-year high school studies. And December was ending, only about a week left.