*He knew this would happen.*
Liam stood in a corner of the living room, arms crossed, watching Stella's back with a mix of helplessness and amusement. A two-month-old British Shorthair, blue-gold kitten was "exploring" the house, its tiny face a blend of curiosity and caution. Doug wanted to sniff it but didn't dare get too close.
*As for her…*
"Stella, don't bother it. Let it get used to its surroundings," Liam reminded her again.
"I'm not bothering it! See, I haven't even touched it." Stella said without turning, happy to play shadow to the kitten. "For a second there, I actually thought you meant a real daughter. I could already picture our parents reaming you out for getting someone pregnant before marriage."
Liam's brow furrowed slightly, and he walked towards her. "Would you let me stream Doug and the little one?"
*Cute pet channels are super popular.*
"No." He easily scooped up the kitten with one hand and placed it on the sofa.
"Why not?"
"No reason."
"We could just film videos to document their lives, not even to make money."
"It has nothing to do with that," Liam said. "You're unreliable."
Stella was about to retort when he added, "I'm going to take a shower. You watch them." With that, he headed upstairs, leaving a dog, a cat, and one human staring awkwardly at each other.
When he returned to the living room, he saw Stella on the sofa, a look of pure maternal adoration on her face. The kitten was sprawled out in her lap, soft and compliant, letting her gently pet and tease it with her fingers. Hearing his footsteps coming downstairs, Stella, without taking her eyes off the cat, asked with a smile, "Liam, what should we name our little girl?"
"Beats me," he said, walking over while towel-drying his hair.
"How about Puffy!"
"No," he said, standing by and teasing its paw pads with his finger. The kitten clasped his finger with both paws, then licked and nibbled it. He mused for a few seconds. "Tiger."
"Huh?" Stella furrowed her brow in protest. "Can't you—" The words caught in her throat as she looked up, and she blinked. His eyes shifted, meeting hers. "Can I what?"
Moments of such quiet intimacy were rare between them. After their teenage years, Stella no longer had the unique advantage of meeting his gaze so closely. The tall, aloof boy had, without her noticing, grown into a handsome, composed man. Before her, his hair was damp, his dark eyes clear, and the faint scent of men's body wash lingered. His Adam's apple, collarbones, chest, abs…
Stella swallowed lightly, then asked weakly, "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"
Liam stared at her for a beat, then slowly straightened up, his broad shoulders and narrow waist, his toned abs, all on display before her. "Aren't you not wearing a bra?"
"How is that the same thing?"
"What's different?" He lowered his gaze, a smirk playing on his lips. "Anyway, we're just good friends, no gender boundaries between us. It's not like anything will happen if we see each other, right?"
Meow—
"Hey! It meowed!" Stella snapped out of her daze, her attention instantly shifting. "So, what's its name, Liam? No Tiger, Iron, or Axe Head – she's a little girl!"
Liam's gaze was subtle as he watched her rosy, smiling face. Those eyes, so close he could see his own reflection in them just moments ago, were now exceptionally bright.
"Li? Liam—"
Someone called out from outside. Liam glanced at the smart screen and pressed the unlock button. Within five seconds, the voice grew louder.
"That system still needs to be changed. I have to go to dinner with Director Henderson the day after tomorrow, and then—"
The voice cut off abruptly.
Stella held up the kitten, waving its paw at him. "Hey, Kyle, long time no see! Wow, you're way hotter than before!"
Kyle's eyes moved, but his body stayed frozen. He glanced at Stella, then at Liam. A half-naked man fresh out of the shower, and a woman in a skimpy tank top. It was unbelievable. "What are you two doing in the middle of the afternoon? Just… finished up?"
*Ugh.*
"Just finished eating?"
Liam suddenly frowned, looking around, then walked towards a corner of the sofa. Stella, whose entire focus was on the kitten, casually replied, "Yep."
" 'Yep' to what?" Liam coughed, grabbed a blanket lying on the sofa, and tossed it over Stella.
Kyle's gossip-hungry soul flared. "So, uh, are you guys going for round two?"
*Asking about dinner?* Stella shook her head. "I'm so stuffed, can't eat another bite, so no."
*Holy crap.* Kyle clutched his head, his eyes gleaming with admiration as he stared at his buddy. *You absolute legend, bro! Good things come to those who wait. Why wouldn't you go for the low-hanging fruit?*
Stella, thinking Kyle was asking her and Liam to get a late-night snack, replied honestly and kindly, "Not right now, maybe later tonight."
*This girl is wild, huh? Never would've guessed!*
Kyle, his face alight with an excitement only men would understand, gave Liam two enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"She's talking about food," Liam said, poker-faced.
Kyle just gave him a knowing look that said, *Don't explain, man, I get it.*
The blanket was already tossed aside by Stella, who was still gazing at the kitten in her arms, now slowly drifting to sleep.
"Either leave, or turn around," Liam said, blocking Kyle's view. *Did she always hang out with him and his friends so much… that she actually thought she was a guy? After all these years, how had no one ever taken advantage of her?*
Kyle leaned in conspiratorially. "If you two aren't hooking up, I'll change my last name to yours!"
"Alright, Mr. Kyle," Liam said, his gaze cool.
"Tsk, just you wait. And you better take it easy," Kyle said, patting Liam's shoulder meaningfully before wisely disappearing in a flash.
...
Stella had to go home to prepare for her evening stream, and only then did she reluctantly leave Liam's place. Before she left, Liam stood on his small balcony and asked, "What's your stream ID?"
"You mean my channel name?"
"Mhm."
"Star-Gazer Kid."
"Oh."
Stella's eyes lit up. "You're going to watch—"
*Bang.* Liam closed the glass door directly.
---
11:17 PM.
"Little did he know, as he rounded the cucumber trellis, he ran right into Mr. McGregor." A soft rustle of pages. Stella watched the comments slowly scroll by. "Welcome, Zizi, to the stream!"
In the warm glow of a small wall lamp, her gaze returned to the picture book. "Peter was terrified. He ran wildly, darting through the garden, completely forgetting the way out. One of his shoes was lost in the cabbage patch, and the other in the potato field."
Across the quiet, empty street, opposite the window that cast a faint glow, stood a small house, its lights off, settling into the long night. Yet, though the lights were out, someone was still awake.
Liam lay on his back in bed, one hand behind his head. The girl's voice, like a gentle stream, flowed into his mind through his headphones. He remembered she was a decent singer; she'd even placed fourth in the top ten singers at their high school's arts festival. The song, he vaguely recalled, was called… "Tomorrow, Hello."
In the dead quiet of the long night, some people worked late, some danced and sang with abandon, some hurried along their way. And some, in their small corner of the world, used their voices to paint a dreamlike fairytale.
He silently watched the comments section.
Zizi: Hey Star, good evening~ Your voice is so lovely.
GratefulNoSee: Your voice is so soft, girl, perfect for reading picture books.
MusicWillow: Obsessed, obsessed.
Thunder: Wifey wifey wifey wifey.
AfterTomorrow: Could you read The Three Little Pigs?
Thunder: Wifey I love you wifey wifey kisses I want kisses wifey.
DreamStill: Very good.
MuziLittleSoldier joined.
...
Liam frowned slightly. Just as the comment was about to scroll off-screen, he clicked on "Thunder"'s ID.
Age 38. 1089 followed, 14 followers.
Bio: Ordinary life, simple happiness.
He clicked on the account. Four short videos were posted.
The faint glow of the screen reflected his cool, detached expression. He tapped the triangle icon in the top right.
Reason for report: Inappropriate/Sexual Content.
Report Details (Optional): Married middle-aged man behaving inappropriately. Please issue a warning.
The live stream had grown from 86 viewers when he first joined to 157.
Liam listened quietly for a moment, then typed a few words.
Deer_in_the_Forest: *This silly bunny.*
Tim: *Her voice sounds like my ex.*
z.xq: *When does this end?*
Little_Whale: *Hey, pretty lady, no boyfriend? Still up so late.*
PartyAnimal: *Streamer, when are you gonna drop a pic?*
Don'tTouchMyPants: *Wanna see pics +1*
…
The reading voice was steady and unhurried, completely undisturbed by the comment section.
"Thanks everyone for the little hearts!"
After a two-second pause, she continued her journey into the picture book.
*Little stars? What are little stars?* Liam tapped around a bit and then got it. *Ah, 'little hearts,' not 'little stars.' It's a gift.*
*You can send gifts.*
*Forgot to ask her how much she actually makes reading all night.*
*What kind of money can a few little hearts bring in?*
*And they're the cheapest ones.*
He was still debating whether to listen a bit longer or just call it a night when a special effects animation suddenly popped up on screen.
Immediately, a small text notification appeared––
`[Top Gifter: Thunder] sent a Hot Air Balloon x1.`
PartyAnimal: *Our top gifter's back at it again!*
Deer_in_the_Forest: *Wow, that one's actually pretty cool.*
Willow: *Top Gifter, send a Carnival, and the streamer drops a pic!*
Little_Whale: *Second that!*
`[Top Gifter: Thunder] sent a Porsche x1.`
Little_Kidswear: *Anyone know what story she's reading now?*
Moonlight_Tower: *Seriously rich.*
PartyAnimal: *Waiting for our top gifter to drop over ten grand tonight.*
zizi: *She's reading the bunny story. Anyone else listening?*
`[Top Gifter: Thunder] sent a Fluttering Heart x1.`
`[Top Gifter: Thunder] sent a Private Jet x1.`
*So Stella actually has real fans.*
*The kind that actually sends gifts.*
Liam opened the gift list and scrolled through it.
The reading paused. The girl returned from her fairy tale world to reality, silent for a moment. "Thank you to Thunder, our top gifter, for all the gifts. Thank you, but please don't send any more, okay? You really don't have to send me gifts, everyone. If you like my channel, a follow is more than enough. Thanks!"
*She said 'thanks' three times in one breath.*
*Just some creepy old dude being lonely late at night. Why thank him?*
Liam scoffed. The screen animation reappeared.
`[Top Gifter: Thunder] sent an Annual Carnival x1.`
Don'tTouchMyPants: *It's here, it's here, the Carnival's here!*
PartyAnimal: *The Carnival might be late, but it never misses the party!*
`[Top 2: zizi] sent a Pearl of Applause x1.`
Grateful_Soul: *Go zizi! You're awesome~*
Little_Whale: *Don't wanna hear this story anymore, wanna hear the streamer's love story!*
Thunder: *Can I DM you?*
Moonlight_Tower: *Top Gifter's a legend! How much has he dropped tonight?*
…
"That day, when Peter returned home, his mother was so delighted to see him with his shoes and jacket that she forgave him. Cottontail and Peter worked together to fold the handkerchiefs, while Mrs. Rabbit strung up onions and hung them from the kitchen ceiling, alongside strings of herbs and rabbit tobacco."
Amidst the soothing background music, Stella slowly reeled in the dreamcatcher she'd woven with her words, her voice growing softer and softer until it faded away.
She glanced at the rapidly scrolling comment section. The stream now had 234 viewers.
*This top gifter, sigh.*
"The story of Benjamin Bunny is over too! If anyone has a picture book story they'd like to hear, just leave a comment below!"
"Thanks for the gifts, zizi! Goodnight, sis."
With a slight, wry smile, she said softly, "Seriously, everyone, you don't have to keep sending me gifts. Just having you follow me makes me super happy!"
For the next ten minutes, Stella interacted with the comment section in real-time. Seeing the time was almost up, she took a sip of water to clear her throat and continued, "Alright, we have one last story for tonight: The Flopsy Bunnies. After this one, there won't be any more Q&A, so I'll wish you all goodnight and sweet dreams in advance."
The screen animation burst into dazzling life once more.
This top gifter came to her stream every night, showering her with gifts and sending a ton of DMs. She never replied to them, and even though she'd mentioned it multiple times on stream, it didn't seem to help.
Besides constantly calling her 'wife' in the comments, his DMs were mostly variations of 'I want to fall asleep to your voice.'
*Is this harassment?*
She was new to streaming, but she wasn't new to the game – she knew this industry was full of borderline DMs and interactions.
*Out of sight, out of mind.*
Eventually, she turned off her DMs.
Stella sighed, a hint of melancholy in it. She stared at the screen, lowering her voice. "Thank you to our top gifter––"
*Huh?*
*Wait, something's off.*
The comment section was going wild: *Boss Z is a legend!*
`[Top Gifter: z.xq] sent an Annual Carnival x1.`
`[Top Gifter: z.xq] sent an Annual Carnival x1.`
`[Top Gifter: z.xq] sent an Annual Carnival x1.`
…
*Who... is this?*
Ten 'Annual Carnival' gifts, each worth a grand.
*Over ten grand in one night.*
Stella stared at the top gifter's ID, silently repeating it in her head. A flush of shock rushed to her face. She pinched the philtrum between her nose and lip, closing her eyes.
Liam!