Chapter 26: The Livestream Begins!

Lin Lu sat in front of the computer. 

The livestreaming software was already open on the screen. 

The camera was pointed at her, showing her own image — her silver hair was loose, and her expression was slightly nervous.

“The lighting can be adjusted a bit more.” Minazuki walked over to the fill light and adjusted the angle. 

“There, that’s better.”

In the frame, Lin Lu’s skin appeared even fairer under the soft light, her silver hair shimmered with a faint luster, and her crimson eyes were exceptionally bright.

“Sister Yuki, you’re so beautiful!” Lin Qingqing leaned in to look at the screen and praised her.

Lin Lu felt a bit embarrassed and said,  “It’s just that the equipment is good…”

“No need to be modest. You are indeed very beautiful.” 

It was rare for Minazuki to compliment someone.

Hoshino Hikari nodded nearby, “Sister Qin Lan said it herself. Sister Yuki, you’re a natural-born idol. It’s just that… cough cough, your skill foundation is a bit thin.”

Lin Lu’s face turned red from their praise.

“Alright, just wait peacefully for the broadcast to start,” Minazuki said, “Don’t be too nervous. It’s your first livestream, so just show your face and interact casually with the fans. Of course, you can also use this time to think about the content. It would be even better if you have a good idea.”

“Okay.”

Lin Lu nodded, then began thinking about how to interact with the fans.

***

At 8:55 PM, Lin Lu opened the livestreaming software.

The numbers on the screen began to jump: 1, 100, 1,000, 5,000…

Comments started flying across the top.

[First!]

[Wuhu~ I’ve been waiting for this stream~]

[Good evening, Sister Yuki!]

[Sister Yuki looks so cool today!]

Lin Lu glanced at the comments, took a deep breath, and spoke, “Good evening, everyone. I am Chiyoyuki.”

The screen was instantly flooded with comments.

[Good evening!]

[Everyone, please be kind to my wife.]

[I never get tired of Sister Yuki in this white military lolita outfit~]

Lin Lu was a bit embarrassed by the praise but tried her best to remain calm.

“Today’s livestream was announced on short notice, so I didn’t prepare much… We’ll just chat randomly. But… how did you all know I was streaming today?”

The comment section was filled with question marks.

[???]

[Sister Yuki, stop joking. The official account posted a preview of your livestream today. How could you not know?]

[Sister Yuki… is there no love left…]

Lin Lu froze for a moment and turned to look at Chen Xingye and the two others. 

They were also surprised, ‘Did Lin Lu really not know?’

Then Lin Lu opened the official site and took a look…

Well, there really was a preview… 

She hadn’t noticed.

But why did Sister Shimotsuki tell her it was short notice! 

‘She must have forgotten, right? It had to be that!!!’

[Hahaha! Looking at Sister Yuki’s expression, she really didn’t know.]

[As expected of Sister Yuki. You can’t judge a book by its cover. She has the face of a young lady, but she’s actually incredibly ditzy.]

[Sister Yuki: Everyone says I’m clueless, but I’m not clueless at all. Most of the time, I’m clever as heck!]

[Sister Yuki, is there someone behind you? You just looked back.]

Lin Lu looked back again — Lin Qingqing was sitting on the sofa eating fruit, Hoshino Hikari was scrolling through her phone, and Minazuki was reading a book.

“Yes, my teammates came over to help me set up the equipment and watch the stream.”

The comment section instantly became excited.

[Teammates? Is it Hoshino Hikari and the others?!]

[Let them be on camera too!]

[I want to see the whole Starlight Troupe!]

Lin Lu looked back at Hoshino Hikari.

Hikari shook her head frantically.

Lin Qingqing also shook her head.

Minazuki didn’t even lift her head.

They all knew Lin Lu was the protagonist of this livestream. 

If they appeared on camera, it would steal her spotlight.

“They don’t want to,” Lin Lu turned back and smiled, “Maybe next time.”

A wave of wails filled the comments.

[Looking at how soft and weak Sister Yuki is, I feel like she can’t beat a Shadow Beast.]

[Stop making Sister Yuki laugh.]

[A certain A-rank Shadow Beast that got punched into an explosion: “Yeah, right.”]

Lin Lu looked at those comments, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

“Um…” she started, “I’m actually not that powerful. I just had good luck.”

The comment section instantly exploded.

[Good luck? An A-rank Shadow Beast? A one-hit kill?]

[Sister Yuki, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about what ‘good luck’ means?]

[Is this the modesty of the strong? I love it, I love it.]

Lin Lu was a bit embarrassed by those comments and quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, do you have any questions you want to ask? I can answer a few.”

The comments immediately began flooding with questions.

[Sister Yuki, how old are you?]

“Twenty years old.”

[What do you like to eat?]

“BBQ, hot pot, and I especially like eating beef.”

[Sister Yuki, do you have any pets?]

Lin Lu subconsciously glanced at the Bracelet on her wrist.

“I do,” Lin Lu said without changing her expression, “I keep a stinky Bat. When I got home today, I saw the room was a mess because of it. It wore me out cleaning up.”

A soft “hmpf” came from the Bracelet in protest.

[A bat!]

[I didn’t expect Sister Yuki’s pet to be so… unique?]

The comments continued.

[Sister Yuki, what do you usually do besides training and missions?]

“Well… I go to class.”

[Class? Sister Yuki, are you still a student?!]

Lin Lu realized she had let it slip and quickly tried to fix it. 

“Magical Girls have to study too. We need to master all kinds of knowledge.”

Minazuki pushed up her glasses in the background, her lips curving slightly.

The comments were clearly amused by this answer.

[That makes sense. Sister Yuki is only twenty, so she must still be in school.]

[Sister Yuki, Sister Yuki, do you have any tips for passing final exams? Please teach us!]

Lin Lu felt a bit awkward from those questions, ‘I can’t exactly tell my fans that I only passed because I relied on cheating and Clairvoyance, can I?’ 

She decided to change the subject.

“Um… is there anything you want me to do? Like… a talent or something?”

The comments went silent for a second, then exploded in a flurry of activity.

[Sing! Sing! Sing!]

[Dance! Dance! Dance!]

[(AI Heart)]

Lin Lu’s face turned red again when she saw the third one.

“Forget about singing…” she whispered, “Sister Qin Lan said I still need to practice.”

The comments were filled with “It’s okay, we want to hear it” and “We love it even if you’re out of tune.”

“I really can’t.” Lin Lu shook her head firmly, “Next time. Definitely next time.”

[Sister Yuki, were you scared when you first encountered a Shadow Beast?]

Suddenly, Lin Lu saw this comment. 

She thought for a moment and answered seriously.

“I was scared,” she said. 

“That day, I was out shopping when I suddenly saw a Shadow Beast jump down from the sky. I ran for my life, but for some reason, that Shadow Beast just kept chasing me!”

The viewers listened quietly. 

Lin Lu felt a bit indignant, annoyed just by remembering that Shadow Beast that had specifically targeted her.

“But… there was no other way.” Lin Lu sighed, “At that time, the Shadow Beast was chasing me. I couldn’t exactly lead it into a crowd, right? Besides, I was the only one who could deal with it then. If I hadn’t stepped up, people would definitely have been hurt if it dragged on.”

The comments were silent for two seconds, then began flooding the screen.

[Sister Yuki, you’re so gentle…]

[This is what a Magical Girl is all about!]

[I will always love Chiyoyuki!]

Lin Lu felt a bit embarrassed by those comments.

“It’s not that exaggerated.” Lin Lu smiled. 

“Anyone would have done the same.”

The comments were relentless.

[No, they wouldn’t.]

[Only a true hero would rush forward.]

[Exactly. If anyone else encountered it, they would definitely run toward the crowd. Better you than me!]

[Sister Yuki, you are a hero!]

Lin Lu didn’t know what to say, so she just smiled. 

Afterward, she changed the subject and took the fans along to watch videos and play games…

Two hours passed quickly.

“That’s all for today’s livestream.” Lin Lu stood up and bowed, “Thank you all for coming to see me.”

The comments began to flood.

[Don’t go!]

[Stream a bit longer~]

“I’ll stream again when there’s a chance.” Lin Lu smiled and said, “Everyone, get some rest early. Don’t stay up late.”

[Alright, you too, Sister Yuki!]

[Good night!]

[(Sister Yuki, make a heart!)]

When Lin Lu saw that last one, the corner of her mouth twitched. 

She took a deep breath, raised her hands, and made a heart gesture. 

She even had a look of helplessness and slight disgust on her face.

The comment section instantly exploded.

Lin Lu turned off the livestream and leaned against the back of the chair, letting out a long breath.

Lin Qingqing jumped up from the sofa and said, “Sister Yuki, you were great! The livestream was a huge success~”

Hoshino Hikari was also smiling.

“Sister Yuki, it’s very impressive for your first livestream to go this well.”

Minazuki stood up and smiled, “The data looks good.”

Lin Lu lowered her hands and looked at them, her lips curling up unconsciously. 

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

“It’s so late now…” Lin Lu glanced out the window and asked, “Do you all… want to stay at my place for the night? I have empty guest rooms.”

Lin Qingqing and Chen Xingye exchanged a glance.

“Yay! Of course we do!!!”

“I want a pillow fight!”

Minazuki looked at the two of them helplessly and shook her head.

“Then we’ll be in your care…”

Lin Lu smiled, “It’s fine. After all, you helped me a lot tonight. It’s only right.”

Suddenly, Lin Lu’s smile stiffened.

‘Wait! It seems like… there aren’t enough rooms!’