Chapter 55: The Cross-Dressing Game Streamer is Actually… (7)
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: Can you power-level me?
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: I can pay.
As soon as Huo Xian logged on, he received a message from Yin Pei sent an hour ago.
Healers were the hardest class to level in Immortal Realm but also indispensable. Among the 24 sects, there were four healing sects: two were DPS healers, and two were pure healers. Yin Pei’s choice, Ruoshui Gu, was a pure healing sect. With only a basic attack and one basic attack skill, leveling solo was an agonizing grind, unless he found a static team. In short, leveling was very difficult.
[Whisper][Mozun]: Isn’t my roommate’s team your static team?
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: No, your roommate is a streamer. Yesterday was his first time carrying fans. That’s when I found out he’s a streamer.
Not only did he find out “he” was a streamer, but he also asked for “his” channel ID, went to the streaming platform to check, and personally confirmed [Qie Jian Tianxia]’s true identity. The facts proved that [Qie Jian Tianxia] was indeed Zhao Xiyou. But why was Zhao Xiyou using the computer he had intended to give to Huo Xian?
[Whisper][Mozun]: Power-leveling is fine, but I have conditions.
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: What conditions?
[Whisper][Mozun]: First, my fee is high, no haggling.
[Whisper][Mozun]: Second, I don’t do online relationships. Don’t fall for me or confess just because my mechanics are good.
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: …I’m a guy.
[Whisper][Mozun]: Doesn’t matter if you’re a guy or a girl. I have a partner, so there’s no need for any unnecessary misunderstandings.
“Meow?” [Huo Xian, since when do you have a partner? How come I don’t know?] Huo “Kitty” Yuan looked completely baffled.
Huo Xian lifted him from his shoulder, supporting him with one hand while stroking his fur with the other. He smiled and said, “Yin Pei is a great guy, isn’t he?”
[Why? Yin Pei is a great guy.] Huo Yuan was puzzled. [In the last world, you spent your whole time contributing to the country, with very little rest, and you were alone until you died. The Son of Destiny’s wishes in this world aren’t hard to complete. You can completely relax, maybe date a little.]
Huo Xian held him, stroking his fur with one hand while supporting him with the other. He smiled and said, “But have you considered that if I fell deeply in love with him, to the point where it’s engraved in my heart, wouldn’t I be sad when we eventually have to separate?”
Huo Yuan, who had watched many romance dramas and theoretically understood the pain of love, began to seriously consider his question. After a long moment, he said: [Maybe I can consult the Bureau and see if I can bring one more person’s soul across with me?]
Hearing this, Huo Xian narrowed his eyes. “If I remember correctly, every time you cross a world barrier, it consumes your consciousness body energy?”
[Mhm, but bringing you is bringing you. Bringing one more person would just consume a tiny bit more energy. It’s fine.] Huo Yuan was being very considerate of him.
The smile on Huo Xian’s face didn’t change, but his eyes turned a few shades colder. He asked, “What if the next world has someone who is even better to me than Yin Pei, who loves me even more?”
Huo Yuan was stumped by this question: [This…]
Huo Xian continued to press: [What if every world after that has someone who is good to me and loves me without regret? Am I supposed to fall in love with every single one, and you’ll bring a harem across for me?]
[…Liking every single one is scumbag behavior.] Huo Yuan said weakly.
“Then if I only like Yin Pei, is that fair to the others?” Huo Xian’s question was sharp.
[Then… how about only liking one person per world?] Huo Yuan suggested in a small voice.
Huo Xian was so annoyed he laughed, forcefully rubbing the cat’s head. “In your eyes, my love can only last for one world?”
His small body ached from the rough rub, but Huo Yuan didn’t dare struggle. Faced with Huo Xian’s sharp questions, he felt his confidence dwindling. He was distressed and almost wanted to whimper: [Then what should we do? I just feel like you’re so lonely. If you had a partner…]
“You are bound to my soul. If I had a partner, wouldn’t you be the third party between us?” Huo Xian interrupted him.
This time, Huo Yuan was truly reduced to tears by his words, his voice choked with sobs: [I’m not…]
His mental state was perfectly reflected in the kitten’s body. To be specific, he was a tiny, shivering ball. Huo Xian found it both amusing and heart-wrenching.
He wasn’t actually angry. First, Huo Yuan wasn’t human. Even after spending eighty years in the human world, emotional experiences couldn’t be truly resonated with just by imagination. Second, he really wasn’t that interested in romance. Whether it was He Wenqu from the last world or Yin Pei in this one, neither could stir his calm heart. Third… having been dazzled by Huo Yuan’s consciousness body image upon their first meeting, after seeing the most handsome person in the world, everyone else seemed rather bland. In other words, he just couldn’t find anyone else attractive.
As he was thinking this, he suddenly looked down at the still-melancholy Huo Yuan kitten. “Huo Yuan?”
Huo Yuan didn’t want to talk, burying his face in his paws.
Huo Xian found this amusing. He lifted him up to eye level and asked, “Huo Yuan, what if… you sacrifice yourself a little?”
Hearing this, Huo Yuan couldn’t help but look up, his round, curious cat eyes filled with wonder, but he didn’t make a sound—Sacrifice himself? How was he supposed to sacrifice himself?
“How about you ‘accompany’ me in a relationship?” Huo Xian asked gently.
“Meow?” [Accompany you in a relationship?] Huo Yuan’s cat eyes went wide.
Huo Xian: “Let me correct that. Not ‘accompany’ me, but be ‘in’ a relationship with me. How about it?”
[Be in a relationship with you? Me???] The surprise in Huo Yuan’s round eyes almost materialized.
“Although your points are negative again right now, you’ll definitely be positive by the end of this world. You’ll be able to materialize then. How about being my boyfriend?” Huo Xian guided patiently.
[But… but I don’t know how to be in a relationship.] Huo Yuan said hesitantly.
“I’ve been single for so many years too. We can learn together.” Huo Xian coaxed. “And think about it, if we’re dating, you won’t have to worry about me being lonely until I’m old, I won’t be heartbroken over a partner’s death, and I won’t have to ‘love one in every world.’ It solves the problem once and for all.”
Huo Yuan’s two cat eyes were practically spinning like mosquito coils. After a long while, he mumbled: [I feel like you’re right, but I also feel like something’s not quite right, it seems…]
“Seems like what?” Huo Xian asked.
Huo Yuan looked at him and said slowly: [It seems… like you have an ulterior motive.]
Huo Xian held back his laughter, but the rising curve of his lips betrayed his true feelings. He said frankly, “Then just assume I have ulterior motives.”
Huo Yuan: […] [Then what motive could you have regarding me?] He suddenly became curious.
What motive? Your unforgettable looks, your obedience, your simple and gullible nature… There’s too much to list.
Huo Xian didn’t plan to answer, instead asking, “Huo Yuan, want to try dating me?”
The topic returned. Huo Yuan scratched his head, then asked: [If I date you, can I eat your food?]
As a cat, Huo Xian was truly a dutiful chanshiguan, but whether it was his cat instincts or his own lack of willpower, he always craved human food. Huo Xian wouldn’t let him eat it, so now that he had the chance, he naturally wanted to seek this benefit for himself.
“No.” Huo Xian instantly retracted his expression.
Huo Yuan: [???!!!]
Huo Xian rubbed him twice more, smiling again. “But I’ll make you all kinds of fish and egg dishes you can eat. And in the next mission world, when you have a normal body, I’ll take you to try all the delicious foods.”
[Well… okay then.] Huo Yuan awkwardly agreed.
Huo Xian’s eyes lit up. “So, from now on, we’re a couple?”
Huo Yuan: [Mhm… Hm? We’re starting now?]
Huo Xian was perfectly composed. “We can start learning now, get used to each other. In the next world, when you have a human body, we can officially date.”
Huo Yuan felt like Huo Xian had set this trap for him from the very beginning, but he had no proof.
After their exchange, Huo Xian and Huo Yuan successfully “got out of singlehood.” Only then did Huo Xian, in high spirits, turn his attention back to the game. It had been a full five minutes since he’d told Yin Pei he had a lover. Yin Pei finally sent another message.
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: You… have a partner?
Huo Xian raised his hand and typed a reply.
[Whisper][Mozun]: Is it strange for an adult to be in a relationship?
No, of course it wasn’t strange. But “Huo Xian” being in a relationship… Although Yin Pei didn’t spend much time in the dorm and didn’t interact much with “Huo Xian,” one inevitably pays more attention to someone they have a crush on. At least, from his “observations,” there was no one in “Huo Xian’s” life with whom he had excessively close contact.
Yin Pei was more willing to believe that “Huo Xian” was just protecting himself and didn’t want to get too involved with people online. Regardless, he had to verify it.
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: Not strange.
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: What are your rates?
Huo Xian raised an eyebrow. It seemed Yin Pei wasn’t planning to give up just yet.
[Whisper][Mozun]: Depends on the boss’s needs. Do you want me to power-level you on my account, or do you want me to pilot your account? The needs are different, so the price is different. I’ll give you a quote based on your request.
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: I want you to power-level me using your own account, up to level 99.
[Whisper][Mozun]: I’m only taking orders up to level 60 for now.
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: Why? Price isn’t an issue.
[Whisper][Mozun]: It gets too difficult after level 60. I need to test if I can even carry someone.
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: …Alright, fine.
[Whisper][Jiangshan Rugu]: Then let’s do level 60 first. Starting now?
[Whisper][Mozun]: No, starting this afternoon. I have other things this morning.
He had to stream this morning. He was already five minutes late today, but it didn’t matter. His followers would get a notification when he went live.
Despite not streaming for two days, Huo Xian’s follower count hadn’t dropped. Ten minutes after going live, more than 8,000 people had already entered the room, and the number was still climbing.
When they saw his character’s level and location, the bullet chat instantly flooded with “?????”.
He explained: “I came back yesterday afternoon and did the advancement quest with my roommate, got the item. Afterward, I went back and soloed it once. Good news is, you can skip the mobs in [Corpse Ridge] by jumping over the mountains. It’s much simpler if you don’t clear the mobs. Also, soloing it still drops the attribute point skill books. Players still within the level range can give it a try.”
【Holy crap, today is another day where I can’t help but spam ‘Streamer is awesome’!】
【Streamer 6666666】
【Streamer is awesome (slang)】
【Just keep bragging. Whether you soloed it or not is just based on what you say.】
【Aren’t you afraid your bragging will blow up in your face?】
【…】
“Meow.” [Huo Xian, these haters are so annoying. Can I ban them?]
Huo Xian asked: [You can ban them?]
[You can register an account for me. I can log in using the admin tool.] Huo Yuan said.
Hearing this, Huo Xian didn’t ask any more questions. He told the viewers, “Black screen for a moment,” then registered an account on his phone, searched for his own stream, and entered.
When Huo Xian turned the camera back on, some fans noticed an extra moderator in the stream named “Streamer’s Other Half.” The moderator immediately muted the few people who had been calling him a braggart.
He even explained: “The mod is my other half. He was just watching me play, but he got upset seeing the bullet chat flaming me. He’s very protective.” As he spoke, an indulgent smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
【Aww, the streamer’s smile… I’m dead!】
【I want to duel the streamer’s ‘other half.’ Let’s fight, mod!】
【Duel!】
【Duel! Duel!】
【Duel!!】
【Streamer’s Other Half: Mute warning (fist emoji)】
【…】
Huo Xian glanced at the po-faced Huo Yuan, who was diligently monitoring the bullet chat. The curve of his smile widened.
【I’m dying for the streamer’s smile.】
【555555 Streamer is so handsome, but can the streamer please pick a normal name??】
【+1 to the person above. Every time I see the stream name, it feels so awkward.】
【+2 I thought it was a female streamer before I clicked…】
【…】
“Change my name…” Huo Xian thought for a moment, then glanced at the kitten again. Sure, why not. He quickly modified his stream name to—Yuanyuan’s Boyfriend.
Viewers: ???
Don’t think we don’t know that “Yuanyuan” is the nickname for the streamer’s little kitten. So “Yuanyuan”… who’s that?
Huo Yuan: […???]
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