The Spicy Truth and a Hijacked Stream

The simmering red pot on the table had been swapped for a clear broth version, divided into fiery red and pristine white.

And Li Yue no longer mocked the Demon Lord for her inability to tolerate spice.

After all, Alezno appeared even more sensitive to spice.

She had been so overwhelmed by the spice just now that her tongue was practically hanging out and her eyes were rolled back in her head.

Still, she found the sight rather endearing.

Alezno claimed to have been male in her past life, but to Li Yue, it made absolutely no difference; she had never viewed her as a man before, much less now.

This, of course, did not mean Li Yue would refrain from needling Mo Linyu from other angles.

“So, after all that effort this afternoon, Demon Lord, you’ve once again toiled in vain?”

“Yes,” Mo Linyu admitted readily. “I drove around the city for an entire circuit, yet I sensed nothing, only breaking into a sweat.”

Mo Linyu’s candor was so absolute that Li Yue’s intended barb, already on her tongue, was swallowed along with a piece of tripe.

Still, she couldn’t help but let out a little huff through her nose.

Mo Linyu continued, “After we finish eating, shall we go somewhere else?”

“No, I’m off today. The shop’s closed for business.”

Li Yue’s refusal was firm; she intended to spend the evening catching up with Alezno.

“Are you not concerned about the others?”

“Surely one evening won’t make a difference, will it?”

“Finding her this time was pure luck; one might say this opportunity presented itself. But locating the others won’t be as straightforward, and our time is limited.”

“By my count, it’s only the fourth day. We still have plenty of time…”

Li Yue could tell Mo Linyu was growing anxious, but she herself remained unhurried, instead asking:

“So, you rushed over here late at night just to drag me out shopping?”

That she had passed through this street clearly indicated she was looking for Li Yue.

And she had come for only one reason: to search for souls from another world.

While delighted by the successful discovery of Alezno, Li Yue had also been simmering with frustration lately.

Ever since this woman appeared before her and delivered a punch, Li Yue hadn’t experienced a single peaceful day, nor even a moment of free personal time.

As for her time spent as a male, it had become even more fleeting…

She felt as though she had taken on a job, one that required her to transform into a young girl every single workday.

Though Alezno’s arrival was welcome, Li Yue feared she would have to maintain this feminine form even while sleeping at night.

After all, she couldn’t simply let Alezno live in the Demon Lord’s manor, could she? At least not until she recovered Su Luoli’s memories, as it wouldn’t be appropriate to allow someone so lacking in common sense to roam freely.

Furthermore, prolonged cross-dressing was not conducive to the mental and physical well-being of a pubescent boy.

As Li Yue fished a piece of cooked meat from the hotpot, she declared, “I need personal time, do you understand? I cannot cancel all my other private matters just to help you.”

Mo Linyu countered, “But don’t you have nothing else to do anyway?”

“Hah? Don’t make it sound like I’m some shut-in who only plays games and streams all day!”

Though it was the truth, Li Yue was unwilling to admit it.

Alezno, however, subtly tapped the table, offering a silent reminder.

“Moon, the stares.”

While the hotpot restaurant was bustling, the tension of their argument was palpable, and the curious gazes of the surrounding onlookers were beginning to prick.

Mo Linyu calmly stated, “Alright then, have you found a way to restore her memories?”

“Not yet. The Goddess said that a clash of souls can revive past life memories, but bumping heads with me clearly only restored Alezno’s physical form. Whose soul should Su Luoli’s memories clash with? I don’t know.”

To this, Mo Linyu responded with an insightful deduction, “Then it must be someone familiar from her current life.”

“But where are we supposed to find someone like that?”

Alezno immediately produced Su Luoli’s phone, which was wrapped in a plastic bag and tin foil.

She declared, “If we truly want to find someone, we can do so at any time.”

Indeed, there was at least that woman named Gongliang Kuixi.

Li Yue, however, shook her head, signaling Alezno to put the phone away.

“…No, let’s wait a few more days.”

In her heart, she harbored a slight fear of losing the current Alezno.

****

After finishing their hotpot, the trio returned to Li Yue’s home.

“It’s so hot, quickly turn on the air conditioning.”

Mo Linyu, carrying a bag of cold drinks, headed directly to Li Yue’s kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and stowed them inside.

Seeing the Demon Lord make herself completely at home, Li Yue’s brow furrowed instantly.

“…Tsk, why did you follow me here? Go home!”

“I’m here to stream,” Mo Linyu replied.

“Hah?”

Li Yue seemed to doubt her own ears.

“Why are you so concerned about my stream?” she retorted.

However, Mo Linyu, a cold drink in hand, had already made her way to the computer desk by the balcony, pulled the curtains shut, and then settled herself onto Li Yue’s high-end ergonomic gaming chair.

Her movements were as practiced as if she were in her own home.

She even remarked, “Hmm, it’s a bit warm in this spot. Hero, you and Ranger should fix the floor-to-ceiling window first.”

“How are we supposed to fix that? And don’t just start streaming without consulting me!”

Mo Linyu had already picked up the controller and replied, “Since you’re unwilling to go out and search for souls from other worlds, I’ll just help you continue streaming instead.”

“You’re practically hijacking my computer!”

There was nothing more irritating than this.

Mo Linyu merely replied, “When I stream, your channel’s popularity increases significantly. Clearly, I’m better suited for this than you are.”

This declaration only served to fan the flames of Li Yue’s irritation.

“I’ll stream myself!”

She snatched the controller from Mo Linyu’s hand.

The latter, unfazed, countered, “Oh? Can you convincingly portray your own younger sister?”

“Of course, no problem!”

The excuse of her younger sister streaming in her stead still needed to be maintained.

Mo Linyu shrugged and stood up, whereupon Li Yue immediately sat down, ready to begin her stream. After a quick shout-out in her fan group, she went live.

Even before the game launched, fans and viewers began pouring into the live stream.

[😍 Look what I found! It’s Sister Long’s surprise stream!]

[😄 Can’t we even see Brother Long at night anymore?]

Last night, Li Longkang had, for a brief while, streamed as a male.

“My brother has been busy with other matters lately, and since I’m on summer vacation, I have plenty of free time, hehe.”

This explanation was perfectly fine, but Li Yue wasn’t very good at ‘acting cute’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘jiā,’ referring to adopting a sweet, often performative, demeanor.), at least, she didn’t quite know how to speak delicately.

In this regard, she was certainly less professional than Mo Linyu.

[😐 Sister in the evening, your voice doesn’t sound very gentle.]

[😘 Watch videos +VXXXX]

Even the stream’s bullet comments echoed this sentiment, causing the already short-tempered Li Yue to flare up.

Of course, the broken floor-to-ceiling window also contributed to the air conditioning’s inability to lower the temperature.

She simply declared, “I’m not pretending anymore, I’m laying my cards on the table! This is just how I am!”

[🤨 Sister Long’s actions tonight are off.]

“Hah? It’s not okay even if I play well?”

[😡 Brother Long, stop playing! Give the controller and the stream back to your sister!]

[😋 Streamer, show your face!]

Upon seeing this bullet comment, Li Yue instinctively retorted:

“Hah? This is my damn stream!”

[😍 Sister Long smashes the cup as a signal, we shall surely take down Brother Long!]

[🤓👆 Hey, why don’t we enthrone Sister Long as the new owner of the stream!]

The evening breeze wafting from the balcony was warm.

But Li Yue’s heart was cold.