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Chapter 17 – Top of the Livestream Ranking
Qin Shi stood in front of Room 149 with mixed emotions.
He raised his hand, ready to knock on the door.
But just before his hand landed, he stopped.
What was he going to say once the door opened and he saw Li Huanhuan inside?
“Wow, what a coincidence? You live here too?”
Or maybe, “We must be fated.”
Or even, “I’ve never stopped thinking about you.”
His fingers, hovering in the air, slowly stiffened and then curled into a fist. He remembered the last time they met—at a restaurant near the club, where he had bumped into Li Huanhuan on a blind date with Lao Yang.
That time, they had parted on bad terms.
He could sense that he held no special place in Li Huanhuan’s heart. In fact, he might not even rank as high as Fox.
She fed stray cats with Fox but had no patience for dinner with him; the second time he invited her out, she ditched him to comfort Fox.
That age-old dilemma:
“If both he and Fox fell into the water, who would Li Huanhuan save?”
Qin Shi had always been confident, but when it came to Li Huanhuan, he was confused—and more so than with anything else in his professional life.
Right now, he wasn’t even sure she would choose him in that scenario.
It was like if he suddenly knocked on the door now, the reaction wouldn’t be surprise—it’d be shock. Given her ostrich-like tendencies, she might be so frightened knowing he lived across the hall that she’d move out that very night.
He didn’t want to scare Li Huanhuan away.
Fear was never what he wanted from her.
Slowly, he lowered his hand. A smile played on his lips, his eyes deepening with charm. Suddenly, he had a brilliant idea.
“Qin Shi” might scare her off, but he was still just “the neighbor from Room 150.”
During those months without contact, Qin Shi had been bottling up his emotions. He constantly denied the longing inside him, telling himself she wasn’t important and that she had exited his life. Even last night, he dreamt of her holding Fox’s hand, standing across from him. He woke up unable to sleep again and went for an early run with his husky, BBQ.
But still, he insisted that Li Huanhuan was no longer part of his life.
Until he saw her just now on the surveillance feed—that familiar face from his dreams—and all his carefully built emotional walls crumbled. His persistence melted before her.
Fine. He admitted defeat.
Not only had he not forgotten her over the past two months, but his feelings had grown into an obsession.
He had to win her over.
Both her affection and her heart.
Now that he knew she lived in Room 149, Qin Shi and BBQ became kindred allies.
Inside Room 149
Li Huanhuan carried a cup into the kitchen to get water. As she passed the foyer, she thought she heard movement in the hallway—someone talking.
Li Huanhuan, like her cat His Majesty, had a strong curiosity. But after being pounced on by a husky the last time she opened the door, she no longer indulged that curiosity lightly.
Ding-dong.
She heard the elevator doors open. Whoever had been outside seemed to have left.
Later, walking past the foyer with her water, she heard faint electronic sounds again—too quiet and distorted to be sure they were real. Maybe she was just imagining it.
She looked toward the front door with a puzzled expression.
At the same time, Qin Shi stood right outside her door, staring at it with a calculated, determined look. The two of them, separated by one door, “looked” at each other from opposite sides.
A strange feeling welled up in Li Huanhuan’s heart. As if something—or someone—was just outside, watching her. It made her want to open the door… or maybe run away.
“Meow~”
Soft fur brushed against her calf.
Li Huanhuan looked down to see His Majesty sprawled in front of her, belly up, those emerald eyes staring at her with adorable mischief.
She couldn’t resist.
She squatted down, water in one hand, reaching out with the other to pet that fluffy belly, momentarily forgetting the eerie feeling from before.
“Your Majesty, I want to drown in your tummy fur~” she declared shamelessly as she buried her face down.
Before her face reached the fluff, a warm paw gently pushed her away.
Time’s up—no cuddles without a treat. Cats are practical creatures.
Li Huanhuan stroked his paw. Then she remembered—it was time for the livestream.
“Okay, okay~ Just one can.”
[His Majesty the Cat] Livestream Room
In a warm-toned room.
A long-haired white cat with green eyes sat gracefully on the table, eating canned food.
Livestream comments flooded in:
The livestream room was lively as usual.
Off-camera, Li Huanhuan watched her cat eat with a loving smile.
Then the screen lit up with luxury yacht gifts:
[No Hotpot, Only BBQ] sent 1 yacht to [His Majesty the Cat]!
[No Hotpot, Only BBQ] sent another yacht!
…
It was the top donor of the stream.
Comments erupted:
Li Huanhuan stared at the screen. That mysterious top fan was back again?
Across the hall, in Room 150
Husky BBQ loved watching [His Majesty the Cat]’s livestream. If he missed it, he’d be moody.
To avoid that, Qin Shi set an alert for when the stream started.
When it went live, he was in the kitchen, studying recipes.
After all: “The way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.”
Over the past week, he learned that Li Huanhuan was a total foodie. So he planned to win her over through her taste buds—by personally cooking her favorite dish.
“Woof!”
BBQ recognized the livestream alert and rushed into the kitchen, barking at Qin Shi.
Qin Shi grabbed his tablet and pulled up the livestream for him.
On-screen, the white cat was digging into canned food.
Just then, a comment flashed by:
“What color sack do you want, Your Majesty? I’m kidnapping you tonight!”
Kidnap?
Qin Shi looked up from the roast duck recipe and saw the comment. His brows arched slightly.
He noticed the stream was more popular than ever.
Glancing at BBQ, who was absorbed in watching the cat, Qin Shi felt a sudden sense of crisis—for his oblivious dog.
He set down his phone. Time to help BBQ gain some presence.
Li Huanhuan looked at the barrage of yacht gifts.
She’d never spoken on stream—wanting to keep her identity private—so she always held up a small LED sign with thank-you messages.
This time was no different.
But when she held up the screen, the mood changed:
Amid peaceful comments, these insults stood out sharply.
Some viewers pushed back, and soon the chat was a mess.
Li Huanhuan frowned. Where did these people come from?
Soon, she found out.
Apparently, a big pet streamer was broadcasting her stream live on their own channel. Probably feeling threatened by her rising popularity, they began subtly stirring up drama.
When they saw the LED thank-you message, they pounced, sending their viewers over to attack her.
Li Huanhuan was annoyed. Criticize her, fine. But don’t drag her cat into it.
She was ready to end the stream when—
[No Hotpot, Only BBQ] sent a luxury aircraft carrier!
Again. And again. And again…
One after another, the flashy gifts flooded the screen, effectively silencing the haters.
That top donor was making a statement: He liked the LED thank-you messages.
The next morning
When Li Huanhuan went downstairs to take out the trash, she found a plastic bag hanging on her door.
Inside: a freshly roasted, fragrant duck.