Kate glanced at the lively stream of comments, noticing that Ivy's fans, much like doting parents, kept reminding her to look after their "daughter," which intrigued her enough to ask about it.
Ivy, on the other hand, felt a slight twinge of regret for her spontaneous invitation to Kate to join the stream. Live streaming was her work—she knew Kate, who'd never hosted one before, must dislike it; otherwise, she'd have done it by now. Kate simply wouldn't understand the KPI pressures that came with exposure in the entertainment world.
"You seem quite happy," Kate remarked, observing Ivy's radiant expression.
"Yes, it feels great chatting with the fans," Ivy responded, tilting her head back with a smile as sweet as honey. Her eyes crinkled into little crescents, glimmering as if they were basking in starlight.
The chat exploded:
"We'll always adore you, Ivy!""She's so precious—I think my heart just stopped!""Our Ivy deserves the world!""Too cute to handle!""Blessing you with all my heart!"
The messages grew increasingly exuberant, with some fans even thanking Kate for letting them see Ivy this happy:
"Thank you, Miss Stone, for making Ivy smile!""Thank you, Miss Stone!""Thank you, Miss Stone!...#12306"
Ivy saw her fans' responses and felt both amused and slightly embarrassed. Not because they were so enthusiastic toward Kate—she could hardly blame them—but because they seemed a bit unrestrained. After all, Kate's fans probably wouldn't dare be so brazen with her.
"They all call me 'sister,' not like you, calling me 'Miss Stone' or 'Miss Kate,'" Kate said as she watched the fan messages with curiosity.
"Oh, well, they're just excited to see you," Ivy replied, quickly covering the comments with her hand as if shielding her from them.
Kate sat down beside Ivy, with only half of her face in view. Ivy felt unsure whether to adjust the camera; after all, if she did, Kate might be irritated, and the fans would be, too. But if she left it, it seemed awkward. Finally, she sidled a bit closer, making no space between them, and adjusted the camera slightly, so Kate's face was fully visible.
A highlighted comment scrolled across:
"Why does this seem so...shippable?"
Ivy, alarmed, huffed with a mix of annoyance and affection, "You guys are going to scare Miss Kate away!"
Kate looked at the comments and asked, "Are live streams always this...intense?"
With a nervous chuckle, Ivy replied, "My fans are usually quite normal. Today, maybe it's...the weather! Plus, some of them might just be here to watch for fun."
The fans, feeling mischievously cast aside, fell silent in protest.
As Kate remained seated, Ivy grew comfortable with her presence, finding the session passed by quickly. Soon enough, fans began urging her to rest.
"Well, I'll see you all next time!" Ivy gave a quick glance to Kate, adding, "Miss Kate, would you like to say goodbye, too?"
"Goodbye," Kate replied in her usual succinct tone, much like a machine following orders.
Ivy hastily ended the stream, sensing the awkwardness.
In Ivy's fan group chat, chaos broke out:
"She ended it so fast!""No mercy!""Like, really quick!""Didn't even give me time to say goodbye!""Didn't leave us a single second!"
Despite the playful chiding, Ivy's fans remained enamored with her.
**
"Did you mind streaming with me? Were you just being polite?" Ivy asked. "Next time, you can say no. Sometimes my mouth moves before I think."
"Did you not genuinely want me to join?" Kate countered.
"Of course I did!" Ivy reassured her, "I just thought you'd hate it and went along for my sake."
Kate simply replied, "I never do things I dislike."
"Oh, so you enjoyed it?" Ivy's eyes sparkled with curiosity, "But you've never streamed before."
"I don't enjoy it," Kate said plainly.
Ivy's mind went blank—this mix of liking and disliking didn't make much sense to her. After a pause, Kate added, "Next time, there's no need to hide in the bathroom."
"Got it," Ivy said, sneaking a quick look at Kate. Oddly enough, she felt a warm glow spreading inside. Maybe Kate really was quite kind.
Then, as if reading Ivy's mind, Kate added, "And if you do hide, try not to use the stool where I keep my luggage. It's dusty."
Ivy rolled her eyes but felt a laugh bubbling up. "Then next time, I'll sit on you as my stool."
"Hmm?" Kate's expression showed a brief flash of confusion before a slight blush dusted her cheeks.
"I said I'll just grab a chair next time. A nice, sturdy one!" Ivy stammered, cheeks pink, before muttering something about dinner and making a quick escape.
Kate watched her go, casting a thoughtful look toward the nearby camera, as though debating how to erase the past few minutes from existence.
**
That night, Ivy resolved to stay in her bed for their third night of sharing the room. Determined not to slip into Kate's side, she thought up a solution: placing a large pillow between them. She'd even chosen one heavy enough to keep from kicking it away in her sleep.
When Kate came to bed, she noticed the pillow barrier Ivy had constructed and arched an eyebrow before returning to her book. As Ivy's soft breaths filled the room, Kate lay awake, feeling somewhat unsettled by the divide.
In her dreams, Ivy found herself wandering a vast, snowy expanse. Shivering from head to toe, she continued forward with chattering teeth, longing for warmth. Then, in the distance, she spotted a large, fluffy polar bear with an irresistibly cozy appearance.
Excitedly, Ivy tried to hug it, only for the aloof bear to ignore her entirely. "It's so cold here," she begged, "won't you please give me a hug?" But the polar bear only turned away.
She continued in her dream, murmuring, "Please, I'm freezing…just a little hug," her sleep talk spilling over into reality as she mumbled, "Cold...hug…"
Kate paused, about to move the pillow, but pulled out her phone first to record Ivy's mumbled words. Then, recording complete, she moved the pillow aside.