The male protagonist, a man of few appetites (54)

After a grueling afternoon of shopping, Si Jiu felt her energy reserves completely depleted and decided to treat herself to something delicious. She checked for nearby restaurants, plotted a course to her destination, and turned on her livestream. After all, if A-Yu refused to foot the bill, she had to make enough to cover the cost of her clothes, right?

"Good evening, Wanwan! Oh? Is this another rare outdoor food stream?"

Si Jiu held her phone, pointing the camera forward. "That's right! I'm out shopping with family today and planning to grab a bite to eat."

"Charles" walked beside her, tilting his head with curiosity as he glanced at her phone screen. He didn't quite understand what she was doing, but when she said "family," was she referring to him?

—Isn't that over by the X-Da Plaza?
—What are you eating tonight, Wanwan?
—Hey, there's a G-Group autograph session nearby today! Wanwan, you should go check it out!

"Oh? Really? No wonder I felt like there were so many people around today... Ah!"

"Your Highness, watch out."

The camera jolted, and the perspective suddenly soared upward, leaving the fans in the livestream stunned for a heartbeat. Having nearly tripped after being bumped by a passerby, Si Jiu had been scooped up into "Charles's" arms with one hand.

He leaned close to her ear and murmured, "There are too many people here, and you don't have the space to watch where you're going. Shall I carry you instead?"

—!!! What did I just hear?!
—You’re not alone! He called our Wanwan "Your Highness," oh my god!!!
—Is that the point? The point is that his voice is so incredibly charming!
—Is the voice the point? Isn't the point that his voice sounds so familiar? That’s Great God Yu! I would recognize his voice even if I were reduced to ashes! Is this a once-in-a-lifetime moment? My idol and my favorite streamer are actually together?
—To the person above, "together" sounds a bit suggestive.
—Wanwan, is that Great God Yu? Is it? Please, show his face!

The chat exploded instantly, and the livestream turned into a frenzy.

Si Jiu pressed a hand to her forehead. "Put me down."

"Charles" frowned, glancing at the dense wall of text on her phone screen, his expression tinged with grievance. "Did I do something wrong?"

—No, no, no, Great God Yu, keep holding her! Hold her as much as you want!
—Wanwan!!! Let him hold you! Don't bully our Great God Yu.
—I'm dying, am I the only one who finds it so cool that Great God Yu uses honorifics with Wanwan?

Only then did Si Jiu truly grasp the extent of Xie Yu’s fame. His voice alone was enough for people to recognize him. The news spread like wildfire, and a massive influx of viewers flooded into "Sang Yu Wei Wan's" livestream.

—Shocking. I heard Great God Yu appeared in some unknown streamer's room, so I came to see if it was fake.
—Where? Where is my husband?

Then, the trolls started to arrive.

—Is this a publicity stunt by the streamer? Or has Xie Yu finally hit rock bottom and needs to collab with internet celebrities to boost his popularity?
—Hit rock bottom your grandfather! Does my Great God Yu look like he lacks your kind of popularity?
—Hey, what do you mean "unknown streamer"? Can you be a little more polite? Why are you running into someone else's stream and spewing nonsense?

"Sorry, everyone, I'm canceling today's stream for now." Ignoring the chaotic bickering in the chat, Si Jiu shut down the broadcast.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, looking innocent.

Si Jiu sighed. "...Put me down. There are so many people watching."

Being carried wasn't a big deal, but being held like a child was frankly a bit embarrassing. Some passersby had already started pulling out their phones to take photos and videos. In a world where people posted every trivial detail to their social media, even someone as unbothered as Si Jiu didn't want her life to become filled with unnecessary complications.

Seeing her insistence, "Charles" finally set her down, though he switched to holding her hand instead.

Si Jiu frowned and looked at him, but he immediately said with an innocent air, "There are too many people, I might get lost."

Si Jiu: "..." Damn it, that was exactly what she had said to him earlier. She couldn't even argue.