Li Meng: From the Corner of the Livestream to a Million Sparks

Li Qimeng, a girl from Northeast China, enters the world of livestreaming amid controversy over her husky voice. He Jin, a shy and introverted boy from Hunan, sets out to chase his dream. When they meet in the Kuaishou Yajia team, one works behind the scenes at the edge of the camera, while the other gets so nervous in the livestream room that he forgets his lines. But their shared struggles as newcomers bring them together as a duo determined to break through. Their mentor, Boya, suggests pairing them up, and they go from being a pair of awkward streamers to a down-to-earth duo. Their short videos teaching Northeastern dialect unexpectedly go viral, and their talent-show livestreams are full of laughter and tears. But fan feuds and competition losses leave them battered.

When family pressures push Li Qimeng to the brink of collapse, He Jin quietly helps her adjust her vocal technique. When online commenters mock He Jin as "dead weight," Li Qimeng cuts off her long hair and starts over with him. They use their real experiences to break free from the usual traffic-grabbing tactics: Li Qimeng chokes up as she recounts dropping out of school to work, while He Jin reads a letter to his parents with trembling hands. The livestream chat shifts from a flood of doubt to a stronghold of support from their "Qijin fans."

As their following grows from five million to seven million, they take the lead in the annual competition, livestreaming for over eight hours a day for a full week. Their raspy singing and carefully planned livestreams set the whole internet alight. When He Jin opens his handwritten "Growth Diary" during his birthday livestream, Li Qimeng's tears fall onto the camera. In that moment, seven million stars come together in one message: "Qijin, forever together."

After becoming famous, they turn their traffic into fuel for livestreams promoting local agriculture, bringing Jilin sauerkraut and Hunan cured pork into the livestream room. They also set up a support group for newcomers and turn the comeback stories of the "overlooked" into a series of short dramas. Facing new industry regulations and competition from fresh streamers, this pair of livestreaming's down-to-earth duo