The Real Relationship

She quietly stayed by her side for many years, going from fan to business partner...

Qingbi’s livestream room has a background image of dusk pressing down over the scene. Her voice comes from behind it, slow and husky, like rain falling against the corner of a window. In six years, she has changed the background image three times, but never the avatar suit. Only girls sit in the room. Here, they enjoy a moment of peace and share what is on their minds. She has sheltered many people from the rain, but her own coat has always been soaked.

Xiyan made her way from the audience to the stage. At twenty-four, she entered Qingbi’s livestream room and gradually became absorbed in it. After being rejected, she blocked her, disappeared, and learned to take care of herself all over again. When they met again, Xiyan sat across from her at the negotiating table, a proposal in hand. This time, she didn’t want to be loved. She wanted a place by her side, standing as an equal.

From Hangzhou to Beijing, from the public chat to the press conference, one learned to say,