Chapter 3

Although the company had stumbled badly in this matter, they did not make things difficult for Jin Li and provided all the promised benefits in full.

Jin Li also felt a bit sorry for the company, so she had no objections to their arrangements.

In fact, there was nothing else to arrange.

If Jin Li were to have a health incident while attending a scheduled appearance, the company wouldn't benefit either; instead, they would be cursed by the group's fans for being a heartless company that exploits its artists.

It is strange to say, but while the popularity of each individual member of the group is not considered strong, the power of the group's fandom is immense; every single member is a precious treasure in the hearts of these fans.

Therefore, for the past few years, Jin Li has mostly served as a mascot within the company.

Jin Li met Sui Lingfang’s cautious gaze and nodded firmly: "Nothing will happen."

Sui Lingfang made a decision: "Then we will participate!"

Sui Lingfang accompanied Jin Li to the supermarket to go shopping.

She was still a bit worried and planned to watch from the sidelines during the afternoon livestream; it was only for half an hour anyway.

She hadn't eaten lunch and suggested taking Jin Li out to eat, but Jin Li said she wanted to cook for herself.

"Sister Fang, you know my health is poor. Ever since I started recuperating, I have always cooked for myself."

Inside the supermarket.

Jin Li bought fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat for the day, and also wanted to buy some snacks.

She wanted to taste human potato chips and cola to see just how delicious this "fat otaku necessity" really was, but the moment her hand reached out, she was fixed by a cold, piercing gaze and had to shrink it back bit by bit.

That gaze, which stared right at you with a hint of mockery, was truly... terrifying.

After finishing at the supermarket, the two returned to the apartment.

Sui Lingfang sat on the living room sofa, watching Jin Li move in and out of the kitchen, and only felt at ease after confirming that she could really cook.

Thinking of the scene just now, she felt both annoyed and amused.

Jin Li debuted at 21 and became an instant hit, busy running from one appearance to another. Later, the group disbanded, and she signed with Chenxi Company, but had to rest due to her depleted health.

Time flew by, and she had already been resting for three years.

Now that her health finally looked a bit better, she actually wanted to eat a high-calorie bomb—potato chips!

Did she not care about her celebrity image anymore?

Thinking of this, Sui Lingfang felt a bit worried again; that body of Jin Li's...

Unexpectedly, Jin Li’s cooking was quite good, and the two of them ate all the dishes and rice.

Sui Lingfang hurriedly took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen and urged her to leave.

"You don't need to lift a finger; I'll wash the dishes. You go and prepare; I've written down all the questions for you in the little notebook on the table."

Jin Li opened the notebook, which had ten questions written on it: five about her private life and five about former group members.

Jin Li could imagine that this was already the result of Sister Fang’s screening.

If the host were truly allowed to ask whatever they wanted, it would likely all be questions about the group members.

People climb to higher places, and water flows to lower ones; in the entertainment industry, there is no shortage of people who fawn over the powerful and trample on the weak—this is normal.

She picked up a pen and earnestly wrote down her answers.

Sui Lingfang came out of the kitchen and saw Jin Li with her head slightly lowered, writing seriously. Her exposed side profile was exquisite and serene, just like a literary young woman on a book cover.

This scene was too pleasing to the eye, and she couldn't help but take out her phone and press the shutter button.

"Are you finished writing?" Sui Lingfang’s voice came, and Jin Li happened to stop her pen.

"Finished, take a look and see if these answers are okay." She handed the notebook over.

Sui Lingfang glanced at it and nodded: "It's fine."

The answers were neither sharp nor outstanding, just like Jin Li herself—warmth shining through her cuteness.

Sui Lingfang reminded her: "Later, the host will likely ask you to share some things about your life and ask about your hobbies; just answer honestly."

Jin Li nodded obediently.

The interview appearance Sui Lingfang gave her was an invitation from "Cat Claw Livestream," the second-largest livestreaming platform on the internet.

The largest platform is "Wangwang Livestream," and the two major platforms have recently been at odds, desperately trying to get celebrities to join.

Half an hour later.

The two cleared the dining table to use as a temporary workspace, and Jin Li connected her laptop to the livestream room, officially appearing before the netizens.

"Welcome everyone to the official livestream room of Cat Claw Livestream. Now, let us welcome today's star—Jin Li!"

"Hello everyone, I am Jin Li. It's a pleasure to see you all." Jin Li gave a shy smile toward the camera.

She was wearing a pink JK uniform and a pink cat-ear headband; other than that, she wore no other accessories, giving off a soft and pinkish vibe.

Jin Li’s skin was clear and fair; she had only applied a light layer of powder and lipstick to cover up a bit of her sickly pallor.

A group of otaku men and women waiting in front of their screens were first killed by Jin Li’s cute outfit.

Immediately after, everyone was collectively besieged by Jin Li’s sweet voice.

Who doesn't like a sweet girl?

No.

Just ask, who, can, refuse, a, sweet, girl?

[Jin Li? It's actually Jin Li!]

[Jin Li is here, Jin Li is so cute!!!]

[Ahhh, my white moonlight has appeared; she is the cinnabar mole I can never obtain!]

In a short while, the comments broke through thousands, and the livestream room began to lag.

Technical staff stepped in for maintenance.

The host looked at Jin Li in the screen frame, feeling a bit nervous.

She had studied abroad and only returned to work in the country two years ago. She hadn't heard much of Jin Li’s name, only remembering that she had been in a hit group, but that was three years ago.

This was the first time she had seen such an aggressive wave of comments.

Did they hire people to spam, or does she really have such great fame?

The host didn't know that the moment Jin Li appeared, the relevant QQ groups for Cat Claw Livestream exploded first.

Many fans shared the livestream link, notifying everyone that Jin Li was here, and a crowd quickly entered to watch.

The news quickly spread to blogs, then to various gossip forums, and even dispersed into WeChat groups.

Because too many people flooded in, the interview livestream room lagged again and again, and had to undergo five minutes of emergency maintenance.

The screen turned into a black screen.

The female host took a sip of water and hurriedly asked the staff who came to perform maintenance.

"Who exactly is Jin Li?"