Feng Ling thought the matter was already settled, but Lian Ge’s next words made her let her guard down.
“I have been observing you for a long time in the live stream room, and I’ve discovered your secret, Feng Ling.”
“Me? What secret could I possibly have? I’ve already told you everything.”
Feng Ling waved her hand dismissively, indicating Lian Ge was talking nonsense, pretending she was completely unbothered.
“Your live streams have a clear purpose: you have to make the audience happy. So you constantly switch between different personas, putting on the right expression at the right time. It’s like you consciously switch your expressions to evoke various emotions in everyone…”
“To the point where I can predict what expression you’re going to make next.”
“People who don’t know you well might think you’re someone carefree and expressive, wearing your heart on your sleeve. They might think it’s normal…”
“But I saw through it. Feng Ling, you’re not the type to write your true feelings on your face.”
“And not just in the live streams—like when you told me about your background… I still remember how you looked then. Heads down, wiping tears, playing the pitiful card. That was also an act, wasn’t it?”
Feng Ling knew she had some contrast in her character.
After all, one moment she had to play the energetic idol to make the fans spend money, and the next she had to act like a pitiful little demon beast to earn Lian Ge’s sympathy—let alone her own original personality.
In fact, Feng Ling was like a castle in the air with no foundation, so it was natural for her persona to collapse.
Before this, she could still get by by saying what people wanted to hear, but as Lian Ge gradually entered her life and could see all three faces at once, the contradictions became apparent.
Cold sweat kept trickling down her back.
Could Lian Ge have already vaguely sensed something?
Yet what Feng Ling didn’t expect was that Lian Ge’s expression softened, replaced by a gentle smile that Feng Ling never saw coming.
“But you know, that side of you is pretty cute too.”
“I can tell: you’re not good at expressing your emotions. Since you don’t know how to voice your true feelings, you clumsily imitate others, learning how they express themselves, trying to convey goodwill to the outside world in your own way.”
“Maybe those expressions were designed, every smile and frown carefully planned, but the desire to make everyone happy—that feeling is real.”
Feng Ling wiped the sweat from her forehead, never expecting to hear such an explanation.
“Y-yes.”
The conclusion was right, but the process was entirely wrong.
“Honestly, I completely understand why you, as a demon beast, want to integrate into human society and be accepted by everyone. That’s why you work so hard to please those around you. I think that’s admirable.”
‘…No, it’s because I want to milk the fans for their gold coins.’
Feng Ling kept her expression neutral.
“I also understand why you’re afraid I’ll mind your demon beast identity, so you deliberately act pitiful to win my sympathy.”
‘…No, it’s because I was actually trying to trick you.’
Feng Ling struggled to keep her expression straight.
Though the logic was full of holes, at least Lian Ge’s interpretation—no matter how wrong—was heading in a direction that benefited Feng Ling.
“Because you need to fit into your environment, you always play different roles. I get that. But Feng Ling, you still need to have your own foundation.”
Lian Ge’s expression turned serious, as if she genuinely wanted to teach Feng Ling how to be a person:
“The so-called foundation is the things you persistently keep doing, the things that make you different from others, the things that make you who you are.”
‘…Then my foundation is probably greed, since I make money every day.’
“Like teaching you skincare today—it seems like a small thing, but if you keep doing it, it’ll become part of you. Don’t underestimate it. It might give you confidence and dignity as your foundation.”
“Don’t you think I’m making a lot of sense?”
Lian Ge tilted her head, looking at Feng Ling with hopeful expectation, like a teacher who just spent a long time giving a lecture and was now asking if the student understood.
Lian Ge really thought of Feng Ling as an ignorant little demon beast and started treating her like a daughter…
To maintain her little demon beast persona, Feng Ling could only nod and answer, forcing a look of sudden enlightenment: “Mm-hmm.”
But Feng Ling was dissatisfied that Lian Ge had gone to all this trouble just to educate her.
She had to make Lian Ge accompany her during the stream.
However, Lian Ge herself didn’t seem to want to leave.
Feng Ling hadn’t removed the chair she had brought earlier, and before the stream even started, Lian Ge was already sitting in front of the computer desk.
Feng Ling sat down next to her.
Lian Ge was probably expecting Feng Ling to play games with her, but suddenly a money-obsessed thought popped into Feng Ling’s head.
Lian Ge was right next to her right now.
Since they had both already used the Momo Ointment and were in the same room, why not drag Lian Ge into doing a product promotion together?
Just imagining Lian Ge—who always appeared dignified and proper in public, the image of a captain—smiling sweetly as she introduced skincare products for a merchant…
The sheer contrast alone would be enough to blow up the topic.
Plus, for ordinary people, a promotion by a serious, proper person would definitely be more effective than someone who talks nonsense.
Although Feng Ling’s reputation among passersby wasn’t that bad, it was far inferior to Lian Ge’s.
Furthermore, from another angle, the fact that even Lian Ge had been roped into doing product promotion was proof of Feng Ling’s extensive connections.
Those brand owners who had been on the fence, seeing that even a strict and impartial magical girl like Lian Ge could be invited to endorse a product, would realize that Feng Ling’s sales ability was terrifying.
They’d scramble to line up for cooperation.
Then Feng Ling could throw out a line like, “Sales isn’t about quantity, it’s about height,” and she’d even be able to step on Chiyun, directly ascending to the throne of the new Sales Queen, standing at the top of the traffic pyramid overlooking all.
Feng Ling couldn’t help the smile curling at the corner of her mouth.
She reached up and patted her cheeks, setting aside those vain fantasies for now.
She felt bold enough to take the initiative and propose they work together.
“Lian Ge, that skincare product we just used—you remember it? The Momo Ointment. The manufacturer actually sent me a sample to promote.”
“We already tried it together, and it felt pretty good. How about joining me to help this manufacturer do a promotion?”