Chapter Fifteen: Lies, Lies, and More Lies
Rarely opening a video call, Lin Yun squeezed into the frame: “Isn’t this wrong, sis? This building looks different from last time. You didn’t go out to play and deliberately fool us, did you?”
Lin Ke laughed and scolded, “Nonsense, why would I lie to you? This is my company, Cocoon Break Group, very famous. Just check it out when you get home. I just recently switched jobs, so you haven’t seen it before.”
Previously, when she video-chatted with her family, the background wasn’t this building; she had borrowed another image. She never expected that what was clearly fabricated then would now become reality, yet she couldn't keep up the lie.
That’s how lies work: once you tell one, you need countless others to cover it up.
Lin Ke’s mother worried, “Why did you change jobs? Wasn’t your previous one good enough? You shouldn’t always be chasing after unrealistic dreams. Loyalty to one career is the only way to achieve something.”
Lin Yun took the initiative to defend Lin Ke, “Mom, you don’t understand. The internet says you can only get better benefits by switching jobs. Loyalty to one career is old-fashioned; this is the spirit of craftsmanship, outdated!”
“Sis, don’t listen to her. You got a raise, right? That’s great! When are you coming home for the New Year? I want a new phone—not too expensive, doesn’t have to be a foldable or anything, as long as it works.”
“Always asking your sister for money,” Lin Ke scolded playfully. “She’s having a hard time on her own out there, and you just add to the trouble. Ke’er, don’t worry about the family. We don’t lack anything at home.”
“You get home so late from work, you must be exhausted. Have you eaten? Don’t push yourself too hard. Wear more clothes; maybe Mom should mail you your padded jacket?”
Her mother’s endless nagging stabbed at Lin Ke’s heart like a tiny thorn. She knew the online comments were false, but that was one thing for herself; it was another entirely to see her mother slandered and insulted.
“All right, Mom, I’m going home now! Let Yun focus on her studies, and I’ll buy her a phone when she returns.”
“Great! Sis, you’re the best! When I get into college, I’ll go to a big city and join a big company like you, making money so Mom and Dad can enjoy a good life!”
...
“Wow, my Ke is really taking off!” Xu Meiqi sipped through a straw as she browsed Lin Ke’s account data, clicking her tongue in amazement.
“Does Cocoon Break’s policy really work this well? They’re pushing your streams so hard. I bet the app’s splash screen defaults to your videos for this level of traffic. They must be spending a fortune!”
“But Cocoon Break’s daily active users are higher than Yellow Lantern’s! Oh my, I’m tempted to join Cocoon Break too.”
“Stop mocking me. I earned these numbers by enduring insults. Apart from unique visitors, the other metrics are horrible. I don’t even dare go outside now.”
The two sat again in the dessert shop—a rare weekend, and both had no work commitments during the day.
...
“You really have guts. Everyone knows getting scolded grows your account fast, but you’re the only one actually doing it.”
“Don’t worry, when the traffic surges, the account’s data will be unstable. The platform is still figuring out which audience suits you. Especially for your... social-emotional niche, it’s like our Yellow Lantern’s new knowledge creators—there’s no clear circle, so you have to cast a wide net. Naturally, fan loyalty is weaker.”
“Once the data settles, it won’t be so unbalanced. Besides, with your traffic pool, imbalance doesn’t matter—you’re guaranteed to take off! ‘Abandoning husband and children, phoenix girl’... haha, you really have a vivid imagination!”
Lin Ke sighed, “It’s all arranged by the company. I don’t have much say, you know.”
“That’s true. When I first signed, my original company wanted me to... well, twist my waist for them. If not for Zhou Yifan stopping me... forget it, I won’t mention him!”
Lin Ke sensed something was wrong. “What’s going on? Did you have a fight? Weren’t things fine before?”
Xu Meiqi spoke weakly, “A fight would be better. I’d rather have him argue with me than this silence for days with hardly a word.”
“A cold war? Why?”
“No reason! He’s just busy—always busy. He brushes off all my topics with ‘busy,’ either on business trips or running events, often not replying to my messages all day.”
Lin Ke frowned, “So busy he can’t even reply? Could he have other thoughts? Qi Qi, are you sure there’s nothing wrong with your relationship?”
“He’s still passionate in bed. What else can I say? Well, salmon cross half the globe to breed; what proof is that?”
Lin Ke wanted to advise her but didn’t know how to start.
You can’t casually tell someone to break up; what if they get back together and get married later? That would be terribly awkward.
For now, all she could do was stay by Xu Meiqi’s side.
“Hey! Ke Ke!”
By sheer coincidence, Monroe also came to the dessert shop with a friend. Lin Ke stood up eagerly, “Sister Monroe! What a coincidence! Come, I’ll treat you. This is my best friend Qi Qi; she’s a streamer too.”
Monroe warmly trotted over for a light hug, “What a coincidence! But we won’t disturb you girls; we bought takeaway and have something to do. Qi Qi, beauty, let’s support each other in the future~”
Monroe and her friend arrived and left quickly. Lin Ke and Xu Meiqi didn’t think much of it, finished their dessert, and went to see a movie. Their weekend was quite pleasant.
Yet, once back in the rented apartment, that joy was hard to sustain.
...
After the surge in followers, Lin Ke’s streamer backend was consistently flooded with 99+ notifications daily, mostly insults, some harassment, and a few scattered business invitations.
Contestants were forbidden from accepting business on their own during the competition, so she had almost cured her former compulsion to watch every red dot. No one wanted to be insulted every day.
But today, one private message caught her attention.
“Dear Ke Ke, your video style has changed a lot recently. Has something happened?”
Lin Ke felt a pang of sadness.
It might sound sentimental, but with money in her pocket and food in her mouth, she had everything she wished for.
Yet she found herself already longing for the days when she had only two hundred followers.
It had only been a week, but it felt like a lifetime had passed.
“No, I just wanted to try a different way of life. Thanks for your concern. I’m fine.”
Private messages on the platform could never match the quick response of WeChat. After replying, Lin Ke didn’t pay it much mind.
On the other side of the screen, Liang Feng pondered over the brief message.
Without a doubt, the change in this streamer’s content must be related to the Hundred Butterflies Rising competition.
The Cocoon Break platform’s streamer contest was in full swing, and Liang Feng had already searched every streamer’s information thoroughly.
This “Cute Ke❤,” an ordinary positive-energy rookie, had broken into the top 50 in heat within just two weeks with a zero-base account—and was still gaining momentum.
Without corporate backing, he refused to believe it.