Xiaohan was trying out another singing technique Shu Xuemu had taught her.

After all, she’d spent so much time learning guitar—who wouldn’t want to make a name with that skill?

—Though for Xiaohan, it all depended on how long her interest lasted.

Right now, she was still riding that wave of enthusiasm.

Chunan didn’t interfere. He even slightly adjusted the mic’s sensitivity, lowering his own voice deliberately.

But… this wasn’t just any mic. It was the one gifted by the system—the "perfect audio capture" meant AI-powered noise cancellation that isolated human voices flawlessly.

The catch? Xiaohan’s guitar strums and singing weren’t classified as "noise" by its smart recognition.

So despite Chunan’s tweaks, her voice still slipped through. Barely noticeable to most viewers, it only surfaced if you listened closely with headphones.

And among Chunan’s audience were plenty who wore headphones while multitasking, their focus purely on sound. To them, that faint, haunting melody was impossible to ignore.

*Beautiful*—that was their first thought.

That elusive, almost-there quality only stirred their curiosity deeper. They strained to catch every note, chasing the full song.

Suddenly, Chunan’s chatter and game sounds became background static.

Then, inevitably, a viewer asked:

*Wait, is someone singing??*

Silence held until the first comment broke it—then came a flood of agreement:

*Yeah! I heard it too! Never heard this song before!*

*Right?! I kept thinking I heard a girl singing! Thought my place was haunted!*

*But seriously gorgeous… if it’s a ghost, it’s gotta be a succubus. Wait, succubi aren’t ghosts—*

*Is it Mrs. Chu??*

*!!! IT’S MRS. CHU!!! I’d recognize her voice anywhere after looping "Leap" for a week straight!!*

*…Respect, dude.*

…

The barrage of comments shifted from the singing to Xiaohan herself, then spiraled into demands for Chunan to turn on his camera.

Chunan couldn’t stream anymore. "So you’re here for me or someone else?"

*Both! Turn on cam, bro—I haven’t seen you all day and I can’t eat or sleep!*

*Yeah! We’re all here for you! Such a waste hiding that handsome face!*

Chunan: "…"

Yep. Streaming was officially dead.

"Fine. You want the cam on? Here." He pulled off his headphones and glanced back at Xiaohan.

She’d noticed the commotion and set her guitar aside, leaning in. "Turning on cam? What fun segment’s this?"

"No segment," Chunan muted his mic. "Just put on proper clothes before you flash everyone."

Xiaohan looked down. Same oversized tee, nothing scandalous showing. "Flash who? I’m not about to hike up my shirt for kicks."

"And those bare legs are *proper*?" Chunan tossed her a pair of pants. "Put these on. Now."

Xiaohan caught them, pouting—then her eyes lit up. "Oh! Chunan. Wait. Are you trying to build some… couple persona with me?"

Chunan: "?"

Her eyebrow arched at his blank stare. "No? Then why’s your chat full of ‘Mrs. Chu’ this and ‘Mrs. Chu’ that?"

She wasn’t stupid.

Chunan stayed silent for a beat, then sat on the bed. "What else? You want me to tell them we’re childhood friends who even shared underwear, but we’re basically bros? Would *you* buy that?"

Most people didn’t believe in pure opposite-sex friendships—not even lifelong bonds like theirs. Chunan himself scoffed at the idea.

But to him, Xiaohan wasn’t "the opposite sex." That rule didn’t apply.

His viewers didn’t know that. Any explanation would ring hollow against their obvious chemistry.

He’d only clarify things with close friends like He Dong, or later when Xiaohan debuted. For everyone else? Not his problem.

The one silver lining: idol fans here weren’t as strict about dating scandals as in his past life. Still, he’d delete this stream archive later.

Why not skip the cam entirely? Simple—he was a streamer. Ignoring core viewer requests made him a bad one.

Xiaohan pulled on the pants, studying him for a few seconds before grinning. "So… should I just *be* Mrs. Chu?"

*A true bro sacrifices herself when her bro needs a woman.* She felt heroic.

Chunan wasn’t moved. "Don’t. I still plan on having a girlfriend someday."

Denial left room for future explanations. Admitting it now? That’d be a permanent knot. He hadn’t even had a girlfriend in his *last* life—he wasn’t missing out *this* time.

And he’d never distance himself from Xiaohan just to "avoid suspicion" for some future romance. That’d be insane.

Status quo was perfect. Future problems could wait.

Xiaohan: "…"

*Ouch. Touché.*

She’d never have a girlfriend again.

"Chunan."

"Hm?"

"You dumbass."

"? Say that again?"

Xiaohan shuffled off to sulk in the corner.

Chunan stared, bewildered.

*What’s wrong with her?*

When the camera finally flicked on, viewers were met with two people radiating icy tension.

The vibe was… off.

Chat exploded with overanalysis:

*Bro took FOREVER to turn on cam—*

*Wait, this isn’t his usual room? Did he move??*

*THAT’S A BEDROOM. HOLY SHIT ARE THEY COHABITATING NOW??*

*Why does Mrs. Chu look pissed?*

*I see the guitar on the bed! Chunan totally interrupted her singing session—*

*Classic him. Such a clueless dude.*

*Mrs. Chu don’t be mad! He’s just dense—he’s actually sweet! Chunan, go comfort your wife!!*

…