Lin Qimian had never lied about the gender of “11,” but she also hadn’t bothered to correct anyone else’s misunderstandings.
She didn’t think it mattered—at least not until she could take things further with Xu Yueliang.
Now the account was little more than a throwaway. Lin Qimian only logged in now and then when the itch struck to toss some gifts around, so her gender mattered even less.
But to Xu Yueliang, it seemed to matter a great deal.
Over the past couple of days, Xu had been showered with affection from girls while enduring a torrent of abuse from guys. She was starting to notice the differences between the two groups and had begun screening her audience more carefully.
A former top donor who was now top again—a viewer willing to pay for her performances—which camp they belonged to might become a key criterion for her.
【A girl.】 Lin Qimian replied.
As for whether Xu Yueliang would keep guessing or start suspecting her specifically, Lin Qimian could simply choose not to answer any questions that might hinder their relationship.
By not admitting anything, no one could pin it on her.
Xu Yueliang replied almost instantly:
-【Whoa!!! I knew it!!!】
-【I could feel it! But I didn’t dare ask before~~】
-【Thank you, 11, for all your support. I really, really appreciate it!】
-【I never imagined I’d have female fans, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo】
-【Sorry, you’re not just a fan—you’re my big boss, my benefactor, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo】
-【Anyway, from now on, just say whatever you want to see in the Live Streaming Room!】
-【No need to throw too many gifts! Really! I’m thrilled just knowing you’ll keep watching my streams!!!】
-【We can play games together during my break too!】
-【Boss, I’ll carry you up the ranks. I feel like my skills have improved lately!!!】
Lin Qimian: “…”
Lin Qimian watched as message after message poured in. She felt like laughing, yet there was an undercurrent of heartache too.
She had always thought Xu Yueliang was so fair-minded and impartial, keeping a clear line between personal and professional matters. But now it seemed the girl had two faces.
She was far more guarded around guys, quick to draw boundaries at the slightest whiff of trouble.
But the moment the other person turned out to be a girl, her tone brimmed with warm, carefree enthusiasm. She no longer seemed to mind Lin Qimian’s past words or demands—as if all the threats had vanished in an instant.
Xu Yueliang gave girls preferential treatment.
For a moment, Lin Qimian wondered if her real-life self—this scheming Doctor Lin—had gained an edge in their interactions purely because of her gender.
Still, Lin Qimian agreed: 【Okay.】
No matter what their identities or relationship, she loved seeing Xu Yueliang happy.
When Xu Yueliang was happy, Lin Qimian’s own spirits would lift, light and airy, as if swaying in a gentle breeze.
Xu Yueliang didn’t press further. Her straightforward little mind probably didn’t dwell on twists and turns like that. Now that she knew 11 was a girl, she even let go of any lingering suspicions about Lin Qimian.
After repeating her thanks twice more and bidding good night, their chat as 11 came to an end.
Lin Qimian turned off the projector and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. When she emerged, she saw a message from Xu Yueliang to Doctor Lin.
【Doctor Lin, Doctor Lin, are you asleep yet?】
It looked urgent, but the message had been sitting there for ten minutes.
Lin Qimian typed back a single character: 【No.】
Before she could add more, a call request popped up.
Xu Yueliang’s voice bubbled with excitement. “Doctor Lin, Doctor Lin, how come you’re still up? I saw you left the stream after just a bit~~~”
That drawn-out ~~~ turned what could have been a complaint into pure coquetry, soft and endearing without a hint of reproach.
Lin Qimian replied, “I had something to take care of, so I didn’t stick around.”
“Oh, got it!” Xu Yueliang believed her immediately and forgave her on the spot. Full of concern, she asked, “Are you done now? Just finished? Hurry up and get ready for bed then—you must be exhausted, and you’ve got work tomorrow…”
“Not tired.” Lin Qimian cut off her fussing. “It wasn’t anything draining.”
Xu Yueliang hemmed and hawed. “Oh… okay then…”
“Mm.” Lin Qimian settled onto the edge of the bed. “So what’s up? Why the urgent call?”
Xu Yueliang giggled for a good while before saying, all bashful, “I wanted to share some news with you, Doctor Lin. Tomorrow I’m flying to B City for the Double Ninth Festival Gala rehearsal at the station~~”
“Wow,” Lin Qimian said with a smile. “That’s amazing. You really landed the gig. Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Doctor Lin. I think I did pretty well too…” Xu Yueliang murmured in a tiny voice, then quickly changed the subject. “Yun Jie chewed me out for a good while tonight.”
“Why did she chew you out?” Lin Qimian asked.
“She thought I went too far,” Xu Yueliang replied. “She still doesn’t support me switching to this new style. She says I lack experience and I’m just messing around~”
“No matter what job it is,” Lin Qimian said, “it’s a process of starting from scratch. Don’t be afraid.”
Xu Yueliang paused for a moment. “Then… Doctor Lin, you didn’t watch for long today. Was it because I changed my style and it got too boring?”
So that was what she’d been worried about.
Lin Qimian smiled. “No, I still really like your streams. I’m planning to binge all the classic moments I missed today tomorrow when I have some free time.”
“I don’t have recordings of everything!” Xu Yueliang protested.
“But the girls in your live streaming room record every single fun moment of yours,” Lin Qimian pointed out.
“Ah!”
“Then you’ll see tons of moments where I embarrass myself…”
“That’s exactly what makes it fun.”
“Hey!” Xu Yueliang cried out. “Lin Mianmian, how can you say something like that!”
Calling her Lin Mianmian now meant she was completely at ease.
Lin Qimian chatted loosely with her. After spending the holiday together, the two of them never ran short on topics.
The moon hung high outside the window. Lin Qimian gazed at it. “So I won’t get to see your stream tomorrow.”
“You all have school and work tomorrow anyway~” Xu Yueliang said. “I usually take Mondays off, and since rehearsals and recording will take two days, I wasn’t planning to stream on Tuesday either~~”
“The viewers in your live streaming room won’t see you for a whole two days,” Lin Qimian noted.
“I hope I can keep up this schedule in the future—heh heh, stream for a bit, then take two days off to do other work!”
“Mm.”
Lin Qimian paused. “Can you see the moon from where you are? It’s beautiful tonight.”
There was a rustle on the other end of the line, the whoosh of curtains being yanked open. Xu Yueliang’s voice came through, full of delight. “Wow, it really is gorgeous! So big and bright!”
“Mm.”
Xu Yueliang fell quiet for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Doctor Lin, are you busy tomorrow?”
“Not too much,” Lin Qimian replied.
“Then… can I send you messages? I won’t bother you or anything. You don’t have to reply right away—I’ll just ramble on my end, and you can respond whenever you’re free~ Or not at all, that’s fine too!”
“Mm? Using me as a sounding board?”
“Ah…” Xu Yueliang faltered, sounding awkward. “Kinda, yeah… I mean, I’ve never done anything like this before, so tomorrow I’ll probably have a ton of random thoughts to spill… Um, if it’s inconvenient for you, Doctor Lin, that’s okay! I can just jot them down in my notes and tell you next time we meet!”
Lin Qimian’s heart turned utterly to mush.
Xu Yueliang was like a clingy little animal. Feed her a few times, earn her trust, and she’d roll right over, baring her soft underbelly for you.
Eager to share her life—joys and embarrassments alike—openly and honestly.
But she never demanded more. Accept her or turn her away, she’d linger there all soft and pliant, carefully tending the fragile thread between you.
Lin Qimian always felt truly cared for around her.
Xu Yueliang cares about you! She’d say it so earnestly.
It warmed the heart, soothed the soul, made any sacrifice feel worthwhile.
“Of course it’s fine,” Lin Qimian said. “Message me anytime. I really want to hear what happens tomorrow too.”
Your stories.
When they finally hung up that night, Xu Yueliang was positively bubbling with excitement.
The next morning, Lin Qimian got out of bed as the sky was just beginning to lighten. Messages from Xu Yueliang poured in almost immediately, brimming with the same enthusiasm.
-【La la la, Little Moon is off to the races!!!】
-【I hear this airline’s meals are pretty tasty, so I skipped breakfast!】
-【It’s just two days, but I packed sooo much~~】
A photo of an enormous suitcase accompanied the message.
-【 agonized over outfits forever, but pants won out in the end—way more practical~~】
Another photo: a selfie of her full look, light blue flared jeans paired with a round-neck hoodie sporting fringed sleeves.
Lin Qimian’s fingertip hovered over the screen. She badly wanted to reply: Let’s see that face.
But no—that was too creepy. Lin Qimian pulled her finger back and exhaled slowly.
Xu Yueliang kept going:
-【In the car to the airport!】
-【Beautiful weather today!】
The phone screen lit up again with a new photo—a casual selfie snapped from inside the car.
Lin Qimian: “…”
It looked tossed-off, just a quick lift of the phone in the tight space, a bright smile aimed straight at the lens.
But the breeze happened to lift Xu Yueliang’s hair, and sunlight streamed just right through the car window, bathing her in a soft, ethereal glow.
She wore no makeup, yet her skin glowed with a healthy pink flush beneath its fairness—perfectly, effortlessly beautiful.
When she smiled, she tilted her chin upward, her eyes curving into delighted crescent moons as she leaned right up to the camera, flashing a peace sign.
Lin Qimian suspected she had done it on purpose—snapped the photo just like that and sent it straight to her.
And yet Lin Qimian also felt it was fate playing its hand, crafting a woman like Xu Yueliang on purpose and placing her right by Lin Qimian’s side.
Only then could she pierce straight to the heart with such ease.
Lin Qimian’s fingers twitched. In the end, she replied: 【Very pretty. Safe travels.】
And just like that, Xu Yueliang claimed her phone—and her heart.
After washing up, Lin Qimian glanced at the photo of scenery blurring past outside the taxi.
By the time Lin Qimian reached the hospital, Xu Yueliang had sent a shot of the vast airport apron lined with orderly rows of planes.
Lin Qimian started her shift, switching her phone to vibrate and slipping it into her pocket. Then, in the middle of a consultation, it buzzed—and her mind took flight.
The patient asked timidly, “Doctor, what’s wrong? Is there something seriously bad with my tooth?”
Lin Qimian curved her lips in a wry, self-mocking smile. She pulled out her phone and muted the WeChat notifications.
Forcing herself to focus, she said, “You’re fine. No need to worry.”
At last, it was her lunch break.
Lin Qimian let out a long breath and peeled off her gloves as she headed out.
Zhenzhen hurried after her. “Teacher Lin, don’t you feel extra tired today? Like, unusually wiped out?”
Lin Qimian admitted, “A little, yeah.”
Zhenzhen pressed on. “But there weren’t that many patients, and the procedures weren’t complicated at all.”
“True.”
Zhenzhen heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Sigh! Looks like Teacher Lin’s got post-vacation blues, just like me. Even people who love their jobs get hit with it!”
Lin Qimian halted. “I don’t love my job.”
Zhenzhen blinked in shock. “Huh?”
“Who loves their job?” Lin Qimian said. “Not unless there’s nothing in life they love more.”
“Huh??”
“I have something more.”
Zhenzhen stared at her, utterly baffled.
Lin Qimian kept walking. “Don’t follow me. I’m not eating in the cafeteria today.”
Of course she wasn’t.
The cafeteria was always packed and chaotic—it would only distract her from Xu Yueliang’s messages.
Lin Qimian shrugged off her white coat and made her way to the parking lot, sliding into her car.
There were fifty-seven messages from Xu Yueliang piled up from the morning alone. She intended to savor every one.
Xu Yueliang had landed. She’d remarked on B City’s weather, mimicked the locals’ quirky accent for Lin Qimian’s amusement, and checked into her hotel near the TV station.
Then came photos of her unpacking, changing clothes, and venturing into the TV station grounds—nearly getting stopped by security. She’d spotted a minor celebrity clocking out and plunged into the swarm of fans, shrieking right along with them.
After a long wait for staff, she’d finally entered the rehearsal hall.
But something had snagged in the schedule—no place to change or do makeup. So she’d dashed into the bathroom.
And then the messages cut off.
Lin Qimian checked the time. Half an hour had passed since the last one.
-【I’m off work.】
-【What are you up to right now?】
She fired off the two messages.
Xu Yueliang didn’t respond. Nearly ten minutes ticked by with no reply.
Lin Qimian frowned and dialed her number.
It rang and rang until it went to voicemail.
She popped in her earbuds, set the phone to redial, and stomped the accelerator. The car shot forward.
