Chapter 4
The next day
Daphne stood in front of the bathroom mirror, the cold marble countertop sending chills through her pajamas.
She stared at herself in the mirror—her twenty-eight-year-old face had lost its youthful innocence, with a few faint lines at the corners of her eyes.
She gently traced these marks of time with her fingers, remembering what Asher said during last night’s stream: “I really like girls in their early twenties, with that youthful vibe…”
The faucet suddenly made a harsh noise, snapping her back to reality.
From the living room came the sound of Asher and his team discussing their next “Single Male God” themed stream. Daphne took a deep breath, hung the towel back on the rack, and the metal hook clinked against the tiles with a crisp “ding.”
“Daphne, can you help me look over this script?” Liam poked his head in, holding up a tablet.
The abrupt squeak of the faucet jolted me back to reality.
From the living room, I could hear Asher Lewis and his team discussing plans for the next live stream centered around the “Single Idol” theme. I took a deep breath, hung the towel back on the rack, and the metal hook made a sharp sound as it hit the tile.
“Daphne, could you take a look at this draft?” Intern Liam peeked in, holding up a tablet.
I took the tablet and saw a promo draft for a live stream on the screen: [Exclusive Scoop! Asher’s First Public Reveal of His Ideal Partner—Do You Qualify?] Below was a photo of Asher Lewis in a slightly unbuttoned white shirt, looking gently at the camera.
“It looks good.” My voice was calm but seemed distant. “But ‘ideal partner’ might be too direct. Perhaps ‘the type he admires’ would work better.”
“Wow! Daphne, you always have the best insights!” Liam excitedly took back the tablet. “Asher mentioned he wanted to thank a fan tonight who sent ten Rockets in a row, someone named ‘Sweetheart’ or something…”
My fingers unconsciously tightened on the hem of my pajamas.
I knew who “Sweetheart” was—last week, when Asher was showering, I saw a message pop up on his phone: [Thanks, Brother Asher, for the Necklace, I wear it every day 💖]. Asher had explained then that “it’s for work, to maintain fan relationships.”
“Daphne? Are you okay? You look a bit pale…”
“I’m fine, maybe just low blood sugar.” I forced a smile. “I’ll go get some water.”
In the kitchen, cold water flowed from the faucet, soaking my sleeve. I turned off the tap, watching the droplets slide down my wrist.
I dried my hands with a towel, my knuckles turning white from the pressure.
Suddenly, laughter erupted from the living room. I peeked in to see Asher Lewis smiling brightly at his phone screen, surrounded by a few team members.
“Wow! ‘Kitty’ just sent three more Yachts!” Assistant Jack exclaimed. “Asher, this one is a true fan!”
Asher winked at the camera: “Thanks for the support, ‘Kitty.’ Remember to DM me your address, and I’ll send you a special gift~”
His tone had the familiar intimacy of live streaming, with a slight upward lilt—a flirtatious technique I knew all too well.
I retreated to the kitchen, my fingers swiftly tapping on my phone screen.
Five minutes later, a new account named “Silent Snow” was successfully registered, with a profile picture of pure white.