"I’m speechless." Words like these sent tremors through Jiang Qiuqiu’s fanbase.

It was supposed to be a simple argument, but now it had escalated to this?!

Low-end streamer with low-end fans?!

Who was she talking about?

While Qiuqiu’s fans were still simmering with rage, ready to erupt, a new topic suddenly shot up the hot search rankings in the Federation’s streaming community that same afternoon.

#FiguresFromAllCirclesInTheFederationCheerOnXiongXin!#

It was like a long-distance show of force.

-

As a student at the Federal Military Academy, Xiong Xin didn’t have much free time.

He usually streamed while he was training and would occasionally do a special broadcast during the holidays. As a ’diamond’ of the military academy presented to the public, Xiong Xin never slacked off.

That’s why his reputation in the Federation’s streaming scene had always been excellent.

Like idol, like fan. Most of Xiong Xin’s fans were also positive, motivated people.

Except, of course, for a certain clique.

...

"I’m going crazy."

"The only person in this world capable of driving me crazy is Emily." Xiong Xin’s face was a mask of despair. "Why did Grandfather have to arrange this engagement back then?"

"Didn’t he think to ask for my opinion before setting it? Look at what she’s doing!"

"Oh, young man, don’t be so irritable!"

"Don’t be so irritable? It was a perfectly fine match, fair and square. What does she mean by sticking her nose into it?" ’Besides, does she even have the right to get involved?’

"Isn’t this just because Emily likes you and wants to stand up for you?"

"...Grandmother, what are you talking about? Stand up for me?" Xiong Xin almost laughed in anger. "There’s nothing to stand up for!"

"That streamer is genuinely skilled. Even if I really lost to her, it would just mean my skills weren’t as good. There’s no need for anyone to ’stand up’ for me."

"Hurry up and make her take down all those weird pictures."

"I won’t!" A shrill female voice suddenly cut in from the other end of the comms. "Brother Xin, is it because that female streamer is pretty? Is that why you’re defending her?"

"I’m helping you! I’m helping you get first place, and you’re still so mean to me!" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Why are you at my house?"

Damn it. The sound of her voice already made Xiong Xin feel sick. "Shut up! Where’s your brain? Is ’pretty’ the only thing you can think about?"

After saying that, Xiong Xin hung up.

He logged onto the Star Network to take a look himself. By the time he got back from training, the situation had already gotten terrible. He had thought that posting a single status update would be enough to restrain his fans.

He never expected that idiot Emily would go and say so many more unpleasant things.

And then there were all these bizarre reposts. Emily was the fiancée his family had arranged for him, so their social circles naturally overlapped.

She was always pulling stunts like this. Since they were all family friends, who would refuse when she asked for a favor? The elders, who were close to him and had watched him grow up, were of course happy to offer a few words of praise.

Not to mention, his fan groups truly did contain many elites from all sectors of society.

Every year, they would all repost something for him. In previous years, Xiong Xin had only felt slightly embarrassed but didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.

This year...

He wanted to post something on his personal terminal to clarify he had no intention of making a show of force. But after thinking it over, he realized that at this point, anything he posted would come across as condescending pity.

And so, Xiong Xin, who had been completely sabotaged by his fiancée, grew exceptionally anxious. He was afraid that the public outcry and those strange fan-made images would put pressure on Jiang Qiuqiu, affecting her performance and robbing him of an honorable victory.

All he wanted was to compete openly and honorably, and then to win or lose fair and square.

’Though the possibility of losing was rather slim.’

At that moment, the conflicted Xiong Xin had no idea that this "image-sharing" storm, which he thought he had unilaterally ended, had actually just begun.

And also—

—that in the end, the one buried under a pile of pictures wouldn’t be Jiang Qiuqiu, but himself.

-

Inside Jiang Qiuqiu’s fan groups and throughout her fan circles, the phrase "low-end streamer, low-end fans" was being spammed everywhere.

[Low-end streamer, low-end fans? Figures from all circles celebrating?]

[Smiling]

[Heh heh]

[Just because we’re not saying anything, you think we don’t exist?]

At the same time, inside the castle, Mei Lin slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet.

"That Emily."

"Insulting me, insulting my favorite streamer!"

"Low-end fans, low-end streamer—"

"If you ask me, any streamer who has her for a fan is the real ’low-end’ one."

So that night, Mei Lin logged onto his personal terminal and, under his official identity as the heir to Duke Dais, tagged Emily directly: "I’m a fan of Jiang Jiujiu. Who are you calling low-end? You, one of some Duke’s eighteen daughters."

Furthermore, after the message was sent, the screens on the commercial center’s skyscraper on the Federation Main Star all suddenly began broadcasting clips from Jiang Qiuqiu’s livestreams.

And this was only the beginning.