Chapter 5: Have You Earned Enough Today? Then End the Stream

A golden glowing orb withdrew from the child’s body, signaling the completion of the task. Kotoba caught the light orb as it floated into her hand, lowering her gaze, lost in thought.

A cold little hand touched hers. As if remembering something, the child turned to the boy standing guard outside the hospital room and said, “Mom’s belly was injured. When you come out of her body, you must be gentle.”

A trace of emotion stirred in Kotoba’s heart. Though slightly displeased, she suppressed the sharp pang of bitterness. She was not the type to be swayed by feelings; she only needed to do what was required.

On the hospital rooftop terrace, less than an hour remained before dawn.

“Big sister, you’re even more beautiful than I imagined.” The sudden glance back and unexpected words left Kotoba momentarily at a loss.

She had heard countless compliments like this before; her heart had long since grown numb. With barely any change in expression, Kotoba curved her lips slightly. “No matter how beautiful you say it, I won’t help you. I only follow the rules.”

A beam of white light pierced through the clouds, breaking the darkness with the hope of new life. The outline of the city gradually emerged.

“So this is the world of daylight!” His once-clouded eyes finally cleared, seeing the world’s true form more vividly than ever before.

The moment sunlight penetrated the city, it seemed to penetrate his very life.

“I have a name now. Next time we meet, call me Xu Yang.”

...

The soul container, crafted from a special material that only allowed entry but no exit, was carefully sealed with Xu Yang’s soul inside. Kotoba held it aloft for a few moments, her expression darkening. Inside the transparent vessel, a scar marked Su Yang’s soul—one that appeared to be inflicted by human hands.

The elevator descending from the rooftop paused briefly on the 16th floor.

As the doors opened, Tang Shuo standing outside froze for a moment. Kotoba leaned against the elevator interior, a gentle smile playing on her lips as if she had just thought of something amusing.

Xu Zhiting, walking out from the hospital room, saw this scene.

Tang Shuo, standing dazed before the elevator, was oblivious to the charm he was unintentionally radiating, affecting those around him.

Before the elevator doors could close, Tang Shuo stepped in with a stride.

With his movement aside, the gaze that had been blocked was now fully visible—blazing and direct. Instinctively, Kotoba lifted her head to look outside the elevator.

The slowly closing doors cut off the figure rushing swiftly toward them.

Upon reaching the first floor, she quickly vanished into the lobby.

---

The man who had sprinted down the stairs could only see Tang Shuo, still dazed.

He grabbed the other’s shoulders urgently. “Where did the person in the elevator just now go?”

Tang Shuo, startled, vaguely pointed in a direction.

By the time he caught up, Kotoba was nowhere to be found.

Back at home, Kotoba hung up the signboard above the door.

In bold, gleaming characters, six words were written:

Time’s General Store.

Fulfilling all your wishes.

Fair prices, honest to all.

Connecting humans, spirits, and gods. No credit—cash and goods settled.

Welcome.

At eight o’clock in the evening, Kotoba opened her livestream on time.

Several familiar accounts quickly appeared in the viewer list.

She greeted them all with a smile.

“Good evening.”

Messages scrolled across the screen.

[Bad review, another day without showing your face.]

[What’s on sale today? Last time’s spicy strips were delicious, send me a hundred more.]

[Woman, you haven’t streamed for three days.]

[Do you even remember you have a livestream? And a bunch of cute little fans waiting for you?]

...

Kotoba had an account on Tomato Live called “Kotoba’s Secret Garden.” As a faceless seller who streamed casually, her follower count was pitifully low. Occasionally, a few passersby would stumble upon her channel. Despite this, having a few dozen regular viewers daily never made her feel bored.

“Tonight, I’m selling a kind of cotton candy that makes you happy when you eat it. There’s strawberry flavor, chocolate flavor, blueberry grape flavor, and salty flavor…”

[Salty flavor? What kind of dark cuisine is that?]

“It’s not dark cuisine. It’s actually quite tasty.” As she spoke, Kotoba tore open the package, revealing a soft, white cotton candy resembling a dumpling on her fingertip. Out of the camera’s view, she nibbled on it.

[Why no sound? Is it good?]

[Did the medicine kick in?]

Kotoba grabbed a tissue and wrapped the spit-out cotton candy, her eyes full of disdain as she tossed the wad into the trash bin. She drank a gulp of water, barely suppressing the unpleasant taste in her mouth. Thankful it hadn’t sold yet—otherwise, she’d be chased down by angry reviews.

“Everyone, just buy the other flavors.”

[hahaha, looks like it’s not tasty.]

[If you say that, I kind of want to try how bad it is.]

Kotoba had lived long enough yet never fully understood the complexities of human nature. For example, the salty-flavored cotton candy was selling far better than the others.

Would these people really not chase her down with bad reviews?

Forget it. She’d better perfect the flavor before shipping.

After glancing at the clock on the wall, she began tidying the items on the table.

[Are you going to show the next product?]

[When will the spicy strips be back? I want to eat them, love them.]

“That's all for tonight’s stream. See you next time.”

Before she closed the livestream, the chat flooded with a surge of messages.

[What? Ending the stream already? Did you earn enough today?]

[Did you sell out the cotton candy before closing?]

[Are the things on the shelf just decorations? Bring them out and sell! If you won’t, I’ll come and stock new items for you.]

The screen went dark just as the system notified that a user with the ID [Thirty] had entered the room.

Kotoba glanced casually but paid it little attention.

Picking up a jar placed aside, she walked straight to a room in the side courtyard. The door had no lock. Pushing it open revealed a very simple space filled with samples of food, drinks, and daily necessities. Most were neatly stacked, though some opened boxes were scattered untidily in the center.

She glanced back at the courtyard, where Golden Ingots quietly held tea for her, and Pearl lay beside a robot watching her. Both tacitly refrained from disturbing her.

The two little ones seemed to sense something, knowing that whenever she entered this room, she would stay long before coming out.

And every time she emerged, her mood was never good.

As the door closed, everything inside the room rapidly began to change. A vast warehouse slowly took shape beneath Kotoba’s feet. She suddenly sank downward. Rows of ten-meter-high black shelves stood densely and neatly arranged, spaced with precision down to the smallest detail. Radiating outwards from Kotoba as the center.

A gigantic, abyssal red eye hung above, coldly watching those who entered.

The shelves were more or less filled with all kinds of items. Kotoba, holding the jar, weaved through the aisles.

That large eye, from deep slumber to awakening, continued to follow Kotoba’s retreating figure.