"Ye Yuwei is definitely the top!"
"Why?"
"It's because Ye loves dragons, like the saying goes!"
As soon as those five words were uttered, the group chat erupted in mockery.
Yuwei and Jiaqi didn't pay any attention to it.
Actually, in their group, the main strategy was stirring up CP pairings to attract fans—those who skyrocketed to fame all did it this way.
"Seriously, let me tell you, don't be fooled by Yuwei's soft looks—her attack power is off the charts."
As soon as Jiaqi said that, the barrage was flooded with memes.
"Don't listen to her! Me, a top? My ass!"
"Watch your image! You're a little idol. Just skip it, let's all pretend we didn't hear anything."
"I really have to clarify this." Yuwei started goofing around.
"I'm purely domestic-made steel pipe—super tough and super straight," Ye Yuwei said with hysterical laughter.
Fans in the group chat started making a fuss, refusing to believe her.
They said things like, "Conquering this ground will take a heavy load" or something similar.
"Guys, don't do this. We're really just besties!" Ye Yuwei said with a laugh.
"But I want to be even closer to you than besties!" Jiaqi suddenly said seriously.
The atmosphere in the room immediately became even livelier.
Fans loved watching two pretty girls interacting like this—it felt like a live-action reality show.
"There's nothing better than being besties!" Ye Yuwei pretended not to understand, shyly covering her face.
Jiaqi glanced at the barrage and continued laughing, "Actually, Yuwei isn't usually this shy. One time, a ride-share driver tried taking a longer route and got inappropriate with her—she ended up beating him up."
The secret Jiaqi revealed sent everyone into a frenzy.
"What happened? That bastard dared to touch my Yuwei—oh, oops, I made a typo, meant dare."
"Ride-shares are so scary these days."
"Those drivers are broke losers—if you can't afford gas, don't buy a car."
"Yuwei, are you okay?! Pretty girls always attract ill intentions."
"I always say rides should be split by gender."
"How do you split?"
"One group only takes female passengers, another only takes male passengers."
The crowd immediately tore into this person, regardless of whether they were male or female.
Ye Yuwei and Jiaqi watched the barrage happily.
At that moment, they felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment—all these people genuinely loved them.
The two of them finished their instant noodles with relish.
"Who's doing the dishes today?" Jiaqi asked with exaggerated seriousness.
"Not me, not me—I'm still a baby." Ye Yuwei started acting cute and throwing a tantrum.
"Babies need to do more chores to grow up big and strong!" Jiaqi said, still maintaining a serious face.
The barrage immediately exploded, filled with all sorts of discussions about "big."
"Let's play a game to decide the loser!" Jiaqi tilted her head mischievously.
"Rock-paper-scissors?" Ye Yuwei's expression turned serious too.
The barrage, however, was full of chants for "kisses."
This was a game the girl group often played during performances.
Two members would stand face-to-face, staring into each other's eyes. They weren't allowed to laugh or make a sound, and their lips would slowly approach each other.
If someone dodged or laughed first, they'd lose and face a "punishment."
"You guys, you're really enjoying yourselves! We haven't even brushed our teeth—how could we kiss?"
"Look, Ye Yuwei has noodle crumbs stuck between her teeth!"
...
The two of them teased each other, hugged, and laughed—the live-stream atmosphere reached its peak.
Right as they were joking around, Ye Yuwei noticed someone had gifted her 100,000 "drumsticks," and the live-stream suddenly fell silent.
Drumsticks were a platform-specific virtual currency used to reward idols. Fans could acquire them through various methods, and roughly 100 drumsticks cost 10 yuan.
That 100,000 drumsticks equaled 10,000 yuan.
For someone like Ye Yuwei, who wasn't a tier-one member, this was undoubtedly a VIP-level gift.
Jiaqi looked at the 100,000 drumsticks, her emotions a tangled mess—this was a signal.
It likely meant someone prominent was preparing to back Yuwei financially.
"Hah, so many drumsticks—we could eat until we land on the moon," Jiaqi broke the silence first.
"Let me thank this generous patron." Ye Yuwei snapped out of her surprise and immediately clasped her hands, bowing in gratitude.
The live-stream buzzed back to life, and everyone started hyping them up.
"The big donor is waving their flag—come on, kiss already!"
Kiss!
Kiss!
...
Both Jiaqi and Yuwei realized they couldn't keep stalling.
The audience was there for their "shipping content."
Regardless of whether the donor was an actual VIP, opportunities like this had to be seized.
Life is a performance, and all that matters is your acting skills.
The two knelt on the bedspread, their snow-white silk blouses gleaming under the lights.
To make sure the fans had a clear view, they even pulled their hair away from their faces.
Their two stunning flower-like faces slowly drew closer.
Even though they were just acting, only they knew the emotions hidden within.
Ye Yuwei saw those gentle, restrained eyes approaching her, smelled the faint yet growing scent of roses, and felt her body instinctively go soft.
Her heart felt like it was being stirred by a feather.
Whoosh!
Just as their lips were about to touch, their hair slid down, obscuring the details.
This was a trick often used by little idols—it was a live-stream, after all—they couldn't actually kiss.
Suppressing their inner tumult, the two embraced and laughed together.
The barrage instantly lit up with all kinds of reactions.
Most noticeable was the "mystery donor" throwing another 100,000 drumsticks.
Two hours of live-streaming passed.
When they logged out of the platform, the two instantly quieted down.
"Jiaqi, do you think someone's planning to promote us?"
"Maybe, possibly, probably! They gifted 20,000 yuan in one go."
"I just hope it's not some VIP acting on impulse. Heaven, please grant me a single-push sponsor!" Ye Yuwei raised her hands and shouted, then quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Haha! Keep at it, Yuwei. Who knows? This time might be your big break." Jiaqi said, clearly excited.
In this group, for a minor idol to secure good resources, it all depended on fans pooling money and voting for them in the general election to achieve high rankings.
Of course, ranking high in the general election wasn't enough—your everyday popularity and personal skills mattered too.
But the general election was definitely the foundation.
Looking at the group's historical top-seven, every single one had their own "single-push sponsor," essentially a major benefactor.
Each voter's tally was nearly never below 100,000 votes, and each general election vote cost around 35 yuan. It was clear—they couldn't succeed without a major benefactor.