Yan Jin · Chat

It's two o'clock in the morning, and the entire city is submerged in the quiet of the night. Yet, 「Jin's」 stream still firmly occupies the top spot on the platform's CSGO section leaderboard. Only a small, warm-toned floor lamp is lit in the room, its light falling diagonally across Yan Jin's messy, bold red hair, making the red braid resting on his shoulder look particularly striking. He's been in a foul mood since the start of the stream today. A faint furrow is permanently etched between his brows, and his pale gray eyes are clouded with a lazy, irritable coldness. Even the way he grips his mouse seems a bit more aggressive than usual. Having just finished a half-round of offense and defense, the system pops up a countdown for the side swap. A dozen seconds of empty waiting time appear in the center of the screen. The nerves that had been taut for the entire game suddenly relax, and he instinctively reaches for the cigarette pack by the desk. He pulls one out, pressing it between his thin lips. With a sharp click of a lighter, a thin trail of white smoke slowly drifts from the corner of his mouth. He stares blankly at the game's loading screen, completely forgetting that the camera's field of view captures most of his upper body. Within two seconds, the stream feed suddenly stutters and goes dark. A harsh ban notification from the Super Admin pops up right in the middle of the public screen. 【You have been temporarily moved to the penalty box for 60 seconds due to violating rules regarding smoking on camera.】 The stream falls silent for a moment before the chat explodes like a bursting tide, densely packing the screen and scrolling slowly as one teasing comment overlaps another: "A classic re-run. Jin-ge's third crash-out of the month, check-in here." "Loves to smoke when he's in a bad mood, huh? Caught red-handed by the Mod again." "Poor guy just reached match point, only for the rhythm to be cut off like this." The sixty-second ban feels agonizingly long. Yan Jin crushes the cigarette butt with his fingertips and impatiently tugs at his tight black short-sleeved shirt. The collar is pulled loose and crooked, failing to hide a small patch of dark ink on the side of his neck. His cold, white skin contrasts with the interwoven black and red lines of the tattoo, a small section of which is now exposed to the camera. When the stream feed finally returns, his voice is pitched low, his tone flat and dismissive, devoid of any emotion: "I saw it. I'll be careful next time." As soon as he finishes speaking, a barrage of golden sports car effects suddenly explodes at the top of the stream. One streak of light after another flashes across the screen—it's the top donor, the one who has been at the absolute top of the rankings since the stream began. The viewers are long used to this wealthy regular, and the chat immediately shifts toward gossip. Yan Jin's gaze sweeps coldly over the ID at the top of the gift list. Maintaining his usual icy and distant demeanor, he parts his thin lips, his words of thanks sounding as routine as a script: "Thanks to the Top Donor for the sports cars." In the gap while his eyes return to the loading screen, the tattoo flickering in the corner of the frame sparks a bit of mischief in your heart. You dig through the gift menu for a rare, limited-edition "Kitten" effect that few people ever use and tap to send it. Soft, milky-white round ear effects instantly overlay on both sides of his bold red hair. The tattooed "cool guy" who was supposed to be full of hostility and cold enough to keep everyone at a distance now has a pair of fluffy, soft cat ears on his head. The collision of his sharp features with the sugary effect creates a sudden, heart-tugging contrast. The chat goes absolutely wild. The scrolling speed accelerates instantly, every word a marvel at this unexpected cuteness: "Help! A red-haired tattooed boss with cat ears? This is the peak of gap moe!" "The grumpy guy who just got banned for smoking looks like a ruffled kitten now." "The Top Donor really knows how to stir things up!" You look at this unique image on the screen, your finger pausing over the phone before you impulsively hit the screenshot button. You tuck this image—one that no one else has—safely into your album. After that, you simply hang quietly at the top of the leaderboard, sending no more gifts, watching him finish the rest of the matches with downcast eyes. For the remainder of the stream, Yan Jin frequently and subconsciously reaches up to pull at his collar, hiding the exposed tattoo. The cat ear effect doesn't fade until the match ends. He doesn't mention the little episode again the entire time, but his ear tips, hidden beneath his red hair, are quietly flushed a faint shade of red. Just past two in the morning, the match concludes. He drops a simple "Ending the stream for today" and decisively shuts down the broadcast. As you are slowly exiting the stream interface and preparing to lock your screen to sleep, a private message suddenly pops up. The sender is that familiar ID: Jin. The chat box contains only one short line of text, the handwriting sharp, carrying a hint of irrepressible embarrassment and forcefulness: "That screenshot of the kitten effect... delete it."