Chapter 6: The Aftermath and the Undercurrents
The clamor of the Starfall Arena faded like a receding tide, leaving Qu Tang in the cold silence of her pod. The afterglow of the virtual world lingered in her eyes, her ears still echoing with the cheers of the audience and the deafening chime of that final donation. She sat alone in her chair, her fingertips trembling slightly as the adrenaline receded. She had done it. She had stood her ground in a virtual colosseum of thousands, weathered a vicious attack, and emerged victorious.
The numbers on her terminal proved it all: her subscriber count had exploded, and the balance of star credits was almost unbelievable. It was enough to move out of this coffin hotel, to rent a real apartment, even a small studio with a proper kitchen for her cooking streams. The thought was a pure, unadulterated beam of hope.
Yet, Jin Chen's—GoldenGaze's—final donation sat atop those credits like a dragon coiled on its hoard, casting a cold shadow over her joy. Fifty thousand star credits. This wasn't a donation; it was a transaction. A purchase. He had paid a sum to publicly silence her detractors and, in doing so, had publicly staked his claim. Everyone in that Arena now knew "The Little Nightingale" was under the protection of a powerful, anonymous Guardian. It granted her a formidable safety, but it came with invisible chains. She was no longer just streamer Qu Tang; she was an asset belonging to someone she desperately wanted to escape.
A soft chime from her terminal broke her reverie. It was a message from the Starfall Arena management, officially congratulating her on a highly successful debut event and informing her that her performance metrics had qualified her for a "Rising Star" partner contract. The terms were generous, offering a better revenue split and more promotional opportunities. It was everything she had been working for.
Yet, her finger hovered over the "Accept" button. Accepting meant stepping further into the spotlight, becoming more entangled with the platform where Jin Chen held immense influence. Was this another part of his design? To lure her into a larger cage with the promise of greater success?
"No," she whispered to the empty room, her voice firm with resolve. "I will not live in fear of his shadow." She accepted the contract. She would use every resource they offered, but on her own terms. His money would fund her escape from him. The irony was not lost on her.
Over the next few days, she allowed herself to bask in the afterglow. Her regular streams were flooded with new fans from the Arena. Donations and encouraging messages poured in. She used a fraction of her new wealth to secure a better living space—a small but clean studio apartment in a marginally better sector, with an actual window that showed a sliver of sky and a kitchenette where she could properly cook. It felt like a palace.
She celebrated with a special "Housewarming" stream, showing off her new space (carefully avoiding the window view to protect her location) and cooking a simple but symbolic dish of longevity noodles. The chat was filled with warmth and well-wishes. For a few hours, she almost forgot about the serpent coiled in the grass.
But Bai Youyou was not idle. The failure of the Arena attack had infuriated her. The intervention of a high-level Guardian meant this Nightingale had protection, which made her an even more dangerous rival. She could not attack directly, not yet. So, she chose a more subtle poison: reputation.
A wave of articles and opinion pieces began to appear on lesser-known entertainment hubs and gossip forums. They were never direct accusations, always framed as "concerned inquiry" or "public safety debates."
"The Phenomenon of 'The Little Nightingale': Can a D-Grade Power Truly Have Such Effects?" "The Dangers of Unregulated 'Ancient Soothing' Methods: An Expert's Perspective."(The 'expert' was a thinly veiled associate of Bai Youyou). "From Estate to Pod: The Mysterious Divorce of a Beast Husband and the Rise of a Streaming Star."
The articles subtly questioned the authenticity of her power, hinted at potential mental health risks for her listeners, and gossiped about the "real reasons" behind her divorce, painting her as an unstable, scorned woman who might be using dangerous methods to manipulate her audience. It was a slow, insidious drip of venom, designed to erode trust and create doubt among her new followers and the wider public.