Lieshan Live was currently the hottest streaming platform on the market.

According to the official promotional monthly report, the sheer number of streamers on the platform was unmatched by any competitors, which implicitly underscored the brutal intensity of its competition.

For a rookie streamer, breaking through and making a name for themselves was by no means an easy feat.

Yet, an endless stream of new users still chose to register as streamers on Lieshan, primarily because the platform had specifically carved out a section dedicated to supporting newcomers. As long as a new streamer had been registered for less than fifteen days, they would take turns appearing on the front page of this specific section.

This was information Lin Zhu had thoroughly researched beforehand.

He planned to set aside a fixed few hours every day to stream, while utilizing the rest of his time to complete the learning requirements assigned by his studio. Although he wasn’t entirely certain whether streaming would prove a viable channel, doing something was always better than doing nothing at all. Lin Zhu intended to try it out for half a month first; if it really didn’t work out, he would brainstorm other solutions.

However, he still felt reasonably confident at the moment.

Because his hands had been exceptionally nimble and adept at intricate micro-operations since childhood, Lin Zhu would often craft various small trinkets during his spare time, photograph them, and list them on online trading platforms for sale. Not only was this model highly flexible and liberating, but it also didn’t consume too much of his energy; he only needed to reply to messages and ship out orders in one go after returning home from school.

If it were the weekend or a holiday, Lin Zhu would even set aside time to set up a physical stall outdoors. Fortunately, whether online or on-site, the handmade products he crafted sold quite well. Since the unit price wasn’t cheap, his income was considerably substantial.

Before starting the broadcast, Lin Zhu gave it some careful thought—his past customer base had mostly consisted of young women or young couples. Now that he resided in an ABO world, should his target audience pivot to young Omegas or couples?

At this moment, inside the study.

Lin Zhu sat before the desk, where the computer screen displayed the real-time feed captured by the webcam. The main visual focus was the pair of hands the youth had rested on the table. His fingers were exceptionally long and slender with distinct joints, and the veins on the back of his hands were faintly visible. It was a very handsome, striking pair of hands.

Neatly arranged around his hands was an array of tools: a digital gram scale, plastic cups, stirring rods, food-grade silicone, and a sprawling, chaotic assortment of miscellaneous items.

Lin Zhu stretched his fingers slightly, then slid the mouse, maneuvering the small triangular cursor to hover over a specific spot on the computer screen. Immediately following that, a crisp click echoed through the room—

【Confirm Broadcast】

It was just past ten o’clock in the morning.

This particular hour was typically the most sluggish period for streaming platform traffic. However, since the National College Entrance Examination had just concluded a few days prior, a massive influx of students had flooded the internet, and Lieshan Live had successfully absorbed quite a large portion of them.

Ning Chen happened to be one of them.

As a student from a prestigious key high school, he had barely been allowed to touch his phone over the past year or two. Now, things were finally looking up. With the entrance exam finally behind him, Ning Chen began surfing the web with a vengeance, displaying a fierce momentum as if he intended to wear out the phone screen itself.

Outside the window, the sunlight was bright and pleasant.

Refusing to get out of bed, he lay sideways on the mattress, his thumb flicking across the homepage of the Lieshan Live app. Streaming rooms flashed past at lightning speed; various visuals and melodies flickered before his eyes, only to be closed by him one after another.

This one? Don’t want to watch a food stream. Pass.

Competitive gaming? Too scrubby, can’t understand it. Pass.

So boring. Pass, pass, pass.

Huh? What’s going on with this streaming room?

…

After Ning Chen had scrolled past several streaming rooms in a single breath, his finger suddenly froze. His eyes rolled up slightly, and his train of thought stalled for a split second.

Eh? Did I just catch a glimpse of something?

He wasn’t entirely certain.

He really wanted to take another look.

Ning Chen silently scrolled back up, his gaze landing squarely on the title of that particular streaming room. His mouth couldn’t help but murmur the words syllable by syllable along with his gaze:

“Wife isn’t home today, click to watch an Alpha…”

The first half of the sentence was even adorned with two small heart emojis, making it look incredibly, incredibly… For some inexplicable reason, Ning Chen’s gaze shifted slightly, and he coughed twice automatically. Yet, his finger obediently and honestly delivered a firm tap!

He clicked inside.

Let me see what this is all about!

In the next second, the mobile interface swiftly transitioned. The visual swapped over to the footage captured by the streamer’s webcam.

There was no noisy, clamorous music inside the streaming room. Ning Chen could only faintly discern a steady, rhythmic breath. Following his entry into the room, a slightly raspy, low smoky voice rang out, its volume kept incredibly gentle.

“Welcome [Ningning Loves to Sleep] to the streaming room.”

“Good morning.”

Hiss, the voice is actually pretty nice, Ning Chen thought to himself.

But the voice wasn’t the main draw.

Ning Chen stared intently at his phone screen—this was a faceless rookie streamer, and the only moving element within the frame was the streamer’s pair of hands.

The streamer’s left hand was clad in a black plastic glove, and resting in his palm was an unpackaged silicone cat-paw squishy toy. Painted in shades of pink and white, the cat-paw squishy—which possessed a certain thickness—quivered slightly with a gentle tilt of the hand.

It was incredibly cute.

The stark contrast between the black glove and the white-pink toy was visually arresting.

Ning Chen’s gaze lingered on the adorable cat-paw squishy for a moment before he couldn’t resist shifting his eyes slightly…

Slender and skeletal.

Following the dynamic motions of opening and closing into a grip, the veins and tendons running from the back of the hand to the sides of the fingers pulsed and stretched slightly. A powerful sense of tension saturated the frame, practically striking Ning Chen right in the face.

Listening to the streamer’s explanations and commentary, Ning Chen watched the toy get squeezed flat and rounded out. For some inexplicable reason, he found it incredibly therapeutic, and the restlessness filling his heart seemed to dissipate quite a bit.

By the time he snapped back to reality, several minutes had already ticked away.

With a face full of existential doubt, Ning Chen shared the video link to his group chat of close friends and family, appending it with a text: 【Impressive. Just found this, and I’ve been completely locked in.】

【The charm skill is maxed out!】

If Lin Zhu knew about this, a massive question mark would undoubtedly pop up over his head.

It was just a pair of hands; where on earth did charm come into play?

However, he remained entirely oblivious.

Time flew by rapidly.

Three days had already elapsed since Lin Zhu began streaming behind Yan Ruoyun’s back. During these three days, he had crafted numerous basic squishy toys, alongside a few highly complex, heavy-duty squishies. Throughout the entire process, a small whiteboard detailing the prices and custom-order availability sat prominently at the corner of the desk.

Regrettably, the traffic in the streaming room remained stagnant, and his sales currently sat at zero. Lin Zhu wasn’t someone who lost his patience easily, but the moment he recalled the expression on Yan Ruoyun’s face while selecting a ring on his phone that day, a ripple of anxiety couldn’t help but well up within him.

He subconsciously retrieved a cat-paw squishy from the storage box to play with in his hand. The squishy wasn’t particularly large; he could easily enclose it within a single palm. The ultra-soft, creamy texture felt exceptionally dense and satisfying.

This was a type of stress-relief toy, primarily constructed from food-grade silicone. It would spring back to its original shape after being squeezed flat, making it perfect for fiddling with in one’s hands during moments of anxiety or when trying to redirect focus. It was immensely popular among young students and corporate workers alike.

Lin Zhu had once amassed a fortune by selling handmade squishies. It was just that back then, he had already built up a stable customer base; starting entirely from scratch now proved to be a bit more arduous.

…Sigh.

This was the first time he had ever felt so urgently desperate to earn money.

Lin Zhu’s eyes glazed over as his hands maintained a continuous motion. After squeezing the toy for a while, his gaze was suddenly pulled toward the notification box that popped up in the bottom right corner of his computer screen. It was a small pop-up window sent from Lieshan:

【Congratulations! Your concurrent viewer count has exceeded one hundred. Please keep up the great work!】

Lin Zhu blanked for a moment. His attention was then forcefully dragged away by the comment section in the bottom left corner of the streaming interface. He watched the comments roll up rapidly line after line, accompanied by viewers showering him with virtual gifts.

Keeping the notes he had meticulously compiled on “How to Stream Successfully” firmly in mind, Lin Zhu didn’t even have time to read the contents of the comment section. He hurriedly recited the IDs of the viewers who had sent him gifts one by one, offering his gratitude to each.

After reciting names for over a minute, Lin Zhu’s throat felt a bit dry.

He lifted a glass of water from outside the webcam’s field of view, tilting his head back to take a swig before finally turning his eyes back to the comment section. What met his eyes, however, was a screen completely filled with…

【We don’t want to watch the crafting process. We want to keep watching the streamer personally squeeze the toys. Can we pick the styles? Is it possible to provide a proxy squeezing service?】

Lin Zhu froze instantly, swallowing the water in his mouth a beat too slow. He scrambled to explain, “All of these are squishy toys I crafted by hand. There is ready stock available, and I also accept custom orders based on images…”

In an effort to promote his products, he added, “If you’re interested, you can buy a couple to squeeze and play with yourselves. It’s very therapeutic.”

No matter which world one was in, societal pressure remained equally immense, so these stress-relief toys definitely possessed a certain market value.

To his absolute surprise, the comment section chimed in one after another:

【I understand the logic, but can’t you just squeeze it a couple of times for me, streamer? I have tenosynovitis.】

【I understand the logic, but watching someone else squeeze it looks so incredibly satisfying. The streamer’s hands are so gorgeous; hand-fetishists are rejoicing right now.】

【I understand the logic. Streamer, don’t let your hands stop.】

As they spoke, the viewers showered him with another wave of virtual gifts.

Although he hadn’t managed to sell a single physical product yet, Lin Zhu generated revenue through the gifts, and the traffic in the streaming room climbed steadily. As the gifts piled up one after another, after deducting the platform’s cut and processing fees, Lin Zhu was astonished to find that over five hundred yuan had been credited to his backend account in the blink of an eye.

That was nearly ten times the selling price of a single squishy.

Lin Zhu: “…?”

He was bewildered and deeply mystified.

But this was ultimately a positive development.

Consequently, Lin Zhu straightened his posture slightly, nudging his tools to the side before arraying the various squishies he had completed over the past few days right in the center of the desk. He asked:

“Alright, which one do you guys want to see me squeeze?”

This must be the joy of virtual squeezing, he thought.

The engagement in the comment section was exceptionally high. The viewers selected styles while simultaneously sending gifts. Lin Zhu picked out the specified squishy toys in a flurry, displaying them meticulously before the camera lens. “This is a fruit squishy, the peach version. The texture is very soft, making it suitable for people with less hand strength.”

With a firm squeeze, the soft, doughy peach toy exploded outward before snapping back to its original form, quivering in a soft, bouncy manner for a good long while.

Even though he only handled each style for five to fifteen minutes, Lin Zhu still spent a considerable amount of time squeezing before he managed to get through them all.

Physical sales remained dismal, reaching only single digits.

Upon ending the broadcast, he cast a glance at his backend earnings and instantly fell into another bizarre silence… Though his sales were sparse, the gift donations were extraordinarily abundant, all generated by his virtual proxy squeezing service.

Lin Zhu gained a fresh understanding of the immense pressure inherent to the ABO world.

Time marched on rapidly.

Half a month flashed by in the blink of an eye.

Lin Zhu’s squishy sales remained mediocre, but the withdrawable balance in his backend account was already highly impressive. Even his follower count had surged to several thousand people. Lieshan officials had even sent him a message inquiring whether he had any intention of signing an exclusive contract.

Lin Zhu politely declined. He had no intentions of pursuing streaming as a long-term venture.

Every day, capitalizing on the hours when Yan Ruoyun wasn’t home, Lin Zhu would stream for a fixed couple of hours. Except his content had shifted from “crafting squishies and selling squishies” to “crafting squishies and reviewing squishies,” embarking on the path of a popular streamer in a thoroughly bizarre fashion.

Producing them himself and squeezing them himself left Lin Zhu utterly exhausted. No matter how pliable and soft a toy was, it simply couldn’t withstand him squeezing it repeatedly for extended periods every single day.

However, the comment section offered absolutely no mercy.

Whenever Lin Zhu halted his movements out of exhaustion, the streaming room would instantly be flooded with a massive downpour of virtual gifts. Converted into cash… the sum had already reached a figure that physical product sales could never hope to attain.

【Don’t stop, streamer. I still want to watch you squeeze the toast.】

【Streamer, the moment you stop, my anxiety acts up. Hurry up and squeeze it a few more times for me; other people are capable of doing anything.】

Occasionally, Lin Zhu would even face mockery.

【Why are there teeth marks on the streamer’s index and middle fingers? Takes a glance at the title… oh, bit them yourself, didn’t you?】

【Hahahahaha, judging by the voice, the streamer sounds pretty young. Do you really have a wife? I don’t believe it.】

【Why is your wife never home?】

Lin Zhu was completely numb.

Lin Zhu cast a glance at the total gift amount.

Lin Zhu forced himself to rally his spirits!

The consequence of rallying his spirits was that—with the broadcast nearing the half-month mark—he was already teetering right on the brink of developing tenosynovitis himself. It turned out that the tenosynovitis mentioned in the comment section hadn’t vanished at all; it had merely transferred directly onto his own hands.

It wasn’t until this day that matters took an unexpected turn.

It was a weekday afternoon, around three o’clock. Lin Zhu hauled the tools he had hidden out from the storage cabinet, arranging them one by one. After adjusting the webcam slightly, he initiated a new day’s broadcast.

Right as the stream went live, several hundred people flooded into the room.

Yet, not long after Lin Zhu commenced his broadcast, a sharp, crisp click echoed from outside the room. It was the sound of the front door’s fingerprint lock being disengaged.

Engrossed in reciting his words of appreciation, Lin Zhu failed to notice the unusual noise in the living room for a moment. It wasn’t until the study door was thrown open with a swoosh that Yan Ruoyun’s shout intruded a step ahead of his physical presence:

“Hubby, I came back to grab a file…”

In the next instant, Yan Ruoyun poked his head inside. His voice faltered for a second as his gaze swept suspiciously over Lin Zhu and the desk littered with cute trinkets. He couldn’t resist asking:

“What on earth are you doing??”

Lin Zhu reacted a beat too slow. He hurriedly slid his mouse, swiftly terminating the streaming session before responding, “…I’ve been under a bit of pressure lately, so I’m playing with some squishy toys.”

While gripping the mouse, an intense, aching soreness throbbed through his thumb.

Anxious to locate his file, Yan Ruoyun didn’t press further. He rummaged through his own desk drawer to retrieve a folder, planted a quick kiss on Lin Zhu, and left.

He was like a whirlwind.

It took Lin Zhu a few moments to compose himself before he launched the streaming room once again, explaining in a low voice, “My apologies. A family member suddenly came home, so I had to terminate the broadcast in an emergency.”

The comment section had already erupted into an absolute frenzy. The screen was completely covered in…

【Huh??? Computer, shrimp, buddy.jpg】 (Translator’s note: A meme format expressing shock/confusion)

【So this wasn’t just a clickbait title and an edgy persona?!】

【Wait, streamer, you actually have a wife?!】

Lin Zhu fell into a brief silence before offering a quiet acknowledgment:

“Yes, he doesn’t know I’ve been streaming…”

He had also intended to say, ‘Stop making me squeeze them, I’m about to get tenosynovitis,’ and then seize the opportunity to pitch his products in hopes of boosting sales and pausing the virtual proxy squeezing services.

However, before he could even finish his sentence, dozens of comments had already flashed across the screen.

【My heart goes out to the streamer. You actually have to hide it?】

【Ah… so the streamer’s wife won’t even let him play with squishy toys? No wonder your stress levels are so high that you have to squeeze them for at least three hours a day. So, can you continue now?】

【Don’t overwork yourself, but don’t rest either.】

Lin Zhu: “…”

He felt utterly drained.

During moments like this, only a glance at the backend balance could restore Lin Zhu’s inner peace. Soon, he would not be too far off from his target goal.

Regrettably, this hard-won peace was destined to be short-lived.

Lin Zhu’s streaming venture failed to remain a secret from his partner for long. Two days after catching him red-handed during the live broadcast, Yan Ruoyun returned home early from work, and everything appeared perfectly normal on the surface.

However, after the two of them had finished washing up and were preparing to sleep, the man suddenly took hold of his hand, sliding it inside the collar of his bathrobe so that Lin Zhu’s palm pressed intimately against his skin. At the same time, he murmured softly:

“When did I ever forbid you from squeezing?”

“Puppy Lin, let me ask you this again: does my skin feel better to the touch, or do those squishy toys of yours?”