"Today's pastries are on the house for you, Clara. No need to pay, I'll give them to you as a gift," she said, packaging the pastries for Clara and placing them on the counter.
"Ah, this, I should still pay, just like Granny says, earning money is not easy," Clara moved her wrist close to the card reader.
"You child, let it go, just this once then," Granny Fu wasn't the stubborn type and didn't want to keep arguing with Clara, so she pressed a few buttons to input the price.
"Next time you come, you can tell me in advance. Actually, these pastries taste best when they're a bit warm, fresh out of the oven."
"Okay," Clara took the neatly packaged box, said goodbye to Granny Fu with the remaining bag of fruit, and then walked into the depths of the alley.
Back at home, she neatly stacked the items in the fridge, glanced at the time, then quickly washed up before stepping into the immersion pod.
Following the usual routine for starting the live broadcast, Clara familiarly activated various support programs, then connected to the network platform's interface, sending out notifications and invitations so that fans watching on their personal terminals, computers, and inside immersion pods would know she was going live.
[Rare, Purple Lightning Lala is starting work five minutes early today.]
[Did the sun rise from the west today? Purple Lightning Lala isn't being a lazy dog for once.]
[Looks like she's eager to get started today.]
[Probably going to rant about the mole from the enemy camp that infiltrated our guild last night, haha.]
The audience chattered among themselves, while Clara, now loaded with her virtual avatar, blinked in front of the screen, moved around a bit to adjust her posture, and didn't rush to turn on her mic as she usually did.
"Good evening, everyone~" she waved her hand.
[Wow, you're not Purple Lightning Lala. Why is your tone so gentle today?]
[Definitely a replacement, this is totally not Purple Lightning Lala.]
Today's Clara was indeed a surprise to the audience, as well as to herself.
"I have some things I want to talk to you all about tonight."
[No, with that tone, you're not saying you want to graduate, are you? Please don't.]
[Oh no, is Purple Lightning Lala going to take the same melodramatic path as other streamers?]
[We're here to watch a good buddy, not a whiny Purple Lightning Lala.]
The barrage of comments scrolled by and reading those words, the Clara of the past would have been eager to explain herself—afraid of misunderstandings or losing fans. But today, she felt an unexpected sense of calm and stability.
"It's not as bad as everyone thinks, just that I've had some sudden changes in mood," sitting in front of the screen, Clara uncharacteristically spoke about some of her inner thoughts and feelings.
"Actually, I've always been very anxious, afraid that my daily live streams would become boring and that everyone would give up on watching."
"Yelling and screaming every day, sometimes it's all just for the sake of the show and dramatic effect," she said, quieting the lively discussion among the viewers.
[Purple Lightning Lala is surprisingly bold today. Speaking might cause her to lose fans.]
"If I lose fans, then it must be due to my own lack of ability. It's bound to happen sooner or later and pleading won't change the outcome."
[It's over, I feel like today's Purple Lightning Lala is truly possessed by a deity, she has evolved into Saint Purple Lightning Lala.]
"I'm really grateful for everyone's support all this time; I'm not just being polite. Occasionally, I think that some streamers are not lacking in skill. The traffic I've gotten to this point is due in large part to luck."
"Because it came quickly, I myself couldn't see the reason behind it and could only imitate that version of myself who cheered for everyone, repeatedly doing silly stunts and drama-filled show effects."
"I received good feedback, but the unease grew as well, because I wasn't clear about what was attracting everyone's attention and viewership, and whether such a state could continue indefinitely?"
"I hadn't noticed this before and was simply immersed in it. Every time there was a large amount of tipping, it made me excited and happy, diluting that faint anxiety."
"Normally, this would continue for a long time, but for some reason, I suddenly woke up today," Clara spoke, and flashes of the previous night's fleeting images flickered through her mind—the flame burning on the bridge and the crowd roaring with joy.
"I've realized my own hidden weaknesses, and the twisted side of myself."
"I will still continue to stream, but I'll be a bit more candid, not screaming and shouting as much."
"It might make it less fun for everyone, but I think this is more real."
[Purple Lightning Lala is awesome.]
[Don't know what to say, but for some reason, it feels uplifting.]
[So are we doing guild battles tonight? I don't believe Purple Lightning Lala won't curse, haha.]
"Of course, we're doing guild battles tonight, watch me show off my skills~" Clara's synchronized virtual character waved her hand, and then she dived back into the game.
Just like always, she began the guild war within the game, but unexpectedly, she indeed wasn't yelling as much as before.
[Although quieter, Purple Lightning Lala seems more composed and calm. Her performance is even better than before.]
[Could it be that streaming has been hindering her?]
[We've lost one kind of joy, but gained another surprise. It's hard to say what's better.]
Late at night, the game world was ablaze with gunfire. Clara steered her giant Mecha into the chaotic battlefield among Starships, continuous flashes and lasers illuminating her cockpit as she focused intently on what lay ahead. Her hands were constantly moving and, as she approached the most dangerous moments, an unusual smile appeared on her face- she began to hum a tune.