Chapter 6: The Boundaries of a Beast

Amidst a lively and cheerful atmosphere, Su Chen welcomed his third connected viewer. To his surprise, it was a young man.

"Greetings, big brother," the boy said, his voice sounding a bit shy and hesitant.

"Hello there!" Su Chen asked with a smile. "What’s bothering you? Did you run into some kind of problem?"

If it had been a girl, they could have chatted about daily life or relationships, but with a guy, there was no need for pleasantries; it was better to get straight to the point.

The boy was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "I’m a sophomore, and there’s something that’s been bothering me lately..."

"Do you mind telling me what it is?" Su Chen asked, his tone professional and straightforward.

"Uh... it’s just that... every time I chat with a girl I like, I run out of things to say after a few minutes, and we just end up staring longingly at each other. What should I do?" the boy asked, sounding distressed.

Su Chen wore a look of bewilderment. "Wait, are you an idiot?"

The boy sounded offended. "Hey, streamer, why are you resorting to personal attacks?"

Su Chen brushed it off, suddenly chuckling as he said, "Brother, if you aren't an idiot, then the girl is already staring at you with affection, and you’re still trying to come up with conversation topics? Shouldn't you be looking for a condom instead?"

In a university dormitory somewhere, a student stared at Su Chen’s livestream, dumbfounded. *Is this guy for real? My eyes have been opened... did I just... learn something?*

As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, the chat exploded with laughter.

[Hey, hey, Su Chen, don't corrupt the youth!]
[God-tier reply, Brother Su Chen. It seems you’re quite the expert!]
[Hahaha, I’m dying!]
[Deserving of the title "The Number One Romantic," that name wasn't given in vain!]

Having regained his composure and saved face in this interaction, Su Chen felt quite pleased with himself. *Hehe, everyone, settle down, settle down. Just basic procedure, nothing to see here!*

Let’s continue. The fourth viewer was a girl, who appeared to be a student. She spoke with a tearful, rambling voice about the miserable day she’d had.

She’d stepped in dog feces on her way to school, ruining her sneakers. She’d forgotten to complete an English test and was singled out by the teacher for criticism. After using the bathroom, her skirt got tucked into her underwear—though she didn't expose anything, the embarrassing sight was seen by the boy she liked. Worst of all, she’d come down with a fever in the afternoon and had to ask for leave to go home and lie down...

Hearing this, Su Chen felt a strong urge to retort. *You’re already home on sick leave, why the hell are you watching a livestream!* But seeing as she was a loyal fan, and considering everything she’d been through, his heart softened.

"Even though it was a terrible day, it doesn't mean it’s a terrible life, right? It’s really no big deal. You need to learn to forgive yourself and believe that when you wake up tomorrow, it will be a fresh start!"

Hearing Su Chen’s gentle comfort, the girl let out a heavy, affirmative sound. Although he hadn't managed to harvest any negative emotional value from this interaction, Su Chen didn't force it. He might be a bit cynical, but he wasn't heartless. He had his own principles and bottom line; he wouldn't hurt someone who was already suffering just for points.

Of course, if the person wasn't innocent, that was a different story. In that case, he would squeeze them dry—just like the college girl he connected with next.

"Miss, is there anything you’d like to discuss?" Su Chen asked with a smile. He could tell from her voice that she was confident and proud; she didn't sound like someone facing a genuine hardship.

"I’m a girl from the mountains. I’ve always had good grades, and in the college entrance exam, I got into a key university as the top student in my school."

Su Chen nodded with a smile, praising her. "That’s impressive, young lady. It’s not easy for a girl from a rural village to achieve that."

"Thank you for the compliment!"

The girl continued, "I’ve been living in the big city for a few years. When I returned to my hometown, I couldn't get used to the water from the old well; it always had a muddy, fishy taste. So, I bought a case of mineral water from a nearby supermarket to drink. But to my surprise, after I went out for a few days and came back, there were only a few bottles left. I found out later that my parents had been drinking it. The point is, they never once mentioned it to me."

Su Chen frowned, not quite understanding her point, and asked, "Um... and? Your parents drank some water—is there a problem with that?"

The girl reacted as if her tail had been stepped on; she bristled, her voice sharpening. "First of all, the water was in my room. They entered my room without my permission; that is a violation of my private space! Secondly, they drank my water without asking. Isn't that shameless? It’s completely disrespectful and shows a total lack of boundaries!"

As soon as the girl finished, the livestream chat went silent. Her words sounded logical on the surface, but for some reason, the viewers felt uncomfortable, as if there was something seriously wrong with her. Just as the audience was about to start lashing out, Su Chen spoke.

"Well, yes, I suppose. Listen, I think your parents are largely to blame."

Upon hearing this, the girl was pleasantly surprised. "Right? You think so too, don't you? I feel like they have some serious issues. Even though I know their education level is limited, some basic respect and understanding should be a given, right? I’m thinking that once I get my degree, I’ll just rent an apartment in the city and live there, to avoid any more friction with them."

In a spacious, luxurious office, a stunningly beautiful woman was watching Su Chen’s livestream. She wore a black dress, long black stockings, and high heels. Underneath her swept-up hair was an incredibly beautiful face. A pair of silver-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, adding an intellectual charm to her calm and alluring aura.

This woman, who could easily stir a man’s desire to conquer, was Su Yueying, who had connected with Su Chen previously. At this moment, her expression was unexpectedly surprised. *Does this young man really think the same way?* She felt a strange sense of disappointment, a lingering feeling of dejection. *Forget it, he’s just an immature boy. Why should I have such high expectations for him?*

Just as Su Yueying was about to close the stream, Su Chen continued.

"Yes, that’s right. I think the biggest fault your parents have is raising an ingrate like you!"

As soon as he said this, the livestream erupted with cheers.

[Brother Su Chen is right, damn it, you’re an ingrate!]
[You’re nitpicking over a few bottles of water from your parents? When it comes to moral bankruptcy, you win. And you call yourself a college student? Did you study with your head in the sand?]
[Well said, Brother Su Chen! People like this deserve to be scolded!]

Watching the boy on the screen with his focused, serious expression, Su Yueying was slightly stunned, then broke into a laugh. She had been watching his streams for years and knew him well enough; why did she ever doubt his character? With that thought, she gifted a large "Big Rocket" to Su Chen as an apology for her doubt.

The girl on the line clearly hadn't expected Su Chen to pull such a reversal. The pain and anger of being backstabbed left her speechless.

[Received negative emotional value from Sun Mei: +888]

She remained silent, and Su Chen, showing no mercy, pressed the attack.

"Also, you talk about 'boundaries' because your parents entered your room and drank a few bottles of water. Very well. Tell me, you’re an adult now, living in your parents' house, eating the meals they cook, and spending the money they provide—where are your so-called boundaries? To put it bluntly, you are a parasite living off your parents, sucking their blood and eating their flesh! In this day and age, do parasites even have the right to talk about boundaries? Do beasts who don't know how to be human even have the right to talk about their parents?"