Chapter 54

Chapter 54

"Ah, Barlow, I'm here, in the kitchen..." Startled by Barlow's booming voice, Nevi flinched. Snapping out of it, he hurried toward the kitchen door while calling back to Barlow.

Before he could even reach the door, a figure flashed in and wrapped Nevi in a hug.

It was Barlow who had embraced him.

After months of this, Nevi had gone from stiff and awkward to totally used to it.

Nevi even hugged him back, patting his back gently.

When Barlow finally released Nevi, the worry and anxiety on his face broke through the second he saw Nevi. His eyes went red on the spot.

Nevi's skin was so fair that any redness or swelling stood out like crazy. With his eyes swollen and red, the tip of his nose and cheeks flushed, even his sincere little smile looked forced on his pitiful, mess of a face.

"Nevi, how could you not tell me about something this big! I only found out because the president told me. How could those bugs be so vile! How could they do this!!" Barlow said, his voice choked with righteous fury.

He'd known Nevi long enough to understand just how soft and gentle he was. He didn't need to ask—he knew Nevi had probably figured he was at work and didn't want to bother him.

But just picturing Nevi facing that tidal wave of slander and abuse alone made Barlow's chest ache.

"Barlow, I'm fine now." Nevi tried his best to reassure him. To be honest, Nevi's mood was actually the best it'd been in days.

Reconnecting with Kaisisen and clearing up their misunderstanding had Nevi still floating in a dazed, happy haze.

But that only made Barlow cry harder.

Nevi's current state wasn't exactly convincing.

The whole way over, Barlow hadn't dared imagine what Nevi might look like. Now, seeing it with his own eyes—watching Nevi, looking every bit the pitiful little thing, force back his own sadness to comfort him...

Barlow couldn't help it—he yanked Nevi into another hug, sobbing.

Barlow's sorrow was contagious, and Nevi's eyes burned again.

The two bugs held each other, comforting one another, until the racket from the kitchen got too loud. The little ones outside kept calling for their dad and uncle, even trying to get the butler to carry them over.

Only then did Nevi and Barlow hastily wash their faces and manage to pull themselves together.

They caught each other's red-rimmed eyes and both couldn't help but laugh.

The atmosphere lightened considerably.

After leaving the kitchen and barely convincing the two chubby little ones that their eyes just hurt, the two bugs made their way to the balcony. Once Barlow had calmed down a bit, he started explaining.

"Nevi, you probably don't know yet, but the police bugs already caught the mastermind behind the slander against you. We're just waiting for the trial and sentencing."

His voice was full of anger, but his expression was pretty satisfied.

Nevi, though, was genuinely stunned. "What? They caught them that fast?"

He'd heard Kaisisen say they'd filed a report, but he'd figured it would take days to find the culprit. He never imagined they'd catch them this fast.

"Nevi, you underestimate your influence. Especially after your identity was exposed—the internet went absolutely nuts. The cyber police and the association's phone lines were practically blown up by frantic female bugs. Remember when you played Moon God? The Blessing Festival was so dead it was almost abandoned, and then it went completely viral. It even caused traffic jams and gridlock on some of the capital star's flight routes! God, Nevi, have a little confidence in your charm and that ridiculously gorgeous face of yours. You're the most beautiful, most handsome male bug I've ever laid eyes on! If you hadn't turned down the event organizer's request to post the promo video online, you'd have blown up back then!" Barlow said it with exaggerated flair, but his expression was dead serious and sincere. He truly believed every word.

Barlow's barrage of blunt compliments made Nevi a little embarrassed. At the same time, he felt a bit lost and confused.

He did have an exceptionally beautiful face, but surely those viewers and fans must've taken him for an Excellency too, right? But he wasn't. If they ever found out, wouldn't they end up hating and despising him...

At that thought, Nevi's mood started to sink.

As for rank, he wasn't as sensitive and self-conscious as when he'd first arrived at the capital star, but he still couldn't fully let it go.

That rank, so utterly mismatched with his face, had been the source of the darkness and pain in the first half of his life.

He was nothing but a lowly F-rank male bug.

"Alright, Nevi, you're overthinking again!" The second Barlow saw Nevi's expression, he knew exactly what he was thinking.

Barlow put on a fierce face but pinched Nevi's cheek gently to get his attention.

Looking at the dejected, lost Nevi, Barlow said firmly, "Nevi, trust me and trust yourself. The fans and viewers who like you will keep liking you. You didn't even show your face at first—they were drawn in by your personality and charm alone. Relax. Now that your face is out there, if you ask me, they'll love you even more! Come on, we live in an era where looks are everything! With a face like yours, who could possibly hate or criticize you! Even if some bug with ulterior motives tries to attack you by saying low-rank males can barely reproduce, you've got two adorable chubby little ones—so nobody's got a leg to stand on! And even if there really are blind, heartless trolls like that, the bugs at our association aren't pushovers!"

Barlow puffed out his fair, baby-faced cheeks and shook his fist, trying to look tough—but it just came off as hilarious.

Nevi couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the worry in his heart quietly faded away with the laughter.

"Thank you, Barlow. It's really good to have you." Nevi said softly in gratitude.

Barlow was truly wonderful. Every time Nevi felt low or upset, Barlow would always keenly notice and keep encouraging him.

Not just Barlow, but Kaisisen too, and all those kind, friendly viewers and fans. It was with the support and companionship of so many gentle bugs that he had become more confident and cheerful.

He was being too anxious about losing what he had. The bugs who liked him would naturally continue to like him. And those who didn't—he didn't need to care about them! Just like those female bugs at the orphanage who had harbored malice toward him—he didn't need to mind or pay attention to their opinions.

Being true to himself mattered most. He still had so many bugs who genuinely cared about and liked him. He had his little ones, and he had Aesop.

The more Nevi thought, the more resolute he became. The smile on his face grew softer and warmer. In just a moment, Nevi seemed to have become somewhat different altogether.

Seeing that Nevi was genuinely alright now, Barlow finally shifted the topic back to the captured mastermind.

"Nevi, the president sent over the police bugs' progress. Right now, they've caught a minor manager from the streaming platform and a programmer. It was that minor manager who bought a large number of paid trolls to deliberately frame and attack you, and it was with that programmer's help that they tore off your sticker and exposed your face. The evidence is ironclad now—those two female bugs won't have a good ending, hmph. The reason this female bug slandered you seems to be to help a male streamer get an invitation to the capital star's offline Live Streaming Gala."

"Huh? An invitation? What does that have to do with me?" Nevi was completely baffled. He'd never even heard of this so-called gala's invitation.

Barlow's expression was also somewhat complicated. "The capital star's annual Live Streaming Gala is pretty well-known. Every year at this time, all the major platforms broadcast it simultaneously, and quite a few famous bugs attend. For streamers, this gala is fairly attractive. Hmm, if I count the time, this year's gala is about to start soon. Each platform gets ten slots, and the platform you're on is no exception. Besides giving slots to the platform's top IP bloggers, they also pick a few new bugs with massive popularity and traffic.

Your traffic and popularity really did get selected by the platform. That minor manager saw the preliminary list on the internal channel. That's why they targeted you with all this—to ruin your reputation and force the platform to drop you. Then an extra slot would open up, and following the substitution system, with that male streamer's popularity and traffic, he'd most likely make the cut."

As Barlow spoke, he couldn't help but find it somewhat ridiculous. This was practically a disaster falling from nowhere.

Other bugs might not know, but he certainly did—even if the invitation really were sent to Nevi, given his personality, he most likely wouldn't go to such a vanity fair.

Besides, Nevi hadn't even had his identity exposed back then, so he wouldn't have considered it at all.

Traffic and popularity had never been what Nevi pursued through streaming, especially after he'd learned of Aesop's whereabouts.

When it came to his streaming career, Nevi's entire mindset had become much more peaceful, no longer as anxious or desperate as before.

Nevi pressed his lips together but ultimately said nothing.

He shared the same thought as Barlow—it was too absurd.

To be slandered and attacked by bugs with ulterior motives over a gala he would never attend in the first place—it was simply an undeserved calamity.

But those bugs had brought it upon themselves, and they would face the punishment they deserved.

With that thought, the slight ripples in Nevi's heart settled once more.

"Although the police insects haven't said anything yet, I'm sure this male streamer can't escape involvement—he's the direct beneficiary insect! Hmph, the Association president has already pressured the police insects. If he really was involved, the president will report it straight to headquarters, and this male will also face punishment," Barlow added.

Whenever disputes involving male insects arise, the Male Insect Association steps in directly—if a male has been wronged, the Association will go all out to protect him.

But if a male himself has done evil deeds, the Association will never take his side; instead, that male will have his subsidies and benefits restricted according to the Association's internal regulations.

"Mm, thank you, Barlow. I understand," Nevi said gently.

Knowing the consequences these insects would face, Nevi was truly at peace with the matter.

*

Barlow was still in the middle of work, having rushed over in a panic, skipping work at the president's urging to comfort Nevi. Now that Nevi had fully recovered, Barlow reluctantly headed back.

After Barlow left, Nevi played with the little ones for a good while.

Only when the cubs grew a bit tired did Nevi sit down beside them, pick up his light computer, and log into the streaming platform to see which way the public opinion wind was blowing.

The commotion Barlow had only mentioned in passing as "a big deal" still weighed on his mind.

But the moment he looked, Nevi's brows furrowed slightly—and didn't relax again.

*

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Author's note: Sorry, folks, this chapter didn't get to the live-stream bonding, but it's coming in the next one. With steady emotions and a calm mind, Nai Bao makes his triumphant return~ Niu Hulü Nai Bao (a meme-style comeback), haha!

The nutrient solution has also reached four thousand, so I'll try my best to add an extra update tomorrow. If not, I'll definitely make it up within this week!!

Every chapter now has a title, which is way more convenient. I couldn't find previous plot points before and had to use full-text search (suffering face).

Thank you all so much for your support—I'll keep working hard!