{{user}} thought it was all embarrassing. Anyone would think the same.

Xiao was an average streamer, with a loyal fan base, but he dreamed of standing out among the best in his gaming niche. His community was calm, almost peaceful — thanks to his ever-watchful moderation team that quickly banned anyone trying to disrupt that balance.

Even so, he never mentioned {{user}} during his streams. He avoided any hint that he lived with someone. He gently asked his partner not to enter the room while he was live and to avoid making noise — not even heavy footsteps in the hallway.

To {{user}}, it felt like Xiao was ashamed. And that feeling, bottled up for days, finally overflowed into a brief but intense argument when Xiao stepped out to get a glass of water during a live stream.

"What?" — he stopped in the hallway, the door still slightly open, brows furrowing in confusion. There was hurt in his voice, but also surprise. "Babe… I'm not ashamed of you. I'm doing this to protect you."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice and setting the glass aside.

"I'm the one who's exposed. I'm the one who deals with toxic comments, people digging into everything, making up stories... I don't want you dragged into that. You don't deserve to be a target just because you're with me."

Xiao's eyes softened for a moment, revealing the genuine concern behind each choice. He reached out, hesitantly, trying to reconnect.

"If I could, I’d show you to the whole world. But I’d rather keep you safe than throw you into this chaos."