LYN: Hallo everybody, good evening. I am Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. Welcome! LYN: Long time no see, long time no see.

C: It’s so early! LYN: Are you not home yet? In that case… what do you want me to do? Let me pause and then start again when you get home. We really want to provide the customer service mentality, here. A customer’s satisfaction is always the priority. Let me stream when you get home then, okay?

C: Monthly streamer. LYN: Stop provoking me. You mean to say that I only stream once a month, right? 

C: How long have you been streaming? LYN: I just now turned it on. So that fact that you were able to come immediately means that you are my good friend. It’s like if I opened a restaurant- as soon as I open the doors for the night, and you are the first person in. You are my first customer. - C: Why can’t I see the comments? LYN: If you can’t see them that means that you’re lagging. Exit the stream then come back in. - C: I’m also the first to be seated! LYN: Yes, yes. I’m sure that those of you who came in right when I started the stream all pay attention to me very closely. You watch everything I do- so as soon as I started the stream, you came in. That means you are very indulgent of me. 

C: Are you in Hengdian? LYN: … What do you think? You can tell by my background that I’m in Hengdian. Or else, this is all fake? 

C: You’ve turned into a monthly streamer. LYN: I mean… there’s a reason behind that, you know?? How could I turn into a monthly streamer just randomly. There has to be a reason- I have work, so I started streaming less. But as soon as I have time, I will come to stream! Don’t worry. Therefore, stop pushing me. I don’t stream for a reason, it’s just that sometimes I can’t tell you what that reason is. C: Why? LYN: I can’t tell you. Otherwise people will accuse me of having a big mouth. I should say less. C: Who said that about you?? LYN: There are people who say- a proportion of people- who say that I- I don’t dare to take up the label myself, but some people are calling me a living “insider”. Everything I say is particularly thrilling. But being a “living insider” means that I can more easily take the heat for things I say. So from now on I want to be a “dead insider.” Okay? Less problems are better than more. C: Nonsense!! // You’re not “dead”!! LYN: It’s okay! It’s like I’m trying to comfort children- “pei pei pei (knock on wood!!)” 

C: No! Ning-ge, you are the person in my heart. LYN: Oh, you don’t need to be so polite. You should date or marry when you need to, don’t wait for me. Be someone better- be the “woman that even LYN can’t have.” [t/n: his fans who get married call themselves that.] Thank you.

C: The Dalian accent is too strong. LYN: I’m from Dandong. I can speak Standard Mandarin, but when I’m streaming I just want to make it feel more alive, so I use my hometown dialect. But I CAN speak Mandarin, because I use it when I’m acting. For example if I’m in a guzhuang drama… there’s no way I can just be speaking in my Dongbei dialect throughout, right? I still have to use Standard. LYN: For example, if someone came over, I should say, “Who goes there? State your name.”, but if I were to use my Dongbei dialect, it’d be more like, “Who’s there? Who’re you?” That doesn’t work. So I normally do speak Standard, but for my stream I like to use my accent to sound friendlier/closer to you and a little more humorous. - /starts reciting tongue-twisters/ LYN: Not only can I speak putonghua, I can also recite tongue-twisters. :) 

C: It’s snowing in Dongbei. LYN: Yes, I’ve seen. The weather’s gotten cooler, so- especially those from the South- remember to keep warm. You can catch a cold too easily. Now that it’s cold out, you should go out wearing a face mask. Don’t get sick. LYN: Hengdian hasn’t snowed yet. It’s still okay- around 20C- pretty hot. I mean warm, not hot! XD

C: I’m from Guangdong, it’s so hot! LYN: It’s so curious, isn’t it. South (warm) vs North (cold). C: In Shanghai it can drop to the tens in a single day. LYN: Wow. Then, remember to keep warm. Please don’t get sick.

C: Ning-ge, did you purposely leave some stubble behind? LYN: WhAT?! I shaved before I started streaming! Am I so manly, now? I JUST shaved and now someone is saying I purposely left some stubble. I guess it’s pretty apparent? I washed my face and shaved before this stream. Most of the time I’m shooting a drama, so when I don’t have any activities for the day I don’t shave- so I can look more manly. But now you’re saying I left it there purposely. Now what? I guess I can only look into getting it waxed. I’ll look for a painless hair removal and get it waxed. 

C: I’m suspect this is a recording. LYN: There’s no need. I’ve already said- the charm of a live stream is that there is on- and off-line simultaneous interaction. If I had recorded one and am uploading, I don’t think it would be very meaningful. 

C: What’s up with your hair? LYN: I’m wearing a wig.

---------- Promo Time

LYN: Why wasn’t I playing any of my recent OSTs up until now? Because I was waiting for people to come into the stream. That’s right. You are now listening to the tv drama Wonderland of Love’s ending song called 如果爱记得 (If Love Still Remembers) sung by Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. 

bgm: 如果爱记得 (If Love Still Remembers) [Wonderland of Love OST]

LYN: This drama is actually very good- I turned it on yesterday to watch some. It’s not bad. The actors are cool and the plot is good. These two actors are so good-looking… It’s has a good plot, with good-looking actors- I watched an episode yesterday. You can support it, if you have the time. It’s called Wonderland of Love. If you have nothing to watch, you can watch this because… I sang the OST. LYN: Also if you look carefully in the credits, there’s also a character called Mu Xianhe. That’s my cameo. :) It’s rare that I would cameo in a drama- I’d do it for my good friends. So for this drama, I made an appearance. Three scenes total. I’ll probably only show up in the later few episodes. But the roster is really respecting me by adding me into the credits. In this case I’ve acted in it, got credited for participating, and sung a song for this drama, which is not bad at all.

C: Which episode? LYN: I don’t even know. Nearer to the ending. 30 something. I’m not too clear on it. C: Do you have three minutes? LYN: Aiyoo, of course~! How could you ask me to cameo, but give me less than three minutes of screentime? Of course I have more than that! Let me think- three scenes, plus music, plus slow-motion, plus other people’s lines… let me calculate. I should have at least… 8 minutes worth. LYN: At the time someone had recommended me some OST work, for which I was thankful for. Then later they asked me if I wanted to cameo. I said… “It’s not impossible.” So they found a role for me to cameo in. But my main question was whether or not this cameo’d role would have any interaction with the main leads or not. Did I have direct scenes with JT or XK? I didn’t want to go and just act with other supporting actors- then what would be the meaning in me making an appearance? Just to be a background character?? I mean- it’s not that I would be against the thought, but the meaning would not be a impactful. But they clarified that my scenes would be directly with the leads, so I agreed. I haven’t collaborated with either of them before, so we can consider this a fleeting collab. It’s likely that I won’t get another chance, so I just wanted to know how it felt.

C: Commission. LYN: There’s usually no pay for cameos. Usually it’s friends cameoing in other friends’ projects, so how much money do you think is appropriate? Do you think it would be proper for me to go and ASK for 2000RMB? Or do you think I would say, “Since I have three scenes I’ll give you a little bit of a discount and only ask for 1500RMB?” It’s not worth it. It’s such a big project- an S-tier- they’re not lacking in the funds, so it’s not like they can’t afford to. But I can’t really do anything with that money, so I might as well not accept payment and do it as a favor. I didn’t ask for money- I went for free. But they gave me an OST to sing, right? I was paid for that. Not a little amount, either. The jianghu isn’t about fighting and killing, the jianghu is about people and relationships, right?

LYN: Anyway, this song is called If Love Still Remembers. It’s another song I really like. 

-- 如果爱记得 (If Love Still Remembers) [Wonderland of Love OST]

C: It sounds sad. LYN: /sigh/ It’s all about the heart-wrenching break-up. The feelings are a must.

LYN: Honestly OSTs, album songs, and live performances are all different. For a live performances, what you want to focus more on is the atmosphere/mood. You want the audience to feel what you’re feeling, so you will need to put “fuller” feelings into it. But when you’re singing OSTs, comparatively, you should be holding back. Not too much, but more than in a live performance. Why? Because you need to understand that the function of the OST is to act as a foil to the plot of the drama, and not serve to take the focus away. You can’t be too aggressive with it, otherwise you would be stealing attention away from the plot- the actor’s lines or their feelings. That’s why whenever I sing OSTs, I will restrain myself just the slightest bit. Of course, that’s not to mean that I don’t sing with any emotions at all. For albums, it depends on individual preference/attitude, and that’s a whole other story. 

C: How are you so knowledgeable? LYN: If you have nothing else to compliment me with, you don’t have to force it. What “knowledge” could I have? This is something that anyone with a brain can figure out.

C: How come there’s a little breathy croaking sound? LYN: /clears his throat/ My voice is a little uncomfortable today. And… don’t you think that speaking like this… is very magnetic? // For any new friends who are coming in, please don’t think that I’m greasy and I’m making this voice on purpose. I’m not- my throat hurts. - /starts singing with ~feeling~/

LYN: It’s so sad- it makes me want to cry. So- if you don’t have anything to watch these days, please check out Wonderland of Love. I did watch it. I rarely have the time to watch dramas, but it so happens that I had the time. I watched all the episodes that came out- not in their entirety, but I watched here and there. I wanted to take the opportunity to learn something. Because as a new actor there are many things  I need to learn. The last time I streamed I said something along the lines of “for young actors like me” and by “young” I didn’t mean that I was young IN AGE, rather that in this industry I count as a rookie. So my job now is to learn more, think more, and see more. That way I will be able to grow. 

-----

C: Have you watched Romance on the Farm? LYN: That’s my good friend’s drama, how could I NOT watch it? What is a friend? If it’s a friend, then I have to take a look. I really did watch it, though. I don’t have very many friends in this industry, but for the ones I do have, I always check out their dramas. LYN: Honestly though, I can’t watch the whole thing. I don’t watch from beginning to end, but I always check it out.

C: Have you watched Mysterious Lotus Casebook? LYN: Of course. I watched it, how could I not. Also- it’s such a great drama, how could I miss it? Why do I say it’s great? Because first of all, I sang the OST. By that I mean: it’s not good BECAUSE I sang the OST, but rather it’s good SO I sang the OST. I’M benefitting from this situation. LYN: On the day it aired actually I was watching it with- one of the main leads. We were having a meal together, so we watched it. That got me thinking- when my drama airs, I should invite a bunch of friends over to my house. I’ll get some food and some beer, and we can watch the broadcast together. I can do it. // I’ll invest in a color tv- a 45 inch color tv. Then call all my friends over and make a night out of it. 

-

C: We are also friends. / Ning-ge, didn’t you say that your fans are also your friends? Then, we are going too. LYN: Eh… I know we are far apart (distance), but our hearts are together. It’s not important where you watch me from. We’re friends, aren’t we? Your house is my house, right? So you can watch at home, and it will equal to you watching in my home. LYN: I know I said “your house is my house”, but I was just being polite. If you want to survive in this society, you have to learn to discern when people are saying things to be polite. They’re not actually being serious. It’s just out of politeness, don’t take it seriously. Someone asked me, “Is my mother your mother?” We’re just making friends. I’m not here to take someone on as my godmother. We’re just making friends, OKAY?? - /Daimi barking/ LYN: See? Daimi doesn’t even want to hear it. As for your mother, I can only call her “Auntie.” Anything else is unwarranted. “Auntie” or “Sis” is okay. 

LYN: There’s a downside- despite the fact that I am a new actor, it does not change the fact that I AM acting- which is, that when I watch dramas it’s difficult for me to get invested in the story. It’s hard for me to feel what the leads are. Why? Because I just objectively want to see how the actors are executing the scene. How did they act the scene? Was it realistic? Why did they decide to lift their glass at that exact moment? Why did they look at the other person right then? I want to analyze and pick apart their performance. Then sometimes I make some predictions- I want to predict what their next move will be. Sometimes I guess right, sometimes wrong. If I don’t guess right, then I learn something. If I do, then I won’t act like that in the future.

LYN: So when I’m watching dramas most of the time I do it to learn, to see how other people are acting, how they design the scene, and if there is anything particularly challenging. I’m just starting to learn this industry, though I’ve been filming dramas for four years- now I have just a tiny bit of understanding towards acting. Very little- I don’t dare to say that I know how to act. But through what little understanding I gained in the past four years, sometimes I am very accurate with what I’m seeing. Like if an actor remembered their lines or not. If they’re familiar with their lines- I can tell. Or whether they were in character, or if they were still thinking about their lines. Are they thinking about what to say next? Is there some real emotion behind their eyes? Those are all things you can tell by looking. LYN: It’s not to say that I am professional. It’s just because I also act, so through observation I can figure out what’s going on. It does suck though, because due to that it’s difficult to become invested in the plot. - /acts it out himself to show us the process. says he likes it when he guesses correctly. XD/ LYN: You can imagine- throughout the whole drama I’m just sitting here guessing how they’ll execute what comes next.

C: Do you act like that, too? LYN: What do you mean? It’s not definite- there’s no right and wrong way to acting. Just like with this- /picks up the glass/ drinking and then looking to the side- isn’t wrong. It’s not wrong. It has nothing to do with acting incorrectly or badly. I’m just guessing what their next move will be. It’s like Rock-Paper-Scissors. You’re not wrong if you play rock/paper/scissors. You can play what you want, but the point is to guess what your opponent will play. I’m just playing.

LYN: What other drama came out recently that I sang for? There’s none, right? I only had the mission of promoting Wonderland of Love today? I guess there’s also Dragon’s Roar. It’s a character song I sang for NiShuiPan. That’s also a nice song. I’ll play the video for you later when I need to go break up a fight. Don’t worry. 

-

C: Ning-ge, is your clothes 1 layer, or two, or three? LYN: It’s just one. It’s a fake double-layer. Stop staring at my clothes. 

-

C: Ning-ge, the MV was too cool! LYN: It was so strange, that day. I don’t know what happened, but I was in a pretty good condition that day. Inexplicably, we filmed it and it came out looking quite nice! At least I thought so. I don’t know why my face was so thin, that day. I don’t know what I did- but I came out looking nicely on the camera. It’s all good. As long as you like it. 

LYN: That’s why I think it’s better if I’m thinner, so I’ve started to lose weight. I’ll be joining a drama crew and starting filming again soon, so I’ll start with adjusting what I eat. I didn’t really eat today. I only had some Purple Seaweed and Egg Drop Soup, a box of Chinese crepes, one large order of fries, a cup of hot chocolate… and a chicken wrap… plus a bunch of chicken wings… and a fried drumstick. I only ate that much- the whole day. I’m really hungry. C: Wow, that’s so little! /sarcastic/ LYN: No, seriously though, I need to start watching my weight. So that I can look good on camera.

C: Are you working out? LYN: Not with a whole routine, but these days I’ve been doing some training for my back. It’s good for men to train their back, at least. It helps with posture, too. For guzhuang dramas, their requirements for posture/physicality are a little higher. For modern dramas, on the other hand, it’s all about acting naturally- you can’t keep straight posture the whole time. You may just sit there casually, and it’s all okay because it doesn’t matter. But for guzhuang dramas you have to have some rigidity- so I have to train. C: Your posture is very good already. LYN: It’s just average. I’ve seen the post-filming editing for a few dramas. But it’s not as if in 500 scenes, you can be stiff for all of them- there’s no way I can do that. I’m guessing there are a few scenes here and there where my condition is not the greatest, but for the most part it’s good. So I want to thank all those people online who were critical that my posture wasn’t great. Sincerely. Because they’re the ones who made me realize that this is very important. LYN: When I was acting before, I didn’t pay attention to a lot of things- because I didn’t understand, then. You all know I jumped into this blind. That’s why I was unprofessional. I didn’t have any demands for my hair or makeup- it used to be that I would accept whatever the stylists put on me. I thought that an actor should adhere to the role, so I just silently did the work I was asked to do. In reality things like hair/makeup, clothing, and posture are all very important. I want to thank those people who were criticizing me, because honestly they were right. I realized that, and start trying to improve myself. That’s why posture is one thing that’s not a big problem for me, now. It’s because I had that realization.

LYN: Truthfully speaking, if the people around you only compliment you- because my fans all love me very much, so they think I’m handsome no matter what I do. Even if it’s a lie, they’ll be able to tell it to me. It’s because their feelings toward me are different. On the other hand, people who don’t like you are often times more capable of pointing out your faults. For example, “You’re ugly.” That’s okay too, because the truth is that I’m not very handsome. That just means I have to be more aware. For example when I was shooting a drama I was looking really fat/swollen, then starting from the next drama I started a routine of using guasha on my face each morning. Friends, when I get the chance I’ll shoot a vlog on how to use guasha to reduce swelling for you. - /describes the whole process/ LYN: I used to get into hair and makeup half asleep, and just let the artists do what they want. I was in a daze. But now I’m so energetic! Because I’ve been busy taking care of my face. I start right when they’re applying the wig. It’s a good thing. If no one every told me I was ugly, I would have never known. It’s not as if I suddenly look better, but I at least have to hold myself to higher expectations. C: Drawing a “pie” again. // You only do it two times a week, don’t you? LYN: No- I was doing it every day. C: What uses does it have? LYN: Reduce swelling, for one. And two- it makes your skin look nicer. Your tendons, too- for example the double chin. You rub the neck tendon here, and here (on the collarbone)- so that they can relax/loosen. You press them like this. A lot of actors are super into skincare/maintenance. Gao Weiguang gifted me with a muscle scraper. I don’t know if you know what it is… it’s like… a piece of metal- you use it to scrape your tendons/ligaments to relax them. Then your posture will be a bit better. He gave it to me on set one day, and I started using it immediately to rub at this part just under my collarbone. I went home that night and took off my clothes to shower- it was just a ring of red. LYN: 筋膜刀. Muscle scraper. It’s not like what you’re thinking- /makes a cutting motion/. You can look it up. I just can’t discuss anything too fashionable with you. You know what a fascia gun (massage gun) is, right? You use it to relax your muscles? The fascia “knife” is just a piece of metal and you use it to scrape yourself. Have you never had guasha done before??? Friends, you should go out to find a massage parlor and get some guasha done. Look around- there are lots of those places around. If I wanted to be a beauty blogger or share my life with you, you wouldn’t get it! D: 

-----

LYN: Someone keeps spamming, asking when I’m going to hold my concert. Stop spamming. If you were REALLY my fan, you would know why I’m not holding my concert yet. Stop pretending that you care. If you were my fan, you would know when I plan to hold it. Stop repeatedly asking. C: Why aren’t you holding it? LYN: Because I can’t get my tickets to sell! Are you satisfied with that answer? I’m not holding my concert because I can’t sell my tickets. Now I don’t want to hold it, because it will look embarrassing. Other people have a concert and can sell-out in 0.5/1/3 seconds. I can’t sell out, so I’m not holding a concert. Are you satisfied with that answer?? LYN: That’s a joke. I’m not holding my concert because my schedule this year is too full. I don’t have the time to hold a concert. Do you think it’s as simple as making an announcement, going one day and coming back the next? It needs preparation! Even just rehearsals can take up to half a month. A concert isn’t a joke like choosing some songs, grabbing a mic, and singing like you’re in a KTV. You need to design the stage and everything else. Rehearsals only- without all the equipment and stage settings, even though they don’t need my supervision- are so complicated. As the person singing, rehearsals for me take half a month. I’ve run out of time, this year. All of it is dedicated to filming. The most important thing is that I haven’t released my album yet. I have enough OSTs to hold a concert, but I was hoping I could hold my concert after I’ve released my second album. Then, everything will be lined up.

LYN: Stop spamming! It effects other people’s view. You’re all customers, here. Why are you spamming??? This is like if you go to a restaurant to have a meal and you take off your shoes as soon as you’re seated. Do you get what I mean? It’s not against the rules but other people find it annoying. Okay? Stop spamming. Thank you. C: The customer is here. It’s my first time watching. LYN: Ah. What we want is returning customers. If it’s your first time here- I’m sure for a lot of you, it is- please subscribe to my weibo. I am Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. If you come once, we’re friends. If you come a second time, then we are good friends. LYN: So, welcome to all the new friends and please subscribe to my weibo. I haven’t started filming with the new crew yet, so if I have time I will come to stream more often. Wait- Wow… somehow I’m digging my own grave. I’m willing to stream, though! It’s just that sometimes… I am unable to.

LYN: How about I sing a song? I haven’t sung in a long time. Let me sing two. Even though my throat is uncomfortable, I can still manage two small songs. How does that sound? You can just listen for entertainment. /thinking/ I won’t be singing Dragon’s Roar today. How about this- wait for me a second. Let me use the restroom and then I will come back to sing for you. Since you like it so much, I’ll play you the video. 

----- break #1 [t/n: Plays the mv with comments on. There are SO MANY. I’ve seen people describe it as looking like a virus. This one’s actually better than others I have seen- in which the whole screen is covered in text the whole time.]

LYN: /giggles/ We have a Sanitation Committee, here. Every time I use the restroom and come back someone asks me if I’ve washed my hands or not. I need to shake my hands to prove that I’ve washed them. 

C: Ning-ge, did you “like” your own video? LYN: Usually I “insert coins”. Any video that’s related to me, I will invest in. 

LYN: Let me sing a song! I have’t been able to sing lately, so let me find one or two to sing for you. C: 雪落下的声音 (The Sound of Falling Snow) LYN: Okay. It’s been snowing recently, too. In that case, let me gift this wonder to you. I hope you like it. / Let me find some shades. Listen for entertainment. I just want to say again: they way I sing during my streams is not representative of my working ability. I don’t want to mess it up here and have it affect my OST work later. Alright? The focus here is to be “happy”. This is a gift to all my good friends in the stream. LYN: Hold on. We need to create the mood. Wait a sec. /sets up his mic stand and grabs his guitar/ C: Hand-sync. LYN: What nonsense are you saying?!? This is called “performing”! What do you mean “hand-sync”??? It’s fine as long as I don’t lip-sync, isn’t it? Let me raise the chair higher, otherwise you can’t see my guitar. Ok. Let’s go. C: The guitar strap is broken? LYN: No- this is just the string- I can’t talk about anything fashionable with you.

LYN: /hand-syncs/ Doesn’t it look like I’m playing? :) -- 雪落下的声音 (The Sound of Falling Snow)

-- 黑夜一束光 (Praying)

C: You’re not singing anymore? LYN: No, I’m going to switch it up. Whatever you want to hear. It’s weird, because before when I sang in my streams, people would end up leaving. Now I don’t want to sing because I’m afraid it will affect my dream as a singer. I want to be a singer, but whenever I sing people leave. I can’t take it. It’s a blow. 

-- 落了白 

LYN: What should I sing…? 笑红尘 (Laughing at the Mundane World). I do have the accompaniment, but I… I’ll sing it for you next time. I keep forgetting to download it. It’s a bit of a hassle to look.

C: 摩登爱情 (Modern Love) LYN: I think I sang that once before, right? It’s this song, right? I’ll sing it, but I think I forgot most of it. Just listen for entertainment. LYN: Let me make some adjustments. /radio effect/ Hello? Welcome all my radio listeners, good evening. This is Modern Brothers Liu Yuning Radio. Welcome and thank you for tuning in by your phone. The hard part about this song is that you start singing as soon as it starts! - /trying to get the timing right/

-- 摩登爱情 (Modern Love)

LYN: It’s been a long time since I last sang this song. Did I only sing it once before? This will be my second time. I remember I had learned it that day (the first time). Listen just for fun! C: It sounds good~ LYN: I sing just averagely. 

LYN: Let me think… how about one of MBY-laoshi’s songs? Let me see if there’s a track. … Oh? There’s not! … There’s no track!! D: … If that’s the case, then there’s no helping it. - /looking for the track on a different app./ LYN: It has it! Let’s do it. I really like this song. I even heard it in concert, and I really liked it. So after I got home, now I will often listen to this song. It’s called… -- 平凡的一天 (Ordinary Day) LYN: !! There are no lyrics? No matter how much of a fan of his I am, I still can’t remember the lyrics! Don’t do this to me. What is this?? There aren’t- /sighs/. I can’t even remember the lyrics to my OWN songs, let alone his! Hold on, let me change a song. Let me see if this song has lyrics. If it doesn’t, then I give up. -- 给你给我 (Give You Give Me) LYN: There’s not. /gives it a try/ /sighs/ I’m not singing it. I don’t have the lyrics prepared. /sigh/ Let’s forget it.

- /arguing with fans about a track which LYN says is not there and fans say is/ LYN: I told you that track wasn’t available, but you’re insisting it is. Are you the singer here, or am I? I know better than you do! - /video is frozen/ LYN: You just had to insist- you made me look through two different sites for nothing! Forget it. I’ll forgive you. LYN: … LYN: Great, now it’s frozen. /sigh/ You just had to make me look. Now the video’s frozen. I’m going to blame everything on you making me look. LYN: Now what. We’re done for. - /troubleshooting/ LYN: I don’t think I can save it. If it keeps on like this then I can’t keep streaming. The camera’s broken. Let me plug it back in and see if I can save it. Hold on. ~ we are now experiencing technical difficulties ~ LYN: /sigh/ Thank you. I was busy trying to fix it and none of you left. Since none of you left, I’m sure you are all my family. Nice. // I’m surprised I was even able to get it back. C: Time to upgrade your tech. LYN: OMG, I’m already using the best there is. C: There’s an echo. LYN: ? Is there? Oh no. // There’s not? Maybe there was a little bit, when the program started up again. LYN: You still hear it?? / Oh, it’s clear now? Okay.  

C: Change your equipment? LYN: Friends, no! I have the best. All that I have is very expensive equipment. Let’s not change it. This time was the camera- the other time my computer was aliens (t/n: Alienware?). It’s very expensive. C: Then you haven’t streamed in too long, so it’s out of date. LYN: Stop calling me out. - C: That sweater looks like something my mom would wear. LYN: … I don’t think I’m wearing the same thing as your mom. This is men’s clothing.  - C: You have to use streaming equipment often. LYN: Reasonable. I’ll do my best to use it more often. But I can’t just stream every day. I should still do some work. C: Stream 800 times in one day.

LYN: How about I take this camera and aim it at my bed. We’ll do a “daily-life livestream”- you can see me when I’m on my bed and playing with my phone. It’ll be like a security camera, what do you think? /sarcastic/ “Okay”? You must be a pervert! LY: I really can change it, though. Because I’ve seen that some new ones were released, so I was thinking I should get a new set. 

-----

C: You’re trending. LYN: What number? Please don’t trick me, friends. /looking it up/ /checking the comments/ Oh, I see it. LYN: It’s in the Entertainment tab. That’s enough. C: Since you’re trending today, are you going to change your outfit? LYN: There’s no need to. It’s not any high-ranking topic, so I will not change today. 

C: Ning-ge, was Lingyin Temple fun? LYN: People nowadays… can’t have any secrets. I was in Hangzhou a while back, right? The day before I was supposed to leave- I hadn’t much travelled around Hangzhou, only a very long time ago- but I went to visit Lingyin Temple. I guess people there took pictures of me and posted it online. After that there were people looking up, “What blessing does Lingyin Temple offer?” and the answer is “marriage”. The temple’s specialty is fortunes for marriage. So now my fans are thinking that I went to pray for marriage blessings. I guess that’s fine? LYN: But the reason is: 1. I just went to look, and 2. It’s almost time to start filming again. Actors like to pray at temples before the start- to ask that everything goes peacefully and smoothly. I just went to sightsee.

C: I want to see Dragon’s Roar. LYN: You came too late, I played it already. I won’t be singing it today because my voice is a little hoarse. I don’t think I can handle such a hard song. I played the video earlier. You can just watch it for entertainment. 

----- break #2

LYN: I’m back. /shakes his hands to prove he washed them/ Are you satisfied now?? C: You’re trending at #37 on main now. LYN: Friends! How could I be trending on #37 on main?? I don’t believe it. How could I be worthy? C: 38. LYN: Really? It’s 38? See- I only just said a few words and dropped a rank!

LYN: Anyway, thank you. The only reason I am able to be trending is because of all of you in the stream. You upvote the “LYN Livestream” topic and open it for a wider audience. I'm thankful to you because it’s all due to your efforts. Thank you all for viewing. Today we’ll gift a bowl of malatang out. We’ll do an event today- we’ll randomly gift someone a bowl of malatang at the end of the stream. We’ll be like those market influencers and do a “3, 2, 1- screenshot.” Whoever’s first will win a bowl of malatang. I’ll buy takeout for you- if it’s within 20RMB. // Is 20 not enough? 30, then! C: I don’t believe it. LYN: That’s your choice. In any case- we’ll do it and it’s on you to contact my studio to collect your 30RMB bowl of malatang. C: Add a cup of milk tea, too. LYN: Your demands are too much.

C: Transfer me 50RMB. LYN: We’re raffling off money now?? Those of you who watch my stream have a chance to win a red envelope for up to 50RMB??

C: Ning-ge, I’m an international fan. I live overseas now. LYN: ? Is that so? What you mean is that if I order takeout for you, it would be difficult for you to receive it? XD You’re outside of the delivery area? Uh… You’re overthinking it. The problem is- out of so many people in the stream, how are you so confident you will be the winner? Let’s say that you are- can’t I just wire you 30RMB and call it a day?

- /comment asking about a variety show/ LYN: It’s… in the works. But for a lot of projects- for example I was supposed to have recording for a variety show in November. But they are no longer recording. Things just happen. The fact of it is I did not attend any filming, so now we just wait. If I go, great! If I don’t, then we just wait until we hear something. It’s unpredictable.

C: Can you gift a concert ticket to those watching your stream? LYN: Uh… that’s a little difficult. My fans all know that I am not the type to be hungry for wealth, right? I don’t do any business deals and I don’t do marketing- or if I have, only very little. So… my stream is also free, where the main focus is “keeping you company.”You can’t exect me to keep you company (for free) but ALSO expect to take something away from it. This type of “star-chasing” is a little TOO comfortable. LYN: Let’s say I do raffle a ticket. Which pricing tier should I give you? A front-row seat? Let’s say it’s worth 1680RMB. I think… that’s a little too generous. I tfeel like I’m losing in this deal. Let’s say I give you a row in the very back- worth 360-380RMB- the ones in the far back balcony. Then it will look like I’m stingy. So it’s not an easy thing to give. If front- my heart hurts. If back- it looks like I’m stingy. In that case, I won’t give it at all. I won’t offend anyone.

C: LYN, you’re trending. LYN: I know. My fans  already told me. It’s not for anything terrible. It’s just the normal “LYN Livestream.” The normal ones don’t usually reach any high ranks. We want to stick to the principle of “good things don’t leave the house, but bad things are spread thousands of miles.” When I’ve had high ranking topics it was never for anything good. LYN: I really hope that one day I can be trending high in the ranks for a product or work that people really like. I’ll just keep working hard (until that day). LYN: Thanks again to everyone who is keeping me company in this stream tonight. 

C: Being popular because people love to hate you is still being popular. LYN: I’ll… pass. I don’t want to be popular for that, because I’m already going through it. I’ve never won. From the moment I’ve debuted, I was already considered popular because people hate me. It’s not something I wanted for myself, rather something people made me popular for.

LYN: The path I’ve been on has always been the “people love to hate me” one; but it was never my intention. The first time it happened was when I was on “I Am a Singer”-  boy, people loved to hate me, then. This happened four years ago and I remember it to this day. I remember I was trending at #2. “LYN Challenge Failed”- I remember clicking in and every comment was one cursing at me. Well- let’s not be so harsh- they were all very equitable, saying, “He’s just a viral singer, what right does he have to be on Singer?” “Who does he think he is?” “He’s not worthy.” etc. 80% of passersby were all saying I had no right to be on Singer, and that I only got there because my fans voted me in. LYN: Friends- here’s the problem. When the show was first starting I already received a call from the show, telling me to go to Changsha to audition. I passed. Then I figure that the production crew thought it would be strange for someone like me to be announced officially, so they found a different way to announce my participation. But in the end I wound up carrying that burden. LYN: But it’s better now. For the most part people won’t complain that I am not worthy to be a singer, anymore. It took me five years for that to happen, though. Now people are saying that I am not worthy to be an actor. I want to tell them to give me five more years. I’ll see if I can make it happen- just like I made you admit that I was a singer. I’ll work hard. That’s why, don’t blame me for streaming less. I’m trying to keep my momentum. Since I’ve chosen to go into acting, I want to do it well. I want to do well so that one day I can gain some accreditation. 

C: When was the second time? LYN: What’s it to you?? I already told you the first, why would you ask about the second?? Are you rubbing salt in my wounds? Have you never heard of that song, “Don’t let yesterday pour salt into your wounds”? You’ve never heard it? ~ /sings/ ~ I’m already hurt, and you’re rubbing salt in my wounds. Get out of here! LYN: You’ve never heard it!? Do you not listen to songs?? I’ll find it for you. I can’t believe you’ve never heard of it! -- 别在伤口洒盐 (Don’t Sprinkle Salt on the Wound) LYN: Is there anything wrong with it? No! The focus is the expression “pouring salt in the wound”! I wasn’t tricking you this time. C: Ning-ge, I was born after the 00’s. LYN: What’s wrong with that- do you not listen to this song? Pay attention to the lyrics- // What’s wrong with it?? 

----- /Oldies Jukebox w/ LYN/

C: I just got in and it feels so old. LYN: ?! How old are you, tell me. What you’re telling me is this song is aged. What do you normally listen to?? You must only listen to the latest releases? You think this song is old??? C: 16 // 19 // 23 // 18. LYN: Do 18 years olds not listen to this song? You really haven’t? This song was really popular back in the day. I can’t believe you’ve never heard it. /shakes his head/ LYN: Maybe it’s because I’m a singer, so I’ve encountered more songs than you have. I used to sing in a bar, so I probably heard a lot more songs. You think this is old??? C: It sounds like something from my mom’s era. LYN: Then I’m probably about as old as your mom. // What year was this song released? I actually don’t know… You must have heard this one, though? -- 我可以抱你吗? LYN: This one came out around the same time. C: It feels even older. LYN: No way! Now I’m starting to doubt myself… When I was in the bar- Let me tell you, I can sing a number of old songs. - /starts running through songs trying to find an “old” one people recognize/

-- 驼铃 -- 江山无限 (LYN: Have you heard this one? If you haven’t, there’s no excuse.)

LYN: I can sing anything.

C: Journey to the West. LYN: Which version do you want? -- 通天大道宽又阔

-- 青城山下白素贞 C: You really must have come back from travelling to Hangzhou. [t/n: I guess these are the types of sings you’d hear there]

-- 新鸳鸯蝴蝶梦 LYN: I’ve seen people complimenting my singing lately, saying that I really have that sense of the “jianghu” when I sing. It’s because I grew up on these songs. These songs crafted my understanding of music. Do you get it? [t/n: I grew up on these songs, too! LYN: 1990, me: 1991.] -- 刀剑如梦

-- 你爱我像谁 (LYN: What about this one?) LYN: That’s about enough. Unless you want to hear? Then I’ll keep looking for old songs for you.

C: 江山. LYN: Which one is that? Oh, you’ve stumped me. There are very few old songs that I haven’t heard before. / I really haven’t heard this one before. But it does remind me of a different song. -- 大侠霍元甲 LYN: This song is great, isn’t it? C: You learned it just now. LYN: I’ve HEARD them, but never sang them before. I’ve heard them all, though.

LYN: The songs you’re requesting… C: This suits you so well. LYN: ?? Why does it suit me??? -- 梅花三弄 LYN: How do you figure this song suits me? 

-- 逍遥游 -- 问情

LYN: Very few people- in my stream- have heard this song, huh? This is a very popular, very good song, though. But many of you- I asked earlier how old you were, and the 14 and 16 year-olds are already in a daze. C: I’ve heard it. LYN: I’m sure you have. But the 16-17 years olds are lost. LYN: When I was little I loved listening to OSTs. That’s why when I grew up I was able to become an OST singer. Everything has a reason, friends. The reason why I am a prolific OST singer now is because I liked to listen to OSTs when I was little. -- 追梦人 (Dream Chaser)

LYN: There’s an even older one. This one- friends, if you call your mother and father over to listen to this song, they would know it.  -- 渴望

C: Play something I haven’t heard before. LYN: You’ve heard all of these? It’s very easy to play something you haven’t heard before- I’ll just play a Modern Brothers Liu Yuning song. I’m sure you’ve never heard it. Have you heard it? -- 狂風襲來 (Fierce Wind is Raging) [West Out of the Yumen OST] LYN: You haven’t, have you? / Hold on, let me grab a bottle of water. LYN: You haven’t heard it, huh? C: I’ve heard it 800 times already. LYN: My fans have definitely heard it.

C: Did you grab herbal medicine? LYN: /laughs/ Yes- I’m getting shanghuo.

----- LYN's Biggest Anti is Himself

C: 心太软. LYN: As soon as you said this title, I get the feeling you don’t pay attention to me very much. Em... you must not pay close attention to me.

- /plays the Our Song S1 version w/ Richie Ren/ LYN: Look at this- who’s that little fool on the side? Who does he look like? The fool. Look at this- he’s even nodding his head. // Look at how uncomfortable this looks- if you’re singing, then sing, Whya re you pretending to be sad. Just stop singing. // Now he’s pretending to be cute, even nodding his head! I can’t stand him!! Stop pretending you’re cute!! If you’re singing, then sing. What are you putting on an act for?? I can’t stand him. // Look at this kid- face full of oil. Did he not know to blot before he came on stage?! Oh my goodness… It’s like he ate 2kg of pork head-meat before coming on stage. Look at the reflection off the oil from his face. As an artist he has no sense of image-control. // His hair looks like it’s been licked by a donkey, what’s he doing?!? Oh my god. Oily face and greasy hair. /shakes his head/ // He’s singing “Are you tired?” and you’re over here pursing your lips and nodding, like “Yes.” Stop acting cute. It’s so off-putting. What’s it to you?!? This singer sure knows how to put on an act. // Okay, let’s stop watching. I can’t take any more. I get annoyed anytime I see LYN. 

LYN: Let me tell you- if I ever get the chance to be an uploader that just makes fun of everyone, I’d be great at it. But right now I only make fun of LYN. If I try it with anyone else I’d be torn apart. I can only and only dare to make fun of LYN. I’m really accurate at seeing all the little tricks and intentions. 

LYN: Let me find another stage for you. -- 烟花易冷 (Our Song ver. w/ Xiao Gui) LYN: Today we will be commenting on Singer LYN’s hair/makeup and outfit. // He looks a lot more energetic today. Visibly not as greasy. His hair and the shape looks pretty light. His clothes- I have to comment- why does he keep wearing such long clothes?? What’s he trying to do, fly? Paired with the slim-legged pants, it’s like a pair of chopsticks wrapped up in a napkin. Friends- take a look at his slim legged pants. Look at them- like a pair of chopsticks on the stage. // Let’s change the video- he (Xiao Gui) is too cool and I’m being overpowered. 

LYN: Let’s see if there’s anything else we can comment on. Let’s take another look at this guy (LYN). What works does he have and what exactly has he been singing? What does he even do?? -- 女儿国 (Our Song S3 ver w. Shan Yichun) LYN: Tsk. Again, I can’t stand him. Why are you closing your eyes when singing, are you sleepy?? If you’re sleepy then go home and sleep. If you’re on stage, can’t you sing nicely for everybody? What are you closing your eyes for?? You’re pretending to be so enchanted with yourself?? What are you doing- just singing a song, right?? If you’re sleepy then just go home and sleep. I can’t stand this, I really can’t. Pretending to be so invested in the song… 🙄 Just sing it. What are you acting for?? It’s so insincere. C: He’s acting as Tang San(zang). It’s right for him to close his eyes. LYN: I can’t believe you’re making excuses for him (LYN)!! Let’s say this IS the Kingdom of Women and he’s Tang San (a monk)- so he should close his eyes- see nothing and ask nothing. // He doesn’t respect the stage at all. If he really wanted to act, then he should look the part. He should have shaved his head. Put a wig cap on. What’s he acting for?? That’s why it comes across as fake. LYN: I can’t take any more of this. Let’s just leave it at this. 

C: Ning-ge, you shut up! LYN: I’m wearing these glasses, aren’t I? Let me just pretend to be an anti-fan. C: You can’t diss my idol. LYN: Okay, okay. I’m just playing. Don’t be so serious.

C: What are your comments on the Dragon’s Roar MV? LYN: Let’s not. For that song… LYN actually didn’t sing terribly. As a pure passerby, seeing that MV I thought: 1) LYN’s singing is not bad and the MV was also shot well. The whole production, editing, and everything was done very well. It’s something good. The Dragon’s Roar MV is not bad. I can’t find any point to nitpick. If we can’t find anything, then we switch a place. There’s always something we can comment on. But we never compliment the good things. C: Let’s see the MV again.

LYN: What’s there to see about it?? You can go watch it yourself. Maybe later when my drama airs I can watch an episode with you. Or maybe not, as there might be some copyright issues.

-----

C: Ning-ge, do you have a song called 别来无恙? LYN: You don’t need to cue me. There is a song called 别来无恙, and it’s one I really like. But there’s a problem- this song can only be listened to. I can’t really sing it. It’s SO hard to sing. When I was recording it, it made me nearly pass away. -- 别来无恙

LYN: Thank you. I never really dared to sing this song. Because when I was recording it I hard a hard enough time. But I can modestly say that I have improved myself since the time of recording. If you had me record the song again, I’m sure I can do much better than I did before. 

C: LYN. Why does your hair look like your dog’s? LYN: You don’t think you’re complimenting me, do you? You don’t think that was very humorous and that I’d find you cute, do you?

LYN: Honestly, friends, let me share. I think one of the hardest songs I’ve ever sung was 别来无恙, but there’s one that’s even harder. It’s one that I have not dared to sing live ever since it was recorded. - /typing/ C: 琉璃 (Liu Li/Colored Glass). LYN: It’s not 琉璃. Actually, that song’s okay. LYN: Was it this one? Yes. It’s this one. This is the hardest song I’ve ever recorded. -- 造化 (Zao Hua/Destiny/Creating Change) [MDZS Donghua - Wei Wuxian Character Song] LYN: This song is the hardest- when I heard the demo I was dazed. This is one of the songs to date that  I will never sing live. It’s not that I CAN’T sing it, I can do it if I force it, but I’m very likely to break. When you have time, you can listen to it carefully, with your headphones. The nuances would be a lot clearer that way. 

LYN: ! Someone’s throwing money at me! C: One billion. Will you sing it? LYN: At this moment. You throw one billion to my face and ask me if I’ll sing this song or not? … I just want to ask- what are you trying to prove? Are you trying to prove that I am someone who does things that are purely profit-seeking, or… what? Tell me. If you REALLY gave me one billion to sing this song, I definitely would. There’s no one who wouldn’t accept that amount of money. You don’t even need one billion- if you transferred me one thousand right now, I would sing it. If you transferred me 200, I would sing a part for you right now. Okay? You don’t need one billion, 200 is enough. I can sing it for you acapella, too.

LYN: You want me to open my WeChat friend code? Then, scan me. C: Come on, I can do it. LYN: If I really put my QR code up, I’m sure that there would be a flood of people scanning it. But it would be a scam code that sucks all the money from your bank accounts. Friends. Can you grow a sense of awareness for scams? You have to be wary of these electronic scams! If you really scanned a scam code, it would take all the money from your bank card. How can you go around scanning random codes you see on the internet?? Don’t do it. C: I don’t have money in my card. LYN: Then what are you trying to scan me for?? XD No, what I mean is- weren’t you going to send me 200? I would only sing for you if you transferred me 200. Ifd you have no money, then why would you try to scan me at all?! C: Come on, I want to test your skills. Let’s see if you can really empty my account. LYN: Let me tell you- a lot of scammers target people exactly like you. People who think they would never be scammed, but also want to test the scammers. 

-----

C: Ning-ge, my ID is “Melancholy Handsome Boy” (you yu de xiao shuai). Add me. LYN: A person’s ID can tell you a lot about them; you can examine what type of personality they are likely to have. “Melancholy Handsome Boy”... means that this person… let’s say something nice first. There’s a 70% chance this person is male. Let’s think about why they chose this name: first, this must be a man with a story. He’s “melancholy”, so I’m sure this is a quiet type of handsome guy. You must have heard of this person called “小帅 (Xiao Shuai)”, right? Have you ever scrolled across videos that say, “This man’s name is Xiao Shuai.” or “Watch carefully- this man known as “Xiao Shuai”...” This is exactly who we’re talking about. You will always hear about him in other people’s stories. “Melancholy Handsome Boy”- it’s him. This must be a reflective, quiet handsome young man with a story. It must be him. LYN: /flips/ Honestly, though. I’m so old that I can tell what type of person this is just by their name. “Melancholy Handsome Boy”?? You must be pretending to be melancholy. Let me tell you- this type of person doesn’t have a sense of self. Due to this, they would want to explicitly tell people- “Look. I am very melancholy. Look at me.” But actually they are a very chaotic person, who doesn’t have many thoughts. Really. If you call yourself “melancholy”, that mean that you aren’t at all. People love to emphasize what they lack, hence the “xiao shuai.” They know they look just average, so they call themselves “handsome.” I’m sure they don’t look all that handsome at all. If you were very confident in your looks, you’d call yourself “Melancholy Big Handsome Guy”. But by calling yourself “Melancholy Handsome Boyi”, it means that they are only a little bit (xiao) handsome (shuai). [t/n: this is a pun. semantics.] Therefore, I won’t be adding you as a friend, okay? LYN: Friend, don’t be angry. I’ve said the good and the bad. I’m not saying I know which kind you are, but I have a feeling you are the former.

C: Ning-ge, I’m called “Da Mei (Big Beautiful)”. LYN: Da Mei is very good. It sounds appropriate. You can call yourself whatever you want, you don’t need to tell me! It’s not as if I am here collecting 3-5RMB to tell a fortune based off your internet ID. There are people like that- you can create an ID and they will calculate for you whether the name is fortuitous or not, and what fates it can bring to you. There are people like that! It’s not a job I can take on. C: Sounds like you have a lot of experience. LYN: I don’t have experience. LYN: A long time ago- many, many years ago- when I was 15 or 16, my web ID was “Bing Ruo Han”. Friends. The “bing” as in “refrigerator” (冰 = ice). “Ruo” as in “as/seem” (若). “Han” as in “frigid cold” (寒). That was my web name (= cold as ice). Wasn’t it non-mainstream? I’m sure that all the girls back then would see my name and be charmed by me. Was that not a good name? LYN: !! Not the “ruo” as in “weak”!! (弱) C: Ning-ge, if you’re “bing ruo han” (冰若寒), then I am “ai ru huo” (爱如火/Love Like Fire). LYN: Wow, we have couple names. That’s amazing. LYN: Another thing people liked to do was use “mu rong X X” and “shang guan X X”. I don’t know if I’ve called out anyone in my stream? Did you like to use that naming convention when you were younger? Or, “ou yang X X.” - [t/n: more examples of names, but they’re difficult to translate :p] - [t/n: some Northeastern slang, which is even more difficult to translate than the names are. Something about the metal part of a hoe. Farming tools, idk.]

LYN: /laughs/ Do we ever talk about anything normal in my stream? We’re talking nonsense, now. Do you like it better when I have a point and discussion to make, or when I am just blindly chatting? Could you tell me which type of content you prefer? Which style do you like, and in the future I will try to develop more in that direction. C: Either is good. // It’s all good. LYN: If it’s my fans I’m sure the answer is “Anything, as long as you stream more often.” (Putting words into his fans’ mouth:) “Don’t say anything, Ning-ge. As long as you stream, we like it. As long as you are here. Don’t say anything. Just turn the camera on like a security cam, and we would be satisfied.” C: I like it when you sing. LYN: Okay. If there are so many people who like it when I sing, then you have to remember to buy my concert tickets in 2024. 

----------- Album/Concert Talk

C: Your album..? LYN: I recently went back to Beijing and… recorded another (1) song! It’s sounds very nice. I like it. The songs on my album this time around- I have no pursuits. I don’t care about any particular musical concept, or how well it is produced, or- no, that’s not what I meant- I only mean that I care for two things: 1. the song sounds good, and 2. I like it. That’s it. There’s nothing fancy. I just have to think they sound good, and like them myself. 

LYN: Fall in Love was supposed to be the first track of this album to be released. But we couldn’t keep up with the release of the rest of the songs. So then we decided Fall in Love would be a single instead. The overall feeling of the album should be like Fall in Love, though. Something that makes you happy and comfortable. Something that makes you relax. C: Ning-ge, it’s your own investment, so whatever you say goes.

LYN: That’s true, but my albums are provided to you at no cost, after all. I might release some vinyls, but that’s not definite. You know I released vinyls, right? Its not to make profit, though. C: Are there student discounts for your concert? LYN: … … You might now understand concerts very well. There is always a collaborating party. Usually- and I don’t know how other people work, but this is how I work- I don’t have a lot of say in it, actually. Its not as if it were my restaurant, and I told you that you could have a meal on me. Even though it’s my concert, I don’t have a say. I am only the performer. If it were my restaurant, I could let you eat there for free. But for the concert, I have no say in whether there will be student discounts or not. There are industry rules for pricing. But the 5RMB discount coupon still counts. Of course, there is no way the system will let you apply the coupon at the time of purchase. So you will have to buy the ticket at full price first. Then, at the concert I will have staff at the doors checking for coupons and they will transfer you the 5RMB. Either that or I’ll go to the bank and ask them for 5RMB bills and then just give you a bill as you go. 

LYN: There have been many people holding concerts lately. Rather, the whole year. All singers have pretty much held a concert this year. But I haven’t because 1. My album isn’t complete yet, 2. all my time is tied up in dramas, and 3. I want to be rebellious. I don’t want to hold mine when everyone else is holding theirs. I’d rather hold mine stably next year. 

C: Can you go overseas? LYN: To me, I don’t believ I’e reached the levels of other very amazing singers. For my concerts, the large majority- 70%- is my fans. The other 30% is people who’ve watched my drama, heard my songs, or people who have time to kill on the weekend and want to watch a concert. Even if I do hold one overseas, I don’t think it would have much meaning. Because my market has not crossed the seas yet. My music is not yet international. The only thing holding a concert overseas would do is make my local fans buy a flight ticket and go overseas to watch me. What’s the meaning in that? I’d rather they save some money to reserve a better hotel room here and watch me in concert. 

C: You have a lot of fans overseas, though. LYN: Don’t trick me. I know myself- I know that I don’t have very many overseas fans. I HAVE them, sure. But not many. I don’t think you all would fill up a whole concert venue, would you? I’m sure that all my overseas fans together would not fill up a venue. I can’t think too highly of myself, and say that I’m “international.” It’s easy to subscribe to my weibo, but as for the number of people who would actually come out to watch me in concert, that’s about 1 in 100. Let’s say I have 10k fans. 1% of them- so only 1k fans. That’s about enough. Really- the people who would willing spend money to watch a concert is only about 1%. So.. I’m not thinking about that right now.

LYN: Acting and Singing go hand-in-hand, so I’ll wait until my drama airs first. Then I’ll have a better time selling my concert tickets. Right? Doesn’t it make sense? There’s nothing wrong with the logic. I’ll wait until my dramas air, and then I’ll have an easier time selling tickets. Nowadays when dramas are super popular and they do a post-airing fan-meeting, the tickets always sell out, don’t they? If a bunch of actors can sell out a fanmeet/concert, then that goes to show if my drama does well then people would buy tickets to my concert. I’ve thought it through: I should film more dramas so that my concert tickets sell well. C: I’m afraid I won’t be able to get a ticket. LYN: Please do not have the misconception that I am very popular. You will definitely get a ticket, trust me. Because if I hold a concert tour next year, there will be 2,000 stops. You tell me if you’ll be able to get a ticket or not. 6am, 12pm, 8pm, 12am, 3am. I’ll do five in a day, all year. 2,000 concerts. There are 365 days in a year, with 5 showings a day… 1825 showings. That’s enough. C: You’re not going to sleep? LYN: /laughs/

LYN: Anyways, I’m sure you’ll get one. Don’t make it seem as if my tickets are hard to come by. Don’t let me have that misconception, otherwise I’ll just keep adding showings. 

LYN: I was planning on 10 stops for next year. Any more than that is unnecessary. C: Which 10? LYN: The main cities, mostly. Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Xi’an, Dalian- the big places.  C: Shenzhen. LYN: If I hold one in Shenzhen, then the people in Guangzhou can come to it, too. Likewise if I hold one in Guangzhou, the friends in Shenzhen can attend it. Depends on distance. C: Qingdao. LYN: It’s not impossible, Qingdao would be okay. It doesn’t matter where I go, the more important thing is whether the venue is available and aligns with my timing or not. For example, if I want to reserve Shanghai, but they’re booked for the month, or next three months. Then, I can’t go there. It’s that simple. There’s no predicting this, so you can stop trying to guess. C: Can you do two showings in Wuhan? LYN: It’s possible. But the first stop is probably not going to be Wuhan. Many of my friends are very good, and the thing that touches me is that at the time- three years ago- I held my first concert tour. The start of the pandemic was right around when I was supposed to go to Wuhan. The tickets were all already sold. To this day many of you have not returned those tickets. I’ve even told you, you can return them. But you’ve told me that you don’t want to return them, that you’re afraid you won’t be able to buy another one later. So- it’s been four years- So this time I will definitely make that stop up to you. There’s no way I would just take your money for that showing and not sing anything for you. I will definitely make it up to you. I’ll make it up to you, but the first stop is not likely to be Wuhan. Don’t worry, though. I will return that stop to you.

LYN: We’ll continue on, slow and steady today and tomorrow I’ll hold my concert. It’s a must, as a singer. I’ll pretty much be a fan-meeting. It’s been so long since I had a concert. It’ll be good to hold one again.  

C: Lao-da, it’s too far. I won’t ve able to go. LYN: Find a stop closer to you. I’ll be all around the country. Just find a closer stop to attend. LYN: I get worked up just thinking about the concert… /sigh/

C: Ning-ge, when are you going to advise the neighbors to stop fighting. LYN: I already did. They made up. LYN: How long have I been streaming for? I think I started at 7:40p… right now it’s /calculating/… I’ve been streaming for almost four hours?? Then… I’ll stream until 10p. LYN: Let me play you a video while I use the restroom. Wait for me.

--- break #3 C: I can recite that whole video now. LYN: Amazing. I also want to thank everyone who has been editing these videos for me. 

C: When do we get the malatang?! LYN: You can’t eat something different, like xiao long bao or??? Maybe some porridge? Is that not okay? I can’t believe you still remember. I thought I was going to be able to save 30 RMB. C: I want to eat jumbo shrimp! LYN: Keep dreaming! LYN: How about we do this… let’s not give any prizes today. I don’t have any spare change. In the next stream I’ll pick two winners- I’ll be nice. I don’t have any spare change today. I’ll save up. C: If you don’t want to give us takeout, then you can give an autograph too. LYN: /laughs/ Artists’ autographs are all really hard to get. But here you want to replace a 30RMB order of xiao long bao for one of mine?! Oh my goodness~ Is that how it is?? My autograph is only worth 30RMB- two baskets of xiao long bao??? One bowl of rice noodles? /sigh/ - C: Ning-ge, you said you don’t have change right? I do. I can break it for you. LYN: Do you mean to say that I hand you 100RMB, and you give me back 70? - C: Ning-ge, if it’s a personalized autograph, you can add 50 cents. LYN: Hold that thought. I think we should forget about the autograph. I really don’t think my autograph is worth very much. I’m not some big celebrity or anything, whose autograph is very valuable. I just don’t want to.. overflow the market? Because sometimes when a drama airs or I have collaborations or I go on a variety show, they’ll make me sign a set of photos, to help with promotions. If fans are able to attain them in that way, there is more of a sense of interaction/participation. That’s why I personally won’t just give out autographs. They’re better saved for events, so that fans can have a sense of collecting for completionism's sake.

----- Daimi Time!

C: Ning-ge, could I have Daimi’s autograph? LYN: Wh- You want me to prepare a bunch of photos of Daimi, then grab her paw and stamp it on there? Take an inkpad, and press her paw into it, then stamp it on the photo? 

LYN: Daimi’s probably sleeping. Do you want to see her? I can just call her over. LYN: Daimi, come here. Some friends want to see you. Come here, quick. No need to be shy. Your fans want to see you. LYN: She hasn’t had a bath lately, but she still looks like this. Kind of silly. 

C: The two of you match in color so well. LYN: :) - /Daimi tries to move/ LYN: Hm? Sit a while, sit. Accompany your ge a little as he streams.

C: Have Daimi sing us a song. LYN: Sing something. - /moves the mic to her level/ LYN: Sing. Come on. If you bark, it’d be okay too. Bark! - /messes with her to try to get her to make a sound. she does not./ LYN: My dog really doesn’t have any special talents.

LYN: … I’m going to say my spell now… Watch carefully now, friends. See how her whole mood changes. LYN: Want… a… sausage? /chants/ You want one? Want one? - /gets excited, so she gets excited in turn/ LYN: You want one or not? - /now she’s impatient/ LYN: I’ll give you one in a bit. Hold on! Okay, okay! I’ll give you one. LYN: You can go now. I’ll give you one after the stream. 

C: She wouldn’t bite you, would she? LYN: No.

- /looks down at her/ LYN: Wait! LYN: … She’s already had four sticks today. I give her dog food, but she doesn’t really eat it. So I give her the sausages… but that’s why she’s fat. 

-----

LYN: It’s about time. If you have not yet subscribed to my weibo, please do so. I am Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. Thanks for keeping me company tonight. I just want to say again- the drama Wonderland of Love is currently airing. I’ve watched it, and really think it’s a good watch. So, if you want to watch a drama you can check it out. It’s not bad. In the first episode, there are some fight scenes which were shot prettily. You can go support the drama. C: I don’t have membership. LYN: ?? Watch if you want to. I’m only here to promote the drama, but you can watch it if you want. What do you mean by telling me you don’t have a membership? You want me to buy a membership for you? If that’s what you meant, then I think you can… watch if you want. (It’s not my problem.) It’s not a drama I acted in, anyway. I’m only recommending it, but if you want me to pay money into it then there’s no way. C: You cameo’d. LYN: I did cameo, but the problem is… I wasn’t paid for it. XD LYN: I can’t just pay for your membership. It’s not worth it. Friends. (Spare me.) Thank you. I beg you. // I cameo’d for three scenes. I said it earlier- about eight minutes worth. - /thinking about it…/ LYN: Wait- I only acted in three scenes, for about eight minutes total. You don’t think anyone would think I added scenes for myself because of this, do you? Do you think they would? Now I’m worried. I afraid and don’t want people to think I accept roles in dramas then find a way to add scenes for myself. I was originally supposed to cameo for one scene, but I ended up having three. I… got added scenes. LYN: I don’t think it was three scenes. Let me think! Four scenes! If I remember correctly, it should be four scenes. Not more than five. C: Eight minutes turned into eighteen. LYN: Honestly, I don’t know about that. It’s only four- it should only be four scenes. I still remember the lines… but I’ll reenact them for you if I get the chance to later. 

LYN: I’ll log off when I hit 4000. We’ll play a starting contest; the tortoise stares at the mung bean. For the next five minutes, we won’t say anything, just stare at each other like this. /stares into the camera/ The last time I used this expression, someone replied, “I choose the mung bean.” Why do you have to be so sensitive about all these online rumors? Why do you care so much?? If you can’t even take that expression, then let me tell you, there’s no way you can be a celebrity. You wouldn’t be able to handle all the pressure that comes from online talk about you. You’d have a breakdown. You can’t be an artist. You have to be able to bear it. Do you understand? LYN: Also, I say that “A tortoise stares at a mung bean, and it suits the eye.” Do you think that’s a good expression? By “mung bean” I mean “mung bean fly.” [t/n: ?? I don’t really get it.] It’s not the simple mung bean- the one in the popsicles- that we’re talking about. The way I understand this expression, it’s meant to refer to the mung bean fly. It’s just an expression, not a literal description.

----- Welcome to Bikini Bottom🍍

C: Liu-ge! Do you know… is Patrick Star in Spongebob a man or a woman? LYN: People who call me “Liu-ge” are generally not my fans. If you’re in my stream and calling me “Liu-ge”, then you’re likely not my fan. My fans call me “Xiao Ning” or “Ning-ge”. If you call me “Liu-ge” you are likely distant from me. They asked me a question: “Liu-ge. Is Patrick Star in Spongebob a man or a woman?” LYN: … LYN: Em… I don’t think I could keep up if we want to discuss the genetics of marine life. But, even if we want to start from a viewers perspective, all things have a model for basis. Do you get what I’m trying to say? A novel is a novel, a manhwa is a manhwa, but after being converted to video format there are bound to be changes. You should understand that concept by now, after watching so many drama adaptations. You don’t need to think about whether Patrick is male or female- it really doesn’t matter. However, in the animation, we can see that they are male-presenting. Because Patrick only wears shorts. If the character were female, there’s no way it would appear just wearing shorts in the animation. Patrick would be like Sandy- with her helmet and bikini. The original thing is one thing, the animation is another. Do you get it?

C: Is Spongebob male or female? LYN: Spongebob!? First of all, let’s not think about whether a sea sponge is male or female. In the animation, they must be male because when they go to the beach to play, they only wear shorts. You can tell from what they’re wearing! What does he wear when he goes to Bikini Bottom to swim? If it’s a bikini, then they’re female. If they’re wearing shorts, then they’re male. 

C: What about Squidward? LYN: /laughs/ Why are we discussing this? He must be a male because he’s called “Squid-BRO” (章鱼哥)! [t/n: technically a zhang yu is an octopus though…] He’s not called “Squid-SIS”! He’s called “ge”, so he must be a male! What logic are you operating on?? 

C: What about Mr. Krabs? [“crab-boss” in chinese] LYN: Mr. Krabs has to be male, because his daughter calls him “Dad”! He has a daughter, and she calls him “dad”, so he must be male. It’s not like she calls him “Mom.” You- LYN: Friends, if you can’t even understand Spongebob, then all these dramas must be a challenge for you. You can’t even tell male and female apart?? C: If Mr. Krabs is a male, then is his daughter male or female? LYN: /laughs/ LYN: How about this- I’ll set up a sign in my stream. One that reads, people with an IQ below 30 may not enter. This place doesn’t suit you. We discuss high-education topics here. We’re talking bout biology. We even have to distinguish if living characters in an animation are male or female. Is Mr. Krabs’ daughter male or female? How about you stand in front of an elementary school tomorrow and stop the kids as they pass by. Stop them on their way out of school and say, “Hey. Let me ask you a question. If you answer right, I’ll give you a candy.” Ask them, “Is Mr. Krabs’ daughter male or female?” Let me tell you- if this kid is five years old you’re going to confuse them. If they’re seven, they won’t be able to come up with an answer…. As if! 

C: What about Plankton? LYN: Let’s not worry about whether plankton have gender. Look at this- as an actor, I’m already starting to interpret character profiles. I don’t know if a plankton has gender, but in the animation, Plankton is male. Why? Even though he doesn’t wear any shorts- doesn’t wear any clothes, for that matter- we have to understand this character through its relation with other characters. His voice is very thick and rough; it sounds manly, so we will lean towards male. Secondly, he has a wife, who is a computer. From these two points, Plankton is likely a male. No arguments there, right? C: Is Plankton’s wife male or female? LYN: Now you’ve hit the nail on the head. Plankton’s wife is a computer. Computers count as AI. If you want it to be male, it can be. If you want it to be female, it can. That’s your own choice. It depends on what type of voice you give it, I suppose. Let’s not touch AI and computing topics, though. Truthfully, I did not learn computer science in high school. In high school I was learning how to be a cook. Computer Science is a different discipline. You can find someone who studies it and ask them if Plankton’s wife is male or female. 

C: What did I walk in on. I don’t understand what you’re talking about. LYN: It’s not important. The last twenty minutes or so was just complete nonsense. It doesn’t make a difference in your life whether you heard the last twenty minutes or not. In the four hours that I’ve streamed, most of it is nonsense. You’re listening, but you’re also not. These four hours have just served to help you pass the time.

C: What about Gary? (In Chinese, the character is called “Xiao Wuo” for “Little Snail”) LYN: The snail? Gary SHOULD BE male. Why? Because if I am remembering correctly, there was an episode where he had a crush on a girl snail. I don’t remember if there was an episode like that? I think there was, but I could have also imagined it just now. I remember there was an episode, he saw a girl snail and was really happy about it. I think that’s what happened. 

C: Why is Mr. Krabs’ daughter a whale? LYN: …  I don’t know. I don’t watch every episode. I don’t know the canon, but it could be- the way I see it, since it is an animation after all- from a certain perspective, they would have to promote kindness. It could be- this is what I think- she was adopted. Or he, designated her as his daughter. There might be some terrible backstory of the elimination of marine life. Do you get what I’m saying? Maybe her parents were killed by humans and then Pearl was adopted by Mr. Krabs. Even though he’s greedy for money, he is still someone with a lot of love. At least, that’s what I think. When you watch dramas, you can’t only see what’s on the surface. Why is he a crab, and she a whale? You have to think about what they’re trying to teach you through the story behind the characters. The thing Spongebob is trying to tell you is that if there are no business transactions (for greed), then there is no hurt/harm. That’s the moral they took many episodes to tell us. 

C: I want to eat crab now… LYN: Okay, later I’ll probably order some.. Krabby patties. /laughs at himself/ Krabby patties, plus two bullfrogs. [t/n: ???]

C: Ning-ge, what’s the Krabby Patty secret? LYN: The secret is.. HOW WOULD I KNOW??? Quit with your nonsense.

-----

LYN: There are people advertising for me. “Welcome to LYN’s livestream. If you’re here, you can subscribe.” You can subscribe to my weibo, if you want. I’m Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. When I have time to stream, you can come watch. It’s not shameful to follow me. You can watch for entertainment. Let me play a song. It’s about time. LYN: Thank you for all of your company and support today. It’s because of you that I was able to get a trending topic, so I’m happy about that. I see that many of you are watching my stream for the first time- I’m sure that you think I’m not quite sane, but this is how I usually am. I just hope that if you come in, you can stay until the end. Thanks to those of you who were here from the start of the stream and have stayed these four hours until the end. I’m happy that you stayed. Thank you. 

C: Ning-ge, please say, “Goodnight Princess.” LYN: /laughs/ … /sighs/ LYN: Out of bounds. LYN: Rest early.