Chapter 8: The Gamer's Private Domain（第八章：游戏主播的私密领域）

　　凯莉的公寓有一种劳伦那里从未有过的生命力。这里充斥着能量饮料的甜腻气味、电脑风扇的嗡鸣，以及她敲击机械键盘的清脆声响。我像个幽灵般在她的空间里游荡，熟悉每一个角落。脏衣篮就放在卧室门后，里面杂乱地堆着T恤、运动裤，以及——我的心跳漏了一拍——那件我注意到的黑色蕾丝内衣。它就在最上面，像一份等待拆封的礼物。

　　Kylie's apartment had a vitality that Lauren's never possessed. It was filled with the sweet smell of energy drinks, the hum of computer fans, and the crisp sound of her mechanical keyboard. I wandered through her space like a ghost, familiarizing myself with every corner. The laundry basket was placed behind the bedroom door, filled haphazardly with T-shirts, sweatpants, and—my heart skipped a beat—the black lace bra I had noticed. It was right on top, like a gift waiting to be unwrapped.

　　但凯莉的作息毫无规律可言。她可以在电脑前连续坐八个小时，期间只离开去洗手间或拿零食。我必须等待。我蜷缩在卧室的角落里，一个她堆放闲置纸箱和旧外设的地方，视线既能覆盖卧室，又能瞥见客厅里她的一部分身影。这种等待与观察劳伦时不同——更焦躁，但也更刺激，因为这里的"奖励"似乎触手可及。

　　But Kylie's schedule was unpredictable. She could sit at her computer for eight hours straight, only leaving for the bathroom or snacks. I had to wait. I curled up in a corner of the bedroom, a spot where she piled unused cardboard boxes and old peripherals. From there, I could see both the bedroom and a part of her figure in the living room. This waiting was different from observing Lauren—more anxious, but also more thrilling, because the "reward" here seemed within easier reach.

　　几小时后，她终于推开键盘，大声宣布（即使独自一人）："顶不住了，得冲个凉！" 她伸着懒腰站起来，T恤再次上撩，这次露出了整个腹部和运动裤的裤腰。她没有立即去浴室，而是踢掉拖鞋，开始脱衣服，就在卧室中央。

　　Hours later, she finally pushed away her keyboard and announced loudly (even though alone), "Can't take it anymore, need a shower!" She stood up stretching, her T-shirt riding up again, this time revealing her entire abdomen and the waistband of her sweatpants. Instead of heading straight to the bathroom, she kicked off her slippers and started undressing, right in the middle of the bedroom.

　　先是袜子，被她随手一扔。然后是短裤，她双手钩住裤腰，轻松地将其褪到脚踝，再抬脚踢开。现在，她只穿着那件运动背心和内裤。内裤也是黑色的，边缘带着精致的蕾丝，与那件文胸是一套。她背对着我，弯腰捡起踢飞的短裤。这个姿势让我血脉贲张。但当她直起身，面对着我这个方向（虽然她看不到我）整理头发时，我的视线本能地聚焦在她脸上、颈上，那些被汗水沾湿的发丝上——一种自我保护机制，或者说，是那深入骨髓的恐惧在提醒我保持"安全距离"。

　　First the socks, tossed aside. Then the shorts; she hooked her thumbs into the waistband and pushed them down to her ankles, kicking them away. Now, she was only in her sports bra and panties. The panties were also black, with delicate lace trim, matching the bra. She bent over, back towards me, to pick up the kicked-away shorts. The pose was electrifying. But when she straightened up and faced my direction (though she couldn't see me) to fix her hair, my gaze instinctively focused on her face, her neck, the strands of hair stuck to her skin with sweat—a self-preservation mechanism, or perhaps that deep-seated fear reminding me to maintain a "safe distance."

　　她终于拿起换洗衣物（一件干净的T恤和短裤），走进了浴室。水声响起。我立刻行动，目标明确地走向脏衣篮。我屏住呼吸，伸手拿起那套黑色内衣。布料柔软，还带着她的体温和一种混合着汗水、香水的复杂气味，充满了活力。战利品到手。我迅速将其塞进我带来的一个小袋子里。

　　She finally picked up her change of clothes (a clean T-shirt and shorts) and entered the bathroom. The sound of water started. I immediately sprang into action, heading straight for the laundry basket. Holding my breath, I reached in and picked up the black lingerie set. The fabric was soft, still warm from her body, carrying a complex scent of sweat and perfume, full of life. The trophy was acquired. I quickly stuffed it into a small bag I had brought.

　　但我的探索欲并未满足。我转向她的电脑桌。屏幕上保护程序是她的角色形象。桌面上散落着糖纸、耳机、一个巨大的鼠标垫。我好奇地打开一个抽屉，里面是各种线缆和配件。另一个抽屉里，我发现了一本素描本。好奇心驱使我翻开它。里面不是游戏角色，而是精美的时装设计草图，笔触大胆而专业。这完全出乎我的意料。在"网瘾少女"的表象下，藏着这样一个梦想？这发现让我对她有了新的认识。

　　But my curiosity wasn't satisfied. I turned to her computer desk. The screensaver was an image of her in-game character. The desk was littered with candy wrappers, a headset, a large mousepad. Curious, I opened a drawer. It was filled with various cables and accessories. In another drawer, I found a sketchbook. Curiosity compelled me to flip it open. Inside were not game characters, but exquisitely drawn fashion design sketches, with bold and professional strokes. This was completely unexpected. Beneath the facade of the "gamer girl," was there such a dream? This discovery gave me a new perspective on her.

　　浴室水声停了。我迅速合上素描本，将其原样放回，然后退回我的角落。凯莉走出来，浑身散发着水汽，只裹着一条浴巾，头发湿漉漉地披在肩上。她走到电脑前，查看了一下消息，然后又离开了我的视线，大概是去卧室穿衣服了。

　　The bathroom water stopped. I quickly closed the sketchbook, returned it to its place, and retreated to my corner. Kylie came out, steaming, wrapped only in a towel, her hair wet and hanging over her shoulders. She walked to the computer, checked some messages, and then moved out of my sight, probably to the bedroom to get dressed.

　　这次探索收获颇丰。我不仅得到了更具"攻击性"的战利品，还窥见了凯莉不为人知的一面。她的世界更混乱，更随意，但也因此显得更真实，隐藏着更多的秘密。我知道，在这里，我将挖掘出与劳伦那里完全不同的故事。而我的收藏，也将增添更多元的"展品"。游戏，才刚刚进入更精彩的章节。

　　This exploration was fruitful. Not only did I acquire a more "aggressive" trophy, but I also glimpsed a side of Kylie unknown to others. Her world was messier, more casual, but therefore more authentic, hiding more secrets. I knew that here, I would unearth a story completely different from Lauren's. And my collection would gain more diverse "exhibits." The game had just entered a more exciting chapter.