Tong Yao slightly knit her eyebrows; she seemed to remember
that last year ZGDX did have an alternate Mid, but she couldn't
remember exactly who that was. She was busy at the time getting
all the documents ready to go abroad and digesting the fact that
her boyfriend had lied to her about training while in reality he was
going to karaoke bars to drink with the hostesses there...
Tong Yao pondered for a while then she put Jian Yang back to where
he belonged, on the block list.
She wasn't annoyed at him for saying that Lu Sicheng wouldn't like
her. To tell the truth, Tong Yao thought so herself, besides she was
also-- --Nevermind, it was all Jinyang's fault making her think about
all these unrealistic things-- --She had just joined ZGDX for only a
few days, had only played a few training matches. She was here to
accomplish a great career, who had the mood to fall in love?
She stopped thinking about Cheng Ge.
…...As for that mysterious alternate Mid that Jian Yang had mentioned-- --
"Little Fatty."
"What."
"Did our team have any other alternate mid last season?"
"..."
Little Fatty's hand on the mouse paused abruptly. It seemed that he
hadn't expected Tong Yao would ask about it. There was an unusual
displeased expression on his chubby face. His eyebrows slightly
furrowed and lightly answered after a long while, "There was one.
But don't worry, he won't come back.'
Tong Yao was surprised, "Why?"
Little Fatty cast down his eyes, "Because he was driven away…...by
all of us. No one wanted to be his teammate."
After he finished talking, it was obvious that he didn't want to continue
…...Though Tong Yao was curious, she didn't feel that it was right to
continue asking. She went online to check it out and only found out
that this person's id was 'Lv'. He left ZGDX after last year's world finals
and disappeared totally from the League of Legend circle.
…...Uhm, there must be some story about this guy?
...
Tong Yao kept her curiosity to herself till the next day. She was planning
to find a chance to ask the team manager, Xiao Rui. But in the end, she
had forgotten all about it...
Because Lu Sicheng had come back.
In the morning, when Tong Yao, with Dabing in her arms, came out of
her room, the cat jumped off from her as soon as she closed the door to
her room. The cat rolled down the stairs and ran into the arms of another
person-- --Tong Yao looked down from the railings on the second floor
and happened to see Dabing was rubbing its head against the man's
hand trying to get under his hand...
The cat's round eyes had squeezed into almond eyes.
Did Lu Sicheng smell like dried fish, was that why the cat cared about
him so much?
The man sitting on the sofa seemed to sense the look from behind, he
turned to glance at Tong Yao and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Tong Yao had almost gotten used to the way he carried a conversation.
She murmured, "Cheng Ge, you're back." and slowly walked down the
stairs. Halfway on the stairs, Lu Sicheng suddenly asked, "Shorty, what's
going on between you and CK's Yang God?"
Tong Yao almost slid and fell on the stairs. She grabbed the railing to
stable herself and asked in confusion, "What, what's going on?"
"Someone posted on Tieba what had happened amongst the three of
us while we were playing ranked yesterday, screenshots the whole time.
Did you have any other Chinese teammates on your side?"
"...The top was Chinese. But, you look at Tieba?"
"Then that's it." Lu Sicheng ignored her question. "Your messages to
me and your conversation with Yang God were all screenshot word by
word and posted on Tieba-- --There are thousands comments under it
already. The mysterious relationships between us can be filmed into a
TV drama. The actually plot is: the female lead, the love-sick second
male lead, and the cold and heartless male lead."
When Lu Sicheng spoke with an emotionless face, there was a feel
of dry humor.
"..."
Tong Yao walked behind Lu Sicheng and bent over to look at the cell
phone in his hand. She saw a hot post on a certain esports Tieba, the
title of the post was [ZGDX mid and bot seem to have fallen in love,
Yang God steps in, esports edition of The Legend of the White Snake]-- --
Tong Yao widened her eyes and bent over to get a closer look. Her hair
fell next to Lu Sicheng's ear, it was itchy and he smelt her scented
shampoo…...He quietly frowned and moved slightly to the side, "Don't
you have a cell phone of your own?"
"Tong Yao, who were you talking to on the phone. You look like
you've been hit by thunder." Little Fatty curiously stretched over
his head.
"..." Little Fatty's question pulled Tong Yao back to reality. She
put down the phone and spoke as if she was sleepwalking, "It's
from Cheng Ge. He said he had finished his business and has
changed his flight to come back tomorrow..."
Cheng Ge? Phone call? Little Fatty blinked, making sure that Tong
Yao's match wasn't finished yet, and asked in confusion, "Aren't
you two in the same match, what's there to talk on the phone about
instead of in the game…...Are you two alright, playing the same
game while talking on the phone?"
"I talked to him in the game, but he ignored me. I was like an idiot
jumping up and down..." Tong Yao didn't take the blame, "He's
the one who has a problem."
"...So Cheng Ge's coming back tomorrow? It's good that he'll be
back soon-- --It'll be the summer season soon and we haven't taken
the pictures yet. I heard that the new uniform for the summer will be
here soon…...Before the season starts, we need to play a few more
training games, so you get used to playing with us."
As Little Fatty murmured half to himself, Tong Yao quickly pushed the
enemy's Nexus. Amid the sound of the exploding Nexus, she exited
the post-game screen. Tong Yao watched the points she took from
Lu Sicheng soar with great satisfaction as she returned to Master!
Just as she was considering whether to start another match, a small
box jumped out at the lower right hand corner on the screen with many
Korean words mixed with a word, "sunflower." It meant that this person
wanted to add you to his friend list, do you accept-- --Considering the
fact that he had played bravely when he was ganking mid earlier and
she had blocked him for so many years, and the possibility that they
would meet during competitions and shake hands after each match.
It would be very embarrassing if she kept refusing to interact with him...
Tong Yao thought about it all and hesitated, then accepted Jian
Yang's friend invitation.
What she didn't expect was the first message she'd receive, it was
almost enough to make her fall out of her chair: [Yaoyao, can we
get back together?]
Tong Yao instantly replied, [No way], then logged off the game.
Jian Yang wouldn't give up and used another app to message her-- --
[Where the sun shines[1]: Tong Yao, in the past, you felt that because
we're in two different cities our schedules could never match up and
it was just a waste of time to continue our relationship. So you found
some small issue to fight with me to break up with me…...Now you're
a professional player yourself, you should understand the daily routine
of a professional player. I wasn't ignoring you on purpose back then, I
never want to break up with you.]
Tong Yao: "..."
Some people should be blocked forever
Be blocked for ten thousand years.
[It's smiling not balding[2]: However, at that time I didn't feel anything
you did was pointing towards 'you don't want to break up', not even
slightly-- --I snuck in messages during class during the day and you
never answered. At night, you told me you were busy with training
matches and then I find on Tieba[3] pictures that your whole team had
gone to karaoke. One of the hostesses almost put her stocking on
your head. Now you tell me that you didn't want to break up, do you
think I have Alzheimer's or is there something wrong with you?]
[Where the sun shines: That was all in the past, besides, I have
apologized to you already! I shouldn't lie to you.]
[It's smiling not balding: Oh, but I don't accept your apology.]
[Where the sun shines: …...Are you really getting together with
Lu Sicheng?]
[It's smiling not balding: ? ? ? ? ? ?]
[It's smiling not balding: What does this have anything to do with him.]
[Where the sun shines: I've noticed it for some time now. Whenever
you stream or he streams, you two are always together. The internet is
saying that you two are together now. Lu Sicheng even read out bullet
comments for you…...And there are fans saying that they saw you two
go shopping hand in hand.]
[Where the sun shines: Chen Jinyang said that you have sworn never
to fall in love with a professional player.]
[Where the sun shines: Do you still remember what you said before?
I'm reminding you again if you forgot…...If you have a relationship with
any professional player, it'll have to be me.]
Tong Yao: "..."
Yo, an overbearing boss had fallen in love with me.
[It's smiling not balding: Friend, it's time for your medicine.]
[Where the sun shines: Lu Sicheng won't like a little girl like you.]
[It's smiling not balding: ...]
[Where the sun shines: Tong Yao, I miss you, really.]
Tong Yao considered for 30 seconds, then started typing-- --
[It's smiling not balding: Unfortunately, yesterday, when Little Fatty was
watching a stream and I happened to walked by, I heard the hostess say
in a sweet voice, 'Thank you Yang God for the the big sword (a gift on the
stream platform, the most expensive kind).' -- --Are you missing me with
your feet?]
[Where the sun shines: What stream hostess! That's the member of our
club's LoL female team. Our club asked me to do some publicity stunt with
her to bring up the viewer count. You know as well that the female team
isn't for the competitions-- --]
[It's smiling not balding: You said the same thing two years ago, you were
forced to blah blah...]
[It's smiling not balding: The leopard cannot change his spots.]
[It's smiling not balding: What are you saying that a female team isn't
for competitions. You need to learn you lesson for looking down girl
players. Aren't you good friend with Ai Jia? Go ask him what I had done
to him at the skirmish last time?]
[Where the sun shines: You only beat Ai Jia. Even if we don't count the
Koreans, there are ten teams in the Chinese region alone-- --You're good,
but don't be too confident. There's an alternate Mid in ZGDX, not the
one in the Spring Tournament. If he comes back, you can be switched
off if you don't perform well.]
[1]: It's a play on Jian Yang's name. His Yang is written with the
character for sun.
[2]: Yes balding is in her username and I don't know why.
[3]: A Chinese site for fan groups.
Tong Yao took out her cell phone as if she had just remembered. She
quickly logged onto Tieba and indeed, all of her messages, their
conversation, had been screenshotted...
There were all manner of comments underneath-- --
[With a headline like this, come work for the news department
tomorrow.]
[Always trying to make big news.]
[Yang god is the blue snake, hhhhhhhhh, OP, have you ever seen a
Xu Xian like Lu Sicheng?]
[Shit, Yang god's so sarcastic, hhhhhhhhh. Never knew he's the kind of
person to speaks like that, 'Come on, I'll get you that win.' I'm melting!
Last time the person who spoke to me like that had fallen from Diamond
to Gold, so sad.]
[This is the reason why most professional teams don't have female members.
It's way too easy for office romance to develop. It's not that I'm against it, but
how can they play a competition together if they have a fight or break up?]
[Wait, wait, the plot is developing too fast. What's going on with Yang god?]
[The day of Spring Finals, didn't some fans see Yang god talking to a girl.
Could that be Smiling? They knew each other in the past?]
[This girl has been here for only a few days and has already gotten together
with Cheng Ge? I didn't believe it when, a few days ago, someone said he
saw them shopping together, hand in hand. Damn it, I'm so angry. How
cheeky is she? !]
[Will a love affair affect a player's performance? I want Cheng Ge to win the
championship. Don't get held back by it.]
Tong Yao: "..."
Her finger quickly slid down the posts and she saw another comment-- --
[All the posters above, you all worry too much. Dating in highschool never
prevents you from getting into college. So what's all the fuss about…...You
all are just jealous. I feel Lu Sicheng and Tong Yao are a good match. It won't
be your turn even if it's not Tong Yao.]
Under this post, there were more than a hundred replies with "+1" "+2" "+3".
Tong Yao put away her cell phone.
"Jian Yang was my ex-boyfriend. He wasn't a professional player at the time
and I haven't started playing League of Legends-- --Later, he became a
professional player and we broke up." After a short pause, she continued,
"I'm sorry, Cheng Ge. I didn't expect what happened yesterday would affect you."
Tong Yao sat down across from Lu Sicheng, took the cat from the man's arm,
and stroked the cat's head with slightly furrowed eyebrows. She sat there,
staring blankly at a corner of the living room-- --
Lu Sicheng had never seen her so quiet since she had arrived at the base.
He knit his eyebrows too, but released them soon after. He spoke in a not so
cold tone, "I wasn't blaming you. What's that face for?"
Tong Yao looked distracted and tightened her grip on the cat. She said after a
while, "I have never gone shopping with you, hand in hand."
Her voice sounded a little hoarse, feeling being totally aggrieved-- --
"I haven't even touched your hand."
Lu Sicheng: "..."
Tong Yao: "..."
There was a moment of awkward silent. Tong Yao pressed her lips together
tightly and turned her head away as if she was trying to suppress an emotion
that was about to explode. The man across from her suddenly stood up, before
she knew what was happening, stretched out his hand to grab her wrist, then
picked up her hand and rubbed it in his palm-- --
Tong Yao: "?"
"Now you have touched my hand." Lu Sicheng spoke without any expression,
"Do you feel better now?"
Tong Yao: "..."
The man's palm was dry and warm, with small calluses from holding the mouse
all the time. His fingers were clean and long, manicured, and had the smell of
liquid soap...
"Did you smoke just now?" Tong Yao blurted out.
Lu Sicheng, somewhat startled, turned his head to check whether Xiao Rui or
anyone who could deduct his salary was around. Then he pulled his hand back,
"None of your business."
He spoke again after a while, "You're strangling your cat."
"Oh." Tong Yao released Dabing…...Dabing gave a good kick to Tong
Yao's stomach with its hind legs as it jumped from her arms. Lu Sicheng
patted Tong Yao's head. "It's no big deal. Look at you, such a vulnerable person."
"I heard that, for the past few years, you're never the topic of any gossip.
I really sorry that I brought you into the headlines about all this." Tong Yao
dispiritedly said, "I'm really sorry."
Lu Sicheng straightened up, looking from high up at the dejected Tong Yao.
"Being a girl professional gamer, surrounded by only men, people will naturally
pay more attention to these kind of things. This is normal, I thought you would
have figured it out a while ago..."
"I sort of thought it might come to this." Tong Yao, with furrowed brows,
rubbed her hair. "But I didn't expect it would get this serious."
"After a while, they will get over it and notice only your performance and skill--
--By that time, they will forget that you're a girl…...The earliest, maybe by the
Summer Competition."
"Oh."
Lu Sicheng picked the cat up from another sofa and stuffed it back into the
arms of the worried girl. "We have a skirmish with the Huawei Team this
afternoon. If you're unhappy, release your anger on their mid."
Afterwards, he turned around to unpack his luggage-- --
He turned on his computer.
He fed his goldfish.
He tidied up his desk which Little Fatty had messed up.
The man walked pass Tong Yao three or four times while she was busy doing
something on her cell phone...
He finally stopped at the fifth pass, raised his eyebrows, and said to the person
nested inside the sofa typing at lightning speed, "What are you doing? You aren't
arguing with people on Tieba with an alternate id?"
"..." Tong Yao put down her cell phone. "Do I look like I'm that boring?"
"Yes, you do."
While he was talking, Lu Sicheng tried to grab Tong Yao's cell phone at the same
time. She hurriedly put the cell phone under her rear, looking at him with a
challenging expression as if to say "come get it if you dare." Lu Sicheng gave up
and said, "Aren't you childish?"
Tong Yao paused, still seated on top of her cell phone, "I'm writing a post for Weibo.
I want to make a clarification about this."
"Clarify what?"
"Me and Jian Yang and you. There isn't any esports The Legend of the White Snake."
"It's not necessary."
"It is. I can't tarnish your reputation."
"..."
Lu Sicheng quieted down, looking at the girl who looked at him straight in the eye,
seriously insisting that she couldn't tarnish his reputation. After a long while, he
sighed and flicked his finger on her forehead, "Go look at Tieba."
Tong Yao was confused and took the cell phone from under her. She logged on
Tieba again and discovered that the comments under the post had gone from 3000
to 5000-- --in less than an hour's time-- --Tong Yao looked down then discovered
that there was a stickied comment: the person involved is at #3758.
Tong Yao blinked, then checked the 3758th comment. She saw someone with the
id of "I'm your dad" left the message-- --
[Nonsense. There's no such thing. Don't make up stories.]
It was followed by a bunch of replies, calling him Cheng Ge, apologizing to him,
saying that Cheng Ge's right, and asking the Tieba moderator to remove the post.
Tong Yao: "? ? ? ?"
Lu Sicheng: "This kind of things should be done by men."
Tong Yao: "..........Cheng Ge."
Lu Sicheng: "What? …...Why are you looking at me like this? So disgusting."
Tong Yao: "Though I don't know who will have the honor to be Madam Lu, I'm
starting to envy her now."
You would protect her very well...
No weapons would harm her.
No storms would harm her.
Just as she finished, a big hand landed on her head again, this time with more
force, to mess up her hair…...The man spoke above her head in disgust, "What
Madam Lu. Are you mentally retarded?"