"Damn it! I'm getting trashed here, and you two are still flaunting your relationship right next to me!"
Ye Xinxin was interacting with both her teammates and opponents, and when she turned around, she saw the two of them getting all lovey-dovey. It was driving her up the wall.
"Is it really necessary to get this mad?"
Shen Lang, bemused, leaned in to see what was going on.
"Geez, a 1-17 Vayne. The enemy team's taunting is bad enough, but now even our teammates are joining in."
"What's your rank?"
Shen Lang asked cautiously, "Do you want me to help you out?"
"Platinum 1. Can you handle it?"
This was Ye Xinxin's main account for support and ADC. Her skill level was probably only around Gold, and her getting to Platinum 1 was thanks to a few carry players, so it made sense she'd have such a terrible score.
"Platinum 1? You've got to be kidding."
Shen Lang scoffed and waved his hand dismissively, "Alright, I'll help you out."
Come on, in Diamond or Challenger ranks, Shen Lang usually wrecks, let alone in this suburban Platinum 1.
"Fine, since I can't win, just help me trash talk them!"
Ye Xinxin said with a grin, then got up to switch places with Shen Lang.
"Gotta keep a good attitude in ranked games. With that attitude, there's no way you're climbing the ranks."
Shen Lang laughed and quickly typed a string of commands to mute everyone's messages.
He assessed both teams' champions and the current game state.
Our side had lost all three inhibitors, and two outer turrets were down. If it weren't for the top and mid lanes holding on, the game would have been over long ago.
But with Ornn in top and the Grasshopper in mid, if Ye Xinxin's Vayne didn't start performing, there was little chance left.
Then Shen Lang glanced at Ye Xinxin's account ID: "I Don't Eat Cilantro."
"Now coming in is 'I Don't Eat Beef.'"
Shen Lang eagerly cracked his knuckles, adjusted his key bindings, and headed to the bottom lane to clear minion waves.
The enemy's mid lane Zed saw the 1-17 Vayne showing up and charged with his Yomu's Ghostblade.
Zed was incredibly fed, with three full items before the 20-minute mark. He could easily kill Shen Lang's Vayne with a single combo.
Shen Lang's Vayne only had a Blade of the Ruined King and Berserker's Greaves, with a 3-level disadvantage.
When Zed appeared in Shen Lang's vision, he immediately used his ultimate to lock down Vayne, aiming to finish her off without any regard for her 1-17 score.
"It's already done!"
Shen Lang quickly activated his ultimate. The moment Zed's ultimate landed, Shen Lang used his Q to dodge Zed's deadly Q and started attacking with precision.
Zed didn't expect Vayne's moves to become so smooth. After a moment of hesitation, he used his W to close the gap and deal damage, intending to use his ultimate's passive to finish Vayne.
But as Zed closed in, Shen Lang used his E and flashed, pinning Zed to the wall and unleashing a barrage of basic attacks.
Even though Shen Lang only had a Blade of the Ruined King, Ye Xinxin's main skill was W, and after a few hits, Zed's health dropped rapidly. Zed had to R back to his shadow and fled in a hurry.
"Zed's going to Q-Flash."
"What?"
Shen Lang muttered, and before Ye Xinxin could react, Zed indeed flashed forward and threw his Q.
With Zed's over-the-top gear, a hit from this Q combined with a basic attack and ultimate damage would mean certain death for Shen Lang's Vayne.
At the moment Zed flashed, Shen Lang made a quick move and narrowly dodged the Q.
Then, with a few basic attacks, Shen Lang took down the 16-2 Zed and earned a 1000 gold bounty.
"Heh, you're just a joke."
Shen Lang sneered, showing the weak player icon to taunt him.
"Wow! That's amazing, Shen Lang!"
Su Lexuan, who occasionally played League but was only Bronze 1, was blown away by Shen Lang's smooth moves and cool skills, even though she didn't fully understand them.
"How did you know he was going to Q-Flash?"
Ye Xinxin asked curiously, a bit surprised and impressed. "I didn't even tell you if he had Flash or not."
"Heh, at this rank, I can tell what he's going to do as soon as he turns around,"
Shen Lang explained calmly. "And I overestimated him. He was just using a Flash Q, not the more difficult Q-Flash."
"Impressive."
Ye Xinxin, though confused, was impressed.
She suddenly remembered when she was checking if Shen Lang was a jerk, she saw his social media filled with game updates. This guy was a serious gamer!
After getting the Zed kill and winning a few small skirmishes, Shen Lang's Vayne's equipment caught up with the game's pace.
In team fights, Shen Lang's Vayne moved incredibly agilely, finding perfect opportunities and space to deal damage, while the opponents couldn't touch him.
After a few small skirmishes, Shen Lang scored multiple big kills, his gear improved rapidly, and his damage changed drastically.
The enemy team finally realized they needed to target Shen Lang's Vayne and deny him space to deal damage.
Although they couldn't see the teammates' messages, the top and mid laners noticed Vayne's improved performance and began to discreetly protect Shen Lang's Vayne in team fights.
Even the cat support, who was initially farming with the jungler, returned to Shen Lang to provide healing and shields.
Plus, since it was just suburban Platinum, the enemies weren't that skilled. Shen Lang's equipment disadvantage was quickly turned around.
After several team fights, Shen Lang's side won repeatedly and secured various jungle resources.
They didn't even need the top laner to initiate fights. Shen Lang's Vayne, with the cat support, charged up the enemy base, taking on all five opponents.
Ye Xinxin and Su Lexuan were mesmerized by Shen Lang's dazzling and stylish moves.
Ye Xinxin even pulled out her phone to record, completely impressed by Shen Lang's skills.
With such skills, he could totally be a streamer.
Finally, after a spectacular solo show, Shen Lang led his four teammates to a victory.
In the post-game screen, the teammates who had initially insulted Ye Xinxin were now spamming 666, totally impressed by Shen Lang's gameplay, and gave him thumbs up.
The enemy team, however, claimed Shen Lang must have some kind of cheat and threatened to report him.
After typing "Practice Makes Perfect" in the chat, Shen Lang turned to the slightly dazed Ye Xinxin and smugly asked, "So, how awesome am I?"
"Awesome, awesome."
Ye Xinxin, momentarily stunned, couldn't deny Shen Lang's skills and playfully agreed, "Not bad at all, Shen Lang. Didn't expect you to have such skills."
[Ding! Ye Xinxin's affection for the host increased by 3 points, now at 10 points. Keep it up.]