The match was still being held at Longhu Esports Arena.
PNG arrived an hour early. Chen Chen led the team at the front, with five starters and one substitute trailing behind him in perfect order, like ducklings following their mother. The bot lane duo and top laner followed right behind the coach, while Ji Yunyu and Sui Ning brought up the rear.
At the very front, Lin Zhaoxu was noisily slurping soda through a straw, claiming he was “savoring the flavor,” earning a disgusted glare from Wei Ye.
Wei Ye made an exaggerated retching face and sneered, “Unbelievable. Who drinks soda with a straw? You’re supposed to chug it straight from the bottle!”
Lin Zhaoxu sneered back, “What’s unbelievable is that it was the last one in the mini fridge. Of course I have to enjoy it.”
“What??” Wei Ye’s eyes went wide. “We just bought two full boxes last week! I only drank two bottles!”
He lunged at Lin Zhaoxu furiously. “Fess up—was it you?!”
With a graceful sidestep, Lin Zhaoxu dodged and took another sip, looking away. “No idea~”
“You damn well did it!”
Chen Chen: …These idiots are seriously talking about soda before a match? Can’t they act a little tense for once? Are they in grade school??
“Sigh.” Though he’d seen these two bicker countless times, their coach still couldn’t suppress a sigh.
The noisy troublemakers behind him were driving him insane—he didn’t even want to look back.
Cheng Su seemed to share the sentiment. He gave the two a disdainful glance before quickening his pace to catch up with the coach.
Meanwhile, in their own little world, Ji Yunyu and Sui Ning were completely oblivious to the nonsense up front.
Walking side by side, Ji Yunyu had one hand tucked into his team jacket pocket, frowning as he brooded over the “little fawn” from before. “...*sigh*...”
“Stop sighing already,” Sui Ning said helplessly. “Didn’t I promise to play another round with you later?”
“Only one??”
“...Uh, what do you want then?”
Hearing the hint of compromise in Sui Ning’s tone, Ji Yunyu nearly blurted out, Then let’s duo and climb with Spirit Fawn on the national server..
No, that was too much. Sure, Feng-bao treated his stream games as casual fun, but he still took every match seriously—always trying to improve. If he had to play support all the time, he definitely wouldn’t be happy.
After a long pause, Ji Yunyu couldn’t think of anything to say, so he tentatively offered, “Well, since stream games are just for fun anyway, we can keep duoing next time…?”
Sui Ning shot him a puzzled glance. “We were already going to duo, weren’t we? Unless it’s a ranked peak match.”
“Ah.” Ji Yunyu’s mouth opened slightly, feeling as though an arrow had just pierced straight through his heart.
Already going to…?
Damn. He didn’t even hesitate. It’s that natural?!
I’m gonna die of happiness!
Ji Yunyu clapped a hand over his mouth, struggling to suppress the grin threatening to spread across his face.
“...Right.” Trying to look composed, he forced a cool expression and muttered after a pause, “Yeah.”
Sui Ning: ?
Noticing Ji Yunyu’s strange reaction, Sui Ning belatedly realized—duoing together wasn’t exactly “normal” for either of them. Professionally speaking, he could list a dozen reasons why mid-jungle duos were beneficial: better synergy, faster ranking, lineup practice…
But honestly, there was only one real reason.
Duoing… felt good. In every sense.
Maybe it was because Ji Yunyu was naturally funny—or just too endearing—but whenever Sui Ning looked at him, an involuntary smile rose to his lips.
He couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Ji Yunyu immediately turned to look at him, raising a brow. “What’re you laughing at?”
“Pfft… nothing.”
“Come on, what are you hiding from me for—what’s so funny!”
——a
When they reached the backstage corridor, PNG happened to run into several FR players taking a walk.
Chen Chen froze for a moment. Normally, to avoid unnecessary contact, most HPL arenas had clearly separated left and right backstage zones for both teams—some even had no connecting hallways. Longhu Arena’s red and blue lounges were connected, but professional teams all understood the unspoken rule: you didn’t wander into the other team’s area unless absolutely necessary.
Three people from FR had come out, led by Xu Zhiyi.
…Was this kid here to fangirl? Chen Chen stopped to take a closer look, suspicion rising.
Sure enough, Xu Zhiyi also spotted PNG’s group—or rather, his Brother Feng.
“Bro——!!!”
With a shout loud enough to shake the rafters, Xu Zhiyi shot forward like a missile toward Sui Ning.
Sui Ning: …???
Completely ignoring the shocked expression on Brother Feng’s face, Xu Zhiyi zipped up beside him, standing shoulder to shoulder, phone already out in one hand while the other eagerly reached for his shoulder.
Ji Yunyu: ?
Xu Zhiyi was visibly thrilled. “Finally caught you—ah no, ran into you by chance! Bro! Can we take a picture together?!”
As he spoke, he secretly studied Sui Ning.
Damn, his side profile is flawless… his skin’s so nice too… wait, hold up… whoa, I’m actually taller than him! Noticing his height advantage made Xu Zhiyi even more excited. He switched his phone to selfie mode.
He allready imagined the scene where Brother Feng leaned against him like a delicate bird. This photo’s definitely going to be called “Me and My Feng-bao”… from now on, not just Bro, but Baby!
And then—
A large hand suddenly landed hard on Xu Zhiyi’s shoulder, cutting his fantasy short.
…Huh? Xu Zhiyi frowned.
He turned slightly—and met a pair of cold, piercing eyes.
Startled, he asked, “God Yun? What’s up? You need something?”
Expressionless, Ji Yunyu pried Xu Zhiyi’s arm off Sui Ning’s shoulder, wrapped his left arm tightly around Xu Zhiyi’s neck, and said gently, “Didn’t you want a photo? I want one too.”
“But I wanted to take one alone with—”
Before he could finish, the arm around his neck tightened.
Xu Zhiyi swallowed hard, sensing danger. “O-okay! Photo! Let’s—let’s take it together! I’d love to take one with God Yun!”
Satisfied, Ji Yunyu turned to look at Sui Ning.
Sui Ning: …Why are you looking at me like I cheated on you…
He had a feeling that arguing with Xiao Yunduo right now wouldn’t end well.
Sui Ning met Ji Yunyu’s gaze, forcing a smile. “A group photo would be better anyway.”
Xu Zhiyi was sweating bullets but forced a laugh. “R-right, haha, I think so too! Hahaha.”
Ji Yunyu managed a smile devoid of warmth. His left arm stayed locked around Xu Zhiyi, keeping him still, while his right hand hovered uncertainly near the person he really wanted to touch.
Seeing Ji Yunyu’s conflicted expression through the selfie camera, Xu Zhiyi chuckled awkwardly. “G-God Yun, ready?”
The moment he spoke, Ji Yunyu’s attention snapped back to the overeager fan.
…What, am I less gutsy than this fanboy?
“Ahem.” Ji Yunyu fake-coughed and, acting casual, lightly slipped his arm around Sui Ning’s shoulder.
“…All set.”
The motion was gentle—if he’d stood just a little farther back, it would’ve been the perfect gentleman’s pose. But that slight lack of distance let Sui Ning feel the warmth of his palm through the thin fabric of his short-sleeved team jersey.
Almost by reflex, Sui Ning turned his head toward Ji Yunyu.
Ji Yunyu, dead serious, stared straight into the camera. Only the tips of his ears, hidden beneath his hair, betrayed him—flushed red.
“Uh, alright then, here goes. Three, two, one…”
At the last second, Ji Yunyu turned his head too—and Sui Ning clearly saw his own reflection in those dark, beautiful eyes.
Click. Photo taken.
Freedom at last! Xu Zhiyi exhaled in relief.
When he checked the photo, his face fell. “Ah, Bro, you didn’t look at the camera!”
“Damn, God Yun didn’t either! My countdown was for nothing,” the fanboy groaned. “Should we take another one?”
Sui Ning looked away.
“…Next time. Gotta get ready for the match.”
Without waiting for their response, he turned and strode off.
Xu Zhiyi tried to follow. “Huh? It’s still early… Bro, wait for me!”
Ji Yunyu grabbed his arm. “Have some restraint!”
“Restraint? While chasing idols? That’s hilarious—uh, God Yun, why are your ears so red?”
“…None of your damn business.”
——a
Elsewhere—
Chen Chen was filling water bottles by the dispenser at the end of the hall.
When he saw Sui Ning approaching, he couldn’t help smiling. “How’s it feel? Even pro mids are your fanboys now.”
“…Yeah.” Sui Ning pressed his lips together.
“Just don’t let it distract you later. Even if he’s your fan, you still have to crush him in-game—hey, wait, why’s your face red?”
Sui Ning instinctively covered his face. “It’s nothing.”
A question mark practically popped over Chen Chen’s head. “Is it hot in here? No way, right? Is the AC broken?”
“…Please stop asking, Coach.”
——
The pre-match prep time flew by.
At 12:30 noon, the two commentators—a man and a woman—appeared right on time in the Little Shark Live broadcast booth.
[First! Wuhu, I’m here for my baby!]
[Just saw the team name and already started laughing. What’s this match gonna be today? A battle between a simp and his idol?]
[Reling was still sharing Wind’s replays in the fan group yesterday, I’m seriously cracking up…]
[ Simping for a pro player doesn’t count as simping, that’s called studying your next opponent in advance!]
A familiar voice greeted the viewers first: “Good afternoon, Summoners! Welcome to the official HPL livestream. The match will officially begin at 13:00. I’m your commentator for today, Chao Mi.”
Beside him, a long-haired female commentator nodded at the camera with a smile. “And I’m Li Yin.”
“Today’s matchup is PNG versus FR — one of this week’s spotlight matches. It’s a big one for both teams.”
On the waiting screen, introductions for both rosters appeared.
While waiting for the match to start, Chao Mi began introducing the teams to the audience: “First up, the red-hot PNG! They’re currently on a seven-match win streak with a 14–0 game record. Truly impressive!”
Li Yin continued, “That’s right, but the opponents PNG has faced so far weren’t exactly top-ranked during the spring split. Many fans worry they might stumble when facing stronger teams. And now, FR will be their first real test. Can PNG maintain their dominant form and keep winning?”
Chao Mi laughed, “Haha, I believe all PNG fans are just as eager to find out!”
“For FR fans,” Li Yin added, “their 2–1 win over Navic after introducing a new mid-laner this summer was definitely reassuring. But since then, FR has suffered 1–2 and 0–2 losses to ETN and TMX respectively — especially that TMX match, which made fans start worrying again.”
[Honestly, that win over Navic wasn’t that reassuring. We all know what shape Fiw is in — even their coach is part-time.]
[Ah, summer Navic… the tears of an era.]
[Navic used to crush TMX. Now FR beats Navic only to get crushed by TMX. The power balance speaks for itself.]
[Of the four “God-tier Mid” teams, only Navic is still on a losing streak…]
[ God-tier? Please, it’s summer now — wake up!]
“In that match, we could see Reling struggling against Doll, an established god-tier mid.”
Chao Mi joked, adding, “But it’s the regular season — ups and downs are normal when you’re training new talent. Let’s hope FR’s players don’t get discouraged! That said, fans are desperate for a win to validate their progress and restore confidence.”
[Eh, losing to Doll is normal, at least he didn’t get solo-killed. He was just heavily pressured (sigh).]
[As an FR fan, we all knew what to expect, right? You can’t expect every new mid to come in and instantly beat a god-tier veteran = = I don’t think anyone’s done that yet.]
[FR fan here … Anyway, Coach Da Ju already said the recent matches are all about training — giving Reling chances to grow.]
[Then what about Reling versus Wind? Both are rookies.]
[Uh… judging by how Reling worships Wind off-stage, I’d say it’s not looking good.]
[I watch both teams. Honestly, even though they’re both rookies, there’s a big gap — big enough that sometimes I mistake Wind for a long-established pro. He’s just that unreal.]
[True, PNG’s been insane lately, especially Wind. If you call it “bullying weak teams,” you clearly haven’t watched their matches.]
[ Facts. The contrast is insane… Weren’t there rumors FR got stomped by PNG in training match too? And now they’re not even fielding God Mimi mid today — it’s gonna be tough.]
[Relax, it’s not a do-or-die match. No need to be so tense. And hey, Reling might pull off an upset — can’t rule that out just because he’s facing his idol, right?]
[Heh, calling him an “idol” sounds nice, but he’s probably gonna defect mid-match^^ What idol, huh? Just an excuse for losing.]
[ nmsl, where did this clown crawl out from?]
[Don’t think typing ^^ makes you look like a Wind fan. Anyone mocking players gets their “Wind fandom” revoked!]
Because of Xu Zhiyi’s usual behavior on social media, FR fans’ feelings toward PNG — especially toward Sui Ning — were… complicated. So even though it was the usual pre-match banter period, neither fanbase knew quite how to flame the other.
After all, that’s their beloved “Feng-bao”… but also the enemy!! How infuriating!
Regardless of the chat’s bickering, the thirty-minute pre-show passed quickly. The clock struck 1:00 PM.
Countdown 00:00
The calm waiting music switched to a tense drumbeat.
Chao Mi perked up, his tone charged with energy: “——Alright! We’re officially entering the BP phase!”
----------
No comments:
Post a Comment