Chapter 25

Chu Fengyi said, “…Sorry, you’ll have to hold on a bit longer.”

He was still teasing Lin Linya, but as the enemy team pushed to the Inhibitor Turret, he flanked around the side, Flashed in to initiate the team fight, using his Ultimate to lock down the enemy Marksman hiding behind their frontline Tank. Their own Heavy Sword followed up, and with their combined focus fire, they instantly deleted the target.

Their teammates were all stunned, but quickly realized this was their moment to strike back. The Jungler, who had been waiting under the tower for the right timing, didn’t hesitate and dashed in with the speed boost from his Skill 1.

The enemy saw that both of the opposing carries were still alive while their own dual carry had been instantly bursted down by the initiation. They understood the fight was lost and tried to retreat, but they lacked hard CC. Their team comp, built for immense burst, had a fatal flaw. They were stalled and heavily damaged by their Jungler, who had incredible staying power.

Lin Linya activated his Skill 2 for the speed boost to catch up with their Jungler. Although his skill usage was still not very proficient, each time he managed to perfectly collect the kill right as their Jungler had whittled the enemy’s HP down to just a sliver.

With their coordination, the enemy team was wiped out. The Jungler dealt 96% of the damage, and the Marksman, Rapidfire, got a Quadra Kill. Both stopped their actions at the same time and fell into silence.

[Their Jungler: ?]

Lin Linya was completely dumbfounded. He never expected it to turn out this way and apologized instantly. “Oh my god… Help! I didn’t do it on purpose!”

The danmaku was roaring with laughter. [The best item build for Rapidfire is one Jungler named Ranger.]

[Jungler: Thought this was his highlight moment, didn’t realize it was the Marksman’s.]

[The streamer stealing the Quadra Kill, funny level 100%. The Jungler typing a question mark, funny level 100000%.]

[Ranger’s mechanics are pretty good… the Marksman… well, the Marksman did use his skills.]

The older sisters in Chu Fengyi’s livestream room were also about to die laughing. They were all asking Chu Fengyi how he felt about teaching such a disciple. Chu Fengyi laughed so hard he coughed twice. “How to put it… the result was okay, I guess.”

As punishment for Lin Linya’s kill-stealing, they all unanimously decided to leave Lin Linya at base to clear the waves while the other four pushed onto the enemy’s High Ground and won the game. Back in the party room, Chu Fengyi was still asking, “You really didn’t mean to do that?”

Lin Linya was patting his chest, trying to steady his pounding heart. “The Jungler won’t hate me, right?”

[Jungler wakes up in the middle of the night recalling it, eyes suddenly wide open, thinking: Is there something wrong with him?]

[I’m laughing so hard I want to die. Why is there so much comic relief?]

Chu Fengyi calmly consoled him, “First, he took so much of your Gold in the early game. It’s not too much for you to collect some interest in the late game. Second, next time I play Jungler, don’t play Marksman.”

Lin Linya cried out, “…Wuwuwu!”

It was Lin Linya’s first time playing Marksman in Ranked Mode, and he actually managed to win. The feeling of the entire enemy team focusing him in every team fight was too addictive. He felt like he was ready to take on the world again.

He said righteously to the danmaku, “Playing Support must have sealed away my esports talent. Maybe this is the position that truly suits me. Don’t lecture me anymore in the future, I’m not the same person I was before.”

[? Just now, Fanta initiated the team fight, the Jungler dealt the damage, the Mage provided the CC, and you picked up a few kills and now you’re getting cocky?]

[Let him play, let him play. I wanna see the look on his face when he gets beaten down and is mentally broken.]

[Other streamers get a Quadra Kill: Fans set it to fiery BGM and edit it into a highlight reel of skill. Our streamer gets a Quadra Kill: So embarrassing, unfollowing for a minute.]

The moment they said this, he was unhappy, his lips pouting up to the sky. He turned to Chu Fengyi and asked, “Bro, how do you think my play was just now?”

The desire for praise was practically written all over his face. Chu Fengyi felt for his conscience, and not finding it, gave an honest assessment. “Very impressive, played better than me.”

“Really?” Lin Linya’s tone was excited, but then he grew puzzled. “Why is the danmaku all saying they don’t believe it, and that we should have a 1v1?”

Chu Fengyi was baffled. “?”

He truly didn’t know how complete strangers on the internet could be so evil.

In the end, he couldn’t resist Lin Linya’s wheedling. In the 1v1 custom room, Lin Linya repeatedly reminded him, “A gentleman’s match. We both pick Rapidfire. Don’t you dare go easy on me, got it? We both have to pick Rapidfire, understood?”

Chu Fengyi was wondering why he specifically emphasized it, when he suddenly realized something. He let out an amused laugh, drawling lazily, “Understood—”

In the hero selection screen, Lin Linya muted his mic and smirked smugly. “I’ll just pick an Assassin in a bit, he definitely won’t see it coming.”

The game loaded in. Two Wanxiang heroes appeared on the match loading screen.

Lin Linya opened his mic, furious and humiliated. “How could you cheat!”

Chu Fengyi hadn’t expected him to file a complaint first, finding it both infuriating and funny. He countered, “A gentleman’s match?”

Lin Linya was speechless. “…”

He snapped back with a terrible attitude, “Don’t talk anymore! I’m muting my mic to focus on my mechanics!”

Chu Fengyi didn’t leave him any face. Five minutes into the game start, he’d already killed him three times. Once, he even deliberately walked into the range of Lin Linya’s tower, let himself be hit to a sliver of HP, and then outplayed and killed him when Lin Linya took the bait.

[This is exactly like when I pester my boyfriend for a 1v1, I get so mad every time I lose.]

Lin Linya didn’t realize the severity of the situation at first. When his KDA fell to 0-7, he started to panic. One more death and he’d be a Feeder. Did he, a gaming streamer, have no Reputation left to protect?

But the minion wave was already crashing into his tower. If he didn’t clear it, he would lose.

Chu Fengyi, seeing he still dared to farm, raised an eyebrow, ready to teach him another lesson. But then Lin Linya suddenly opened his mic in a fluster, his voice trembling slightly, pitifully asking, “Brother, you wouldn’t… not let me win, would you?”

Chu Fengyi’s hand on the mouse stopped. Lin Linya unloaded all his skills onto the enemy Wanxiang. Lin Linya’s score became 1-7, and the minion wave pushed down Chu Fengyi’s tower.

He had exited the 1v1 room.

Chu Fengyi tossed his mouse aside in defeat, clasped his hands behind his head, and leaned back. His gaming chair spun in a full circle. He stared up at the ceiling. After a long while, he cursed himself.

“No self-control.”

By the time he looked back at his computer, Lin Linya’s username had changed from “Yaya Can’t Win” to “Solo Killed a Pro Once”.

He was instantly speechless. “…”

[Why hasn’t Bro Chu been talking much after that 1v1? Was the little sister’s voice not sweet enough?]

[On the contrary, I think he’s been swept off his feet. I, for one, couldn’t handle hearing that.]

[Every single day watching this: Bro Chu, you lucky dog!]

[Yaya changed his username. Go check it out. He even spent ten bucks on a rename card. I’m seriously dying of laughter here.]

[Solo killed Fanta. If that were me, I’d brag about it for a year. Changing a username is nothing.]

[Good, very good. My review is: More of this little couple Duo Queue please!]

…

“After you said that, he just let you win?” The two were sitting face-to-face eating. Before Chen Chun’s chopsticks had moved, he placed the few chicken drumsticks he had onto Lin Linya’s plate and transferred the carrots Lin Linya wouldn’t eat from his bowl to his own.

Lin Linya shook his head smugly. “Of course. He must have been scared silly by me.”

Chen Chun didn’t say anything. Even though he didn’t usually play games, he knew who Fanta was. The man Lin Linya described as good-natured was completely at odds with the image in his head.

He had watched a finals match with a friend before. The man in the video really couldn’t be described as warm or friendly; rather, he was somewhat cold and distant. When wearing his headset and gaming, his face was completely expressionless.

A terrifying thought suddenly flashed through his mind. “He doesn’t have a thing for you, does he?”

Lin Linya was gnawing on a chicken drumstick and choked. “What are you thinking? Not everyone is gay. I think he’s a straight-as-an-arrow Straight Man, just like you.”

Chen Chun didn’t believe it. He looked at Lin Linya’s carefree little face and said seriously, “Don’t let some guys on the internet fool you. I’ve heard those pro players can be quite wild privately. Wasn’t there one before who got exposed for sleeping with a Fan?”

Lin Linya blinked blankly. “It’s fine, I’m not his Fan anyway. We just have a Friend Bond.”

Chen Chun was speechless. “…” That wasn’t the point at all.

Lin Linya quickly changed the subject. “Aren’t you chasing after Junior Sister Xiaoxue? How’s that going?”

Chen Chun started shoveling rice into his mouth rapidly. He lifted his eyes at the question and glanced at him. “Same old. She doesn’t even pay me any attention. She probably doesn’t like my type at all.”

Seeing he didn’t want to discuss the topic, Lin Linya wisely didn’t press. Besides, he was also afraid that if Chen Chun actually started dating, he would lose his meal partner. Where else would he find someone willing to happily eat his carrot shreds for him?

He glanced at Chen Chun and asked, “Have you been hitting chest day again recently? Your clothes can barely contain you.”

Lin Linya recalled that back when he still lived in the dorm and the guys showered together, he’d seen Chen Chun strutting around the dorm shirtless without a care. Even then, his physique was already great, broad shoulders and a slim waist. Now, his shoulders were even broader. Lin Linya was afraid that if he bulked up any more, he’d turn into a double-door refrigerator.

Chen Chun subconsciously went to touch his chest, then put his hand down with a cough. “Doesn’t it look good?”

Lin Linya only had a little bit of muscle himself, so he was insanely jealous and spoke sourly. “Looks great. Stay away from me from now on. When I walk with you, no girls look at me anymore.”

Chen Chun was a bit speechless. He didn’t know if Lin Linya was genuinely clueless or just pretending.

Did he really not know that when the two of them hung out together, the reason other girls stared was directed at both of them?

He suddenly recalled something that had happened before. “I saw someone trying to find you on the Confession Wall a couple days ago.”

The girl who was looking for him took a very good photo. At the time, Lin Linya was buying water in the school shop. Long legs, straight back, though only a sliver of his side profile was showing, many people were asking for his contact info in the comments.

Lin Linya didn’t know about it and asked which picture it was, worried he hadn’t looked good in the photo. After Chen Chun pulled it up to show him, he was satisfied. “Can’t help it, I’m just too handsome.”

Chen Chun said with a straight face, “From now on, cut out all those weird interjections. Don’t talk in that sticky, clingy way like a grade-schooler, and no one will stare at the two of us.”

Lin Linya had finally finished the big chicken drumstick. He looked up seriously and asked, “Really?”

“…“ Thinking about him actually changing the way he talked one day, Chen Chun felt a bit unaccustomed to it. After a long pause, he just said, “Yeah.”

“Oh—” Lin Linya drew out the sound, deliberately singing a different tune. He stuck his tongue out at him. “Nuh-uh.”