Chapter 28 Part 2

“Fair enough,” Chen Wen said, not pushing it. “It’s just a name, a stand-in. You can always change it later if you make the starting roster.”

Yun Qi just smiled at Chen Wen’s encouragement. Chen Wen reminded him to practice hard and then walked away.

After logging in, Yun Qi lingered on the hero selection screen for a long time. Those familiar yet distant hero icons stirred memories of his student days.

His grades had always been rock-solid from childhood through high school. Every teacher praised him as smart and quick on the uptake, a natural at studying. They had no idea back then that he was one of those “bad kids” wasting time on online games instead of hitting the books.

Yun Qi’s introduction to the game had been straightforward. Cloud Summit Decisive Battle was still a pure PC title back then—no mobile version yet. As a student, he wasn’t allowed a computer at home, so the only way to play was at an Internet Cafe. He had a friend named Tang Feng, a total gaming addict with grades in the gutter, but he loved dragging Yun Qi along.

Yun Qi tagged along to the Internet Cafe every day but never touched the keyboard himself. Tang Feng would duke it out in intense matches right beside him, while Yun Qi sprawled over his homework, sneaking peeks now and then. Through sheer exposure, though, he gradually picked it up and became a newbie who could fill in for Tang Feng on occasion.

Even at that beginner stage, his talent shone through.

Tang Feng had barely explained the basics. Once Yun Qi got the hang of the keyboard, he dropped a perfect 10-0 scoreline in his first real match. Tang Feng stared in shock, muttering “Damn” before asking, “You did this?”

Yun Qi blinked in confusion. “Yeah. What about it?”

Tang Feng fell silent for a long stretch, lost in thought. At last, he said, “Yun Qi, you should really consider playing games for real.”

Pulling off a performance like that in Master rank after just a quick rundown—Yun Qi had no clue back then what it signified.

Before long, he immersed himself fully in the game and racked up an impressive record. Tang Feng dragged him along even more eagerly after that. The two of them sneaked off to the Internet Cafe right after school, keeping it hidden from everyone to preserve Yun Qi’s image as the model student.

His talent in the game was undeniable. He hadn’t dreamed of going pro yet, but crowds started gathering to watch him play at the cafe. Strangers bought him drinks, asked to add him on QQ, and even the Internet Cafe Boss offered, “Sign up for a membership here—I’ll give you half off.”

Overnight, he’d become a star. Denying a swell of pride would’ve been impossible. Immersed in that atmosphere, he dove deeper into the game. Maybe what hooked him most back then was the attention. Either way, he turned into a devoted Cloud Summit Decisive Battle player.

He showed up at the Internet Cafe with Tang Feng every day. His seat became his unofficial throne—no one dared take it. A ring of spectators always packed the chairs around him. He started rubbing shoulders with some rough-around-the-edges locals, all of whom took a shine to him.

The scene held steady for over half a year. Then he crossed paths online with Yu Jin. They hit it off instantly, wowed by each other’s mechanics. They started duoing and eventually set up an in-person meetup.

When they finally met, Yun Qi realized his new duo partner was none other than the upperclassman who’d once bailed him out at the school gates.

From the perspective of a model student at the time, Yu Jin didn’t look very approachable. How to put it? He resembled those senior students who had bullied Yun Qi—tall, fond of smoking, always hanging out in crowds, the type that rebellious girls went crazy for. And his gaze was always like he was looking at trash, as if a single wrong word would set him off in a fight.

That first meeting left a bad impression, so Yun Qi deliberately avoided him for two days. He didn’t reply to any online messages either. Yu Jin must have noticed, because he stopped inviting Yun Qi to play games. Both of them figured that was the end of it. But then, during a random team-up match, someone pulled them into the same group. The two of them competed silently, neither saying a word as they unleashed insane plays. The enemy surrendered just ten minutes in.

They kept teaming up after that. In their five-man queues, they’d chat with everyone else—just not each other. Yun Qi was proud, excelling at both school and games. He refused to be the one to break the ice. In the end, Yu Jin cracked first. After one match, he sent a QQ message.

【Eidis: Got a problem with me?】

Yun Qi waited a few minutes before replying.

【Want to Raise a Cat: Do I?】

【Eidis: I like honest kids.】

【Want to Raise a Cat: Then you definitely won’t like me.】

【Eidis: Wrong guess. I prefer the cocky type.】

Ten minutes later, Yun Qi threw caution to the wind.

【Want to Raise a Cat: I’ve got a huge problem with you.】

The conversation worked wonders. That Saturday, they met up offline again. This time, Yu Jin showed up in his school uniform, backpack slung over one shoulder, no cigarette in sight—a picture-perfect sunny senior. He looked down at Yun Qi, who despite being only a couple years younger barely reached his chest, and said, “Kitty?”

The online tough guy turned into a bashful kid offline. Yun Qi tugged at his backpack strap and corrected him. “Call me Yun Qi…”

After they got to know each other, Yun Qi stopped hanging out with Tang Feng and started sticking with Yu Jin instead. Over time, Yun Qi learned that Yu Jin went to the school next door, surfed at an internet cafe just two streets away, and had even been nearby during the bullying incident because he had friends at Yun Qi’s school—he dropped by often.

It was a classic case of kindred spirits recognizing each other. Yu Jin’s jungling was on another level. Yun Qi had to admit the guy had superhuman game sense and mechanics. If Yun Qi tried jungling himself, he’d never beat him. Yu Jin was everywhere and nowhere, cleared camps faster than anyone Yun Qi had seen, never got lost in the map, and kept the game’s pace blazing.

The two of them never lost when teamed up.

Yu Jin saw extraordinary talent in Yun Qi too. When he learned Yun Qi hadn’t been playing long, his expectations skyrocketed. “Give it two more years, kid—you’re gonna be unstoppable.”

Yun Qi swelled with pride. Back then, Yu Jin was the best player he’d ever met, and hearing his approval meant more than a thousand empty compliments from anyone else.

They evolved from online buddies to real-life friends, meeting up for more than just games. Sometimes Yu Jin would invite him out for other activities. Before long, they were thick as thieves.

One evening, they headed to the internet cafe as usual to stomp noobs. After two matches, they started chatting about random stuff. Then their eyes met, and the air shifted. Somehow, on impulse, Yu Jin pinned Yun Qi—chair and all—against the wall in the corner. A wild, uncontrollable kiss ignited that chaotic night, long and fervent. Yun Qi was dazed, arms wrapped around Yu Jin’s neck. When it finally broke, his eyes flushed red as he stared up at him.

“Feel good?” Yu Jin’s fingers brushed his eye corner tenderly, nearly burning him with their heat.

Yun Qi’s eyes glistened. “Don’t stop…”

They lost control in that back-corner spot. Yun Qi ended up straddling Yu Jin’s lap, arms around his neck, oblivious to time and place. How could “crazy” even begin to describe it?

The setting was all wrong that day—thank god, or Yun Qi might have spiraled into self-destruction. Yu Jin called it off just in time, murmuring against his ear in a foul-play whisper. “Date me, Kitty.”

Yun Qi clung to his neck, nails grazing his skin, voice sticky. “…Yeah.”

And so began their secret relationship.

Later on, they shared the same dream.

To raise China’s flag on the world esports stage.

Their romance was infused with the same passionate force, growing even hotter. They charged toward the same horizon together, and Yun Qi was finally swept into the depths of that ideology and its surging tide. He no longer viewed the future his mother had mapped out for him—acing the college entrance exams, landing a solid job, marrying some suitable girl, and settling down to raise a family—as his destiny. Instead, he started making choices, embracing his freedom, and embracing a touch of rebellion.

These days, he couldn’t even tell whether he loved esports more… or Yu Jin more.

He loved the man who, amid all that crushing pressure, had urged him to chase what his heart truly yearned for.

“Not studying makes you trash.”

“No grades means you’re worthless.”

“Get into a good college, snag a good job, get married, have kids—make sure your dad and I don’t have to worry about you.”

Beneath that barrage of voices, one stood out: “Choose the life you want. Whichever path it is, I’ll stand by you.” It rang so clear and strong.

It pierced straight through Yun Qi’s heart, coaxing his withered spirit back to vibrant life.

~~~

After three rounds in the training camp, Yun Qi was already bored out of his mind.

He logged into WeChat and tapped on that unmistakably green avatar, firing off a message.

【Silk Scarf: You there?】

【Doesn’t Eat Grass: Don’t even ask—I’m always online.】

【Silk Scarf: Up for a couple games?】

【Doesn’t Eat Grass: Sure. Gimme three minutes.】

Three minutes later.

【Doesn’t Eat Grass: What rank we queuing?】

【Silk Scarf: Just you and me.】

【Doesn’t Eat Grass: The hell we gonna play with two?】

【Silk Scarf: 1v1.】

The other guy was typing…

【Doesn’t Eat Grass: You, a little support, wanna 1v1 me???】

【Silk Scarf: Yup. Pull out your favorite Fist Lion.】

Ten seconds later, Doesn’t Eat Grass’s game client pinged with a fresh friend request.

【Milk Cap requests to add you as a friend】

Meanwhile, the WeChat barrage didn’t let up.

【Silk Scarf: With a wager.】

【Silk Scarf: New account—no skins.】

【Silk Scarf: You got cash? I want that Fist Lion Nexus Crystal bundle.】

…

【Doesn’t Eat Grass: Forget the bet for a sec—do you even know Fist Lion? That’s a top laner hero.】

【Silk Scarf: Yeah.】

【Silk Scarf: Ran three games in training camp already.】