Chapter 16: In Short

Jian Yanzhi had only just learned that, in addition to herself and Song Nanzhi, two male celebrities had also been invited to the charity eSports tournament: Zheng Yuanle, a rising star in variety shows, and Wen Ye, a veteran singer who had remained popular for decades. Although Jian Yanzhi had never worked with either of them, she was familiar with both men; several of Wen Ye’s songs were still on her playlist.

 

The tournament was being livestreamed online. Originally a niche event for hardcore eSports fans, it had suddenly gained mainstream attention with the mysterious reveal of the four celebrity participants.

 

Anticipating this surge in interest, the organizers not only encouraged fans to share their own posts on Weibo but also regularly posted highlights from the livestream to keep the buzz going.

 

The tournament brackets had already been set. The four amateur players were divided into two teams: Jian Yanzhi and Wen Ye, Song Nanzhi and Zheng Yuanle.

 

In League of Legends, a team consists of five players, so professional gamers were brought in to fill the remaining three slots. Jian Yanzhi’s team was paired with TH Team, while Song Nanzhi’s team, as she had predicted, was matched with DSG.

 

By now, the Weibo video announcing the team pairings had garnered over ten thousand comments:

 

“Our Yan Zhi is so beautiful! So, so beautiful!”

 

“What the heck? Jian Yanzhi actually plays League of Legends?”

 

“Song Nanzhi is cozying up to He Yuanjia, who’s also the organizer of this event. Her presence here… well, draw your own conclusions!”

 

“Rumor has it Jian Yanzhi is a gaming addict, hahaha! So it’s true after all.”

 

“Damn, Shen Yuan is fucking帅!”

 

“Song Nanzhi, stay away from my Shen Yuan! Stop trying so hard to talk to him!”

 

“Song Nanzhi is stunning. No wonder she captured the heart of Sky’s young master.”

 

The first match was about to begin. DSG’s lineup consisted of He Yuan, Lao Yao, and Lin Mao. Lin Mao, his face twisted in anguish, reluctantly put on his headset and leaned in to whisper to He Yuan, “Eldest, my beloved Xiao Yanzhi is on the opposing team. I can’t bring myself to crush her.”

 

“What’s this? Planning to embarrass the team?” He Yuan glared at him. “It’s not just Jian Yanzhi over there—TH is too. You want to lose to them?”

 

“Of course not!”

 

TH wasn’t a strong team, and a loss to them would be truly humiliating for DSG.

 

“If you don’t want to lose, then crush them utterly. Leave your sentimentality at the door when you step into the game.” He Yuan casually put on his headset, but his mind kept replaying Jian Yanzhi’s words from before the match:

 

“Even if he helps them, it won’t matter. Our team has professional players too, and they’re just as skilled. It’s anyone’s game.”

 

*Hmph, what a naive little girl.*

 

To level the playing field, the organizers stipulated that professional players couldn’t play their usual roles. For example, He Yuan would play support instead of ADC in this match.

 

Jian Yanzhi was playing mid-lane as Orianna. Her opponent was Zheng Yuanle, a celebrity player she’d heard was quite good at League of Legends.

 

However, Zheng Yuanle’s champion was vulnerable early on, while Jian Yanzhi’s Orianna had a stronger early-game presence. As a result, she dominated the lane, relentlessly pressuring Zheng Yuanle until level 4.

 

The situation in the bottom lane, however, was far from ideal.

 

Their opponents were He Yuan and Song Nanzhi, while Jian Yanzhi’s team consisted of Wen Ye and another professional player. Song Nanzhi wasn’t particularly skilled, but thanks to He Yuan’s support, she managed to keep up in farm.

 

By the eighth minute, He Yuan had secured the first blood in the bottom lane.

 

Jian Yanzhi played with focus, posting respectable stats for her team: 7 kills, 4 deaths, and 10 assists. However, as the game progressed, it became increasingly clear that her team was on the verge of losing.

 

At the 34-minute mark, the enemy team stormed their high ground.

 

Perhaps overconfident, the enemy team lost three members on the high ground to Jian Yanzhi’s team, though her side also sacrificed two lives. Still, they maintained a slight advantage.

 

Fueled by adrenaline, Jian Yanzhi attempted a flashy maneuver to eliminate the enemy ADC, Song Nanzhi. Just as she was about to land the killing blow, He Yuan suddenly intervened, shielding Song Nanzhi.

 

Song Nanzhi escaped unscathed, while Jian Yanzhi was swiftly taken down by He Yuan and Song Nanzhi’s ranged attacks.

 

With Jian Yanzhi’s death, her team’s advantage vanished.

 

Ultimately, they suffered a complete wipeout.

 

The Crystal shattered, and the word “DEFEAT” blazed across Jian Yanzhi’s screen.

 

The arena erupted in cheers as Jian Yanzhi calmly removed her headset and glanced across the stage.

 

*Damn it! Song Nanzhi is grinning like an idiot!* Jian Yanzhi seethed inwardly. *Stay calm. Stay calm. You’re on stage… on stage…*

 

As the camera panned across, Jian Yanzhi forced a “friendly” smile.

 

Behind that smile, she wanted to smash her mouse against the desk. If she could, she’d storm over to He Yuan and punch him twice in the face!

 

*Protect me? Protect me! I’ll show you how to protect me!*

 

After the match, during the intermission, Jian Yanzhi and the others retreated backstage.

 

Simmering with anger, Jian Yanzhi remained unaware of the sudden surge in her fanbase thanks to the match.

 

Meanwhile, on Weibo:

 

“Shen Yuan truly lives up to his name! No mercy, even against a beauty! Hahaha!”

 

“So what if she’s a goddess? Yuan’s principle is simple: no feelings in the game!”

 

“Even though she lost, Jian Yanzhi actually played surprisingly well. Unexpected!”

 

“Exactly! She’s so skilled! Way better than Song Nanzhi, who just got carried to victory!”

 

“Poor Xiao Yanzhi, having to face Shen Yuan. My heart goes out to her.”

 

“The best gaming goddess in the entertainment industry? Hahaha, I’m suddenly tempted to become a fan!”

 

Jian Yanzhi retreated backstage, took a sip of water to calm her anger, and gradually regained her composure.

 

Losing to Song Nanzhi was one thing, but being angry at He Yuan made no sense. He was her teammate, of course he would help her.

 

*Right, that’s perfectly reasonable. There’s nothing to be angry about.*

 

“Sister!” Just then, someone suddenly leaped onto her back, startling her. Turning around, she saw Lu Xue’s harmless face. “How did you get in here?”

 

Lu Xue grinned. “I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer, so I called Jian Boyi instead. He brought me in.”

 

“Where is he now?”

 

“No idea. He just told me you were here and left.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Sister, I watched your match from the audience! You played pretty well, but you’re still trash compared to my Yuan Yuan’s skills.”

 

“Get lost!”

 

“Hey, don’t get mad! You even got to play a round with Shen Yuan himself. You must be feeling as sweet as honey, right?”

 

*Sweet as honey? More like poisoned.*

 

“Yan Zhi!” Song Nanzhi strode into the backstage area, looking pleased. “Oh my, I’m so sorry about earlier! I really thought you were going to kill me, but thank goodness Yuan Yuan came to my rescue.”

 

Jian Yanzhi’s hard-won composure threatened to crumble again.

 

“I won this round,” Song Nanzhi said smugly. “Yuan Jia always made you sound so formidable, but you’re nothing special.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘nothing special’? Are you blind?” Lu Xue interjected angrily before Jian Yanzhi could respond. She had heard about Song Nanzhi from Jian Yanzhi and had never liked her. “My sister’s skills are far superior to yours. If it weren’t for He Yuan’s intervention, you wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

 

“You!” Song Nanzhi’s face flushed with fury. “Who do you think you are?”

 

“Who she is is none of your business,” Jian Yanzhi retorted, shielding Lu Xue behind her. “We get it, you’re hot stuff now. Stop flaunting it. Tuck in that tail—it’s starting to stink.”

 

“Jian Yanzhi, take that back!”

 

Ignoring her, Jian Yanzhi led Lu Xue out. “I’ll walk you out. The air’s foul in here.”

 

“Right on!” Lu Xue shot Song Nanzhi a scornful glance as she followed Jian Yanzhi out.

 

Jian Yanzhi hadn’t expected to run into He Yuan right outside the door. He was leaning against the wall beside the lounge entrance, one foot slightly bent, a cigarette dangling from his hand.

 

“……”

 

“……”

 

He Yuan’s gaze fell on Jian Yanzhi’s face. He had overheard their entire conversation inside and was somewhat surprised. He only knew Song Nanzhi as someone his brother, He Yuanjia, had asked him to look after, but he hadn’t realized there was such animosity between her and Jian Yanzhi.

 

Jian Yanzhi stormed out, her anger still simmering. Her clear, lively eyes were rimmed with red, shimmering with tears as if she had suffered a grave injustice.

 

He Yuan froze, momentarily taken aback. Had he made her cry?

 

Jian Yanzhi paused briefly when she saw him, then averted her gaze and continued walking. He Yuan watched her retreating figure, lightly pursing his lips. For the first time, he wondered if he had gone too far.

 

“Yuan… Shen Yuan…”

 

A small voice suddenly called out beside him. He turned to see the young girl who had been with Jian Yanzhi still standing there.

 

“What is it?”

 

Lu Xue, suppressing her excitement, stammered, “Um, nothing really! Actually… I’m your fan!”

 

He Yuan paused. “Oh.”

 

“My sister and I watch all your matches! We’re your biggest fans!” Lu Xue exclaimed, her face flushed with enthusiasm.

 

He Yuan paused, as if his interest had finally been piqued. “Your sister?”

 

“Yeah, Jian Yanzhi—the one who was just playing with you!”

 

“Oh?” He Yuan’s eyebrow arched slightly. “She’s my… biggest fan?”

 

“Yes, yes!” Lu Xue nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at grain. “She’s even a moderator in your livestream chat! You know Little Fox, right? The one who’s always at the top of the gift leaderboard!”

 

He Yuan fell silent for a long moment before finally saying, “That nouveau riche… that’s her?”

 

The second game began.

 

The opposing team’s lineup remained largely unchanged, except that Jian Boyi took over as mid-laner.

 

On Jian Yanzhi’s side, she switched from mid-lane to her preferred role as support. This time, she chose the Toad champion—not for any strategic reason, but simply because of its massive, ugly mouth! She was determined to swallow Song Nanzhi whole this match!

 

To her surprise, the game went far too smoothly. He Yuan, acting as Song Nanzhi’s support, was clearly out of sync.

 

When Song Nanzhi needed healing, He Yuan ran off to heal the mid-laner, who was already at nearly full health, resulting in Song Nanzhi’s death.

 

When Song Nanzhi was being ganked, He Yuan fled even faster than she did, leaving her utterly helpless against Jian Yanzhi’s onslaught, which ultimately led to her demise.

 

During the team fight, He Yuan “struggled” briefly before Jian Yanzhi secured the first kill. Without He Yuan, the outcome of the battle was inevitable.

 

Throughout the entire match, the kill feed was flooded with news of Song Nanzhi’s deaths. The frequency was so relentless it would break your heart.