Chapter 17: Where to Go

The match concluded, and Jian Yanzhi’s team had secured a decisive victory.

 

As the enemy Crystal exploded on the giant screen, the arena erupted in cheers. Jian Yanzhi still felt like she was in a dream.

 

*Did we win? Is this… is this really a win?*

 

Had her team actually defeated He Yuan’s?

 

Backstage in the rest area, a group approached her. At the front, Song Nanzhi clung to He Yuanjia’s arm, her face a mix of petulance and feigned grievance. Judging by He Yuanjia’s impatient frown, she had likely been whining to him again.

 

Jian Yanzhi had no interest in the couple or the staff trailing behind them, but she hadn’t expected to see He Yuan among them. He walked on He Yuanjia’s other side, tall and upright, though his expression also betrayed a hint of irritation.

 

“Hey, Miss Jian,” He Yuanjia called out as she tried to slip away.

 

All eyes turned toward her, following He Yuanjia’s gaze. Unable to simply walk away, Jian Yanzhi forced a smile and approached him. “President He.”

 

“I was watching your match from the sidelines, Miss Jian. You were truly impressive—your skills are so smooth!” He Yuanjia exclaimed.

 

Jian Yanzhi replied modestly, “Oh, it was nothing. Everyone let me win. I wouldn’t dare show off in front of professional players.”

 

“Don’t be so modest,” He Yuanjia insisted. “Among regular players, you’re genuinely outstanding. By the way, let’s team up for a game sometime.”

 

“Sure, that would be an honor,” Jian Yanzhi said politely.

 

She knew this courtesy would likely earn her a thousand silent curses from Song Nanzhi, who would probably be mentally tearing her apart.

 

But who cared?

 

“Yuan Jia, we have to hurry. Let’s go,” Song Nanzhi said sweetly, shooting Jian Yanzhi a sharp glare as she tugged at He Yuanjia’s arm.

 

Song Nanzhi had always assumed the men were just casually complimenting Jian Yanzhi, never imagining she was such a skilled gamer. Now, her humiliating defeat had turned public opinion against her, while Jian Yanzhi was being hailed as a star online.

 

Song Nanzhi’s resentment towards Jian Yanzhi flashed through her mind. Knowing He Yuanjia was already displeased with her earlier grumbling, she managed to keep her displeasure in check.

 

Meanwhile, He Yuanjia turned to Jian Yanzhi with a smile. “Miss Jian, it’s settled then. I’ll be going now. See you next time.”

 

Jian Yanzhi nodded.

 

After He Yuanjia and Song Nanzhi had taken a few steps, he noticed his younger brother, He Yuan, hadn’t followed. He turned back. “A Yuan?”

 

“Go on ahead. I’ll catch up later,” He Yuan replied without looking at him, his gaze fixed on the young woman by the door.

 

He Yuanjia glanced between his brother and Jian Yanzhi, a hint of surprise in his eyes. “Ah? Oh… right. Then I’ll wait for you up ahead.”

 

“Mm.”

 

Jian Yanzhi’s brow furrowed slightly. When He Yuan took a step closer, she instinctively retreated two steps.

 

“What are you doing?” Jian Yanzhi asked warily. *Is this guy going to silence me just because he lost?*

 

He Yuan remained silent for a moment before bending down until his eyes were level with hers.

 

He Yuan stared into her eyes, waiting until he was sure they weren’t red before asking, “Not crying anymore?”

 

Jian Yanzhi blinked in surprise. “Who was crying?”

 

He Yuan straightened up, his gaze lowered. “Losing makes you tear up? You girls have such fragile mentalities.”

 

“Who’s having a mental breakdown? Who was teary-eyed?” Jian Yanzhi protested, her face twisting in confusion. “Don’t you dare slander me!”

 

“Oh? Then who was it that stormed out with red eyes after getting teased by that Song… what’s-her-name?”

 

“???”

 

Faced with Jian Yanzhi’s vehement denial, He Yuan thought to himself, *This girl is stubborn as hell.* He then calmly said, “Your skills are far superior to hers. It’s just that your teammates are a bit… less experienced than ours. Understand?”

 

Was that a compliment? Jian Yanzhi blinked, wondering if she was imagining things.

 

“Well, they’re not *that* bad,” she mumbled, her voice trailing off awkwardly. “We still won this round, didn’t we?” She coughed, lacking conviction in her own words.

 

“Eldest,” Jian Boyi and Lin Mao emerged from the break room, followed by the others. “Should we head back now?”

 

He Yuan glanced at Jian Yanzhi and gave a curt nod.

 

“Hey, Yan Zhi, not bad! You actually beat our Eldest,” Lao Yao said meaningfully, his eyes darting between the two with a knowing look.

 

“Beat him? Bullshit! Eldest, were you throwing the match on purpose?” Jian Boyi snapped, his temper flaring. “The first round went perfectly fine! But the moment I stepped in, you started playing recklessly. We couldn’t even recover the kill score!”

 

Jian Yanzhi silently agreed with Jian Boyi. Truthfully, given their actual skills, their team shouldn’t have stood a chance.

 

“Eldest, tell me, did you throw the match on purpose?” Jian Boyi persisted.

 

He Yuan scoffed, his tone nonchalant with a hint of mockery. “Do you think you’re that important?”

 

“…”

 

He Yuan turned and walked away, leaving Jian Boyi to trail after him relentlessly. “Then why were you holding back so much?”

 

“Didn’t you realize this was just a friendly match? We couldn’t let the other team lose too badly, now could we?”

 

“Bullshit! You were the one who said a match is a match, no matter the stakes, and that there’s no room for sentimentality in competition!”

 

“I take it back.”

 

“What? Why are you taking it back now?!”

 

“Because I feel like it.”

 

After the second round, Weibo exploded with discussion.

 

“Shen Yuan clearly threw the match. How else could he have won so easily?”

 

“I can practically hear Ninth Brother’s anguished roar of despair! Hahaha!”

 

“Song Nanzhi is terrible. Why would they put such a weak player on the team?”

 

“It’s obvious—nepotism.”

 

“Jian Yanzhi is on fire! She’s amazing!”

 

“I’m officially a fan! Starting tonight, Miss Jian is my new goddess!”

 

Jian Yanzhi made Fang Yang take Lu Xue back to school before letting Fang Yang drive her home.

 

“Your gaming performance tonight is trending on Weibo,” Fang Yang said, settling into the living room couch and scrolling through her phone. “It’s crazy how much attention it’s getting.”

 

“So, do you finally understand the appeal of gaming?” Jian Yanzhi asked, leaning closer to Fang Yang. “You won’t nag me when I play anymore, right?”

 

“Hey, Jian Yanzhi, don’t push your luck,” Fang Yang chuckled.

 

Jian Yanzhi scoffed. “Gaming is good for both mind and body, you know.”

 

“Finish your work first, then you can worry about the benefits,” Fang Yang retorted.

 

“…”

 

“Alright, alright, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now. I’ll drive you to school the day after tomorrow.”

 

“Got it.”

 

After Fang Yang left, Jian Yanzhi spent ages removing her makeup and showering before finally collapsing onto her bed.

 

After browsing Weibo for a while using her “Little Fox of Genshin’s Home” account, she switched to her main account—the one she used as actress Jian Yanzhi—and posted:

 

“My first time on such a unique stage, experiencing what it’s like to be a pro gamer. Truly fulfilling!”

 

She attached photos provided by the staff: two of her in action during the match and two of the entire team standing together on stage.

 

After posting on Weibo, Jian Yanzhi collapsed into bed. When she woke up the next morning, it was already past ten.

 

She quickly washed up, then shuffled across the road between the two buildings in her slippers, carrying a bag of groceries. As she expected, none of the men at the base were awake yet.

 

Aunt Jiang opened the door, beaming as she ushered her inside.

 

“Aunt Jiang, my manager bought me this fruit. I can’t possibly eat it all myself, so I brought it over,” Jian Yanzhi said.

 

“Oh dear, those boys never touch fruit unless it’s washed, peeled, and placed right next to their computers,” Aunt Jiang sighed. “They won’t even glance at it otherwise!”

 

Jian Yanzhi chuckled. “So demanding.”

 

“You have no idea!” Aunt Jiang carried the fruit into the kitchen. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? How about I make you some toast?”

 

“Sounds great, thanks, Aunt Jiang. I’m a bit hungry,” Jian Yanzhi said without hesitation. After all, she had freeloaded meals here countless times before.

 

The toast was ready quickly. Jian Yanzhi sat at the dining table and was about to cut into it when she noticed someone descending the stairs.

 

He was wearing a white T-shirt and light gray sweatpants, his hair slightly disheveled, clearly having just crawled out of bed.

 

The newcomer glanced at Jian Yanzhi before calmly calling out to the kitchen, “Aunt Jiang, is there any more?”

 

Aunt Jiang was surprised to see him up so early. “Why are you up so early today?”

 

He Yuan sat down at the dining table and rubbed his temples. “I skipped dinner last night. Woke up hungry.”

 

“Oh dear, you never take care of yourself,” Aunt Jiang clucked as she set his breakfast in front of him. “Eat slowly. I’ll heat up some milk for you both.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Aunt Jiang returned to the kitchen, leaving the dining room in an awkward silence.

 

“I didn’t cry yesterday,” Jian Yanzhi said, taking a bite of toast. “My eyes were probably just red from wearing my contacts too long.”

 

“…Oh.”

 

“You didn’t lose on purpose because you thought I was crying, did you?”

 

He Yuan’s hand, holding his fork, paused mid-air. “What do you think?”

 

Jian Yanzhi’s confidence wavered. Of course… that was impossible.

 

“It was just a friendly match. No need to take it so seriously,” He Yuan said calmly, resuming his meal.

 

“Oh.” Jian Yanzhi considered this. He was right. If she kept winning so easily, it would be embarrassing for the professional player on her team.

 

“Well, thanks for complimenting me yesterday,” Jian Yanzhi said, a faint smile playing on her lips.

 

“Huh?”

 

“For saying I played better than Song Nanzhi. I already knew it, but I still appreciate your honesty.”

 

“Don’t let it go to your head.”

 

Jian Yanzhi huffed playfully and cheerfully went back to eating her toast.

 

He Yuan glanced sideways at her. Without yesterday’s meticulous makeup, her face looked younger and more natural.

 

He recalled how Lin Mao always boasted that his goddess looked even more stunning without makeup. Looking at Jian Yanzhi now, he had to admit there might be some truth to that.

 

Aunt Jiang brought over a warm glass of milk. As He Yuan took a sip, Lu Xue’s words from last night popped back into his head.

 

“My sister is your biggest fan.”

 

“‘God Yuan’s Little Fox’—that’s her ID!”

 

The corners of He Yuan’s mouth curved slightly. So the Little Fox who frequently showered his live streams with gifts like some nouveau riche braggart with the ID “So Poor I Only Have Money” was actually Jian Yanzhi.

 

*Interesting.*

 

He Yuan thought, Maybe that’s why I deliberately held back during that match. Since she’s my number one fan, I should show her some mercy.

 

He scoffed. Of course, it wasn’t because he saw her crying that his heart softened.