Chapter 3: In Short

Over the past year, Jian Boyi’s parents had gradually begun to accept his career as a professional gamer, though they still struggled to openly acknowledge it.

 

Jian Boyi, being rather timid, assumed his parents would never understand him and would still scold him, so he rarely visited home.

 

*Ring… ring… ring…* The phone rang endlessly without an answer.

 

Jian Yanzhi shrugged at her parents. “He probably trained late last night and hasn’t woken up yet. Should I try calling again later?”

 

“Forget it! That little brat!” Guan Min snapped, stomping upstairs in a huff. Jian Heshu exchanged a look with Jian Yanzhi. “I’ll go check on your mother. Remember to call your brother again later.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Once her parents were upstairs, Jian Yanzhi sent Jian Boyi a text message: “Mom and Dad are home. Come back and see them soon.” Then, she went to the kitchen to pour Guan Min a glass of water.

 

She discovered that the bottled water they had bought a few days earlier was all gone. Their water purifier, unused for so long, had stopped working.

 

Sighing, Jian Yanzhi returned to the living room, grabbed her coat, hat, and mask, put them on, and headed out. There was a convenience store in the neighborhood, just a ten-minute walk away.

 

Jian Yanzhi only realized how bitterly cold it was after stepping outside. Even her down jacket offered little warmth. Determined to get her errand done quickly, she tightened her coat and hurried toward the convenience store.

 

As she rounded the corner, she collided with someone—or, more accurately, she ran into him.

 

The man stood motionless, simply smoking.

 

In that fleeting moment, Jian Yanzhi managed only a quick glance at his tall, slender figure before noticing the glowing cigarette butt inches from her chest.

 

“Ah!” she gasped, slamming on the brakes. But the thin layer of fresh snow had made the sidewalk dangerously slick. Her body lurched, and she landed hard on her backside.

 

*Thud!*

 

“…”

 

He Yuan was momentarily stunned by the sudden collision. He glanced sideways at the cigarette between his fingers.

 

The stick was bent, the glowing ember sputtering weakly before slowly dying out.

 

Frowning, he lowered his gaze.

 

Only then did he notice the woman sprawled on the ground, her legs splayed wide, with him standing squarely between them.

 

“……”

 

“Hiss, that hurts…” The person on the ground whimpered, pulling her hands from the cold pavement and rubbing them against her clothes. Suddenly, she reached out to him. “Excuse me, could you give me a hand? My butt feels completely numb.”

 

He Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. The voice sounded vaguely familiar.

 

Jian Yanzhi wasn’t lying; both her buttocks were indeed numb. Since sitting like this was getting her nowhere, she had no choice but to ask for help. But after stretching her hand out for what felt like an eternity, the man showed no sign of helping her up.

 

“Sir, I…” Jian Yanzhi began to look up when the man suddenly crouched down in front of her.

 

“You?” His voice was languid yet utterly captivating, like the first snowflake of a winter night—cool and crisp, yet stirring something deep within her.

 

Slowly, Jian Yanzhi raised her gaze to meet his eyes. They were strikingly handsome—as black as ink, as fathomless as a deep pool, daring her to unravel their depths. Now, those eyes were fixed on her, brimming with amusement and playful curiosity.

 

Jian Yanzhi opened her mouth, but the words seemed to catch in her throat. Behind her mask, her face flushed crimson in an instant.

 

Seeing her stunned expression, He Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Did you break your ass? Cat got your tongue?”

 

Jian Yanzhi replied mechanically, “…No, it’s fine.”

 

“Oh.” He Yuan stood up, grabbed her shoulder, and hoisted her to her feet. “Yours isn’t broken, but my cigarette’s ruined.”

 

Jian Yanzhi pursed her lips and retorted mechanically, “I didn’t exactly fare well either. Look at my ruined coat.” She instinctively puffed out her chest.

 

He Yuan paused, his gaze dropping downward. Sure enough, his cigarette had burned a perfect bullseye through her down jacket, making the hole particularly noticeable.

 

“Ahem.”

 

Jian Yanzhi watched him awkwardly avert his gaze, suddenly realizing how bizarre it was to have unexpectedly bared her chest to him.

 

*Whew, my face feels even hotter now.*

 

She was suddenly incredibly grateful she had worn a mask.

 

“Don’t worry, I won’t make you pay for it,” she said casually, trying to break the tension.

 

“Pay?” He Yuan’s expression bordered on disbelief.

 

“Eldest!” Before He Yuan could voice his confusion, a teenage voice called from behind. “Eldest, didn’t you say you were going to buy something? Why are you just standing here? Hey? Who’s this?”

 

He Yuan glanced at Lin Mao, who was standing nearby, then lowered his gaze to the woman who had pulled her mask up higher. After a moment of silence, he said, “I don’t know.”

 

“Huh?” Lin Mao exclaimed.

 

“Um, I should get going!” Jian Yanzhi stammered, quickly limping away.

 

Lin Mao walked over to He Yuan, watching the retreating figure. “Is that woman a cripple?” he whispered.

 

“A cripple?” He Yuan gave Lin Mao a meaningful look. “That’s your goddess.”

 

“My goddess?” Lin Mao scoffed. “Hey, don’t think I’m that fickle, okay? Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be my goddess. My heart belongs only to Yan Zhi.”

 

He Yuan smirked. “Oh?”

 

All the way home, Jian Yanzhi kept wondering why He Yuan had been there. When she couldn’t figure it out, she started worrying about whether she had looked particularly foolish. Then she reassured herself that she had been so bundled up—he probably hadn’t recognized her.

 

*Phew, good thing I ran away quickly. At least I didn’t completely humiliate myself.*

 

After buying a few bottles of water and returning home, Jian Yanzhi felt a suffocating tension the moment she pushed open the door. Peeking into the living room, she saw her rarely-seen older brother sitting there, getting a lecture.

 

“Well, well, if it isn’t Young Master Jian making his grand return,” Jian Yanzhi announced, slamming the bottles of water onto the coffee table. “What’s going on here? A family tribunal? Mom, couldn’t you have waited for me to get back before starting the lecture?”

 

“Stop the nonsense and sit down!” Guan Min said sternly.

 

Ignoring her, Jian Yanzhi removed her mask and hat, sinking into the sofa. “Jian Boyi, I heard you joined DSG.”

 

Ever since Jian Boyi had made the fateful decision to cross the street, his parents had been berating him incessantly. Now, seeing Jian Yanzhi’s smug expression, he felt a perverse sense of relief. “Right, right, Yan Yan, tell Mom and Dad I’ve finally made something of myself!”

 

He furtively tugged at her sleeve, gritting his teeth and whispering, “Say something nice.”

 

“Made something of yourself? You’re practically drowning in glory!” Jian Yanzhi replied obligingly, then asked with feigned interest, “So… how are your teammates treating you? What’s He Yuan, your captain, like in private?”

 

Jian Boyi beamed, grateful for his sister’s support. Her final question warmed his heart—he’d never expected her to care about his well-being.

 

“They’re great! Everyone’s been really nice to me,” Jian Boyi replied eagerly.

 

“Oh?” Jian Yanzhi drawled. “How nice? Even your captain… He Yuan, right? Is he nice to you too? What’s he like when no one’s watching?”

 

“In private, he’s…” Jian Boyi paused, his expression suddenly guarded. “Why are you asking?”

 

“Just curious,” Jian Yanzhi replied. “Why be so stingy?”

 

“Enough!” Guan Min interrupted. “Jian Boyi, listen to me! If you dare go months without calling or coming home again, don’t even think about calling me ‘Mom’ anymore!”

 

“Mom… I promise it won’t happen again. Look, I’m living right across the street now. How could I possibly stay away?” Jian Boyi said cautiously.

 

“What!” Jian Yanzhi leaped from the sofa. “Where did you say you’re living?”

 

Startled, Jian Boyi replied, “Across the street.”

 

“Across the street!” Jian Yanzhi’s eyes widened. She shuffled to the window in her slippers, peered outside, then rushed back, beaming. “You’ve really made something of yourself! I’ve never been so proud!”

 

No wonder she’d run into He Yuan here—they were neighbors!

 

Jian Boyi puffed up with pride. “Of course.”

 

“Enough with the back-and-forth,” Guan Min snorted. “Just behave yourself, Jian Boyi.”

 

“Alright, alright,” Jian Boyi said, standing up. “Well, I should head over now. My teammates are waiting for me for training.”

 

Jian Heshu chuckled, “Go on, come back for lunch tomorrow if you’re free.”

 

“Okay, Dad!” Jian Boyi replied.

 

As Jian Boyi reached the entryway, Jian Yanzhi blocked his path. After making sure their parents couldn’t hear, she asked, “When did you guys move in?”

 

“Yesterday. I just joined, and they happened to be relocating to a new base.”

 

Jian Yanzhi’s eyes lit up. “So you’ll be living here from now on?”

 

“Yep,” Jian Boyi said, narrowing his eyes. “Wow, you’re actually worried about me. I thought your conscience had been eaten by dogs.”

 

“Of course I care about you!” Jian Yanzhi retorted, playfully punching him on the chest. “From now on, I’ll definitely look after you better.”

 

Jian Boyi shuddered theatrically. “Did you take the wrong medicine today?”

 

To his surprise, Jian Yanzhi didn’t retaliate. Instead, she gently opened the door for him. “I’m perfectly fine. See you later, Bro. Bring your teammates over sometime if you’re free.”

 

She emphasized the word “teammates.” Jian Boyi glanced back at her, utterly bewildered.

 

He knew Jian Yanzhi played video games and was quite skilled, but he had no idea she was so familiar with DSG, let alone that He Yuan was her idol.

 

Back at the team house, Jian Boyi had completely forgotten about Jian Yanzhi’s strange behavior. He was in an exceptionally good mood, simply relieved that his parents hadn’t scolded him too harshly.

 

“Ninth Brother, where were you? Eldest wanted to duo with you earlier but couldn’t find you,” Lin Mao said, looking up from his computer.

 

“Ah? Sorry, sorry, I… I just went home for a bit.”

 

The moment those words left his mouth, his teammates turned to stare at him, even He Yuan, who was engrossed in a ranked match, couldn’t help but glance over.

 

“What, home?” Lao Yao asked, his face twisted in confusion. “You were only gone for an hour! What kind of ‘home’ trip is that?” He paused, then added, “Where the hell do you live anyway?”

 

Jian Boyi had known the others for a while, but they hadn’t been particularly close before he joined DSG, so none of them knew much about his family background. Among the official members, only He Yuan was a local; the rest had moved to Shanghai from other parts of the country. Naturally, they assumed Jian Boyi wasn’t from Shanghai either.

 

When Lao Yao pressed him about his home, Jian Boyi pointed at the wall.

 

Lao Yao sputtered, “…What the hell? I asked where your *home* is!”

 

Under the weight of their bewildered stares, Jian Boyi cleared his throat awkwardly. “Across the street.”

 

“……”

 

“…………”

 

Lao Yao: “Holy shit.”