| Marry Me, I'm Super Well-Behaved [Esports] (MARRY ME) |
Fortunately, the network only crashed for a short while. After three minutes, he reconnected, and shortly after he came back online, the other player also reconnected.
What a coincidence?
Ning Nanzhou didn’t have time to dwell on it, as Oliver was furiously typing in the team chat: “Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck! We were just two minutes away from pushing the high ground and about to win! How did both of you disconnect? Chi… Is your internet that bad? Did someone next door unplug your cable? Move already!!!”
The noise made Ning Nanzhou’s temples throb. Just as he was about to move his character—
The screen went completely black.
This time, it wasn’t the internet—his laptop had crashed.
He had been using this laptop since high school. It had survived being dropped, soaked in water, and left on a bus, still holding up despite its age. But crashing like this was a first.
As the weathered laptop finally rebooted, Qin Yubai sent a message.
【Qin Yubai】Training time is up. Let’s compete again in the Star Cup.
The Star Cup mentioned here wasn’t a snack. It originally started as an online tournament organized by players and later became an official competition hosted by platforms. Not only could professional players participate, but casual players could join as well.
There weren’t many restrictions on team formation either—players from different Teams could compete together, similar to a mini All-Star event.
Ning Nanzhou had no objections, especially since he had disconnected first. The Star Cup had dedicated tournament servers.
However, he wasn’t sure about his teammates’ opinions, so he shared Qin Yubai’s suggestion in the chat.
【South】Sorry, my laptop crashed again. The other side suggested we compete based on Star Cup results. Not sure if everyone has time to participate.
【Oliver】It’s not your fault. My cousin also lagged out, and I promised him I’d babysit! We have to have a rematch no matter what.
【Ren Xingzhou】We all have time now, but the Team is moving to a new training base soon, so we might not be able to play every time. We should probably find another Support.
Seeing Oliver and Ren Xingzhou agree without hesitation, Zhu Yao had no objections either—opportunities to compete against a big shot were rare and not to be missed.
Only then did Ning Nanzhou agree to Qin Yubai’s proposal, his gaze involuntarily drifting back to the phrase “bringing the child.”
Did he have a child at such a young age?
His mind conjured an image of a young single father holding a child in one arm while gaming with the other—no wonder he never used his mic.
Meanwhile, Oliver had to return to the dorm to train FKW’s new AD Carry. Getting Chi Yu to join a match was incredibly difficult.
After finishing his training, Liu Xiuqi from the Lion team noticed Qin Yubai was still reviewing the first match. “Captain, no need to take it so seriously, right?”
Qin Yubai simply replied, “The opponent was Chi Yu.”
Liu Xiuqi’s eyes widened in shock. Why would Chi Yu stoop to participating in such a match? Yet he didn’t doubt Qin Yubai’s words.
Their captain was a man with notoriously bad luck. Some said Qin Yubai was born in the wrong era—first living in someone else’s shadow, then being suppressed by Chi Yu.
If the opposing Top Laner was Chi Yu, a terrifying realization dawned on him.
The coordination between top and jungle was too seamless. Despite being a hastily formed team, they shared an indescribable synergy.
It reminded him of the League’s twin stars from years past, who, during the league’s difficult early days, had won the country’s first championship with astonishing tacit understanding and established absolute dominance in the League.
Could this be FKW’s new Top Laner?
―
The Star Cup matches were set to begin the following week. Ning Nanzhou removed his headset and shut down his computer.
It was only then that he noticed the missed calls on his phone—Qi Yidan had been calling incessantly. Pressing his lips together, he blocked her number, picked up his water glass, and took his medication.
Perhaps exhausted from the day, he fell asleep without realizing it and didn’t wake until dawn.
After breakfast, he headed to class when Chi Yu suddenly called out to him.
The silver-white-haired teenager halted, tilting his head like a small bird.
The man wrapped a khaki-colored scarf around his bare neck. Skin that hadn’t felt cold now warmed instantly, making him unaccustomed to the previous chill.
“Want to go to the club for the winter solstice?” Chi Yu gently tied the scarf into a knot.
Ning Nanzhou wondered if this counted as a date, struggling to maintain composure. “I have an exam at school today. I should be able to go after it’s over.”
“I’ll pick you up after the exam,” the other said, automatically ignoring the word “should.”
When they arrived at the club, Xiao Qiao and the others were already there.
The club’s lobby was decorated with glittering string lights. Crooked paper cuttings adorned the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, and directly in front stood a long mahogany table.
The table was laden with various fillings and dough wrappers. Spotting him, Xiao Qiao rose from his chair. “Sis, come quickly and make dumplings! See if there’s any filling you like.”
He glanced at Chi Yu before taking a seat, and Chi Yu naturally settled beside him.
Xiao Qiao introduced them one by one: “This is chive and pork filling, this is cabbage and pork filling. Be careful with this bowl—it’s Yu Jin’an’s celery and beef filling. Would any normal person eat this?”
“What’s wrong with celery and beef filling? Your orange and fish filling is even weirder!” Yu Jin’an argued back. “Lao Song even prepared durian filling. I’m the most normal one here.”
Celery and beef filling…
Orange and fish filling…
Durian filling…
Sitting in his chair, Ning Nanzhou felt his safety growing precarious. He’d rather die than eat any of those.
While chatting and wrapping dumplings, everyone watched the increasing number of coriander-beef dumplings, orange-fish dumplings, and durian-chicken dumplings. The silver-white-haired teenager unconsciously straightened his posture and sped up his dumpling-wrapping pace.
Xiao Qiao noticed his hand speed: "Sister-in-law, your hand speed is amazing! It's a shame you're not playing professionally."
Yu Jin'an initially thought Xiao Qiao was joking, but then he glanced toward the teenager.
Although dumpling-wrapping speed doesn't equal professional gaming hand speed, it does reflect it to some extent. Among the three professional players present, with Song Mingjie being a former pro, Ning Nanzhou actually had the fastest hand speed.
He couldn't help saying: "It's true, sister-in-law wraps them faster than all of us."
Ning Nanzhou, worried the dumplings would all be cooked together and trying to increase the proportion of normal dumplings, had been diligently wrapping them. Hearing their comments, he froze.
Was he really that fast?
He quietly slowed his hand speed: "I often rush to finish papers, so my hand speed is relatively fast."
"Sister-in-law is so impressive!" Xiao Qiao continued praising, "Just hearing about papers gives me a headache. Thankfully, playing professionally doesn't require writing them."
"Not necessarily." Chi Yu placed the wrapped dumplings on the plate in front of the teenager, "The League is considering adding a player literacy exam next season."
Xiao Qiao's face immediately fell: "Psychological tests for registered players are one thing, but those old fogies in the League are up to no good again!"
"When have they ever done anything decent?" Yu Jin'an said sarcastically, "If they'd been reasonable back then, they wouldn't have..."
Chi Yu calmly interrupted: "Let's focus on wrapping dumplings first."
Ning Nanzhou curiously pricked up his ears, but unfortunately Yu Jin'an didn't finish his sentence. He had no choice but to continue wrapping dumplings.
His concerns proved justified - these people had no patience to cook the dumplings separately. During the brief moment he went to wash his hands, all the dumplings went into the pot.
When the air filled with the scent of durian, he couldn't help asking Xiao Qiao, who looked eager to try them: "Did you spend previous Winter Solstice days like this too?"
"Southerners don't celebrate Winter Solstice." Xiao Qiao replied without thinking, "The captain only said we should celebrate because you came."
Was the celebration because of him...
Ning Nanzhou couldn't quite identify what he was feeling when Chi Yu brought a bowl of separately cooked dumplings to him: "Happy Winter Solstice."
His long eyelashes fluttered rapidly: "Happy Winter Solstice."
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