Desire to Lure [Esports] - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Sheng Xu leaned against a shaded spot and secretly pulled up his collar to take a sniff.

There was a lingering smell of tar mixed with the scent of laundry detergent; the two failed to blend, each asserting itself, and the result wasn’t particularly pleasant.

He felt like a spineless person swaying with the wind—the moment Yu Wenzhi said he didn’t like it, Sheng Xu truly started to find it distasteful.

He still remembered why he learned to smoke back then.

In his early teens, he viewed smoking as a switch. Press it with a ‘click,’ and you had your entry ticket to being a bastard, capable of making the old man explode with rage.

The angrier and more helpless the old man was, the better he felt.

Watching those rule-following “good kids” avoid him like the plague, and seeing his peers grind through competitions, English, and talent classes under strict family requirements while he was a rebel no one could control that made him feel even better.

To spite the old man, he played with whatever raised blood pressure. His initial contact with games was also because the societal consensus at the time called the stuff “electronic opium” once you touched it, you were ruined.

Without a second of hesitation, he registered an account, urgently seeking “ruin.”

Who would have thought that a few years later, gaming would turn into e-sports, the streaming industry would develop rapidly, and professional leagues would get hotter and hotter. He had clearly picked the deviant path, yet he had veered onto a grand boulevard.

Now, his “grinding” peers had attained enlightenment, realizing they could never surpass their fathers’ achievements in their lifetime, so they began to lean on the big tree and enjoy life. Meanwhile, he was struggling just to become a world champion.

The old man would probably die laughing.

The more Sheng Xu thought about it, the uglier his expression became.

He let go of his collar, turned around to the logistics department to grab a promotional T-shirt, then took off the smoke-scented hoodie, rolled it up, and threw it away.

After throwing it, he glanced back at the trash can.

He really didn’t seem to miss it.

The logistics auntie called out to him, speaking in a local dialect: “Young man, you took Captain Yu’s merch. Yours hasn’t been made yet, has it?”

The ID Wenzel was printed on the back waist of the T-shirt. This was the player merchandise Team TEA released annually, available in the official flagship store.

Generally, these T-shirts were for fans; even if players wore them, they only wore their own version, which was why the auntie reminded Sheng Xu.

Sheng Xu turned his head to glance at the ID on his waist, curled his lip slightly, then immediately regained a deadpan expression: “I don’t care, I just grabbed it randomly.”

After saying that, his palm brushed over that ID again.

The auntie was very enthusiastic and pulled a few more out of the cardboard box: “Then take a few more. There are plenty anyway, and it’s a waste if no one wears them.”

Sheng Xu glanced at them, his brows knitting together in slight disgust.

Ware, Ever… what kind of rubbish was this?

“Don’t want them.”

Sheng Xu turned and left.

Eating at the cafeteria that evening, Sheng Xu felt the irritability of lacking cigarettes for the first time. So, he stuffed a Bluetooth earbud into his left ear and listened to music to distract himself.

The songs were on shuffle a cheerful Western pop song with a catchy melody. The rapidly jumping notes were like an effective hand, pulling the nicotine craving out of his thoughts.

“Huh, you’re wearing the Captain’s merch T-shirt.” Maoyi walked past Sheng Xu carrying a steamer of soup dumplings and caught a glimpse of the letters stretched across his firm lower back.

Maoyi laughed mindlessly, directly snatching a dumpling with his hand and stuffing it into his mouth: “Hey, Powder Keg, are you in a hurry for your own merch to come out?”

Yu Wenzhi, carrying his meal tray, looked over at the sound, his gaze shifting slightly downward.

Sheng Xu manually turned up the volume of the song and said impatiently, “No.”

“Then why are you wearing the Captain’s merch?” Ware set his tray down across the table, also curious.

“My clothes got ruined, I just grabbed it randomly.” Sheng Xu swallowed a mouthful of sweet tofu pudding whole.

When a person who usually hates explaining things suddenly becomes willing to provide a reason, they are likely lying.

Yu Wenzhi tilted his head, his eyes containing a smile he didn’t want to expose.

Zechuan, however, spoke up: “Get the Captain to sign it for you! When these T-shirts were sold, the Captain signed them—he signed tens of thousands in a row.”

Sheng Xu’s chopsticks paused, and his right ear reclaimed all his hearing.

He instinctively looked toward Yu Wenzhi, only to meet Yu Wenzhi’s knowing smile.

“Sure.”

Without waiting for his stance, Yu Wenzhi asked the cafeteria uncle for a black pen. Holding his tray in his left hand and the pen in his right, he walked toward him.

Yu Wenzhi sat astride the chair in a lazy posture, set his tray aside, and pulled off the pen cap before remembering to look up and ask: “Want a signature?”

Sheng Xu’s throat swallowed once.

“Where do you want it?”

Another question, one that made Sheng Xu’s heart thump-thump.

“The shoulder.” He breathed out the two words in a low voice. The next moment, Sheng Xu felt an unignorable “light” land on his shoulder.

It was like the special treatment a lighting technician gives the lead actor in a stage play, enough to draw the gaze of the entire audience.

Sheng Xu felt his shoulder receiving this kind of treatment—from Yu Wenzhi’s gaze.

“Wait a sec, don’t move.”

Sure enough, Yu Wenzhi raised the pen and leaned over. One hand gripped his upper arm to steady him, while the other rested against his back.

Perhaps because he never smoked, Yu Wenzhi only smelled like very refreshing rose cold tea.

The moment the pen tip landed, Sheng Xu felt a sensation. When Yu Wenzhi wrote, he didn’t blink; his lips would instinctively purse in a very serious manner.

Just as he wrote the first stroke of “Zhi” (知), Yu Wenzhi paused. A lock of hair slipped from behind his ear, blocking his vision.

Yu Wenzhi had to stop first, casually brushing the hair back, and his eyelashes finally flickered once.

The music in Sheng Xu’s left ear grew louder for no reason, just as these lines were sung.

Baby you light up my world like nobody else The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed.

His vision felt blurred for a moment as if by fireworks. Sheng Xu finally remembered the song title: What Makes You Beautiful.

“Done.” Yu Wenzhi flicked his wrist, lifted the pen, snapped the cap back on, and began to eat with a straight face.

Sheng Xu glanced at the fresh signature.

Captain Yu’s handwriting was… somewhat difficult to describe.

The characters were rounded and looked childish clearly a drawback of touching a keyboard too early in life.

Sheng Xu thought: This is too damn cute. I’m done for.

Saturday arrived, and the MSI Grand Finals were held as scheduled.

Because the LPL was no longer involved, there weren’t many spectators.

The members of Team TEA all came to watch, however. Learning was the primary goal; secondary goals varied.

As the match began, videos of various professional players cheering for the two teams were shown on the screen.

When Yu Wenzhi appeared, it was like a cool breeze blowing into the venue. The fans in attendance erupted instantly.

“Awoooo!”

“Captain Yu cheered for Captain Cui!”

“My Twin Stars, I’m crying!”

“The officials really know how to cause trouble. Since Cui Jingsheng left, the two haven’t had any interaction for a long time, right?”

Yu Wenzhi lowered his head discreetly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Ever, however, was used to this spectacle; he was even somewhat numb to it.

In the hearts of LPL players, no one could replace Cui Jingsheng’s position in Team TEA, and no one could surpass the peak Twin Stars of the past.

In the past, whenever there was a match, Ever was inevitably compared to him and then faced a wave of ridicule.

But this year, it seemed he wasn’t the only one being compared.

Ever even looked at Sheng Xu with a bit of schadenfreude.

Sheng Xu sat beside Yu Wenzhi with a wooden face. Amidst the erupting waves of sound in the venue, he was like an out-of-place iceberg, showing no reaction.

Ever suddenly remembered the line, “As long as I am the Empress, you all are merely concubines,” but he shook his head, feeling that he had really been driven stupidly petty by Sheng Xu.

Fortunately, the noise soon passed. The commentators began thanking sponsors, and then the match started.

The Grand Final was a BO5 five games in total.

QZ and V6 were both world-class powerhouses, and both were determined to win the championship.

Zou Kai warned them in advance: “Watch closely. See where you fall short. We still have to review this when we get back.”

Then, he pointedly reminded Ever: “Look at how Cui Jingsheng plays the bot lane and how he targets V6.”

Better late than never.

Ever gave a resentful response.

As expected, the match was incredibly intense, going the full five games.

In the end, QZ proved superior, taking down the crystal and winning this Mid-Season Invitational championship.

Once the final blow was dealt, the audience erupted in well-deserved applause. ZZY shook hands with Cui Jingsheng with gentlemanly grace. Cui Jingsheng and Lika were then welcomed to the front of the stage by the host.

Following the match, there were the usual audience lucky draws and player interview segments. Since there were always impatient viewers leaving early, the camera shots of the crowd often looked bad.

Being fellow professional players and former teammates, Team TEA gave them face by not leaving early, instead staying to fill the seats.

Cui Jingsheng took the microphone with both hands and bowed politely to the host. There was a smile on his lips, though it wasn’t the unbridled joy of having just won a championship.

He was twenty-five years old this year. Compared to other players, his aura was noticeably more mature.

“First, congratulations to QZ for winning this MSI championship, and congratulations to Jason for winning his third MSI title.”

“Thank you. I’m very happy to win the championship, and very happy to be back here to see you all.”

When Cui Jingsheng accepted interviews, he was used to keeping one hand behind his back. He used the hand holding the mic to adjust his glasses. His peripheral vision inadvertently escaped the edge of his lenses, casting a glance toward a spot not far below the stage.

Zechuan straightened his back, trying to catch the destination of that gaze, but missed. So, he asked uncertainly: “Cui… did he just look in our direction?”

Ever: “Heh, obviously. Who else would he be happy to see?”

Zechuan: “Ah… Sigh.”

The past cannot be chased. Once, Cui Jingsheng wore a different team uniform, stood beside Yu Wenzhi, and said under the spotlight, “I am the Captain and AD of Team TEA.”

The host asked again: “Your synergy with Lika in this tournament was very seamless, consistently gaining advantages. This is also the first championship the two of you have won together. Is Lika now the best support in your heart?”

A very suggestive question, satisfying the curiosity of all the “melon-eating” fans.

Yu Wenzhi couldn’t help but curl his lips upon hearing it, feeling a bit of regret for staying after the match ended.

Lika smiled at Cui Jingsheng: “Brother, just say it. Don’t worry about whether I live or die.”

Cui Jingsheng’s gaze cut down from that angle again, lingering for a moment before moving away.

Zechuan: “Captain Cui looked this way again.”

This time he didn’t stumble, directly using the former title “Captain Cui.” He figured Yu Wenzhi wouldn’t mind; after all, it was a scene of old friends reuniting.

Cui Jingsheng seemed to shake his head with difficulty, finally laughing. He said decently and steadily: “I have met many good supports in my life. Lika is certainly one of them. I don’t wish to make comparisons. I just think that if I were to… my heart would feel quite troubled.”

There was clearly content missing from the middle of that sentence, but for a foreigner, an incomplete sentence seemed normal.

After all, the time when Cui Jingsheng’s Chinese was as fluent as a local’s was already two and a half years ago.

“Captain?” Ware called Yu Wenzhi’s name softly.

Yu Wenzhi propped up his chin, a lazy smile curving his lips, his eyes showing no particular fluctuation.

Host: “Your former teammate Yu Wenzhi didn’t make it to the finals this time, but he still sent you blessings during the event activities. Do you have anything you want to say to him?”

Yu Wenzhi’s brows rose slightly. He couldn’t help but wonder if the threshold for the league’s official hosts should be raised the target was a bit too obvious, wasn’t it?

Even if it was written on the teleprompter card, it should have been polished a little.

Cui Jingsheng now looked over openly, his body tilting at an angle.

He slowly raised the microphone, his gaze deepening a few shades: “Wenzel didn’t make it to the finals probably because he hasn’t met a suitable AD. As for other things, we can talk in private.”

Then, he lowered the mic, but his gaze did not move away.

Upon hearing this, Yu Wenzhi immediately raised the pre-match flyer in his hand to block his face.

He really knew how to find trouble for him.

Sure enough, the next second, Sheng Xu’s gaze cut toward him.

“What are you thinking about?”

His tone was casual, but his eyes were almost piercing through Yu Wenzhi.

The venue was chaotic, and voices were distorted.

Yu Wenzhi raised a brow, glancing sideways to meet Sheng Xu’s gaze.

Those eyes simply couldn’t hide any emotion.

Amused, Yu Wenzhi decided to coax him. So, he rested one hand on Sheng Xu’s shoulder and leaned in closer. His tone was more innocent than usual, and the end of his sentence rose slightly: “I’m thinking I’ve already met a suitable AD. What’s wrong?”

The light chuckle and warm breath drifted into his ear together. In a moment of carelessness, Sheng Xu bit the inside of his cheek.

Why did the blood seem to taste sweet?

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