Desire to Lure [Esports] - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

These days, Sheng Xu’s duo-queue history with Yu Wenzhi filled two whole pages.

Anyone could see what was happening: Yu Wenzhi was giving Sheng Xu special treatment. Even Sheng Xu understood it.

It was hard to describe the feeling.

It was like watching a performance full of ups and downs. At first, it was just slow, dull drumbeats, but as time passed, it gradually became hurried and boiling a grand, surging momentum that vibrated against the eardrums, syncing with his heartbeat. Then, at a certain point, it pushed the excitement to a peak that refused to subside.

Sheng Xu flipped over violently on his bed. He took several deep breaths, but he couldn’t suppress the feeling. Finally, he picked up his phone, letting the blue-white light fall on his face.

He edited a post on WeChat for a while, staring at it for a long time. He deleted two words that expressed too much emotion and replaced them with something that looked more indifferent to the world.

@Xu: Duo queue. Fast climbing. Recommended.

Attached were a screenshot of his Master rank and a match history.

He didn’t mention Yu Wenzhi’s name once, and the name wasn’t in the pictures either. At a glance, it looked like a professional player’s routine flex of their stats.

But Sheng Xu knew what he was expecting. He had never prayed as hard as he did today for his WeChat friends to be brilliant, perceptive, and quick-witted.

A moment later, over a dozen likes appeared all from pro players on break.

DTG Pan Dou: 666, being young means you can really grind.

DTG Li Zenan: Rare to see you post on Moments.

CA Li Weikai: The Powder Keg isn’t taking a break?

VT Jin Tang: Stop grinding, I can’t sleep in peace anymore.

DOG Xu Ceming: Master rank in just a few days. Nice.

The corners of Sheng Xu’s mouth pulled down, feeling somewhat disappointed.

What kind of intellectual expectations could he have for this bunch?

He waited a bit longer. The phone screen gradually dimmed, looking as if it were about to go completely black.

Refusing to give up, Sheng Xu tapped it bright again and refreshed.

TEA Maoyi: It’s only because the Captain is queuing with you.

TEA.Ware: Exactly. You don’t mention a word about the Captain shot-calling for you. Despicable.

TEA Zechuan: Not bad. The win rate is much higher, kid.

Sheng Xu suddenly felt that his teammates’ words could be pleasant to the ear, and their writing could be quite insightful.

With these comments, everyone would know that Yu Wenzhi had been duoing with him all along.

Sheng Xu put down his phone, his fingers tapping aimlessly against the side of the bed in what was likely a cheerful rhythm.

The phone vibrated abruptly, showing that someone had sent him a message.

Due to the good mood from the Moments post, Sheng Xu tilted his head to look. The notification was from “Eldest Brother.”

Sheng Xu went silent for a while before irritably opening the message.

@Eldest Brother: Uncle Gu’s son is getting married next week. It’s not far from your club. It’s not appropriate for me to go, so go on behalf of the family. I saw your Moments post; don’t pretend you’re not there.

@Sheng Xu: Not going.

@Eldest Brother: It’s about maintaining social ties. There’s no one else left in the family.

Seeing that sentence, Sheng Xu dazed for a moment. A blizzard from the distant past swept in, extinguishing all the restless, passionate, budding emotions. His heart sank heavily.

Then, he inevitably felt a bit of malice, wanting to fire back with sharp, cold words. But just as he typed two characters, the wind and snow extinguished that thought too, leaving only a lingering sense of powerlessness.

Sheng Xu deleted it and stopped replying.

His brother didn’t send anything else either.

Almost unconsciously, Sheng Xu clicked on Moments again and refreshed.

This time, he wasn’t holding much expectation. Powerlessness had consumed him, leaving only a clear sense of falling and a boundless white void.

However, at the very bottom, he saw the latest comment.

Yu Fox (No-calling-allowed version): Come downstairs.

Yu Wenzhi’s WeChat nickname was Wenzel, his competition ID. The alias was something Sheng Xu had secretly changed.

When he first came to TEA, many people warned him strictly: you cannot call the Captain by his nickname.

But Sheng Xu was used to calling him that before he arrived.

In fact, the earliest image of Yu Wenzhi in his mind was that of a noble, elegant red fox sitting on a high platform, its tail sweeping lazily, the corners of its mouth slightly curved, eyes looking down as if it were about to transform into a spirit the next second.

Vitality seemed to return to his heart; tender sprouts pushed through the snow, stretching their branches and stubbornly straightening their backs.

Though there was only one sprout, it was unique.

Sheng Xu leaped up, pulled off his wrinkled T-shirt, and threw on a new one. The phone spun in his palm as he moved, and along with a heart that was bouncing up and down, he passed through the wind of the corridor to reach the training room.

Yu Wenzhi had been called by Xu Rui to trial a support. If it went well, that support would join the TEA Academy team in the second half of the year to play in the LDL.

The former Academy support had left TEA for a mid-tier club to play in the LPL; the Academy team was currently short-handed.

The fact that Yu Wenzhi had time to check Moments meant the trial was over.

When Sheng Xu entered, he saw that eighteen-year-old yellow-haired support grabbing Yu Wenzhi’s hand.

“Captain Yu, I like you so much! When you won the championship, I was secretly watching your match in the classroom. I never expected I’d be in the same club as you.”

The “Yellow-hair” was visibly excited. His face was flushed red, his eyes were sparkling, and he wouldn’t let go of the hand.

Yu Wenzhi just smiled at him a soft smile and made no move to pull his hand away.

“Thank you.”

Sheng Xu’s face darkened a shade. His phone stopped spinning. His gaze was like lead, stuck firmly to their clasped hands.

He hadn’t even grabbed it.

“Oh my god, I’ve successfully met my idol!” Yellow-hair wasn’t shy at all.

Xu Rui was also quite happy. Recruiting for the Academy team was much smoother than for the first team.

“Play well. Wenzhi said you have talent. You’re only eighteen; you have a great future.”

Yu Wenzhi lowered his eyes, his gaze landing on the joined hands for a moment before looking up again to offer a polite reminder: “I’m going to have some water.”

Yellow-hair quickly let go.

Xu Rui grabbed a bottle of rose cold tea from a box nearby and handed it to Yu Wenzhi. Just as Yu Wenzhi took it, Yellow-hair snatched it away: “I’ll open it for you.”

In the moment Yu Wenzhi was stunned, Yellow-hair had already twisted the cap open forcefully and handed it back, wearing a simple, honest smile.

Yu Wenzhi chuckled, took it, and had a big gulp. Because he couldn’t swallow it all at once, the cold tea inevitably pressed against the inner walls of his mouth during the first swallow.

From Sheng Xu’s perspective, he could see a cute arc bulging in Yu Wenzhi’s cheek.

Before this sudden “Easter egg” could be stored in his memory as a specific description, it was interrupted by a crude compliment.

Yellow-hair: “Captain Yu is too ‘moe’ (cute).”

Sheng Xu’s expression instantly became even uglier.

He discovered that some things were not for him to enjoy exclusively; it just happened to be his turn, allowing him to occupy it for a while before it was passed to the next person.

He couldn’t stand it.

Growing up, he had never been obsessed with obtaining anything, yet it was only now that this burning thought grew wildly in this summer of windless willows and noisy cicadas.

“Stop messing around. Go with the manager to get familiar with the club; I have something to do.”

Yu Wenzhi twisted the cap shut and waved his hand as a goodbye. Then he turned around and saw Sheng Xu standing against the wall.

Chilly, like a standing icicle, but his gaze was sharp and his pupils were as black as dropped ink.

Yu Wenzhi walked toward Sheng Xu, looked him up and down, and with a curve of his lips, bumped Sheng Xu’s toe with his own: “Saw the comment? Come out with me for a bit.”

“For what?”

“Ware’s Teddy at the pet shop won’t eat. He asked us to bring it to the club for a couple of days until he gets back.”

Some pets are very dependent; they become lethargic and find it hard to eat when away from their owners.

Ware hadn’t wanted to trouble the club, but the shop owner had called twice a day to nag, and he was worried. He had no choice but to ask Yu Wenzhi for help—after all, the club was already raising an Alaskan therapy dog; there was plenty of dog food.

Yu Wenzhi walked in front, and Sheng Xu followed behind.

The slight distance between them allowed Yu Wenzhi to notice something.

Sheng Xu had his hands in his pockets, his lips were a straight line, his face was expressionless, and he didn’t speak. Only when he saw Yu Wenzhi accidentally step off the sidewalk did he quickly reach out to stop him: “Hey.”

Yu Wenzhi pretended not to understand.

At the pet shop, they explained the situation to the owner and brought out the little Teddy, whose eyes were drooping and whose fur was curled like a flower bun. Yu Wenzhi pinched the dog’s ears.

The Teddy was very obedient, but Yu Wenzhi still fastened one end of the leash to its neck and wrapped the other around his wrist, just in case it got spooked and ran off.

Seeing the experienced way he held the dog, the owner asked, “Do you keep pets too?”

Yu Wenzhi smiled: “No.”

Owner: “You seem very good at coaxing them.”

Yu Wenzhi: “I’ve wanted a big dog, but I haven’t had the chance.”

Coming out of the pet shop and walking with their backs to the sun, Yu Wenzhi thought Sheng Xu would keep holding his tongue. Instead, Sheng Xu glanced at the Teddy in his arms and looked away in disgust: “Yellow-hair is ugly.”

Yu Wenzhi feigned ignorance of the subtext: “Teddies are alright.”

A breath stuck in Sheng Xu’s chest; he was actually at a loss for words. Finally, after a long pause, he let out a completely powerless “Hmph.”

He didn’t have any standing to stop Yu Wenzhi from being kind to others, after all.

Yu Wenzhi nearly broke character, but he held it in.

Back at the club, the smell of the Teddy likely triggered the alertness of its own kind. The Alaskan Malamute rushed over like a ball of cotton. Just as it was about to lunge at Yu Wenzhi’s leg, it saw the Teddy being held and looking around.

Alaskan: “?”

Alaskan: “!”

Woof!

The big dog let out an angry bark and threw its head to the side, but its eyes still turned back to glare at the Teddy.

Woof woof!

Seeing that Yu Wenzhi wasn’t repenting immediately, it barked twice more, its four legs stomping on the ground in a huff.

Sheng Xu was never close to this dog and usually had no interaction with it, so he watched from the side with a cold eye, thinking: Stupid dog.

But then he saw Yu Wenzhi reach out, toss the Teddy to him to hold, then bend down and grab the Alaskan by the scruff of its neck, forcing the big dog to look up into his eyes.

Yu Wenzhi had a half-smile, his fair, slender fingers sinking into the fluffy fur.

“What are you barking at?”

The Alaskan stared at him with wide eyes, its mouth half-open, its breathing becoming quieter.

Yu Wenzhi said unhurriedly: “I’ve fed you for so long, giving you extra treats every meal, and I use my break time to walk you. Just because I hold a Teddy for a bit, you can’t take it?”

Alaskan: “?” (Didn’t understand).

Sheng Xu: “…”

Yu Wenzhi loosened his grip slightly. The Alaskan was finally no longer forced to look up, so it lowered its head, looking up with its eyes—a picture of cowardice.

He gave its neck two more gentle rubs. His slightly cool fingertips pressed against the skin under the thick fur. Comforted, the Alaskan’s front legs buckled, and it lay down at Yu Wenzhi’s feet, making a satisfied purring sound in its throat.

Yu Wenzhi lifted the Alaskan’s ear, as if to make it hear clearly: “I told you, I like big dogs.”

Alaskan: “?” When?

Sheng Xu: “…”

Seeing the Alaskan calm down, Yu Wenzhi stood up and gave Sheng Xu a knowing look.

“Why are you dazing?” As he spoke, he naturally raised his other hand and gave Sheng Xu a gentle pinch his soft fingertip pressing down on the messy hair, letting go in an instant. “Let’s go, duo queue.”

An electric current spread along his shallowly buried veins, hitting his heart, and a warm current surged through his chest.

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