Everyone returned to the lounge. Time was limited, so Bai Yu got straight to the point.
“The enemy support isn’t a complete rookie. He played in the secondary league for quite a while and only moved up to the LPL last year. He’s experienced and decisive. Without match experience, it’s hard to deal with him. Qi Yi, you should remember the first ranked game you played at our base? I warned you then that the support on the other side was a pro player. He picked Leona that time too, just like today. Turns out, today’s opponent is the same guy.”
Qi Yi remembered that game. The enemy support had also used Leona’s ult to bait out his Flash, then immediately followed up with his own Flash and crowd control. The combo was so fast that he couldn’t react in time. Bai Yu had said back then, if the enemy jungler had also been a pro, Qi Yi wouldn’t have made it out. So it was the same support.
Bai Yu had studied the guy’s VODs and had a decent grasp: “His APM isn’t the highest, but he’s great at seizing opportunities. Even a tiny positioning mistake will be caught. His combo angles are extremely tricky. You can’t rely on instinct to defend. That means our synergy in bot lane has to be flawless.”
He looked at Xu Bo. “You’re playing with me next game.”
Xu Bo nodded. Then Bai Yu looked at Qi Yi. “You stay in the lounge and study. Watch Xu Bo’s positioning habits closely.”
Qi Yi nodded hard. “I’ll watch carefully.”
Xu Bo had already been itching to go on stage when watching from backstage earlier. Now that he finally had the chance, he cracked his fingers loudly. “Just wait. I’m going up there to get revenge for you.”
Before the match even began, the casters received word: “For the next game, RAG will substitute XB in for Alata. These old teammates are finally appearing on the LPL stage together again after three years. Let’s look forward to it…”
As soon as the last game ended, people had quietly been speculating whether Xu Bo might play. Turns out, he really was going on.
[Ahhh finally! My eternal TOP1 duo! They’re back together!!]
[Wasn’t their first time together, right?]
[Saw them during the open qualifiers, but this is their first time together on LPL. Really hits different.]
[Who? Xu Yibo? He’s in this game?]
[Xu Bo’s playing? Didn’t he retire?]
[He didn’t retire. Just no team wanted him after his streamer days.]
[Damn, once-in-a-lifetime moment.]
[Who gets it gets it! I’m gonna cry, I love watching Xu Yibo play so much!]
[Xu Bo really fits competitive play more than streaming.]
[No, he’s just better when he’s laning with Bai Yu.]
[Ugh this dog finally found his home.]
[Yibo, go all out for me!]
The match finally began.
Xu Bo on camera looked completely at home. Sat down, put on his headset—his movements were beyond familiar.
After he sat down, he adjusted his chair a bit. Without even saying anything, he just lifted his hand slightly. Bai Yu immediately understood and used one hand to help sort out his headset cable, clipping it to his collar. That bit of coordination made the crowd erupt in cheers. It really was the duo they knew so well.
Back in the day, Xu Bo had extremely high standards for peripherals, and Bai Yu was attentive. He’d always help him with those little things. Usually when this happened, it meant Xu Bo was about to get serious.
The casters could feel the energy from the crowd. One of them looked at his co-caster.
“How many points you giving that coordination?”
His partner got it instantly. “Full marks!”
Back during Worlds, when Bai Yu and Xu Bo were competing overseas, these two casters were commentating the Chinese rebroadcast. The duo had pulled off a beautiful play and the casters had fought to give it a perfect score. Now after all this time, they were back at the place where the dream began.
The match officially began. Once the old duo hit the stage, the bot lane felt completely different. Bai Yu actually locked in Lucian-Nami first and started pressuring right away. When Ningmeng saw this, his expression darkened.
Back in Ningmeng’s rookie year, he’d played a few matches against Bai Yu and Xu Bo. That kind of lane pressure and unbelievable synergy, he still hadn’t seen another pair like them.
Three years later, facing off again. He also wanted to know how much of that synergy remained. The fight was about to begin.
In the lounge, Zhou Xunwen watched the CS numbers on both sides, not even daring to breathe. In the end he couldn’t hold back and asked Song Bo softly, “Why’s Xu Bo getting out-CSed so hard?”
Song Bo showed him the stats. “Ningmeng’s average CS per minute during the point matches was 9.28 even higher than Qi Yi. No way Xu-ge can out-CS him.”
Zhou Xunwen was frustrated. “He’s probably just tunnel visioning on kills again. Not CSing properly!”
That made Song Bo’s eyes light up. “You got it. Xu-ge is always looking to kill. I checked his past average kills per game. it actually hit 7.21.”
In other words, at his peak, Xu Bo was averaging 7.21 kills per game. Even someone like Zhou Xunwen, who rarely watched games, knew how terrifying that number was. This was the esports version of a berserker.
At that moment, TUP’s support suddenly went in. His Leona was banned, so he picked Rell this round. Opened with Ferromancy: Crash Down, followed by Flash, trying to predict Xu Bo’s movement.
But Xu Bo wasn’t like Qi Yi. He immediately dashed behind Bai Yu. That made Rell’s Q only hit Bai Yu, and even that got dodged.
Dammit, how were these two so in sync? It didn’t feel like they’d been separated for three years at all.
Rell’s engage ended up turning her into a target. Xu Bo countered with a full combo, instantly bringing her down to half HP. Bai Yu followed up with a bubble to zone out Ningmeng’s damage, and Xu Bo kept up the chase.
The caster yelled, “Rell’s in danger”
Lucian was already a high-damage champ, and with Nami’s buffs, their burst shot up to 400. After the first rotation, Rell was already at half health.
And that was with a shield. After she mounted up again, her passive shield disappeared. She tried to escape using her mount-up movement, but while she was still mid-jump, a bubble dropped from the sky. Bai Yu had Flashed to predict the exact jump position. At that moment, Xu Bo dashed in and landed his ult. Rell, completely immobilized, was instantly turned into a sitting duck.
In the lounge, Qi Yi stared intensely at the screen, not missing a single detail.
The coordination between Bai Yu and Xu Bo was as natural as breathing. The moment the enemy moved, Xu Bo knew exactly where to go, and Bai Yu knew exactly how to dodge. Every step of their positioning left the enemy with no openings while perfectly preserving Xu Bo’s DPS space.
More importantly, Bai Yu never gave up control of the kill zones to Xu Bo. This meant Ningmeng couldn’t find a single opening.
He had no choice but to keep repositioning to find a new angle to deal damage. But the moment he adjusted, Bai Yu sealed off the new angle too. It dragged on like that until Bai Yu landed that decisive Flash prediction shot, and Ningmeng no longer needed to hesitate.
[This is the Lucian–Nami combo.]
[He probably thought he could 100% lock down Xu Bo. I think he overestimated himself.]
[Maybe Xu Bo's CS gave him some false confidence.]
[Xu Bo's CS really is...]
[Hahahahaha he just walked away...]
[Mainly because the Lucian–Nami combo is too strong. He’d die even if he stayed.]
[It's not the Lucian–Nami combo that’s scary, it’s Bai Yu and Xu Bo.]
[Honestly, after three years, they’re still this in sync. That’s pretty insane.]
[I saw Xu Bo’s CS and nearly blacked out. Then I saw their coordination, and came back to life.]
[I thought Xu Bo was going to troll again, but he didn’t. Truly, prejudice is a mountain.]
[Qi Yi’s CS is a work of art, Xu Bo’s CS... I can’t even look.]
[But Qi Yi can’t handle the enemy support. You still need someone like Xu Yi Bo to play dirty.]
[No lies detected. You’ve gotta go in hard!]
After finishing his play, Xu Bo’s gun was practically sparking from how much he used it. He said smugly, “Captain, you’re not even gonna praise me?”
At that moment, Bai Yu was focused on the mid lane matchup and didn’t hear what he said. He had just seen Lu Sheng pull off a beautiful counterplay and solo kill Chu Fei and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Nice!”
Xu Bo, caught off guard by the praise, blushed a little. “Took you long enough to react.”
Then he heard Bai Yu’s voice come through the headset: “Lu Sheng, that counter was beautiful. Push mid, then come with me to take dragon. Xu Bo, what did you just say?”
Xu Bo: "....."
For Bai Yu, landing a kill with Xu Bo was as natural as breathing, nothing worth making a fuss about. But Lu Sheng was different. It was his first time competing domestically. He didn’t know Chu Fei’s weaknesses, so getting a kill off him was extremely difficult. But he managed to capitalize on the enemy jungler’s retreat and nailed Chu Fei’s weak spot for a clutch solo kill.
After dying, Chu Fei gave a wry smile. “Lu Sheng’s lane pressure is too much. I can’t hold him.”
In the first two games, Lu Sheng was still unfamiliar with him and could trade evenly. But now that he’d gotten a read on him, even farming safely became hard. Truly a king of oppressive lane control.
Bai Yu rotated mid to push the tower, then followed Fang Zhixu to secure the dragon. Their tempo was smooth as silk, pushing the enemy back over and over. At this point, Xu Bo’s damage had peaked, and even though it was still mid-game, they had already broken into the high ground and ended it in one push.
[Wow, that’s Xu Yi Bo for you.]
[I’m dying laughing, the pace was way too fast. My roommate went to the bathroom and missed the whole match.]
[Back when Bai Yu and Xu Bo were at their peak, they ended a game in 15 minutes.]
[The funniest part? Even after the match, Xu Bo’s CS still didn’t surpass Ning Meng’s. This guy was way too focused on killing]
[Too embarrassed to look...]
With that, the match officially ended. The two teams shook hands amicably. When Ning Meng grasped Bai Yu’s hand, he paused, as if he had something to say, but ended up staying silent.
After the game, one player needed to be sent for a post-match interview. Bai Yu thought of how Lu Sheng had just taken two MVPs in a row and figured the fans would want to see him, so he made the call.
Lu Sheng originally didn’t want to go, but Bai Yu casually patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, “Go on, come back early, I’ll treat you all to a late-night snack.”
His tone was affectionate, different from before. Lu Sheng looked into his eyes. Bai Yu seemed completely unaware, even giving him a look that said, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Sheng quickly looked away and shook his head. It was too much...
After Lu Sheng left with the staff, Bai Yu was on his way back to the lounge and ran into Chu Fei. He was chatting with Ning Meng. When he saw Bai Yu, he waved, “Hey, Captain Yu.”
Bai Yu was a little tired after the match, but ignoring the opponent after a win seemed impolite. He told his teammates to go ahead and walked over to say hello. “Ning Meng’s Kalista today was really good. Gave me a headache.”
Chu Fei knew Bai Yu was being humble. “Ah, Captain Yu, don’t comfort us. We lost bad today. The coach is pissed, our support’s getting chewed out right now.”
Bai Yu glanced in that direction. The lounge door was tightly shut and loud voices could be heard from inside. It sounded like a harsh scolding. He couldn’t help but speak up for the guy.
“His Leona is actually really good. Very oppressive. I’ve run into him in solo queue a few times, he left a strong impression...” As he spoke, he noticed Ning Meng was staring at him. He paused, and Ning Meng casually looked away. “You played really well today too, Captain Yu.”
Bai Yu smiled. “Not bad, I guess...”
Back in the lounge, Xu Bo was still uneasy. He stared at Ning Meng through the crack of the door, eyes cold. “That kid’s up to no good.”
Qi Yi asked, “Why?”
Xu Bo said, “Back when Bai Yu was still on TG, he wanted to join. Then when Bai Yu moved to SG, he wanted to go there too. Now that Bai Yu started his own team, he wants in again.”
Qi Yi instantly became alert. “Doesn’t seem like a good guy.”
Xu Bo nodded emphatically.
Then Chen Shi’an’s voice chimed in from above, clearly enjoying the drama: “Ah, Ning Meng. One of Captain Yu’s favorite ADs. If his contract hadn’t been blocked back then, I guess there wouldn’t have been a spot for you or Qi Yi, huh?”
Xu Bo: "......"
Would it kill this guy to not be sarcastic?
The three of them chatted briefly. Then Chu Fei got called in, leaving only Ning Meng. He didn’t say much. Bai Yu initially planned to exchange a few pleasantries and wrap things up.
But then Ning Meng suddenly said, “When you asked me back then, I did fight for the contract. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to come.”
He looked at Bai Yu, seemingly holding back more. “I’m not trying to justify anything. I just didn’t want you to misunderstand. I really didn’t expect the contract to get blocked.”
Bai Yu nodded, showing he understood. “It’s okay. It’s in the past.”
Hearing that, Ning Meng looked a bit regretful, but he gradually let go. “I actually really wanted to play with you. I still remember that All-Star match.”
After that All-Star game, Ning Meng had added Bai Yu as a friend and chatted with him often. When Bai Yu joined SG, he personally recommended him to management. Later, when Bai Yu founded his own team, the first AD he reached out to was Ning Meng. If the contract hadn’t been blocked, Ning Meng might’ve become his go-to AD.
But now Bai Yu had Xu Bo and Qi Yi, which wasn’t bad either. So he didn’t feel the same regret Ning Meng did. Now that things were cleared up, Ning Meng stopped dwelling on it. Before leaving, he asked Bai Yu, “Can we swap jerseys?”
Bai Yu nodded.
They exchanged jerseys. Bai Yu returned to the lounge wearing Ning Meng’s. Xu Bo clicked his tongue and practically bent his mouth out of shape in anger.
“Bai Yu, you’re so generous. Just gave it away like that?”
Bai Yu reached out and pressed his neck with a grin.
“You like it that much? I’ll have Zhou Xunwen order ten custom ones for you tomorrow.”
Xu Bo shouted, “Your hand’s freezing, you’re so annoying...”
Just then, Lu Sheng’s interview was wrapping up. Bai Yu paused and watched him for a moment. Though Lu Sheng had never played competitively in China, he already had a substantial fan base, and the interview was getting a ton of traction. It was obvious Lu Sheng wasn’t that into it.
After a few questions, his interest was clearly fading. Just when it seemed like the interview was ending, the host suddenly fired a curveball: “Akoi, your ID was originally registered in China before transferring to North America. Was there a particular reason for that? Are you willing to share the story with us?”
The question instantly drew everyone’s attention. Even Bai Yu, who had been packing up, stopped what he was doing. Lu Sheng could’ve easily declined. With his skill, he didn’t need to pander. As long as he performed on stage, fans would come naturally.
In Bai Yu’s mind, he was praying: Please say it’s inconvenient. Please say it’s inconvenient...
Lu Sheng picked up the mic and answered flatly, "No one wanted me in China."
Bai Yu's last bit of hope finally died…
Everyone knew that Lu Sheng had once been in Bai Yu's team, even played as a substitute for a while, then was sent back to the second team before transferring to North America. That "no one wanted me" clearly referred to Bai Yu.
[WTF? What’s going on? Why does this sound like something else?]
[Ahhhhh was he talking about Bai Yu? He didn’t want you, so why did you still go to his team?]
[And even paid 90 million for it…]
[What’s happening?]
[Has God Lu been hexed?]
The scene was also in an uproar, even the host was stunned by the answer. With a signal from the station director, the host seized the moment.
"Akoi, back then after going to North America, you publicly stated you wouldn’t join any LPL team again. But now you’ve suddenly returned to China. Could you tell us what changed your mind? Or was there some opportunity?"
That question was perfect. Fans all over the world wanted to know the reason.
But when it came to this question, Lu Sheng no longer intended to answer.
"I joined an LDL team."
The venue was in another uproar.
Although when Lu Sheng signed with RAG, it was technically a secondary league team, his first appearance was in the LPL, so everyone naturally assumed he had signed with an LPL team. But now hearing it from him directly, the whole tone changed.
It sounded like he only wanted to join RAG and didn’t care what league they were in.
[My god… if RAG hadn’t been promoted, would Lu Sheng really have played in the LDL?]
[Huh? What is this?]
[No way, he’s gone mad?]
[Why does God Lu seem a little off?]
[God Lu… you seem to have other motives…]
[Did he go to NA heartbroken after being rejected? And now came back to reconcile?]
[My god, the amount of info…]
[God Lu, did your love turn to hate…?]
[What are we even talking about?]
[Huh? Are you guys talking about a match?]
At this moment, Bai Yu just wanted to die. Beside him, Xu Bo was still bitter:
"If Ning Meng contract hadn’t been stuck, would there even be a place for me and Qi Yi?"
Bai Yu leaned over and looked at him calmly, "Have you packed your stuff? Need help?"
Xu Bo immediately shut up and stuffed everything into his backpack.
Everything was packed and ready to go. Lu Sheng was at the end of the line, Bai Yu in the front. He had the habit of standing by and waiting for everyone else to get on the bus first. For each person, he’d say, "Thanks for the hard work."
Then it was Lu Sheng’s turn. Bai Yu stayed silent.
Lu Sheng didn’t move either, just stood there looking at him.
Bai Yu couldn’t hold it in: "Next time during interviews don’t talk nonsense, always saying some useless stuff…"
Lu Sheng laughed, "It’s all real. None of it’s made up."
That one sentence made Bai Yu’s ears burn, worried someone would overhear.
"Get on the bus already."
Lu Sheng got on and sat right next to Bai Yu’s usual seat, not avoiding suspicion at all, and even looked up to ask,
"Can I sit here?"
At moments like this, Bai Yu would take a deep breath and remind himself:
Don’t get mad, don’t get mad, he came back at the cost of 90 million…
It was already ten by the time the match ended. Bai Yu had promised to treat them to a late-night snack and couldn’t go back on his word. He specifically had Zhou Xunwen order a whole roast lamb and drove straight there.
The next two matches were against bottom-ranked teams, so the pressure wasn’t too high.
After today’s match, Bai Yu finally let out a breath of relief.
He gave a summary of today’s match.
"I’m very satisfied with today’s result. If the execution had been a bit cleaner, it would’ve been perfect. Come on, let’s celebrate the win."
Cups clinked together and the group started chatting.
Bai Yu originally wanted to use the dinner to build some rapport, so the conversation flowed more freely.
When they started talking about Lu Sheng’s solo kill mid-lane, he couldn’t help but say,
"That solo kill mid really stunned me. Both sides showed insane details. Chu Fei actually played that really well. From his mechanics to mind games, it was all top-notch. If the jungler hadn’t made a positional error, Lu Sheng would’ve had a hard time finding an opening…"
The others hadn’t really noticed before, but after hearing him say that, they became interested and joined in.
Bai Yu’s intention was to praise Lu Sheng, but to avoid suspicion, he had to go the long way around and praise Chu Fei instead.
After praising him, he secretly felt great for quite a while.
Bai Yu took a sip of water and suddenly noticed Lu Sheng across from him staring at his clothes.
Although no one else noticed, the intensity of that stare still made Bai Yu nervous.
He told Zhou Xunwen, "I’m going for a smoke."
Once outside in the courtyard, just as he lit his cigarette and raised his head, he saw Lu Sheng had followed him out.
It should’ve been perfectly normal for two grown men to smoke together, but Bai Yu still guiltily glanced around. Fortunately, no one had noticed.
Lu Sheng pulled out a cigarette and leaned over like he used to, borrowing a light.
His tall figure leaned in so close that he blocked not only his teammates behind him but even the light, completely cutting off Bai Yu’s breathing space.
Bai Yu suddenly felt breathless and instinctively pulled back.
Lu Sheng didn’t get the light but kept leaning in, still holding the cigarette to his mouth, silently asking with his eyes.
Those dark phoenix eyes stared straight up at him.
Bai Yu had never seen Lu Sheng from this angle before.
He looked like a wild leopard, untamed and dangerous, but in front of him, he had momentarily hidden his fangs.