The lighter clicked twice but didn’t ignite. Bai Yu grew a bit anxious and leaned in closer. The person in front of him suddenly covered his forehead.
“Your hair touched it.”
A broad palm gently pushed him back. Before Bai Yu could react, the other person’s hand naturally moved over his hand holding the lighter. With a click, the flame lit the cigarette, warm light flickering. Lu Sheng’s features looked softened by it.
Bai Yu felt like his hand got burned too. He quickly pulled it back and tried hard to find something to say. “Why aren’t you playing with them?”
“Not used to it.” Lu Sheng glanced at him, the cigarette tip glowing faintly in the dark.
“Your clothes is from TUP?” Bai Yu looked at his clothes. Thinking back to when he mentioned Chu Fei earlier, Lu Sheng had been staring at his clothes the whole time. Did he think this jacket belonged to Chu Fei?
He suddenly found it funny. A person who didn’t even blink at paying ninety million in breach penalties would actually care about a piece of clothing? Bai Yu deliberately teased him and just went, “Mm.”
Lu Sheng said nothing. He took a drag of his cigarette, looking like he wasn’t in a great mood. Bai Yu didn’t bother with him either. The two smoked quietly. From the other side of the wall, their teammates were still playing. A burst of loud laughter suddenly erupted.
Chen Shi’an was leading them in playing “Who’s the Undercover.” Fang Zhixu got the undercover card on the first round and guessed it before the first round was even over. He pretended to be a good guy and gained Xu Bo’s trust. Then Xu Bo went on a killing spree, only to find out at the end that Fang Zhixu had the undercover card. He looked like he wanted to die.
“Fang Zhixu, you’re really not a good person!”
“I’m out. Xu Bo sucks but is too into it.”
“Clearly it’s Fang Zhixu playing dirty!”
Chen Shi’an said helplessly, “You’re not supposed to play dirty in undercover? What, should he just show you his card?”
Everyone around burst into laughter. Even Qi Yi, who never joined group activities, couldn’t help asking quietly, “C-can I join? I’ve never played before.”
Chen Shi’an smiled warmly. “Of course you can. It’s really simple...”
Bai Yu brought them out to dinner today mainly to help strengthen their bonds.
“Actually, you should interact with them more too. They’re good players, not bad at all. Spend some time with them and you’ll see their strengths...”
He talked for a while but the person next to him didn’t respond. Bai Yu turned back in confusion and saw Lu Sheng still smoking, staring at his clothes again. When he noticed Bai Yu looking, he quickly looked away. He clearly wasn’t convinced but still pretended. “Got it.”
Bai Yu had dealt with at least fifty to a hundred rebellious trainees at the youth camp, but he’d never seen one like Lu Sheng. Always saying “got it,” but never actually respecting anyone in his heart.
Seeing Lu Sheng still staring at his clothes, Bai Yu suddenly remembered something.
“Watching you lane against Chu Fei today was a surprise. Didn’t expect him to hold off so many of your waves.”
Sure enough, Lu Sheng’s expression changed. That defensiveness unique to hunters appeared in his eyes.
“Didn’t I crush him? What’s there to praise?”
Bai Yu thought, how could he not crush him? Last time against DT, he was still using Galio. Today against Chu Fei, he pulled out LeBlanc. Lu Sheng had once used that champion to sweep through the three top mid-laners and set the highest solo-kill record. Pulling her out against Chu Fei today already reeked of mixing personal grudges into official matters.
Bai Yu knew what he was thinking, so he deliberately didn’t go along with him.
“How was he crushed? You only solo-killed him once, and he was playing a weaker champion. Doing this well is already impressive...”
Lu Sheng’s smoking hand paused. He suddenly let out a soft laugh.
“Bai Yu, you don’t seem very satisfied with me?”
At this moment, Bai Yu actually was satisfied. He didn’t know why, but every time Lu Sheng was humbled, he felt especially content.
He had just opened his mouth when Lu Sheng’s hand suddenly reached over and turned his face.
“If you’re not satisfied, just say it.”
Bai Yu’s face was like white porcelain, with a kind of stunning cleanliness. In his pale pupils, it felt like nothing external could stain them. It made people want to melt themselves into it. Lu Sheng’s gaze unconsciously fell to Bai Yu’s lips. The faint lip color moved slightly under his fingers.
“I’m pretty satisfied with your performance in matches. Just think your temper could be a bit more easygoing. Otherwise, being around you makes others feel kind of pressured.”
Lu Sheng’s thumb suddenly moved slightly. He really wanted to touch. Even his throat felt like something was trying to crawl out, impossible to suppress.
“And what about you?”
“What?”
“Do you feel pressured being around me too?”
There was definitely pressure. Bai Yu just didn’t want to admit it. He turned his face away and said softly,
“I’m okay, mainly just worried others might not like you...”
Before he could finish, his face was turned back again by Lu Sheng.
This time Lu Sheng didn’t hide it. His thumb pressed directly on Bai Yu’s lips and looked down at him.
“As long as you like me, who cares about the others.”
Bai Yu's eyes opened slightly wider. He wanted to say it wasn’t like that, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Lu Sheng's hand touched his tongue.
Both of them froze for a moment.
The broad palm covered half his face. The touched lips were a little warm. Lu Sheng suddenly pulled back his hand. Although the surprise was gone, the air still felt thinner.
Lu Sheng beside him became silent again, his tall figure leaning against the corner of the wall. It reminded Bai Yu of when he had just returned home after paying 90 million in breach penalties, looking pitiful leaning at the airport.
Bai Yu suddenly didn’t feel like teasing him anymore. He said softly, “The clothes were from Ningmeng, not Chu Fei. He doesn't want to join my team as much as you do.”
Lu Sheng's hand suddenly paused.
Bai Yu looked at him. The flickering flame at his fingertip reflected in Bai Yu’s pupils, a warm tone that Lu Sheng had never seen before.
Laughter came from behind.
Xu Bo was convinced Fang Zhixu was the undercover and was going crazy accusing him. No one believed him. In the end, it turned out Fang Zhixu really was the undercover.
“I told you he was the undercover! None of you believed me!”
Chen Shi’an said helplessly, “You say he’s the undercover every second. It’s hard for us to believe you. That’s not how the game works.”
“Hahahaha…”
“Where’s the captain? Why isn’t the captain playing with us?” Song Bo shouted, “Captain! Come on! This game is really fun!”
Zhou Xunwen, busy replying to messages, finally remembered Bai Yu, stretched his neck, and said, “Bai Yu, you can’t keep smoking. If you keep smoking, I’m gonna smoke you…”
Bai Yu finally found an excuse. “Coming now!”
He looked at Lu Sheng. Originally wanting to show some captain's authority, but after meeting Lu Sheng’s eyes, his momentum instantly weakened.
“Ahem, well, if there’s nothing else, go back and play with them. Don’t overthink things. Focus on the competition. Your only task now is to win, understand?”
Lu Sheng didn’t speak. He just stared into Bai Yu’s eyes.
Until Bai Yu felt completely uncomfortable, Lu Sheng finished his cigarette and smiled, “Got it.”
Then with his hands in his pockets, he returned to his seat.
He always says he understands, but still acts on his own. Truly gives people a headache.
Bai Yu finished his cigarette and returned to his seat like nothing happened. He smiled and asked, “Who won?”
Xu Bo began frantically complaining, chattering as he described what just happened.
Bai Yu smiled until his eyes curved, “Really?”
They originally weren’t familiar with each other, only gathered here because of RAG. Although there had been moments of disapproval and misunderstanding, they had begun to accept one another.
Bai Yu sneakily glanced at Lu Sheng when everyone wasn’t paying attention.
Why was this guy still staring at his clothes… he already said they weren’t from Chu Fei…
The gathering ended, and everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Bai Yu had just finished showering and was ready to lie down and rest properly when he suddenly saw a message from Lu Sheng and instantly sat up.
Lu Sheng: Can’t sleep. Let me see you for a second.
Bai Yu pretended he didn’t see it and lay back down.
Lu Sheng: Didn’t you just shower? You already looked at your phone, didn’t reply. That’s rude.
Bai Yu instantly sat back up again. Thinking about how he was constantly being watched made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
He typed: I’ll ask Zhou Xunwen to change your room tomorrow.
Lu Sheng: ?
Lu Sheng: Don’t.
Lu Sheng: Hey, don’t. Did you see that? I said don’t.
Lu Sheng: Bai Yu, I said don’t.
Bai Yu rolled his eyes. I don’t care what you said.
After threatening Lu Sheng, he finally lay down to rest. The next second, another message came in.
Lu Sheng: Still want to see you. Just crack the door open a little. I’ll take a look and leave.
Bai Yu typed: Lu Sheng, are you sick?
Just as the message was sent, a knock came at the door. Bai Yu almost jumped out of his skin.
Afraid of being discovered by others, he quickly got up and opened the door a crack, lowering his voice.
“Lu Sheng, are you insane? Bothering me in the middle of the night?”
Lu Sheng stood outside the door looking at him. His expression hanging down was very dark, and with his height, he felt even more oppressive looking in like that.
Bai Yu was about to drive him away, but Lu Sheng suddenly reached out. Bai Yu nearly slammed the door on his hand, breaking into a cold sweat.
But Lu Sheng acted as if nothing happened, still reaching in to smooth his messy hair. “Your hair’s messy.”
Bai Yu was truly angry. He grabbed Lu Sheng’s collar, opened the door, and dragged him inside.
If Lu Sheng wanted to resist, Bai Yu wasn’t his match at all. But he let Bai Yu pin him against the door without resistance.
Bai Yu’s face was cold. His usually gentle eyes became sharp, and his voice lost its softness.
“Lu Sheng, can you behave for once? What if one of the teammates saw what you did just now? What if I slammed your hand? Can’t you go back and sleep properly? Hmm? Say something.”
He leaned on the door warning him. Though he was a full seven or eight centimeters shorter, his aura completely suppressed Lu Sheng.
His body, just out of the shower, still carried a faint scent of water. The wide, soft loungewear had a loose neckline, and his collarbone was clearly visible at a glance.
Lu Sheng suddenly looked away, silent.
Bai Yu thought he had succeeded in subduing him, relaxed his grip slightly, and was just about to speak properly.
But Lu Sheng’s gaze suddenly narrowed, deepening like something was about to break out.
“Bai Yu, don’t be like this. You being like this makes me want to kiss you.”
Bai Yu: "……"
—
The next day, Song Bo saw Lu Sheng’s schedule had been assigned 100 practice matches and was so shocked his jaw almost dropped.
“Captain Yu, what’s with God Lu? Why so many scrims all of a sudden?”
Bai Yu said flatly, “Because he has too much time.”
At that time, even though Lu Sheng’s hand was cramping from all the scrims, he didn’t say a word.
Judging by the look in his eyes, he clearly hadn’t been tamed. he’d definitely dare next time too.
After beating TUP, the next two matches were won relatively easily.
During this period, they had been playing various scrims against strong teams, which left Bai Yu with a headache. These two matches were the most relaxed since the promotion matches.
Bai Yu arranged for Qi Yi to play in both of these matches, wanting to help him adapt to a full-coordination playstyle. Unfortunately, the opponents were too weak. They won before they could even really perform. RAG's score officially reached 4:0, still undefeated in match points, and they were temporarily ranked third.
Ahead of them were IKG and TIN, both also currently undefeated. Following them were FFT, WG, and TUP. Bai Yu glanced over the rankings. OT had already dropped to eighth place, and SG's ranking was still bizarre, sitting at tenth. Whether they could make playoffs was a big question.
Looking at Cheng Lin on the screen losing another match, his nose red from crying, Bai Yu sighed and turned off the stream. Beside him, Song Bo held up his data analysis. "In the next match, we have about a 70% win rate against OT. We've played two scrims against them this season, both 2:1 wins. Their laning phase isn't as strong as ours, but their teamfights are fierce. About 80% of their comeback wins come from stalling to late-game and winning a single teamfight."
Bai Yu knew OT very well. That team had great atmosphere and strong cohesion. Whether they won or lost, they always believed in their teammates. That’s why he had recommended Qi Yi to them in the first place. At the beginning, Qi Yi could hide his weaknesses through teamfights, but later he was thrown off rhythm by Fang Zhixu and exposed.
But even if it wasn’t Fang Zhixu, it would’ve been someone else. As long as there’s a flaw, it’ll be exposed eventually unless Qi Yi takes the initiative to fix it himself.
Bai Yu leaned against the sofa, looking at the data, and suddenly sighed. "I really envy OT's team atmosphere."
Song Bo was about to ask why.
Then they heard Xu Bo yelling from behind, "Qi Yi, are you a pig? You didn’t even auto-attack him after farming that much gold!"
Qi Yi's voice was small but stubborn. "I need to scale."
"You need to auto him!"
"I need to scale."
On the other side, Fang Zhixu was duo queuing with Lu Sheng, and he was getting annoyed. His round apricot eyes had turned sharp, and his voice carried a strong edge. "God Lu, this kind of play isn’t great, right? If the captain finds out, he’ll definitely penalize you."
Lu Sheng sneered, not holding back at all now that Bai Yu wasn’t around. "You’re the one falling behind, not me. Why don’t you look at your own problems first?"
Chen Shi'an, who had just finished a game, held a thermos and smiled gently as he watched them. His voice was warm. "Ah, youth is different, arguing with such full lungs."
Seeing this, Song Bo finally understood what Bai Yu meant. So that’s what he envied. OT’s current advantage was exactly what RAG lacked. If things went badly in the next match, RAG might really get overturned hard.
But Bai Yu wasn’t the kind to resign himself. He slacked off for five minutes, then suddenly sat up straight like a carp springing out of water. "Qi Yi, play your own game. Don’t get affected by others." Qi Yi immediately straightened up, and Xu Bo went back to his own game.
After that, Bai Yu walked over to Fang Zhixu and Lu Sheng, put his arms around their shoulders, and smiled as he asked, "What are you two talking about? Want me to judge who’s right?" The two of them immediately stopped talking and focused on the game.
Chen Shi'an, still smiling gently nearby, got dragged in too. "God Shi, if you have energy, help manage things too. Don’t just watch the show and stir things up. How old are you already, still fanning the flames..."
Chen Shi'an nodded helplessly. "Got it, don’t bully the elderly, okay?"
After training ended that day, Bai Yu held a meeting with them, mainly to discuss tomorrow’s opponent, OT. The best option would be to send Xu Bo up and shut them down early, not giving them a chance to stall into late-game.
Bai Yu understood this, but he really wanted Qi Yi to experience the other team’s playstyle. Qi Yi had faced every other team in the regular season, except OT, and what OT had was exactly what Qi Yi lacked. He’d learn a lot from this.
He thought for a long time and finally decided. "Qi Yi plays the first game. Try fighting them in a late-game teamfight. If we lose, Xu Bo will sub in."
Qi Yi immediately felt a huge pressure, and Xu Bo didn’t understand. "Why only sub me in after a loss? Can’t I start game one?"
Bai Yu answered honestly. "I want Qi Yi to play more games in the regular season to build experience for playoffs." Since he put it like that, no one dared say anything.
But soon, Bai Yu closed his notebook and gave them a final ultimatum. "OT has strong teamfights, but their overall strength is weaker than ours. So tomorrow’s match, we can only win, not lose. If we lose, I’ll review the match frame by frame. Whoever makes a mistake I’ve warned about repeatedly, I’ll penalize them individually."
After he finished, everyone’s eyes cleared. They realized Bai Yu was serious this time. Xu Bo muttered under his breath. "Damn, do we really have to go that hard? In a high-intensity match like this, how can there be zero mistakes?"
Beside them, Chen Shi'an remained indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him. He smiled and said, "So that’s why we have to win. If we win, nothing happens. If we lose… then everyone’s on their own."
After the meeting, Qi Yi quietly asked Xu Bo, "Is Bai Yu’s punishment really that scary?"
Xu Bo recalled the past and instinctively started feeling nauseous. "Scary doesn’t even begin to describe it. People were literally trained until they threw up..."
Back then, he made the most mistakes, and Bai Yu punished him the harshest. It always started with at least 100 trial match recreations, and Bai Yu would personally watch the entire time. You weren’t allowed to sleep until you finished. By the end, you’d be physically vomiting from exhaustion. Later, when he ran into the same problem on stage, Xu Bo would practically snap into Super Saiyan mode, completely popping off and killing nonstop, while also puking nonstop.
In short, it was something he never wanted to remember again in this lifetime.
Even now, just thinking about it made Xu Bo nauseous. "Nope, I can’t keep thinking about this. I haven’t even had dinner yet..."
He described it so vividly that Qi Yi started getting nervous, hunching his shoulders.
But Fang Zhixu, who had been eavesdropping, got excited instead. His tone didn’t sound like he was being punished, it sounded like he was getting a reward.
"Ah, 100 training matches? And the captain watches the whole time? I’ve never been through that. Now I really want to try it..."
Xu Bo muttered, "You sick pervert. Don’t get too excited. Bai Yu will purposely assign the person you hate most to watch you, and you’ll be stuck supervising each other!"
Fang Zhixu glanced at Lu Sheng and went quiet.
Lu Sheng glanced back at Fang Zhixu too and also fell silent.
In that moment, they both had only one thought left in their minds:
Win. We have to win.
—
The venue was packed with people. LPL matches were still as hard to get tickets for as ever.
In the crowd, a man wrapped tightly from head to toe, leaving only his eyes exposed, moved through the seats and sat in a spot near the front, allowing him to observe the players on stage up close.
The chubby guy next to him asked, “Bro, which team are you a fan of? TIN? Must’ve spent a lot on the ticket, huh? You in the fan group? Let’s talk a bit.”
The man’s voice was hoarse, like it had been scorched by fire. “I’m here to watch RAG.”
The chubby guy immediately perked up. “RAG? You a fan of Bai Yu or Lu Sheng? Let me tell you, this team’s looking pretty strong this year. They even signed Fang Zhixu. Should be a guaranteed top-three finish, right? But I still think my team is better this year. We might have a shot at taking down IKG and grabbing the domestic title. Hey, the guy next to me is a RAG fan too. I’ll switch seats with him so you two can talk…”
As he spoke, he stood up and swapped places with a skinny guy.
The skinny guy was extremely enthusiastic. As soon as he sat down, he reached out to shake hands. “I’ve been a fan of Bai Yu for years. Are you a Bai Yu fan or Lu Sheng’s? You in the group yet? Let me tell you, my wife and I met watching Bai Yu play. She’s now the admin of the RAG fan group. Super active. She’s the one yelling the loudest in the front row. Heh, add me, I’ll get you in the group…”
The man said quietly, “No need.”
Under the dim lighting, the skinny guy seemed to sense something. He leaned in. “Tsk… bro, you look kinda familiar…”
—
On stage, TIN had just pulled off a beautiful teamfight. The entire arena erupted in cheers.
Even in the lounge, Xu Bo could hear the crowd outside. He couldn’t help but glance out, but he couldn’t see anything. He was already getting anxious. “Qi Yi, you can win, right? You should be able to win, right?”
Qi Yi got nervous from his questioning. “I-I-I should be able to win?”
He really wasn’t sure. OT knew his weaknesses too well and would definitely keep targeting him. Plus, OT had the best team coordination in the entire LPL. He had no confidence going up against them...
Just as he was spiraling deeper into doubt, Bai Yu’s palm landed on his head from behind, gently ruffling his hair. He comforted him softly, “Just play your game. No matter if you win or lose, I won’t punish you. And if you lose, isn’t your Xu-ge here to cover for you? Right, Xu Yibo?”
Xu Bo: ???
What the hell? Why does it feel like Qi Yi is the biological son and I’m the foster kid?
—
TIN’s match ended in a clean 2:0. The next match would start earlier than expected.
Bai Yu stood up. “It’s our turn.”
With all preparations complete, they followed the staff’s instructions to enter the stage.
Both teams met. OT hadn’t expected Bai Yu to actually dare send Qi Yi up. They whispered, “He really dared? That’s way too confident. Feels like Bai Yu’s setting us up for something…”
Just then, Bai Yu looked over at them and gave a friendly smile, which sent chills down their spines.
There’s a trap. There’s definitely a trap.
On stage, the casters were enthusiastically introducing both teams. The players were in position. The match was about to begin.