Because Qi Yi had previously been with OT, this match was generating quite a bit of buzz.
Big Mouth Bro was also streaming this match. He was the one who first leaked the news of Qi Yi heading to OT. “Qi Yi returning to RAG was expected, but it happened sooner than I thought. I figured he’d only go back once RAG made it to the LPL, not during the promotion series.”
Qi Yi is considered the true prince of the scene. His uncle is RAG’s biggest shareholder, wielding significant influence in the industry. So, when Bai Yu failed to build the team and sent him away, many speculated that Bai Yu was pressured by capital. With the team-building plans falling apart, they had to find a good destination for the team’s prince.
At the time, some criticized Qi Yi as a nepotism case, arguing his skills didn’t match up to Xu Bo’s. They said he refused to return for his own career prospects, and it was Xu Bo who stepped up to save the day.
But not long after Bai Yu finished the qualifiers, Qi Yi showed up on his own accord, practically squeezing through the cracks of the door to get back in.
Unwilling to return? Hardly.
It was more like Bai Yu had secretly entered the qualifiers without telling him, and when Qi Yi found out, he rushed back to reclaim his spot as the main player.
The bullet comments were eating it up.
[Lmao why does it feel like Qi Yi’s the main wife and Xu Bo’s the concubine?]
[You’re killing me! The funniest part is Xu Bo sneaking into the main spot while Qi Yi was gone only to get caught and relegated back to sub lol.]
[With Xu Bo’s personality, could he even play the concubine? He’d probably go feral and start biting people at the base.]
[At Bai Yu’s base? Xu Bo wouldn’t dare bite anyone.]
[If BoBo bites, he’s getting a dog leash.]
[Hold up, why’s this suddenly so shippable?]
[What are y’all talking about? Xu Bo’s the main wife! Qi Yi’s just a commercial marriage stuffed in by the investors during a divorce cooling-off period!]
[Lmao commercial marriage?!]
[I’m dying of laughter.]
[Sisters, write a novel! I’d read it!]
[Netizens are too talented.]
[To be fair Qi Yi’s synergy isn’t as good as Xu Bo’s. Xu Bo would’ve been better for this match.]
[Yeah and OT knows Qi Yi so well, they’ll definitely target his weaknesses.]
[I think Bai Yu has his reasons.]
[At least today’s match is a great opportunity for Qi Yi…]
Big Mouth Bro couldn’t hold back. Seeing the bullet comments, he started spilling: “Xu Bo would’ve been the best pick for this match. RAG’s win rate against OT in scrims isn’t high, and the wins they did get were mostly with Xu Bo playing. Starting Qi Yi is probably for playoff practice, there’s no direct competition with OT, so losing one game isn’t a big deal.”
So, it’s a training match.
Fans suddenly got nervous. They’ll win, right?
Under the HD camera, Qi Yi looked visibly tense, eyes wide as he stared at the screen, nodding earnestly at whatever Bai Yu said.
His features were already striking, and with his eyes wide open, he really resembled a beautiful cat. Paired with Bai Yu beside him, they were a feast for the eyes.
[Wow, I’m a Xu Bo fan, but I’m eating up this visual.]
[It’s not just the looks, he’s got money too.]
[Besides the money, his personality’s great.]
[And he’s so young with insane hand speed. Ah, my perfect Xiao Yi!]
[Xu Bo: So, I’m out?]
[Lmao don’t leave! If they lose, you’re still gotta go in!]
[Xu Bo’s probably fuming right now…]
The real Xu Bo had his arms crossed, staring at the screen with a cold snort. “Qi Yi, that useless guy, getting nervous over this level of intensity? How’s he gonna handle big tournaments?”
When OT locked in the Xayah-Rakan duo, Qi Yi’s tension was palpable.
Xayah-Rakan is a potent bot lane pair with high synergy, excelling both in laning and teamfights.
Bai Yu, unfazed, said, “Don’t overthink it. Play loose like Xu Bo.”
Qi Yi nodded seriously: “Got it!”
Their team picked Kalista and Alistar, a duo just as strong, where success hinged on coordination.
This was why Bai Yu let OT have Xayah-Rakan, this game was tailored for Qi Yi.
As the match began, both teams lined up in a standard formation, securing their lanes and scouting the enemy’s positions without early skirmishes.
The laning phase started quietly.
But soon, the caster noticed: “Alata’s starting to apply pressure.”
The camera shifted to bot lane, where Qi Yi’s fundamentals shone. His hand speed was blazing, last-hitting with precision, a clear sign he hadn’t slacked in training.
The caster added, “When Alata faced Ningmeng last time, he was pressuring early too. He’s the only player this season to out-CS Ningmeng.”
Ningmeng’s last-hitting is legendary, so for Qi Yi to suppress him means his CS game rivals the best ADCs in the LPL.
Whispers spread off-stage, all about Qi Yi’s hand speed.
His competitive experience lags far behind others, yet he masks his weaknesses with raw hand speed, making him the season’s hottest ADC talent.
That alone was shocking. And with Bai Yu as his support, no one could predict how far he’d go.
In the break room, Ningmeng watched the match.
As Qi Yi last-hit, Ningmeng held his breath, analyzing from his own perspective. He could match Qi Yi’s early moves, but when Qi Yi simultaneously last-hit, dodged the enemy support’s skillshot with a jump, and snuck in an auto-attack on the opposing ADC, Ningmeng was floored. Even at his peak hand speed, he wasn’t sure he could pull that off, yet Qi Yi made it look effortless.
Just how fast were his hands? Faster than his reported 600 APM? Only someone like the legendary Lin Kun could’ve matched that.
Ningmeng took a deep breath, suddenly understanding why Bai Yu kept giving Qi Yi chances. Just like years ago, Bai Yu was crafting another world-shocking legend.
Ningmeng squinted, eyes stinging with regret. If his contract hadn’t been tied up, could he have been Bai Yu’s next miracle?
What a shame…
As the match went on, the enemy team started to realize that if they let Qi Yi keep farming like this, they wouldn’t be able to shut him down later.
The enemy support knew Qi Yi well and understood his weaknesses, so he was the first to target him.
When Rakan lands, he knocks up enemy champions. Although Bai Yu’s Alistar could knock him back, the distance looked just short. He also knew Qi Yi had a bad habit. He didn’t trust his support much and would instinctively reposition toward open space. This was the perfect opening.
But the moment Rakan jumped in, Bai Yu knocked him back.
Enemy support: “Huh? What was that?”
If he wasn’t mistaken, Bai Yu had already started moving toward Qi Yi before he even jumped. And that wasn’t all. When he jumped, his cursor was already on Qi Yi. In that split second, Qi Yi didn’t stick to his usual movement. Instead, he hesitated and stepped slightly toward Bai Yu.
It wasn’t a big movement, but it was enough.
Bai Yu’s headbutt landed with a solid "duang," knocking Rakan away. He didn’t land a single ability and even ate a full combo in return.
The casters were hyped.
“Alistar actually interrupted Rakan mid-dash! That’s an extremely difficult play. Alistar’s W has a fixed range, so you have to time both the distance and the angle perfectly to land the interrupt.”
Bai Yu was clearly out of range. There was only a single, frame-tight window, and he landed it. In that moment, he made the impossible happen.
In the viewing room, Ningmeng tensed up. He wasn’t sure he had seen it right, so he replayed the moment. Watching Qi Yi’s steps closely, he saw that right after Rakan activated his W, Qi Yi slightly repositioned toward Bai Yu. It wasn’t obvious, but it was there.
That small movement saved him. Without it, Bai Yu wouldn’t have had the distance.
From that point on, the match got exciting. No matter how many times Rakan tried to initiate, Bai Yu blocked every attempt. OT’s bot lane had early pressure but gained no real advantage.
Meanwhile, the announcer called out a solo kill in mid lane. Lu Sheng had taken down his lane opponent, and the entire OT side started to panic.
Looking back, it was clear what the strategy had been. When Bai Yu allowed the enemy to pick the Xayah-Rakan combo, RAG prioritized top, mid, and jungle. All three lanes had ideal matchups.
Chen Shi’an crushed the enemy top laner in lane, built a massive CS lead, and nearly took down the turret. The enemy top had no chance to respond.
Lu Sheng took the first kill in mid and steadily widened the gap against his opponent.
Fang Zhixu played smart as well. He didn’t invade but focused on protecting his lanes. Wherever the enemy jungler showed up, he matched them.
Almost no fights broke out in the early game. The only skirmish was around dragon. OT tried to engage on Qi Yi, but Bai Yu knocked them away again. They had to give up the dragon and let RAG take it for free.
RAG’s lead kept growing. But OT’s timing window was fast approaching.
Bai Yu gave a heads-up. “Watch for OT’s engage. Qi Yi, stay close to me. I’ll protect you.”
Qi Yi responded firmly, “Okay.”
Rakan was a strong initiator. He had already tried to engage Qi Yi four or five times, but each time, Bai Yu stopped him. Qi Yi was getting more confident. He began actively positioning near Bai Yu and even started playing more aggressively. Up to this point, no one had managed to catch him.
The casters couldn’t hold back their praise.
“Moira’s Alistar is absolutely on fire. That’s why he’s always either banned or picked. The enemy just can’t reach him.”
In the lounge, Xu Bo shouted, “Nice!”
At first, he wasn’t sure about letting Qi Yi play. Now, watching his growth, he yelled, “Wipe them out. Kill kill kill”
Right before the next dragon fight, OT suddenly shifted their target. They gave up on Qi Yi and went straight for Fang Zhixu.
With Bai Yu protecting Qi Yi, he couldn’t also protect Fang Zhixu. And OT’s synergy was top-tier. Their CC chain was perfect. Fang Zhixu couldn’t even press Flash before he was killed.
Although Lu Sheng managed to trade a kill, without their jungler, RAG couldn’t contest the dragon and had to let it go.
The momentum was starting to shift.
In the next fight, Fang Zhixu positioned slightly too far forward. OT’s Rakan immediately used his ultimate and caught him again in the middle of the enemy team. Another instant death.
Fang Zhixu complained, “Why is it me again?”
Lu Sheng sneered, “Because you suck.”
Surprisingly, Fang Zhixu didn’t get angry. Instead, he laughed, his tone sharp. “Of course I suck. Not everyone can be a God Lu right?”
Lu Sheng didn’t entertain the banter. “Shut your mouth. No one would know you’re 0–2 if you didn’t speak.”
Fang Zhixu’s eyes narrowed with frustration. Just as another argument was about to break out, Bai Yu’s voice came through the comms.
“Did we win already? Then why are you two arguing? If we lose this game, it starts with you.”
The two immediately fell silent and focused on the game.
This game was supposed to be a clear win. But after Fang Zhixu got picked off twice, things got uncertain.
Song Bo stared at the screen, tense. “They already have three dragons. If they get soul, the pressure will be huge…”
Xu Bo didn’t agree. “Look at Qi Yi’s gold.”
Qi Yi had always been a strong farmer. With Bai Yu guarding him the whole time, his CS per minute had reached 9.4. Even with just one kill, his farm advantage alone gave him a 300 gold bounty. That meant he was completely ahead of everyone.
At that moment, Baron spawned.
Neither team wanted to give it up. A fight was coming.
Bai Yu took command. “Qi Yi, stay on me. I’ll find you the angle to deal damage. Chen Shi’an, push top. I’ve got your back. Fang Zhixu, don’t flank. Stay with Lu Sheng. Hold your engage. Wait for my call. No one act alone.”
Everyone took their positions and waited for Bai Yu’s signal.
He didn’t rush. He cleared waves, secured vision, and studied the enemy formation.
OT’s plan was easy to guess. They still wanted Rakan to engage on Fang Zhixu or Lu Sheng. But they had to get around Chen Shi’an, the frontline.
That meant Rakan was already flanking from the side.
In a split second, Bai Yu issued the command. “Lu Sheng, kill their AD.”
Lu Sheng had already anticipated it. The moment Bai Yu spoke, he dove in from behind Chen Shi’an, instantly kill the enemy AD, and retreated safely under cover. The front line was now in RAG’s favor.
On the flank, Rakan had no choice. He had to go in on Fang Zhixu to salvage the fight. Just as he was about to land, a loud “duang” sounded again.
Bai Yu used Flash and W to knock him away mid-air.
Rakan was stunned.
His W is a fast dash. Alistar’s W is a targeted knockback. To interrupt it, Alistar must lock on to him before he lands. That’s extremely hard.
Doing it from a standing position was already impressive.
But to flash into position and interrupt mid-air? That was on another level.
It was like catching a bullet with your bare hands.
The casters were speechless. Even in the chaos of the teamfight, the camera focused directly on Bai Yu’s play.
“Oh my god. That flash headbutt from Moira just changed the entire game.”
Rakan’s mind was reeling, but the match pressed on. He had no time to dwell on deeper issues and rushed into the fight. However, after failing to engage, OT was left with a brutal situation. RAG killed three of them, secured Baron, and pushed down two high ground towers in one go.
For OT to mount a comeback, the gold gap couldn’t be too wide, but now, surrender was their only option.
The match lost all suspense as the gap grew insurmountable. OT clung desperately to their base, but RAG forced the end. Post-game, Bai Yu rightfully claimed MVP, the match’s standout.
Bullet comments exploded.
[Wow, a support getting MVP? That’s insane.]
[How does Bai Yu’s hand speed not drop at all?]
[Damn ten years? Has he been competing for a decade and still performing like this? Unreal…]
[Didn’t people flame him for being washed at last year’s Worlds? This is washed?]
[Support is the most thankless role. Play great and no one notices since it depends on teammates. Play bad and it’s obvious.]
[My God, I’m starting to think Bai Yu’s engages at Worlds weren’t inting. He had the mechanics, but his teammates didn’t trust him, forcing him to die…]
[What’s SG? A bunch of nobodies. Look at RAG’s synergy, pure trust.]
[Honestly, RAG’s coordination can be chaotic, but their trust is unmatched. No one hesitates to follow Bai Yu’s engages.]
[I’m flashing back to TG’s glory days. Back then, the team trusted Bai Yu so much he could engage against deficits…]
[Now Xu Bo’s back, God Shi’s back, it’s half a TG reunion!]
[Protect our captain Yu!]
[Wow, my eyes are tearing up.]
Ningmeng, watching, felt a wave of emotion. He always knew Bai Yu would rise again after falling, but he didn’t expect such a stunning comeback.
The match left many emotional.
In the audience, a skinny fan sobbed uncontrollably, “My Bai Yu, he’s had it so tough. Most players disappear after one fall, but he’s risen twice. Ten years? I’ll stan him forever, waaah…”
A man in black beside him sat in silence. After a long pause, he said hoarsely, “I always believed, no matter the odds, he’d rise countless times, saving himself from any crisis.”
Bai Yu’s journey was always his own.
He’s the only player to prove a support can carry like a core.
In the second game, Bai Yu subbed in Xu Bo.
Xu Bo played like a rabid dog, biting anyone in sight. Even passing junglers got chomped. If Bai Yu hadn’t reined him in, he’d have bitten his way to mid lane.
RAG dominated all three lanes early. OT found a brief window to push back mid-game, but bot lane’s synergy was godlike.
One dared to flash in, the other followed to bite.
Most players gamble their career on one flash, but Xu Bo could spam flashes like that weekly.
The casters were stunned, “It’s been ages since I’ve seen an ADC this aggressive in LPL! XB just dives everyone! It’s nonstop action, you can’t look away, or the game’s over…”
Bullet comments were all “hahaha,” losing it.
RAG took both games, 2:0, a clean sweep.
Post-match, Lu Sheng exhaled deeply. It’d been ages since he felt this much pressure, terrified of losing and facing Bai Yu’s wrath.
But…
His eyes flicked to Bai Yu. After the match, Bai Yu’s stamina was drained, his voice soft, cheeks flushed pink. When he smiled, the room seemed to brighten.
Being targeted by this Bai Yu? Not bad.
Bai Yu, noticing Lu Sheng’s silence, thought he was upset. He patted his shoulder, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you play great today?”
Lu Sheng shook his head, saying nothing.
As the others walked ahead, he turned, “I’m curious. If we lost, what would you do?”
Bai Yu grinned, “You can try and find out.”
His tone wasn’t “try,” it was “die.”
Lu Sheng yanked up his collar, hands in pockets, suddenly not curious at all.
For the post-match interview, Bai Yu sent Xu Bo. Xu Bo, hating these events, said “no” three times before Bai Yu smacked the back of his head, and he went obediently.
As everyone packed up to leave, a staff member knocked, “Captain Yu, someone’s looking for you outside.”
Bai Yu asked, “Who?”
“No idea. Tall, skinny, wearing a mask.”
Bai Yu mentally scanned tall, skinny people. Most esports players fit that description, so it was no help.
He set down his bag and walked out curiously. From a distance, he saw a man in a black trench coat, tall and thin, heavily covered up, standing by the corridor, staring at a poster of Bai Yu, motionless.
Bai Yu started toward him but got bumped by a staff member.
The staff apologized profusely, “Ah, sorry, sorry, I was too focused. Sorry, Captain Yu, didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Bai Yu waved it off, signaling he was fine.
When he looked up, the man in the trench coat was gone.
Bai Yu, puzzled, took a few steps forward. The empty corridor felt eerily quiet. Suddenly, someone jumped out from a corner, startling him.
The guy, also in black, pulled down his mask, revealing a tanned face, “Surprise!”
Bai Yu nearly died of shock, “Why are you here?”
It was Cheng Yuan, the jungler who dominated Worlds with Bai Yu back in the day. He retired after his girlfriend got pregnant, rushing to marry. After their kid was born, he lost his drive and left the scene. He’d been living abroad with his wife, rarely returning.
Cheng Yuan, tanned and leaner, flashed a grin with eight bright teeth, “Heh, I told my wife I wanted to come back and see you guys, so she came with me. Is Xu Bo in the break room? Where’s Chen Shian? How’d you drag that guy out of retirement? I was so curious back then, called him to ask why he quit, and he dodged me with tai chi…”
Bai Yu, happy to see him, chatted as they walked, “Don’t get me started. It took two tries to convince him…”
After they left, a lone figure in black emerged slowly into the empty corridor.
He stood in place, chin slightly raised, the brim of his hat blocking all light from above, his expression shadowed, gazing intently in the direction Bai Yu had gone.