After finishing their late-night snack, everyone returned to the base.
Bai Yu didn’t make things too difficult for them. He simply gathered everyone and replayed the match for review. Still, every time he saw some of the ridiculous plays, he couldn’t help but laugh out of frustration.
The training room was dead silent; no one dared to make a sound.
During the match, they had only felt something was off, but watching it from a third-person perspective now, it just looked ridiculous. The entire BN team was bad with only one player performing decently. Yet even so, they still lost a round to them. No wonder Bai Yu was so upset.
Lu Sheng leaned back in his chair. Every second was pure agony.
Song Bo was still on stage emphasizing, “Next time, we absolutely can’t play like that again. If we can’t even beat BN, there’s no point talking about other teams. Even with someone as skilled as God Lu, he ended up with a 3–6 score. This shows that no matter how strong you are individually, it doesn’t compare to good teamwork…”
Lu Sheng shifted in his seat, dying to shut him up.
From his angle, he could only see Bai Yu’s side profile. Leaning back in his chair, Bai Yu seemed amused, his brows and eyes full of mirth.
Honestly, Song Bo didn’t need to say more. Everyone clearly saw their own problems. Today’s match had been a wake-up call.
Bai Yu gave each of them a chance to reflect.
Chen Shi’an admitted frankly, “My playstyle is too conservative, and I really couldn’t keep up with some of the plays. I’ll work on refining my mechanics and fully support the team.”
Xu Bo didn’t know what to say, so he just said, “Whatever Bai Yu says, I’ll do.”
He basically said what Qi Yi wanted to say, who then nodded vigorously in agreement.
Fang Zhixu also admitted his mistake sincerely. “I should’ve communicated more with my teammates. I really played badly today. Going forward, I’ll…” He glanced at Lu Sheng, who clearly didn’t look too friendly, and his voice grew quieter, “I’ll try to coordinate better with mid lane and make time to duo queue…”
Everyone looked at Lu Sheng. Bai Yu’s gaze also landed on him. He felt briefly uncomfortable, but quickly came to terms with it. “Yeah, I’ll duo queue more with jungle moving forward.”
Bai Yu closed the notebook. “Alright, that’s it. Lu Sheng and Fang Zhixu, stay. Everyone else, dismissed.”
The others couldn’t wait to leave. Soon, only the three of them were left.
Bai Yu tore a page from his notebook and handed it to them. “Duo queue using the combinations I’ve written down. Save the replays every week and send them to me. I’ll review them when I can.”
Fang Zhixu took the note. Lu Sheng glanced at it, seeing a page full of foxes. Thinking about today’s match made him feel physically sick.
So this meant he had to use that damn thing to duo with Fang Zhixu every day?
Lu Sheng turned his face away, suppressing his frustration.
Bai Yu patted his shoulder gently in a comforting gesture. “As a pro player, the first thing you need to do is face your failures head-on. You have to get back up where you fell.”
Lu Sheng truly felt defeated.
Whether it was three years ago or now, he always felt this sense of defeat in front of Bai Yu.
He had thought that after working hard for three years, he had changed Bai Yu’s view of him. He didn’t expect that, in Bai Yu’s eyes, he was still an imperfect mid laner.
—
Back in his room, the rain drizzled outside.
His phone on the desk suddenly lit up. It was a call from Chu Tianyou.
Lu Sheng picked up, his voice low. “Hello?”
Chu Tianyou was still out with friends, the background noise loud. “Hey, I heard you lost one round to BN today? Tsk, sounds like you’re not in the best mood. I’m out with some friends right now. Want to come hang out and relax a bit?”
Lu Sheng declined. “Not going.”
Chu Tianyou’s voice softened. “Come on, you lost today, your mood’s down, I’ll help you loosen up.”
Lu Sheng didn’t bother. “We’ve got training tomorrow.”
“I know, but you don’t have a match tomorrow. It’s just for a bit, no big deal. You’re such a big name now. RAG wouldn’t dare say anything to you. Bai Yu’s not gonna punish you or something, right?”
Heh, punishment would be the least of it.
Just thinking about the training Bai Yu had lined up already made Lu Sheng want to throw up.
“I’m hanging up.”
“Wait, wait… okay fine, I’ll admit it. I told my friends I know the famous Akoi, and they want to meet you…”
Before he could finish, Lu Sheng hung up.
Chu Tianyou called again, exasperated and finally giving in. “Alright, alright, I get it. You’ve got that damn training. Don’t come then. We’ll hang out after the regular season. You guys are definitely gonna have a team dinner, and you better invite me. Oh right…”
He suddenly thought of something and took a drag of his cigarette. “Today my friends were all talking about Bai Yu. Damn, I didn’t know before, but after hearing all that, it really hit me. Back when Lin Kun debuted two years earlier, he was pretty popular domestically, but didn’t have that dominant edge. I heard it wasn’t until Bai Yu joined the main team that Lin Kun started becoming more well-rounded…”
Lu Sheng knew. He had joined TG’s youth training camp after watching TG’s match videos.
At first, he was aiming for Lin Kun, eager to challenge him. But everything changed after he met Bai Yu. His focus shifted entirely.
Chu Tianyou’s voice continued over the phone. “Cheng Yuan was picked by Bai Yu himself, and Xu Bo was promoted because Bai Yu insisted, even Chen Shi’an didn’t start performing until he joined Bai Yu’s team. Damn, just hearing all that gave me chills. Bai Yu looks all gentle, but he’s seriously something. So Lu Sheng, maybe he didn’t pick you back then because you really weren’t good enough?”
Lu Sheng didn’t respond. The atmosphere around him suddenly dropped a few degrees.
Chu Tianyou kept talking to himself. “My friends are all in the scene, and they talk about Bai Yu like he’s some kind of legend. Said he’s got tough methods. Back in TG, he even enforced full-closed training. No one dared lose under him. Lose a match and you’d be punished. Lu Sheng, I’m actually kinda worried about you now. Are you doing okay over there?”
Lu Sheng was speechless. He made it sound like he had joined some gang or something.
Though there was definitely something off, but for now, at least, everything was voluntary.
Lu Sheng actually explained. “It’s semi-closed training. We can still use our phones when there’s no match.”
Chu Tianyou let out a breath. “Oh, so it’s not that extreme. I knew it. Bai Yu looks all clean and delicate. Not the type to be that harsh…”
Just then, someone knocked on his window. Bai Yu’s voice came from outside. “Lu Sheng, do you have a minute?”
Lu Sheng immediately answered. “Yeah.”
Chu Tianyou heard Bai Yu’s voice over the phone and got a little excited. “Hey, is that Bai Yu? Your captain’s so dedicated, checking on you even this late…”
Lu Sheng ended the call.
He put his phone away and looked calmly at Bai Yu. “What is it?”
Bai Yu had just taken a shower and changed clothes. He smelled fresh and looked like he belonged at home.
As Lu Sheng got lost in thought, Bai Yu handed him a notebook. “This is the data analysis Song Bo did for you. I revised it a bit. Take a look when you have time.”
Lu Sheng was momentarily dazed, reflexively taking it. But when he saw the foxes on the cover again, his palm burned. He wanted to pull his hand back, but it was too late.
Bai Yu was wearing loose pajamas, leaning casually against the window, pointing to the latest data. “I think your synergy with Fang Zhixu could reach 100 percent. It’s only at 40 percent now, but with enough duo queue, quantity will turn into quality…”
Lu Sheng stared at Bai Yu’s hand. Fair and clean, nails neatly trimmed.
Bai Yu’s lips parted slightly, pale under the light. Halfway through his sentence, he paused. “Lu Sheng, are you listening?”
Lu Sheng’s expression was unreadable. He let out a quiet “mm” and shifted his gaze from Bai Yu’s lips to his neckline. This shirt’s collar seemed a bit too loose.
“Then take a look yourself. I’ll head back now.”
Leaving the notebook behind, Bai Yu turned to go.
Just then, Bai Yu’s phone lit up. A message from Cheng Lin: Captain, can I come talk to you?
Lu Sheng saw it, and his eyes moved to Bai Yu’s face.
Bai Yu paused when he saw the message. Ever since he left the team, Cheng Lin hadn’t messaged him in over six months.
He picked up his phone and politely asked: What is it?
The typing indicator on the other side flickered. The person seemed to be struggling, but eventually chose to yield: I'm feeling a bit lost lately and don't know what to do. Can I talk to you?
Bai Yu wondered if something had happened to Cheng Lin and was about to reply.
Overhead, Lu Sheng's emotionless voice came down: “If you’re going to reject him, do it thoroughly.”
Bai Yu’s expression shifted slightly. He couldn’t help but look up at Lu Sheng.
His features looked a bit cold under the lights. But once he noticed Bai Yu looking, he restrained himself a little. “Want me to help?”
Bai Yu shook his head. “I’ll handle it myself.”
He quickly messaged Cheng Lin: I don’t know what’s going on, but if there’s a problem, it’ll be resolved. Right now it’s during competition season, so I really can’t meet you in private.
That one message made Cheng Lin burst into tears. Outside, the rain was drizzling, and his whole mood felt damp and heavy.
In the past, no matter what happened, Bai Yu always had his back. He really believed he was untouchable, that he could still shine after leaving Bai Yu. But in the end he was just like Xu Bo back then, unable to stand on his own after leaving Bai Yu.
When did it all start?
He clearly used to really like Bai Yu. He was even so excited when Bai Yu was about to become his exclusive support that he couldn’t sleep.
But later, he realized the spotlight was always on Bai Yu. Even when he was the one who wiped out the enemy team, it was Bai Yu who received all the praise. That’s when the imbalance started to creep in.
Everyone said it was Bai Yu who discovered him, that he was nothing without Bai Yu. As a rookie, a naturally gifted player who grew up being praised, he desperately wanted to prove that even without Bai Yu, he could still go far.
He started going against Bai Yu. The first time he openly rejected Bai Yu’s strategy, he still remembers Bai Yu’s reaction. He suddenly stopped talking, silently looked at him, then placed a notebook filled with analysis in front of him, and let both the book and him go.
Cheng Lin thought he was gaining a bigger stage, but reality slapped him hard. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t turn things around.
After today’s match, he suddenly had an emotional breakdown and lashed out at his team’s support. The other player looked at him like he was crazy and said, “You make it sound easy. Do you think I’m Bai Yu or something?”
Cheng Lin froze.
He realized that Bai Yu’s reputation was never something he gave him, it was something Bai Yu inherently had. And to Bai Yu, he might even be a stain.
Staring at Bai Yu’s message, Cheng Lin cried again.
He was still so gentle.
But it was a gentle rejection.
He hid in his private room, desperately wanting Bai Yu to guide him again. But Bai Yu wouldn’t meet him anymore.
After sending the message, Bai Yu didn’t get a reply.
Lu Sheng had been watching the whole thing and stared at him coldly. “I thought you two had a falling-out. Didn’t expect you to still feel like comforting him.”
Bai Yu put his phone away and absentmindedly said, “Even if it’s just a dog you’ve raised for three years, you’d still feel something.”
Heh. Even a dog raised for three years gets some affection.
He’s liked Bai Yu for so many years, even came back to the country for him, and still didn’t get any better treatment.
Lu Sheng’s face darkened. “I’m still hungry.”
Bai Yu looked at him strangely. “If you’re hungry, go downstairs and get something. Why tell me?”
See? Bai Yu is nice to everyone, just especially awful to him.
Lu Sheng said coldly, “Come with me.”
Under Lu Sheng’s insistence, Bai Yu accompanied him downstairs.
Everyone else was gone. The whole base was quiet. Thinking that Lu Sheng at least contributed to the win today, Bai Yu patiently made him a cup of instant noodles. “This stuff just fills your stomach, there’s no real nutrition.”
Lu Sheng wasn’t hungry at first, but the smell made his stomach growl for real.
He lowered his head and ate in big mouthfuls. Bai Yu sat across from him, also not idle, he was watching a recent IKG match on his phone and commented, “IKG is still so solid. They’ve kept the same roster for three years. Even with two Korean imports, they have zero communication issues. Really enviable.”
Lu Sheng wanted to say there was no need to envy anyone, he could do the same. But thinking of his own play today, he suddenly stayed silent.
He admitted it. He had a weakness.
Bai Yu was right not to pick him back then. He really wasn’t as good as Lin Kun.
The more Lu Sheng thought about it, the angrier he got. He finished the cup noodles in just a few bites, even downed the soup. Then he sat nearby, watching Bai Yu.
Bai Yu only watched a short clip, but was surprised Lu Sheng had even finished the soup. He hesitated. “Want another?”
Lu Sheng shook his head, cleaned up, then sat back down to continue watching the match with him.
Bai Yu had a faint scent of calendula body wash. Under the light, his expression looked hazy and soft, almost like he was glowing.
When the match ended, Bai Yu suddenly asked, “What do you think of Ara’s performance today?”
Ara was IKG’s mid-laner, also a Korean import who’d been in the LPL for three years. His Chinese was already quite good.
Lu Sheng froze. He suddenly realized he had been watching the whole time but didn’t even know who IKG’s opponent was.
But as long as he didn’t show it, no one would notice.
He kept a straight face and replied calmly, “Not bad.”
Bai Yu gave him a strange look. His expression turned subtle, then he smiled without saying anything and put away his phone. “Let’s go. Time to sleep.”
He turned off the base lights. Bai Yu walked ahead, Lu Sheng followed behind. Neither said a word.
At the corridor, Bai Yu stopped and told him, “Good night.”
Lu Sheng nodded, watched him go into his room, and stood in place for a while. Only when he started to feel the chill did he open his door and go in.
The notebook Bai Yu gave him was still on the table. He reached for it and instantly recognized which parts were written by Bai Yu.
He used a blue pen. The handwriting was a little round, not sharp at all. On the part where Song Bo drew a conclusion, Bai Yu had underlined it with a wavy line and annotated: No need to follow this, his take is too narrow. Still hasn’t seen enough major games.
Lu Sheng smiled and kept flipping.
His eyes automatically filtered out Song Bo’s writing and only followed Bai Yu’s notes. In his mind, he could even imagine Bai Yu’s expressions and gestures when writing each part. Before he knew it, he finished reading and still wanted more.
It was really nice to be Bai Yu’s teammate, live in the room next door, and just turn his head to see him every day.
Things he never dared to dream of had all come true.
Turns out people really do need dreams.
Lu Sheng lay on the bed and suddenly remembered the match Bai Yu asked about. He took out his phone, looked it up, and skimmed through it.
Then he saw that Ara had gone up against TIN’s Qu Xiangtian and had been solo killed twice. It was basically a one-sided beatdown.
Just now Bai Yu asked him how Ara played, and he casually said: “Not bad.”
“…"
Not bad, my ass.
No wonder Bai Yu gave him that look...
—
The next morning, Lu Sheng overslept. When he went downstairs, his teammates were already training. Bai Yu was discussing team fights with Qi Yi. When he saw Lu Sheng, he paused slightly, like something funny had just crossed his mind. His eyes even sparkled with amusement.
Lu Sheng hurriedly threw on his jacket and pretended not to notice.
As long as he wasn’t embarrassed, no one would know he was embarrassed.
The morning was individual practice. The afternoon was a scheduled scrim. Bai Yu gave them a new mid-jungle combo to work on, and sure enough, they lost miserably.
During post-match review, Bai Yu stared at the screen. “Still missing something.”
Fang Zhixu leaned over. “What’s missing?”
Bai Yu said concisely, “Trust. You two still don’t fully trust each other.”
Fang Zhixu froze and sensed something bad. Before he could sneak away, Bai Yu said, “From now on, I’ll do a trust survey for you every afternoon. Since there’s time today, let’s start now.”
Lu Sheng: "....."
He must’ve offended someone today.
The so-called trust evaluation meant Bai Yu would give multiple-choice options, and the two of them would each give their answers, then he’d calculate their trust score.
In the meeting room, Fang Zhixu scooted his chair and sat properly. “Captain, I’m ready~”
Bai Yu looked at Lu Sheng. He gave a noncommittal “Mm,” looking rather unhappy, but Bai Yu ignored him.
“Okay, I’ll ask the questions now. Watch the video. Question: At mid lane, your Flash just got forced out at level 3. What’s your next move?
A. Mid plays safe, jungle rotates to other lanes.
B. Mid baits aggression, jungle waits to countergank.”
Fang Zhixu: “A.”
Lu Sheng: “B.”
The two glanced at each other. Lu Sheng’s face darkened. “I’ve lost Flash. Their mid will definitely play aggressively. Why not countergank?”
Fang Zhixu had his reasoning. “They probably wouldn’t dare overextend in front of you. Their jungler will likely try to come back too. I think it’s better to play safe.”
Lu Sheng frowned. “You think I’m scared of them?”
Fang Zhixu disagreed. “But tempo is more important than kills...”
Just as they hadn’t even started the game but were about to get into a real argument, Bai Yu quickly interrupted.
“Alright, next question. Watch the video. Enemy mid still has Flash and is low HP under tower. There’s a chance the jungler is nearby, waiting to countergank. If you have the skills to instantly kill mid, do you go for it or not?
A. Go for it.
B. Don’t.”
The two didn’t answer right away. They exchanged a glance.
Lu Sheng: “B.”
Fang Zhixu: “A.”
Lu Sheng said coldly, “Weren’t you supposed to pick B?”
Fang Zhixu: “I thought you’d pick A...”
Bai Yu felt a headache coming on. He put down the trust evaluation sheet and decided to spare them both. “That’s it for today. Whether to go in or not, talk it over yourselves.”
He packed up and left the room, but even as he reached the door, he could still hear their voices.
“Fang Zhixu, I told you before. Follow your tempo, follow my timings. You didn’t even commit with me that fight.”
“But the chance of a kill was less than 50%, right? It was too risky.”
“You think I only had a 50% chance? That’s what you believe. Don’t project your limitations onto me...”
Bai Yu turned around at the door. “Want me to queue a 1v1 for you two?”
They both immediately shut up.
Fang Zhixu was slick, never willing to take a loss up front. He gave a fawning smile. “Captain, I’m going back to training.”
Then he tiptoed out.
Only Lu Sheng remained, more stubborn than a rock.
He looked at Bai Yu. Before Bai Yu could say anything, he snapped, “Got it.”
Bai Yu: "...."
You say ‘got it’ every day but what exactly did you get?
Back in the training room, Chen Shi’an noticed Bai Yu’s sour mood and walked over with a cup of coffee. “How did the trust evaluation go?”
Bai Yu let out a dry laugh. “Might as well have evaluated the air.”
Chen Shi’an’s expression grew subtly amused. It really had been a while since he’d seen Bai Yu this mad. In a way, Lu Sheng was quite something.
Bai Yu’s anger wasn’t an explosive kind. it was more like a deep-sea torpedo, sinking slowly until no one knew when it might detonate.
Qi Yi, who was naturally timid, quickly threw on his headset and focused on training. Even the usually laid-back Xu Bo sat up straighter.
The tension in the training room was palpable. No one dared to speak.
Just then, Song Bo came running in, holding a notebook. “Captain Yu, I finished the draft for our lineup prediction against SG tomorrow.”
Bai Yu’s expression eased a little. “Let me see.”
He hadn’t expected to face SG so soon. He was quite curious how they’d plan to deal with him.