To some extent, neither side’s lineup had a clear advantage. The compositions were evenly matched, and the game progressed in a balanced manner. Later in the match, RAG’s top, mid, and jungle failed to make much of an impact. It all came down to Qi Yi’s sudden breakout performance.
Looking back at Qi Yi’s previous games, he came across as a rookie who had just debuted. Apart from his mechanical skills, he lacked in many areas and was easily manipulated.
He also had a fatal flaw: he didn’t trust his teammates. This often caused his life-saving skills to overlap with Bai Yu’s damage-blocking abilities, leading to ineffective positioning.
Tang Su, also an AD carry, knew exactly where the opponent’s weaknesses were. He did a lot of targeted training before the match and completely suppressed Qi Yi in the early game. At one point, he even thought he had Qi Yi completely under control and was ready to close it out.
But then, Qi Yi changed completely.
Every skill was blocked by Bai Yu. Whatever wasn’t blocked, Qi Yi dodged with perfect timing. The two of them moved as if they were one, perfectly in sync on when to move forward, when to retreat, when to deal damage. There was absolutely no opening to exploit.
Tang Su was grinding his teeth. He had thought that as long as he bypassed Bai Yu, Qi Yi wouldn’t be a threat. But his opponent was far stronger than he had imagined.
By the end, he pushed himself to the limit, and still couldn’t outplay them.
Damn it. Just how fast are this guy’s hands?
Why is he so much faster than me?
Tang Su was slamming his keyboard, but still couldn’t land the final hit. Qi Yi finished him off with a final auto, healed back, and continued to snowball, wiping out the entire team. Using the top lane wave, he charged straight into their base.
At that moment, WG’s earliest respawn timer was still at 5 seconds. Theoretically, if they killed Qi Yi instantly, there was still a chance to turn things around.
Everyone had their eyes on Qi Yi’s every move. He focused hard, kiting step by step. WG’s jungler had already respawned and instantly activated his ultimate, charging at Qi Yi. If it connected, Qi Yi was dead for sure.
But just before it landed, Qi Yi got off the final hit. Time seemed to freeze in that moment, and the Nexus slowly exploded.
The caster finally let out the most confident call of the night: “Let’s congratulate RAG for taking the win with a 2:1 score!”
The entire crowd went wild, and the arena erupted in cheers.
This match was packed with intensity. From the drafting phase to the in-game execution, everything was textbook perfection.
Qi Yi’s repeated clutch plays gave this match the perfect ending.
Looking back at RAG’s past matches, it was always about their mid lane or top-jungle synergy. Occasionally Bai Yu made a key impact, and even Xu Bo, despite his age, had his own highlight moments.
Only Qi Yi had never produced anything noteworthy.
Some even suspected that Qi Yi had only gotten on the team through connections. But after today’s match, everyone finally understood why Bai Yu chose him.
When top, mid, and jungle can’t carry, Qi Yi is RAG’s last line of defense.
【Ahhh my baby! You’re the strongest baby ever!】
【Damn, he actually instant-killed Tang Su mid-air!】
【How could someone this good be a nepotism pick? People really have nothing better to hate on.】
【Honestly, if Xu Bo had played this game, they probably would’ve lost.】
【Xu Bo is fine for occasional appearances, but his hands can’t keep up with this many teamfights.】
【Qi Yi’s hands are incredibly steady. Even at the end, when Tang Su was falling behind, Qi Yi maintained the highest mechanical output.】
【Bai Yu’s arrangement was spot-on. I was really worried he’d sub in Xu Bo, but he didn’t. As strong as Xu Bo is, age still matters. Mistakes are inevitable.】
【It’s clear now Bai Yu is grooming Qi Yi. He’s giving him every chance to play.】
【I thought I was the only one paying attention to baby Qi Yi.】
【Crying. I worry about him every day and argue with Xu Bo fans.】
【Ugh I’m randomly emotional. Our Xiao Yi is finally being seen.】
RAG ended up winning 2:1. Because this match had so much at stake, the post-game discussion stayed heated.
Dong-ge even did a full post-match analysis, breaking down every detail and confirming that Bai Yu’s planning was flawless from beginning to end. One misstep could’ve cost them the game. The resulting buzz pushed Bai Yu to god-tier status and took Qi Yi with him, landing them both on multiple trending topics.
But at the moment, Bai Yu had no idea.
He was in the hallway bargaining with Qi Yi. “Just go to the interview, I already talked to the staff, they won’t make it hard for you. Fans need to see you, or they’ll think the whole team is bullying you. Once you’re back, you can make whatever demands you want, okay?”
Qi Yi shook his head like a rattle drum and tried to sneak into the lounge, blending in with his teammates.
Bai Yu dragged him out, and he ran again.
After several rounds, the staff couldn’t help but urge them.
Even Chen Shi’an couldn’t help but laugh. “Looks like even our captain has things he can’t handle.”
Bai Yu was honestly ready to give up, but then something occurred to him and he firmly said, “No, he has to go.”
He walked over, pressed down on Qi Yi’s backpack, and looked at him with a slight edge. “A disobedient AD will be traded away.”
Qi Yi’s eyes immediately turned wary. After a long mental struggle, he finally relented. “Then… can I just say a few words?”
Bai Yu smiled. “Sure.”
In the end, Qi Yi followed the staff away. The live feed in the lounge quickly switched to the interview, and the rest of the team, curious as well, gathered around to watch.
The host was cheerful and lively, steering the topic expertly.
Next to her, Qi Yi looked like a little wolf cub just out of the den, wary eyes, a serious face. Even taking the mic from her, he had to observe carefully before reaching out.
Then came a long silence. So long the host’s smile started to turn awkward. Thinking he didn’t hear the question, she repeated it, “That teamfight just now, when Lissandra flashed and ulted you, and Kai’Sa flew in to burst you down, you and Captain Bai had a beautiful combo under intense pressure. Was that something you had coordinated beforehand?”
It was obvious Qi Yi didn’t want to answer. He pursed his lips, but under pressure, still took the mic and said, “I wasn’t thinking about anything. Bai Yu told me not to run, so I stayed and fought.”
The host’s eyes widened. “So there was no communication, it was just instinct?”
Qi Yi gave a soft “Mm.”
The crowd was stunned. They couldn’t believe it.
Instinct? No, it was trust. Absolute trust in Bai Yu.
Any other AD in that moment would’ve immediately flashed out and repositioned. But he trusted Bai Yu enough to believe he could keep him safe?
The host asked a few more questions. Some of them were related to strategy and couldn’t really be answered, but Qi Yi didn’t realize. Halfway through his answer, he suddenly remembered and scrambled to switch to rehearsed lines. As a result, his replies made no sense.
The crowd burst out laughing, and the host looked at him with nothing but warmth.
It was the first time everyone realized that Qi Yi’s voice was very soft and pleasant, like a kitten, with no aggression at all. It was a stark contrast to his appearance.
No one thought he was cold anymore. He actually seemed kind of cute.
【Wait, Qi Yi is actually soft inside?】
【Help, this contrast is too much. So cute.】
【I thought he was like Lu Sheng, the type who doesn’t talk to anyone.】
【He really doesn’t talk much, but he’s not the Lu Sheng type.】
【Lu Sheng looks like he could destroy the world. Qi Yi looks like the world could destroy him.】
【This makes me want to bully him a little.】
【LMAO what’s wrong with us…】
【My heart is melting.】
After the interview, Qi Yi literally ran back into the lounge.
As soon as he entered, he felt the stares. Chen Shi’an was smiling, Fang Zhixu’s eyes were wide like he’d never seen him before, and Xu Bo, arms crossed, tried to act cool, but the corners of his mouth still lifted. “Tch, getting that nervous over an interview? How are you going to make it in this industry?”
Qi Yi ignored him and hurried to pack his things.
But Bai Yu stood up for him, smacking Xu Bo. “Xu Yibo, you’re just a sub. Why are you talking so much?”
Everyone laughed and then eagerly dove into choosing dinner. After such a long match, they were starving.
They ended up picking the most expensive option.
Xu Bo practically tried to eat his money’s worth, grumbling while piling food. “This is it? I’d rather have roadside hot pot.”
Chen Shi’an elegantly held his tray. “Then go. We’ll eat without you.”
Qi Yi wasn’t into seafood, just had two bowls of fried rice. Bai Yu was similar, though he added some meat. Both of them were just solid eaters. Fang Zhixu, with his sweet tooth, went back to the ice cream station three times. Song Bo was still shy and restrained. Zhou Xunwen was on the phone, too busy bragging to eat.
Bai Yu glanced around. For a 499-yuan seafood buffet, only Xu Bo truly got his money’s worth. Total waste. He decided never to bring them to buffets again.
But he did appreciate that Fang Zhixu brought him food proactively. He smiled and nodded at him. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Sheng leaning on the couch, coldly watching them. Clearly, he’d been annoyed with Fang Zhixu for a while.
Bai Yu coughed. “I want some grilled meat.” Fang Zhixu immediately volunteered to get it.
Once everyone looked away, Bai Yu quietly gave all the peeled shrimp to Lu Sheng. “You worked hard today. Eat up.”
Lu Sheng finally stopped frowning and raised an eyebrow. “So they were for me.”
Bai Yu wanted to say no. He just liked peeling all the shrimp at once so he didn’t have to wear gloves repeatedly. But seeing how happy Lu Sheng was, he kept quiet.
After eating, they were close enough to the base to walk. Bai Yu casually mentioned it, which triggered a chain reaction. Everyone insisted on walking back with him. The bus left with a lonely driver, Zhou Xunwen caught a cab for errands, staff clocked out, Song Bo headed home, and in the end, only Bai Yu and his teammates were left walking down the quiet street.
Every time he passed this stretch, Bai Yu remembered the day Qi Yi ran to the base. Back then, they didn’t even have a door. Now they did. He sighed. “Keep playing well. We’ve knocked IKG down in the rankings. If we can win even one point in the next two matches, we’ll make top two.”
Now that they’d beaten WG, IKG couldn’t catch up. Everyone suddenly realized this and started chatting excitedly, analyzing the final teamfight again. Qi Yi walked beside Bai Yu, feeling much safer, slowly relaxing.
The others walked ahead, still talking about that clutch moment. But Qi Yi hadn’t felt it was that close at the time. Bai Yu’s calm voice had steadied his hand.
That method really worked for him. Which was why he didn’t understand: why had Bai Yu forced him to turn on all his teammates’ voice channels when he first joined?
He looked at Bai Yu beside him and gathered the courage to ask, “Earlier, when you told me to mute the others, your commands were clear and I wasn’t as nervous. That worked really well. So why did you make me turn everyone’s mic on before?”
Bai Yu looked surprised that he asked. Then he smiled. “You really want to know?”
Qi Yi nodded seriously, a little nervous. But Bai Yu’s expression was gentle. He glanced at the chattering Xu Bo ahead and said with a smile, “Actually, I first used that method on Xu Bo. Back then, the team was in a really tough spot. Our points were locked down by other teams, and we had to break through to make it to Worlds. I didn’t have time to let him slowly adjust, so I used this extreme method. It worked. He synced up with me perfectly in a very short time. But…”
His tone cooled. “It also destroyed the later version of Xu Bo.”
Bai Yu’s smile faded completely. A hint of regret appeared in his eyes. “Xu Bo back then was a very good player. Gifted, fast learner. But geniuses are always rebellious. I couldn’t coach him. And time was running out, so I had no choice but to use that method.”
He took a deep breath, like a sigh. “I had him mute his teammates so he’d only hear me. Had him follow my steps so he’d only see my thoughts. That habit got him the industry’s highest honor, but he developed a dependency. He gave up independent thinking. So after I left, he could never adapt to another support.”
Qi Yi felt a wave of fear listening to this. He had never thought about the aftermath when hearing Bai Yu’s steady and reassuring voice. But now it seemed terrifyingly controlling.
As an AD himself, he could understand. The idea of finding out you couldn’t play without someone after achieving success was horrifying. Xu Bo must have resented Bai Yu.
But when Bai Yu was in trouble, Xu Bo still reached out to help him without hesitation. If it were him, he wasn’t sure he could’ve done the same.
Qi Yi suddenly straightened up. His view of Xu Bo had completely changed. The guy who was always loud and carefree had never once dwelled on the past.
But his question remained: why not use that method on him?
Suddenly, Qi Yi realized. He turned to Bai Yu, eyes wide with shock. “So…”
Bai Yu looked at him and smiled. “So I wasn’t willing to use that method on you. No matter how hard it is, I had to help you fix it. You’re still young. You can’t go down that path. Your career is just beginning. You’ll need to adapt to other supports.”
Qi Yi’s nose suddenly felt sore. He didn’t know how to respond. He forced out a firm “Mm” to hold it together, but his emotions still slipped through.
Xu Bo, noticing something was off, came over and whispered to Bai Yu, “Did he get scared and cry?”
Bai Yu flicked his forehead. “He’s not that fragile. He just looks that way.”
Qi Yi really did just look fragile. But when his life was on the line, he always unleashed incredible strength, saving himself time and again.