Lu Sheng queued up for a solo ranked match, as he usually did, playing two games to keep his mechanics sharp.
Next to him, Chen Shi’an was running drills in the training camp. As he played, he began glancing over at Lu Sheng’s screen with a faint smile on his face, which gradually made Lu Sheng uneasy.
Lu Sheng turned to stare at him and asked directly, “Do you want something?”
Chen Shi’an leaned back in his chair, his expression calm and composed. “Nothing in particular. I’m just a little curious. You play really well, so I don’t quite understand why Bai Yu isn’t entirely satisfied with you.”
Lu Sheng’s hands froze for a brief moment. “What do you mean by that?”
Chen Shi’an smiled, his tone light. “Oh, it’s just something that came up when I was talking to him yesterday. He has this really skilled friend who mentioned that your playstyle has certain limitations. Bai Yu has been thinking about how to address that.”
Lu Sheng found the comment completely unfamiliar. After competing in North America for three years, all he had ever received were compliments. No one had ever told him that his gameplay had any significant flaws.
Suddenly, he recalled Bai Yu’s behavior the day before. Bai Yu had been cold, not just in a disinterested way, but in a manner that felt deliberate and calculated. It was as though he had been purposefully keeping Lu Sheng at arm’s length.
So this was the reason. Someone must have said something.
Lu Sheng began to lose focus. What had initially been a smooth match quickly became increasingly difficult.
He had assumed Chen Shi’an would continue pushing the topic, but surprisingly, Chen Shi’an returned to his own game without another word, leaving Lu Sheng to spiral on his own. Unable to suppress the urge, Lu Sheng finally asked, “What exactly did his friend say? What’s wrong with my playstyle?”
Chen Shi’an finished his in-game operation and responded slowly, as if there was no rush at all. “He didn’t say much. It probably wasn’t anything serious, just a casual remark.”
After a brief pause, Chen Shi’an glanced over at him with a thoughtful expression. “But aren’t you curious about who this friend is? I thought you’d at least want to know that.”
Lu Sheng genuinely did not care who Bai Yu’s friend was. That part did not concern him. What he truly wanted to know was what had been said that caused Bai Yu to suddenly become distant and cold.
The more he tried to concentrate on his gameplay, the worse his performance became. His actions were starting to feel forced and unnatural.
Their team had not been in a great position to begin with. They were relying almost entirely on Lu Sheng’s farmed-up advantage to carry the tempo of the game. However, after two consecutive errors in judgment, the match slipped completely out of their control.
Lu Sheng’s frown deepened as Chen Shi’an’s earlier words replayed in his mind.
Ordinarily, Lu Sheng was not the kind of person who second-guessed himself or suffered from internal conflict. But when it came to Bai Yu, things were different. Bai Yu was the type of player whose influence could shift the entire competitive landscape. Every word he spoke had the potential to determine a player’s future trajectory.
Lu Sheng’s actions became increasingly tense. During the most critical team fight, he overextended in an attempt to make a decisive play. That single misstep triggered a chain reaction. Their team was wiped out entirely, and they lost the game.
He remained seated in front of the computer for a long time, his expression unreadable, as if no one could guess what was going through his mind.
Then something occurred to him. He checked the time and saw that the mall had already opened. He remembered that he still needed to buy a cup for Bai Yu. That thought finally prompted him to stand up.
Chen Shi’an observed him with a look of quiet contemplation before speaking. “Heading out? I was hoping to talk a bit more.”
Lu Sheng shut down his computer. “No time. I need to go buy something.”
Chen Shi’an seemed to have anticipated his response. He smiled slightly and said, “Perfect timing. I need to pick something up too. There’s a mall nearby that has a pretty good selection. Bai Yu actually bought a cup there once. Want to go together? I’ll drive. No point staying bored at the base.”
Lu Sheng had not planned to go with him. He had already walked to the doorway. But when he heard that Bai Yu had purchased a cup there, he abruptly stopped in his tracks. “Alright.”
They arrived at the mall, and Chen Shi’an went to park the car.
Lu Sheng had no idea which store Bai Yu had visited, so he stood outside and waited for Chen Shi’an to lead the way.
As they walked through the mall, Chen Shi’an suddenly said, “Oh, there’s one more thing I forgot to mention. Bai Yu’s friend is apparently interested in coming to our base as a coach.”
Lu Sheng already had a bad impression of this so-called friend. From the moment he heard about him, he had assumed the person had spoken poorly of him to Bai Yu. “Don’t we already have a coach? Why do we need another one?”
Chen Shi’an answered casually. “Maybe they’re planning to build a full coaching team. If we want to go to Worlds, one coach won’t be enough. But I’m not sure yet. That guy really wants to come, but Bai Yu hasn’t agreed. He said he wants to see how the scrims go first. If the results aren’t good, he might consider bringing him in.”
Lu Sheng had developed a bit of trauma from scrims. Even though his performance at Worlds had been outstanding, he could never seem to find his rhythm during training matches.
It seemed inevitable now. That coach was probably going to join them.
Lu Sheng clicked his tongue in annoyance. He did not take the coach seriously but was still preoccupied with the cup. “Where do we buy it?”
Chen Shi’an suddenly stopped walking. “Ah, we passed the store.”
He turned around and led Lu Sheng back in the direction they came from.
They arrived at a home goods store filled with an overwhelming variety of cups. Lu Sheng stood in front of the shelves for a long time, unsure of Bai Yu’s preferences and quietly scanning each design.
Behind him, Chen Shi’an took a photo of the display and sent it to Bai Yu with the message: Pick one you like.
Bai Yu replied quickly: Are you buying me a cup?
Chen Shi’an responded: Not me. Lu Sheng wants to buy you one. Pick your favorite.
Bai Yu circled one in the photo.
Chen Shi’an replied with a smiley face emoji: When he gives it to you, don’t let it slip. Make sure to act happy.
Bai Yu replied: I feel like I could join a professional acting competition at this point.
Chen Shi’an: I’d definitely vote for you.
Putting his phone away, Chen Shi’an bent down and nonchalantly picked up the cup Bai Yu had chosen earlier. “Looks like something Bai Yu would like.”
Lu Sheng noticed the cup in his hand. It was simple, adorned only with two small blue flowers, exactly the kind of minimalist style Bai Yu would favor.
He had already selected two cups, but now that he had seen the one in Chen Shi’an’s hand, the ones he picked no longer looked appealing. Unfortunately, each cup in the store was handmade and one of a kind. “Would you mind letting me have that one?”
Chen Shi’an was generous and handed it over without hesitation. With a smile on his lips, he said, “Honestly, between you and Lin Kun, I prefer you a little more.”
Lu Sheng had no desire to hear that name. He ignored the comment and headed to the register to check out.
Chen Shi’an stood beside him, looking elsewhere but clearly speaking to him. “Lin Kun is one of those rare players. Strong mechanics, solid macro. A genuinely talented guy. Aside from Bai Yu, I’ve never seen another player quite like him. No wonder, back when we had our five-man squad, the only one Bai Yu ever acknowledged was Lin Kun.”
Lu Sheng had zero interest in listening to Lin Kun’s heroic tales. All he wanted was to finish checking out, but the line moved unbearably slow.
Chen Shi’an showed no signs of stopping. His voice was calm and measured, perfectly audible. “But that guy had a lot of issues too. Offstage, he never interacted with us. He did everything his own way, completely self-centered. The only person he ever really spoke to was Bai Yu. Though I suspect even Bai Yu got tired of him sometimes.”
That caught Lu Sheng’s attention. “How so?”
Chen Shi’an paused to think. “Probably because Lin Kun was disobedient. I remember there was a situation where they were considering a new coach. Lin Kun didn’t get along with the guy, but Bai Yu was close with him. In fact, it was Bai Yu who had recommended him. Lin Kun refused to accept it, so the whole plan was dropped. After that, Bai Yu barely spoke to Lin Kun. The biggest fight they ever had was over a match strategy. Lin Kun refused to follow Bai Yu’s approach, they lost, and the two of them got into a massive argument. After that, Bai Yu washed his hands of him. Later, Lin Kun even switched to SG just because he didn’t want to stay at TG anymore.”
The story made Lu Sheng increasingly uneasy. Thankfully, since joining the team, he had always been obedient and had never once upset Bai Yu.
If this coach really was coming, then he could not afford to show any dissatisfaction. Otherwise, Bai Yu would think he was immature and start to dislike him.
Eventually, it was Lu Sheng’s turn at the register. He paid, while Chen Shi’an picked up a few daily items. They returned to the base together.
After getting out of the car, Lu Sheng suddenly realized that everything Chen Shi’an had said was likely intended as a warning not to make any missteps. He turned to him and said, “Thanks.”
The smile on Chen Shi’an’s face grew wider. “No need to thank me. I was going anyway. Taking you along was just convenient.”
Lu Sheng opened his mouth as if to say that wasn’t the reason, but then decided it was unnecessary and said nothing more as he headed inside.
After he left, Chen Shi’an sent a smiley face emoji to Bai Yu: Mission accomplished.
Bai Yu replied instantly: That fast? What exactly did you tell him? How did you convince him?
Chen Shi’an smiled and replied: Just told him the truth. I only adjusted the wording a little.
Bai Yu could not for the life of him figure out how Chen Shi’an had managed to convince Lu Sheng. He was actually willing to accept Lin Kun coming in as a coach?
He opened his chat with Lu Sheng, eager to ask, but held himself back. Now was not the right time.
Just then, Lu Sheng sent him a photo of the cup with the message: Do you like this one?
Bai Yu opened the image. It was exactly the one he had chosen earlier. The more he looked at it, the more baffling it felt. Lu Sheng had gone out to buy him this cup after learning that Lin Kun might join the team as a coach?
Following Chen Shi’an’s suggestion, he replied: I really like it. Is it for me?
Lu Sheng responded: Yeah. I thought it looked nice, so I bought it. Are you coming back tomorrow? I’ll give it to you then.
Bai Yu had originally planned to return the day after tomorrow, but now he was too curious about what had happened. He could not wait any longer and replied: I’ll be back tomorrow morning.
When Lu Sheng received the reply, he could not help but smile. He carefully placed the cup into the safest compartment of his backpack. Then he opened his training software, determined to train until midnight. Since Lin Kun was coming, he had to ensure that his performance left no room for doubt.
At the same time, Chen Shi’an leaned against the window in the base hallway, looking toward the lit training room. He sent one last message to Bai Yu: Remember to bring back some local specialties tomorrow. Just say they’re for the whole team. Sometimes, a little sweetness helps things go more smoothly.
Bai Yu stared at the message and suddenly realized the brilliance behind Chen Shi’an’s approach. Instead of forcing Lu Sheng to accept the situation, he had made him choose to grow into a more mature player. Staring out into the night of his hometown, Bai Yu felt a rare sense of anticipation for the changes that lay ahead.
Lu Sheng’s heart skipped a beat the moment he received the message.
If Bai Yu was coming back tomorrow morning, that would mean they would be the only two people at the base.
He quickly suppressed the thoughts swirling in his head and replied, “Got it.”
Bai Yu seemed so happy, which likely meant the cup he picked had hit the mark perfectly.
Lu Sheng put away his phone, and his steps upstairs became noticeably faster. He placed the cup in the safest possible spot, checked from different angles, and imagined what kind of expression Bai Yu might have when he saw it.
Just then, some sounds came from outside. He stepped out and saw Chen Shi’an dragging a suitcase. Chen glanced at him and explained, “My brother just got out of school. I’m heading home to have lunch with him.”
Lu Sheng gave a slight nod, then seemed to think of something and added, “Thanks.”
This time, the thanks was for the cup.
Chen Shi’an smiled, his eyes narrowing in amusement. His voice was calm and measured. “No need to thank me. It’s something I should have done.”
Something about it felt off, but Lu Sheng could not quite put his finger on it and chose not to dwell on it.
Right now, his thoughts were entirely occupied by Bai Yu’s impending return. He went back to his room and carefully repositioned the cup, even readjusting its placement inside the box to make sure it looked just right.
His phone lit up in his pocket. It was a message from Chu Tianyou:
What the hell? You’re seriously not coming with me to check out the car? Did you really go on a date?
Lu Sheng thought, Tomorrow it’s just going to be me and Bai Yu at the base. If that’s not a date, what is?
He calmly replied: Yeah.
Chu Tianyou couldn’t hold it in anymore. He immediately called.
His voice exploded in Lu Sheng’s ear. “What the hell? You’re actually dating? And it’s with your teammate? Are you seriously coming out like this?”
Lu Sheng had just opened his mouth to ask how he knew, when he saw the photo Chu Tianyou had sent. It was a picture of him and Chen Shi’an picking out a cup in the store. Both of their faces were clearly visible.
Chu Tianyou’s voice roared through the phone. “My friend just sent it to me. I was wondering why you ditched me to go look at cars, and turns out you were telling the truth. You actually went on a date!”
Lu Sheng: “…Are you stupid?”