Chapter 20

After Yang Ji left, the silver-haired youth quietly put on the necklace engraved with Chi Yu’s name.

He continued organizing the team’s data and finished in less than two hours, casually compiling the players’ personal profiles.

Arrival is a real-time strategy game that demands players react swiftly; victory can hinge on just a second or two. Instinct plays a crucial role.

One’s experience and awareness can change, but instinct is hard to alter. Just as biological traits are controlled by genetics, one can predict a player’s behavior patterns through this.

After finishing, he walked out of the analysis department with some snacks and saw Chi Yu still training.

Not wanting to disturb him, he paused and started to walk away, but was stopped after only a few steps by Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao seemed to have just finished exercising, sweat glistening on his forehead, wearing the black FKW team jacket tied around his waist. He pulled him inside: “Sis, why are you just standing outside? If you want to watch, come in.”

Without a word, Xiao Qiao fetched a chair, and he had no choice but to sit next to Chi Yu.

Worried Ning Nanzhou might not understand the game, Xiao Qiao enthusiastically explained, “The game we’re playing is called Arrival. Five players push to destroy the opponent’s crystal to win. The crystal’s that white, shiny thing that drops liquid when hit. The captain plays the jungler position, which means…”

Xiao Qiao had never thought he’d have to explain such a basic concept and got stuck for a moment: “If you play badly, you’re treated like a dog; if you play well, you’re treated like a king.”

Chi Yu asked lightly, “You finished the world server?”

Xiao Qiao inwardly panicked. He had been busy queuing for ranked matches in the South national server and almost forgot about the world server.

He reluctantly returned to his seat. “Arrival’s really fun. Sis, if you want to play, I’ll teach you.”

Ning Nanzhou obediently nodded, but the man beside him suddenly said, “He won’t teach you.”

He didn’t understand what that meant. Chi Yu wasn’t the type to embarrass someone in public—maybe they were close?

He quietly sat on the chair, watching Chi Yu play the game up close for the first time.

Chi Yu also wore the black team jacket, sleeves rolled up to reveal faint muscle lines on his forearms; when he exerted force, veins stood out visibly. It was a stark contrast to his usual gentle demeanor.

Suddenly, the scene felt familiar, as if when he was struggling to climb forward, it was this same powerful hand that had grabbed his waist and pulled him back.

He shook his head—no, that was when Chi Yu was drunk. The sober Chi Yu wasn’t like that.

Just fierce when playing games.

Today, Chi Yu seemed even more brutal than before—ignoring tactics, directly overwhelming the opponent. His terrifying score was zero kills and eighteen deaths.

He couldn’t help but praise him: “You’re amazing at this game.”

“You?” Chi Yu smiled faintly. “It’s time to call me husband.”

Ning Nanzhou’s ears flushed red. He immediately stood up from the chair. “I’ll go back first.”

Chi Yu wasn’t surprised by the youth’s reaction. Casually, he grabbed the boy’s cold, pale wrist. “Wait for me.”

—

Ning Nanzhou remembered the route from the club to school very clearly because he had been looking down at the ground the entire time.

Perhaps his neck was bent too low. Chi Yu caught sight of the necklace around his neck, and his gaze lingered on the youth’s snow-white, smooth throat before moving down to the collar.

Even if no one else was paying attention, he hid the necklace beneath his shirt, concealing the mark belonging to Chi Yu.

A slender hand lifted his collar, and a cold wind immediately swept in, chilling his skin. He distinctly felt fingertips, roughened by calluses, tracing inch by inch across his flesh.

Then the necklace was pulled out.

The wind’s sound suddenly stopped. Just as he thought Chi Yu was about to speak, Chi Yu looked at the passing students and asked, “Are you used to going to class?”

“Used to,” he instinctively replied. “There’s nothing else—I just read outside class.”

He almost said “play games” instead of “read.”

“Hm,” Chi Yu commented. “Good kid.”

Though he knew Chi Yu was teasing him, Ning Nanzhou’s face warmed at the word “kid.” After washing his face at the fountain, he returned to the dormitory, where Xu Ye immediately asked.

“Ning, who was the guy who walked you home? Why were you two standing downstairs for so long? Don’t tell me he’s your boyfriend?”

Seeing Xu Ye hadn’t seen Chi Yu’s face, he denied without hesitation: “Not my boyfriend.”

Because they were married.

Xu Ye visibly relaxed. “You scared me! I thought you, a forever straight guy, actually had a boyfriend. If you ever turn, consider me, okay?”

He curtly replied, “Get lost.”

Xu Ye wouldn’t give up easily. “With that face, you’d rock a dress and look like a little girl. Bet your legs are pretty white, too.”

“Keep talking if you want to live.”

Ning Nanzhou found Xu Ye inexplicably annoying and put on his headphones to start streaming.

Though he had already claimed first place in the event—a record for Starry Sky TV streamers—he hadn’t forgotten to call Chi Yu “dad.”

Nor had Qin Yong’s fans.

[Rank 21 in the national server and still not first.]

[Go get first place then.]

[His teammates have all left, how can he get first alone?]

He queued for ranked matches again.

Solo queue was indeed less efficient. Facing a coordinated team, winning three out of five matches meant points accumulated slowly. But that didn’t mean reaching first place was impossible.

He climbed from rank 28 to first in the national server.

Qin Yong’s fans, who had been boastful before, fell silent for a while. It wasn’t that solo queue couldn’t get first—it was simply that team play was more efficient. First place was only a matter of time.

[Isn’t the national server filled with cheaters? How did he get first?]

[Is the national server environment really like this???]

[Don’t ever tell me the national server environment is bad when he got first. Where are the cheaters? The gods? The haters?]

He simply repeated the message from that day’s chat: “He’s first in the national server? I call him dad.”

The white-haired youth leaned back, his elegant eyebrows raised. “Who’s first?”

[…]

[Which idiot said that?]

[So what if he’s first? Beat my brother then.]

Unlike Qin Yong’s fans who made a fuss, the manager of the Blue Flame team raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Yesterday, the team captain had already asked him to contact this streamer. Every team manager knew what it was like to suddenly be recommended a hidden gem.

It’s hard to judge skill online; pressure can distort play, and yesterday’s lineup was too strong—even if they put a dog in the top lane, they could win. So he hadn’t contacted the player immediately.

But the national server first was different.

Some joked that the value of being first in the national server might be even higher than world number one. You have to fight through a sea of gods and pray your teammates aren’t cheaters.

He immediately sent a message.

[Blue Flame Club] Hello, I’m the Blue Flame team manager. Are you interested in joining our team?

The reply came swiftly, as if practiced.

[South] Check my signature.

The manager read the signature line: “Playing professionally will only slow down my idol chasing.”

“……”

Unlike other managers who gave up when hope was slim, he created hope.

[Blue Flame Club] Haha, young people love chasing idols. Sometimes if you get tired of sweet things, you can try something spicy. What do you think of our captain Oliver? You played against him yesterday. Don’t mind his poor Chinese—he’s cool in matches.

[Blue Flame Club] The captain’s a bit older, but older guys are caring. He’s actually a year younger than Chi God.

[Blue Flame Club] Our mid laner’s good too—both salty and sweet, and more affectionate than Chi God.

Ning Nanzhou: ??? You even throw shade?

He expressionlessly declined. Just then, he received a reward notification from Starry Sky TV.

— Congratulations on achieving first place in the national server! In the coming week, you will receive site-wide promotion and limited edition FKW merchandise. Please provide your shipping address.

He paused at the mention of merchandise. Though he hadn’t agreed to Blue Flame, he recalled that the little jungler was also a Chi Yu fan and felt a bit awkward keeping everything for himself.

After some thought, he sent a message.

Chi Yu was in a meeting when he received it. After the meeting, he opened his phone.

[South] I have Chi God merchandise. Do you want some?