Chapter 7

Ning Nanzhou certainly had no intention of competing with a top streamer over the quantity of potions. His gaze was locked on a line of fine print at the bottom of the page:

"To encourage the use of our new hero, the Magician, any player who achieves a one-hundred-game winning streak with the Magician will be declared an automatic winner. Starry Sky TV reserves the right of final interpretation for this event!"

A new hero?

Yesterday, after meeting Chi Yu, his mind had been filled with nothing but romantic daydreams, and he had completely forgotten to check the game updates.

Ning Nanzhou quickly logged into the client. The black game interface immediately popped up several pages of update announcements.

*Advent*, the game he played, updated every season. The changes to the top-lane role were always the same old story—sacrificing oneself to serve the team—so he skipped straight to the page introducing the new hero.

A character wearing a black hood appeared before him. The wide brim obscured half of his face, his white hair fluttered in the wind, and a slender staff pulsed with dark light. The character spoke in a voice of unadulterated arrogance:

"One day, I shall ascend to the throne of gods."

Quite bold.

Ning Nanzhou was immediately intrigued. He right-clicked to view the detailed profile.

The character was a typical mage hero. His health pool was pitifully low—the lowest among all heroes—but he could expend mana to create shadow clones.

He used his saved gold coins to purchase the hero and started his first match.

Time ticked by, second by second. He lost track of how many games he had played, his eyelids growing heavy. But the thought of being able to give Chi Yu a gift felt like inching closer to the light. He got up, splashed his face with water in the bathroom, and, once refreshed, continued playing.

In the morning, the dormitory door opened. Xu Ye, who had been out carousing, saw him and cursed, "You haven't slept all night? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

With Xu Ye looming over him as if ready to pull the power cord if he didn't sleep, Ning Nanzhou had no choice but to lie down. When he woke up, his phone was ringing.

At the FKW base, Song Mingjie was discussing the version update with the team members who had just returned from their break.

"All the popular supports have been nerfed. How am I supposed to survive?! Why did they release a new mage hero? Do supports not have the right to breathe?" A freckled boy held his phone in agony.

"Xiao Qiao, do you really think that new hero is easy to play? NVI has already rated him as the most difficult hero in the game," the mid-laner, Yu Jin'an, said, unceremoniously patting Xiao Qiao’s head. "If you spent the time you waste on match-three games training instead, would you be worried about not mastering the meta heroes?"

"Are you in any position to talk?" Xiao Qiao retorted, indignant. "You hang around the neighboring team every single day; their captain even came looking for you."

Chi Yu calmly put down his phone. "Don't you want to have hot pot after training?"

The two who had been trading barbs instantly fell silent. Song Mingjie took the opportunity to ask, "Captain Chi, what’s your take on the new version?"

Chi Yu replied promptly, "For the first time in five years, the importance of the top-side vanguard has been increased. I’m afraid the tides are turning this season."

That was exactly what Song Mingjie wanted to hear. Suppressing his excitement, he said, "Other teams have never prioritized training their top-laners. They’re going to be blindsided by this top-lane-centric version, unlike us, with our Qin."

He had been about to say that winning consecutive championships would be a breeze, but he feared the team would become too arrogant.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Qiao asked in confusion, "Wait, Brother Song, you didn't know Qin Yong is going to SWL?"

"How could you possibly know that?!" Manager Song was dumbfounded.

It wouldn't have been strange for the others to know before him, as teammates often knew more, but why did Xiao Qiao, who spent all day clutching his chips and playing match-three games, know about it first?!

He fell into a deep crisis of self-doubt regarding his professional competence.

Xiao Qiao looked at him as if the answer were obvious. "After the match, he asked me if I wanted to go to SWL. Why would anyone suddenly ask about that, unless the SWL canteen was so terrible that he had to ask, or maybe they offered him a high price?"

"Also, I saw him whispering with Qi Yu. After they talked, Qi Yu ate two extra bowls of rice. I reckon he invited Qi Yu to join as well."

Song Mingjie recalled how the two had been evasive when discussing their contract renewals, and he found himself believing 90 percent of what Xiao Qiao said.

However, how did Xiao Qiao manage to reach the correct conclusion through completely incorrect reasoning?!

What did the quality of the SWL canteen have to do with a high salary? And what did Qi Yu eating two extra bowls of rice have to do with joining another team?

Nevertheless, he was in no mood to interrogate him. Two out of five players were leaving, one of whom was their best hope for the championship this season. Was his team going to fail to qualify for the World Championship?!

Song Mingjie watched as the perpetually calm Chi Yu stood up and walked out; he assumed he, too, could not bear the blow.

—

Ning Nanzhou received a message from Chi Yu about picking out wedding attire and set aside his event to head to the shop.

He arrived at the wedding boutique following the address. He had expected a standard store, but it turned out to be the most expensive one in the city.

When he arrived, the other man was already there, wearing a sharp-lined shirt. The fabric stretched over the contours of his frame, and his long black hair hung behind his shoulders, making him appear gentle yet distant.

A professional, sharp-eyed clerk greeted them with a beaming smile. "You must be Mr. Ning. We have prepared various styles of wedding attire. Which one would you prefer?"

Ning Nanzhou looked at the dazzling array of outfits, unsure of what to choose.

The clerk’s introduction became even more enthusiastic. "How about this beige single-breasted suit? The waist might be a bit large for you, but all our menswear is custom-tailored by hand in Italy. Once you choose the style, there's no need to worry about the size."

"The khaki flat-front one is also quite nice; the color is very elegant and would suit your temperament well." The clerk brought out another piece. "If you don't like light colors, we have a black one here as well."

Having pulled an all-nighter for the event, Ning Nanzhou’s mind was a blank slate. Chi Yu spoke gently, "If you aren't satisfied, we can go to the next shop."

The clerk hurried to intervene. "It's very difficult to choose for yourself. I struggle with buying clothes too. Why don't you let your partner help you pick?"

Chi Yu slowly appraised the young man, his voice lower than usual. "How about white?"

Perhaps because he hadn't rested well the night before, the young man had dark circles under his eyes. Upon hearing this, he nodded obediently.

"Then... would you help me pick one?"

The request seemed to put the other person in a difficult position. The boy hesitated for a long time before choosing a dark-colored suit. "Is this one okay?"

Chi Yu didn't actually like wearing clothes in that color, but since it was chosen by the other, he simply said, "Fine."

It was already afternoon by the time they finished. As they walked out of the shop, the boy seemed very sleepy, his silver bangs shadowing his eyes, making him look like a long-tailed tit struggling to keep its eyes open. Chi Yu reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair.

However, the moment his hand made contact, the boy recoiled as if electrocuted, clearly avoiding his proximity. "I’m heading back to school now."

Chi Yu was not a man who liked to force things. He withdrew his hand and said calmly, "I'll take you back."

He simply stared at the visibly relieved boy, wondering with curiosity: If the other party was marrying him for academic credits, did he know that a divorce certificate could also earn him credits?