After returning to the team headquarters, Tong Yao and the others took a day off. No one streamed that day—not even Little Fatty and Old Cat, who usually streamed for several hours daily. It wasn’t because they were scared and trying to avoid the storm, but because Xiao Rui forbade them from going live.
"Right now, the internet is just waiting to tear into you guys. Why go looking for trouble?" Xiao Rui said. "Wait a couple of days until other teams finish their matches. Once they have new targets to focus on, then you can show your faces again."
(Other teams lying innocently: "…")
Taking advantage of this short break, the first and second teams swapped their positions back, and Tong Yao’s group moved back to the first floor. Though it was called "swapping," there wasn’t much to move—just mice, keyboards, cups, and some miscellaneous items. Meanwhile, Lu Sicheng sat on the sofa with his arms crossed, unmoving, frowning like a feudal landlord as he watched Tong Yao run up and down the stairs carrying a box.
When Little Fatty passed by Lu Sicheng while carrying his own box of snacks downstairs, he gave him a glance and said coolly, "Cheng Ge, what are you doing? Letting Tong Yao do all the work while you just sit there spacing out—where’s your gentlemanly demeanor?"
"Little Fatty, don’t provoke him. I told him to stay put—his hands hurt," Tong Yao’s voice called out from the second-floor railing. "Lu Sicheng, don’t you dare move. If you so much as twitch, you’re not touching me today."
Little Fatty: "…"
Exchanging a bewildered look with Little Fatty, Lu Sicheng raised his chin with an exasperated expression—See?
Tong Yao’s voice was loud enough for everyone in the headquarters to hear. Lu Yue snickered and handed his brother a bottle of medicinal liquor, then looked up and asked, "Not touching you? What kind of touching are we talking about here?"
Silence from upstairs for three seconds.
On the fourth second, Tong Yao threw a slipper down in response.
The cotton slipper was light, and Lu Yue caught it easily. Glancing at the child-sized slipper in his hand, he was about to casually toss it to Lu Sicheng when his peripheral vision caught the faint redness on the man’s wrist. His teasing mood instantly vanished. "Your hands are inflamed again?"
As a carry player himself, Lu Yue also suffered from recurring tenosynovitis due to intense training—a common issue among carry players. More severe cases could lead to complications like joint effusion or severe wear and tear. And Lu Sicheng had always been the player with the heaviest training load among them. Every morning, he either played Ranked Games or spent an hour and a half on last-hitting drills without fail—it was practically part of his daily routine.
Lu Yue knew full well how much strain a 65-minute high-intensity match placed on him. Beyond a certain reasonable duration, the toll on their wrists from prolonged use was exponential. That was why even someone like Lu Sicheng couldn’t help but subconsciously shake his wrist by the end—because it genuinely hurt.
"It’s fine. I’ll have the physiotherapist take a look tomorrow," came the deep voice, sounding entirely unbothered. Lu Yue glanced up at his brother, who looked completely calm, before Lu Sicheng lowered his voice slightly. "And don’t make a big deal out of it. If the one upstairs sees, she’ll—"Lu Sicheng didn't finish his sentence.
Because at that moment, Tong Yao came downstairs carrying the last box of belongings. As she descended, she happened to see Lu Sicheng press his lips together, unwilling to say more... She set the box down and glanced at the medicinal wine Lu Yue had placed on the table. After a brief pause, she asked, "Medicinal wine? Want me to massage it for you later?"
"I'll do it myself. You're too clumsy." Lu Sicheng flexed his hand slightly, turning his faintly reddened wrist away from Tong Yao's view, his expression calm as he asked, "Where's the bandage?"
"In my room. I'll get it for you later."
Tong Yao didn't suspect anything. As she answered, she picked up the box again and hurried off to put things away—the last box contained Lu Sicheng's belongings. That madman hadn't forgotten to carry his lucky cat piggy bank upstairs earlier. Tong Yao took out the heavy piggy bank, shook it, then deftly reached inside with her fingers. She pulled out two hidden cigarettes, snapped them in half, and threw them into the trash. Then, with a loud "clunk," she calmly placed the piggy bank back in its original spot.
The entire series of actions flowed smoothly, executed with practiced ease.
Greedy Wolf had been sitting in Lu Sicheng's seat the whole time, watching coldly without a word. He only leaned back slightly to avoid Tong Yao as she placed Lu Sicheng's things back on the table... After arranging her captain's belongings, the only things left on the desk were Greedy Wolf's untouched water cup, keyboard, and mouse. She couldn't take them away, nor could she set up Lu Sicheng's equipment in their place...
Tong Yao was stumped.
Noticing the unusual silence behind her, she turned to glance at Greedy Wolf—just as their eyes met.
Greedy Wolf froze for a moment, then looked away.
—Ever since that "chance encounter" outside the restroom during the Demacia Cup, he had been avoiding Tong Yao. The already quiet kid had become even more withdrawn.
Tong Yao hesitated for a moment before asking, "...Xiao Lang, do you need help carrying anything upstairs?"
Greedy Wolf didn't answer. He just gave her a cold look, stood up, unplugged his keyboard and mouse, grabbed his cup, and headed upstairs without a backward glance...
Tong Yao stood there dumbfounded for a second before awkwardly crouching down to plug in Lu Sicheng's equipment.
—All of this was observed by the captain of the China Telecom Team from nearby. His expression grew even colder than before. As Greedy Wolf passed through the living room, Lu Sicheng spoke loud enough for him to hear, "Brat, don't get cocky before your wings are fully grown."
Greedy Wolf's back stiffened slightly as he climbed the stairs.
"Lost the match and still acting tough. Got wrecked by Pope playing Ashe—what a joke."
His voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough for Lu Sicheng to hear.
Lu Sicheng's gaze darkened.
Sensing the dangerous atmosphere, Tong Yao hurriedly crawled out from under the table, wanting to tell her captain to shut up and stop provoking the rebellious teenager. But in her haste, she slammed the back of her head against the underside of the table with a loud "bang—"
The entire team headquarters seemed to shudder.
Tong Yao let out a pained cry and crouched down, clutching her head. Little Fatty winced and reflexively touched his own head, as if feeling the impact. Seeing this, Lu Sicheng couldn't stay seated any longer. He stood up and rushed over, lifting her from under the table and placing her on a chair. "Are you an idiot? How could you hit your head like that? Where does it hurt? Let me see—move your hand."
"I'm fine, hey—stop picking fights with Greedy Wolf every day. That kid responds better to kindness than force..."Lu Sicheng ignored her, easily brushing off her hand as he lowered his gaze to rub the back of her head where she had bumped it.
Tong Yao grabbed his hand. "Did you hear what I said?"
Lu Sicheng replied in a deep voice, "I heard you."
He sounded slightly impatient.
Tong Yao: "Education of love—how many times have I said it? You piss people off and then leave me to clean up the mess. I’m not doing it this time."
While muttering under her breath, she patted the man’s large hand that was rubbing the back of her head, signaling him to be gentler. At the same time, she heard him say, "What’s the point of education of love? He still hasn’t apologized to you for what happened during the Demacia Cup, has he? A brat like that won’t understand until he suffers a little himself. Did you hear what he said about me?"
"I heard."
"Then why didn’t you comfort me?"
"……………………Sivir hard counters Ashe."
The hand on the back of her head paused. The man’s voice carried a hint of danger. "You also think Li Junhe beat me into a fool?"
His tone suggested that if Tong Yao dared to say "yes," she would be single from that very second… Tong Yao found it both exasperating and amusing. She reached up and patted her man’s chest. "I’m not blind. Be a little more magnanimous—why are you throwing a tantrum like a kid?"
Lu Sicheng let out an "Mmm," and only then did the hand on her head resume its motion. "Until he figures it out himself, nothing you say will matter."
Tong Yao paused and looked up. "Huh?"
Lu Sicheng: "Just like Lu Yue last year."
Lu Yue, who had somehow gotten dragged into this out of nowhere: "Huh?"
Lu Sicheng: "Teenagers are the worst."
Everyone: "..."
That insult covered nearly half the living people in the team headquarters, including his bewildered wife.
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