In the end, Tong Yao still ended up in Lu Sicheng’s car—the one that was supposedly just washed and he was too lazy to drive out—traveling across half the city to find the crayfish shop Little Fatty had recommended. When the two of them ordered thirty-five pounds of crayfish after getting out of the car, Tong Yao clearly saw panic flash across the owner’s face, as if he was about to dial "110" the next second to report two lunatics had shown up.
It wasn’t until they clarified they were taking it to-go that the owner relaxed.
While waiting, Tong Yao lowered her head to play with her phone. Her expression was blank, but inside, she was exchanging earth-shattering news with her friend—
[ZGDX、Smiling: Ugh, damn it, I think I might actually kinda like that lamppost at the village entrance :)]
[A Mao’s Mom: Tsk tsk, I told you not to jinx yourself with those declarations—like “I’d never date a pro player.” Those words exist just to be proven wrong… So what now? Which troublemaker is it?]
[ZGDX、Smiling: Got chased away.]
[A Mao’s Mom: And you?]
[ZGDX、Smiling: Dunno. On my way to getting chased away too?]
[A Mao’s Mom: Speak properly.]
[ZGDX、Smiling: After he dropped that line about “wanting to be with someone who’s better at gaming than me,” we had a solo match this morning—he invited me. I won. In the usual romance novel tropes, or in the eyes of most fans who saw it, this would mean Lu Sicheng deliberately threw the match to let me win. But honestly, I could tell he wasn’t holding back at all—he was playing seriously and trying to win. I won because I know mid-lane terrain and minion waves better than he does. That’s it.]
[ZGDX、Smiling: So I don’t think he meant anything by it. Plus, we’re teammates. If I recklessly do something and get rejected, how are we supposed to keep competing together after that…]
[ZGDX、Smiling: Just thinking about it makes me panic. Compared to something with an uncertain outcome, I’d rather focus on doing well in competitions—getting rejected is embarrassing, but I really don’t want people saying, “These girls only go pro to get famous or find a man.” Female pro gamers are already rare enough, and there aren’t many predecessors. If something happens, it’ll just add fuel to the stereotype… So ugly.]
[A Mao’s Mom: …I’m starting to pity you. So many worries. My silly girl has finally grown up. pats head ( ′?｀ ) Seems like in terms of initiative, you’re even worse off than a regular fan—at least they can openly call him “hubby.”]
[ZGDX、Smiling: Ugh.]
[A Mao’s Mom: So where are you now? Standing by the Huangpu River ready to jump in?]
[ZGDX、Smiling: The loser from this morning has to treat for late-night snacks. Right now, I’m out buying crayfish with him.]
[A Mao’s Mom: eye roll ]
[ZGDX、Smiling: So what do I do now!!!]
[A Mao’s Mom: Didn’t you already analyze it pretty well yourself? Don’t act rashly. If a guy has feelings, he won’t be able to hold back. If he doesn’t make a move, you’re probably overthinking it.] Tong Yao let out an "Oh" at her phone screen. At that moment, Lu Sicheng, who had also been looking down at his phone reading news, glanced up at her and asked quietly, "What are you talking to yourself about while staring at your phone?"
Just as Tong Yao put away her phone to answer, the first batch of prepared lobsters arrived. Without waiting for her response, Lu Sicheng stood up, took out his wallet, and went to the front to pay—Tong Yao remained seated, watching the man walk to the cashier. She stared at his back for a while, observing as he exchanged a few words with the shop owner behind the counter. He then turned to look at her briefly before facing forward again, pausing momentarily before finally allowing a restrained smile to curl the corners of his lips.
His profile was strikingly handsome.
Tong Yao lowered her head, wiping the fingerprints off her phone screen with her sleeve, her mind blank.
She didn’t hear the actual conversation between the lobster shop owner and Lu Sicheng, which went like this:
Owner: "Ordering so much lobster at once—are you hosting a gathering with your girlfriend at home?"
Lu Sicheng: "She's not my girlfriend, just a teammate."
Answering reflexively, Lu Sicheng paused mid-motion as he handed over his bank card. He instinctively glanced back at the person behind him—she was sitting at their table, legs bent with her feet resting on the chair's lower rung, gazing at him with wide, bright black eyes like a fluffy little dog quietly waiting for its owner.
Lu Sicheng: "..."
When their eyes met, she was the first to look away.
"Don't lie. The way she looks at you is either how a girlfriend or a wife would look at her man. I run a late-night eatery—I’ve seen all kinds of pairings," the lobster shop owner said with a chuckle. "Seems like that girl has a thing for you."
"..."
"Even if you don’t like her back, don’t break her heart."
Lu Sicheng took the receipt the owner handed him, gave a vague "Hmm," and smiled again before signing his name with a flourish at the bottom.
Then he returned to sit beside Tong Yao.
Tong Yao: "What did you and the owner talk about that made you smile so sweetly?"
Lu Sicheng: "Your eyes must be defective."
Tong Yao: "Did the owner give you a discount?"
Lu Sicheng: "No."
Tong Yao: "Then why were you smiling so happily?"
Lu Sicheng: "The owner said you were staring at me like I’m your man."
Tong Yao: "…………………………………………"
Tong Yao: "Bullshit! Would the owner really be that bored?"
She only denied the owner’s words.
Not her own behavior.
Lu Sicheng smiled without refuting or exposing her, letting Tong Yao naturally assume he was lying. He took out his phone and continued browsing news and gossip—Tong Yao glanced over and realized that Lu Sicheng also checked the Forum and other gaming communities. In other words, he was well aware of all the recent gossip but simply chose not to comment.
Including the incident with the blind date girl, and earlier that morning after their solo match, when netizens were jumping around excitedly, checking auspicious dates for them to visit the civil affairs office... Thinking of this, Tong Yao felt her face threatening to burn up again. She propped her head on one hand and turned away—
For the next thirty-five minutes as they waited for the rest of the lobster to be prepared, the two of them spoke very little.After the lobsters were delivered, they each checked the quantity before picking up the bags—Lu Sicheng carried most of them, while Tong Yao held the remaining few. They hadn't walked far before Tong Yao was already drenched in sweat. "Why didn't we just order delivery?" she asked.
"This place doesn’t deliver that far," Lu Sicheng replied, setting down the bags in his hands. "Let’s take a break."
Tong Yao was about to say she could keep going when she noticed Lu Sicheng massaging his wrist. She froze for a second before rushing back, dropping her own bags and grabbing his hand to inspect it. "What’s wrong? Does your hand hurt? Do you have an injury?"
"...After playing professionally for so long, especially as an AD carry, it’s normal to have occupational injuries," Lu Sicheng said calmly, not pulling his hand away. "It’s just strain from high-intensity farming. As long as I don’t carry heavy things regularly—"
Before he could finish, Tong Yao bent down and picked up the heavy bags he had been carrying, leaving only one weighing about seven or eight pounds at his feet.
Lu Sicheng: "..."
Tong Yao: "Why didn’t you say you had a hand injury earlier?"
Lu Sicheng: "It’s not a big deal. The car’s right over there… Put those down first."
Tong Yao: "No."
Tong Yao: "I’ve carried gas tanks for my mom at home."
Tong Yao: "I’m not that delicate. Why didn’t you tell me about your injury sooner? Wait here—I’ll take these to the car and come back for you. Give me the car keys."
"...It’s strain, not a disability." Lu Sicheng sighed, picking up the remaining bag. "Give them to me."
Tong Yao took a big step back, staring at him wide-eyed.
Lu Sicheng clicked his tongue, knowing she’d sprint to the car if he pushed further. Glancing at the not-too-distant parking spot, he finally relented under her stubbornness. "Fine, let’s go."
Tong Yao marched ahead, effortlessly carrying the nearly thirty pounds of lobsters.
Once they loaded everything into the backseat and settled into the car, Tong Yao fumbled with her seatbelt when Lu Sicheng suddenly spoke. "This feels new."
"What?" she asked without looking up.
"Being taken care of by a girl for the first time."
"Oh," Tong Yao clicked her seatbelt into place and raised her head. "But I’m not a girl."
Lu Sicheng didn’t respond, only smiled and ruffled her hair. "Thanks."
The car fell silent.
Tong Yao blinked, staring at the man in the driver’s seat as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. After a long pause, she suddenly called out, "Cheng Ge."
"Hm?" Lu Sicheng responded absentmindedly while driving.
The honking outside masked the pounding of her heart. The headlights of an oncoming car illuminated half her face as she lowered her gaze to his hands on the steering wheel—the prominent knuckles looked undeniably attractive.
"What is it?"
"I… uh, you should manage your training schedule properly. Don’t aggravate your injury.""The team arranges for a physiotherapist to come for massages every month. Last month when you joined, it happened to be after that date, so you didn’t know."
"Oh."
Tong Yao nodded, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly, though the hesitation and unease on her face hadn’t faded… She took a deep breath, hearing the sound of her own exhale.
"Cheng Ge..."
"Hm?"
"I think—"
Tong Yao hesitated.
"Want to listen to some music?"
Lu Sicheng cut her off lightly, his peripheral vision catching the way the person beside him blinked—like an overinflated balloon suddenly punctured. She lowered her head, her shoulders slumping…
The man lowered his gaze, his long, thick lashes masking the emotions in his eyes as he reached out again to pat her head, his voice calm and steady. "Don’t rush."
Everything you want will come to you.
OpenNovel