【ZGDX、Smiling: Almost made a mistake.】
【A Mao’s Mom: ??】
【ZGDX、Smiling: For a moment there, he looked so handsome I almost couldn’t hold back from confessing—damn it, ever since I came clean to you, my heart’s been racing nonstop. Now everything about him seems handsome—when he talks, when he doesn’t, when he smiles, even when he’s being sarcastic. He could turn driving into eSports Schumacher…】
【ZGDX、Smiling: Looking at his hands on the steering wheel, I wish I could BE that steering wheel!!!!】
【A Mao’s Mom: If you print out that declaration, the Lu Sicheng fan club might just make you their leader. But before that, maybe take some meds? Cheng Ge is handsome, sure, but you’re seriously lacking in self-respect—what happened to your dreams, to fighting against the unfair treatment of female pro gamers by chauvinistic straight men? Mulan!】
【ZGDX、Smiling: With such beauty before me, all my previous rational analysis almost went out the window.】
【A Mao’s Mom: So how’d you stop yourself in time?】
【ZGDX、Smiling: …He changed the subject, asked if I wanted to listen to music, then told me not to rush.】
【A Mao’s Mom: Not to rush what?】
【ZGDX、Smiling: Probably because I looked like I was struggling to speak in that moment… He saw how flustered I was and told me not to rush.】
【A Mao’s Mom: Oh, but what if he meant not to rush confessing?】
【ZGDX、Smiling: And then? ‘Don’t rush confessing’—what’s next? Does that mean he wants me to wait patiently for him to confess first? Heeheehee, that’s not good!】
【A Mao’s Mom: ????? Your train of thought is more twisted than the final level of Happy Pipefitter’s nightmare mode…………………………… But sure, go ahead and believe that for now. Optimistic like a silly deer.】
【ZGDX、Smiling: I’m not silly.】
【A Mao’s Mom: Yes, yes, you’re smart.】
【ZGDX、Smiling: Just wait. Maybe one day he’ll be won over by my top-tier gaming skills and personal charm. That day will come, and when it does, I’ll let you brag about it for three years straight. :)】
【A Mao’s Mom: ………………Way too optimistic, sis. Delusional much? Winning one solo match and you don’t even know who you are anymore. Just take your meds already.】
Tong Yao giggled as she exited WeChat. Lu Sicheng glanced at her: “If you keep laughing like that in my car, I’ll throw you out.”
Tong Yao shot him a look: “Can’t even laugh now?”
“No animals allowed in my car, and silly deer are on the list.” Lu Sicheng paused, then added, “Who were you talking to?”
Tong Yao thought of her earlier conversation with Jin Yang and immediately clutched her phone, as if Lu Sicheng might snatch it from her. Her face flushed—thankfully, the dim car interior hid it. She stammered, “Why do you care so much?”
“It’s the captain’s duty to look after his teammates.” Lu Sicheng frowned suddenly. “You look nervous. Was it Li Huanshuo? Are you still chatting with Li Huanshuo? How do you even talk so much with a language barrier?”
“I wasn’t talking to him.”
“Oh, did you block him?”
“…”
“Block him, okay?”"……………"
"The captain's orders."
"That's not how the captain's orders work. I ignored him, but outright blocking someone is too awkward," Tong Yao stuffed her phone under her thigh. "If you want it deleted so badly, come get it yourself."
Lu Sicheng, focused on driving, didn't have the energy to indulge her antics. He glanced at her briefly before falling silent—so for the remaining half hour, Tong Yao sat sideways, staring at Lu Sicheng while he drove. With no phone to play with, they passed the time by casually chatting about industry gossip—who got a girlfriend, who was secretly cheating on their girlfriend with fans, which team had the prettiest female fans... Eventually, the conversation turned to Tong Yao's first time watching a ZGDX Team match as a fan, when the camera caught her waving cheerfully from the audience—
"That wave of yours single-handedly dragged the average attractiveness score of ZGDX fans from an 8 down to a 6."
"Right, according to North American roast standards, your fans are all Liu Yifei-level beauties."
"Mhm," Lu Sicheng freed one hand to pat the passenger's forehead. "I'll give you one more chance—think carefully before speaking. Whose fans?"
"...Our fans."
Satisfied, Lu Sicheng withdrew his hand with a faint smile. Tong Yao rubbed her forehead and slumped back into her seat, occasionally stealing glances at the driver.
Back when things were ambiguous, it felt like standing far away in a crowd—just hoping his gaze would linger on her a little longer was enough to make her giddy. But once feelings were confirmed, that simple contentment vanished, replaced by restless yearning to occupy every corner of his world...
Humans are always so insatiable.
"Cheng Ge."
"What?"
"You don't date and forbid your teammates from dating too—is ZGDX a monastery or something?"
"Yes. If you're unhappy, leave."
"Leave for where? CK?"
"Try me."
"......"
When they arrived at the team headquarters and got out of the car, Tong Yao retrieved her phone from under her thigh, finally realizing she'd been played—she'd spent the entire ride staring at her captain in silence, bored out of her mind, yet never remembering she had a phone to entertain herself with.
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