Tong Yao: "......"
Lu Sicheng: "......"
Tong Yao: "......"
Lu Sicheng: "......"
The air seemed to freeze, filled with an indescribable awkwardness... Tong Yao stared stiffly at Lu Sicheng without making a sound, her entire body like a frozen statue, so startled she seemed almost translucent.
She even forgot to blink.
Her heartbeat might as well have stopped.
Just staring blankly at the person before her, until after a long while, she let out a strange laugh, her voice suddenly turning shrill: "Cheng Ge, please follow the script, Cheng Ge! I really can't take you hitting me with this over and over—how many times are you planning to reuse this same old gag before you get tired of it? Let me tell you, this time I'm not scared, I'm really not scared—"
Even as she claimed "not scared," she was so frightened she started using honorifics, all while backing away step by step... until she reached the door, her back pressed against it, her hand stealthily groping for the doorknob—the cold metal touching her burning palm calmed her slightly... Then she saw the man sigh deeply, running a hand through his hair in frustration before slumping back into the chair behind him.
—As if he, too, had no idea what to do next.
But whatever, right now Tong Yao really couldn't deal with him anymore. All she wanted was to bolt through the door, flee in panic, find a wall to bang her head against to snap out of it, to wake up from this nightmare—or was it a delusional episode? So she quietly turned the doorknob behind her, but just as she was halfway out the door, a commanding voice rang out from inside the room: "Where do you think you're going? Get back here."
Tong Yao: "………………………………"
Oh.
Three minutes later.
Tong Yao sat down in the chair opposite Lu Sicheng, tilting her head with a mix of confusion and fear as she stared at her captain. When he impatiently rubbed his ear and glared at her, she flinched, shrinking back until she was practically a tiny ball in the corner of the sofa, like a startled meerkat.
Lu Sicheng: "What's wrong with you?"
Tong Yao: "......"
Lu Sicheng gave her a sardonic look: "What did I even say to make you react like this? Did I ask you to marry me on the spot—"
"AHHHHHHH!" Tong Yao's face instantly turned bright red as she shrieked, covering her ears with her hands, "Stop talking, stop talking! Lu Sicheng, let me just remind you—when confessing to someone and asking them out, you don’t use that tone or that expression! Even peacocks know to fan their tails when courting! How can you—"
"How?"
"Be so mean."
"If I were gentler, would you say yes?"
"......"
"See, you went silent." Lu Sicheng frowned, clicking his tongue in clear irritation. "I really feel like dragging Jian Yang or Xu Tailun over here and beating them up."
"...What do they have to do with this?"
"Find a mirror and you’ll see how terrifying your expression was just now. Originally, I wanted to wait at least until we won the Summer Split Championship or something before bringing this up, but after seeing that look, I knew I couldn’t wait. If I did, another Xu Tailun might pop up, and before we even won the championship, you’d be ready to renounce the world and become a nun—because, let’s face it, this industry has way too many scumbags," Lu Sicheng finished in a rush before pausing, as if realizing he’d misspoken, then hastily added, "Unlike me. I’m great."
Tong Yao: "......"...This guy.
Ah.
"………………………………" Tong Yao sat expressionless in the corner of the sofa. "Then let's bring it up again after winning the Summer Season Championship. With all the stars aligned, I think it's a great idea too."
"..." Lu Sicheng looked at her with a "you should take your meds" expression.
"Do you have any principles at all?"
"That's why I already told you last time when you asked if I was a fearless perfect man—I'm not," Lu Sicheng curled his lips, still wearing that sarcastic expression, which became even more sarcastic with this cold smile. "If sticking to principles means the woman I like ends up knocking wooden fish in a nunnery, then what's the point of principles? Just to screw myself over?"
...The woman he likes.
Tong Yao's eyes widened. Then she raised both hands to cover her ears again, thought better of it and covered her eyes instead, before suddenly dropping her hands and staring at Lu Sicheng with an extremely shocked expression.
Under Tong Yao's silent stare, Lu Sicheng glanced at her.
His facial expression underwent a subtle change.
Tong Yao thought it looked like a sour plum had been tossed into a bottle of 7-Up.
"—So I was being presumptuous? You never liked me?"
No.
Of course not.
Tong Yao moved her lips, instinctively wanting to deny it. But before she could speak, she heard Lu Sicheng quickly continue: "Then why did you stand behind my chair using that abandoned puppy tone to stop me from meeting the blind date?"
"I didn't—what the hell, you heard that?!" Tong Yao clutched her chest, then glared as if suddenly realizing something. "Damn it, your headphones weren't plugged in again?!"
"Just happened to be between songs and accidentally heard it. Isn't that great?" Lu Sicheng leaned back.
Tong Yao: "..."
...Great my ass?
Lu Sicheng paused: "So are you rejecting me then?"
"...Don't dare to."
"..." Lu Sicheng's eyelid twitched as he sat up slightly. "Then are you agreeing?"
"...Not that either."
"I see," Lu Sicheng nodded. "You're just asking for a beating."
"See!" Tong Yao immediately pointed a finger at Lu Sicheng's nose across the sofa. "That tone right there—the captain's tone, the Team Tyrant's tone, the dad tone—whatever it is, it's definitely not a boyfriend's tone! Ah, I said boyfriend's tone but didn't say you are one, why are you smirking? Wipe that off!"
Before she finished speaking, the person sitting on the opposite sofa suddenly leaned forward, reaching out to grab Tong Yao's finger—her cold fingertip enveloped by a large, warm hand. Tong Yao let out an "ah" in surprise before blushing as red as a boiled shrimp!
"Whether I can act like a proper boyfriend or not, you'd have to give me a chance to try first before knowing, hm?" Lu Sicheng tugged her finger lightly.
"..."
Tong Yao stared at her fingertip, thinking: Why are you shaking it? Stop shaking my finger, and stop with the "hm" too. What's with the aegyo from an old man? This is foul play.
Letting go of her hand, the man stood up and ruffled her hair. "Think about it."
"..."
"I'll give you two hours to consider. Before 9 pm tonight."
This guy—even his confession has to be so cocky."...Why is it at 9 PM?"
"Because it affects whether I can have a proper dinner."
After saying this, Lu Sicheng turned and walked away... leaving Tong Yao standing at the door in a daze for a moment. Then she suddenly bent over, covering her face with her hands, and threw herself onto the sofa, rolling back and forth until the sofa creaked and shifted from her movements. Only then did she stop, take a deep breath, and tell herself: Stay calm.
…………………………………………Even though facing such an earth-shattering situation, damn it, she just couldn’t stay calm.
……
Tong Yao spent some time in the break room in a state of self-inflicted chaos.
Soon, it was time for the interview. When it began, Tong Yao and Lu Sicheng entered the interview room one after the other, each taking a seat at opposite ends of the long sofa—not only was there no physical contact, but there wasn’t even any eye contact.
Lu Sicheng leaned lazily against the sofa the entire time, propping his chin with one hand and looking to the left.
Tong Yao sat upright the whole time, like an elementary school student waiting to receive a little red flower, staring straight ahead.
The reporters exchanged glances. To an outsider, it might seem like there was discord within the China Telecom Team—if that were really the case, today’s interview might as well not happen—just this topic alone could fill three pages of headlines.
Reporter’s question: [What are your thoughts on the recent issues surrounding Korean Aid in the LPL?]
Tong Yao: "You can’t generalize. There are also very good Korean Aids, like the AD and Jungler of the YQCB Team, as well as some from other teams."
Lu Sicheng: "It’s a temporary fix, not a permanent solution. Rushing for quick success is the wrong approach. If we want the region to grow stronger, we can’t rely too heavily on Korean Aid."
Reporter’s question: [What’s the solution then? There’s been a small trend lately of resisting Korean Aid.]
Tong Yao: "Better management, I suppose. It still depends on the clubs."
Lu Sicheng: "It all comes down to self-discipline. If they’re not self-disciplined, the clubs can’t control them either—and let me add, this isn’t just about foreign players. The same issues exist with domestic players."
Reporter’s question: [What are your thoughts on the relationship between fans and players? We know that Xu Tailun’s scandal was ultimately exposed by the female fan he was involved with—]
Lu Sicheng: "It’s a delicate coexistence. Keep a reasonable distance."
Tong Yao: "Know your place. As someone who interferes in another’s relationship, whether male or female, it’s unforgivable. As fans, they should also open their eyes and see whether they’re viewing their favorite players through an irrational, idealized lens. When simple admiration turns into a twisted sense of possessiveness, it becomes something very dangerous and unacceptable."
Reporter’s question: [Hahahaha, it seems Smiling, as a girl, has a different perspective on this issue. So, from what you’re saying, there are still some lifestyle issues among players in the scene to some extent.]
Tong Yao: "Because they’re all young people, their personalities and values aren’t fully formed yet. If they enter society too early, they can easily be misled. It’s like how we often made our teachers angry in school—it’s unavoidable. I just hope everyone can exercise a bit more restraint?"
Lu Sicheng: "I don’t know. All I can say is that my lifestyle is impeccable. I’m a reliable, good man."The man's unhurried voice rang out, and Tong Yao firmly met his gaze—only for his eyes to suddenly drift slightly to the side.
Meanwhile, the reporters, oblivious to anything amiss, burst into laughter, their cheerful, carefree expressions making the currently tormented Tong Yao feel deeply envious.
Then, whether inspired by Lu Sicheng's response or not, the reporters posed a terrifying question—
[Given your awareness of both the bright and dark sides of the professional scene, have either of you ever considered dating someone within the industry?]
The two people sitting at opposite ends of the sofa suddenly exchanged glances in unison.
Lu Sicheng: "Why not?"
Tong Yao: "…………………………"
Lu Sicheng turned to look at Tong Yao and asked directly, "Don't want to?"
Tong Yao gripped a corner of the sofa cover: "I don't know."
...
Tong Yao had no idea how the interview ended. Her mind was completely occupied by the echoing refrain of "Don't want to? Don't want to? Don't want to? Don't want to? Don't want to?"... The mental loop drove her insane, and she couldn't even remember what nonsense she'd babbled during the interview. The moment it ended, she bolted out faster than someone with a desperate need to pee—
She washed her face in the restroom to calm down.
After carefully adjusting her expression in the mirror, she left the restroom and boarded the team bus parked in the lot. Clearing her throat, she glanced around the bus and realized... huh, her captain wasn't there.
Tong Yao blinked: "...Where's the captain?"
Staff member: "He left."
Tong Yao was stunned: "Left... where?"
Staff member: "Who knows? He rushed off right after the interview. Probably had plans with someone? Besides, he drove here himself anyway."
Tong Yao let out an "Oh" and checked the time. It was 8 PM, with one hour left until 9. The drive from the venue back to the team headquarters took about 45 minutes—assuming no traffic—meaning that despite someone having promised to wait for her answer before 9 PM, he'd already run off before she even had a chance to say anything.
………………………………Ran off.
Lu Sicheng, do you know what a lifelong single dog looks like?
Take a look in the mirror tomorrow morning, and you'll find out.
Tong Yao tossed her bag onto the seat and plopped down angrily. By the time the bus arrived at the team headquarters 40 minutes later, she'd already cycled through her first wave of anger and was gearing up for the second—
The bus stopped at the team headquarters entrance at 8:40 PM.
Tong Yao hopped off, waved goodbye to the staff, entered the headquarters, slipped off her shoes, booted up her computer, and scooped up Da Bing. A glance at the clock in the corner of her screen showed 8:45 PM—the seat beside her was empty. Lu Sicheng still hadn't returned.
Tong Yao pulled out her phone. No messages. No missed calls.
Holding the cat, she sat silently in her seat.
Restless as a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"Tong Yao, have you eaten?"
"Not hungry."
"Smiling, wanna duo queue?"
"Not queueing."
"Did you feed your cat?"
"Let it starve. It needs to lose weight."
At 8:50 PM, the sound of a car engine echoed outside the team headquarters.If Tong Yao's ears could perk up, they'd probably be standing straight up on her head right now. She subtly lifted her chin from Da Bing's head and glanced at the door—five minutes later, there was a knock. At 8:55, Little Fatty announced, "The captain's back. Tong Yao, go open the door."
Everyone was busy except for the dazed Tong Yao.
She gave an "Oh," tossed Da Bing onto Lu Sicheng's chair, stood up, and went to open the door.
Outside, the relentless downpour continued. When Tong Yao pulled the door open, the person standing there was drenched in rainwater. He must have run from the parking lot—his jacket was soaked, one hand stuffed in his pocket, the hoodie zipper half-down... As the door opened and he saw the person peeking through the gap, he paused before asking, "Why haven't you changed? The AC's on low at the headquarters—you'll catch a cold."
None of your damn business, crocodile tears.
Tong Yao fumed inwardly.
She wordlessly opened the door wider and stepped aside—but to her surprise, the person at the threshold didn’t enter. Instead, he checked his watch and announced, "Current Beijing time: 8:58 and 30 seconds."
Tong Yao: "..."
He actually had the audacity to announce the time.
Lu Sicheng: "Your answer is?"
Tong Yao: "I—"
Before she could speak, Lu Sicheng cut her off. His voice, so deep it was nearly drowned out by the rain outside, warned, "Think carefully before you answer." Tong Yao was baffled until, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed an odd bulge in the front of his jacket...
As her gaze landed on it, the bulge shifted—once, twice—before a tiny American Shorthair kitten drowsily poked its fluffy head out from the half-zipped hoodie and let out a soft "Meow" at Tong Yao.
Tong Yao stared at the kitten, frozen in place at the headquarters' entrance. Her eyes widened slightly: "……………………This is—"
"Mn," Lu Sicheng said. "Though the Great Qing Team's base was a bit far, I successfully retrieved the cat hostage."
"…………………………"
"Beijing time: 8:59 and 30 seconds. If I'm still single in 30 seconds, you won’t get a new cat—"
Before he could finish, the person who had been standing firmly in place suddenly flung her arms around him, straining to hug the man who towered over her by half a head. His words cut off abruptly as he felt the small, warm nose bump against his chest.
His lips curled slightly as he narrowed his eyes.
Tong Yao: "..."
Tilting her head back to look up at his chin, she demanded, "Why aren’t you hugging me back?"
Lu Sicheng let out an "Oh," but before he could move, the kitten was plucked from his arms, and he was unceremoniously shoved away—Tong Yao scrambled back three steps, then glanced furtively at the others in the headquarters. Everyone was absorbed in their games, oblivious to the hallway.
Under the warm light, she clutched the kitten, her face burning red.
Lu Sicheng leaned against the doorframe, watching her.
She scowled. "What the hell are you looking at?"
He raised a brow. "My cat and my person. I’ll look as much as I want.""...Who's your person? Shut up. Using a cat to threaten someone, what kind of Champion is that?"
"All's fair in war. Look at that murderous expression on your face when you opened the door. Without this cat, would I even get through the door tonight?"
"..."
Since ancient times, sincerity fails to win hearts—only schemes truly prevail.
OpenNovel