The post-match routine included the customary group interview session.
During the Spring Split, the "post-match group interview" was conducted with the winning team seated on the sofas in the lounge. However, the Summer Split was different—the interviews were moved to a more formal setting, where players sat in a row behind a slightly elevated long table to face the media. Sometimes, the media would interview both teams from the day's match simultaneously—usually the two opposing teams from a single game...
Occasionally, there were exceptions.
Like today.
All ten starting players from YQCB and ZGDX were crammed in a row behind the table. Lu Sicheng sat in the very center, with Pope on his left and Tong Yao on his right.
Reporter: [First, congratulations to ZGDX for maintaining their unbeaten record today.]
Lu Sicheng: "Thanks for the jinx."
Reporter: [At the same time, we’re very surprised that the YQCB players stayed after their match, giving us this special post-match interview opportunity.]
YQCB’s support and captain, Liang Sheng, scratched his head: "Actually, we wanted to leave, but our coach wouldn’t let us. He held us back in the lounge, insisting we watch how the 'four protect one' strategy is played… Since it’s a newly tried tactic, none of us are very familiar with it yet."
Reporter: [The 'four protect one' strategy isn’t particularly suitable in the current meta where the bot lane is relatively weak. So why did the Operator Team persist with this tactic even after YQCB’s failed attempt?]
Lu Sicheng paused, leaned back slightly, and glanced sideways at Pope, who was sitting to his left. Pope rolled his eyes. Lu Sicheng chuckled briefly before answering, half-jokingly: "Our Mid Laner said, 'I also want to try the four protect one, I want to play Lulu…' I thought, why not? It’s a good chance to teach 'other ADs' how to play the four protect one, so we ran it twice."
The room erupted in laughter.
Pope hissed under his breath, probably guessing that Lu Sicheng had said something mischievous, and immediately grabbed the translator behind him, demanding an explanation. The translator, looking helpless, relayed the words. After hearing it, Pope muttered a rapid string of complaints in Korean.
...The interview continued, with reporters firing off scattered questions about the match. Most of the answers came from Little Fatty and Lu Sicheng. Tong Yao sat in her chair, her gaze subtly drifting toward Ai Jia, who was equally silent at the other end of the long table, openly zoning out.
Until a reporter called on Ai Jia—
[After the second game today, there was a minor incident. In the third game, Ai Jia didn’t appear in the starting lineup. Was there an unexpected issue? Fans are very curious.]
Ai Jia’s distant gaze sharpened slightly.
Tong Yao also straightened in her seat.
Ai Jia frowned slightly and reached for the microphone from a teammate, preparing to answer. But just then, their captain, Liang Sheng, snatched the mic from his hands. Ai Jia froze, then heard his captain say: "The decision to let Ai Sha play in the third game was a joint discussion between the coaching staff and the team. I know some people online are trying to stir up trouble, claiming Ai Jia refused to play because of arrogance—that’s not true. Please stop spreading rumors… At the time, Ai Jia just wasn’t in the right headspace, so we thought it’d be better to let Ai Sha step in. That’s all."
Reporter: [Then why was he in a bad state of mind?]Everyone: "..."
Tong Yao shifted uncomfortably in her chair... At this moment, not just Ai Jia, even she had the strong urge to lift the table in front of her and smash it onto the head of the reporter who asked that question—
Why the bad mood? What do you think?
You're playing on stage, already in a foul mood from losing the match, then you turn around to see your girlfriend inexplicably taking the blame for your poor performance and getting bashed by fans waving the banner of "love"—could you be cheerful and sing a celebratory song in that situation?!
Tong Yao glanced at the microphone in the reporter's hand and unsurprisingly recognized the logo of a notorious esports media outlet known for taking quotes out of context, stirring up drama around players, and having been publicly called out by multiple clubs and players—only to offer half-hearted apologies while continuing their behavior.
Their most infamous act was when a player said, "I think Korean Aids contributed the most to the LPL during their initial period," which they twisted into: "Player claims Korean Aids are only useful at the beginning."
Ai Jia curled his lips mockingly, clearly showing his disdain for the question and unwillingness to answer.
The atmosphere in the interview room grew tense.
The reporter, failing to get an answer, sat down with a sullen expression. But his question seemed to steer the entire interview away from pure match discussion toward another direction. Soon, another reporter stood up to ask:
Reporter: "Recently, the esports community has been constantly buzzing about players' personal relationships. As professional players, what are your thoughts on this?"
The YQCB members simply put down their microphones.
Seeing this, Tong Yao felt both irritated and somewhat amused.
Little Fatty: "Let things take their natural course. We don’t really think much about this—honestly, we spend all day gaming at the team headquarters, so we hardly meet anyone. Most of us are single."
Old Cat snatched the microphone from Little Fatty and added emphatically: "But that doesn’t mean we’ve joined a monastery—it’s not that we don’t want to or can’t find someone. It’s just that we haven’t. That distinction is important."
Reporter: "But many fans still hope players can focus seriously on matches, aim for better performances in the S-series, and win championships—without getting distracted by other things. Similarly, they often wish you’d review match footage during Ranked Games training streams instead of playing other odd mini-games while queuing. The Forum is full of discussions about this... Fans just want you to stay focused on the game and achieve good results."
Lu Sicheng pondered for a moment, then picked up the microphone in front of him with his left hand—Tong Yao, sensing the "everyone pay attention, I’m about to stir things up" aura radiating from him, shot him a worried glance and tugged at his right hand under the table.
But Lu Sicheng remained unmoved.
And proceeded to demonstrate his astonishing memory and razor-sharp sarcasm.Lu Sicheng: "Let me paraphrase what you just said to see if it makes sense: Many parents still hope their children will study seriously, strive for better performance in the college entrance exams to get into Peking or Tsinghua University, and not dwell too much on other matters—just like how they always want you to memorize English vocabulary during school breaks rather than playing odd little games. Places like square dancing spots often have discussions on these topics... Parents just want you to focus on your studies, achieve good grades, and live a good life."
Reporter: ["…………………………"]
Lu Sicheng: "Sounds pretty reasonable."
Little Fatty was already shaking with laughter and clapping.
Ai Jia also clapped expressionlessly.
Lu Sicheng: "Generally speaking, many fans who offer such advice are teenagers around the same age—or even working adults—when making such demands of professional players who are also ordinary humans. I won’t dwell on whether they’re slacking off in class or at work, browsing the Forum on their phones while mocking players for not training seriously and instead dating or playing other games for leisure. But I hope everyone can try to empathize a little: we’re all young. I’m sure everyone has dozed off in class, daydreamed, or sneaked glances at the class beauty—tsk."
Lu Sicheng paused.
Lu Sicheng: "Though I’ve never done that."
The foot stepping on his right shoe moved away.
Lu Sicheng: "—Experiences like that."
Lu Sicheng: "So it’s not like being a pro player makes us any different, so sacred and noble that we must be perfect like saints... It’s boring to nitpick about players playing Reckless Blades today, Snake tomorrow, or dating the day after. Most of our time is spent playing League of Legends—maybe even more than some people spend studying. How many people break up with their girlfriends on high school graduation day because they’ll have to face long-distance separation, while more pro players get dumped while pursuing their careers? Why?"
Ai Jia picked up the microphone: "Why?"
Little Fatty: "I suggest you interview Yang Shen, the jungler from Team CK. He’ll tell you why."
Tong Yao: "Ahem."
The reporter sat down, looking convinced.
Another reporter stood up, clearly dissatisfied: ["Cheng Ge seems to have a lot of insight on this."]
Xiao Rui, who had been leaning silently against the side, stood up with an expression that screamed, "Are you trying to start something? I’ll call security."
But Lu Sicheng waved at him to signal it was fine and naturally took over: "Because I’m relatively older in the pro scene, and I’ve been playing for a long time. I’ve seen a lot."
Reporter: ["So Cheng Ge isn’t opposed to players dating."]
Lu Sicheng: "In moderation, there’s nothing wrong with it. There are legendary stories of couples both getting into Peking and Tsinghua Universities."
Reporter: ["Does Cheng Ge want that too?"]
Lu Sicheng paused with the microphone in hand. Beside him, Tong Yao tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Lu Sicheng said calmly, "I already have someone I like."
The moment the words left his mouth, the room erupted.
Reporters scribbled furiously in their notebooks, while his teammates turned to stare at their captain in stunned silence.Tong Yao lowered her hand, then slipped it under the tablecloth to clutch at her team uniform pants, her palm sweating nervously—while her face had to feign the same surprise as everyone else. At the same time, she desperately tried to numb herself: He didn’t say anything! You didn’t hear anything! Don’t blush! You can’t blush! Don’t let your breathing get heavier! Stay calm! Stay calm!
Reporter: ["For fans who might have excessive demands, does Cheng Ge have anything to say to them?"]
The moment the reporter finished speaking.
Tong Yao suddenly felt a large hand slip under the tablecloth as well, silently covering hers and forcefully threading his fingers between hers to interlock them.
Compared to her instantly stiffened back, the man leaned back in his chair with ease.
"Thank you for the support and love from the fans. We’ll play our matches seriously and do our best to win. If possible, please come to the venue to cheer us on. And also..."
His calm, deep voice sounded right beside her ear—
"If you truly like a player, stay close to the competition stage, but keep your distance from his personal life."
OpenNovel