FOG [e-sports]

Chapter 59:

When Shi Luo first joined FS as a substitute for Yu Sui, he had plenty of free time. FS didn’t have any other requirements of him. He’d be fine keeping an eye on the water dispenser and stopping anyone from walking away with the split-type air conditioner.

Before FS was dissolved but after his college entrance examination, Shi Luo had a period of uncomfortably idle time. When he was bored, he would often search for topics related to Yu Sui.

Among them, there is a topic related to Yu Sui that was very eye-catching. The title is: “What kind of experience would it be to date celebrity player Whisper? ”

Most of the FOG players said it’d be fun and great. Dating Whisper would mean that they’d never have to worry about money, they’d be able to eat and drink whatever they wanted. It’d be like their ancestral graves spewed out green smoke or getting a money tree from out of nowhere. What Whisper wants, Whisper gets. The entire time they’re going steady would naturally be very happy. It was said that Yu Shen’s parents were engaged in academic studies, so their future children’s IQ would definitely be pretty high. Indeed, everything was just right. No matter how you thought about it, there was no way this could be a losing proposition.

Yu Sui’s own fans were a lot more cool-headed. After letting their imagination run wild a bit, they considered it rationally and even disregarding the innate drawbacks of dating a public figure, really dating Yu Sui wouldn’t be such an easy and effortless thing.

Just think about the terrible training schedule of pro-players, and then think about Yu Sui’s record of absolute social media silence for an entire half a year. This is enough to scare most people away.

Just look at how desperately Whisper trains. He’s completely devoted to his work and absolutely refuses any outside disturbances or distractions. Judging from this, you could tell that this person would all too easily dump you without a second thought.

Even if you do get to establish a relationship, once the regular season starts this person would basically disappear. You’ll have to wait for him to finish playing the regular season, and then the playoffs and then he’d enter the world championships and you’d have to wait for him to finish that too. By the time he’s done, the grass over your grave would be as tall as trees.

The most terrible thing? What was Yu Shen’s nickname? Slag Man Yu.

After disappearing for a season, he comes back saying “If I didn’t work hard, you’d be embarrassed.” and instantly your heart goes soft. It’s one thing to ‘slag’-ed by the slag man, but to be ‘slag’-ed and still coaxed back, now that was just pouring salt over your wounds.

If there are still people who are unwilling to give up and think that Whisper wouldn’t treat the person he’s dating the same way he treats his fans, then let’s examine this person’s experiences, shall we?

I’ve been Whisper’s fan for so many years. I’ve seen him occasionally spray people in games, heard him deliver scathing remarks to his teammates during his live broadcasts and I’ve him anger other teams by trash talking before their games. The only thing I have never heard is this guy say a few soft words or be lovey-dovey with anyone.

He started on his career at the age of fifteen. Since his debut, he’s been flattered all the way until now when he’s nineteen. He has zero relationship experience. How can this kind of young master possibly fall in love? Would he know how to consider the feelings of his lover? Would he know how to take care of them?

After the fan’s analysis, numerous passer-bys gave this post a like. They felt that what Lu Xun had said was right. There was no love in e-sports. To look for love from Whisper was to find unhappiness for yourself.

The Shi Luo of back then had also been fooled by this.

After so long, he didn’t know whether that topic that had been pushed to the top of the forum was still there. If it was, Shi Luo, who’d just confirmed his relationship with Yu Sui and have been in a relationship for a day, would like to reply—

Whisper can fall in love.

He very much can.

Usually, Shi Luo would go down from the dorm at exactly 12 noon for breakfast. For special reasons, yesterday, Shi Luo wasn’t able to fall asleep until the first glimmers of dawn and by the time he woke up it was already past one in the afternoon. By this time, the cleaning aunt who cooks for them in the base was already off work. Shi Luo thought there was probably no food left. Before he could start making noodles for himself, Old Qiao, who was reading the newspaper, reminded Shi Luo, “Didn’t you ask Yu Sui to order takeout for you? It’s in the food warmer. Remember to eat it.”

Shi Luo’s facial expression management was working fine. He stayed cool, kept his composure and tacitly agreed that he’d been the one to ask for takeout.

After eating his fill of breakfast or possibly, lunch, Shi Luo went upstairs to the training room. Yu Sui, Chen Huo, and Puppy were already there.

The afternoon was set for practice matches. They had an appointment with a South Korean team. During training, Yu Sui was actually absolutely the same as usual. He played the game how he was supposed to play. He didn’t take care of Shi Luo more just because they’ve already established their relationship. When he had to abandon Shi Luo, he abandoned Shi Luo and when he had to snatch a kill from Shi Luo, he still snatched away the kill.

In the middle of their match, there was a time when Yu Sui had been particularly nasty when snatching away the kill. Puppy, who knew of the relationship between the two, couldn’t help but point out, “Yu Shen, with that slash of your dagger, you’re likely to win the game but lose him.”

The completely out of the loop Chen Huo joined in to oppose a common enemy. He chimed in angrily, “Lose who? Did you mean lose me? Yeah! Yu Sui, next time you don’t give me a shield, you’re definitely going to lose me ah ah ah ah ah! F*ck it! I’m really dying over here!!!”

Yu Sui kept silent, and quickly put a shield up for Chen Huo to shut him up.

Shi Luo, whose kill had nastily snatched away by Yu Sui, unexpectedly said nothing. If he really could show particular care for him during a practice match, then he wouldn’t be Yu Sui.

Who Shi Luo liked was the Whisper who was self-centered and made no allowances for the needs of other when playing the game.

Puppy who failed to stir Shi Luo up, couldn’t help groaning, “Are you an M?...You’re already in this kind of relationship and he still won’t give you preferential treatment. What’s more, you didn’t even get angry about it...”

Of course. This was just a training match.

Past ten o’clock in the evening, the four of them started free training.

With the coming of the new month, they had to once again fill up their required live broadcasting hours. Chen Huo and Puppy both started live broadcasts to fill in their hours. Yu Sui and Shi Luo didn’t.

It’s not that Yu Sui didn’t want to, but Shi Luo wouldn’t let him no matter what.

For no other reason than Shi Luo really didn’t dare to let people watch Yu Sui’s, uh, ahem, brilliant moves.

Although they were playing double row in high-level matches on the national server, these matches still couldn’t compare to their practice games or regular games. Passers-by players didn’t try to coordinate through voice chats nor were they long-time teammates who’ve built up tacit understanding. Consequently, they played a lot more loosely and moves they wouldn’t dare use during training, they’d use here.

When Shi Luo only has a sliver of health left, using his own body to shield Shi Luo was already child’s play for Yu Sui. Yu Sui relied on his own order-defying skills to bar their opponents’ way and without letting their opponents fight back, he’d leave them with a little bit of blood and hand over the kill to Shi Luo.

During his team-up with Yu Sui, as long as it’s their side that wins, Shi Luo would generally wind up with the match MVP title.

In one of their most exaggerated matches, Yu Sui and Shi Luo managed to get a total of 24 heads and all 24 counted towards Shi Luo’s kill count.

If this was a live broadcast, let alone players who watched the live broadcast, ordinary people who’ve never even heard of this game would be able to sense that this medic named Whisper and the striker named Evil have a friendship that went beyond being teammates.

By the end of the night, Shi Luo wanted to facepalm.

Last season’s no. 1 striker on the national server, allowed the no. 1 medic on the European server to carry him through the matches like a little girlfriend.

Other guys when they take their girlfriends to play would show-off with a few words like, “Watch how your ge plays.”, “I’ll take care of things here, you can just walk around.”, “You can just AFK and wait for the win”.

But Yu Sui didn’t. The two of them didn’t even have their mics connected during their team up. Yu Sui was even more unlikely to type in the game. As usual, he didn’t say a word, keeping as quiet as though he were in a library.

Yu Sui’s meaning was very clear: I know that you don’t need me to carry you along. The only reason I’m playing like this is to make the little boy happy.

When the no. 1 medic was being gentle it was really too annoying. Shi Luo had his roots as a medic. He knew how demanding this kind of ultimate kind of playing was on a player’s hand speed and foresight. Shi Luo wasn’t being biased. Yu Sui’s skills were basically computer level skills.

The more he understood, the more he was realized how amazing Yu Sui was. The more amazing he found Yu Sui, the more his knees felt weak.

In the end, it was Shi Luo who couldn’t stand it. He was the one who took the initiative to send Yu Sui a private message. [...Captain, please put away your magic powers. ]

In the in-game friend’s chat interface, Yu Sui typed out.

[Whisper]: [? ]

[Evil]: [We’ve been training for the entire day. During the evening’s double row, you should...relax a little, just play casually.]

[Whisper]: [I am very relaxed. ]

[Evil]: [......]

[Evil]: [You call this kind of play relaxed?]

[Whisper]: [En. ]

[Evil]: [...Sure enough, looks like I made the right choice changing to a striker back then. ]

[Whisper]: [?]

[Evil]: [The career ceiling for a medic is too high. ]

[Whisper]: [You think my level’s that high? ]

[Evil]: [I’m just stating facts...]

Shi Luo truly wasn’t praising Yu Sui because he liked him. In the past, Shi Luo didn’t have any chance to team up with Yu Sui. Since Yu Sui’s return to China, he’s had plenty of chances. Usually, the only way to see Yu Sui’s order-defying skills was as a spectator to his matches but it was only by being in the same match as him can one see the details of his skills. Shi Luo thought pretty highly of his own skills but the more he saw, the more he had to conceed that Yu Sui truly was the pinnacle of medics. He was their career ceiling and it was a ceiling so high one couldn’t see where it stopped.

Shi Luo couldn’t help being moved by this kind of Yu Sui.

It made him want to seize all of Yu Sui’s benefits.

They were in the middle of training. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about things like these. Shi Luo took a deep breath, collected all his messy thoughts, and typed.

[Evil]: [Let’s open a live broadcast. ]

[Evil]: [When the live broadcast is on, don’t... don’t do this. ]

[Whisper]: [Do what? ]

[Evil]: [......]

[Evil]: [...I’m not saying it so don’t ask. You know what you’re doing. ]

[Whisper]: [Sorry, I don’t know. ]

Shi Luo left hand left the keyboard and rubbed his already reddened ear.

Shi Luo raised his head and turned sideways slightly. He looked over the computer monitor to take a look at Yu Sui who had on his ever-normal expression. Shi Luo gritted his teeth. This guy...

Shi Luo took a deep breath and typed.

[Evil]: [...Don’t treat me as your boyfriend. ]

[Whisper]: [So I should treat you as what? ]

[Evil]: [As just an ordinary teammate. Like Chen Huo. ]

[Whisper]: [ok, sending you the Chen Huo experience. ]

The two started a live broadcast together and continued to play double row.

After they entered the new match, Shi Luo instantly regretted his decision.

Ordinary teammate Chen Huo’s days truly were an abyss of extreme suffering.

Yu Sui did just as he said. He minded his own business and kept playing. He treated Shi Luo as though he didn’t exist. It was as though he was playing by himself. So long as he could win, all his teammates were just tools.

Shi Luo had brought this upon himself. After gets killed, he re-enters the match through the resurrection stone. When he’s about to die, he’d run off on his own.

The fans who were watching the live broadcast couldn’t understand the situation. Just a few days ago, when these two teamed up they were full of respect and consideration for each other. Now, what was happening? The fans started to worriedly blasting the live chat.

[WAW, what’s wrong? What’s wrong? I haven’t watched the live broadcasts for a few days. Just what has happened to these two? ]

[...This is making me panic a bit. ]

[F*ck, Shi Shen was right next to Yu Shen just now when he was hit. It was like Yu Shen didn’t even see it! ]

[Are they not talking to each other? Neither of them have their webcams turned on. But judging from the background sounds they should both be in the base training room. Why don’t they talk to each other? ]

[Don’t try to guess. They never communicate when they play passer-by matches even before. ]

[I’m not guessing. There’s obviously something up. ]

[+1, don’t try to make it seem like they’re all hunky-dory, alright? They’re definitely fighting. ]

[...I’m getting scared, can’t either of you say something? ]

[Afraid +1, It can’t be that they’re really quarreling, right? ]

[It’s cold. Haven’t they already cleared the air? What’s with this?]

[QAQ, please help me, tell me they’re not having another cold war. I won’t be able to stand it...]

Yu Sui and Shi Luo were focused on playing and neither of them looked at the live chat. In the live broadcast, the fans could only hear the sounds of keys clacking. The more they listened, the greater the chill in their hearts. Numerous terrible guesses were taking shape until–

Until the game ended.

Shi Luo’s fans who were camping in Shi Luo’s live broadcast, clearly heard the faint amused-sounding voice of another person come through Shi Luo’s mic.

“That was the Chen Huo experience. How was it? Fun?”

“Now, do you understand how nice I am to you when we usually team up?”