“Does it smell good?”
“What kind of scent is this?”
Pei Du casually undid the cuff of his shirt, then slightly raised his wrist and brought it toward Yi Xingran’s lips. “Passage d’Enfer,the L’Artisan Parfumeur fragrance. What you’re smelling right now is the woody accord of sandalwood and white musk.”
“It has different stages too?”
“Its opening carries a slightly spicy and cool, crisp sensation. The heart is calm and restrained, with dry woods interwoven with a quiet floral fragrance. In the end, the lingering base becomes fuller and softer. A lot of people choose to use it as a ‘bedside fragrance’ when they’re alone, reading, or meditating.”
Pei Du lowered his eyes and watched those moist lips move slightly, the tip of Yi Xingran’s straight, prominent nose making faint sniffing sounds.
What kind of scripture was he rambling on about now? Why did putting on perfume require him to recite the entire advertisement from beginning to end?
After Yi Xingran finished sniffing, he turned his head to look at him and finally could not hold back his laughter. “I’m telling you, bro, I never would’ve guessed you were this much of a show-off.”
“Then what does that slightly spicy, cool, crisp thing smell like? Let me smell it again.”
Pei Du’s expression did not change. He simply pressed the tip of his tongue lightly against his teeth and narrowed his eyes slightly. “Tomorrow. Come find me before we leave.”
“For what?”
“I’ll let you smell it.”
“Why does it smell like the paper offerings we burn when paying respects at graves back home?”
That was how Yi Xingran described it the next day.
The opening and heart of this particular fragrance did indeed carry a somewhat otherworldly, incense-burning quality, like something associated with immortals and ghosts. One fragrance review even described it as being like a rainy autumn day, when you accidentally wandered into an ancient temple hidden deep in the mountains and did not even dare approach the statue of Guanyin to pay your respects.
The players gathered together and set off.
Su Letong happily moved over to Yi Xingran’s side and kept sniffing enthusiastically, his nose working overtime as he smelled him again and again. “Brother Xing, why do you smell so good today?”
Chen Yi was carrying Su Letong’s peripheral equipment bag and leisurely following behind him. Watching Su Letong circle around Yi Xingran again and again, he could not help letting out a few quiet snorts through his nose.
Pei Du was walking beside them. Just before they got into the vehicle, Chen Yi suddenly frowned and looked at Pei Du with undisguised astonishment.
Seriously?
It was Yi Xingran’s debut today, and you suddenly decided to show off?
Even wearing the team uniform, you still had to be particular about your appearance?
Chen Yi grabbed Su Letong and pulled him back, making him sit beside him. Once Yi Xingran also got into the vehicle, bringing a gust of cold wind in from outside with him, the astonishment on Chen Yi’s face gradually turned into something much stranger.
Why did these two smell exactly the same today?
“The captain said this fragrance has a good meaning, so he sprayed some on me too.”
Before they left, Pei Du held the back of Yi Xingran’s hand and taught him step by step. Yi Xingran lowered his head and obediently rubbed his wrists together, then finally pressed them behind his ears and rubbed them there as well.
“Like this?”
His freshly washed pink hair was soft and still carried its distinctive scent of orange peel. He kept fidgeting with it in small, rustling movements, over and over again, until finally he lifted his face, its skin fair, delicate, and completely flawless.
Pei Du lowered his eyes. His voice, slightly hoarse from having just woken up, was low and husky. “Mm.”
Yi Xingran raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Thanks, bro!”
“Didn’t you say I wasn’t suitable for being your brother?”
Yi Xingran casually hooked an arm around Pei Du’s shoulder, the words leaving his mouth without the slightest hesitation. “Who are you kidding? You and me, who’s counting anyway?”
After a pause, he spread out his slender, fair fingertips. “Good brother! How about giving me another ration of relief supplies?”
Pei Du fell silent.
However, since they were about to set off, it would not be appropriate to suddenly change Yi Xingran’s habits right before his first match. He had brought Yi Xingran’s cigarettes and lighter with him. Although he still refused to return them, in a way, he had at least fulfilled Yi Xingran’s wish.
Only for them to almost be snatched away by a single swipe.
A cat was incredibly fast when it pounced on its prey, but no matter how fast it was, it could not outrun someone who had already anticipated its move.
Yi Xingran was starting to think that Pei Du really must be some kind of dog. What was with the whole act of pretending to be some big, bad wolf? Only an old dog would hide a cigarette pack inside his sleeve and then hold it up high where no one could reach it!
Was he doing magic or what?!
The magician Pei Du stood right there and performed a vanishing act with the cigarette pack.
“Since you treat me like your older brother, isn’t it only natural for an older brother to discipline his younger brother?”
Yi Xingran failed to snatch it back. He immediately furrowed his brows and glared at him. “Are you taking advantage of me?”
Pei Du stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze falling to the hand that was still gripping his forearm and refusing to let go. “Who’s taking advantage of whom?”
“?”
“As the captain, shouldn’t I have the responsibility of supervising the physical and mental well-being of my team members?”
“I’m only keeping them for you temporarily. If you’re dissatisfied with this decision, you can appeal to your superiors.”
“I appeal!”
“Appeal rejected. As the superior captain, I have the absolute right to veto any objection raised by a team member.”
“All right. You can have one cigarette now. Finish it, and then we’ll leave.”
After only a few exchanges, Yi Xingran had somehow been completely led around in circles.
Not only had he lost his freedom to smoke, but after fighting to get the cigarettes back for so long, he turned his head and somehow came away with an older brother instead.
Pei Du had gotten himself a younger brother for free.
The younger brother was not particularly obedient, and he was certainly not short on words. When Pei Du was not paying attention, he even tried to sneak his cigarettes back. The moment his hand slipped into his pocket, Pei Du caught him red-handed.
“Fine, fine, fine! You manage me, you manage me! Happy now?”
Yi Xingran rubbed the back of his hand, which had been slapped red.
Getting caught red-handed in front of everyone was so damn embarrassing!
He frowned coldly, twisting his brows together as he grumbled under his breath and turned his back, clearly unwilling to bother with the other person anymore.
When the vehicle finally drove all the way into the stadium, even the excellent soundproofing could not completely block out the deafening screams and cheers. Yi Xingran turned his head to look outside, and amid the countless signs bearing the words 【TheX】 and 【Cross】, he suddenly caught sight of his own name.
There were not many of them, just a sparse few scattered among the sea of bright, multicolored signs. The bustling crowd surged and jostled against one another, pushing forward and squeezing past each other, causing even the glowing light boards in their hands to tilt and sway haphazardly.
Yet Yi Xingran still saw them.
Behind his name was a small red heart.
There was no photograph meant for a funeral, no name crossed out with a giant ‘X’, no bloody curses, and no malicious eggs thrown at him. There were only colorful light boards, with the words “Good luck” written across them.
“Brother Xiaoxing! You already have fans supporting you this early! Look!”
Yi Xingran casually raked a hand through his hair. The corners of his eyes lifted, and although he could not hide the smile in them, his tone remained deliberately nonchalant. “Oh, I saw them.”
Su Letong could not help feeling envious. “Wuwuwu, that’s amazing, Brother Xiaoxing! You’re so incredible! I’ve been playing for so long and still hardly anyone comes to support me… You’ve only just debuted, and you already have this many people cheering for you! That’s way too awesome, ahhhhh!”
The corners of Yi Xingran’s eyes curved even more, though his mouth stubbornly refused to admit it. “It’s alright, I guess. Is it really that impressive?”
Su Letong’s stream of praise began rolling out like a little train that had no intention of stopping, and Yi Xingran had to press his lips tightly together in an attempt to keep them from curling upward.
Like an unbearably smug little kid.
No matter when it was, who on earth could possibly dislike being praised?
Su Letong was practically ready to worship Yi Xingran. For someone making his first appearance, he was unbelievably calm and composed.
With nothing more than a few words and a few laughs, he crossed the packed crowd and leisurely made his way straight beneath the spotlights, seemingly the sort of person who would not even change expression if Mount Tai collapsed right in front of him.
Yi Xingran stood there with a relaxed posture, his stance casual and his expression composed. He did not look like a newcomer making his debut on the professional stage at all. Instead, he looked more like a fully geared veteran powerhouse who had returned to the beginner’s village after reaching the maximum level.
It had been a very long time since he had stood on a stage like this.
Yi Xingran looked at the densely packed heads below him, the “carrots and cabbages” filling the audience, while cheers surged toward him like waves. The sound made his blood seem to boil in his veins.
Here we go.
Yi Xingran sat there and raised a hand, gently touching the keyboard and other peripherals he had already finished adjusting.
Here we go!
The commentator’s voice traveled through the venue and into the live streams of everyone watching from behind their screens.
“The first regular-stage match of this year’s MSI Mid-Season Invitational is about to begin! Representing the LPL as the number-one seed, TheX will be facing RVC, who have just successfully fought their way through the play-in stage! As far as I know, even before this Best-of-Five series began, the number of people following this match had already reached an astonishing 130 million! In the past, this level of attention and discussion would probably only have appeared once we reached the semifinals or even the finals!”
“That’s right! With the players from these two teams facing each other for the first time, what kind of sparks will they create today? Hello, everyone, I’m your commentator, Xiaoyuan! Let’s wait and see!”
“I’m commentator Xiaofang—and now we’re entering the B&P phase! As we all know, TheX is a veteran team that has won a World Championship title before. In recent years, their tactical style has consistently revolved around Cross as the core. The jungler frees up the mid laner’s lane priority, creating opportunities for roams toward both the top and bottom lanes, while the team uses its dual forms of crowd control to pursue maximum output during team fights. In fact, this is essentially a strategy similar to a four-protect-one composition.”
(B&P phase: The strategic mind game before the game begins, in which the teams formulate their tactics by banning and picking champions.)
Commentator Xiaoyuan: “Those familiar with TheX all know that although this kind of strategy has its variations, it isn’t particularly difficult to figure out once you study it. In almost every match against TheX, many opponents choose to target the champion pool in the mid lane to expand their own advantage, and then adjust their composition according to the champions the opposing side picks. It’s very possible to see three mid-lane champions occupying the ban slots, while leaving the top, jungle, and support positions open as three Counter picks to prepare for the response.”
Commentator Xiaofang laughed. “And just as you were saying that! Three mid-lane mages have already been sent straight onto the ban list?”
Xiaoyuan: “It looks like RVC did quite a bit of research on TheX before the match. All three champions currently sitting in the ban slots are champions TheX has used before, and Cross has pulled off quite a few spectacular plays with them—there we go, another Sylas! They’re taking it away by picking it themselves! RVC’s coaching staff is basically saying, ‘We respect our opponent, and we respect Cross. If we won’t let you have it, then we’ll take it first!’ Hahaha!”
Coach Zheng’s brows were tightly furrowed. “Syndra has been banned. We can go with Orianna instead and keep Fire’s Counter pick for later. Use Viego or Nocturne for the counter.”
Commentator Xiaoyuan: “RVC has picked Ziggs as well? Looks like this is going to be a double-AP composition! Ziggs is taking the bottom lane in place of a traditional marksman, and we still haven’t seen their support pick yet…”
Coach Zheng: “It looks like their bottom lane is planning to play around lane control. They may want to hand the pace of this game over to the mid-jungle duo. Sylas can work together with Viego, while Nocturne’s ultimate can be stolen. Chen Yi, secure Viego for Fire first!”
“Okay.”
“Wait!”
Yi Xingran blurted out the interruption. Pei Du had just opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound, he froze for a moment at the sudden interruption and remained silent.
Commentator Xiaoyuan: “The pick has come back around to TheX, are they still not going to lock something in? For the mid-jungle-support combination, there aren’t many viable combinations left to consider at this point. Tsk, it looks like the coaching staff and the players are still discussing something!”
In his previous life, Yi Xingran had faced RVC before. At the time, during the play-in stage, the opposing team had unveiled what looked like a serious new strategy. It was a double-AP setup in both the mid and bottom lanes, paired with a high-damage AD, putting three carries on the field to completely maximize their damage output. The strategy had produced unexpectedly effective results, leaving Lin Zhinuo with practically nothing to do. By the late game, LCK had been completely helpless, unable to fight back.
However, this strategy also had a major weakness. In the second game, Yi Xingran had crushed the bottom lane, quickly dismantling the troublesome strategy before it could develop.
Commentator Xiaofang: “I wonder if everyone has been paying attention to the play-in matches from the day before yesterday. At the time, when RVC faced LCK, they used the same double-AP composition, but in the end, they filled out the bottom lane with Caitlyn…….”
Yi Xingran’s brows drew together slightly. “Their range is too long. Once all three carries are online, Viego can easily be kited to death. On top of that, there’s Sylas stealing our ultimate. Once a team fight breaks out, there’s a very good chance we’ll all get wiped out.”
Coach Zheng’s expression grew solemn. “But they already have a double-AP composition right now…”
“Coach!”
Yi Xingran rarely ever spoke so sharply, but there was simply too little time left on the pick timer. “Give me Kindred.”
Commentator Xiaoyuan: “Kindred! TheX is bringing out the rookie jungler’s trump card on a debut stage attracting the attention of countless viewers! They’ve locked in Kindred first!!”
Xiaofang: “This is genuinely unexpected! Everyone knows that Kindred is a jungle carry who relies extremely heavily on items and farming. They’re famous on the professional stage for their high mechanical difficulty, while their early-game fighting power is not particularly strong! Once the opposing jungler deliberately targets them with aggressive invades into their jungle, that period of early-game weakness can very easily cause the entire rhythm of the game to collapse!”
Xiaoyuan: “Could it be that TheX is planning to build their entire jungle-carry strategy around Kindred’s unique passive Marks?”
Xiaofang: “But as everyone knows! Fire is still a rookie who has been in the professional scene for less than half a year! He isn’t even a regular starter yet—he’s still technically a substitute! A player with no experience in major tournaments and no notable achievements in his career history… Is TheX really planning to place their entire bet on him alone?!”
The commentator’s voice had already risen with excitement, and at the same time, a long string of 【?????】 floated across the real-time barrage of comments from viewers watching the livestream.
【Huh? Huh?? HUH???】
【What? TheX’s coaching staff has gone crazy, right? They’re picking Kindred? How do they even dare?!】
【We’re doomed…… Not to say anything, but can this rookie not be so damn confident? Who gave him the guts to pick Kindred in his debut match?!】
【I’m laughing my ass off. Got it, got it, this game is definitely secured! The enemy jungler must already be laughing, right? The moment this champion gets picked, the enemy jungle has officially entered vacation mode!】
【I’m literally screaming, what the hell? Did they come here to give RVC a free win? His debut match has instantly turned into his retirement match! 0–17, you deserve it. The second this game ends, it’ll be #FireGetOutOfEsports!】
【Fuck, I give up! I waited all day just to camp this livestream, and this is what I get? This? Hurry up and start the next game! Don’t waste my damn time!】
【Little brother, your courage is admirable, but your intelligence is worrying—thanks to the orphan jungler Yi Xingran, once again proving today just how weak Kindred is~】
【TheX is truly blessed to have you! Are you here to refresh the team’s record for the lowest possible stats? Who the hell signed this guy?! My Cross already has it hard enough carrying four people by himself, and now he has to play 4v6 too?!】
Commentator Xiaoyuan: “Yuumi! TheX has chosen Yuumi!! Looks like they really intend to protect Kindred at all costs this game!”
Commentator Xiaofang: “Ashe!! RVC has completed their composition with Ashe, the Frost Archer!! Three carries?! Are they trying to recreate that twenty-seven-minute play-in victory where they were ahead by ten thousand gold?!”
Coach Zheng even held his breath.
They had guessed correctly!
RVC really had completed the three-carry composition!
Pei Du, whose champion had yet to be selected, remained silent the entire time, staring fixedly at the computer screen without saying a single word.
In his previous life, these were the exact three champions RVC had brought out in the second game of their play-in series.
There were changes in the top and jungle positions, but the three-carry core had remained unchanged.
Yi Xingran had also picked Kindred as a counter. After fifty grueling minutes of fighting through countless difficulties, they had only barely managed to secure the victory.
That match had exposed one particularly fatal flaw in LCK’s composition. They had nearly been wiped out outright in the middle of the game, and it was only because Yi Xingran had managed to steal the Baron that he forcibly bought the team another breath of life.
And that was—
“Not enough crowd control.”
The young man’s voice was clean and clear as it came through the headset, yet there was a faint graininess to it, making the sound seem strangely unreal amid the surrounding noise.
Yi Xingran seemed completely unaware of the commotion around him as he quietly spoke up. “Captain, can you give me a little more crowd control?”
Coach Zheng fell into thought. “You already have enough crowd control with Yuumi. As for the mid lane matchup against Sylas…”
“I can.”
“Cross?”
“Ahhh, what?!” Su Letong’s mouse cursor hovered over Akali’s champion portrait for a brief moment, and he was just a fraction of a second away from locking in the pick when he let out a startled cry.
Coach Zheng’s brows drew tightly together. “Akali’s laning pressure can coordinate with your mid-jungle synergy much better! Once the roams from the top and bottom lanes succeed, we can completely establish our tempo in the early game!”
Yi Xingran puffed out his cheeks a little, clearly reluctant. “But…”
“Go with Anivia.”
Pei Du’s cool voice came through.
On the game interface, the icon revealed the head of a bird whose entire body was pure white, its form covered in fierce, crystalline ice.
The Cryophoenix · Anivia.
The one with the revive egg.
Commentator Xiaoyuan: “The Cryophoenix! The ancient guardian deity of the frozen land of Freljord! The embodiment of Freljord itself!”
Commentator Xiaofang: “When she is killed, an era will come to an end. But when she rises again from an egg of ice, an entirely new era will begin!”
“Fury of the Storm, Frostbite, Glacial StormThe ancient phoenix was said to be reborn from its own ashes! And today! In the very first match of the regular stage of the MSI Mid-Season Invitational! Cross has once again chosen the Cryophoenix, the champion who once led his team to a World Championship title and helped him become an FMVP player who reached the peak from the very beginning of his career!”
“What makes this even more remarkable is that the Cryophoenix was also the champion Cross chose in his professional debut match! That year, he stormed directly into the sights of every contender with sixteen kills in a single game! On that day, he made everyone remember one name—Cross! Who says the LPL has no good mid laners?!”
“After several seasons of changes and adjustments, the Cryophoenix has gradually faded from the professional stage! Is Cross choosing to abandon his faith in the current meta and instead put his faith in his signature champion?”
The phoenix rises from the ashes, and the ice bird spreads its wings.
Pei Du calmly rejected Coach Zheng’s objections, his voice completely devoid of fluctuations. “I’ll cover for him.”
If the egg fell and was destroyed, the fallen phoenix would use its own corpse as the stone upon which to pave a path toward godhood.
And if the ice egg could be revived, the reborn ice bird could summon blizzards and snow to erect an unbreakable barrier, drawing the battlefield into a prison of its own making.
“Fire.”
“What?”
“I said, you can be reckless.”
The corners of Pei Du’s lips curved up slightly, his low voice carrying a seductive, almost mesmerizing quality. “I’ll cover for you.”
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← Previous
ChaptersChapter 1 · Fire the hole!Chapter 2 · Dude, I’m here to save youChapter 3 · Plaster HeadChapter 4 · I’m well behaved, I don’t talk muchChapter 5 · It’s what Cross needsChapter 6 · What are you barking like a dog?Chapter 7 · “Ah! It’s so… so damn cold~”Chapter 8 · What are you looking at, you pervert!Chapter 9 · The cat I bought for free got dirty.Chapter 10 · Oh no! I forgot to switch to a smaller account!Chapter 11 · It’s my turn to performChapter 12 · Insults? That’s slander! This is slander!Chapter 13 · He’s a very nice personChapter 14 · Hunting TimeChapter 15 · A straight man sells himselfChapter 16 · The number one person who doesn’t eat stressChapter 17 · He is so vividChapter 18 · War! War! War! Kill! Kill!Chapter 19 Part 1 · What’s wrong with guys rubbing against each other?Chapter 19 Part 2 · What’s wrong with guys rubbing against each other?