It didn’t seem to be of much use.
“You’re the one hitting people! Why are you hiding behind me?!”
“F*ck, if you don’t know how to play, then don’t play. You’re so good at selling out teammates—how much did you get paid by the other side?”
Wen Zhe frowned. He could clearly hear the insults coming from the other person’s headset and it wasn’t just one person.
“F*ck! If you’ve got the guts, let’s 1v1! Running into you three sneaky bastards in solo queue is the worst ‘luck’ I’ve ever had in my life—three pieces of ‘bad luck’!”
The word “DEFEAT” flashed across the screen of the person sitting next to Wen Zhe. The person tore off their headset and slammed it onto the table with a loud thud, taking a deep breath before gritting their teeth and muttering, “What kind of f*cking…”
Wen Zhe waited for the person to calm down before gently patting their shoulder. “Hey…”
“?”
The person turned their head, and a sharp gaze from behind the mask swept over Wen Zhe. “What do you want?”
Their eyes were rather nice-looking.
That was Wen Zhe’s first impression of this person.
“Could you keep it down a bit?”
After Wen Zhe said this, the other person fell silent for a few seconds. Wen Zhe watched as the face beneath the mask flushed red all the way to the ears. The person lowered their head, hair falling over their eyes, and their voice gradually softened. “Sorry, I’ll be more careful.”
Wen Zhe was about to say something when he was interrupted by a sudden party invitation pop-up on the other person’s computer screen.
“4v4 custom match, got the guts to challenge us three??”
The person stared at the message in the party invitation, their left hand clenched into a tighter and tighter fist on the table, before resolutely clicking “Accept.”
Wen Zhe glanced at the screen and saw that as soon as the person joined the party, the chat inside filled up. The other side didn’t hold back their contemptuous tone, spamming over a dozen middle-finger emojis.
[Why is it just you alone? If you don’t call anyone else, don’t say we’re bullying you~]
The person scoffed, moving the cursor to the chat box to reply, but Wen Zhe stopped them. “Need more people?”
“What?” The person turned around, momentarily stunned, processing Wen Zhe’s words before nodding subconsciously. “Yeah, but I can handle it alone.”
Before the other person could finish saying “it’s fine,” Wen Zhe memorized the room number, typed it in, and confirmed—all in one smooth motion. Seeing the sudden appearance of a low-level account, the three opponents became even more mocking.
[Inviting someone who hasn’t even reached ‘Above Average’ rank? That’s really funny.]
This time, before the other person could speak, Wen Zhe typed:
[Enough talk. Let’s start.]
“What role do you play?” Wen Zhe asked, looking at the person beside him.
“Assassin.”
Entering the character selection phase, Wen Zhe hovered his mouse over the Assassin option, hesitating for a moment before clicking on the Warrior next to it. “Alright, I’ll play Warrior.”
As the match began, the opponents didn’t choose the usual Four Seasons map but instead selected the Arena map used for 1v1 matches.
The arena expanded as more players entered, but for five people, it was still somewhat cramped.
Apart from Wen Zhe, all four other players had exclusive weapons. Looking at his own character’s somewhat rusty greatsword in the game, Wen Zhe gave a slight, bitter smile. As expected, the three opponents who talked more than they played started picking at every little thing again.
[Oho, bringing a basic weapon? How do you plan to fight with that?]
[Yeah, yeah, later you’ll probably say we won unfairly.]
[That piece of junk—might as well sell it to contribute to my weapon, hahaha!]
The person beside him took a deep breath, opened the all-chat mic, and fired back at the opponents: “Why do you talk so much? Have you spent eight lifetimes as animals without ever speaking or something?”
“You idiot! Are you just looking for trouble? You’re the real animal! Moron!”
The other side also turned on their open mic, not wanting to be at a disadvantage, but their insults kept cycling through the same few words.
“Is that all you’ve got? When it comes to cursing, you should learn from your daddy. How come my three sons didn’t pick up the essence? All you know is ‘idiot, idiot’—people might think you’re singing your hit single, ‘The Idiot Song.'”
Wen Zhe chuckled softly. Cursing truly was an art.
Seeing they couldn’t outmatch the person beside them, the opponents shifted their focus to Wen Zhe.
【Not saying a word, where did this pretty boy come from? Could he be the idiot’s girl?】
【Girl, come with us instead. We’re definitely better than him.】
【Yeah, the four of us would be way more fun than being with him～】
“Brother…” At some point, Wen Zhe had also turned on his open mic. His low laughter crackled through the audio, sending a noticeable shiver through the others. “Since when can animals talk?”
“Even if they can talk, their ears don’t work, and their eyes are blind. Quite a failed evolution, I’d say.”
Well… this one was on another level when it came to insults.
Before the three of them muted their mics, they left one last message—
“You two better watch out!”
Wen Zhe raised an eyebrow. The only response they got was the sound of his keyboard clacking.
He maneuvered his character forward swiftly, his greatsword already charged up unnoticed. He leaped into the air, catching the opponents off guard. Seizing the moment, Wen Zhe spoke up, “I’ll give you two choices.”
“1. Die right now, game over.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the sword’s energy blast sent the three stumbling backward, forcing them to leap into the air and land on the edge of the circular platform.
“Looks like you chose the second option.”
Wen Zhe didn’t give them a chance to react, closing the distance instantly until he was right in front of them. “Struggle to dodge this attack, then die.”
The greatsword swept across their abdomens. Stunned by the sword’s energy, their bellies burst open as they plummeted from the edge of the platform. “Game over.”
What the hell… is this a warrior?!
The person beside him stared at Wen Zhe in disbelief. “You…”
“Sorry, it’s been a while since I played a warrior. A bit rusty.”
Wen Zhe wore an apologetic expression, leaving the other momentarily stunned. “Warrior isn’t your main class?”
“Nope, but I think I’ll be maining warrior from now on. Feels pretty good.”
The look of shock on the other’s face lingered in Wen Zhe’s mind. He chuckled softly, snapping back to reality as he watched Jian Yao, completely absorbed in the game.
Jian Yao had never known that Wen Zhe didn’t originally main warrior.
It wasn’t until the victory screen popped up that Jian Yao glanced back and realized Wen Zhe wasn’t searching for anything.
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
“Yeah, I found it!” Wen Zhe’s gaze fixed intently on Jian Yao as he continued softly, “Found a kid who plays with passion but is surprisingly shy.”
“Thump—thump—”
Jian Yao felt a bit dazed, afraid he might lose himself in this indescribable emotion. He averted his eyes and asked, “What was it you wanted to tell me after the match?”
“Before that,” Wen Zhe said, bringing his right hand from behind his back, “can’t forget the birthday gift.”
“Thank you!” Jian Yao accepted it with both hands and, under Wen Zhe’s watchful gaze, unwrapped the somewhat clumsily wrapped package.
A thick notebook with a distinctly “creative” cover appeared before him. He picked it up and flipped through a few pages. “Is this… a desk calendar?”
“Hmm, it’s nothing expensive. Just remember to tear off one page each day—don’t rip them all off at once, or it’ll lose its charm.” Wen Zhe scratched his head. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, but I couldn’t just buy you hundreds of masks, could I?”
“Well… that might not be such a bad idea?” Jian Yao replied, still a bit dazed, as he continued flipping through the desk calendar in his hands. It was less like a calendar and more like a notebook—thick and substantial.
It didn’t just have dates; it also included some Chaser strategies (?) and special reminders.
*Remember to carry an umbrella during the rainy season. I’ve already predicted the dark clouds on the weather forecast.
*The weather is humid and stuffy. Stay calm and don’t get impatient.
It looked handwritten…
“Did you make this yourself?” A dreamlike thought surfaced in Jian Yao’s mind, and he looked at Wen Zhe with disbelief.
“If I said yes… would you be disappointed?”
Before the words fully left his mouth, a sudden force nearly knocked Wen Zhe off balance.
“You…”
Wen Zhe’s pupils contracted slightly as he struggled to control his breathing.
The warmth in his arms, not his own, surged against his chest.
Even though he was the one being caught off guard…
He was the one who now wanted to ask for more…
But not yet. Not now.
“Thank you, Wen Zhe.”
Jian Yao nuzzled lightly against Wen Zhe’s shoulder. He felt a small patch of dampness on his shoulder, and the voice from the person in his arms was soft, tinged with a nasal tone. “I really like it.”
Wen Zhe opened his mouth slightly but said nothing. Instead, he raised a hand and gently ruffled Jian Yao’s hair.
The moving images on the computer screen reminded them both that time was slipping away.
The person in his arms lowered his head, feeling embarrassed, and pulled back from Wen Zhe’s embrace. “S-sorry…”
“I don’t think this is something you need to apologize for…” Wen Zhe pulled Jian Yao back into his arms, resting his head on Jian Yao’s shoulder, his voice slightly hoarse. “That was your sneak attack just now. Now it’s my turn to ‘get even.'”
“Suddenly, I feel like those words aren’t right for now. Wait a little longer for me.”
Wen Zhe tightened his arms, his fingertips turning white from the pressure. Yet, afraid of burdening the other with his emotions, his movements remained restrained and stiff.
When the crowds roar, when they stand side by side at the peak,
He would declare it to the whole world.
“Okay…” Jian Yao placed his hands on Wen Zhe’s back, mimicking the gentle pats Wen Zhe had given him. “No rush. I’ll wait for you.”
“See, I told you they were here!” Su Ze’s voice suddenly rang out. “Captain! Xiao Yao! We’ve been looking for you!”
Jian Yao quickly pulled away, his face flushed red as he scratched his head.
The members of AFG filed out from backstage, and Su Ze enthusiastically waved at the two. “Victory celebration! Come on, hurry up!”
Wen Zhe glanced at the still-embarrassed “kitten” and slung an arm over Jian Yao’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”
A large group arrived at the hotpot restaurant entrance, quickly drawing the attention of passersby and fans.
Within five minutes, the hashtag: 【A Stunning Sight at the Hotpot Restaurant】 quickly climbed to the top of the trending list.
【What is this?! The AFG male model team!】
【Wait for me! I’m on my way!】
【Don’t bother waiting, AFG already booked the whole place. The owner won’t let anyone in after the last table finishes.】
【What?! Let me at least take a look from outside! TT】
After all the AFG members entered the restaurant, the owner tactfully closed the doors.
All the fans were blocked outside the door. They had hoped to catch a glimpse through the windows, but with a swift “swish—” sound, all the curtains inside the shop were drawn shut.
Ruthless, absolutely heartless…
Wen Zhe observed the situation outside through a gap, knowing full well that the fans wouldn’t leave easily. He sent a message on Weimo.
【Wen Z: Everyone, go home. Be good.】
Outside the shop, cheers and screams erupted. Bold fans shouted toward the interior: “Hubby, we’ll listen to you! We’re super good!”
“Hahahaha, we’re the best-behaved fans! Everyone, let’s disperse.”
The fan community is a strange yet fascinating collective. A group of people from all over the country, who don’t even know each other, share a common love for the same team, and it’s as if they’ve reached some unspoken understanding:
If one person suggests leaving, the whole group starts to move. Soon, the area outside the shop returned to normal.
This is also why passersby often appreciate AFG and their fans. They don’t cause a fuss, they’re easy to manage.
“Like master, like followers”—this saying is perfectly embodied in AFG and their fans.
Watching the crowd disperse, Wen Zhe allowed a slight smile to curl at the corner of his lips. After taking his seat, he turned on the front camera and started the live stream.