Chapter 6, "Little bastard".
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
As the Spring Festival approaches, red lanterns are hung cheerfully on the utility poles along the roadside.
Nan Zhiyi received an invitation to Stars' annual meeting as usual. He didn't want to attend, but Sister Li—his manager Zhang Li—insisted that he come, saying that a big boss would be there that night. The other party was interested in collaborating with Stars on ROE-related matters, and he had to attend as their representative.
In addition, Sister Li gave him an important task: to go on stage and sing a song.
Unable to refuse the other party's repeated requests, Nan Zhiyi reluctantly went up to sing an old song during the performance segment, singing off-key four or five times.
Due to the nature of their company, their annual meeting program will be broadcast live across the entire internet. When Nan Zhiyi put down the microphone, she really wanted to dig a hole and bury herself right there on the spot.
However, he still received a warm welcome from the audience. After stepping off the stage, he was grabbed by more than a dozen unfamiliar anchors who wanted to take photos with him. As he walked, he couldn't find his original spot anymore.
In the end, Tao Xing rescued him from the crowd and pulled him to his own table.
The people sitting at this table were mostly streamers who played ROE, but they were relatively small. Nan Zhiyi looked around and, apart from Tao Xing, only recognized Tang Yuan, who had dyed yellow hair and a thin face, so she nodded to him.
Since she didn't know most of the people present, and her mood wasn't too good, Nan Zhiyi sat down and started eating her meal while listening to the others chat.
When a group of people who play video games get together, they don't have many topics to talk about.
Soon, people started talking about the World Championship finals three months ago.
"We were up 2-0, and I really thought we could win."
"Who says otherwise? When we were at three match points, I ordered barbecue takeout. When it arrived, there were only two pieces left. I ate half of it, and they tied the game. Who could possibly eat that?"
Tangyuan then added, "Actually, the main problem is that there's a mole inside."
After he finished speaking, everyone was stunned for a moment, but then they all chuckled.
Among those present, besides Nan Zhiyi, Tangyuan had the most fans.
"If you ask me, our Little God of Travel is just spoiled by the league." Tangyuan saw everyone laughing and looked very pleased, so he continued to talk, "Look, he went against his own boss, but when he looked back, CG was still CG. The number one team in the league has the traffic, so it doesn't matter whether he's there or not."
Nan Zhiyi paused in her act of picking up food.
After yux vanished, knowledgeable people in the industry sprang up like mushrooms after rain, some posting videos, others writing articles, elaborating on the harm his presence caused to the entire CG team, saying he was arrogant and wouldn't listen to advice, and that he seemed like a core member but was actually a cancer in the team.
Otherwise, why would they have brought in the newcomer xww? Since the start of the Spring Split, the team has not only maintained stable performance but also improved its atmosphere.
But when did glutinous rice balls become like this? Nan Zhiyi wondered.
During previous live streams to watch the game, he always claimed to be "yux's number one fan".
"He just has that kind of face, and a bunch of female fans fawn over him every day, and he actually thinks he's someone important—"
"when"!
Suddenly, the person sitting opposite Tangyuan slammed the bowl in their hand heavily onto the table.
Tangyuan paused in her speech.
"Could you... watch your mouth?" the man said, frowning. He was probably too nervous and even stammered, "The other person didn't do anything to you, did they?"
The speaker was a thin, fair-skinned boy with black hair, wearing glasses, who at first glance looked like a high school student.
Tangyuan paused for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Oh dear, I forgot, we have a big star's fan at our table."
"Oh no, this is a little scary." He clicked his tongue and said, "Brother, don't report me, I don't want to become Brother Qiu 2.0."
It's unusual that Qiu Cheng didn't receive an invitation this year, especially for a blogger with nearly ten million followers.
It's obvious that it's probably because he offended Yux's fans before.
Upon hearing this, the black-haired boy blushed instantly.
His hand on the table clenched into a fist, but everyone around him was looking at him and laughing, as if he were the only odd one out in the group.
Just then, someone nearby spoke up: "Is there something wrong with what he said?"
The table suddenly fell silent.
Nan Zhiyi had already put down his chopsticks. He was dressed casually today, without makeup, and his short hair was a little messy. When he sat quietly in his seat, he looked like a harmless animal.
Even when they speak, their tone is gentle and mild.
He looked at Tangyuan and asked, "Did you lose the finals because Yux didn't carry the team?"
The streamers who had been laughing earlier were now looking at each other in bewilderment.
The black-haired boy loosened his fist. He gave Nan Zhiyi a grateful look.
Tangyuan was also stunned, clearly not expecting Nan Zhiyi to pull this stunt.
After a while, he suddenly burst into laughter, looking completely shameless: "Hahaha, after all that, it turned out to be a huge misunderstanding! Brother Yi, those fans are always stirring up trouble for you, I thought you and Xiao Youshen didn't get along!"
"Come on, everyone, fill up your glasses." Tangyuan stood up and called to the others, "Brother Yi, let's toast you! Please don't take what we said earlier to heart!"
Nan Zhiyi frowned: "No need, I don't drink. I didn't take what you said to heart."
Tangyuan was caught in a bit of a dilemma, neither quite satisfied nor dissatisfied.
"...Oh well, it's the New Year, we should enjoy ourselves!" He had no choice but to bite the bullet and pretend nothing was wrong, quickly filling his glass. "Guys, I'll drink this one first!"
Nan Zhiyi remained seated, not moving.
Tangyuan tilted her head back and downed the wine in her glass, then stood awkwardly in place, unsure whether to stand or sit.
He didn't move, and Nan Zhiyi also remained still.
finally.
"Small surprises?"
Someone patted him on the back, breaking the deadlock.
Nan Zhiyi turned around. Sister Li arrived at just the right time, standing behind him with a wine glass in her hand: "Come with me for a moment."
Tangyuan was taken aback and stared at him with a probing look.
Zhang Li led Nan Zhiyi away from the dinner table.
"Was that Tangyuan from the Millennium Guild?" she asked in a low voice. "Did you two have a falling out?"
Nan Zhiyi tried hard to put Tangyuan's words out of his mind. He laughed and said, "It's okay, sis, it's nothing."
"It's good that you're alright." Zhang Li nodded. "Come with me... the big boss specifically asked to see you."
Zhang Li led him around the venue, finally stopping behind a man with long blond hair and a suit.
She quickly switched to a radiant smile and called out, "Young Master You."
Upon hearing this, the man turned around.
—Nan Zhiyi was completely unprepared.
The moment he saw the man's face clearly, he felt as if he had been hit hard on the head.
“This is Young Master You, You Qing. You must know him, right? A big star.” Zhang Li introduced him to Nan Zhiyi with a smile, “The new investor in CG, and he was even invited to be a commentator at a competition last year.”
After saying that, he introduced to You Qing, "Young Master You, this is a small token of my appreciation."
You Qing, looking quite interested in Nan Zhiyi, narrowed her long, fox-like eyes and said, "Hello."
After a long pause, I finally received a somewhat stiff reply: "...Hello."
You Qing laughed: "The little kid seems a bit afraid of me."
He spoke in a very easygoing tone, but his overly sculpted features and even his aura made him appear quite aggressive. Yet, at the same time, he also had a pair of very expressive eyes.
Nan Zhiyi saw his fans praising him online, calling him "the nation's number one affectionate eye".
But he always felt that anyone who truly knew You Qing would never associate him with the word "deep affection".
—You Qing, who rose to fame at a young age, starred in a film directed by a well-known director when he was 15. Recently, he seems to be showing signs of wanting to cross over into investment. Not long ago, he made a high-profile announcement of becoming a partner of the CG team's Eternal Rebirth division.
Across half a table, You Qing stared at him. Nan Zhiyi didn't avoid his gaze; he bit his lip, remaining silent.
Seeing this, Zhang Li, though not understanding what had happened, instinctively defended the anchor she was in charge of: "The child is inexperienced and is meeting people he usually only sees on TV for the first time, so he must be nervous."
You Qing smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
He smiled at Zhang Li and said, "I have something I'd like to talk to him about alone. Please."
After Zhang Li left, You Qing took an empty wine glass from the table, poured it into a glass that was more than half full of wine, and handed it to Nan Zhiyi: "Would you like some?"
"No."
As soon as Zhang Li left, Nan Zhiyi stopped hiding her expression altogether.
He frowned: "What do you want to talk to me about?"
"Don't be so formal, we're not strangers." You Qing withdrew her hand, took a small sip of her glass, seemingly unaffected by his tone. "When you see me, aren't you even a little curious, or have any questions for me?"
"for example?"
“For example,” You Qing paused lightly, “where is our player Yux now, what is he doing, and why did he suddenly disappear for so long?”
Nan Zhiyi admitted that the other party had piqued his interest.
"...You know?"
“Of course I know, I’m practically a part-owner of CG now,” You Qing said. “He probably didn’t tell you, right? No, I guess he’s just too embarrassed to tell you.”
"—He's planning to retire, did you know?"
The person in front of him was moving his lips. Nan Zhiyi guessed that he must have just told a huge joke, because he found that the corners of his mouth were uncontrollably turning up.
Retired? Who? Yux?
...Isn't that a bit too ridiculous?
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” You Qing carefully observed his expression, then put down her glass, took out her phone from her pocket, and unlocked the screen. “You can see for yourself what he said.”
He placed his phone in front of Nan Zhiyi; the screen displayed a text message chat history.
The contact's name in the notes clearly reads "My dear younger brother".
You're absolutely right. There's really no need for me to continue playing. I have many paths to take in life, not just a career.
-I never need a world championship to prove the meaning of my life.
- Well then, congratulations! You've finally seen the truth of life.
Don't reply to me anymore.
You disgust me.
-
Nan Zhiyi couldn't remember how he walked around most of the venue and got back to his seat. He sat down and then spaced out. It seemed like someone was speaking to him, but he didn't hear a single word.
After a while, he found a wine bottle in front of him, which was mostly empty.
Tao Xing sat down next to him without him noticing, looking at him with concern. She seemed about to say something several times, but then stopped herself.
...
Nan Zhiyi's first reaction upon returning home was to feel nauseous.
He staggered up to the second floor, returned to his room, rushed into the toilet, and vomited everything in his stomach into the toilet bowl.
The next day, he was woken up by his alarm clock.
The hangover hit, and his head throbbed with pain.
Nan Zhiyi, still half asleep, picked up her phone and took a look.
[Alarm clock, 19:40 - Live broadcast.]
He remembered getting home and going to bed around 2 a.m. He actually slept straight through until the next evening?!
Nan Zhiyi jumped up, vowing in her heart that she would never drink recklessly again, while enduring her discomfort, quickly washing up and getting ready, and sitting neatly in front of the computer in the study before eight o'clock.
He started the live stream first.
However, when he adjusted the camera and looked up at the screen, he found that the chat in the live stream was not chatting and greeting him as usual.
[You still have the nerve to do a live stream?? Are you just trying to freeload??]
[Has someone been playing the fan for over two years? Is this the end of the act? Showing their true colors?]
[...It's just that the players are taking a break for a while, and all sorts of strange things are popping up. Do they really think game fans have no complaints?]
[Xiaoyi, what exactly happened? Can you explain it to us?]
Nan Zhiyi: "...???"
He looked bewildered and subconsciously opened his phone, only to find five missed calls from "Sister Li," sixteen missed calls from "Pigeon," and hundreds of bombarding WeChat messages.
An ominous premonition rose in his heart.
Just then, a new text message notification popped up.
[Sister Li: Why are you livestreaming at this time? ??? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ]
[Sister Li: I'm ending the broadcast now. We'll talk later if anything comes up.]
Nan Zhiyi vaguely guessed what was going on. He tapped three times before finally opening Weibo on his phone.
He had already seen his name before even opening the trending topics page.
—Side by side with another name I least wanted to see, highlighted in red, hanging together in a blazing light for who knows how many times.
#Angel's Will yux#
...Nan Zhiyi really couldn't imagine what else in this world could connect them together.
It can't be that Yux, who disappeared for three months, suddenly reappears holding a sign with the three big characters "Angel's Will" written on it, right?
He took a deep breath and clicked on the entry.
What immediately catches the eye is a Weibo post that has already been forwarded tens of thousands of times.
[@EsportsXiaoGuai: Drunk and outspoken? Stars' annual meeting is a bombshell! A streamer with millions of fans bluntly says yux is an idiot! ...]
Nan Zhiyi had no interest in reading the rest of the text.
He simply put on his headphones and clicked on the video at the bottom.
The video was shot from a strange angle. The environment was dark, but the person in the center of the frame was clearly recognizable: short cream-colored hair, wearing a fluffy coat, and looking obviously drunk. He wasn't facing the person filming, but rather tilting his head, lying on the table, and staring blankly without moving.
That was him.
It was noisy all around, with many people talking, but their voices seemed to have been specially processed, with a strange electrical sound.
"...I don't think so..."
“…Yux? Him? He’s just…hahahaha…”
Suddenly, as if she had heard a key word in the conversation, Nan Zhiyi looked up.
"You Xin?" he asked, his voice thick with drunkenness. "Are you talking about You Xin?"
A moment of silence fell over the surroundings. But Nan Zhiyi was completely unaware.
He suddenly laughed: "You're right... he's a bad guy, an idiot, um... a little bastard."
As they were talking, the person in the video seemed to be struck by something, and their emotions suddenly became agitated.
He lowered his hand that had been supporting his chin and slammed it loudly on the table. He said in a serious tone, enunciating each word clearly, "You big bastard."
The video abruptly ended.
Nam Ji-yi, off-screen: "………………"
His mind went blank. An uncontrollable heat spread rapidly across his face.
What am I saying?
What did I just say?
I have absolutely no recollection of it...
He looked up and saw a screen full of [???], [Were you just browsing Weibo?], [Did you black out from being drunk? You only just realized what you said?], [Wait, what are you blushing about??]
"..."
Nan Zhiyi frantically threw away her phone, covered the camera, and abruptly ended the live stream as if fleeing for her life.
A note from the author:
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We'll meet in the next chapter! Yay! [pats head][pats head]
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