The ultimate showdown in the deciding game
The air in the esports center seemed to have been paused. The cheers from the audience suddenly faded, leaving only the dim, cold glow of the electronic screen, illuminating Lin Yu's tense profile in the competition booth. His fingertips gently caressed the edge of the phone screen, repeatedly rubbing against the image of Li Bai on the screen—a white horse shone with a silver saddle, swift as a meteor. This hero, the one he and Su Ran had first teamed up with, had now become his trump card for victory.
"Last round, let's go all out." The coach's voice came through the headset, a little hoarse. "AY's Han Xin will invade early. Guiguzi will follow Li Bai closely and defend the jungle area during the first wave."
Lin Yu nodded, his gaze fixed on the drafting interface. SG was the first to ban heroes, immediately banning Sima Yi and Ukyo. The former's full-screen support was too strong against Shiranui Mai, while the latter's burst could threaten Li Bai's development. AY's bans were equally precise, directly banning Pei Qinhu and Lu Bu, cutting off SG's core early-game invading and teamfighting capabilities.
"Go to the second floor and get Zhuge Liang," Su Ran's voice came through the microphone. On the screen, Zhuge Liang, holding a feather fan, appeared with a cyan-blue vitality effect. Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat—this was Su Ran's signature hero. Back when the two of them were staying up late practicing heroes in their rental apartment, Su Ran would always complain that Zhuge Liang's ultimate move, "Spirit Bomb," was too hard to land, and he would always say with a smile, "I'll help you keep him." But now, that tacit understanding was about to turn into a confrontation on the field.
"The third floor is locked on Li Bai." Lin Yu's voice was firm, without the slightest hesitation. When Li Bai appeared on the screen, the audience erupted in exclamations. The commentator's voice was filled with excitement: "Lin Yu picked Li Bai! This is his ultimate hero! It seems SG is relying on Li Bai's early game rhythm and late game kills to fight AY to the bitter end!"
The lineups for both teams were finalized. SG's Li Bai, Sun Shangxiang, Guan Yu, Mai Shiranui, and Guiguzi were built around a "rush + harvest" strategy. Li Bai's displacement and Guan Yu's flanking abilities could break down defenses, while Mai Shiranui and Guiguzi's control created opportunities for damage, and Sun Shangxiang provided late-game long-range burst. AY's Han Xin, Zhuge Liang, Bai Qi, Marco Polo, and Yao were deployed, relying on Han Xin's incursions to set the pace in the early game, Zhuge Liang's burst and Marco Polo's sustained damage to lead teamfights, and Yao's shield to protect the core.
"Match on!" the referee's voice fell, and Lin Yu controlled Li Bai and headed straight for his home red zone. Guiguzi followed closely behind, activating his first skill, "Hide," shrouding them both in a pale blue invisibility effect as they silently approached the red buff. Lin Yu's jungle clearing technique had a familiar rhythm—first, a basic attack triggered the red buff's passive, then using his second skill, "Inspiration," to create a sword energy circle that both debuffed the red buff and accelerated jungle clearing. This was the technique Su Ran had taught him personally.
"There's a chance in mid lane!" Mai Shiranui suddenly shouted at 2:40 into the game. On the minimap, Su Ran's Zhuge Liang had just finished clearing the third wave of minions and was moving towards the river, clearly intending to support bottom lane. Lin Yu's eyes flashed, and he controlled Li Bai to abandon the River Spirit, circling through the river bushes and heading straight for mid lane.
Zhuge Liang's attention was completely focused on the bottom lane, oblivious to the danger. When Li Bai appeared in sight, Su Ran finally reacted and tried to use Flash to escape, but it was too late. Li Bai's first skill, "Jiang Jin Jiu," had the first part of his movement close to him, and the second part of his movement sent Zhuge Liang flying. Mai Shiranui's "Flying Dragon Flame Formation" followed closely behind, with a flaming blast that reduced Zhuge Liang's health to a trickle.
"Guan Yu, support!" Lin Yu shouted.
Guan Yu, already on standby on the flank, immediately activated his ultimate, "Blade Cavalry," galloping down from the top lane and pushing Zhuge Liang, who had attempted to flash away, back into the center of the fight. Li Bai's ultimate, "Blue Lotus Sword Song," unleashed a shimmering sword shadow, which, combined with Mai Shiranui's basic attacks, instantly killed Zhuge Liang.
"First Blood!" The system prompt sounded, and cheers broke out in the SG team's voice chat. The SG fans in the audience instantly boiled over, and shouts of "Li Bai" rose one after another.
Lin Yu remained calm, controlling Li Bai to go straight to AY's red zone: "Guiguzi, follow me, Han Xin must be countering the red zone." He knew Su Ran's jungle rhythm too well - Han Xin must counter the red zone in the early stage. As long as he can defend his own jungle area and then counter the opponent's red zone, he can completely disrupt AY's rhythm.
As expected, when Li Bai and Guiguzi reached the AY red zone, Han Xin was entangled with the red buff. Li Bai's first skill, "Drinking Wine," instantly moved him in front of Han Xin, and Guiguzi's second skill, "All Things Have Spirits," precisely pulled Han Xin to his side. Han Xin tried to use his first skill, "Ruthless Charge," to escape, but Li Bai's second skill, "Masterstroke," had already created a circle of sword energy, slowing and debuffing Han Xin, and combined with his basic attacks, reduced him to low health. Finally, Li Bai's basic attack landed the final blow, taking Han Xin's life and the red buff at the same time.
"Double kill! Lin Yu's Li Bai is so bold!" the commentator shouted excitedly, "SG's gold is now up by a thousand. The early game is completely in sync!"
Su Ran sat in the battle seat, his fingers slightly tightened. He watched the countdown for Zhuge Liang's resurrection on the screen, but he remained calm. He knew Li Bai's weaknesses. Although he was strong in the early stages, he needed to rely on his ultimate to deal damage in the later stages. As long as he could limit Li Bai's development, he would find an opportunity to counterattack.
Five minutes into the game, SG, with Li Bai's invasion, successfully took down the first Tyrant, widening the gold gap to 1,500. But AY didn't give up. After Su Ran's Zhuge Liang revived, he began frequently supporting the side lanes. He used the harvesting power of his ultimate, "Spirit Bomb," to instantly kill Shiranui Mai and Guiguzi in a mid-lane teamfight. He then partnered with Han Xin in the bottom lane to kill Guan Yu, effectively closing the 500 gold gap in just three minutes.
"Watch out for Zhuge Liang's ultimate, don't let him kill you." Lin Yu reminded his teammates in the voice chat while controlling Li Bai to farm in the jungle, accumulating the sword energy for his ultimate. He knew he couldn't rush now. Without his ultimate, Li Bai would be like a "cash machine." He had to wait until the team fight started before finding an opportunity to enter the game.
Fifteen minutes into the game, the gold gap between the two teams had narrowed to 300, and the second Overlord spawned. Both teams gathered near the Overlord pit, and the atmosphere was extremely tense—whoever could capture the Overlord would seize the initiative in the game.
"Guan Yu goes around the back, Guiguzi looks for an opportunity to pull in people." Lin Yu's voice came through the microphone, with a hint of calmness. "I'll be responsible for cutting Marco Polo, Sun Shangxiang will be in the back row to deal damage, don't let Zhuge Liang steal it away."
"Got it!" the teammates responded in unison.
In the AY team's voice chat, Su Ran was also directing: "Bai Qi starts the fight first, use his ultimate to pull people in, Yao protects Marco Polo, and I'll go around and kill Sun Shangxiang."
The decisive battle was imminent. Bai Qi suddenly activated his ultimate, "Death Scythe." Dark red chains flew towards the SG group, instantly pulling Mai Shiranui, Guiguzi, and Guan Yu into the Domination Pit. Yao's "True Shield" immediately covered Marco Polo, who activated his ultimate, "Frenzy Barrage," unleashing a barrage of bullets towards the SG players. Zhuge Liang then unleashed his ultimate, "Spirit Bomb," aiming directly at Sun Shangxiang in the back row.
"Now!" Lin Yu's voice rang out. Li Bai's first skill, "Drinking Song," instantly moved him in front of Marco Polo. His second skill, "Inspiration," created a circle of sword energy, slowing and debuffing Marco Polo. Guan Yu seized the opportunity and activated his ultimate, pushing the four AY members together. Guiguzi's second skill, "All Things Have Spirits," was activated again, pulling Bai Qi and Yao Yao to his side. Shiranui Mai's "Flower and Butterfly Fan" and Sun Shangxiang's "Ultimate Crossbow" were released simultaneously, instantly killing Bai Qi and Yao Yao.
Although Su Ran's Zhuge Liang successfully killed Sun Shangxiang, he was also beaten to a low health by the damage of Li Bai and Guan Yu. He wanted to use his ultimate skill "Spirit Bomb" to harvest Li Bai, but Li Bai's ultimate skill "Blue Lotus Sword Song" was already fully charged. The moment the sword shadow fell, Zhuge Liang's health was reduced to zero.
"Team wipe! SG team wipes out AY team!" The commentator's voice was deafening. "They can take down the Overlord and push down the crystal in one wave!"
SG took advantage of the situation and took the Overlord, advancing towards AY's mid-lane high ground with their Overlord Vanguard. Although AY put up a tenacious defense, without their core damage output, they were powerless to recover. As Li Bai's sword shadow pierced AY's crystal, the system notification sounded: "SG wins! SG wins the league championship!"
The cheers at the esports center erupted like a tsunami. SG fans excitedly waved their light sticks, some even hugging each other in tears. Lin Yu took off his headphones, sweat streaming down his cheeks, and tears welled up unconsciously - he had done it. Not only did he win the championship, but he had finally defeated Su Ran on the court, fair and square.
He turned to look in the direction of Team AY. Su Ran was sitting there, clutching his phone with both hands, his fingertips white. The word "failure" on the screen was particularly glaring. Su Ran's shoulders trembled slightly, but he never looked up, as if unwilling to accept this result.
SG's teammates rushed over to hug Lin Yu, cheering and celebrating their victory, but Lin Yu's eyes remained fixed on Su Ran. He watched as Su Ran slowly removed her headphones, stood up, and hugged her teammates, a forced smile on her face, but the disappointment in her eyes was unmistakable. At that moment, Lin Yu felt like something was tugging at his heart, causing him to ache. He had won the game, but instead of feeling the joy he had imagined, he felt heartbroken.
At the awards ceremony, Lin Yu stood on the podium, accepting the heavy championship trophy. He felt the cold metal, but he wasn't thrilled at all. He subconsciously searched the crowd for Su Ran, finally spotting him in the corner of the auditorium—Su Ran leaning against the railing, a bottle of mineral water in hand, his gaze fixed on the stage, a complex expression in his eyes, his thoughts unsettled.
As soon as the award ceremony ended, Lin Yu couldn't wait to push through the celebrating crowd and ran backstage. He didn't know why he did this, but there was a voice in his heart telling him: I must see Su Ran, I must say something to him.
The backstage corridor was quiet, save for the busy footsteps of the staff. Lin Yu walked briskly, his heart pounding in his chest. His mind replayed the past memories of the two of them—nights in the rental house eating instant noodles while watching the game, the encouraging glances they exchanged during the professional tryouts, the reddened eyes they'd exchanged during their argument a year ago... He suddenly realized that his feelings for Su Ran had long since transcended friendship.
At the corner of the corridor, Lin Yu finally saw the familiar figure. Su Ran was leaning against the wall, head down, fingers unconsciously stroking the label of the mineral water bottle. Her hair was a little messy, and she looked tired and lost.
"Su Ran." Lin Yu summoned up his courage and called out.
Su Ran stiffened at the sound and slowly raised his head. Time seemed to stand still as their eyes met. Lin Yu felt even more pained when he saw the bloodshot in Su Ran's eyes. He knew that Su Ran had put in just as much effort as he had for this match.
"Congratulations on winning the championship." Su Ran spoke first, his voice a little hoarse, with a barely perceptible choke.
"You played very well, too." Lin Yu walked up to Su Ran, his hands unconsciously clenched. "In that game just now... your Zhuge Liang was amazing. You almost pushed us into desperate situations several times."
Su Ran smiled, a bit bitterly: "I still lost. But I'm very happy to see you win the championship." He paused and added, "Really."
Lin Yu was stunned. He hadn't expected Su Ran to say that. Guilt instantly washed over him, and the scene of their argument a year ago surfaced in his mind—the day they argued fiercely over a tactical disagreement, and he impulsively said, "Don't contact me again," and he never dared to contact Su Ran again.
"Su Ran, I'm sorry." Lin Yu's voice was a little choked. "A year ago, I was too impulsive and shouldn't have said those words to you. I wanted to send you WeChat messages several times later, but I didn't dare to click send."
Su Ran paused, his eyes becoming complicated. "It's all in the past. Actually, I was wrong back then too. I shouldn't have been angry with you and stopped contacting you." He lowered his head and his voice became quieter. "Every time I watch you play, I want to cheer you on, but I don't know how to tell you."
The corridor fell silent, with only the sound of their breathing. Lin Yu looked at the top of Su Ran's head, his heartbeat getting faster and faster. He took a deep breath, as if he had made some kind of decision. He raised his head and looked Su Ran seriously into his eyes: "Su Ran, I like you. Not the kind of like between friends, but the kind of like that I want to be with you."
Su Ran suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide open, as if he couldn't believe his ears. His cheeks flushed instantly, and his lips moved, but no words came out.
"I've liked you since our first game together." Lin Yu's voice was trembling, but he was remarkably firm. "At that time, I didn't dare to say it because I was afraid it would affect our friendship and I was also afraid that you wouldn't like me. Later, during the year we were apart, I thought about you every day and the days we spent together."
Su Ran's heart was beating fast. He looked at Lin Yu's serious eyes, and his eyes suddenly reddened. In fact, he had already liked Lin Yu for a long time. He remembered the first time they teamed up, when Lin Yu used Li Bai to block the opponent's skills to protect his Zhuge Liang; he remembered when he failed the professional selection, Lin Yu hugged him and said, "Let's try again"; he remembered every time they practiced heroes late at night, Lin Yu would silently make him a cup of hot milk... These images were already etched in his heart.
"I... I like you too." Su Ran's voice was very low, but it reached Lin Yu's ears clearly.
Lin Yu was stunned, then overjoyed. He hugged Su Ran tightly, as if to rub him into his body: "Su Ran, I'm so happy! I thought... I thought you didn't like me."
Su Ran was a little breathless in Lin Yu's embrace, but she didn't push him away. He reached out and gently hugged Lin Yu's waist, feeling his warm body temperature and strong heartbeat. The light in the corridor softly shone on the two of them, gilding their love with a layer of golden light.
"From now on, we will never be separated again, okay?" Lin Yu whispered in Su Ran's ear.
Su Ran leaned on Lin Yu's shoulder, nodded, and said with a choked voice: "Okay."
Moonlight streamed in through the corridor window, illuminating the two figures embracing. A year of waiting and misunderstanding finally came to a successful conclusion on this championship night. And their story had only just begun.
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