This chapter is brought to you by Fatima, thanks for the ko-fi! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
Chapter 61 – A Room.
During the shoot, the director instructed all four team members to stand on the steps, arranged in a staggered formation.
For the past two years, Tan Mo had always stood in the center position, but this year, Sang Ye was placed at the front.
The official reason given was “visual appeal,” but Sang Ye knew that for a rookie like him, this was a significant mark of recognition.
So, he took his place at the front of the stairs, becoming the first focal point of the camera.
“Imagine yourself as a warrior, a killer—emotionless. Maintain a proud stance. Follow the camera with your eyes wherever it moves, and then look away at just the right moment. Yes, yes, that’s the feeling I want!”
The chief director controlled the scene with a megaphone, guiding the players to achieve the effect he wanted.
When filming the tournament MV, smiling was not allowed—the colder, the better. The camera angles were often shot from a low position, requiring everyone to slightly lift their chins and look down at the camera, creating a “kingly disdain” expression.
Having previously modeled for Mercedes, Sang Ye was no stranger to the camera. He never looked nervous in front of it. His usual impression was already one of coldness and arrogance, so when the filming started, he didn’t even need to act. Just standing by the handrail, he effortlessly delivered exactly what the director wanted.
Sang Ye nailed it in one take, making the shoot incredibly smooth. The director, watching the monitor, kept nodding in approval.
At the back, Tan Mo, who was the final highlight, proved that a male model is truly a male model—he made every shot look like a high-end fashion commercial.
WLG’s shoot took about half an hour, covering two locations and some additional footage before Catch22 took over.
The WLG team gathered under a giant sunshade, drinking water and resting.
Xiao Pai wiped his face with the hem of his shirt and complained, “I really hate those low-angle shots. Even my chiseled face looks big!”
Sang Ye instinctively reached for his shirt to wipe his sweat, only to notice Tan Mo watching him.
“……”
Sang Ye hesitated, then let go of his shirt and obediently grabbed a paper towel instead.
Hu Fu took a sip of water and said to Xiao Pai, “Worried about looking big on camera? I’ve got experience with that. Here, let me teach you a trick…”
As he spoke, he sucked in the flesh on both sides of his cheeks, making his face appear slightly more sunken. However, he overdid it, ending up with a goldfish pout.
Xiao Pai smacked Hu Fu on the shoulder. “You sneaky bast*rd!”
Hu Fu let out a mischievous laugh.
Xiap Pai glanced between Sang Ye and Tan Mo, feeling envious. “You two are both flawless from every angle. No wonder luxury fashion brands are investing in esports clubs—whenever we shoot promotional photos or videos, you guys make the rest of us, who don’t rely on our looks, feel so pressured. Totally unfair!”
“Shallow,” Sang Ye remarked. He had been beautiful since childhood and was used to it, so he didn’t care. He simply looked toward the filming set and said, “Looks are fleeting…”
Xiao Pai: “You’re a hardcore face con.”
Sang Ye pursed his lips, choosing not to argue. He lowered his head and played with his phone before finally muttering:
“Is it my fault for being good-looking? Stop attacking my appearance.”
“……”
Xiao Pai looked at Sang Ye with an indescribable expression.
Hu Fu joined in the fun, saying, “With genes as strong as yours, I can’t even imagine what kind of offspring you’ll produce in the future.”
“Exactly, exactly!” Xiao Pai suddenly became excited, as if reminded of something. “Forget about Bai Mao for now, he’s still young. I haven’t even successfully held hands with a female streamer yet… But brother, you’re already twenty-four! The ones who are ambitious already have kids! How are you still single?”
Sang Ye’s finger, which had been scrolling on his phone, suddenly stopped.
“I’m twenty-three by birth age, twenty-four by traditional age—plus seven days.” Tan Mo, leaning against the central pole of the umbrella, was very precise about his age. He added, “And what does it matter to you whether I’m single or holding a kid? Pressuring people to get married—might as well get struck by lightning.”
Sang Ye’s tension eased slightly, and he resumed scrolling through the forum.
“Brother, that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Xiao Pai stubbornly turned his head to look up at Tan Mo. “Are you really uninterested in women, or is it just that you don’t have the right connections? If it’s a lack of resources, I can introduce someone to you.”
Sang Ye shot Xiao Pai a glance—one sharp enough to kill.
Xiao Pai remained oblivious, busy digging out his phone. He enthusiastically scrolled through his photo album, saying, “My cousin—absolute beauty, Ivy League graduate, just came back to China. She’s only two years younger than you. Take a look at her picture first, and if there’s a spark, I can…”
—”I object!”
“……”
Xiao Pai hadn’t even finished his sentence before getting an objection. He turned his head in surprise—Sang Ye had suddenly stood up, stiff as a board.
Hu Fu also looked over, bewildered. “……”
Only then did Sang Ye realize he had overreacted. Under the strange gazes of the two, his face turned red, and he quickly sat back down.
The atmosphere grew awkward—some were embarrassed, others were confused.
Only Tan Mo remained unbothered, leaning calmly against the umbrella pole. He lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his shoe, a barely noticeable smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
“What are you objecting to?” Xiao Pai was completely lost, intimidated by Sang Ye’s tone. He cautiously asked, “What? Do you also have a cousin you want to introduce to Tan Shen?”
“……”
That’s not what this is about at all!
Sang Ye hastily rubbed his burning face, lowered his head, and muttered in a slightly guilty tone, “You’re not allowed to set Talk up with a girlfriend!”
Yu Haotian was in the middle of sending a voice message when he heard Sang Ye’s words. His hand shook, and the half-recorded message was sent out prematurely.
What just happened?
What did he miss?
Was his eighteen-year-old boss lady finally waking up to reality?!
Ahhhhhh, don’t tell me they’re going to go public before the intercontinental tournament?! The pressure on him is insane!
“OHHHHHHHHHHH~” Hu Fu felt like he had figured something out and immediately started hyping it up.
“Oh, come on!” Xiao Pai slapped his thigh, laughing. “I gotta say, you’re one hell of a possessive wife fan. Controlling the heavens, the earth, and now even your idol’s love life? My brother isn’t even some pop idol—why the hell are you restricting his dating freedom?”
Sang Ye gritted his teeth, rubbing his sweaty palms against his pants, nearly unable to hold onto his phone. He was frantically thinking of how to explain himself.
When someone tried to set Talk up with a girlfriend, he had to be the first to oppose it—because that was what they had agreed on while texting on Talk’s birthday night.
Just as Sang Ye was blushing furiously, he suddenly felt a gentle touch on his ear. A smooth, warm fingertip lightly hooked around it, sending a tingling sensation down his skin.
Tan Mo looked down at that soft, milky-white head, lazily teasing Sang Ye’s ear, as if playing with a puppy.
Yet, his words were directed at Xiao Pai: “If he says no, then no. You don’t need to bother anymore.”
Xiao Pai: “?”
Hu Fu’s voice shot up an octave. “OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~”
At first glance, Tan Mo’s words sounded reasonable, and Sang Ye let out a sigh of relief. But in the next second, he straightened his back, suddenly lifted his head to look at Tan Mo, pursed his lips, and cast an accusatory glance.
What do you mean by “if he doesn’t allow it, then he doesn’t allow it”?
That made it sound like he was the one refusing!
He still had the message history as proof!
Xiao Pai started to feel a bit lost and asked Tan Mo, “Wait, brother, you don’t have to spoil Bai Mao like this, right? If he never gives in, are you just never going to date either?”
Hearing this, Tan Mo’s hand paused for a moment. He lifted his gaze to look at Sang Ye.
Sang Ye met those fan-shaped peach blossom eyes, and his heart skipped a beat.
For some reason, his mouth felt dry.
He, too, began to feel curious and even looked forward to the answer.
“Alright, alright.” Just then, Yu Haotian put away his phone and walked in, slapping Xiao Pai on the back and pushing him forward. “Stop talking nonsense. Someone came to call you guys—you’re supposed to film a scene with Catch22.”
The atmosphere instantly relaxed, and everyone’s expressions varied.
Sang Ye quickly turned his head away and took big gulps of water to cover up.
“You’re such a buzzkill!” Xiao Pai stumbled forward from the push and turned back to complain to Yu Haotian in dissatisfaction. “I was this close to uncovering the juiciest scandal in the esports scene this year, and then you had to interrupt!”
“A scandal?” Yu Haotian put his hands on his hips, laughing in exasperation. “What scandal? You mean our team captain and the rookie player slowly developing feelings over time and falling for each other?”
“Pfft—!!!”
Sang Ye couldn’t hold it in and ended up spraying a mouthful of water all over Yu Haotian’s pants.
Yu Haotian remained standing there with his hands still on his hips, looking down at the now darker patch on his pants.
“……”
He fell into deep thought.
What did he ever do to offend Sang Ye?
Sang Ye wiped his mouth and, blushing, apologized, “Sorry.”
At that moment, Tan Mo spoke up, “Last time during my birthday squad match, some fans tried to set me up with someone, and things got a little awkward. So in private, I made a deal with Song—if something like that happened again, he’d help me block it.”
Sang Ye glanced at Tan Mo, quietly grumbling in his heart.
So he didn’t actually forget…
“Oh, oh.” Xiao Pai finally found it reasonable and said, “I knew it! Bai Mao used to get jealous in a sneaky way, but now he’s putting it right out in the open.”
“I did not!” Sang Ye’s entire neck flushed red.
Xiao Pai grinned mischievously but didn’t argue with him. Instead, he darted off outside.
When he caught up with Tan Mo, Xiao Pai was still unwilling to give up. Holding up his phone, he eagerly pushed it toward Tan Mo. “Brother, take a look! Look! What do you think of my cousin? It’s also about giving yourself a chance, right?”
Tan Mo actually took the phone and examined it seriously.
Sang Ye was right behind them, unconsciously perking up his ears.
“He’s very pretty,” Tan Mo commented.
Sang Ye frowned slightly, his entire demeanor quieting down.
Tan Mo continued, “He has a bright, sunny smile, and a very intellectual aura. You can tell he has a great personality.”
The scorching sun was a bit much. Sang Ye lowered his head silently, walking along while stepping on his own shadow.
Who wouldn’t like someone with a great personality?
What does “intellectual” even mean?
Intellectual probably refers to someone who has read a lot of books…
Xiao Pai beamed with joy, looking like this matter was already settled. Excitedly, he rubbed his hands together. “Yes, yes! She was my favorite cousin when I was a kid. Since that’s the case, brother, how about I—”
“It’s just that the age gap isn’t suitable.” Tan Mo handed the phone back and added, “But he’s young, I’m sure he’ll find someone great.”
Behind them, Sang Ye lifted his head again.
Xiao Pai felt like the conversation had taken a complete 180-degree turn and was stunned. “What’s wrong with the age gap? You think my cousin is too young? Don’t tell me you’re into younger women?”
“A six-year age difference is ideal.” Tan Mo walked ahead. “I like someone six years younger than me.”
“D*mn!”
Xiao Pai was completely caught off guard.
Was this some kind of weird old-man preference?
He found it unreasonable, illogical, and shouted behind Tan Mo, “A year ago, the person you liked was 17! Two years ago, the person you liked was 16! That’s a crime! A crime, do you hear me?!”
Tan Mo ignored him.
Behind them, Sang Ye was counting on his fingers.
So right now, Talk likes 18-year-olds.
That’s my age…
Sang Ye let out a sigh and drooped his head.
He recalled a saying that had been floating around the internet:
“Men are always faithful. They will forever love 18-year-olds.”
So even Talk wasn’t an exception.
…
The filming, which started around 10 in the morning, finally wrapped up when the sun was about to set at 5 in the afternoon.
With the director’s call of “That’s a wrap,” everyone let out a sigh of relief. Some started massaging their shoulders, while others pounded their legs to ease the fatigue.
After packing up their things, they got into the car, ready to head back.
WLG and Catch22 walked together, joking around as they headed to the parking lot. As they passed in front of a building, they ran into BTF.
Gal was among them. The moment he spotted Sang Ye, his gaze locked in, turning sharp and predatory, carrying an air of aggression.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Xiao Pai whispered warily. “What’s going on? What’s going on? He’s not thinking about throwing hands again, is he?”
Fool said darkly, “He wouldn’t dare.”
“Hitting someone is unlikely,” Tan Mo said calmly. “He’s probably looking for trouble. Gal isn’t the type to give up easily. If he failed once…”
Just as he was speaking, Gal strode over. Ignoring the hostile stares from both teams, he blocked the path.
The tall, buzz-cut man clasped his hands in front of him, tilted his head slightly, and peered past the people standing in front, locking eyes with Sang Ye. Then, he narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“Shall we talk?”
Fool despised Gal and had no intention of being polite. He was about to step forward, but Star pulled him back.
Meanwhile, Xiao Pai and Hough exchanged glances, their expressions betraying barely contained amusement, struggling to hold back their laughter.
Tan Mo leaned in, cupping his hand around Sang Ye’s ear. “He wants to talk to you.”
Sang Ye wasn’t intimidated by Gal. After understanding the situation, he turned to Gal and said, “Yes.”
Gal’s smile widened.
Xiao Pai also grinned excitedly, as if he couldn’t wait for what was about to happen. He grabbed a Catch22 teammate on each side and dragged them forward. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”
Fool frowned and looked at Sang Ye, warning him, “Don’t get involved with this guy—”
Before he could finish, Tan Mo hooked an arm around his shoulders and led him away from the scene.
Fool turned back for one last glance at Sang Ye and Gal, now left standing alone. Then, frustrated, he snapped his gaze toward Tan Mo. “Do you even know what kind of person Gal is? He’s a master at psychological manipulation, preying on rookies and crushing their confidence. And you’re just letting him ‘talk’ to Song? Are you out of your mind?!”
Tan Mo smiled. “Then you don’t know how fierce Song can be.”
Fool: “???”
At the entrance on the other side of the venue, Tan Mo patted Fool’s shoulder, stopping in his tracks. “Relax, he won’t be the one getting bullied.”
He sent Fool and Star ahead to the parking lot, then leaned against the wall, gazing into the distance in Sang Ye’s direction, quietly waiting.
By now, it was already evening, so Sang Ye had taken off his sunglasses after finishing work.
This way, every shift in his expression was laid bare for Gal, who was watching him intently.
Gal smiled faintly, looking satisfied, and insisted on speaking in English.
“You’re part of this year’s new generation of PUBG players. I assume you don’t know much about me, but that’s normal. When you’re too young, your vision is short-sighted.” Gal ran a finger through his short, cropped hair, brushing it to the right. “I debuted two years earlier than your captain, Talk. In this industry, very few people have ever shown me disrespect. And when I offer my advice as a senior, very few ignore it—because I make sure they understand the consequences. Do you get what I’m saying?”
Sang Ye, however, didn’t get a d*mn thing.
Facing the boy’s calm, unwavering gaze, Gal felt as if everything he had just said was nothing more than a dull, meaningless performance. His cheek muscles twitched slightly in irritation.
“You know?” Gal asked again, unwilling to give up.
Sang Ye simply stared at him in silence.
Gal frowned, suspicion creeping onto his face. He waved his hand in front of Sang Ye’s eyes as if testing whether he was blind.
Sang Ye blinked and finally realized that Gal was waiting for a response.
But he wasn’t going to give one.
And that was a problem.
If Gal saw through him, he might just pull out his phone and, like he had done before when mocking Xiao Pai for being short, use Google Translate to spell it out for him.
Sang Ye briefly drifted into thought.
The late summer sky, painted in shades of orange and pink, reflected in his eyes—but instead of warmth, they remained cold and dark.
He shrugged lightly and curled the corner of his lips ever so slightly.
—So what if he sees through me?
If he didn’t want to listen to this guy’s nonsense, he could just walk away.
Yet, in that instant, Gal looked as if he had been caught in a raging typhoon, thrown into complete disarray. He stood there frozen, his expression shifting rapidly.
To Gal, Sang Ye’s response was no different from an outright answer—”So what?”
It was like someone boasting endlessly about their own greatness, hyping up their achievements and ancestry, expecting the listener to gasp in awe and exclaim, “Wow, that’s amazing!”—only to be met with an indifferent shrug and a look of disdain, as if to say, “Oh? And? So what? Is that supposed to be impressive?”
That was an absolutely humiliating response.
That disdainful laughter made Gal flinch slightly. He looked at Sang Ye with an unfamiliar expression, muttering curses in Korean as he turned and walked away. “Crazy. Absolutely crazy. Little bast*rd. F*cking hell…”
As Gal strode off, he ran into Tan Mo, who was approaching from the opposite direction.
Gal glanced at him briefly, then looked away, continuing forward in a fit of rage.
Just as they brushed past each other, Tan Mo suddenly grabbed Gal’s arm.
Gal froze in place.
At close range, Tan Mo fixed his gaze on Gal, then raised a finger, pointing at him before lifting an eyebrow.
He didn’t say a word, but the warning was crystal clear.
Gal’s face twisted in anger, as if he were about to breathe fire through his nostrils. He yanked his arm free and stormed off.
Sang Ye, spotting Tan Mo, walked over excitedly. “Were you waiting for me?”
Tan Mo let out a soft “Mm.”
Sang Ye immediately caught on and said, “Don’t worry, he won’t do anything to me. He wouldn’t dare act out in a foreign country.”
Tan Mo ruffled Sang Ye’s hair, a trace of indulgence in his gaze. “Looks like you’re not afraid of him at all now.”
“Of course!” Sang Ye practically wagged his tail with pride. He followed Tan Mo toward the parking lot, taking a couple of steps before turning around and walking backward. “I was never scared of him. Honestly, I even think he’s kind of funny.”
Tan Mo chuckled, shaking his head helplessly.
After years of bullying rookies, Gal probably never expected that, in the end, he’d be labeled as ‘funny’ by one
…
A few days later, the promotional video for the Intercontinental Tournament was released.
During the summer season, Sang Ye had been a substitute and hadn’t participated in the filming. He never expected that his first appearance would be so stunning.
The post-production team deliberately darkened the footage, creating a stormy visual effect over the Huangpu River. The camera zoomed in rapidly, locking onto a white-haired teenager. He gazed down with an air of superiority, his cold, narrow eyes shifting away slowly in sync with the slow-motion effect.
The camera then quickly pushed upwards along the steps, passing by a rare serious-faced Xiao Pai. It continued upward, capturing Hu Fu’s slightly hollowed cheeks before finally landing on Tan Mo, who sat at the very top of the stairs.
The man leaned on his hands, and when he lifted his gaze toward the camera, the video’s comment section was flooded with screams from adoring fans.
Xiao Pai burst out laughing. “Old Hu, your face looks totally sucked in! That’s too much, hahahaha!”
Hu Fu groaned in regret, practically pounding his chest in frustration.
WLG’s segment was the most visually striking and cinematic part of the entire promotional video. Sang Ye loved it—especially Tan Mo’s scene. He rewatched it ten times before finally sharing the link in his family group chat.
Within minutes, the chat was flooded with praise, with everyone saying that Sang Ye looked like a movie star.
Sang Ye scrolled down.
Dad: [[Image]]
Dad: [Is this your team captain?]
The image was a screenshot of Tan Mo from the video.
S.: [Yes.]
Dad: [Such a handsome young man.]
Sang Ye’s lips curled up slightly, feeling even happier than when people complimented him.
Just as he was about to reply, another message popped up.
Dad: [How old is your captain? Does he have a girlfriend?]
Sang Ye’s face instantly darkened, and he started typing furiously.
S.: [You’re not allowed to set him up with anyone!]
With the release of the Intercontinental Tournament’s promotional video, it meant the competition was just around the corner.
Yu Haotian was still in the practice room. He clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention and said, “Stop watching for now. Get your IDs ready. I’m still busy handling all the paperwork.”
Sang Ye rummaged through the corner of his drawer and found his ID card.
Before leaving, Yu Haotian reminded Sang Ye and Tan Mo, “I’ve given you both leave from tomorrow’s scrim. You’ll be shooting the Twig endorsement. Make sure to get some sleep early tonight!”
After Yu Haotian left, Sang Ye suddenly remembered something—something that made him restless the moment it came to mind.
He glanced around at the others, seeing that everyone was busy with their own tasks. Without hesitation, he grabbed his water cup and dashed out of the room.
Tan Mo was in the middle of a conversation on his computer. He had intended to ask Sang Ye to bring him a cup of water, but the boy moved too quickly.
Left with no choice, he put his own cup back down, deciding to fetch it himself later.
Meanwhile, Yu Haotian had just settled into his office chair when the door swung open again. Sang Ye strode in, clutching his thermos.
Yu Haotian was only halfway into his seat when he looked up in confusion. “What’s up?”
Sang Ye asked, “Can you put me and Talk in the same room this time?”
“……” Yu Haotian finally sat down properly.
Sang Ye raised his hand as if taking an oath. “I promise I won’t bother him at night.”
“……”
Yu Haotian lowered his head, scratching his forehead, seemingly deep in thought.
Sang Ye crouched down, resting both hands on the edge of the desk. His face, soft and round like a little dumpling, peeked over the surface as he frowned. “Don’t tell me it’s for my own good. I’m exhausted from competing—can’t I at least have the freedom to choose my own roommate?”
Yu Haotian looked up and smiled. “Bao.”
Sang Ye’s expression stiffened. “What?”
“This year’s Intercontinental Tournament is being held in Shanghai. The venue is only three subway stops away from home, and the entire event lasts just six days.”
“……”
“So we’re not taking a flight, nor are we staying in a hotel.”
“……”
Sang Ye’s gaze drifted to the stack of ID cards on the desk.
“Oh, these?” Yu Haotian said. “They’re not for hotel check-in. The organizers need them for verification.”
Sang Ye’s eyelashes slowly lowered as his face gradually turned red.
If possible, he wished he could sink straight into the floor.
“If you really want to,” Yu Haotian continued with a gentle smile, “I could book a separate room for you and Talk outside.”
Sang Ye shot up like a rocket. Unable to listen any longer, he spun around and walked off. “No need.”
But the moment he turned, he looked up—only to see Tan Mo standing at the doorway, holding a cup.
“…………”
Internally, Sang Ye was falling apart.
But he was no longer the same boy he once was. After spending so much time in the city, he had learned to conceal his emotions.
He took a deep breath, avoided looking at Tan Mo, and casually walked past him toward the door.
Aside from his flushed face and the awkward way he moved—stepping with the same foot and hand at once—he didn’t give anything away.
Tan Mo remained at the doorway, shifting slightly to let Sang Ye pass.
He had originally come to get some water and stop by to see Yu Haotian on the way. After Sang Ye passed by, he turned to Yu Haotian and made a phone call gesture, indicating they should talk later that night.
Sang Ye kept walking at a steady pace ahead.
Tan Mo followed behind him as they passed through a long corridor.
Tan Mo called out, “Sang Ye.”
Sang Ye acted as if he hadn’t heard, not breaking his stride.
Tan Mo tried again. “Puppy.”
Still, Sang Ye didn’t turn around.
Tan Mo licked his lips and started, “You—”
Before he could finish, Sang Ye suddenly sped up, bolting down the corridor and disappearing in an instant.
Tan Mo was momentarily stunned, then let out a quiet chuckle.
Did he really think he could run away?