The first stage of the partition’s scoring competition lasted for a total of four weeks. The Seven Silver Coins consecutively secured the first-place ranking in two matches, essentially securing their spot in the second stage in advance.
As for the remaining slot within zone C, that’s up for contention among the other guilds.
Following these two weeks of consecutive matches, the visible increase in the number of supporters for the Seven Silver Coins guild was undeniable. There were occasional forum posts celebrating their success, creating an atmosphere of harmony and joy.
In the face of the Seven Silver Coins’ performance so far, What Pen Carries Fragrance, who at least held the title of vice president, promptly stepped forward to deliver congratulations once the matches ended.
But just as he walked in, he spotted a Scavenger with a face that clearly read “unhappy.”
Caught in the icy glare of the grumpy dwarf, What Pen Carries Fragrance’s smile froze in place. He cautiously pulled Jiang Shi to the side, lowering his voice to ask, “What’s going on? Didn’t we win? Why does Sister Scavenger look like someone owes her a fortune?”
Jiang Shi stifled a laugh, “Long story short, blame it on Yu Weize.”
What Pen Carries Fragrance was even more puzzled, “What does the God Yu have to do with this?”
Jiang Shi smirked, “Simply put, the dog man can’t resist stealing kills; he’s trigger-happy.”
Han Yuze had been listening to their conversation nearby and couldn’t resist justifying himself a bit, “I swear I didn’t notice at the time. You guys believe me, right? I just wanted to end the match sooner. You know, in the heat of battle, especially hidden among a bunch of summons, even you might not have noticed.”
Jiang Shi denied it outright, “As a professional support, such a rookie mistake is impossible, and…”
He smirked knowingly, “Dear God Yu, who are you indirectly calling short?”
At that moment, Han Yuze felt a chill down his spine and, turning around, met the icy stare of Sister Scavenger, causing his words to falter.
Feeling like having tasted the bitterness of not being able to speak, he stammered, “… I didn’t mean it that way, I just meant I genuinely didn’t notice.”
What Pen Carries Fragrance, utterly confused, held his head in his hands, feeling more lost by the moment, “So what’s really going on!?”
Finally, Serious Young Man clarified, “Scavenger’s headshot count today: 19.”
After a few seconds, What Pen Carries Fragrance’s mind finally grasped the situation, “Oh!”
Just one short of the goal of 20 headshots, that’d be frustrating, especially for someone with a bit of perfectionism—no wonder she was upset.
He turned to Han Yuze, genuinely remarking, “God Yu, you were indeed a bit trigger-happy this time.”
Han Yuze: “…”
Glancing at Jiang Shi, who seemed barely able to contain his laughter, Han Yuze sighed and shrugged helplessly, “Okay, okay, my bad, my bad.”
With that, he sincerely extended his hand to Scavenger, “Well, shall I offer my hand in earnest as an apology?”
Scavenger glanced at Han Yuze and suddenly raised the wrench in her hand.
Just as it seemed it was about to fall, Han Yuze swiftly withdrew his hand, somewhat incredulous, “Would you really chop it off?”
Scavenger sneered, “Knew you’d dodge.”
Finally unable to contain himself, Jiang Shi burst into laughter.
After battling side by side, everyone in the team had come to understand Han Yuze’s penchant for being a bit impulsive.
Upon returning from the gaming server, the team disbanded on the spot.
Jiang Shi was contemplating what to do next when he heard a notification sound—it was a message from Jiang Yan.
[South Wind Blows: Are you with Han Yuze now?]
[PoisonedMilk: What’s up?]
[South Wind Blows: Ask him if he’s free tomorrow night.]
[PoisonedMilk: You’re his friend, aren’t you?]
[South Wind Blows: Does it matter if you ask or not? Will you ask?]
[PoisonedMilk: …Fine, I’ll ask.]
Jiang Shi had no idea what scheme Jiang Yan was cooking up, but he was used to these coercive tactics from his blood-related sister. He turned around and called out to Han Yuze, who was about to leave.
Upon hearing Jiang Shi’s question, Han Yuze silently chuckled, “If you ask, then of course I’m free. Why, planning to invite me out?”
“No, my sister wanted me to ask,” Jiang Shi replied, relaying the response to Jiang Yan. After a while, he looked up to meet Han Yuze’s amused gaze and said with a half-smile, “She said, in gratitude for helping her get revenge, she wants to invite you for dinner.”
Han Yuze asked, “If it’s about helping with revenge, shouldn’t you also be on the gratitude list?”
Jiang Shi: “… Yeah, I’ll go too.”
Jiang Shi genuinely felt that Han Yuze’s previous goodwill toward Jiang Yan hadn’t been in vain. At least until now, despite being siblings for so long, he’d never witnessed such a grand “thank you” scene between Jiang Yan and someone else for a favor.
The restaurant where they dined was located in a bustling commercial area.
Jiang Yan had made reservations early and gathered everyone downstairs before heading up together.
It was only when they arrived that Jiang Shi realized Jiang Yan had also invited Han Yiyuan, implying some private intentions behind this dinner party.
However, given that it was Miss Jiang footing the bill, he didn’t say anything out of line.
Seated at a table for four, Jiang Yan and Han Yiyuan sat on one side, while Jiang Shi and Han Yuze sat together on the other.
Jiang Shi felt that whatever Jiang Yan had initially told Han Yiyuan about the purpose of this dinner, during the meal, Han Yiyuan’s gaze frequently shifted between him and Han Yuze, suggesting deeper implications.
During dinner, they all had a few cocktails.
When it was almost over, Jiang Shi excused himself temporarily and headed to the restroom.
As he stepped out to wash his hands, he noticed the light around him dimming. Looking up, he saw Han Yuze had somehow followed him out.
Jiang Shi raised an eyebrow slightly, “Are you full?”
“I’m full.” Han Yuze leaned against the corner wall and gestured toward the direction outside the restaurant. “Those two are really into each other, and I feel stuffed just watching them.”
This ‘full‘ was not the literal sense, but Jiang Shi instantly understood the implied meaning of the words and nodded in agreement, feeling somewhat empathetic. “Your cousin is quite something. It’s the first time I’ve seen Jiang Yan so infatuated.”
As he finished speaking, he shook his hand and was about to reach for the nearby tissues. However, he didn’t notice the step at his feet, stumbled slightly, and lost his balance.
Han Yuze’s gaze had been on Jiang Shi the whole time. Swiftly, he reached out and grabbed him, laughing as he supported him, “You didn’t drink much. Be careful.”
The slightly teasing tone carried a hint of playfulness, brushing past Jiang Shi’s ear like a hook.
With their contact, the warmth from their bodies subtly transmitted through their connected arms.
Jiang Shi paused momentarily, his gaze fixed on the hand Han Yuze used to steady him. He regained his balance and said, “Compared to you, I really didn’t drink much.”
Indeed, Han Yuze had consumed a lot more alcohol tonight.
After all, Jiang Yan had arranged this dinner to gather ‘intelligence‘ and had been tactfully asking questions while continually offering drinks.
Being this close now, Jiang Shi noticed a faint crimson tint at the corners of Han Yuze’s eyes. When their gazes met directly, it resembled a wolf fixing its gaze on its prey.
Something seemed to be stirring within.
Suddenly, the surroundings fell quiet.
It was unclear how much time had passed before Han Yuze slowly pinched his brow. “Yeah, I might have drunk a bit too much. I have a headache.”
According to the usual etiquette, Jiang Shi should have made some small talk. However, his intuition told him that this was just a preamble. He went along and asked, “So, what’s next?”
“So,” Han Yuze’s lips finally curled into a smile, “for safety’s sake, would you mind escorting me home?”
When it comes to one person pursuing another, typically, it’s the active choice to walk the pursued one to their door. This approach was quite different.
Jiang Shi found it somewhat amusing but nodded in agreement, “Sure, I’ll escort you.”
Jiang Yan enjoyed urging others to drink but hadn’t imbibed much herself.
She was still lively after the dinner and waved Han Yiyuan off for a date without a worry about any peculiar developments between her brother and his pursuer.
However, this indirectly proved that tonight’s dinner had completely resolved Han Yuze’s concern about whether the Jiang family truly accepted him.
They called a car.
As planned, they dropped Han Yuze off first.
During the ride, they casually discussed the upcoming plans for the next stage of the Cup of Time’s progression. Considering their current situation, it was already secured to enter the second stage. Instead of focusing on the following easy matches in Zone C, they prioritized the Eight into Four phase.
In terms of tactics, the two of them always had a strong rapport. They chatted back and forth along the way, and there was a sudden moment of quiet in the car.
Glancing sideways, Jiang Shi noticed that Han Yuze had closed his eyes and was gently massaging his temples.
No matter how sly or cunning Han Yuze might be, he wasn’t entirely dishonest this time; he indeed drank a bit too much.
“You, who always play it safe, why are you suddenly so honest when drinking in front of Jiang Yan?” Jiang Shi asked.
Han Yuze opened his eyes slightly, glancing sideways. “Your sister? Of course, one should be honest. Otherwise, what if she disagrees with our situation?”
“Do you think I would let someone else’s opinion influence my decisions?” Jiang Shi raised an eyebrow.
“Of course not,” Han Yuze chuckled. “But, if I can avoid making you uncomfortable, why choose a riskier path, right?”
Jiang Shi didn’t expect this response from Han Yuze and couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times.
Unconsciously, much time had passed since the incident at San Tingpo. He seemed to have found the answer but also hadn’t. That’s why he hadn’t brought up the supposed opportunity for pursuing a relationship since then.
But today…
Perhaps due to the subtle effects of alcohol, he had a few moments of a peculiar feeling. This sensation had occasionally flickered between the fragments of their many years of acquaintance, but he had never grasped it until now.
Jiang Shi wasn’t entirely certain if this idea was right or wrong. It might have been prompted by the confined space and night’s ambiance.
His heart seemed to contract slightly. Amid the quiet atmosphere around them, he gently bit his lip and suddenly, without context, uttered, “Actually, trying wouldn’t hurt.”
Finally 🥰