[Xie Ning: I’ve been busy with tournaments lately. The last livestream was a while ago. I don’t have time to recommend things for you. You’ve been dominating so many professional players on the Korean server. If you’re not popular, who else could be?]
[Xie Ning: You have to believe in yourself. It’s because you’re so amazing that they pay attention to you. But seriously, you’re too impressive. When I was still an unknown streamer, I didn’t gain fans as quickly as you did. You’re truly my brother. [Thumbs up.jpg]]
Jiang Mo had promised his fans in the livestream that he would broadcast for a whole day.
Although he really wanted to bury himself under the covers and pretend to be dead for a day, he kept his promise. He persisted and worked until 5 PM in the afternoon.
During this time, he didn’t look at his phone, not because he didn’t dare to, but because he felt embarrassed.
Only after finishing the broadcast did he pick up his phone.
There were no messages from CY, but Xie Ning had replied to him two hours ago.
Chi Yu said he would be busy today and promised to reply if he saw Jiang Mo’s message.
Should he send a message to Chi Yu? But what should he say?
Jiang Mo opened the chat box with CY, then closed it, repeating this several times, but in the end, he didn’t send a message to CY.
He still hadn’t fully processed the fact that CY was Chi Yu. If he had anything to say, it would be better to wait until he returned to his room and say it face to face.
Jiang Mo patted his inexplicably hot face.
A new message arrived on his phone, and it was from Xie Ning.
[Xie Ning: What’s this? After dominating the Korean server, you’re now dominating the domestic server?]
[MOMO: I’m not dominating the domestic server.]
[Xie Ning: There shouldn’t be another person named MOMO at the peak of the Canyon, right? [Image][Image][Image]]
Xie Ning sent a series of screenshots from a certain group chat:
[League of Legends Mental Hospital]
[UN·Chen Jia: Kids these days are really no good. [Sigh.jpg]]
[RAG·Zhou Xin: Well, you’re not much better, are you? Do you have the audacity to call others kids?]
[CAG·Kaka: @UN·Chen Jia, you’re right.]
[FG·Fang Yan: What’s going on?]
[UN·Chen Jia: Our second team kids were training at the peak of the Canyon today. They clashed with a guy named MOMO all afternoon and got beaten to tears. Completely crushed. [Spitting blood]]
[CAG·Kaka: Damn, your second team also ran into this guy?]
[UN·Chen Jia: Yours too? This is too coincidental.]
[CAG·Kaka: Yeah, it was during lunchtime. After colliding three times, a few kids on our team were in worse shape in the afternoon. They’re currently getting scolded by the coach ==.]
[UN·Chen Jia: …Your team’s kids are slightly stronger than ours. They can withstand the coach’s harsh criticism, but once they get solo killed five times, their mentality collapses. Our jungler even had to receive psychological counseling. /Sigh]
[CAG·Kaka: …Is that supposed to be a compliment?]
[FG·Fang Yan: Psychological counseling, is it really that exaggerated???]
[UN·Chen Jia: I just watched a few replays. This guy is really strong! Being able to crush both second team players from two teams isn’t an exaggeration. I can only say that our team’s kids have weak resilience.]
[FG·Fang Yan: Being able to beat second team kids doesn’t necessarily mean you can beat first team players.]
[UN·Chen Jia: I think it would be a 50-50 match between me and him. No, to be honest, I might lose to him.]
[OS·73: MOMO? Isn’t this the person who often duo queues with Xie Ning?]
[UN·Chen Jia: ??? You know him.]
[OS·73: I don’t know him, Xie Ning does. He’s Xie Ning’s friend and they often duo queue on the Korean server. I think his ID on the Korean server is Moo or something?]
[PG·Lull: …]
[NG·Xu Li: …]
[RAG Official Jungle Xiao Ta: …]
[RAG·Gao Ze: .]
[FG·Fang Yan: @UN·Chen Jia, Chen Team, are you kidding? When did you become so modest? There are many kings among the ordinary players in the League. It’s easy to beat ordinary players, but it’s a different story when facing professional players. Matches depend on cooperation. Even if a few first team players join forces, are you afraid you can’t beat him?]
[PG·Lull: …]
[NG·Xu Li: …]
[RAG Official Jungle Xiao Ta: …]
[RAG·Gao Ze: .]
[SVP·Xie Ning: Hahaha—]
[FG·Fang Yan: @SVP·Xie Ning, why are you laughing like a madman?]
[SVP·Xie Ning: It’s nothing. I just find what you said very interesting. What do you guys think? @PG·Lull, @NG·Xu Li, @RAG Official Jungle Xiaota, @RAG·Gao Ze, hahaha—]
[PG·Lull: …]
[NG·Xu Li: …]
[RAG Official Jungle Xiao Ta: …]
[RAG·Gao Ze: .]
Jiang Mo: “…”
[MOMO: What are you laughing at?]
[Xie Ning: Don’t you find those four guys looking so defeated funny?]
[MOMO: I don’t get your sense of humor.]
[Xie Ning: By the way, why did you come back to the domestic server to play ranked today?]
[MOMO: Rehabilitation.]
[Xie Ning: …] You’re taking a break for only a few days, and you’re already talking about rehabilitation?
Jiang Mo turned shame into motivation, forcing himself to focus on the game. He didn’t expect that the two teams he encountered consecutively would be the UN team and the CAG team. Chen Jia from UN had a point when he said that these kids had weak resilience.
Not all players have a flawless record; they all face setbacks before achieving success.
It’s just being solo killed multiple times, being afraid to leave the turret and the fountain. What’s the point of breaking the defense?
If the second team kids heard Jiang Mo’s words, they would probably want to bang their heads against the wall.
Apart from the first ten minutes of free movement, the remaining time until the end of the game is spent experiencing various ways of dying. Going into a bush is like opening a death blind box repeatedly, constantly respawning in the fountain, who can handle that?
[Xie Ning: By the way, I gave your contact information to our manager. He will contact you. Remember to check your phone these days.]
Now is the busiest time for the team, and the coach and manager have many things to deal with, making it difficult to attend to others.
Jiang Mo thought he would have to wait a long time to receive a reply, probably because Xie Ning urged the manager on his behalf.
[MOMO: Okay~]
Just like the first time he went to City Z, Jiang Mo still took the early train.
After Chi Yu left, the two camera operators returned to City Z early. This time, Jiang Mo was traveling alone.
When he came back, he had Chi Yu’s company, but it was only once. Traveling alone again, he inexplicably felt a bit uncomfortable.
Greedy for more, he didn’t want it to be just once. He wanted countless memories with Chi Yu.
It was already 2 PM when he returned to the cabin, and someone was already there. Jiang Mo wasn’t the first one to come back.
Chi Yu, Jiang Ying, Li Heng, and some unfinished work meant they would return tomorrow.
Hearing this news, Jiang Mo’s heart sank. In this cabin, only Chi Yu could make him happy, but now there was Jiang Ying, and the familiar two were not present. He felt like time in the cabin had slowed down.
Just wait one more day, maybe not even a day, and they would be back.
Jiang Mo went upstairs with his bag, and someone called out to him.
“Jiang Mo, you’re back.”
Jiang Mo turned his head, and Shen An was standing at the entrance of the dining room, probably coming out after seeing him.
Jiang Mo nodded his head, and Shen An pointed inside. “They’re making pastries. Do you want to join?”
“No, no need.” Jiang Mo tightened his grip on his backpack. “I… didn’t sleep well last night. I’ll… go upstairs first.”
Without needing anyone to emphasize, Jiang Mo automatically classified Shen An as someone within the danger zone.
Shen An was the person Ye Lin liked, and he didn’t want to invite unnecessary trouble.
That crazy Ye Lin would remember anyone who talked to Shen An, and their program was focused on love. He didn’t want to be targeted by Ye Lin again.
[“Jiang Mo is still so unsociable…”]
[“Of course, who dares to talk to Shen An? Won’t they be targeted by Ye Lin to death? ^-^”]
[“It’s not that he’s unsociable. Jiang Ying and Chi Yu are not here, and he’s not familiar with other people. Should he awkwardly join you guys just to become a laughing stock?”]
[“Jiang Mo really is a different version of me. If you put yourself in the shoes of someone with social anxiety, you can understand Jiang Mo’s feelings.”]
[“Did you guys notice? Jiang Mo seemed disappointed when he heard that Chi Yu is coming back tomorrow. They’ve only been apart for a day, do lovebirds have to be so clingy?”]
[“@Chi Yu, come quickly! Your little sweetheart misses you.”]
“Jiang Mo is back?” Ye Lin, with a small lump of dough in his hand, rushed out of the kitchen and followed Shen An’s gaze, looking toward the second-floor staircase, but he only caught a glimpse of Jiang Mo’s back.
“Why did he leave? Doesn’t he want to make pastries with us because Chi Yingdi didn’t come?”
“Yeah, he said he’s a bit tired and wants to rest,” Shen An replied, retracting his gaze.
Ye Lin sneered, “He’s doing it on purpose because Chi Yingdi didn’t come, so he doesn’t want to spend time with us.”
Shen An glanced at Ye Lin and said coolly, “That’s just your imagination. He wouldn’t think that way.”
Ye Lin’s smile faded. “Are you defending him now?”
Shen An replied coldly, “I’m speaking the truth. He is more innocent than you.”
The freshly kneaded dough in the palm was flattened.
Ye Lin’s father was wealthy and had always been willing to provide him with the best. He spent a lot of money to send Ye Lin to the best school. Ye Lin had known Shen An since middle school, and they had been classmates until high school. In the six years, he had confessed to Shen An countless times, but was always rejected. Shen An only saw him as a familiar classmate.
For six years, he couldn’t step into Shen An’s circle.
Because his father was nouveau riche, while Shen An came from an educated and scholarly family, they wouldn’t have had any intersection to begin with.
He worked hard and managed to attend the same university as Shen An.
During their freshman year, the school organized an activity, and he injured his left hand while trying to rescue Shen An, who was stranded in the wilderness. Even after his injury healed, he couldn’t exert any strength with his left hand, but he didn’t feel sad at all.
Because since that day, as Shen An’s lifesaver, he finally entered Shen An’s life.
And since that day, Shen An allowed him to get closer and tolerated his unruly behavior.
Because, Shen An owed him.
He knew that Shen An didn’t like him, and if it wasn’t for Shen An’s good upbringing, he wouldn’t have been able to endure until now.
He tried to please Shen An’s family and gained another card of Shen An’s tolerance for himself.
But when a person is pushed to their limit, they will rebound.
Recently, Shen An started to resist, otherwise he wouldn’t have hidden the fact that he participated in this love variety show from him.
If it were before, when Shen An sarcastically taunted him, he would have definitely retorted and forced Shen An to apologize. But now he could only take a step back.
Seemingly venting all the anger in his heart into the dough, Ye Lin’s smile returned to his face, his voice lowered, and he added a hint of plea, “Let’s not talk about that anymore. Xiao Xuan has finished making red bean paste. Let’s go back and continue making pastries. I’m still looking forward to tasting your creations.”
Shen An, with a lack of spirit, lowered his eyes and replied in a flat tone, “Hmm.”
…
Phone Message: 195411750
In the past two days, Luan Xuan hadn’t been resting well. The dark circles under his eyes were so prominent that even concealer couldn’t hide them.
His mother arranged many courses for him, things that he should have started learning since childhood but had been delayed until now, so he had to pick them up.
He not only had to report to school and complete assignments, but also had to learn various musical instruments, languages, and social etiquette…
He was exhausted and felt like escaping. Why did he have to learn so many things?
After returning to the cabin, he rarely had a chance to rest. He looked listless, lacking energy.
Lou An could see that something was off with him and had been helping him with tasks.
He was grateful for Lou An’s thoughtfulness, but Lou An wasn’t his best choice. After hearing about Chi Yu’s family background from his mother, the suppressed thoughts in his mind began to stir again.
Chi Yu followed Jiang Mo home and returned to the place where he had lived for 19 years. Seeing the two of them standing in a place he had walked countless times, feelings of jealousy kept brewing.
If he hadn’t returned to the Jiang family, would his situation be the same as Jiang Mo’s? Would Chi Yu worry about him as much as he worried about Jiang Mo?
So, could the person standing next to Chi Yu today be him?
Thinking of Chi Yu’s warning, Luan Xuan didn’t dare to hope for anything with Chi Yu anymore. He erased those thoughts that shouldn’t exist.
He was different from Ye Lin. Even though he knew the other person didn’t like him, he still insisted on getting close, which would only embarrass himself.
If he didn’t fare well, Jiang Mo wouldn’t fare well either.
In any case, he couldn’t lose to Jiang Mo.
Saying that he was tired to Shen An was a lie.
Jiang Mo covered the camera as soon as he returned to his room, pretending to be asleep. But in reality, he turned on his computer and started playing ranked matches.
As the sky gradually darkened, Jiang Mo finally looked up from the computer screen. He stretched lazily, and his stomach let out a hungry cry for help.
Someone knocked on the door, and Jiang Mo hesitated before getting up. Chi Yu and Jiang Ying hadn’t returned yet, so who could be looking for him?
“Jiang Mo, we want to have hot pot tonight. Can you join us?” When the door opened, Ye Lin’s smiling face appeared.
Jiang Mo petrified on the spot. It wasn’t surprising that Ye Lin came to find him, but what shocked him was that Ye Lin was actually smiling at him?
“Can you join us?” Ye Lin asked again, and this time, Jiang Mo felt relieved. It seemed like it was still the same Ye Lin.
“Sure, I can.” Jiang Mo replied.
Compared to the first two days, when Jiang Mo talked to these people now, he no longer felt nervous and uneasy. Without the burden of breach of contract and the script, he relaxed a lot. After all, the cameras were rolling, and Ye Lin wouldn’t really do anything to him. He didn’t resist having meals with everyone as he did before.
Ye Lin’s invitation was seen by the audience, and many viewers felt that Ye Lin was trying to make amends. Living under the same roof, it was better to settle their differences and stop being at odds with each other.
[“Just arrived at the cabin, we’re still unfamiliar with each other, so it’s natural to need some time to get along! Lin Lin also knows that he was wrong. Can the trolls shut up now? How long have they been criticizing Lin Lin for this matter?”]
[“I think the previous incident was definitely scripted by the program team to generate buzz. It’s the same old routine in many variety shows, creating conflicts and then making up. Isn’t it?”]
[“Well, I can’t see how much goodwill Ye Lin has. Ye Lin taking the initiative to make peace is simply a fantasy.”]
[“With Ye Lin’s temper, would he suddenly have a change of heart? He has apologized to Jiang Mo twice before, and each time was more perfunctory than the last. I don’t believe this time is sincere.”]
[“Are Jiang Mo’s fans going too far? What else do they want Lin Lin to do?”]
Jiang Mo still sat at the edge, listening to others chat, and quietly focused on eating his own food.
“Jiang Mo, don’t just eat vegetables. Don’t you like meat? I specially prepared some for you.” Ye Lin smiled and served Jiang Mo a big bowl of beef.
“Thank you.” Jiang Mo looked at the piled-up beef in front of him and got goosebumps.
Ye Lin suddenly showed goodwill towards him, but he didn’t feel happy about it. Instead, this sudden change made him uneasy.
Because in the original novel, Ye Lin was a complete lunatic.
He would rather have Ye Lin ignore him.
“When did you two become so friendly?” Lou An smiled.
Ye Lin said, “We’re on the path of making amends. It was my fault before. I have a bad temper and I’m impulsive. Jiang Mo, I’m sorry.”
Jiang Mo replied, “…It’s okay.”
Shen An remained silent, his furrowed eyebrows meeting Ye Lin’s smiling eyes.
The ingredients were prepared by everyone, and Jiang Mo didn’t help with anything. After finishing the meal, he voluntarily took on the task of washing the dishes. Lou An was afraid he would be alone, so he offered to help.
The other guests left one by one, and with Lou An’s assistance, Jiang Mo quickly finished tidying up.
“I’m a little full. I’ll go for a walk outside.” The two of them left the dining room, and Lou An waved to Jiang Mo before walking out of the yard.
Jiang Mo returned to his room and started another round of ranking games. Just as he entered the game room, his phone suddenly rang.
The caller was someone unexpected.
Chi Yu had said he would help him with the breach of contract issue, and since then, both Lu Xuan and Hong Jie had stopped bothering him. Jiang Mo thought he could safely get through this month and receive his salary before leaving the entertainment industry.
When he received a call from Lu Xuan, he had a bad feeling.
The phone rang for more than ten seconds, and Jiang Mo hesitated before ending the call with a tap of his finger.
He chose not to answer.
He had a feeling that it wouldn’t be good news.
He didn’t need to compensate for the breach of contract anymore, so there was no need to have any further relationship with Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan looked at the hung-up phone, furrowing his brows, and called Jiang Mo again.
This time, the call was disconnected in less than two seconds.
Lu Xuan took a deep breath and sent Jiang Mo a text message.
[Lu Xuan: Do you have time? I want to talk to you.]
Before Jiang Mo could send his “I don’t have time,” Lu Xuan sent another message.
[Lu Xuan: Let’s talk about the breach of contract.]
Jiang Mo was starting to develop PTSD from those three words, and it seemed that the only thing Lu Xuan could talk to him about was this.
Counting down to choose a hero, Jiang Mo quit the game directly. Dodging a ranked match would result in a penalty, which put him in a bad mood.
[MOMO: Where should we talk?]
[Lu Xuan: Let’s go for a walk outside, just the two of us.]
Lu Xuan left first, waiting for Jiang Mo at the small supermarket where Jiang Mo had been with Chi Yu before. Jiang Mo walked slowly and sat down next to Lu Xuan.
The two of them stared at each other, neither speaking first. Lu Xuan’s scrutinizing gaze swept over Jiang Mo.
Jiang Mo had a stern face, still concerned about his points.
Lu Xuan said with a faint smile, “I don’t know what method you used to get Senior Chi to stand up for you. Congratulations, the company has given up on seeking the breach of contract compensation from you.”
“Oh…”
Lu Xuan smiled indifferently. “But do you remember what you did before?”
“What?”
Lu Xuan said, “Sister Hong offered you a role before, but you despised it because of its low status. The company compensated for your breach of contract, and your image was damaged, resulting in the termination of endorsement contracts…”
Jiang Mo replied, “…”
As Lu Xuan brought up the rotten things done by the original host, Jiang Mo felt suffocated all over.
He didn’t do any of those things! Why does he have to deal with this mess?
Lu Xuan laughed, “As for that money, are you going to ask Senior Chi for help? He has been in the industry for so many years and hasn’t had any scandals. He has only known you for a few days, but he’s already wearing a negative label because of you. Don’t you feel guilty?”
Without waiting for Lu Xuan to explain, Jiang Mo definitely wouldn’t let Chi Yu clean up the mess created by the original host.
“What is your purpose in saying all this?” Jiang Mo wasn’t really that naive. Lu Xuan had said so much, but he still hadn’t mentioned the purpose of calling him out.
Lu Xuan replied, “If you quit this show, the penalty for breach of contract will be waived.”
Jiang Mo widened his eyes. Was it really that simple?
Jiang Mo said, “Okay.”
Lu Xuan was taken aback. He didn’t expect Jiang Mo to agree so readily.
Initially, he had invited Jiang Mo to this show to let him face criticism.
Because of Chi Yu’s appearance, Jiang Mo had gained quite a number of fans. Seeing Chi Yu’s CP fans with Jiang Mo growing stronger, he had to cut off the source.
He had a gut feeling that if he let Jiang Mo stay in this cabin for a full month, this show would become Jiang Mo’s redemption show.
“Before you quit the show, there’s one more thing I want you to do,” Lu Xuan said.
The two of them had left with a long interval, and the production team and the audience didn’t know they were together.
Lu Xuan asked Jiang Mo to go back first. Jiang Mo had a gloomy face when he arrived, and when he left, he rarely put on a serious expression in front of the camera.
[“What’s wrong, baby? Did something unhappy happen during your walk?”]
[“It must be because Chi Yu didn’t come, that’s why he’s unhappy. Just wait a little longer, sleep and you’ll see him tomorrow!”]
[“To be honest, Jiang Mo’s serious face looks quite handsome, right? I often overlook it because his behavior is too cute, but he’s actually a handsome guy!”]
[“That’s for sure. He wouldn’t be ignored when he stands next to Chi Yu!”]
“That was left to me by my deceased grandmother. There’s only one in the world, very precious!”
Outside the bedroom corridor, Ye Lin’s distressed voice could be heard.
“Don’t worry, let’s keep looking.” A gentle comforting voice, that was Lou An’s voice.
“I’ve checked the room thoroughly, it’s not there.”
Jiang Mo heard Ye Lin speak in a crying tone for the first time. He stepped lightly, expressionless, as he looked at Ye Lin choking back sobs.
“When did you last see it? Do you remember?” Lou An asked.
“I…,” Ye Lin frowned, seemingly trying to recall. “I took it off when I was going to wash the vegetables earlier…”
“It must be in the kitchen.” Lou An said, “Let’s go and check.”
Shen An, who had been silent all along, looked up and called out, “Jiang Mo.”
Lou An said, “Jiang Mo, you’re back.”
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Mo asked.
Ye Lin said, “The watch my grandmother gave me is missing. Shen An and they are helping me look for it.”
Jiang Mo pursed his lips but remained silent.
Author’s note:
This wave is resolved in one go, and they go offline.
Jiang Mo: I’m also amazing. I can’t let them think I’m a pushover.
Chi Yu (hugs tightly, takes a bite): A bun filled with custard!
Oh I’m so pissed… I hope he talks to CY first before making any decisions
Lmao moves you see in high school 😭😂 why are the supporting characters so ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
God, are they going to frame him for theft? That’s too much! I really want him to smack their faces or for Chi Yu to rescue him because I just don’t want him to be wronged.