Da Tian’s friend opened a barbershop, and the technique was reliable. Jiang Mo spent a whole afternoon at the barbershop, and in the end, the finished product came out, and he was very satisfied.
The drifted hair didn’t have a heavy rough feeling, pure white, without any impurities, and even the hair roots were well handled.
Light colors are difficult to control. Jiang Mo has fair skin, and the light-colored hair added a sense of fragmentation to him.
Jiang Mo put on the SVP team’s uniform, which was said to be a red-colored uniform, but it was actually red and white. The summer uniform was a white T-shirt, and the summer jacket was a red-and-white jacket with the SVP team logo printed on the back, and the shoulders were full of sponsor logos.
Although he was not tall, Jiang Mo had a good body proportion, a slender waist, and long legs. It’s unclear whether it was because he had lost weight since he joined the team or because Jiang Mo hadn’t rested well for days, but he now had very noticeable dark circles under his eyes. The white-haired Jiang Mo seemed more imposing than before. When not smiling, looking up at people, a sense of aloofness was palpable.
“It looks good, really good,” Da Tian’s eyes were fixed on him.
Being praised, Jiang Mo scratched his hair awkwardly. The freshly bleached hair roots were somewhat fragile, and he handled them with care. “Really, really?”
Da Tian: “…” The enthusiasm faded as soon as he spoke.
Da Tian grabbed Jiang Mo’s shoulder and said earnestly, “Since you want to conceal your identity, during the competition period, whether on stage or off stage, just maintain that aloof look, alright? With a face mask and lowered eyelids, nobody will recognize you. I guarantee your die-hard fans won’t recognize you.”
Jiang Mo: “…”
Da Tian: “Your dark circles are a bonus point. It brings out a sense of decadence. I’ll have someone prepare black eyeshadow for you. Once the dark circles are gone, you can use the eyeshadow.”
Jiang Mo: “…There’s really no need.”
Why use eyeshadow? It felt quite strange!
“Do it!” Da Tian seemed to really like the faint shadows under Jiang Mo’s eyelids. “It looks good, really good. Trust me, you can’t go wrong!”
Jiang Mo: “…”
The next day after Jiang Mo dyed his hair, Xie Ning and the others returned. They didn’t forget their comrades at the base when they went out, and they brought local specialties for them.
“I looked around and didn’t find anything good to bring, so I brought these back for you—” Xie Ning took out two black-packaged cans from the suitcase.
Da Tian’s face turned dark, and he moved forward to pat Xie Ning’s head: “Why bring beer? There are so many kids in the team. Who do you want to corrupt?”
Xie Ning felt wronged: “What kids? They’re all adults. Why can’t they drink?”
“Yeah,” Li Yan, the assistant, chimed in, “There’s no competition these days. Can’t they relax a bit?”
Da Tian couldn’t argue with them, and helplessly said, “Fine, do as you please.”
Jiang Mo arrived a bit late, and Xie Ning looked at him in shock: “Wow, your hair is quite fashionable. Not fair, you didn’t wait for us. Your white hair looks good. How many times did you bleach it? I want to try it too.”
Several people immediately noticed Jiang Mo’s striking hair color and gathered around, surrounding him.
Tang Zi touched a few strands of Jiang Mo’s hair and commented, “The texture is good. White hair doesn’t suit me. I’ll dye mine red.”
Li Yan: “You dye your hair red, hoping people will call you ‘Little Cherry,’ right?”
Tang Zi: “Get lost!”
“Since ‘Little Cherry’ is red, how about I dye mine yellow?” Xie Ning imitated Tang Zi, daringly pulled a small strand of hair at the back of Jiang Mo’s head, and said narcissistically, “With my face, any color will look good.”
Li Yan: “Then I’ll go for green.”
Tao Zi: “Are there fluorescent colors? I want a cool purple, so bright that it blinds the opponent’s eyes when the stage lights go off, making them lose without a fight!”
Jiang Mo was surrounded by the group and tensed up, not daring to move.
“Go away, who do you want to blind? The opponents aren’t blinded yet, and your teammates are already blinded,” Da Tian pushed through the crowd and rescued Jiang Mo from the encirclement.
“Dyeing your hair? With your odd appearances, do you want to be nostalgic or scare people? Not allowed!”
Tang Zi: “Manager, you’re going too far. I’ll report you for personal attack!”
Da Tian: “Go ahead and report. The League Discipline Team is fair and just; they’ll acknowledge my statement.”
Tang Zi: “…”
“Brother, I bought you a few boxes of chocolates.” When Xie Ning set off, he specially brought an extra-large suitcase. The suitcase didn’t contain many clothes, but when he returned, it was filled with snacks and beer he brought back.
“Th-thank you.” Jiang Mo held the snacks given by the teammates, pleasantly surprised.
…
The base became lively again with the return of the team members. Nobody mentioned the MSI competition; they already knew the results, so there was no need to bring it up.
In another week, the summer split would begin. What they needed to do now was to re-energize and prepare for the summer split after a good rest.
After a day of rest, Jiang Mo followed the team members for a promotional photoshoot. He had a lot of experience, so he wasn’t uncomfortable in front of the camera. Da Tian wasn’t worried about Jiang Mo adapting; after all, he had spent many years in the entertainment industry, and taking a photo wouldn’t faze him.
Jiang Mo specially asked the staff for a few solo photos. The pictures were unedited, and Jiang Mo had good skin, ample lighting during the shoot, and didn’t need any retouching. He opened a chat with Chi Yu and thought about sending the photos, hesitating for a few seconds before canceling it.
Chi Yu would finish shooting in these two days. He would be able to see Chi Yu in two more days.
Jiang Mo looked at his changed appearance in the mirror.
Let’s save it as a surprise. He wondered if Chi Yu would be startled by his new look.
Jiang Mo smiled and sent Chi Yu a cat emoji.
Chi Yu responded to the message very quickly.
[Chi Yu: Have you finished taking the photos?]
Jiang Mo had told Chi Yu last night that he would be taking promotional photos today, but he had forgotten about it himself. What surprise could he give now?
[MOMO: Yes, just finished!]
[Chi Yu: Not going to show me?]
Chi Yu smiled at the screen of his phone. Liang Yi beside him shiveredi, rubbed his arms, and moved away from Chi Yu within a ten-meter radius.
Being in a relationship with Chi Yu was too disillusioning. He better not look too much.
[Chi Yu: Didn’t we agree that you’d show me after taking the photos? I want to see you in the team uniform.]
[MOMO: When will you finish filming?]
Chi Yu didn’t get annoyed by Jiang Mo’s counter-question. Upon seeing Jiang Mo’s question, he promptly replied.
[Chi Yu: Finished today.]
[MOMO: So, you can return to City A tomorrow, right? I want to show you in person. I’ll wait for you.]
A picture of Jiang Mo blushing and stammering, saying “I’ll wait for you,” flashed through Chi Yu’s mind.
The corners of his lips couldn’t help but widen, and even Da Zhuang, who had a good tolerance for such scenes, couldn’t help but shudder and hide five meters away.
[Chi Yu: Although I’m very happy that you’re willing to wait for me, I won’t be able to return to City A tomorrow.]
[MOMO: Then when can you come back?]
[Chi Yu: I had promised a director before, but I forgot about it. The director reminded me today after finishing filming, and I have to go to his set immediately. This shoot will take a month, so I won’t be able to come back to accompany you.]
The smile faded from Jiang Mo’s face, and he looked at himself in the mirror with an inexplicable redness on his cheeks. The joy in his eyes slowly vanished, replaced by disappointment.
It had been half a month since Chi Yu left City A. Perhaps it was because of the prolonged separation. During the previous separations, Jiang Mo didn’t miss him this much. With the accumulated longing, upon hearing the news of another separation, the suppressed feelings of longing and disappointment surged up.
Jiang Mo patted his own face, telling himself not to think too much. Chi Yu had already shortened the filming time for him; the original two-month shoot was accelerated by Chi Yu by half a month. He couldn’t do anything about the commitments he had made earlier. Even if Chi Yu agreed with the other person today, he wouldn’t be stubborn and make Chi Yu refuse the offer.
Just… he just wanted to see Chi Yu.
He wanted, more than anything, to hug Chi Yu.
It had been half a month since he felt the warmth of that body’s embrace.
[MOMO: Then let’s meet in a month.]
[Chi Yu: Will you be unhappy?]
[MOMO: Of course, I will be.]
Chi Yu was stunned. He hadn’t expected this little fool to be so straightforward.
[MOMO: It’s not that I’m not happy. It’s just that I haven’t seen you in a long time. I’ve been counting the days until you come back. I didn’t expect it would take this long. I felt a little disappointed just now, but it was just a moment. Since it’s work, there’s nothing I can do. We don’t have to rush to meet. We have a long time ahead of us. You focus on your work for now.]
Chi Yu’s gaze softened.
[Chi Yu: I won’t make you wait that long.]
[MOMO: Okay.]
[MOMO: Um…]
[Chi Yu: Yes?]
[MOMO: Also…]
[MOMO: I miss you so much, I want to hug you.]
…
The summer season groupings have been announced, and this year’s opening match has been entrusted to them by the league officials. In the first game of the summer season, SVP faced off against the powerhouse team RAG.
After completing the promotional photoshoot, the team began training day and night once again.
On the last day of the transfer period, all other teams had already announced the list of players joining and leaving the team, leaving only the SVP team with no activity.
During the international competition, netizens had a unanimous understanding: the players were representing the country and couldn’t have internal conflicts. During this time, no one could publicly speak ill of the players.
After SVP’s main team returned to the country, the keyboard warriors, who had been quiet for several days, sprang into action again, starting various speculations.
[SVP team isn’t changing their jungler and mid laner. Do they want to get eliminated in the summer season? Can’t even compete for a spot at Worlds?]
[Are you crazy? You can say Xia Zeyu underperformed in the spring season, but his performance at MSI was evident. Give him a chance to grow, okay?]
[Grow? After over a year of service, how much more chance does he need? How is he underperforming season after season? If he could perform like when he first debuted, the SVP team wouldn’t have stopped at the semifinals.]
[With such a bad mentality, I wonder how he passed the psychological tests initially?]
[RAG team is introducing a new jungler and rotating with Xu Ta. Did Xia Zeyu and Tang Zi bribe SVP or something?]
[So, SVP has no roster changes? Are it still the same few from before?]
This discussion storm continued until the last day of the transfer period, and SVP’s official account finally made a move, updating a post during the lunch break.
[@SVP Esports Club: Starting today, Wish (jungle position) player officially joins SVP Esports Club’s League of Legends division and will strive together with the team members for the upcoming season. Welcome Wish player to join SVP…]
When Jiang Mo’s personal promotional photos and Weibo content were posted, it shocked a large wave of netizens.
There were many reasons for this shock—
[Wish? Haven’t heard this name before. Why isn’t the player using their real name? What does the jungle position in brackets mean? Is the name too unpleasant to disclose, or is this Wish player actually named Jungle? Does such a surname even exist?]
[Is the Fruit Family finally going to be separated? This newcomer seems unsociable. I thought he would choose a fruit name like everyone else.]
When players submitted their information for registering their ID, they used their own identity cards. Jiang Mo didn’t use his commonly used ID, “Moo.”
Wish, representing hope. His wish was simple—hope for a smooth future.
When announcing on Weibo, not revealing his real name was Da Tian’s idea. Anyway, the League already had Jiang Mo’s information; the netizens just needed to know Jiang Mo’s ID. If his name “Jiang Mo” were put up, even fools could guess who Jiang Mo was.
[Who is this suddenly emerging guy? Never heard of him. He wasn’t in the youth training program, and he’s going to a team just like that? Something fishy.]
[This young man is quite handsome, white hair. Is he really that strong?]
[If you don’t want to tell us your real name, fine. But what’s with the mask? Is he so ugly he doesn’t dare to show his face? Let me remind you, not everyone who looks good in a mask is actually good-looking. Under the mask could be crooked teeth and a big nose.]
[Regardless, he’s handsome. But have you noticed he looks a lot like Jiang Mo?]
[There’s a resemblance, but Mo Mo has never dyed his hair and certainly wouldn’t dye such a bold color. Also, their eye shapes are a bit different. This young man’s eyes seem like they can’t open fully, but my Mo Mo has big eyes, you know? He doesn’t have such prominent dark circles and a long fringe. This young man’s style is too alternative.]
[Welcome Wish to join the alternative family—no, wait, the LPL family.]
[What’s going on? Is SVP trying to emulate NG team, creating a male team? Signing an unknown jungle player just because he looks decent, trying to attract female fans?]
[Nonsense, are you insulting us male fans by saying that? Have you considered our feelings as male fans? We also want to fence!]
[…]
[Big brother, you’re still the best!]
Jiang Mo, being new here and without achievements or fame, would face criticism. Some fans were worried about the team’s future, hence the comments. However, he wouldn’t let these words affect him. After giving a cursory glance and making sure no one recognized him, he felt relieved.
Manager Da Tian was indeed reliable. With a mask on and his eyes partly covered, displaying dark circles, no one could recognize him.
“So handsome! I regret not dyeing my hair fluorescent purple. If I had, I would’ve caused an even bigger discussion,” Tao Zi scrolled through Weibo, seeing many people praising Jiang Mo’s hair color. He was filled with regret.
“Once you guys win the summer championship, I’ll allow you to dye it. Train hard for me now. The competition is coming soon, stop talking nonsense,” Manager Da Tian rapped on Tao Zi’s head a few times and left the resting room after receiving a call.
Jiang Mo was a substitute, and unless there were special circumstances, he wouldn’t have many opportunities to play in the summer season matches. He didn’t mind. He agreed to Coach A’kang’s request and started intense training with Xia Zeyu once again.
Xia Zeyu looked gloomy. Didn’t they say that if he won against Park Eun-kyung once, they wouldn’t give him extra training? This was much more than the training for the MSI expedition.
Rest time decreased, and Jiang Mo’s one-on-one coaching was very strict. Although Xia Zeyu seemed disheartened, he never said to stop or give up, nor did he suggest letting Jiang Mo play as a starter.
This lack of respect for Jiang Mo was notable. If he could be a substitute for Moo and have one-on-one guidance from him, his career was worth it. Now with Jiang Mo’s personal guidance, if Xia Zeyu didn’t perform well in the summer season, he really would be beyond help. To not disappoint Jiang Mo and the team, he had to grit his teeth and work hard.
“I heard the big boss is coming, and he’s going to stay in the base.” Li Yuan, addicted to smoking, came back after smoking outside and accidentally overheard Manager Da Tian’s phone conversation. When he returned, he shared it with everyone.
“What the hell, is the big BOSS coming? Why?” Tao Zi’s face contorted. “Is the executioner finally coming down? Does the big BOSS think I’m too useless and wants to personally come and kick me out of the team?”
Xie Ning glanced at Jiang Mo, who was earnestly training with Xia Zeyu, and smiled faintly: “Don’t be self-absorbed; he’s not here for you.”
“Then who is he here for?” Tao Zi had a sudden realization and pointed across at Xia Zeyu, lowering his voice, “Could it be Xia Zeyu? Did the big BOSS believe in the keyboard warriors and want to drive Xiao Yu away? No, what will I do if Xiao Yu leaves? Will I become the weakest in the team?”
Xie Ning: “…”
Xie Ning couldn’t comprehend the thought process of his teammates.
Didn’t they see the image of Boss Chi biting Jiang Mo’s cheek?
Are they goldfish?
Did they have their memories wiped?
Why couldn’t they realize that Boss Chi came for Jiang Mo?