C8 Part2

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Chapter 8: The Soul of the Team (Part 2)

In the evening, Qiu Ying studied her information on the open-air balcony. When she grew tired, she put down the materials and leaned on the railing to look at the brilliant, beautiful night. She was alone in the quiet for a long time.

By her ear came a sudden low and muffled voice. “What are you thinking about?”

She didn’t know when he’d come, but Ji Xiangkong was standing by her side, leaning on the railing with his head lowered to play on his phone.

Qiu Ying was slightly surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Ji Xiangkong didn’t even turn his head. “Came out for some fresh air.”

There was a smile on his face, but there was frighteningly low pressure across his entire body. Qiu Ying curiously stretched her head out to see him playing Fruit Ninja. His slender fingers were like knives — fast, accurate, and ruthless — not leaving a single survivor behind. Qiu Ying swallowed. Yet how could he play such a cute game so murderously, she could nearly see a scene filled with corpses among the fruits that he cut up…

Ji Xiangkong said without preamble, “What did you say to Pei Xi in the small room?”

“… Just something.”

“You won’t tell me? Was it really a confession?” Ji Xiangkong tilted his head slightly, his peach-blossom eyes still mild and smiling. But his fingers suddenly swiped hard on his screen, filling it with a spray of fruit juice. Qiu Ying shivered and felt a chill on her neck, like the big watermelon that had been split into two was herself.

She felt inexplicably guilty, but on second thought, she wasn’t anyone to him; she hadn’t done anything wrong. She returned with a low voice, “I don’t have to report to you.”

“You said that you see Pei Xi often at Dream Traveler?”

“Only a couple times.”

Ji Xiangkong’s tone hardened slightly. “Don’t be alone with him.”

“What?”

“I don’t like him.” Ji Xiangkong used a finger to slice two or three bombs and the screen exploded. Like nothing had happened, he put his phone back in his pocket. “Aren’t you my fan? You want to jump ship?”

Ah, so he meant as a fan…

Did all fans have to remain in place? Qiu Ying blinked. It was like he was saying: I don’t like him, so you shouldn’t play with him. She mumbled, “You seem so childish…”

“You’re right, my heart’s very fragile, so you need to be a little better to me.”

Qiu Ying couldn’t help but mock him internally: Where are you fragile? Every time a professional player gets destroyed from the audience’s curses and he posts on Weibo that he wants to retire, the comments below it are all telling him to learn from you…

Ji Xiangkong picked up the notebook she’d put aside. Within the thick and stiff cover, words were densely packed together: the current lineups from each game, which heroes the players were good at, their equipment tendencies, tactical analyses…

He smiled as he praised, “Your handwriting is so beautiful.”

People often laughed at Qiu Ying for being old-fashioned, as it was obviously more efficient to take notes on a computer or phone, yet she stubbornly chose to use the paper and pen. Instinctively, she tried to take back her notebook.

Ji Xiangkong didn’t grant her wish. “You haven’t promised me yet, I’ll give it back when you promise me.”

Their height difference was so large that Qiu Ying couldn’t reach it even if she jumped, so she could only nod. “Okay, okay!”

Ji Xiangkong’s eyebrows finally relaxed, and he closed the notebook and knocked it on her head.

**

When Qiu Ying returned to the room, Qiao Xin was already sleeping. Their shared table piled with Qiao Xin’s cosmetics and clothes; Qiu Ying put her notebook inside the drawer. Using her phone flashlight, she fumbled around for a long time before finding a change of clothes and going into the bathroom.

Just as she turned on the shower, Qiao Xin banged on the door from the outside.

“You scared me, can’t you let a person sleep?”

Qiu Ying didn’t want to start an argument, so she hastily finished showering and then went to bed. The next day, Qiao Xin was already gone by the time she woke up. As Qiu Ying was packing up her things to go out, she discovered that her notebook in the drawer was gone!

That notebook was her blood-and-tears research for over half a year. She turned over the entire room, circling around anxiously. When she saw that she was about to be late for their assembly time at the stadium, she could only resign herself to searching again when she returned.

While busy backstage in the afternoon, Qiu Ying unintentionally saw a new live report. The reporter had shot Qiao Xin in the rest area, studiously looking at the competition data. There was a notebook spread out in front of her. Its contents and layout were extremely familiar.

All of the major news portals would follow with the news — breaking news! Live capture of the female commentator Qiao Xin, studying hard!

This news quickly drew praise—

“My Xin is a combination of smarts and beauty!”

“Behind the glory is pain and sweat, go Qiao Xin!”

After the camera zoomed in, Qiu Ying was shocked — the words written in front of Qiao Xin were the contents of her own notebook! Absolutely amazing! She’d copied it!

The anger went straight to her head in an explosion. Qiu Ying’s face had gone white as she bit her lips, furious to the point of trembling.

She looked at the TV screen streaming the competition in disbelief. Qiao Xin sat at the commentating desk and spoke the analyses from her notebook word by exact word!

“God! She’s disgusting!”

After telling her about it, Lu Yiyi snapped the pen in her hand in anger. “She probably already destroyed your book! You don’t have enough evidence, so even if you confront her, people will say you’re slandering her!”

Qiu Ying sighed long. Just because there wasn’t evidence, she couldn’t take this issue to the higher-ups. People had loose lips and Qiao Xin had power behind her. If she acted recklessly, she didn’t know what the truth would be twisted into.

After the game, Qiao Xin went backstage with the other commentators, laughing shamelessly as usual. Qiu Ying felt nauseous when Qiao Xin said hello to her and turned her head.

“What’s wrong? Did you two fight?” asked a curious commentator.

Qiao Xin shrugged. “I don’t know. Last night, she only returned in the middle of the night and she was too loud, scared me awake. I just warned her, so maybe she isn’t happy?”

A vein on Qiu Ying’s temple jumped. “How was I too loud? I didn’t even turn on the lights…”

She hadn’t yet finished when she was interrupted: “Aiya, we’re all colleagues, so be considerate of each other.”

Qiu Ying was so angry and anxious that her eyes turned red. When she got back to the hotel, she rushed straight to the open balcony while holding her things.

Losing the notebook was like losing the confidence to stand on the commentating stage. Anxious, frustrated, and unable to take in any of the data, she finally lay down on the table and buried her head in her arms.

When she felt slender fingers running gently through her hair, like they were attempting to bring comfort, Qiu Ying lifted her head to see Ji Xiangkong’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

After hearing out her misfortunes, Ji Xiangkong smiled in disagreement. “The important thing about commentary is the understanding, not rote memorization. What’s in your notebook should already be in your head.”

He continued, “A ten-person teamfight is often over before the audience can even react. A commentator needs to be able to detail the both teams’ skill casting in order and equipment stats within a short period of time. What’s more, they need a deep understanding of every player. It’s something you can’t learn by relying on a stolen notebook.”

Qiu Ying stared at him blankly. His words seemed to have gradually wiped away her impatience and anxiousness.

“I saw the video of you commentating. Your analysis of the situation is always good, so believe in yourself.”

Qiu Ying nodded vigorously. Ji Xiangkong expression and words right now seemed to have a sort of magic, one that convinced you that you could rely on him.

In a short period of time, he summarized the characteristic play styles of each participating team. At the very end, he lightly tapped Qiu Ying’s cheek. “Are you cold? Your face is red from the wind.”

“I’m cold.” Qiu Ying’s entire body relaxed and she suddenly grinned. “So give me your jacket.”

“You sure?” Ji Xiangkong moved to unzip his sports jacket. “I’m not wearing anything inside.”

Qiu Ying flushed and caught his hand in a panic, grabbing his wrist just as his palm touched his chest. Ji Xiangkong lowered his head to look at her. “How come you haven’t gone back to your room?”

Qiu Ying pursed her lips. “I don’t want to go back, Qiao Xin’s there.”

“Then go to my room to sleep for a while? You look pretty tired.”

“…”

“Or…” Seeing Qiu Ying shaking her head over and over, Ji Xiangkong couldn’t help but slow his words and tease, “Do you want me to sleep with you?”

Qiu Ying took back her hand as soon as she heard his words and hit his shoulder in angry embarrassment. “Go find your teammates! If anyone found out, I wouldn’t be able to wash myself clean even if I jumped into the Yellow River!”

Her fist was soft and powerless, like she was tickling him. Ji Xiangkong lifted the corner of his mouth and peacefully said, “Right now, everyone else is in the training room. It should be fine if we’re careful.”

Qiu Ying didn’t understand: “Then why are you here?”

Ji Xiangkong looked down, a low laugh escaping from his throat. “Isn’t it because I came out for a walk and saw you?”

The hair on his forehead was a bit long. Even though his peach-blossom eyes were not smiling, they were still affectionate, full of indulgent tenderness. Qiu Ying’s heart grew warm. There was a sweet taste in her mouth that was sticky and rich, like honey.

Why was it that every time she was in a crisis, he was always able to appear at her side…

The expectations buried within her heart were faint and trembling. Qiu Ying didn’t dare to keep thinking further. Even if his actions were intimate, she told herself not to take it seriously. Maybe he was only joking, maybe his gentleness was only natural to him…

Even up until now, she still couldn’t identify which of his words were true and which were false.

After Ji Xiangkong left, Qiu Ying continued to prepare the next day’s commentating materials. Without meaning to, she fell asleep on the sofa in the corridor, her consciousness floating away from her body. Her limbs grew colder and colder, as if she was falling straight to the bottom of a lake.

Suddenly, as if washed back to shore, her whole body was wrapped in sunlight. Qiu Ying hummed in comfort, trying her best to get closer to that source of warmth. Her head bumped into a soft fabric and she rubbed against it. The smell of wood spread across her nose.

She could hear a steady sound next to her ear, thumping.

A steadiness and peace that she’d never before felt quietly surrounded her. Afraid that this feeling would disappear, Qiu Ying grasped for anything she could hold on to in her hands.

In her daze, someone carefully and cautiously pushed back her bangs and then, brushed her forehead. The touch was light, like a burning feather.

**

Early the next morning, Qiu Ying woke up in her own room. There was no one in the bed next to her. Everything was the same as last night, and Qiao Xin didn’t seem to have returned at all. Qiu Ying was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday, without changing into her pajamas. She had no memory of what had happened after she fell asleep.

Who sent her back?

Her heart suddenly tightened. The only person who’d known her location was…

When she ate breakfast with Lu Yiyi, the other girl grinned at her with a reporter’s gossip radar.

“Last night, I went with my senior out for dinner. When we came back, I wanted to give you a portion, and then I bumped into Pei Xi in the elevator room of your floor.” Lu Yiyi covered her mouth. “There are only a few female commentators living on the eighth floor. He wouldn’t have happened to come out of your room?”

Qiu Ying was shocked. “That’s impossible!”

Lu Yiyi seemed to find the last piece of the puzzle and her expression became more certain. “I remember that Pei Xi followed you before from a distance, too. If it weren’t for his gossip with Qiao Xin, I’d totally suspect that he has a crush on you…”

“You… you… watch what you’re saying!”

“You’re so pretty. If Pei Xi isn’t bent,1 then anything’s possible.” Lu Yiyi touched her chin. “Maybe Qiao Xin is just a disguise to deliberately attract your attention…”

The Legend team happened to pass by them, not far away. Qiu Ying unconsciously looked across at them, and Pei Xi had also turned his head at the same time. When their eyes met, Qiu Ying froze.

Impossible, impossible, definitely impossible for it to be him!

**

A few days later, Qiu Ying’s performance on the commentary stage could be said to be breathtaking.

The first step of each Conquer game was the BP stage, or Ban and Pick. Out of the over 100 heroes available, the BP players of each team would pick out five heroes for their team’s lineup and strategically ban five heroes from their opposing team. Because the BP highly influenced a team’s victory or defeat, the audience could often hear comments such as “After you’ve finished picking, you’ve lost half the game,” or “By the beginning of the round, you’re already walking on the road to a comeback.”

BP was the focus of each round and a popular topic at the analysis desk. Thanks to the help of Ji Xiangkong, who’d been a BP player for a long time, Qiu Ying boldly forecast the competition lineup, achieved an astonishing accuracy rate, and shocked the whole audience.

On the other hand, in the face of the competition’s continuous progression, Qiao Xin quickly exhausted her limited ability. Other than repeating other people’s statements, she couldn’t say anything creative. Lu Yiyi seized the change to interview Qiu Ying, and the winds of public opinion immediately changed—

“It’s useless to just do your homework, only someone who can analyze the situation is a true commentator!”

More and more people expressed their dissatisfaction that Qiao Xin’s operating was useless if she was just a flower vase on the commentating stage.

The day of the finals finally arrived after a week of seasonal playoffs. Legend faced off against VPG!

Along with the top celebrity commentators, the analysis desk also invited the Chinese NBA superstar Lin Hao2 and the singing king Zhou Cheng.3 And at the commentating table, the audience was excited to see the previous Legend captain, the top person in Chinese Conquer, Cris!

The magnificent music sounded as the large monitor began to broadcast a promotion for the Conquer game. Sometimes it displayed lightning and thunder, sometimes bursts of lava, sometimes the sheen of a sword. The heroes attacked the city stronghold, subjugating thousands of miles of land. Finally, they ascended to the towers, turning the magnificent structures into ruins, and sang their triumphant victory song!

Caesar the Great’s words rung out at this moment: “Veni, vidi—”

The entire audience shouted: “Vici!”

Veni, vidi, vici!

I came, I saw, I conquered!4

Qiu Ying and Lu Yiyi were sitting together in the MVP area. Next to them was the esports reporter, Xiao5 Xi, who was Pei Xi’s diehard fan. The three girls held hands with each other, faces flushed with excitement.

The first game of the Autumn Finals officially began!

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1 In Chinese, straight people are called, well, “straight,” so bent people would be gay.

2 Likely a reference to NBA player Jeremy Lin, whose Chinese name is Lin Shuhao. The characters Lin and Hao are the same as the ones used in his name.

3 Also probably a reference to famous Chinese singer Zhou Shen, or Charlie Zhou.

4 Originally in English and then Chinese, respectively, but of course the original quote is Latin.

5 Xiao (“little”) used here to denote closeness, so that isn’t her last name.

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