Chapter 4

Shanghai in April is always shrouded under a continuous blanket of overcast clouds. These past few days have seen a rare spell of good weather, with the sun shining brightly and a gentle breeze, neither too strong nor too weak, softly brushing against the cheeks, making it a pleasant and comfortable day.

Jiang Jiashu felt a bit dazed as he got into the taxi after leaving the airport. During the Spring Festival, he and Ying Nian were still treating each other like strangers, barely acknowledging each other’s existence. Who would have thought that in just a month or two, they would end up coming to Shanghai together… to watch a game.

Unbelievable.

As surprised as he was, Ying Nian’s parents and his own parents were equally astonished. Both sets of parents were utterly incredulous upon hearing the news, repeatedly confirming it over and over again.

After much back-and-forth discussion, the matter was finally settled.

As a boy, Jiang Jiashu once really wanted a younger sister. Unfortunately, Ying Nian was too fierce, and over the many years they spent together, her cold demeanor shattered all his beautiful expectations of having a sister.

This was the first time the siblings traveled together, and to be honest, he was quite nervous.

“Ahem.” The taxi had been driving for a while without anyone speaking, so Jiang Jiashu took the initiative to start the conversation, “Where are we staying?”

Ying Nian had insisted on coming to Shanghai, saying she would take care of all the arrangements, even not letting him buy the plane tickets—of course, she almost didn’t buy his game ticket either. It was only after he found out she had planned for him to “explore freely” that he strongly requested to go to the game together, and she reluctantly bought his ticket.

Ying Nian, looking at her phone without lifting her head, said, “I sent you the hotel address on WeChat.”

Jiang Jiashu took out his phone and saw an unread message on WeChat. He looked at it and said, “Oh, there. Last time I went there with my parents for a short vacation. It’s in a commercial district, quite lively. If you want to shop in the afternoon, you can go out for a walk. There are many gift shops, you…”

“No time.”

“…”

Unlike him, Ying Nian truly came out with the sole purpose of watching the game, with no intention of using this trip to build a better relationship with him.

Jiang Jiashu felt awkward for a moment, but quickly collected himself and quietly said, “Oh.”

After responding, he was stunned for a bit.

In the past, he would have lost his temper already, but now he doesn’t feel upset at all. Could it be that he turned into a masochist after being kicked by her in the alley?

… No way? How unfortunate it would be for a good young man like him to turn into a masochist!

Throughout the journey, Ying Nian was busy fiddling with her phone, completely ignoring Jiang Jiashu’s hesitant expressions.

At the hotel, each of them carried a bag to their respective rooms to put away their things. Jiang Jiashu rested for a bit before getting up to find Ying Nian. Before he could knock on the door, Ying Nian, already dressed in a different outfit, opened the door, ready to go out.

He was taken aback.

“Where are you going?”

“…None of your business.”

“…”

“…”

He couldn’t control her, but he could continue to be a bother.

Jiang Jiashu followed behind Ying Nian, refusing to act alone no matter what. Ying Nian didn’t insist on leaving him behind either. She led him to a taxi, making several turns before arriving at a famous landmark in Shanghai. Before long, they met up with a few people.

A group of people, both men and women, gathered. From their greetings, Jiang Jiashu could tell that, including Ying Nian, it was everyone’s first time meeting.

“Is he also from our group? What’s his nickname?” asked a girl named Xiaoxiao, in her twenties, pointing at Jiang Jiashu and asking Ying Nian.

“He’s not,” Ying Nian explained. “He’s my brother, here to accompany me.”

The words “my brother” sounded very pleasing to Jiang Jiashu, instantly dispelling the weariness from hours of travel. He quickly smiled and greeted everyone, “Hello.”

“…Do you even know who they are?” Ying Nian rolled her eyes secretly.

“He’s your brother?! Wow, you both look so young!” Xiaoxiao said shyly. “When we chatted in the group, you seemed so organized. I thought you were in college.”

Before Ying Nian could respond, Jiang Jiashu reacted, “What group?”

“A support group.”

“…Seriously, even this kind of thing?” Jiang Jiashu thought to himself.

These people were all members of an SF fan support group. After joining the group, Ying Nian found out about today’s game and learned that over ten members would be attending in person. She then discussed support activities with them.

The other guys, after greeting, didn’t say much. Even in the group chat, it was Xiaoxiao who led the conversation, and the others just listened to the two girls talk.

While they were chatting, Xiaoxiao seemed to remember something and slightly widened her eyes, “You’re still in high school, right? So the money for the support items…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I used my scholarship money,” Ying Nian quickly explained. “I get to decide how to use my scholarship money, and my parents never question how I spend it.”

“Scholarship…is it enough?”

Ying Nian calmly smiled, “I’ve been receiving scholarships every semester since middle school, and I participate in at least two national competitions each year. The first-place prizes also come with cash awards. Don’t worry, it’s definitely enough!”

Xiaoxiao and the other boys were slightly surprised when they heard this and repeatedly praised her for being impressive.

Jiang Jiashu’s eye twitched, “You get a scholarship every semester?”

Ying Nian raised her eyebrow, “Otherwise, what do you think the school puts so much effort into selecting the top ten outstanding students for?”

He had no response to that.

They not only attended the same high school but had also been in the same middle school. Jiang Jiashu knew about Ying Nian’s excellence, but what he hadn’t expected was…

Damn, it turns out that being a good student can really pay off!

…

The match that caught Ying Nian’s attention and sparked online controversy was part of the Spring Regular Season, where various teams participated. Most players and spectators typically choose to watch the matches of their favorite teams, so SF didn’t attract much attention initially.

However, no one expected SF to successfully stand out in the Spring Regular Season, making it to the top eight and entering the Spring Playoffs. For a team that had never had remarkable achievements before, this was a significant progress.

If SF can consistently secure a top-eight spot in competitions like the Spring or Summer Playoffs, they will at least establish a presence in the minds of gamers and viewers.

Just like this time, many people started to get a bit familiar with the team because they made it to the top eight.

SF’s spokesperson and captain is their support player, Yu Linran, registered under the ID “103.” He just returned from abroad and had no prior competition records, seemingly a player from foreign servers, noticed and brought in by SF.

In other words, he is a rookie player.

Actually, aside from Yu Linran, the other players in SF are also new faces to gamers and viewers.

The ADC and jungler are rookies promoted from SF’s own youth training team. The top laner debuted with SF last year and has only been a registered player for a year. He spent half of the last season as a substitute, warming the bench.

The mid laner has been playing professionally a bit longer and is also a homegrown talent from SF. However, this “longer” is only relative to the others, as the mid laner has only played professionally for less than two years.

All the veteran players have retired, leaving this newly formed five-member team, all under twenty years old. Whether considering their competition experience or their ages, they are all very young.

Tonight, in the first match of the Spring Playoffs quarterfinals, SF is up against a team that frequently makes it to the playoffs. While not among the top teams in the country, they still have a fanbase.

Before the match, the opposing team’s fans had already made targeted comments on forums about SF’s recent “impressive performance,” claiming that SF had only succeeded because they hadn’t faced strong opponents and weren’t deserving of public anticipation.

Moreover, the fact that SF has a relatively small fanbase became a point of ridicule for some unpleasantly extreme fans:

“If I were part of SF, hearing that sparse and barely audible cheering before each match would definitely make me feel bitter!”

Ying Nian initially didn’t plan to watch the match but was infuriated by such comments. In her anger, she not only decided to attend in person but also joined the fan support group, organizing the support activities on her own and covering all the expenses.

It was her first time doing something like this, and although her methods were simple, they were heartfelt. She purchased dozens of various-sized light signs and a giant light sign that stretched several meters long.

After a few days of brief internal struggle, Ying Nian had come to terms with being a fan of Yu Linran. As a fan, she couldn’t help but grumble in her heart about the team’s name while ordering the light signs.

Who came up with such a convenient name? SF, SoFast team. Other teams have names that sound imposing, but what about theirs? The “Super Fast” team?

Despite her complaints, Ying Nian handled the support activities meticulously. The light signs were ordered early, without a single mishap. After the group met up, they picked up the signs from the store and distributed them to the spectators holding seats in the SF fan section before the match started. Everyone in the group got one, with no one left out.

Although Xiaoxiao was older than her, she couldn’t stop praising Ying Nian for being reliable and organized in every aspect.

The largest light sign, when unfurled, took up an entire row of seats. However, the venue wasn’t fully occupied to begin with. The opposing team’s fans numbered only a couple of hundred, while their side had even fewer people, totaling less than forty.

It did look quite shabby, but the giant light sign, along with the handheld signs raised in unison when the team members entered, somewhat salvaged their dignity.

Jiang Jiashu was very supportive. When others raised their light signs, he also raised his support item high. Noticing Ying Nian standing still in a daze beside him, he nudged her with his elbow.

“Are you stunned?”

With that nudge, Ying Nian snapped back to reality and raised her support item as well.

She was indeed stunned.

As the SF members were announced and she saw the five of them steadily walking out from the tunnel, especially the one figure she was most familiar with, the only one she knew personally, appearing right before her—not just an image, but a real, living person—she suddenly felt so nervous that she froze.

Her heart was pounding.

Ying Nian knew that even though they were seated quite close to the stage, they couldn’t actually reach it. That person was just walking across the stage, still a great distance away from her. Yet, in an instant, the blood rushed to her head, leaving her dumbfounded and unsure how to react.

Her eyes were fixed solely on one person—Yu Linran. She stared at him, her gaze moving inch by inch from his head down to his shoes, taking in his tall stature and the calm, gentle expression on his handsome face. She stared at him so intently that she didn’t even blink for two seconds, completely entranced.

If it weren’t for Jiang Jiashu’s reminder, she might have continued to be in a daze.

“Ying Nian!” Xiaoxiao, sitting on her other side, excitedly tapped her while holding up a light sign with one hand. “Yi Shen looked over when he got on stage!”

Yi Shen was SF’s jungler.

Before Ying Nian could respond, the camera panned to SF’s side, and the big screen showed the players sitting down in front of their computers. Yi Shen hadn’t put on his headset yet and was turned, saying something to Yu Linran.

The next moment, Yu Linran slightly raised his eyes, and met the camera directly. His gaze seemed to pierce through the big screen, looking right at them outside the screen.

Ying Nian was stunned for a moment. Soon, the camera moved away. She pressed her lips together, hesitated for only two seconds, then took out a headband from her bag and put it on. The headband had three glowing characters on it:

——Yu Linran.

She hadn’t worn it earlier because Xiaoxiao and the others mentioned that many people online now considered SF supporters to be fans of Yu Linran’s appearance. She originally wanted to stay low-key, but now she didn’t care anymore.

At the moment she saw Yu Linran, nothing else mattered.

Even if she was scolded and labeled as a brainless appearance fan, so be it. She came here, she sat here, just to support him.

Ying Nian liked Yu Linran.

She was unafraid and unashamed to declare it to the world.

…

Long after this, almost every spectator who watched the matches knew SF’s support chants:

“Go forward bravely! SoFast!”

“Walk the line! SF!”

These two slogans resonated in the hearts of every SF supporter and echoed in the ears of gamers and spectators worldwide. They were born during this first official support event for the new team, organized by Ying Nian and the other thirty-something fans.

Conceived by Ying Nian, these chants began to ring out from this day forward—

SF, Go forward bravely!