Chapter 18

Yi Shen had actually wanted to invite Ying Nian to join the dinner when they met in the hallway. But as the words reached his lips, he remembered that there were other team members and staff involved, and it wasn’t his place to make the decision on his own, so he held back.

He went to the hotel’s first-floor restaurant with the coach to join the others. As they sat down, Yi Shen casually mentioned, “I just ran into the captain’s fan upstairs!”

Yu Linran showed no reaction on his face, but Cheng Run commented, “How do you know she’s Yu’s fan? Did she have it written on her face?”

Yi Shen replied, “No! It’s the girl who soloed against the captain!”

Yu Linran’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but he didn’t look up, focusing instead on pouring himself a glass of water. With that mention, the others at the table, except for Bo Can, remembered and turned to look at Yi Shen.

“What a coincidence?”

“Yeah, I thought so too!”

Cheng Run laughed, “All you do every day is keep an eye on pretty girls. So, since you bumped into her by chance, didn’t you invite her to come down with you?”

“I was thinking about asking her if she wanted to join us,” Yi Shen said, “but I was worried you guys might mind…”

“What would we have to mind?”

Lin Shan chimed in, “If you chickened out, just admit it. Don’t put the blame on us!”

Yi Shen, itching to act, asked, “So none of you have any objections?”

Cheng Run and Lin Shan shook their heads, and Bo Can, catching on a bit late, also looked up and shook his head.

Yi Shen then asked the coach, “…Can I invite her to join us?”

The coach lightly patted him on the head, “That’s up to you guys, I’m not getting involved.” Just then, someone at the next table called for him, so he got up and went over to have a drink.

Yi Shen didn’t want to invite Ying Nian just because he thought she was pretty; he genuinely felt that since she was a girl who had come all this way just to watch the match, enthusiastically participated in SF’s support and activities, and passionately supported them, he was grateful.

—Even though she wasn’t actually his fan.

Remembering that the “main person” was present, Yi Shen asked Yu Linran, who always had the final say, “Bro, can I invite your fan to join us for dinner? She came all the way here, and it wasn’t easy for her. When she saw our coach earlier, she kept looking around for you, and when she couldn’t find you, she seemed really disappointed…”

If Yu Linran wasn’t comfortable with close contact with fans, Yi Shen couldn’t make the decision on his own.

Cheng Run and Lin Shan watched from the side, expecting that, given Yu Linran’s usual disposition, he most likely wouldn’t agree.

They all waited for Yu Linran’s response.

He said calmly, “I don’t mind.”

Those simple four words left Cheng Run and Lin Shan slightly surprised, and glanced over at him.

What’s going on? Did he suddenly have a change of heart?

Yi Shen smiled happily and stood up with a leap.

“I’ll go invite her!”

And so, this led to the scene at Ying Nian’s door.

When Ying Nian heard Yi Shen’s invitation, she was in disbelief and stood there stunned for a moment.

Seeing that she remained silent, Yi Shen waved his hand in front of her face. She suddenly snapped out of it and nodded, “Of course!” Worried that he might change his mind, she quickly added, “Give me half a minute, I’ll be right out!”

Leaving the door ajar, Ying Nian rushed inside and quickly tidied herself up.

The two of them went downstairs together. Ying Nian, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, “You guys are having a team dinner; would my presence be a bit intrusive?”

Yi Shen reassured her, “No, it won’t. I already talked to them, and everyone’s fine with it!”

“Even Captain Yu…?” she asked cautiously.

“Yeah!”

Ying Nian pressed her lips together, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of her mouth. Although Yu Linran might have agreed casually, it still made her happy.

At the very least, he probably didn’t mind seeing her, right?

The hotel’s first-floor restaurant had a Western-style setup, with low tables and chairs. Each table could seat five or six people at most. The entire SF team, including the staff, occupied most of the empty tables. Since it was a buffet-style setup, they had only ordered one extra large dish from the kitchen for each table.

Ying Nian followed Yi Shen to the restaurant, and from the moment she stepped inside, she felt an inexplicable wave of nervousness. It was understandable—during her last visit to the base, there were other fans with her, but this time, the entire place was filled with SF team members, and she was the only outsider.

To be fair, though Yi Shen usually seemed carefree, he could be quite reliable at crucial moments. Yi Shen pulled out a chair for Ying Nian, allowing her to join them and sit at the same table.

The spot previously occupied by the coach was just right for Ying Nian.

On the surface, Ying Nian appeared calm, but inside, her heart was racing wildly.

There were six people at the table, five of whom were SF team members, and Yu Linran… was right across from her!

No one knew that in her heart, she had already awarded Yi Shen with the “World’s Kindest Person Award”!

“Don’t be shy! Just make yourself at home—uh, I mean, just think of it like hanging out with friends!” Yi Shen said considerately, worried she might feel uneasy and unable to relax, and continued to reassure her as he sat down.

“Yeah,” Cheng Run added, “We’ve seen each other so many times, we’re practically acquaintances now.”

Ying Nian smiled, quickly shaking her head to indicate she wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

Yu Linran leaned back casually against his chair cushion, without greeting her, his gaze swept over her, revealing no clear emotion.

Ying Nian met his eyes briefly before looking away, occasionally sneaking glances at his chin or neck, but she didn’t dare to meet his eyes directly.

Yi Shen brought over several plates of food for Ying Nian, choosing things that girls typically liked. Lin Shan teased, “Oh, Yi Shen, when are you going to get me some food too? Your brother here has never enjoyed such treatment!”

Yi Shen, genuinely without any ulterior motives, didn’t feel awkward and shot back, “Cut it out. Get your own food!”

Cheng Run and Lin Shan continued to joke around with Yi Shen, but he remained unfazed.

Yu Linran hadn’t said much the entire time, which wasn’t unusual—he was usually this quiet, and none of his teammates found it odd. Ying Nian wanted to start a conversation with him, but she didn’t know where to begin.

Yi Shen, on the other hand, seemed quite interested in her. He asked, “Don’t you have summer classes? You’re a high school student, right?”

Ying Nian nodded, “Yes, but our school doesn’t encourage extra classes.”

“That’s great!” Yi Shen said, enviously sighing, “My old school had so many requirements.” Then he added, “Last time you guys visited the base, I heard from your friend that you have really good grades?”

Ying Nian modestly replied, “Yeah, they’re okay.”

Lin Shan joked, “Getting a scholarship isn’t just ‘okay.’” Especially with her fluency in foreign languages—unless she grew up abroad or had relatives from another country, mastering a language to such a level with just a period of study showed she had impressive learning abilities.

Yi Shen’s curiosity was piqued. “What does ‘okay’ mean? What’s your rank in class? I have a cousin who’s really good at studying—he always makes it to the top ten in his grade!”

Ying Nian hadn’t figured out how to respond when Yi Shen directly asked, “What was your rank in the final exams?”

Ying Nian had no choice but to answer, “First.”

Yi Shen’s fork, poised to cut his steak, paused mid-air. “How many students are in your first year?”

“Over a thousand.”

“…” He swallowed, then quickly clapped his hands. “That’s impressive!”

Eighteen and nineteen years old are just a year apart, but it felt like there was an insurmountable barrier between them; Yi Shen was much more childish compared to the other three older teammates. Bo Can should also be included, but he didn’t talk much and had a temperament somewhat similarly reserved as Yu Linran, making him seem much more mature than Yi Shen.

“Let me tell you something—” Yi Shen put down his fork, suddenly excited, “Our captain is also amazing! He used to study abroad, and his grades were outstanding too. His English is super fluent!”

Yi Shen patted Yu Linran’s arm. “Captain, captain! Say something in English for her to hear…”

Yu Linran looked up, casting a calm glance that made Yi Shen’s smile freeze on his face.

What is this, a circus act?

“Uh, maybe next time when we have more time…” Yi Shen tried to smooth things over, and, worried that Ying Nian wouldn’t believe him, he emphasized again, “He’s really amazing!”

Ying Nian smiled faintly and nodded. “Yeah.”

She didn’t know much about him, but she could clearly sense that he was someone with a strong inner self. People with strong inner selves tend to have high standards for themselves and are generally more exceptional than others.

However, these things couldn’t be found on the official website or elsewhere; as a fan, she, like everyone else, had no way of knowing. Now, being able to learn about these things from his daily teammates, Ying Nian felt incredibly lucky, like she had hit the jackpot.

She picked up her cup, and perhaps because she was in a good mood, the orange juice tasted especially sweet.

But just as she was drinking and hadn’t had the chance to swallow, Yi Shen suddenly, and rather untimely, asked, “By the way, did you come up with your Weibo ID yourself? You know, the one that’s like ‘Yu Linran Marry Me’…”

“Pfft—”

Ying Nian quickly covered her mouth, coughing repeatedly as she choked, and the orange juice spilled over her hand and dripped through her fingers.

Damn it!

She coughed so hard that her face turned red.

Yi Shen panicked, “Hey, are you okay?!” He half stood up in a hurry when he realized there were no napkins on the table.

Cheng Run and the others also looked around, searching for napkins.

“If you keep quiet, no one will think you’re mute.”

Yu Linran, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke in a faint tone, giving Yi Shen a sideways glance. He casually grabbed a box of tissues from the nearby table and placed it in front of Ying Nian, giving it a slight push to bring it closer to her.

Ying Nian quickly glanced at him, then lowered her eyes and hurriedly pulled out some tissues to wipe the juice off her hands. After finally cleaning up, her face was flushed bright red, like a roasted sweet potato, simmering with embarrassment.

Cheng Run and Lin Shan struggled to suppress their laughter, holding back to spare her the last bit of dignity.

Yi Shen was quick to apologize, “I’m sorry…” Then he muttered, “I just asked, why are you reacting so strongly? Isn’t ‘Yu Linran Marry Me’ your ID?”

He went on, as if stabbing another knife into Ying Nian’s heart.

Yu Linran was right in front of her! Being asked such a question in his presence, Ying Nian really had the urge to crawl into a hole in the ground.

She had no choice; with her face completely red, she gritted her teeth and squeezed out a response, “I just came up with it randomly!”

Yi Shen still had more to say, but recalling Yu Linran’s earlier warning, he didn’t dare stir up more trouble. He simply said, “Oh,” and dropped the topic.

Lin Shan clapped his hands, “Alright, alright, let’s play a game, shall we?”

“What should we play?”

“Cards?”

Cheng Run turned to Ying Nian, “Cards, do you know how to play?”

Ying Nian nodded.

“Perfect,” Lin Shan said, “Bo Can doesn’t know how to play, so you can take his place!”

Yi Shen volunteered to go to the hotel front desk to ask the staff for a deck of cards. Everyone pulled their food closer to themselves, leaving space in the middle for the game.

Ying Nian’s card-playing skills were actually not very good; she hadn’t played many times, and she learned the gameplay and rules from dining out with friends. But since it wasn’t a serious card competition, she straightened her back and joined in.

First round, Ying Nian won.

Second round, Ying Nian won.

Third round, Ying Nian won.

Fourth round…

They played for forty minutes, and Ying Nian won every single round, each game ending in record time. It wasn’t that the others didn’t want to win; it was just that Ying Nian’s cards were too good, while the others kept drawing terrible hands, making it impossible to play effectively.

Even with the tactical genius Yu Linran, who could strategize and command everyone on the battlefield, they still couldn’t overcome Ying Nian’s streak of good luck.

Ying Nian won four rounds straight, and before they started, they had set a rule that the winner could punish the losers or make requests. The losers admitted defeat, and Ying Nian, being quite gentle, thought for a moment and said, “Hmm, Cheng Run’s punishment… drink two glasses of orange juice in one go! Lin Shan can drink two glasses of coconut milk, and Yi Shen, two glasses of watermelon juice.”

Cheng Run laughed, “As expected, girls are gentle. I like this punishment, let’s do it!”

Lin Shan also accepted happily.

For the guys, chugging two glasses of a drink was no big deal, especially since the drinks Ying Nian mentioned weren’t carbonated—no bubbles meant no bloating.

Only Yi Shen complained, “What’s the point of this? There’s no challenge at all!”

Under the table, Lin Shan kicked him. “What’s wrong with you? I think this is fine. If you want to do something else, do it yourself!”

Faced with the authority of his older teammates, Yi Shen reluctantly shut his mouth.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Cheng Run suddenly remembered, “What about Yu? We’re all drinking, so what’s he going to do?”

Ying Nian hesitated for a while before softly saying, “Let’s skip the captain…”

“Why should we get punished while he gets off the hook?” 

Lin Shan and Cheng Run immediately started to stir things up, “No way, no way, the captain needs to be punished too!”

“Exactly, come on, let’s each pour him a drink!”

Ying Nian quickly tried to stop them, “Wait—”

“No way!”

Bo Can suddenly spoke up, “Ying Nian already said the captain shouldn’t be punished, so he shouldn’t be punished.”

“Huh?” Lin Shan glared at him, “What’s the deal?”

Bo Can explained, “The captain doesn’t like drinking beverages.”

Ying Nian glanced at Yu Linran after hearing Bo Can’s words. Originally, she just didn’t want to punish him out of her own personal feelings, but now she was even more resolute in her decision.

Cheng Run playfully poked Bo Can’s head, “Oh, so you just feel sorry for Yu, huh? But what about me and Lin? Aren’t we worthy of your sympathy?”

Bo Can responded seriously, “No, it’s about following the game rules. Ying Nian is the winner and has the right to decide the punishments. If she chooses to punish someone, then they get punished; if she says no punishment, then there’s no punishment.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Shan and Cheng Run immediately started making a fuss, with Yi Shen joining in the fun, and the boys began to squabble playfully.

Some of the staff from the other tables, noticing the lively atmosphere, came over to chat.

“You guys are playing cards? Who won?”

Cheng Run, busy tickling Bo Can’s side, managed to squeeze out a reply, “Ying Nian!”

The staff members glanced at Ying Nian, who was smiling shyly. “You won all by yourself?”

Yi Shen answered for her, “Yeah, there were four of us playing, and except for Bo Can who didn’t join, all of us lost to her. We played four rounds, and she won all four!”

“Well, you must be really lucky! Card games like this depend a lot on luck!” one of the staff members commented.

Ying Nian laughed and agreed, “I’m not actually that good; it’s just good luck.”

Another staff member chimed in, “Hey, speaking of luck, did you win anything in the latest raffle from the official account?”

Ying Nian paused, then remembered. SF’s official Weibo had posted a raffle with a total of eleven prizes. Ten winners would receive signed SF merchandise, including figures, keyboard and mouse sets, and speakers.

The eleventh prize was the “Special Joy Prize.”

“I didn’t win,” Ying Nian said honestly. “I retweeted the post, but I didn’t get picked.”

She remembered that the drawing had been done two days ago.

The staff member who asked nodded, “That’s a pity. The eleventh prize was a custom-made T-shirt with signatures from all five of them, signed with their in-game IDs on the front and their real names on the back. Our merchandise line doesn’t include clothing yet, so this item was specially made. There’s only one, and the signatures aren’t computer-generated and printed; they’re handwritten by all five of them!”

Ying Nian hadn’t known what the eleventh prize was, but after hearing this, envy flashed in her eyes.

She really wanted Yu Linran’s signature!

SF’s official merchandise is limited because of their small fan base, making it hard to sell. Only a few of the more popular teams release merchandise regularly. The signed figures were also made specifically for this event and couldn’t be bought elsewhere.

“But with luck like yours, you’re bound to win next time!” The staff member offered some comforting words.

Ying Nian smiled and composed herself.

After some casual chatting, the staff returned to their seats to continue eating and drinking. The boys who had been messing around also quieted down. Bo Can’s cheeks were flushed from all the teasing, and Cheng Run and the others kept their word and drank their assigned beverages.

Ying Nian still didn’t relent, insisting that Yu Linran’s punishment be “let go.”

This earned her a playful remark from Cheng Run, “Ah, fans are just different! If only my fan were here, I’d love to be pampered too!”

The teasing made Ying Nian’s ears blush slightly.

Before the gathering ended, Ying Nian’s phone rang. She apologized to the group, got up, and stepped outside the restaurant to take the call.

It was a bedtime call from Guan Lanqiu (her mom). Ying Nian told her she was eating at the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. Guan Lanqiu reminded her to stay safe and go to bed early, and they quickly hung up.

Ying Nian hadn’t turned around yet when someone stepped out. She turned her head and saw that it was Yu Linran, making her freeze in place.

She stood rooted to the spot, staring at him, momentarily forgetting what she was supposed to do next.

It was unclear whether Yu Linran had come out for some fresh air or something else. He stopped and glanced sideways at her.

Ying Nian snapped out of it, and quickly turned her head away, feeling a bit flustered, like someone caught sneaking a glance.

But unexpectedly, Yu Linran spoke, “Do you want a signature?”

How did he know??

Could it be that her desire was really that obvious?!

Feeling embarrassed, Ying Nian scratched her neck. “Yeah.” After a two-second pause, she said softly, “I want… yours.”

“Do you have a pen?” Yu Linran asked.

“Huh?” She was slightly stunned and shook her head. “No.”

Yu Linran glanced at her, then called over a passing staff member and borrowed a pen. As he turned to Ying Nian, he said, “You won the card game just now, so consider this your prize.”

He opened the pen cap and frowned slightly. “Where should I sign?”

Overjoyed, Ying Nian fumbled around before finally lifting her arm. “On the sleeve!”

Yu Linran raised the pen, just about to sign on her sleeve, but stopped when the pen tip was about to touch her clothing.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he capped the pen.

Ying Nian looked at him, bewildered.

“I’ll owe you this one,” Yu Linran said, as he lowered his gaze slightly to look at her with his lips curled up. “I’ll make it up to you next time.”