After the championship match, there was still an interview session for the winning team. Not long after Mu Wan and Kuang Xingran left the audience seats, Mu Wan received a message from Kuang Ye:

[We’re having a celebration banquet later. Family can come too. Want to join?]

Mu Wan quickly replied:
[Is your hand okay?!]

Kuang Ye instinctively wanted to downplay the issue but remembered Mu Wan’s insistence on honesty. So he replied truthfully:
[I had a painkiller injection. It’s no big deal. There aren’t any matches coming up, so I’ll have time to rest and recover.]

Mu Wan, being a violinist, was familiar with occupational health problems among musicians. She understood the concept of painkiller injections—it essentially numbed the pain but didn’t address the underlying issue. For instance, if a hand was cut, the pain would go away after an injection, but the injury remained. In fact, the lack of sensation could lead to further damage.

[And you’re telling me it’s nothing? Are you trying to make me worry to death?!]
[The team doctor already checked it after the match—it’s fine. If you’re still worried, I’ll have the doctor send you a voice note.]

Mu Wan: “…”
[Stop being cheeky. Can I bring Xingran to the banquet?]
[Of course!]

When Kuang Xingran learned she could attend ST’s celebration banquet, she was both excited and a bit nervous.
“My brother hasn’t told his teammates about me before, right? Do you think they’ll know that my relationship with him wasn’t great before?”

Mu Wan reassured her, “Ah Ye rarely talks to his teammates about family matters.”

Kuang Xingran relaxed and patted her chest. “That’s good. Even though I’ve turned over a new leaf, I still feel a bit shy meeting my brother’s friends.”

Mu Wan raised an eyebrow. “Shy? You?”

Kuang Xingran tilted her chin up. “What? Can’t I be shy?”

The two bantered playfully while waiting. Shortly after, Kuang Ye sent Mu Wan the location of ST’s team van and told her they would be busy with interviews for a while, so she and Xingran could wait in the van.

When they arrived, they found someone already inside—it was Jiang Shixi’s girlfriend, Liu Xue’er.

Since they had met previously at a karaoke outing, Mu Wan naturally greeted her and introduced the two sides.
“Xingran, this is Liu Xue’er, Jiang Shixi’s girlfriend. She’s also an esports commentator.”

“Xue’er, this is Kuang Ye’s younger sister, Kuang Xingran. Just call her Xingran,” Mu Wan said.

Liu Xue’er was surprised. “Ye Shen has a sister? He’s never mentioned her before.”

Kuang Xingran, knowing her past behavior wasn’t worth mentioning, confidently extended her hand. “You’re an HW commentator, so you must be great at the game. I’m planning to get into it too. Add me on WeChat—if I don’t understand something, I’ll ask you for help.”

Liu Xue’er smiled as she pulled out her phone. “You don’t need to ask me. Forget about Ye Shen—Wan wan is already amazing at the game.”

Kuang Xingran added her on WeChat. “Ah, we’re all part of ST’s family circle. We can hang out together and go shopping sometime!”

While they chatted, Mu Wan was busy replying to messages in a group chat.

Zhou Yang: [Wan wan, you’re so heartless! You had front-row tickets for the finals and didn’t sell me one. I wanted to be there in person too.]*
Mu Wan: [Family tickets.]
Fang Li: [Hahaha, Yang-ge once called Ye Shen “Dad.” Doesn’t that count as family?]
Zhou Yang: [@Fang Li, you’ve got guts. You’re getting bolder and bolder these days.]
Fang Li: [Bleh! Come and hit me if you dare!]

Mu Wan couldn’t help but laugh. Fang Li, after embracing her true nature, had indeed developed the fearlessness of a young calf.

Liu Xue’er and Kuang Xingran both looked at her curiously. Mu Wan, noticing their gazes, explained, “I was on a variety show before, chatting with some friends from it.”

Liu Xue’er’s eyes lit up. “Is it the one where you and Shu Shu went to New York?”

Mu Wan glanced at her. “Shu Shu” was how fans of Li Shuqin referred to her. As expected, Liu Xue’er immediately followed up, “Wan wan, are you close to Li Shuqin? Can you get me a signed photo? I’ve been her fan for ten years!”

She had watched the livestream of their travel show and nearly dropped her jaw when she saw Mu Wan appear on the program. Seeing Mu Wan and Li Shuqin’s close interactions filled her with envy and jealousy, turning her into a sour lemon on the spot. Since she hadn’t exchanged contact info with Mu Wan during their previous karaoke meetup, she couldn’t ask through her boyfriend either. Now that the opportunity presented itself, she wasn’t going to let it slip.

Mu Wan raised her phone. “I’ll ask her.”

Liu Xue’er nodded enthusiastically.

Mu Wan tagged Li Shuqin in the group chat and mentioned the autograph request. Li Shuqin didn’t reply immediately, and Zhou Yang commented that she was likely on set and hadn’t checked her phone.

Before Li Shuqin could respond, ST’s main players returned from their interviews. Liu Xue’er immediately picked up a party popper and aimed it at her boyfriend. “Congratulations on the championship!”

Jiang Shixi’s head was soon covered in colorful streamers, but his gaze toward Liu Xue’er was incredibly tender.

Mu Wan gave Kuang Ye a hug, secretly squeezing his hand to check its condition. From the outside, it didn’t seem too bad.

Jiang Yu covered his eyes dramatically. “Stop with the PDA already! Singles have rights too, you know!”

O Lan greeted Mu Wan shyly. “Wan-jie.”

Mu Wan smiled. “You played really well in the fourth game. Where’s your sister? Will she be coming later?”

O Lan replied, “She’s busy and can’t make it, but she watched the livestream of my match.”

Standing nearby, Kuang Xingran clicked her tongue. She couldn’t help but notice how familiar Wan wan was with ST’s players—even knowing about their siblings.

The group headed to a luxury hotel in S City for the banquet. With their championship prize money, they ordered an array of expensive dishes.

When it came time to pay, Zhang Qinan was about to settle the bill when Kuang Xingran stopped him. “No need. This is my first time meeting everyone, so consider this meal my treat to celebrate.”

She then turned to the manager. “Put it on my tab.”

The group was surprised by how familiar the team captain’s sister seemed with the hotel manager.

Shen Lele asked, “Sister Xingran, are you a regular here? This place isn’t cheap.”

Kuang Xingran replied nonchalantly, “Not really. I’m an investor in this restaurant.”