Xu Yitong’s back pressed tightly against the door as she let out a short, startled “Ah,” her mind blanking for a moment. 

If he hadn’t been standing right there, she might have thought she was hallucinating. 

The post-match backstage was bustling with activity.

The winning team’s members filed off the stage, laughing and joking as they passed by.

The noise rose and fell, gradually fading away. 

Under the harsh white fluorescent lights overhead, Yu Ge stood bathed in brightness, as if the entire clamor stopped at him. 

Xu Yitong swallowed hard, feeling a little dazed… 

Under Yu Ge’s quiet gaze, time seemed to freeze for a moment.

She stared blankly for a while before her expression finally shifted. 

“Just now… was it you calling me?” 

She asked cautiously, her words halting, her voice weak. 

A few staff members passed by occasionally, noticing Yu Ge standing outside the TG lounge with a woman.

They didn’t dare linger, only stealing glances at the two. 

“Your umbrella.” 

He never wasted words, never softened his tone with filler—always straight to the point. 

“My umbrella…” Xu Yitong repeated slowly, “My umbrella.” 

Then her tone suddenly lifted— 

“Ah! Right! My umbrella!” Xu Yitong stared straight at Yu Ge. 

He actually remembered. 

Xu Yitong felt lightheaded, her heart swelling with joy, mixed with a smug sense of triumph. 

Her name, her umbrella. 

Yu Ge remembered them both. 

Tilting her head, a sly, victorious smile curled at her lips.

“I almost forgot about it until you mentioned it.” 

After a pause, Yu Ge frowned slightly. “How much?” 

How much? 

Xu Yitong didn’t understand at first.

“How much for what?” 

…… 

Inside the OG lounge. 

Awen circled Xiao C, shaking his head and clicking his tongue.

“C, you really need to lose some weight. Your ass is way too big.” 

“Is it?”

Xiao C gasped, looking down at his hips.

“I think it’s fine.” 

“Then how did you manage to crush all the cookies in Fish’s backpack just by sitting on it?” 

Will added lazily, “And that ugly umbrella.” 

At that, Awen burst into laughter. 

“Did you guys see Fish’s face when he checked that broken umbrella? He inspected it like three times.” 

“I didn’t see his bag! It wasn’t on purpose!” Xiao C protested loudly. 

“Besides, it’s just an ugly umbrella. Fish wouldn’t blame me. Don’t underestimate the bond between bot laners, you jerk.” 

Will’s lips twitched in exasperation. 

“Fish checked the umbrella because it was broken. If you died in front of him, he wouldn’t even glance your way.” 

…… 

Xu Yitong waited for him to continue. 

Yu Ge was always cold and decisive. 

So it was rare—no, downright bizarre—that Xu Yitong actually detected something like hesitation on his face? 

She studied him curiously. 

After a brief silence, Yu Ge didn’t explain the situation. 

He simply said, “Your umbrella is broken.” 

“Oh…” 

So that was it. 

All that excitement for nothing.  

Xu Yitong didn’t know how to respond. 

After a moment, she put on a regretful expression. 

“Ah, I really liked that umbrella.” 

“Sorry.” 

Yu Ge pulled out his phone and unlocked it. 

“How much? I’ll transfer you.” 

“No, no, I don’t want your money.” 

Xu Yitong quickly stopped him, putting on an act. 

“And you don’t need to apologize. It’s not like you wanted it in the first place—I was the one who forced it on you because I was worried you’d get caught in the rain and catch a cold. It’s not your fault it broke.” 

Her words were magnanimous on the surface, but they also subtly conveyed a hint of grievance—a perfectly calculated performance. 

Xu Yitong was quite pleased with her improv. 

My EQ is off the charts! she thought smugly. 

Maybe Yu Ge will feel so guilty he’ll agree to go on a date with me?

She peeked at his expression. 

Yu Ge stood there for a few seconds, baffled as to how a simple two-word question had elicited such a long-winded response. 

But then again, he also didn’t understand why he’d wasted so much time on an umbrella. 

Yu Ge didn’t bother replying. 

Coolly averting his gaze, he said, “I’ll go, then.” 

Xu Yitong: “?” 

Stunned, she lunged forward. 

“Hey, wait! I’m not done talking!” 

Blocked, Yu Ge stopped and glanced down at her. 

“What?” 

Xu Yitong’s face cycled through shades of red and white, frustration boiling inside her. 

She really wanted to kick him from behind. 

Yu Ge must have been an Antarctic codfish in his past life!! No one in the world is more cold-blooded than him!

When she didn’t speak, he asked again with forced patience, “What is it?” 

“I…” 

How could she say she just wanted to spend more time with him—and maybe casually suggest a date? 

Her mind raced. 

“I want to see how badly the umbrella is broken. Maybe it can still be fixed. It was a gift from my mom…” 

Lying made her eyes dart away guiltily. 

“It’s really special to me. I can’t just throw it away.” 

He didn’t respond. 

Xu Yitong studied his expression. 

“…Would it be okay if you took me to see it?” 

Silence. 

Slowly, Xu Yitong lowered her hand and stepped aside, muttering dejectedly, “Fine, if it’s not convenient, forget it…” 

“Lounge.” 

Xu Yitong blinked in confusion. “Huh?” 

Seeing her spaced-out look again, Yu Ge averted his gaze, his tone as flat as ever. 

“Coming or not.” 

? 

!!! 

Xu Yitong froze for a second, then quickly chased after his retreating figure. 

“Yes! Of course I’m coming!” 

She giggled goofily. 

Yu Ge shot her a sidelong glance. 

By now, Xu Yitong had completely forgotten how “important” the umbrella was to her. 

She didn’t even notice Yu Ge’s look, lost in her own little world. 

Head high, chest out, she practically bounced with each step, every strand of hair radiating joy. 

As for her poor brother still getting chewed out? 

Xu Yitong had long since forgotten about him… 

If anyone was to blame, it was Chen Yucheng for not being good enough. 

It wasn’t Yu Ge’s fault, and it certainly wasn’t hers. 

When forced to choose between her brother and Yu Ge, the answer was obvious—Little Fish won every time. 

Xu Yitong couldn’t stop the grin spreading across her face. 

That was the only thought left in her mind. 

* 

The door to the OG lounge swung open. 

When Awen saw it was Yu Ge, he went back to scrolling on his phone. 

The manager paced angrily while on a call. 

Xiao C munched on chips as he and Will discussed the match. 

Two seconds later, Xu Yitong leaned in from the doorway, peeking around with a cheerful grin. 

“Hi! Mind if I come in~?” 

The sound of her voice brought everything in the room to a halt. 

Everyone turned to stare. 

Xiao C’s mouth fell open. 

What was happening? 

Fish had brought a girl back with him… 

The team’s minds raced with theories, their eyes darting between Xu Yitong and Yu Ge. 

Not a single one dared to ask out loud. 

Under the weight of their collective stares, Xu Yitong didn’t feel shy. 

She just found it odd—it wasn’t like they’d never seen her before. 

Why were they so shocked? 

Yu Ge paused mid-step, scanning the room with his usual frown. 

“What?” 

Xiao C stammered, pointing at Xu Yitong. 

“This, you… her?” 

…… 

Xiao C stood to the side, watching Xu Yitong inspect the broken umbrella. 

Guiltily, he said, “So this, uh… this lovely umbrella is yours.” 

Xu Yitong studied the snapped ribs. 

“You sat on it?” 

“Yeah…” Xiao C fidgeted. 

“Where’d you buy it? I can get you a new one.” 

Xu Yitong pursed her lips slightly. 

“It’s fine, don’t worry.” 

Xiao C insisted, “How much was it? I’ll pay you back.” 

“Um… it wasn’t expensive.” 

Having already lied, Xu Yitong had no choice but to double down. 

“It was a gift, so I just wanted to see if it could be fixed.” 

Worried she’d made it sound too serious, she added, “Really, it’s no big deal. If you feel bad, just buy me bubble tea or something.” 

“Ah…” 

Xiao C had zero experience interacting with girls and didn’t know how to make it up to her. 

Without thinking, he blurted, “Then… how about I treat you to a meal?” 

“…” 

Xu Yitong’s expression turned awkward. 

Awen coughed loudly. 

Will smacked Xiao C on the back of the head. 

“Are you stupid?” 

Xiao C realized his mistake and quickly clarified, “I didn’t mean just the two of us! Like, all of us together…” 

“Sure!” Xu Yitong beamed, immediately agreeing. 

“Just let me know when you’re free. Anytime!” 

Xiao C didn’t even think. 

“We’re free today.” 

Dead silence. 

Xu Yitong glanced quickly at Yu Ge’s expression. 

After a brief hesitation, she tentatively replied, “Then… sure?” 

* 

No matter how much Xu Yitong racked her brain, she never would’ve guessed that after all her efforts—making crafts, arranging flower deliveries through friends, setting up meetings with Jasmine—every attempt had ended in failure. 

Yet in the end, it was a broken umbrella and two little lies that effortlessly got her into OG’s inner circle. 

The fortune teller had been spot-on. 

The heavens truly were on her side… 

Xu Yitong followed them out of the stadium through a private back exit. 

From afar, she could see a crowd of fans waiting at the main gate. 

She kept a slight distance, not daring to get too close. 

Noticing Xu Yitong lagging behind alone, Roy slowed his steps to walk beside her. 

“Hey, I just texted Yi Yi. She’ll come later.” 

She looked up. 

“Huh?” 

Roy lowered his voice. 

“Otherwise, it’d be awkward for you—one girl with a bunch of guys.” 

“Wow.” Xu Yitong was touched, her eyes sparkling. 

“You’re so thoughtful! Not only are you amazing at the game, but you’re such a sweet person too. No wonder you have such a beautiful, talented girlfriend like Yi Yi.” 

She never held back when complimenting others, her tone warm and sincere.

“See, this is why guys with girlfriends know how to treat girls right!” 

Roy scratched his head, a little embarrassed. 

“Well, Fish has a sister. Yu Nuomin hangs out with us a lot too, so Fish always reminds us to be considerate. Guess it’s a habit now.” 

Xu Yitong nodded in understanding. “I see.” 

For some reason, she suddenly felt a pang of regret that she didn’t have a brother like that… 

As soon as Yu Ge and the others stepped out, they were swarmed. 

Security struggled to maintain order, but the fans’ enthusiasm was unstoppable. 

“Alright, safety first! Don’t push!” 

Surrounded by people filming on their phones, Xu Yitong slipped to the side and followed one of the club’s staff onto the team bus. 

She glanced back. 

Yu Ge was bent slightly, signing autographs for fans. 

Most of OG’s fans were young girls, not much different from the idol fanatics Xu Yitong had seen online. 

A sudden thought struck her. 

If these girls knew that the players they admired were also kind, genuine people off the stage, wouldn’t they feel even luckier? 

* 

The bus was quiet. 

Fresh off a match, everyone seemed exhausted, dozing in their seats. 

Xu Yitong sat in the second-to-last row. 

Yu Ge was diagonally in front of her, across the aisle, in a window seat. 

Outside, night had fully fallen. 

The shifting lights of the city flickered across him as the bus moved—neon hues occasionally illuminating his face. 

His eyes were closed, head resting against the window, deep in sleep. 

The hem of his red-and-white jersey had ridden up slightly, and his bangs fell over his forehead, softening his usually sharp features. 

At this moment, Yu Ge looked peaceful, almost gentle. 

For some reason, Xu Yitong’s heart melted. 

After watching him for a while, she quietly opened her bag. 

As an art student, Xu Yitong had carried a sketchbook since high school. 

She flipped to a blank page in her notebook. 

Using her bag as a makeshift desk, she studied Yu Ge, pondered for a moment, then made her first stroke. 

…… 

Her phone buzzed—a WeChat notification. 

Xu Yitong paused her drawing to check. 

-Conquer: 【Where are you?】 

Xu Yitong set her pencil aside and typed quickly: 【Left】 

-Conquer: 【?】 

-Conquer: 【I thought we were eating together?】 

Xu Yitong thought for a second before replying. 

-Happy Zhenzhen: 【Forgot—dinner at Uncle’s today.】 

With that, she put her phone away and ignored him. 

Holding up her sketch, she blew on it lightly and examined it under the light, nodding in satisfaction. 

…… 

As the bus entered the city center, traffic grew congested. 

A sudden brake jolted everyone awake. 

Hui Ge called out, “What happened?” 

The driver: “Nothing, just a dog ran across the road.” 

Seeing Yu Ge open his eyes, Xu Yitong—who’d been waiting for this—looked around before silently getting up. 

He still seemed half-asleep, watching her lazily without reaction. 

Xu Yitong hesitated for a second, then crouched in the aisle, bracing herself on the seatback. 

Leaning closer, she whispered softly, as if afraid to startle him, “Here, for you.” 

In her nervousness, she accidentally handed him the pencil too. 

Yu Ge shifted, slowly sitting up, and took it after a delay. 

He looked down at what she’d given him. 

A sketch of a rainy beach. 

SpongeBob—with big eyes and long lashes—squatted on the sand, stretching his thin arms to hold a wilting lotus leaf over a little fish stranded on the shore. 

She watched him covertly, then glanced at the black-and-white pencil drawing in his hands. 

“Want an autograph?” he asked. 

Xu Yitong’s heart raced. 

She hadn’t even processed his question, answering disjointedly, “The little fish fell asleep on the beach.” 

Yu Ge still didn’t seem to get it. 

Half-awake, he took the pencil she’d handed him, paused for a second, then signed his name beneath the stranded fish—the same signature he’d written a million times before. 

—Fish.